DOMINGUEZ ENVISIONS PH AS ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE
VOL. XXXIII • NO. 80 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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DU30 RATING 'HARD SLAP' ON CRITICS
'GOV'T MUST IMPLEMENT SC KALIKASAN WRIT' THE government now has no excuse not to protect the marine environment of three reefs in the West Philippine Sea after a Supreme Court issued a writ of Kalikasan on Friday, Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said. “The recent writ of Kalikasan covered by the Supreme Court practically imposes on obligation on our government to enforce the July 12, 2016 arbitral ruling,” Del Rosario said, referring to the decision of the International Criminal Court invalidating China’s excessive claims over almost the entire South China Sea. The same ruling likewise upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the same waters. “To date, nearly 9 of 10 Filipinos would like our government to claim what is ours in the SCS...Our people are now supported by the highest court of the land,” Del Rosario said. “We now look to the legislative and executive branches of our government to be one with us. If they represent us, they must stand with us,” he added. The writ of Kalikasan, which covers Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, and Panganiban Reef, stemmed from a petition filed by members of the Kalayaan Palawan Farmers and Fisherfolk Association and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. The petitioners claimed the government under President Rodrigo Duterte “has failed or refuses to enforce the ruling in a manner that is beneficial to Filipinos.” The petitioner noted the arbitral ruling has upheld the Philippine government’s claim that Ayungin Shoal, Panganiban Reef and Panatag Shoal are well within the Philippine EEZ, so the country’s environmental laws must be enforced in these areas.
FILIPINO, CHINESE HEROES IN NEW COMICS
WHILE China is seen as ruling the waves in the “Three Seas”—the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea—some ribtickling scenario provides some Sunday comic relief with Marvel super heroine Wave making waves. In the first issue of Marvel War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas, scheduled for release on Wednesday, the Filipino super heroine will battle it out alongside Chinese super heroine Aero. Greg Pak, the comic book writer behind the upcoming series, tweeted a confrontation between Wave and Aero over the North Pacific waters, which observers said could well be a euphemism for the South China Sea—providing a sidesplitting storyline. The new character was announced during the weekend at the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, which is 13 hours behind the Philippines. There are little to no information about this new addition to the Marvel family, but its promoters say “we have to say, we love being introduced to more inclusive characters.'' What is known though, is that Wave is a ‘mysterious Filipino superhero’ who comes from the sea. The super-heroine is set to make her debut in War of the Realms: New Agent of Atlas #1, which will be released’ on May 8. Wave, whose real name is revealed to be Pearl Pangan, went past her area of jurisdiction when she sensed danger in the water, according to observers closely watching the anticipated release. But they said Aero was also far from home, possibly for the same reason. Observers have a ready question: Will the two elementalpowered women work together against this unknown menace? How much will art imitate life? The answer, with fans’ anxiety at the ready, may not have to wait for that much longer. Turn to A2
FORMER SPEAKER NOGRALES PASSES AWAY By Maricel V. Cruz
HEROINES’ CONFRONTATION. A screen shot of comic book writer’s Greg Pak’s ‘War of the Realms’ series to be released on May 8—during a sea showdown between Wave of the Philippines and Aero of China over the North Pacific waters.
By Vito Barcelo
Salvador Panelo said in a statement. “Our countrymen’s towering satisfaction in favor of our hardships and attainments is a hard slap on the face of the opposition and our ALACAÑANG on Saturday detractors who, from day one, never gave the leadership of President hailed the latest survey of the Duterte a chance to show them his competence in administering the nation’s affairs,” he added. Social Weather Stations, which Panelo assured that the administration will continue to “grind for showed a new record-high of our nation’s interests and betterment.” 81 percent satisfaction rating for the Duterte The results of the First Quarter 2019 survey conducted from March 28 to 31, 2019 by the SWS showed an overall +72 net satisfacadministration as a “hard slap” on critics. tion rating or 81 percent satisfaction rating for the administration. This is the highest rating received by any administration since “The efforts of this administration in serving the nation and the Filipinos are starting to bear fruit,” Presidential Spokesperson the polling firm started such survey in February 1989. Turn to A2
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THE country lost a statesman on Saturday with the death of former Speaker Prospero Nograles after a lingering illness. He was 71. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles confirmed his father’s demise, saying in a statement: “Papa passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. May we please ask for your continued prayers. He is finally at peace. PROSPERO NOGRALES “Our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of you for being a part of Papa Boy Nogie’s life and journey.” Details of the memorial schedule are expected to be released soon. Nograles, known to friend and foe as “Nogie,” died at a time when the family was celebrating the success of his youngest daughter, Margarita Ignacia or ‘Migs’ in the 2018 bar examinations. Turn to A2
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The government received the highest point of “excellent” +72 on the issue of helping the poor, followed by a “very good” +58 points on fighting terrorism and reconstructing Marawi almost two years since the siege that battered the city. Panelo said Malacañang was “glad” the public appreciated the current government’s efforts in fighting poverty. “Poverty-stricken areas in the Philippines have become the spawning grounds for terrorist activities. In combating terrorism, therefore, the Executive likewise pays attention to addressing the socioeconomic causes of the problem,” he said. “A whole-of-the-nation approach centered on peace and development is laid out and we are gratified that the public acknowledges it,” he added. Based on the survey, more Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s administration as its rating rose to “excellent” in the first quarter of 2019. Of 1,440 Filipino adults, 81 percent were satisfied with the national government’s general performance, 10 percent were undecided, and 9 percent were dissatisfied. The +72 net satisfaction rating was 6 points higher than the +66 it achieved in the previous quarter. The SWS attributed the rise due to an increase in all geographic areas. The government’s satisfaction rating increased in the Visayas by 11 points to +74, Mindanao by 6 points to +81, Balance Luzon by 3 points to +68, and Metro Manila by 5 points to +65. Satisfaction with the government improved to “excellent” +72 from “very good” +65 in Class D or the masa, while it stayed excellent in richest class ABC (+73), and declined to +68 from +70 in December 2018. “We are also glad that our people appreciate the current government’s efforts in fighting poverty as this specific issue got the highest rating, along with other issues like reconstructing Marawi City as well as fighting terrorism,” he said. He said poverty-stricken areas had become the spawning grounds for terrorist activities and this was attended to by the President to address the socioeconomic causes of the problem. He said: “A whole-of-the-nation approach centered on peace and development is laid out and we are gratified that the public acknowledges it. The efforts of this administration in serving the nation and the Filipinos are starting to bear fruit. “Our countrymen’s towering satisfaction in favor of our hardships and attainments is a hard slap on the face of the opposition and our detractors who, from day one, never gave the leadership of President Duterte a chance to show them his competence in administering the nation’s affairs. “While they continue with their political offensives against us, we endlessly grind for our nation’s interests and betterment. And as we have repeatedly said, they can always do their worst and we will do our best.” He added: “We reiterate our call to them to wake up from their stupor and instead of unleashing negative forces against the government they should contribute to the building of our nation lest they be crushed by the stallions of change galloping across the land.”
FEWER VOTERS SEEN IN MIDTERM POLLS—NAMFREL
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PRIVATE election watchdog said Saturday fewer voters were expected to participate in the May 13 midterm elections—where there are more than 18,000 positions at stake— compared to the 2016 presidential polls. National Citizens Movement for Free Elections Secretary General Eric Alvia told a news conference the midterm elections, every three years, generally suffered from low voter turnout due to the perception that it was “less important than the presidential elections held every six years.” According to the Commission on Elections, there were 61,843,750 reg-
PROVINCIAL BUS BAN TO PUSH THROUGH By Joel E. Zurbano THE government will push through with the plan not allowing provincial buses to enter Epifanio de los Santos Avenue despite opposition from a group claiming the measure has no legal or scientific bases because it was crafted solely based on a “mere verbal directive” from President Rodrigo Duterte. Ako Bicol Party-list had filed a 44-page petition asking the Supreme Court to immediately issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of Metro Manila Development Authority Regulation 19-002. The group also asked the SC to nullify the regulation, which prohibited and revoked the issuance of business permits to all terminals and operators of public utility buses and vehicles along EDSA on the ground that their entry to and departure from their respective terminals allegedly contribute to traffic congestion. It stated that the MMDA and its governing board Metro Manila Council had no authority to implement the ban as they were not authorized under the law to enact ordinances or approve resolutions, considered acts of police power that only the individual local government units could exercise. The group also claimed the measure had neither legal nor scientific bases because it was crafted solely based on Duterte’s “mere verbal directive” during a Cabinet meeting in October 2018.
FILIPINO,...
It pointed out that only a small portion of the vehicles that ply EDSA on a daily basis were provincial buses: In 2017, 2/3 of more than 360,000 vehicles were private motor vehicles mostly occupied by single drivers, 12,000 were city buses while only 3,300 were provincial buses. “It is not just that the few provincial buses used by the poor [that are] being singled out,” the group stated. It added the people who regularly travel from Bicol to Manila are among those who stand to be greatly inconvenienced by the measure. “People’s travel time will be longer. Second, it will be more expensive.” The MMDA, the group said, offered no explanation for the plan. “They have to explain what they want to do to the people.” But the MMDA is pushing through with the plan that provincial buses coming from South Luzon Expressway, especially those from Batangas and Laguna, are to pass through the terminal in Sta. Rosa City in Laguna, while those coming from the North Luzon Expressway are told to use the terminal in Valenzuela City, instead of entering EDSA. Based on the initial plan, Metro Manila-bound passengers can transfer to city operating buses that will take them to their destination in Metro Manila. According to MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr., there will be a meeting with Trans-
portation officials this week to discuss the implementation of the measure. “We want to ensure the availability of city buses that will pick up passengers from the interim terminals before we conduct the dry run on the use of the terminals,” said Garcia. Garcia said they were optimistic that the initiative would decongest EDSA, particularly the yellow lane for the city buses. There are 12,000 passenger buses in the National Capital Region, of which 8,000 are provincial buses while 4,000 are city buses. Aside from city buses, Garcia said they were eyeing the deployment of point-to-point buses (P2P) buses to replace provincial buses. “We shall have the same number of provincial buses. Some provincial buses will only be converted to P2P since they have baggage compartments,” explained Garcia. The MMDA is targeting the closure of 46 bus terminals along EDSA by June. In line with this, the implementation of the ‘no loading and unloading’ policy along EDSA for provincial buses remains. Earlier, the MMC has approved Regulation No. 19-002 prohibiting the issuance of business permits to public utility vehicle terminals and operations along EDSA. Once the business permits are revoked, the actual closure of the terminals can be implemented by the concerned local government units which have jurisdiction over the terminals.
registered in this age range. The remaining 9 percent of voters are aged 65 and older, comprising 5,868,289 of the over 61-plus million voters. Alvia explained that the midterm polls serve as a litmus test for challengers to know whether the incumbent—in this case, President Duterte and all the incumbent officials thus challenged—were weak enough to be unseated. Alvia also noted that the limited number of candidates to choose from has an effect on voter turnout. But Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) executive director Ona Caritos remained hopeful.
PHOENIX PETROLEUM LEADS ROLLBACK By Alena Mae S. Flores PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines led the latest oil price rollback of P1 per liter for gasoline and P0.80 per liter for diesel effective 12 noon Saturday to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market. Phoenix implemented the rollback a few days ahead of its competitors, which usually implement the weekly price movement every Tuesday. “To provide the public with longer period to avail of cheaper fuels, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines will decrease the prices of gasoline by P1 per liter and diesel by P0.80 per liter effective 12 noon of May 4,” the oil company said. Seaoil Philippines followed suit, implementing the rollback on Sunday, 12:01 a.m. Seaoil also cut kerosene prices by P0.80 per liter. PetroGazz, for its part, said it will rollback prices effective 6 a.m. Monday. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit. The rollback ended four consecutive oil price increases in the past weeks. World oil prices softened as concerns of tight supply eased. The increase in US crude stockpiles offset of tight oil supply. Prior to the rollback, 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. Year-to-date adjustments stood at a net increase of P8.05 per liter of gasoline, P5.40 per liter of diesel and P4.05 per liter of kerosene, according to DOE.
FORMER SPEAKER...
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The new look of the new Filipino heroine in the Marvel Universe has been designed by Filipino comic book artist Leinil Francis Yu. “As announced at @sxsw, I’m thrilled to share the great @leinilyu’s stunning design of WAVE, Marvel’s new Filipino superhero! Gorgeous colors by @sunnygho! She’ll appear for the first time in WAR OF THE REALMS: NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 in May, with art by Gang-Hyuk Lim!,” Pak said. Aside from having two gold and green sword-like weapons, not much is still known about Wave, who is described as “a mysterious new Filipino heroine” in an article in the Marvel website. Wave will soon kick ass with other new and classic Marvel heroes as the first of four issues of ‘War of the Realms’ will be released on Wednesday. In a sneak peek shared by Pak, Pearl Pangan, known here as Wave, is shown responding to a disturbance in the water in the North Pacific, only to face off with Aero, the Shanghai-based heroine. “Wave, this is Triumph Division! What are you doing!” radioes Triumph Division, a group consisting of the Philippines’
istered voters within the country and 1,822,173 were registered overseas. “We see a low voter turnout this coming polls because of other’s perception that this is just the midterm elections. They don’t realize that this election is also important,” Alvia said. He did not specify the exact figures for “fewer voters” and whether these included the Gen X, the millen-
nials, and the Gen Z. The May 2016 presidential polls that saw the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte elected to the highest political gift of the Filipino people with a voter turnout of 81 percent. Gen X (Generation X), or those born from the 1960s to the early 1980s, comprise 19,911,867 of the total number of voters, accounting for roughly 32 percent. Millennials and Gen Z (Generation Z) or those born in the mid-90s and early 2000s, comprise around 31 percent of the total vote, or 18,847,230 voters. Not far behind are baby boomers who account for around 28 percent of the vote, 17,216,364 voters are
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finest superheroes. “There’s something wrong, there’s something in the water!” replies Wave. “Yeah, that’d be you! You’re 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) out of jurisdiction! Now come back before…” And then Wave makes contact with Aero. “Wave! Your territory’s the Philippine Sea! What are you doing out here?” asks Aero. “Who are you to ask, Aero? These aren’t Chinese waters! And what are you –” “Wait, can you feel that… that tremor?” asks Aero. “That’s why I came here—that disturbance in the wind.” Wave corrects her, “No, it’s in the water.” A maelstrom occurs, which Wave quickly dispatches, revealing what seems to be a volcano, which then explodes and reveals a supervillain who seems to have knocked out Wave and Aero in one hit. “Almost too easy, isn’t it? Divide and conquer,” says the supervillain, who apparently planned the entire event. Promoters say the preview does not reveal much about Wave, but it shows that her true name is Pearl Pangan and she comes from Cebu.
A 1972 bar topnotcher and the 1985 TOYM Awardee for Law and Human Rights, Nograles was true leader and a devoted public servant who touched the lives of many people. Before becoming Speaker, he was Vice Chairman of House contingent to the Commission on Appointments, House Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development. As former chairman of the Committee on Housing and Urban Development, solving the growing squatters problem in the country’s urban areas is one particular subject that is close to Nograles’ heart. Since the 12th Congress, he had been passionately advocating that Congress should save a lot of people from foreclosures because of housing loan defaults by means of a legislated restructuring program. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for Congress to act on the measure prompting him to refile the same bill in the 13th Congress. The CHUD became one of the most active committees in the House of Representatives and in just a matter of six months after his designation as committee chairman, the first bill he reported out (House Bill 214) became the Rental Reform Act orRwpublic Act 9161, which was signed on December 22, 2001. Under his leadership, the CHUD
became one of the most accomplished committees in the House of Representatives. Nograles was born on Oct. 30, 1947 and was a consistent honor student from his elementary days at the Ateneo de Davao until he finished his bachelor’s degree (AB Political Science) at the Ateneo de Manila in 1967. He took up Law at the Ateneo de Manila and graduated in 1971, the year before President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. He took the bar that same year and the results were released in 1972. He was number two among the top 10 successful examinees with an average of 90.95 percent. In 1970, Nograles met Rhodora Bendigo at a Fiesta Ball in Davao City. They got married a few years later. They have four children. “She was the date of my brother Jose but I was immediately attracted to her,” Nograles intimated. Nograles’s first clients were mostly poor victims of military abuse and as result he was recognized as a human rights lawyer and in 1985 was awarded the TOYM Award for Law and Human Rights. Nograles was also executive assistant to the president and Deputy General Counsel at the University of the Philippines from 1981-1982 and from 1986-1987 was the chief general
counsel of the Development Bank of the Philippines. Nograles ran under the opposition banner and lost in the Interim Batasang Pambansa elections in 1978. In he first congressional elections after Marcos fled the country however, he handily won as representative of the Lone District of Davao City. In 1992, Nograles ran for mayor but was defeated by then Prosecutor Rodrigo Duterte. He staged a political comeback in 1995 when he won back his congressional seat only to be defeated again in 1998 when he made another attempt to run for mayor. It was in 2001 when he established a strong foothold in Davao City politics as he registered a landslide in winning the race for congressman. Because of his exemplary performance, Nograles ran unopposed during the 2004 congressional and 2007 polls. After his term as Speaker, he ran against Duterte’s daughter Sara in the Davao mayoral race but lost. Fortunately, his son eldest Karlo Alexei, also a lawyer, also ran and won as the First District Congressman of Davao City. In the later part of 2015, Nograles and his family decided to set aside the bitter political rivalry with the Dutertes and supported Duterte’s bid for the presidency.
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DRUG TEST FOR TEACHERS, PROFS PUSHED By Maricel V. Cruz
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PRO-ADMINISTRATION lawmaker on Saturday raised the need for a mandatory drug testing for public and private school teachers, including college professors and instructors, amid reports of increasing incidence of these mentors being arrested for their involvement in illegal drugs. Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento made the call after a school principal in his district was arrested by antinarcotics operatives in a buy-bust operation. The suspect was identified as Arnulfo Abellar, s school principal of the Department of Education-Danao
IN BRIEF HOUSE BACKS REHAB, MAINTENANCE OF KENNON ROAD
THE House of Representatives supports the bill that proposes full rehabilitation and maintenance of Kennon Road under the supervision of the Department of Public Works and Highways. House Bill 9075 of Baguio City Rep. Mark Go is expected to be approved on third and final reading when session resumes on May 20. It has been approved on second reading. Go said due to the current “open close” situation of Kennon Road, it is imperative that a full rehabilitation and maintenance be done to the said road under the DPWH supervision to make it an all-weather road for the safety of commuters. “It will also address the influx of vehicular traffic during peak tourism season, making it accessible and convenient to all tourists visiting Baguio City,” said Go, vice chairman of the House committee on basic education and culture, said. Go said Kennon Road is branded as one of the “killer roads” in the country due to numerous reported accidents caused by major landslides. “More often than not, authorities issue advisories closing the Kennon Road during heavy rains and typhoons affecting the northern part of the country,” said Go. When a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit Baguio City in 1990, the lawmaker said Kennon Road was vastly damaged which prompted the DPWH to close it indefinitely. It was only after a year when it was opened for public use, Go said. Maricel V. Cruz
1 School in Tinambacan District in Calbayog City. He was arrested after he allegedly sold suspected shabu to an undercover anti-narcotics agent. Seized from Abellar were three sachets of shabu worth P68,000, a .357 revolver and five pieces of ammunition.
TAGUIG CITY GOV’T OFFERS FREE INTERNET ACCESS
THE Taguig City government is offering free Internet access to bring its services closer to the people, especially when they need assistance during emergency situation and report problems concerning the community. “The probinsyudad is connecting hundreds of thousands of its residents to the worldwide web beginning today,” said Mayor Laarni Cayetano on Friday. Through “ConnecTaguig,” city residents will get public Wi-Fi in over 60 locations all over the city, all free of charge. Just: (1) Connect to the “ConnecTAGUIGiloveTAGUIG” network; (2) tick off “I accept the terms of use” in the popup and click “Connect”; then (3) begin surfing after getting to the landing page which is the city’s official Facebook page (I Love Taguig) www.facebook.com/taguigcity. The Wi-Fi hotspots are located in 28 barangay halls, 31 health centers, three Super Health Centers and six other locations: Taguig City University, Taguig City Hall, Lakeshore Hall, Mercado Del Lago, TLC Park and the Taguig Pateros District Hospital. “The Internet can be a great equalizer,” said Cayetano of the initiative. “We know it can truly empower our citizens if we give them access to it, and help them use it as a channel for awareness and positive change.” ConnecTaguig will provide each device (mobile, laptop, tablet) 90 minutes of Internet access per day, the longest provided by any local government unit in the National Capital Region. All other local government units can provide only between 30 minutes and an hour of access. Joel E. Zurbano
Also recently, a 36-year old elementary school teacher in Cebu City identified as Neler Tagpuno was arrested for allegedly selling drugs. Before that, a 49-year-old public school teacher identified as Emerlito Addun was arrested in Solana, Cagayan for drug pushing as well. “There is an increasing trend of teachers being arrested for their involvement in illegal drugs. It looks like our schools are deliberately being targeted by these drug syndicates. The case in Calbayog City, which is part of my district, is worse because the suspect is a school principal,” Sarmiento, vice chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said. In pushing for his proposal, Sarmiento
cited the Family Code, which states that “the school, its administrators and teachers, or the individual, entity or institution engaged in child are shall have special parental authority and responsibility over the minor child while under their supervision, instruction or custody.” “That being the case, they have the responsibility to ensure that their students are protected from all types of criminal elements, including drug pushers” he said. He added that reports of teachers and professors being arrested for peddling illegal drugs have become very rampant and there is now an emerging pattern that schools are now being targeted by narcotics syndicates.
BILL RENAMING PNP CAMP IN TAYTAY AFTER WAR HERO OK’D THE Senate and the House of Representatives have approved the bill renaming the provincial headquarters of the Rizal police as Camp General Licerio I. Geronimo. Geronimo is the Filipino-American war general whose unit killed American General Henry Lawton in an encounter in Rizal province. The renaming of the camp located in Taytay, Rizal was pushed by Rep. Romeo Acop of Antipolo City), a retired police major general. Acop, chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, said the renaming of the camp shall serve as a lasting testament of his patriotism and sacrifice for our country. “The manner we honor our heroes reflects our sense of nationalism and love for our country. Hence, renaming the PNP Camp in Taytay, Rizal after the late General Licerio I. Geronimo will serve as a lasting testament of his patriotism and sacrifice for our country,” Acop said. The proposal contained in House Bill 1341 has been passed at the Lower House and was approved without
amendment by the Senate on Feb. 4, 2019 and later transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte on March 20, 2019 for his approval. In his explanatory note, Acop said that the 51,332-square meter camp was acquired by the government in 1972 by virtue of a Deed of Donation executed by the Provincial Government of Rizal through then-governor Isidro Rodriguez. It has since served as the headquarters of the Rizal Provincial Police Office. On Nov. 3, 1993, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Rizal passed Ordinance No. 93-43, renaming the camp to Camp General Licerio I. Geronimo in honor of the revolutionary leader. However, the ordinance could not take in effect because the camp is owned by the National Government and not by the Provincial Government. Records of the National Historical Institute show that Gen. Geronimo saw action under Andres Bonifacio in the Battle of San Juan del Monte against the Spaniards and successfully defended Mt. Puray in Rodriguez, Rizal in 1897. Maricel V. Cruz
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MIAA TO ADD ‘SCREENERS’ AT NAIA CHECKPOINTS By Joel E. Zurbano THE airport authority is deploying more personnel to all screening checkpoints at the Ninoy Aquino International Airports following reports that some foreigners do not observe proper queuing at NAIA Terminal 3. Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal said the airport management had asked the Office for Transportation Security to designate queuing officers at all screening checkpoints in the NAIA Terminals. The move came after Civil Service Commission commissioner Aileen Lizada lodged a complaint with the MIAA claiming “Chinese-looking” passengers “did not queue properly crossing through the different lanes by passing under the cordons intended to put order in the lines.” But MIAA stated that when it asked Lizada if the subject group of “Chinese passengers” breached final security screening protocol, she was “quick to admit that the passengers were screened and therefore did not breach security screening procedure.” Monreal said he viewed initial closed circuit television camera footage copies of the incident where Lizada was seen to be talking to an OTS screener and supervisor, bringing the matter to their attention. “We assured Commissioner Lizada that CCTV footages covering all angles of the incident will be shared as requested by her,” said Monreal. The airport authority earlier clarified that there was no breach in security screening procedure happened at the terminal. “While the MIAA welcomes public notice, we will appreciate if such reports validated and verified first before being blasted to the media, so as to avoid confusion and undue sentiments from the public,” said Monreal.
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TUCP SLAMS WAGE HIKE REJECTION T
HE country’s biggest labor group, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, slammed the Department of Labor and Employment for its quick decision to dismiss a P710 daily wage increase petition without even assessing the situation of workers and their families. TUCP president Raymond Mendoza described the action of the Labor department as insensitive and lacking foresight. “The least the DOLE can do should have been to elevate the discussion on whether our workers are eating enough and for possible program interventions. But of course, it is so typical of these technocrats and political appointees to be dismissive of workers because of apathy and to even scramble to do so ahead of the employers is classic anti-workers act of the Department of the Labor and
Employment,” Mendoza said. “They seem more than satisfied with themselves that the current minimum daily wage can already provide workers and their families with instant noodles, canned sardines, tocino, longganisa, itlog na maalat, itlog at pandesal and unli rice,” he added. Based on the 2018 Poverty and Food Threshold findings of the Philippine Statistics Authority, a family of five can live on a monthly income of P10,481. The PSA sets the allocation for food and non-alcoholic beverage at
42.5 percent of the P537 minimum daily wage. Mendoza said this translates to a daily meal budget of only P150.79, or approximately P50 per meal per day for a family of five or a budget of only P10 per family member per meal. “DOLE’s claim of lack of supervening event is borne out of ignorance and insensitivity. DOLE is content that as long as minimum wages are equal to that poverty threshold or a little higher, then all is well with the worker regardless of whether they are hungry or malnourished,” he said. “They are not mindful of having a realistic nutritional benchmarks in wage-setting in relation to problems on malnutrition and health, such as kidney problem which as DOH reported is on the rise resulting to one
death every hour, and these are not supervening event,” Mendoza added. Meanwhile, Labor chief Silvestre Bello III said more than 4,000 workers were hired on the spot while less than 26,000 were considered hired on Labor Day in the massive jobs and business fair held in 31 sites nationwide. Bello thanked employers who made available more than 204,000 local and overseas jobs, including vacancies in various positions in government agencies. “We are grateful to our employers who participated. Their involvement made the job fair massive and a big success,” Bello said. The top five occupations with the most number of HOTS or hired-onthe-spots were production worker, service crew, assembler, production operator, and cashier.
GROUP HAILS TIGHTER RULES FOR FOREIGN WORKERS THE party-list group Sulong Dignidad hailed the decision of the Bureau of Immigration to tighten its rules on the issuance of permits to foreign nationals working in the country. “We welcome the new guidelines set by the Bureau of Immigration and hope that the new guidelines would close loopholes being exploited by some foreign workers,” said party-list president and first nominee Rico Paolo Quicho. “Sulong Dignidad has remained consistent in pushing for clear-cut measures that will prevent illegal foreign workers from shamelessly robbing Filipinos of jobs in our own country,” he added. Labor officials had earlier admitted that a large number of tourists, most of them Chinese, were able to skirt Philippine labor regulations by entering the country using tourist visas before getting short-term permits to work mostly for online gaming firms. On May 1, the BI, Department of Justice, Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Internal Revenue signed an agreement on joint guidelines for issuance of work and employment permits to foreign nationals following concerns over their rising number. “We laud the Bureau of Immigration for acting promptly and implementing measures to protect the dignity of Filipino workers and making sure that our regulations will not be prone to abuse,” Quicho said. Under the new guidelines, the BI will only issue special work permits to foreigners who intend to work in the country outside of an employment arrangement in 14 permissible areas of work. On the other hand, an alien intending to work pursuant to an employment arrangement is required to obtain an alien employment permit from DOLE. However, the AEP will only be issued if no Filipino is available to perform work which the foreign applicant seeks to discharge.
SEEING RED.
Promenaders walk under the shade of fire trees in full bloom around Manila’s Rizal Park on Saturday. EY ACASIO
POPE FRANCIS: DEFEND PRESS FREEDOM POPE Francis has underscored the need to protect and defend press freedom as countries marked World Press Freedom Day on Friday. “We need a journalism that is free, at the service of truth, goodness, and justice; a journalism that helps build a culture of encounter. #DefendMediaFreedom,” the Pope said in a tweet.
In the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines placed 134th out of 180 countries. Data of the group Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network showed that 12 journalists have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in 2016. Despite continuing attacks on media, Presiden-
tial Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the government respects freedom of the press. “The public can expect that the Duterte administration will continue to respect press freedom in the country contrary to the allegations of some,” Andanar said.
‘BUSY’ DU30 ENJOYS NETFLIX
WINNERS ALL. The Pasaka festival of Tanauan, Leyte won this year’s Aliwan Fiesta streetdance competition while Tacloban bagged the float design award for a second year in a row. Contributed Photo
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who was last seen in public during the opening of the Palarong Pambansa on April 28, shared a photo of what he was doing, among others, on a Saturday—watching “Django Unchained” on Netflix at home in Davao City. Duterte sent the photo to Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who was being interviewed by the media at the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Fiji when the President called her. Duterte could be seen on his bed, surrounded by newspapers, and watching Netflix. On Friday, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo brushed aside speculations as to the health of the President, spurred by his absence in the public eye for almost a week now. “He is very busy working. He is attending to a lot of paper works,” Panelo said. Puyat, for her part, said Duterte was asking for updates on Boracay Photo courtesy of Tourism Secretary when he called her. Bernadette Puyat
‘ASTEROID’ FLATTENS NEW YORK COLLEGE PARK, United States— After devastating the French Riviera in 2013, destroying Dhaka in 2015 and saving Tokyo in 2017, an international asteroid impact simulation ended Friday with its latest disaster—New York in ruins. Despite a simulated eight years of preparation, scientists and engineers tried but failed to deflect the killer asteroid. The exercise has become a regular event among the international community of “planetary defense” experts. The latest edition began Monday near Washington, with the following alert: an asteroid roughly 100 to 300 meters (330 to 1,000 feet) in diameter had been spotted and according to rough calculations had a one percent chance of hitting the Earth on April 29, 2027. Each day during the conference, some 200 astronomers, engineers and emergency response specialists received new information, made decisions and awaited further updates from the organizers of the game, designed by a NASA aerospace engineer. As fictional months ticked by in the simulation, the probability of the giant space rock crashing into Earth rose to 10 percent—and then to 100 percent. NASA launched a probe in 2021 to examine the threat up close. In December that year, astronomers confirmed it was headed straight to the Denver area and that the western US city would be destroyed. AFP
A picture taken on May 3 shows a hanging rose outside the presidential palace in Nicosia. AFP
POLICE CHIEF SACKED OVER SERIAL KILLINGS NICOSIA, Cyprus—Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has sacked the country’s police chief, as shock over the murders of seven foreign women and girls—including two Filipinos—gave way to outrage at the authorities for a botched response. A suspect identified in local media as 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer Nicos Metaxas has confessed to the seven killings in a crime spree that went undetected for nearly three years. With the island reeling from what have been dubbed its first “serial killings,” Cypriot authorities have been accused of failing to properly investigate the women’s disappearances due to neglect and racism. The president on Friday fired top police officer Zacharias Chrysostomou a day after Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou announced his resignation over the case. The killings came to light in midApril when unusually heavy rains brought the body of 38-year-old Filipino Mary Rose Tiburcio to the surface of the disused mine shaft where it had been hidden. Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines. AFP
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Opinion
Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com
WHO WILL SUCCEED BILLIONAIRE WARREN BUFFETT?
EDITORIAL
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PROTECTORS OF THE LAW
HE euphoria of passing the 2018 bar, arguably among the hardest government exams given, cannot be denied, two days after the results were released—putting in the limelight yet again the glory of justice and the majesty of the law. The passing rate is 22.07 percent, equivalent to 1,800 of the 8,158 examinees who took the bar, the highest number who took the bar in recent years. In the 2017 bar exams, only 25.55 percent passed, a dramatic plunge from the 59.06 percent passing rate the year before which was attributed by law schools to the “reasonable”
bar chairman then, retired Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco. The highest percentage of exam passers ever recorded was in 1954, with 75.17 percent, with San Beda College of Law’s sole magna cum laude graduate, Florenz Regalado, ranking 1st with a mark of 96.70 percent, the highest average in the Philippine Bar Examinations to date. Regalado later served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Tears of triumph and torment from those who made it and those who failed glittered under Metro Manila’s 35 °C cloudy sky, as each examinee inched closer to the screen at the Supreme Court whipped by the winds of an upcoming thunderstorm. But while the exultation by family members, friends, and the schools of the passers continues well beyond today, we call on the new lawyers,
who will soon take their oath, led by topnotcher Sean James Borja, to help those who can hardly protect themselves. It was the American lawyer who served as Attorney General Janet Reno who thought lawyers “who engage in pro bono service to protect those who cannot help themselves are truly the heroes and the heroines of the legal profession.” As the new lawyers prepare their causes of action and memoranda, it is fitting the times that they remember what another Attorney General of the United States, Robert Kennedy, had said: “The glory of justice and the majesty of law are created not just by the Constitution—nor by the courts— nor by the officers of the law—nor by lawyers— but by the men and women who constitute our society—who are the protectors of the law as they are protected themselves by the law.” This, we submit.
MAY IS NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH MAY IS the month of summer vacation, when childhood memories are made; it’s also the month of traditional and folk festivals that figure in national consciousness— the Flores de Mayo, Pahiyas in Lucban and Sariaya, Quezon, and Obando in Bulacan, among others. Because of this, the month of May was designated National Heritage Month by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 439, s. 2003. This is in line with Article XVI, Section 15 of the Constitution that states, “The State shall conserve, promote and popularize the nation’s historical cultural heritage and resources.” The National Commission for Culture and the Arts spearheads the yearly NHM celebration. This year’s theme is ‘Mga Pinuno Para sa Pamana’ (Leaders for Heritage). It challenges everyone, particularly the youth, to preserve and promote cultural heritage. As part of the celebration, the NCCA “enjoins all cultural agencies, national government agencies (NGAs), schools, Philippine embassies and consulates, public libraries, and private institutions to participate in the national event by encouraging them to initiate various heritage-related activities including heritage-related tours, lecture demonstrations, conferences, exhibits, online advocacies, clean
up drives in declared cultural and historical sites, and more.” The NCCA website provides template streamers and posters that government agencies can print out and install on their premises. I suppose any citizen so inclined can do so as well. Aside from attending the government-initiated activities, what can we individuals do to be part of the celebration? Here are some suggestions. • Fly the flag: We need not wait for June and Independence Day. When putting the flag up on the wall, take care to put the blue field on the right. If flying the flag from a pole, take it down before sunset. • Visit museums, churches and other heritage sites: On Labor Day, my two daughters and I visited the National Museum for Fine Arts. An entire afternoon was not enough for us to see all three floors of exhibits, and there are some gems that should not be missed, such as the Amorsolo paintings and works by Jose Rizal. Meanwhile, old churches have interesting colonial sacred architecture and art. • Go on a food trip: If you can, go out of town to sample delicacies on site. If not, visit restaurants that serve regional food—Kapampangan, Ilocano, Ilonggo, whatever’s out there. • Attend or participate in
festivals: The Flores de Mayo, a Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, lasts the whole month. Your barangay or neighborhood church might have a procession scheduled. Or go to Butuan for the Balanghai Festival; Alitagtag, Batangas for the Tapusan; Aparri, Cagayan for the Barangay Boat Festival; Pulilan, Bulacan, for the Carabao Festival. Search online for other May festivals. • Watch old Filipino movies: films by National Artists for film and broadcast arts will be shown at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Manuel Conde every 2:00 p.m. on May 4, 18, and 25. I’m going to look for the beloved Dolphy flicks of my youth on Youtube. • Read (or re-read) Nick Joaquin’s ‘May Day Eve’: One of the most beautiful Filipino short stories in English, it is about love, passion, disillusionment, and magic. Old Anastasia tells the young maidens in her charge that on the night of May the first, they can see the person they will marry in the mirror: “You must take a candle,” she instructed, “and go into a room that is dark and that has a mirror in it and you must be alone in the room. Go up to the mirror and close your eyes and say: ‘Mirror, mirror, show to me, him whose woman I will be.’ If all goes right, just above your left
By Luc Olinga AS THE annual shareholder meeting of Berkshire Hathaway gets under way on Saturday, a key question hangs over the gathering: who will take the reins of the empire built by 88-year-old billionaire Warren Buffett? “Warren Buffett is irreplaceable,” said Macrae Sykes, a research analysts at Gabelli & Company. But Meyer Shields, managing director at the investment firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, was less concerned. “Berkshire Hathaway can certainly survive without Warren Buffett,” he said. After all the conglomerate is made up of “mostly solid businesses that are only minimally impacted by their ownership.” Investors are not expecting major upheaval, since Buffett has taken steps in recent years to carefully prepare for a leadership change, although he has not made the plan public. Among four likely candidates, there are two clear frontrunners: Gregory Abel, 57, and Ajit Jain, 67, who were both promoted last year to the board of directors and who are both known quantities who have been with Buffett for decades. Leading candidates Abel joined the company in 1992 in the energy division, and for more than a year has overseen all non-insurance activities. Jain came on board in 1986 in the insurance division, which he currently leads. Also potentially in the running are Todd Combs, 48, and Ted Weschler, 56, chosen by Buffett and his long-time business partner, Charles Munger, 95, to handle the group’s investments. “That’s never been officially disclosed, but I suspect it will be either Greg Abel or Ajit Jain... and probably the former, given his solid and growing exposure to Berkshire’s non-insurance businesses,” Shields said. Sykes agreed, noting that Jain “really likes to focus on insurance businesses and... seems less interested in the spotlight.” It is always possible a dark horse candidate could emerge from the company’s board, which includes fellow billionaire and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. One is Tracy Britt Cool, 35, a Harvard graduate and Buffett’s right-hand woman for the past 10 years. Regardless of who the successor will be, Shields said markets should at first “respond very negatively” to Buffett’s absence, in part due to his unique status. But it is also partly because Berkshire’s “exceedingly weak” disclosures “have forced investors to rely more on Mr Buffett’s carefully-managed public persona than on the companies’ individual or aggregated earnings potential,” Shield said. Gregori Volokhine, portfolio manager at Meeschaert Financial Services, said Buffett’s presence added 10 to 15 percent to the company’s share price, and without him, that premium would “disappear.” More transparency? In a little more than 50 years, “the Oracle of Omaha” has built a juggernaut worth more than $530 billion, with businesses that range from paint to railways to consumer products, and include energy, clothing, insurance, banking and fastfood. Buffett never embraced the idea of passing the baton to his children—Susan, Howard and Peter—who are involved in many charities. Only Howard is listed in the Berkshire Hathaway organizational chart as a member of the board of directors. In 2011, Buffett told CBS that he wanted his son “Howie”—who has joined in night patrols in Arizona to prevent unauthorized immigrants from crossing onto American soil—to succeed him as non-executive chairman of the board of directors. But even if the face of the company will change, its culture and investment strategy likely will remain marked by the caution that has been so central to Buffett, the world’s third richest person, analysts say. Buffett epitomizes safe, value investing. His investments are carefully scrutinized, as are decisions to pull out of any businesses. Leaders of the individual business units will maintain a high degree of autonomy, while frivolous acquisitions are unlikely. His departure could lead the financial community to demand more transparency from the company. Berkshire only publishes its results once a year in Buffett’s annual letter and does not hold a conference call, as other publicly-traded companies do, to answer questions from financial analysts and journalists. And even the questions asked at the annual shareholder meeting are selected by journalists whom he has picked. “I’m not sure investors will be as satisfied with the crumbs of disclosure that are currently offered,” Shields said. AFP
POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE shoulder will appear the face of the man you will marry.” Also excellent reading in May are Joaquin’s ‘The Mass of St. Sylvestre,’ ‘The Legend of the Dying Wanton’, and ‘The Summer Solstice’ (the latter tells of a fertility rite similar to that celebrated in Obando, Bulacan). An anonymous foreigner is often quoted as having said that the reason the country is such a mess of corruption, politicking, and other societal ills is because “Filipinos do not love their country.” For many of us, ‘country’ is a nebulous idea; what we live for are family and what we give our loyalty to is clan or tribe. The waters that divide our 7,400 islands also divide us in our hearts as a people. Observing National Heritage Month by learning more about the Philippines and being Filipino is a small step that will have huge outcomes in the future. The children today who see us loving our country in our own little, individual ways will grow up with the same, or even higher, regard and respect for country and kapwa. Appreciation of our cultural heritage is tied to love of country. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO
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OVER 1,000 DEAD IN D.R. CONGO EBOLA EPIDEMIC KINSHASA, DR Congo—More than 1,000 people have now died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said, as aid workers warned that the highly contagious virus combined with insecurity in the restive region was creating a “deeply worrying situation”. The current outbreak is the second deadliest on record, after an epidemic killed more than 11,300 people in West Africa in 2014-2016. Efforts to roll back the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever have been hampered by fighting but also by resistance within communities to preventative measures, care facilities and safe burials. “In total, there have been 1,008 deaths (942 confirmed and 66 probable),” the health ministry said in a daily update late Friday. The central African country declared a 10th outbreak of Ebola in 40 years last August centered in the city of Beni in North Kivu province before the virus spread into the neighboring Ituri region. The World Health Organization had initially voiced hope it would be able to contain the outbreak, thanks in part to a new vaccine. But in recent weeks senior WHO officials have conceded that insecurity, scarce financial resources and local politicians turning people against health workers had seriously undermined the containment effort. “We are dealing with a difficult and volatile situation,” Michael Ryan, the executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva on Friday. AFP
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Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor
NOKOR FIRES SEVERAL ‘PROJECTILES’ INTO SEA
EOUL, South Korea—North Korea launched several unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang’s first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked.
The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in February, when the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang’s concessions on its atomic arsenal. North Korea “fired a number of shortrange projectiles” from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan in a northeast direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show “visible, concrete and substantial” denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief. That issue was also at the center of the February talks in Hanoi, where North Korea demanded immediate sanctions relief, but the two sides disagreed on what Pyongyang should give up in return. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an “unwanted outcome” if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. Saturday’s launch “does not violate Kim Jong Un’s self-imposed missile-testing moratorium”, which “only applied to intercontinental-range
ballistic missiles”, said North Korea analyst Ankit Panda. The South’s presidential Blue House said it was monitoring the situation and “closely sharing information with the United States”. It later said the North’s launch on Saturday was against a military agreement signed by the two Koreas in Pyongyang last year, and this leaves Seoul “greatly concerned”. “We call for North Korea’s active participation in making efforts for the prompt resuming of dialogue,” it said in a statement. The White House said it was “aware of North Korea’s actions tonight”. “We will continue to monitor as necessary,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday’s firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for “livefire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defense cruise missiles”, according to the respected 38 North website. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that a “formal training area” was established in the region, and Hodo has been “increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing” during the last 10 years, it added. AFP
GUAIDO BIDS ANEW TO RALLY VENEZUELA MILITARY SUPPORT CARACAS, Venezuela—Opposition leader Juan Guaido will make a fresh bid on Saturday to rally Venezuela’s armed forces behind him with protests at military bases in the crisis-hit country. The protest call by Guaido—the head of the National Assembly legislature, who is recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries—comes just days after he urged the military to rise up against the socialist president, Nicolas Maduro. “Peacefully, civically... we are going to deliver a simple document, a proclamation to the Armed Forces to listen to the Venezuelan call, that a rapid transition is possible to produce free elections,” Guaido told a press conference in Caracas. A small group of military personnel heeded Guaido’s call to rise up on Tuesday, but the effort petered out, triggering two days of protests against the government in which four people were killed and several hundred injured. Venezuela’s military leadership has since reiterated its support for the government, and Maduro is standing his ground. AFP
AMID BOMB SCARE, SRI LANKA CATHOLICS GET TELEVISED MASS COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church will televise a private Sunday mass after cancelling regular services over fears of a repeat of Easter suicide bombings that killed 257 people, a spokesman said. Father Edmund Tillakaratne said public masses were suspended for a second week, but a service conducted by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will be broadcast on national television. “It will be like last Sunday when we had a service at Archbishop’s chapel and telecast it live,” Tillakaratne said. Ranjith, who is also archbishop of Colombo, said Thursday that a “reliable foreign source” had alerted him to possible attacks this weekend, leading him to cancel Sunday services for the second week. “The information we have from a reliable foreign source is that attackers are planning to hit a very famous church and a Catholic institution,” the Cardinal said in a statement. Official sources said the Thewatte National Basilica, just outside Colombo, was the suspected target, and the military deployed hundreds of troops to search the area. “There were no explosives found, but we have stepped up security in the neighborhood,” a police official said. The government is going ahead with plans to reopen public schools on Monday, but the Church said Catholic schools will remain shut “until further notice”. Sri Lankan authorities had advance warnings from Indian intelligence of the impending Easter attacks, but police and security forces failed to act, leading to Sri Lanka’s worst single suicide attack against civilians. AFP
FLATTENED. An Indian woman sit in the debris with a child in a storm-damaged building in Puri in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Saturday, after Cyclone Fani swept through the area. Fani, one of the biggest to hit India in years, barreled into Bangladesh after leaving a trail of deadly destruction in India. AFP
9 DEAD AS MONSTER ‘FANI’ ENTERS BANGLADESH KHULNA, Bangladesh—Cyclone Fani, one of the biggest to hit India in years, barreled into Bangladesh on Saturday after leaving a trail of deadly destruction in India. Eight people reportedly died in India and Bangladeshi police said nine perished even before the eye of the storm rumbled over the border in the morning. Some 400,000 people have been taken to shelters, Bangladeshi officials told AFP. Fourteen villages were inundated as a tidal surge breached flood dams. The dead included a minor in Barguna district on the coast and five others killed by lightening. “We are mooring our boat because it’s the only means of income
for us. Only Allah knows when we can go back to fishing again,” Akbar Ali, a fisherman near the town of Dacope in Bangladesh, told AFP while battling surging waves to tie his boat to a tree. With the storm weakening but still packing a punch, winds of up to 70 kilometres (45 miles) per hour and heavy rain battered overnight and on Saturday morning the Indian state of West Bengal and its capital Kolkata, including the Sundarbans mangrove forest area. “It’s a total mess in islands of the Sunderbans as the cyclone has destroyed everything in its path, fueling fears rivers could burst their banks and leave vast areas underwater,” said Manturam Pakhira, Sun-
derbans affairs minister. “Locals spent a sleepless night and many came out of their thatched huts and stood on the river banks measuring the level of the water,” Pakhira said. “Several homes have been flattened, roofs blown off, electric poles and trees toppled.” Several hundred thousand people were told to evacuate coastal areas of West Bengal before the arrival of Fani (“snake” in Bengali), with 5,000 leaving the low-lying areas and old, dilapidated buildings of Kolkata, home to 4.6 million people. “Nearly a dozen people were trapped as an old building in the northern part of the city has col-
lapsed,” Kolkata’s mayor Firhad Hakim said. “They have been rescued and shifted to a safer place.” Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal’s chief minister and a key figure in India’s ongoing mega-election, cancelled all political rallies and set up an improvised control room in a hotel in the path of the storm. Kolkata’s international airport was ordered closed. Train services were also halted. Worst hit was the state of Odisha where Fani made landfall on Friday, packing winds gusting up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) an hour, sending coconut trees flying, knocking down power lines and cutting off water and telecommunications. AFP
CROWN, SACRED WATERS, SCEPTER FOR THAI KING
BANGKOK, Thailand—Most Thais have never witnessed a coronation—it has been almost 70 years since the last one, when the young Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned in 1950. Bangkok has transformed from a slowmoving capital to a crowded modern city, but the spectacular three-day coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn will follow intricate centuries-old traditions. From sacred water purification and a diamond-encrusted crown to a grand procession, here are five key rituals from King Vajiralongkorn’s coronation this weekend: The first day’s rituals on Saturday, considered the most important, represent a symbolic transformation from the human to the divine for the monarch. The king arrived at the palace and was led to a hall where the Supreme Patri-
arch, the head of the order of Thailand’s Buddhist monks, blessed him with the five basic Buddhism precepts. Then, beginning from the auspicious time of 10:09 am (0309 GMT)—some speculate the hour reflects Rama X’s reign, while “9” in Thai sounds like the word for “progress”—the king changed from his white military uniform to a gold-lined white robe and slippers for the royal purification ceremony. The king entered a pavilion and first anointed himself with sacred water drawn from across Thailand. Then, a line of Hindu Brahmin priests passed him more sacred water held in royal items built during the reigns of previous kings. They also passed him a bael leaf which he tucked behind his ear—believed to represent victory and auspiciousness. AFP
This framegrab video handout from the Thai Royal Household Bureau taken and released on Saturday shows Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn (left) during the royal purification ceremony for his coronation in Bangkok. AFP
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N E W E R A.
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AFTER THE STORM. An Indian man sits on the train station platform as people look through debris on the tracks at the damaged railway station in Puri in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on May 4, after Cyclone Fani swept through the area. AFP
S O T O PH F THE O EEK W MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU. Star Wars fans dressed as Kylo Ren and Darth Maul pose for a photo in front of the Taipei 101 building in Taipei on May 4. AFP
GIVE NO QUARTER. A member of the Bolivarian National Guard who joined Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido fires his gun as they repel forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro who arrived to disperse a demonstration near La Carlota military base in Caracas on April 30. AFP
UNITED FRONT. Workers shout slogans during a demonstration marking Labor Day in Manila on May 1. AFP
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Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Sports
9 BOYS, 20 GIRLS TOP JR NBA SELECTION CAMP
INE boys and 20 girls topped the final Regional Selection Camp of Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 held April 27 and 28 at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati, which will also serve as the venue for the National Training Camp on May 17 to 19.
The young athletes, selected by Jr. NBA Coaches Rob Newson and Alaska’s Jeffrey Cariaso, Tony dela Cruz and Willie Miller, stood out from the 591 participants, exhibiting fundamental skills and core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect (S.T.A.R.) throughout the two-day event. They will join top players from the Regional Selection Camps in North Luzon (Benguet), South Luzon (Lucena), Visayas (Dumaguete) and Mindanao (Butuan) and a select group from the Alaska Power Camp and vie to be named as 2019 Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars comprised of five boys and five girls. New this year, the Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars will be sent to the first Jr. NBA Global Championship Asia Pacific Selection Camp, a weeklong camp in June that includes top youth players from the Asia-Pacific region excluding China. In addition, the Asia-Pacific regional competition will form a team of 10 boys and 10 girls that will represent the region at the Jr. NBA Global Championship on Aug. 6 to 11 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida that will feature youth players from the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, China, Mexico, Africa, India and the AsiaPacific. Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 is presented by Alaska, with AXA, Gatorade, Globe, Panasonic, Rexona and Vivo as official partners. ABS-CBN S+A, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV are the official broadcasters of Jr. NBA Philippines. Participants can now register for the Jr. NBA program online at
Jr. NBA Philippines participants show their skills in an actial game.
www.jrnba.asia/philippines, and follow Jr. NBA on Facebook and the NBA at www.nba.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can visit www.alaskamilk. com to learn more about Alaska Milk Corporation, and follow Alaska Milk on Facebook for more information about Alaska Sports.
BOYS’ ROSTER:
James Yuan Ison, La Salle Greenhills; Joshua Minguillo, Panorama Montessori School Binan Laguna; Daniel Padilla, Nazareth School of National University; Hikaru Policarpio, Bacood Elementary School; Sebastian Roy Reyes; Nazareth School of National University; Lanze Ron-
quillo, San Beda University; Marc Kerby Samson, Panorama Montessori School Binan Laguna; Syrex June Silorio, Nazareth School of National University; Elijah Ray Yusi and Nazareth School of National University
GIRLS’ ROSTER:
Sophia Amol, De La Salle Zobel; Crisciona Ann Bagasani, San Sebastian College; Franchesca Isabela Buenvenida, Mother of Divine Providence School; Dancylle Gabrealene Busime, Gulod National High School; Leanne Jazmine Catalan, Arandia College; Ciara Centeno, Eulogio Rodriguez Integrated School; Merylle Cuasay, Oriental
Mindoro National High School; Mikaela Francesca Galauran, St. Paul College Pasig; Ysabela Louise Gonzales, St. Paul College Pasig; Jay Anne Marie Lachica, Sta. Clara Parish School; Kyla Marie Mataga, De La Salle Zobel; Dianne Camille Nolasco, Miriam College; Rochelle Omalin, De La Salle Zobel; Frances Maxine Pamintuan, UST-Angelicum College; Ellen Parane, Tandang Sora Integrated School; Aaliyah Mai Reyes, St. Paul College Pasig; Kharel Joy Siapoc, La Salle College Antipolo; Erika Nadine Tenorio, School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City; Justine Mhyrra Vibanco, Saint Joseph Parish School; Princess Villarin, De La Salle Zobel
CDO’S MACAS DELIVERS LONE BOXING GOLD FOR PH DARWIN, Australia—John Ignatius Macas clinched a gold medal in the men’s boxing competitions of the 2019 Arafura Games Saturday after beating Ivan Pavich of New Zealand via referee-stopped-contest at the Darwin Convention Centre. The 19-year-old flyweight from Cagayan De Oro City won after the referee stopped the fight in the second round, giving the Philippines its lone gold in boxing here in the country’s campaign in the multisports competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Standard Insurance. Following Macas’ win, the Philippines totaled 31 gold medals in the final day of competitions with the men’s basketball, sepak takraw and badminton teams still playing as of press time. Jhon Christian Noces lost to Tom Hanns of New Zealand in the semifinals, but won a bronze medal for reaching the final
John Ignatius Macas
four of the men’s welterweight division. The men’s beach volleyball team defeated Australia 7, 21-10, 21-12, Saturday to also claim a bronze medal in final day of competitions of the 2019 Arafura Games at the Darwin Waterfront. The duo of Johnrel Amora and Hachaliah Gilbuena bounced back after their semifinal defeat against Samoa, 23-25, 21-15, 15-11, to salvage a bronze medal in an impressive campaign for the Filipino spikers. On their way to the bronze, the Philippines went undefeated after two games in pool play, before beating Vanuatu and Tuvalu to reach the semifinals. The 2019 Arafura Games drew to a close Saturday night with an elaborate closing ceremony that included a tribute to the Arafura Sea, where the name of the Games was derived as well as the more than 1,500 athletes from 40 countries in the Asia Pacific and other parts of the world who competed.
CURRY DOCUSERIES NOW AVAILABLE ON FB WATCH UNANIMOUS Media and Facebook have pion Stephen Curry’s journey throughout teamed up to deliver a new six-episode the 2018-19 season. original docuseries, Stephen vs The Game, The series premiered Friday excluwhich chronicles three-time NBA Cham- sively on Facebook Watch. Stephen vs
The Game delivers an unprecedented look into the life of Curry, a transcendent athlete who, through is uncanny threepoint shooting ability and unbridled joy for the sport, continues to reinvent the way basketball is played. The series will explore what drives him on and off the court, including his family, faith, personal passions, and legendary work ethic—all of which have helped him become one of the most revered athletes in the world. The documentary will also include neverbefore-seen childhood footage of Curry and behind-the-scenes footage from his 2018 NBA championship run. Executive produced by Unanimous Media and Religion of Sports and directed by Gotham Chopra, the series marks the second installment in the Facebook Watch VS series, which aims to explore the personal motivations that drive some of the world’s most accomplished
athletes. The first installment, Tom vs Time, aired in 2018 and chronicled Tom Brady’s quest to outlast Father Time as a 40-year-old championship-caliber quarterback in the NFL. “This past year has been an incredible chapter in my life—from the birth of my first son to winning a third championship—and we’ve been capturing it all,” Curry says. “This series is deeply personal, providing an in-depth look into the pivotal moments from the last year and exploring everything that is important to me. It’s been a fun project to work on with my Unanimous team and Facebook. I have incredible fans, and I’m excited to share my life with them in a way I never really have before.” “Stephen has an amazing story that should really resonate with the Facebook community, which makes him the perfect next subject for our VS series,” Chopra says.
BLU GIRLS MAKE ASIAN MEET SEMIS THE Philippine Blu Girls outplayed Korea, 5-1, on Saturday to reach the semifinal round of the 2019 Asia Cup Women’s Softball Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Filipina softballers registered nine hits in the game, including two homeruns from Angelie Ursabia and Hailey Decker. Mary Ann Antolinhao also pitched for seven innings for the Blu Girls and surrendered only four hits against the Koreans, who are ranked 23rd in the world. Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) president Jean Henri Lhuillier was elated of the Blu Girls’ quarterfinals victory and is encouraging the team to give their best against their formidable semifinals opponent. The PH Blu Girls, ranked 13th in the world, will next face defending champion and ranked No. 2 Japan in a rematch of last year’s finals. “I am very proud of the performance of our girls in the Asia Cup,” said Lhuillier. “They have been playing well in this tournament and I am sure they will give their best in the semis.” The victory against Korea on Saturday also assured the Philippines of a slot in the WBSC Softball Asia/Oceania 2019 Qualifying Event for 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be played in Shanghai, China on September 24-29.
BANDOLIS, VILLANUEVA EYE TWIN KILL GUIA Bandolis and Ashton Villanueva hope to live up to the hype as they go for a “double” in their respective divisions in the PPS-PEPP Daryl Uy national age-group tennis tournament which gets going today (Sunday, May 5) at the Mibang Tennis Club in Dipolog City. Bandolis gains the top seeding in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under play with the Tubod, Lanao del Norte ace bracing for a spirited battle against the likes of Angel Denopolo, Angel Repaja, Jalia Elumba and Jane Echon in both divisions of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop and hosted by Mayor Daryl Uy. Villanueva also looms as the player to beat in the boys’ top two categories of the event serving as part of the Mindanao swing of the nationwide talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala with the Ozamiz City bet gearing up for a showdown with the likes of Jhev Sagario, Neo Maratas and siblings Alritz and Aldree Pan. Five other singles titles are up for grabs, including in the boys’ and girls’ 12- and 14-and-U and the 10-unisex with five doubles crowns also set to be disputed in the 14- and 18-U (boys and girls) and 10-unisex. Also on tap is a clinic for beginners and regular campaigners in the circuit sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPSPEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Meanwhile, listup for the Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental leg on May 8-11 is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464. The Luzon swing also resumes in Manila for the Cainta Open featuring the country’s top players on May 13-21 while the twoweekend PPS-PEPP UP National Student Open (Valenzuela) will be played on May 18-19 and on May 25-26.
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Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net
DOMINGUEZ ENVISIONS PH AS ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE
By Julito G. Rada
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NE of President Rodrigo Duterte’s most important decisions at the onset of his administration was when he picked Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez III as his Finance secretary and the de facto head of his economic team. In a span of two years and 10 months since Dominguez took over the post, much has improved in the way the government handles its finances, raises revenues, fights tax cheats, attracts foreign direct investments, supports education, builds infrastructures and boosts economic growth. The country received record foreign direct investments over the past two years, achieved its highest credit rating in April 2019 and is poised to snag the status of upper middle-income economy this year—all significant milestones in Philippine history. “We are proud to announce that the Philippines will achieve the status of an ‘upper middleincome’ nation ahead of [the 2022] schedule,” Dominguez announced recently before the World Bank. Dominguez is a 40-year veteran in public service and business sector. He led several corporations engaged in aviation, power, agriculture, mining, banking, hospitality, real estate and investment. He was a former chief executive of Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier. His family owns Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, one of the top hotels in southern Mindanao. Before joining the Duterte administration, Dominguez led the Agriculture and Environment departments under the Cory Aquino administration. In 2016, he became the 31st secretary of the Finance Department. As the head of the DoF, Dominguez is in charge of raising more revenues to finance the unprecedented P8.4trillion ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure program through the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or Train law that reduced personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, fuel, sugar-sweetened beverages and automobile. The program aims to construct more bridges, roads, tollways, airports, seaports and railways including the country’s first subway. “Fast-tracking our ‘Build, Build, Build’ program will bridge the infrastructure gap that has long been one of the major deal breakers for investors. We aim to raise infrastructure investments to 7 percentof gross domestic product by 2022 and further improve our absorptive capacity in implementing projects,” Dominguez told Manila Standard. He said infrastructure development and eliminating red tape and corruption hold the key to attracting more foreign direct investments. “Apart from attracting investors, infrastructure modernization will also sustain and boost our growth momentum, given that infrastructure development has the highest multiplier effects by creating jobs and opening new areas for investments that further stimulate economic activity,” he said. STRONG ECONOMY Dominguez said fiscal prudence, which made it possible for the government to invest in big-ticket projects, will result in building a strong economy that the Filipino people deserve. Pursuing the remaining tax reform packages, he said, will expand the government’s revenue base and provide a steady revenue stream for the Build, Build, Build program and enable the country to secure further credit rating upgrades. The Train law—the first package of the administration’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program—took effect in January 2018. Other tax reform packages include the reduction of the corporate income tax rate to make it closer to the regional average and the rationalization of the fiscal incentives to create an even playing field for businesses. “The other packages cover reforms in property valuation to make the system more equitable, efficient and transparent; the rationalization of capital income taxation to address the multiple tax rates and different tax treatments and exemptions on capital income and other financial instruments; increasing the excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products and the government’s share from mining revenues; and the automatic exchange
American companies to invest more in the Philippines’fast-growing economy, where higher consumer demand fueled by tax reform and an aggressive infrastructure program, along with improving peace and order, open wide business opportunities for foreign investors. Dominguez assured a delegation from the Kansai Economic Federation based in Osaka, Japan that the second
Bank criteria for fiscal year 2019, an upper middle-income country should have a gross national income per capita of$3,896 to $12,055. The Philippines is currently classified as a lower middleincome country with GNI per capita of $3,700 in 2017. With the resilience it had displayed under an inclusive economy which grew 6.2 percent last year, the Philippines
Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez III
of tax information and relaxation of bank secrecy laws,” he said. S&P Global Ratings which upgraded the Philippines credit rating to “BBB+” on April 30 said the accelerated implementation of the infrastructure program and passage into law of the remaining tax reform packages would help fuel robust, sustainable and more inclusive economic growth. “We will also continue cultivating our young and highly-skilled labor force. We are looking at every opportunity for economic complementation with our industrialized neighbors with aging populations that will ensure ample opportunities for our very young labor force. Our law previously ensured free basic education for all Filipinos,” said Dominguez. “Now, free tuition has been extended to students enrolled in state colleges and universities or SUCs. Increased investment flows over the past years strengthen our faith that we are implementing the right economic strategy at this juncture of our country’s history,” he said. Wi t h t h e i m p rov i n g b u s i n e s s environment and the relentless campaign against corruption, the country in 2017 and 2018 received a total of $20 billion in foreign direct investments, or an average of $10 billion a year, double the inflows that came in 2015. “This is unprecedented. The tight spread of our bond offerings demonstrates the confidence of the investment community in our commitment to fiscal discipline. Thus, after the successful issuances of Panda and Samurai bonds in China and Japan, respectively, the government’s economic team is currently on a roadshow in Europe, this time to float Euro bonds in financial capitals such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Zurich,” said Dominguez. MORE INVESTMENTS Dominguez has been very active in informing foreign investors that the Philippines is now one of the best places where they can expand their businesses. In April 2019, he called on Japanese and
package of the Duterte administration’s tax reform program—which aims to cut the corporate income tax rate and rationalize investment incentives—will be a game-changer that would expand, rather than curtail, opportunities for them to do business in the Philippines.
S&P Global’s credit rating upgrade of the Philippines by one notch higher is an undeniable tribute to President Duterte’s unwavering commitment to bold reforms and sound economic policies. Meanwhile, he told American businessmen in Washington D.C. that now is the “best time” to invest in the Philippines so they could maximize the benefits of participating in a robust economy which is poised to become Asia’s next economic powerhouse. UPPER MIDDLE-INCOME Dominguez said the Philippines strong partnership with multilateral lenders such as the World Bank is a key factor in helping the country secure its status as an upper middle-income economy in 2019, three years ahead of the targeted schedule. The Duterte administration had targeted to achieve the upper middleincome status by 2022, and become a high-income economy by 2040. The government also aimed to bring down poverty incidence from 21.6 percent in 2015 to just 14 percent by the end of President Duterte’s term. It looks like the target for upper middle -income status would be achieved this year. Based on World
is poised to reach the upper middleincome status ahead of target, according to Dominguez. “By striving to make our economy more inclusive and our governance more responsive to the waves of technological change, we strive to continue building on our growth momentum,” he said. FIGHT AGAINST TAX CHEATS Under Dominguez’s leadership, the Department of Finance made history in 2017 by collecting from Mighty Corp. a total of P30 billion in unpaid taxes, the biggest sum on record raised by the government from a tax settlement. After the Bureau of Internal Revenue filed three separate criminal complaints before the Department of Justice against Mighty for its widespread use of counterfeit tax stamps, the firm offered in July 2017 to shut down its operations and settle its tax liabilities. M i g h t y ’s m a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d distribution assets were sold to Japan Tobacco Inc. for around $1 billion. As a conditionality, Mighty paid around P30.4 billion (roughly equivalent to $600 million) in taxes, comprising previous tax liabilities and transaction taxes, to settle its obligations to the government. Dominguez also said nobody should be exempt from paying the correct amount of taxes to the government, including foreign nationals working in the country. “Enforce the law so we can collect the tax,” Dominguez said in a recent executive committee meeting of the DoF. AVOIDING DEBT TRAP Amid concerns from different sectors, Dominguez downplayed the idea that the Philippines would default on its concessional loans to countries such as China. He said these fears were unfounded, given that the government has never failed to pay its debt even during the worst of times. “The Philippines has never, never defaulted on its loans. The Philippines has not done it even in the worst time and the worst time was right after Marcos,” Dominguez said.
H e s a i d t h a t e ve n w h e n t h e Philippines was cash-strapped, it had never defaulted on any of its loans, recalling that the country paid its obligations on the $2.2-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant project which was considered a “white elephant”. “The Philippines has no history of defaulting on its loans. So why are people saying now that we will default? Do they have no faith in the Philippines? I don’t know why people are saying ‘There might be a default.’That means to say those people have no faith in their own country,” Dominguez said. Dominguez said there is no collateral involved in the loans that the government signed with any country as he invited the public to examine the terms of all the loan accords which are available for viewing at the Department of Finance website. The gove r nm e nt ’s b or row i ng program, Dominguez said, remains “very conservative in the sense that we only borrow to invest in projects that will generate economic gains which are greater than the borrowing cost.” He said that as of 2018, the government’s project debt exposure was only 0.66 percent to China and 9 percent to Japan in relation to the total debt. By 2022, when most of the financing for the Build, Build, Build program will have been accessed, the country’s project debt to China is expected to account for only 4.5 percent, while that of Japan will be twice as large at 9.5 percent. CREDIT GOES TO GOVT Dominguez’s accomplishments as Finance secretary did not go unnoticed. Two renowned publications have already distinguished him for a job well done, but he refused to accept the awards, saying what the government achieved so far was a fruit of concerted efforts of all its members and not by one person alone. In December 2017, Dominguez declined to accept an award from BizNewsAsia that cited his exemplary performance as the head of the Duterte administration’s economic team, saying he was just doing his job and what the government achieved so far is a result of a team effort. Prior to that, he also declined to accept an award as “Finance Minister of the Year” for East Asia Pacific from a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in September 2017. After the long-anticipated S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of the Philippines’ sovereign investment-grade rating from “BBB” to “BBB+” onApril 30, Dominguez said the credit belongs to President Duterte’s strong leadership and his 10-point economic program. “S&P Global’s credit rating upgrade of the Philippines by one notch higher is an undeniable tribute to President Duterte’s unwavering commitment to bold reforms and sound economic policies as embodied in the 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda of the administration and his strong political will to get these tough initiatives done at the soonest,” Dominguez said. The upgrade put the Philippines at par with Mexico, Peru, Thailand and Trinidad and Tobago. It is even higher than the “BBB” ratings of Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Panama and Uruguay. “Credit should be given to President Duterte’s decisive political leadership and commitment to sweeping reforms. Our president’s swift action in delivering on his 10-point socio-economic agenda has been recognized by the international financial community as demonstrated anew just recently by S&P Global’s latest upgrade on the Philippines’ credit rating from ‘BBB’ to ‘BBB+’ with a ‘stable’ outlook,” Dominguez said. Dominguez said to further enhance the Philippines’ credit rating and make the country an investment magnet in the region, the Executive Department would be relentless in engaging Congress to act on President Duterte’s proposed reform measures that aim to level the playing field for investors and improve the ease of doing business in the country. “We will also vigorously implement sectoral and administrative reforms that include the new law further empowering our central bank, the rapid adoption of new digital technologies to improve governance through real-time payment systems, the introduction of a national ID system, the rice tariffication law and new platforms to minimize the cost of doing business,” he said.
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BRIA BARES FORMULA TO HOUSING SUCCESS BRIA Homes, a leading affordablehousing developer, brings people closer to owning their dream homes—without the extravagant costs. For call center agents, entrepreneurs with a startup, intrepid young IT professionals, or newly married couple, Bria Homes has superior-quality, affordable homes—comfortable, welldesigned abodes in thriving, wellplanned communities. Bria Homes says its winning formula is affordability plus superior quality that translates into a beautiful home for every Filipino. A subsidiary of Golden Bria Holdings Inc. which is the third largest real-estate enterprise nationwide, Bria Homes counts more than 700 hectares of land in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. This hefty portfolio has propelled the company to spawn more than 50 housing projects in more than 40 towns and cities that are poised for growth within the next 10 to 15 years. Prices go for as low as P1,897 per month for Bria Homes with facilities such as covered courts, retail establishments, play areas for children and special venues for events and recreation. The fastest-growing mass housing developer in the Philippines, Bria Homes is primed to bring affordable house-andlot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families.
EMISSION TESTING ORDER DRAWS PROTEST PRIVATE emission testing centers asked President Rodrigo Duterte to put on hold the implementation of the Department of Transportation Department Order No. 2019-002 which was eventually revised through Memorandum Circular No. 2019-009 which threatens them out of the motor vehicle emission testing business. Spearheaded by Alagaan Natin Inang Kalikasan led by its president Macario Evangelista, Jr., the stakeholders said “D.O. No. 2019-002 entitled Revised Order on Pr ivatizing the M otor Vehicle Inspection Centers through Authorization once implemented will eventually displace around 5,000 workers and affect 25,000 members of their families”. “It will also increase the testing fee three to four times the current rate to the prejudice of the motoring public,” the stakeholders said. Evangelista said the swift changes in the rules were meant to confuse and diffuse participation by interested PE TC s. “ Wor s e, t h e s e new ru l es revealed the preference of key officials of the DOTr for expensive European technology suppliers, prioritized granting of emission inspec tion centers to selected affluent individuals who can initially afford to post P10million bond and be immediately issued provisional authorizations even without submitting a single legal document [business permits, articles of incorporation, financial statements, BIR licenses] other than mere application forms,” he said. “The PETCs can prove that they have, singly and collectively, the capability and resources to evolve into a reasonably sized PMVIC and provide the same efficient and Asian based technology at par, if not better, than its European counterparts preferred by the DOTr,” Evangelista said.
THE EON GROUP WINS GOLD STEVIE T H E EON Group, a Filipino communications consultancy firm, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Public Relations Agency of the Year and a Silver Stevie Award for Excellence in Innovation in Business Product and Service Industries in the sixth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. More than 900 nominations from organizations across the Asia-Pacific region were considered this year for various categories and the EON Group won both Gold and Silver in two different categories that recognize best practices on innovation. “The communications industry is in the midst of a massive disruption, and the move to differentiate ourselves and focus on higher value services is the only logical way forward,” said Mori Rodriguez, EON’s chief innovation officer. “Innovation is a corporate value and we live it in all aspects of the business, from product all the way to talent development,” Rodriguez said. While this is EON’s first win at the Stevie Awards, the communications consultancy has been recognised for its innovation by Enterprise Asia, winning an International Innovation Award for Organization and Culture in 2017. Among its list of recent accomplishments is the prestigious International Gold Quill Award in 2018 for the Philippine Trust Index, the company’s proprietary research that looks into the levels and drivers of trust among Filipinos, and Public Affairs Asia’s Gold Standard Award for Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year in 2018. “We are very pleased that entries to this program grew again this year,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.
FARMERS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN MAX’S COMMUNITY PROJECT
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oday’s diners are now showing a greater appreciation for farming techniques, local sourcing, local varieties of produce and heirloom products. With Filipinos becoming more conscious of what they eat and where their food comes from, more diners are looking to local restaurants to bring them the best of homegrown produce, dishes, and cuisines.
For casual dining restaurant operator Max’s Group Inc., this ongoing shift in dining behavior has prompted the company to launch and grow a direct-to-farm program. For the past three years, MGI has been working with Agap Farmers Association in Pangil, Laguna, Bonena Cooperative in Nueva Ecija and Fresh Crop Cooperative in Benguet to sell vegetables to MGI for use in their restaurants. The program has sourced over 366,713 metric tons of select vegetables in 2018 alone because of MGI and its partner farmers and cooperatives’ commitment to mutual support. “As a leading casual dining operator, Max’s Group believes that we serve our best to our diners when we make use of the local produce and at the same time help stimulate productivity among our partner farmers,” said MGI director Carolyn Salud. “Championing Filipino cuisine all starts with bringing out the best in our local farming communities,” Salud said. With factors such as greater competition and climate change impacting their livelihood, the MGI program could not come any sooner for small-scale
farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Through the program, MGI provides advice and assistance to small-scale farmers and agriculture cooperatives specifically in crop production so that they will be able to supply fresh produce to MGI’s restaurants for a fair price, allowing them to earn a living and sustain their farms for future cycles. Faced with the challenge of meeting short lead times and delivering quality produce consistently, the farmers and their cooperatives decided to
invest in technical knowledge, transportation, warehousing, and operations to help shift the mindset of their group and deliver on their respective commitments. “Max’s Group expects us to provide sufficient supplies and continuous deliveries, so we had to invest in regular monitoring, updates, and follow-ups to the farmers and conducting farm visits regularly. We provided production loans to our farmers to make it easier for them to start a new farming cycle,” said Agap Farmers Association representative Jocery Pueblo. “We also organized training sessions and seminars on farming technology with seed companies and the local government and mentoring sessions so that the farmers approach it as a business,” Pueblo said. The partnership encouraged the cooperatives to professionalize their operations and set up the infrastructure to meet MGI’s requirements and eventually its other market requirements. “For our group, we set up seminars on entrepreneurship and business management to help our colleagues cope with the demands of our clients. We also purchased trucks to accommodate the growth and set up earlier delivery times and a satellite warehouse in Valenzuela to avoid traffic and deliver on time,” said Bonena Cooperative president Israel Reguyal. While the program has helped farmers from Agap Farmers Association, Bonena Cooperative and Fresh Crop Cooperative earn a decent amount, the representatives from these three groups also noted that the program allowed them to find pride and fulfillment in their work, and gave them the confidence to continue pursuing agriculture as a stable source of livelihood. “After partnering with MGI, our farmers have become more enthusiastic about their work. We are no longer just working, but we are working to help more farmers uplift their lives,” said Pueblo. With MGI looking to source more of its produce from small-scale farms and cooperatives, the company hopes to replicate its success across more farming communities across the country. “Farmers are the backbone of our work. Through this program, we hope to empower smallscale farmers, bring more local produce to our customers, and instill a greater sense of pride and responsibility across our supply chain,” said Salud.
PH JOINS NEW YORK’S BIGGEST SPECIALTY FOOD SHOW AFTER its successful participation in the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, the Philippines is gearing up for another showcase of its top export food products in North America. Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the Philippine participation will exhibit and test the marketability of the country’s range of specialty foods at the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City on June 23 to 25, 2019. “We are intent on bolstering the Philippines’ market presence and reach in US specialty and gourmet food as we lead the country’s first participation in one of New York’s hottest food events,” said DTI-Citem executive director Pauline Suaco-Juan. The Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest specialty food industry event in North America and the premier showcase for industry innovation. Organized by the Specialty Food Association, it is a marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty food products on display. Specialty foods are defined as foods or beverages of the highest grade, style or quality in their respective categories. Their specialty nature derives from a combination of some or all of the following qualities: uniqueness, origin, processing method, design, limited supply, unusual application or use, extraordinary packaging or channel of distribution/ sales. Last year, the show featured over 2,400 exhibitors from 54 nations, exhibiting their products to more than 34,000 attendees of the event. The show features retailers, restaurants, food service providers and producers from North America and
Philippine dried mangoes from Profood International Corp. are among the country’s specialty food showcase in SFFS 2019.
beyond, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Formaggio Kitchen, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, UNFI and Southern Season. Suaco-Juan said the food manufacturers and exporters that will represent the Philippines are compliant with US international food safety and quality regulations and certification requirements like the USDA Organic and the US Food and Drug Administration.
“For this year, DTI-Citem aims to generate at least $8 million worth of export sales,” Suaco-Juan said. “We hope to lead a successful exhibit in New York’s biggest specialty food show and learn more from the nuances and demands of food trade in North America.” Suaco-Juan also invited food buyers and traders to join the upcoming IFEX Philippines, the country’s biggest export‐oriented food show on May 24 to 26 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. IFEX Philippines 2019 will present “NXTFood Asia” where it will showcase the next big thing in Asian food with the latest food innovations, trends and best practices in the Asian food industry. Philippine food has been identified as one of the hottest food trends in North America, according to a forecast published in the Specialty Food Magazine by SFA last year, titled “Trend Watch: Summer Fancy Food Show Trends.” “While more Filipino cuisine is being added to menus in foodservice, more packaged products are using authentic ingredients and flavors. Mansi exhibited calamansi juice, made from a small round citrus fruit that’s ubiquitous in the Philippines, and CJC Pit Barbecue is selling its lechon sauce, a traditional sauce made from pork liver, vinegar, breadcrumbs and spices,” the article stated. As of August 2018, the United States is the Philippines’ second top export destination next to China and followed by Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. In 2017, the Philippines’ total food and agricultural exports to the US reached $1.2 billion, according to the office of the United States Trade Representative.
PLDT UNIT EXPANDS ICT SOLUTIONS FOR COMPANIES Fully aware of the daunting task of digital transformation, ePLDT now provides a comprehensive suite of solutions — the protection of mission-critical data assets through global-class data center services, the enablement of agility and lower total cost of ownership through managed, hybrid and end-to-end cloud services, the mitigation of increasing cyber threats through a class-on-its-own cybersecurity portfolio and the holistic management of information technology systems via full-spectrum managed IT services. In ePLDT’s recently concluded event aptly ePLDT Inc. executives celebrate the expansion of its ICT themed “Let IT Be e,” the group thanked customers services offerings for local businesses and enterprises at for entrusting their ICT requirements to ePLDT House Manila in Pasay City. and announced its newest services offerings. By adopting such slogan, ePLDT highlights its thrust THE country’s leading enabler of digital solutions of empowering businesses to focus on their growth stands at the forefront of solving today’s biggest IT and expansion, enjoining customers to Let their IT challenges as it expands its ICT offerings for local requirements Be enabled by ePLDT. enterprises. “As newer and more experimental practices
continue to disrupt and challenge the business resiliency of our customers, we remain committed to innovating our services and offering even more relevant and expertly designed ICT solutions,” said ePLDT senior vice president and chief operating officer Nerissa Ramos on the group’s rationale for expanding their offers. “ePLDT will continue to lead in enabling the digital transformation of local enterprises through relentlessly searching for new ways to solve real-life problems simply, efficiently, in real-time, and with a fan-building experience. We are expanding our ICT solutions not for the elegance of technology or for the curiosity of innovation, but because of the growing needs of our valued customers,” Ramos said. Through its holistic digital business solutions, ePLDT aspires to transform the Philippines into a more digitally-driven nation and reinforces the group’s belief that technology is a primary vehicle for nation development.
Tech & Gadgets RAISING THE STANDARD OF HOME ENTERTAINMENT.
Samsung affirms its leadership in the home entertainment category as it recently launched its top-of-the-line QLED 8K TV in the Philippines. The company ushers in a new era of innovation as its latest TVs are made with high-resolution visuals and AI upscaling technology for that real 8K experience. Photo shows (from left) Samsung Philippines Business Director for TV and Audio Brian Yim, Vice President for Consumer Electronics Victor Filart, Jr., Chief Marketing Officer Patrick Tolentino, and Product Marketing Head for TV and Audio Lauro Guevara.
SAMSUNG UNVEILS 1 REAL QLED 8K TELEVISION IN PH ST
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AMSUNG, on its 13th consecutive year of producing the world’s No.1 TV, has introduced its QLED 8K TV in the Philippines. The QLED 8K TV gives consumers a brand-new, never-before-seen experience of premium quality television screens. The product’s Philippine launch started with an exclusive event at The Fifth ballroom in Rockwell in April. The QLED 8K TV features a new
Quantum Processor 8K, which can produce images in greater detail and depth, in 7,680 x 4,320 resolution. Available in super large sizes of 75-, 82-, and 98-inch screens, with over 33 million pixels, the QLED 8K TV provides an experience that becomes fully immersive and pristine, as films and TV shows are meant to be seen. “Over the past years, what we watch, when we watch, and how we watch has fundamentally changed,” said Lauro Guevara, head of product marketing for
Samsung TV and Audio. “Today, more consumers are looking to enjoy their favorite content on larger and smarter screens, with minimal image noise, for a viewing experience that is almost true-to-life.” The QLED 8K TV boasts of a remarkable AI upscaling technology, which automatically converts lower-resolution content into 8K quality. Enabled by the Quantum Processor 8K, AI Upscaling analyzes the quality and resolution of any image—whether it is in 4K, Full HD, HD, or even SD,
or watched through a streaming service, HDMI, USB, or even mobile mirroring—and upscales the content to appear in 8K quality. Aside from optimizing noise reduction, the AI Upscaling function restores the integrity of the smallest of details in a scene to provide greater texture, and sharpens edges of objects and texts for greater clarity. This feature, along with the highest levels of contrast with the Direct Full Array Technology, and dramatically-enhanced, deeper blacks and brighter whites, make the QLED 8K Samsung’s best TV, to date. Bixby on TV, a highlight of the 2019 QLED lineup, is a clever feature that enables viewers to easily access films and shows thru voice command, which helps search for content based on previous viewing preferences. The launch event also marked the entry of Samsung’s 2019 full TV lineup, featuring the new QLED 4K TVs that also have AI upscaling capabilities. A wider selection of 2019 Soundbars, which includes new models that Samsung has developed with audio masters, Harman Kardon, were also featured. Samsung Philippines president James Jung, in his opening speech, remarked on the historical relevance of the brand’s ground-breaking TV innovations. “This year is the 50th anniversary of the moment that mankind took his first step on the moon and changed history forever. This year is also Samsung Electronics’ 50th anniversary of meaningful innovations. These milestones provide important context as we introduce a product that we believe will forever change the future of TVs,” he said of the QLED 8K TV.
SAVINGS FROM E-WASTE THRU BROTHER PH IT’S not uncommon for Filipino households to have one or two printers, copiers, scanners collecting dust from misuse. They might have upgraded to better models, found repair costs too expensive for a malfunctioning machine, or have no further use for the items. More often than not, these households found it too inconvenient to dispose of the machines—too bulky to throw out with the trash and virtually nowhere to pass them over for recycling. E-waste disposal can be a challenge—especially since the components within machines cannot be simply categorized to non-recyclables or biodegradable. At some point, we need e-waste disposal experts to come in and help. Finding an opportunity to provide a little help for Filipino households with their e-waste dilemma, Brother Philippines initiated regular trade-in promotions, currently dubbed the “Switch to Tank” promotion, encouraging customers to use the genuine Brother Ink Refills only. “The mechanics we’ve always had are very simple,” said Glenn Hocson, Brother Philippines President. “We ask customers to bring in their unwanted printers, copiers, fax
machines, and scanners to select location, which will garner them discounts for their next printing equipment. Not only was this promotion a good opportunity for us to allow customers to try and purchase our products for less, but also for them to properly dispose their unused machines sitting around in their homes.” For several years now, trading in machines for a Brother model of their choice enabled customers to experience all the practical yet impressive features of these products for themselves. But what happens to the machines that Brother Philippines collect? “The trade-in events are a good way to boost sales,” said Hocson. “But at some point, we have to think about the proper disposal of the machines brought to us. Obviously, we can’t store these in our own facilities or just throw everything out for the garbagemen to collect. So, we worked with a local e-waste, DENR-accredited recycling company, HMR Philippines, to help us responsibly deal with the machines our customers traded.” HMR Philippines takes the traded machines from Brother Philippines, and break each machine down to its individual parts. Anything that
This trend has been rising steadily over the years, revealing children prefer mobile devices smartphones (81%), followed by tablets (56%), and TV (54%). TotallyAwesome discovered one of the reason for this is that over 55% of children own a smartphone, 47% own a tablet, while only 17% own a TV. With the high mobile penetration, it is not surprising that digital is the main source of information: 83% of children surveyed said they find out about new toys
Brother Philippines offers opportunity for savings from e-waste—and a way to deal with unwanted electronics the right way
can be reused safely (without potential risk of harm) will be saved for recycling, and the residual materials will be passed on for final treatment with another service provider. “We made sure that our e-waste recycling partner will not just take the machines off our hands, but is also accredited in handling, transporting, and actually disposing the e-waste properly,” added Hocson“. It’s a small step toward becoming fully green, but along
89% of kids in the Philippines have spending power
TotallyAwesome CEO Quan Nguyen
launches from the internet; only 48% said they get the same information from television.
Online ads spur purchases
Moreover, the study acknowledges the ever increasing impact of online advertising as over seven in 10 parents admitted they had bought products for their kids, who had seen
NEW POWER TOOLS KING NOW IN PH WITH over 50 years of experience in the power tools’ industry, Kress finally set foot on the Philippine market. The launch of the German brand, Kress, was held on March 6 at the Grand Hyatt Manila, incorporating power and style and establishing the image of Kress power tools in the Philippine market. Equipped with 90 years of experience in the field of electric motors R&D and production, Kress has continued to provide the best quality power tools in the market and its designs have continuously become the standard for power tools. With its innovative, powerful and high quality products, Kress has gained a notable worldwide reputation as a brand. Kress was founded in 1928 and started its production in a Swabian town located at Tübingen-Lustnau, Germany. The focus during its earlier years was on motor R&D manufacturing. In 1964, Kress successfully produced its first power drill, which became a hit in the German power tools’ market. Due to the success of this, Kress professionally started its power tool specialty. Kress’ latest product is an innovative change of a traditional mower into a robotics’ lawnmower, which is effortlessly controlled using a special app on a smartphone. Kress Powertools have won countless awards for their innovative products. Their most recent achievement was received in 2018 from the Red Dot Design, an international product and communication award given at Essen, Germany. With the launch of Kress power tools in the country, it hopes the Philippine market adopts the brand slogan: Powered by Tradition.
NOW CORP...
it on online ads. TotallyAwesome Chief Executive Officer, Quan Nguyen said: “We have seen children in The Philippines being very vocal and fanatical about content that they see online. With a high smartphone penetration, it only stands to reason they are more impressionable to online kid influencers. Brands marketing to kids must drop bait where the fish are instead of holding on to outdated strategies.”.
More than one kid out of two own a smartphone
Kress Power Drill
From C4
with our push for refill-tank printer systems to reduce waste from consumables like cartridges, we hope to contribute to efforts to help the environment.” To learn more about the brand and its products, visit the Brother Philippines website at www. brother.com.ph, like its Facebook page (facebook.com/BROTHERatyourside), and follow @BROTHERPhils on Twitter and @BrotherPhils on Instagram.
RESEARCH SHOWS 84% OF PH KIDS CHOOSE INTERNET OVER TV ACCORDING to an annual study led by leading kids digital media company, TotallyAwesome, more than eight in 10 children in Philippines would choose to have access to the Internet over TV. The fourth iteration of the “Philippines Kids’ Digital Insights”analyses kids digital behavior, online media consumption, device usage, content as well as brand preferences.
C3
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
On top of being heavily invested into digital and mobile, kids have growing spending power: almost 9 in 10 kids receive pocket money and about one third of them receive pocket money every day. The study also learned Filipino children have a greater say in what they buy as their spending power increases, with many influencing their parents in the buying decisions. While 79% of the children still ask their parents
to buy them products, almost 20% of them will buy what they saw online with their own money. Parents also disclosed their kids decide and have influence on the type of snacks (80%) or toys (81%) they buy, where to go when they eat out (78%), as well as the movies they watch (67%). According to the poll, snacks (69%), drinks (46%), eating out (43%)and toys (31%) are the most popular items children spend their own money on. “The study has revealed the power children have over the things they want. They get their way whether they are direct purchasers with their own cash or through their parents with pester power. Marketers may need to recognise and acknowledge the tremendous influence of Generation Alpha and GenX,” added Nguyen. To learn more about Filipino kids’ digital behaviour and media habits, pocket money and spendings, pester power and brand awareness, get in touch with our TotallyAwesome team at info@totallyawesome.tv.
take care of selling and marketing the service, install the service to end-subscribers, assist NOW in identifying a possible hub where broadband capacity can be terminated, and ensure on-time payment by the subscriber. Meanwhile, NOW will provide the business model, over-all sales and marketing support on the national and local levels, sales training, and will also provide collecting and billing as well as state-of-theart devices to deliver broadband internet solutions. A major requirement in selecting business partners is that the latter must be a resident of the chosen territory, must have a business in the area, and must have strong local influence. Velarde also noted that local governments may also utilize fixed wireless to deliver broadband connectivity to public spaces as a form of public service. NOW can install its equipment in any governmentowned building such as hospitals or city halls and distribute the broadband capacity to each building. In February 2018, NOW Telecom was granted a 25-year renewal of its tri-mega franchise, allowing the firm to deploy a wide array of telecom services utilizing new technologies including fixed wired, fixed wireless, mobile cellular, and even satellite internet via outer space. Manila
Standard NOTICE OF LOSS
TODAY Notice is hereby given that Holy Garden Memorial Certificate of Ownership with No. 943 and Deed of Sale with No. 2757 under the name of Angelita de Leon Manapat was declared lost as per Doc. No. 471; Page No.95; Book No. XXXVI, Series of 2019; before Notary Public Atty. Honorato J. De Leon. (Manila Standard May 5, 12 & 19, 2019)
TECH & Gadgets
C4
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
KASPERSKY LAB: PHISING SCAMMERS EYE AVENGER FANS
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HE release of the finale of the epic two-part movie featuring the Avengers has attracted lots of attention as it shattered box office records. Kaspersky Lab’s content filtering experts have found that cybercriminals could not resist the urge to use the movie for fraud and money theft. To do so, they have created no less than a dozen websites, offering fans the opportunity to watch the new Avengers blockbuster free online in advance of national premieres. Once a user agrees and clicks on the online-player icon, a short scene from the movie is shown, which is in fact just a part of the official trailer. After a few seconds, the video stops and the victim is redirected to registration and check out page that contains fields for bank card details including the CVV2 code. The site reassures the user that this is only for validation purposes, to prove that a user is a real person. Once the user has filled in the form with their payment details, the criminals can use them for stealing the user’s funds. “Social engineering methods are aimed at exploiting people’s emotions. An influential and muchloved franchise with an enormous global fan base seems like the perfect target. The temptation to take a few security shortcuts in order to be able to watch a long-awaited movie and not have to worry
An influential and much-loved franchise with an enormous global fan base seems like the perfect target.
about spoilers or sold-out tickets can prove irresistible to loyal fans; that is what the attackers prey on,” says Tatyana Sidorina, a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. Kaspersky Lab advice for staying safe: Do not click on links in emails, texts, instant messaging or social media posts if they come from people or organizations you don’t know. Check for suspicious or unusual addresses when any personal
or financial information is asked for, legitimate ones should start with ‘https’∙ Phishers often exploit emotions. Signs that there could be phishers at work include messages that are unduly threatening (warning of a potential fine or other penalties, for example), demand immediate action, ask for vast amounts of very personal and seemingly irrelevant information, or simply sound too good to be true.
Have a separate bank card and account with a limited amount of money specifically for online entertainment. This will help to avoid serious financial losses if your bank details are stolen. Use a reliable security solution for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud. To learn more about the Avengers’ related scam, visit Kaspersky Daily.
XIAOMI ANNOUNCES HOT SUMMER SALE PLANNING to take those IG-worthy photos during your summer vacation or just simply spend your summer break playing mobile games? We recommend these Xiaomi smartphones to perfectly enjoy your vacation! Xiaomi Philippines brings the hottest summer sale starting on May 1 to 15, 2019 in all Authorized Mi Stores. Appreciate the dual camera of Pocophone F1 with dual pixel Autofocus. It can quickly focus even in super low light. This Smartphone has a 20MP front camera to capture your best selfies with AI Beautify 4.0 that can also achieve a bokeh effect you’ve been wanting. Pocophone can also cater your gaming pleasure as it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. By this powerful AI engine, you can enjoy superior performance at a lower power consumption. Pocophone F1 128GB is now available for only P16,090 or P1,900 less its original price for the promotion period. Take strikingly clear photos using Redmi 6 with 12MP + 5MP dual camera. 1.25μm large pixels on the primary lens capture the beauty of any scene, while the AI-powered portrait mode with Beautify blurs the background to
create portraits that stand out. With an octacore processor that takes efficiency to the next level resulting to a brilliant performance. It lessens the consumption of battery energy. Get the entry-level dual camera king Redmi 6 to your hands for only P6,290 for the 32GB variant and P6,990 for the 64GB variant.
The Mi A2 Lite is also great for taking photos and playing mobile games. Its dual camera is AI-powered for enhanced shooting capacity. It has a 12MP+ 5MP dual camera and it can blur the background and sharpens edges. Enjoy the Beautify 4.0 and see the unique you as it helps remove the dark under eyes, pimples and highlights your features and brightens your skin. Mi A2 Lite has the high-capacity battery that meets your every need with its 4000mAH battery. You can play music for 34hours or engage in calls for 19.5 hours on a single charge. With the 19:9 full view display, you can definitely enjoy your binge watching experience. You can also play your favorite mobile game with the QUALCOMM Snapdragon 625 which ensures that your gaming experience stays smooth without burning your battery. Mi A2 Lite is now available for only P7,990 for 32GB and P9,490 for 64GB. For inquiries and updates about Mi Store, follow their official Facebook (www.facebook.com/ AuthorizedMiStore) and Instragram account (www.instagram.com/mistore.ph)
AOPEN: HIGH-QUALITY MONITORS AT REASONABLE PRICE GAMERS in the Philippines, who are just starting out, can now get a taste of a real gaming experience without breaking the bank. AOPEN was launched in the country to serve the growing gaming industry. With an affordable price tag, AOPEN delivers high-quality monitors—from entry level to curved screen—that meet the needs of new and upcoming gamers, who need to fully immerse themselves in the game with the intention to win. AOPEN’s wideangle view allows them to experience and to perform a powerful game. AOPEN gaming monitors’ six-axis color adjust allows it to optimize the image quality making images in low resolution an Ultra HD treatment. Gamers have the freedom to “blend” the colors they want or shades that best work for them by adjusting the six-axis color range that includes the basic RGB and CMY. AOPEN will unlock the doors for newbie gaming enthusiasts to have curved monitors at reasonable price
For gamers not to tire out and abuse their eyes due to prolonged glare at the monitor, they can adjust AOPEN monitors OSD settings through the Low Blue Light feature, which filters out the blue light that usually causes harm to the eyes. The Flicker-less technology simply eliminates those flickering screens that may not only affect gamer’s games but also their sight.
points. AOPEN intended to provide for those who are just starting to enjoy gaming. Curved monitors allow gamers to maximize peripheral view which is otherwise challenging with flat monitors. The thin bezel and metal stand gives it a feel of a real gaming nook. Setting it up is a breeze because it is designed for small places but with topnotch quality.
AOPEN is a major electronics manufacturer from Taiwan building an expertise to high-reliability gaming devices. AOPEN is also the only commercial devices provider developing technology across all operating systems with a specialty in Google Chrome OS. AOPEN gaming monitors carry a price tag that starts from P8,000 to P23,000. See flyers for more details. Appearing during the launch are (from left) L2R ACER PH Sales, Product and Marketing Director Sue Ong-Lim, ACER Vice President Ken Wang, AOPEN Senior Director Matt Tsai and AOPEN Project Lead Michelle Leonardo.
NOW CORP. DEMOCRATIZES TELCO OPPORTUNITIES PUBLICLY listed information and communications technology industry trailblazer NOW Corporation has launched a program that will democratize business opportunities in the sector by partnering with small and medium-sized businesses and even entrepreneurial individuals. The company is partnering with local entrepreneurs and local government units, initially in Northern and Southern Luzon, to bring NOW’s technology to a particular area whether for horizontal deployment such as for barangays and wide area network, or for vertical deployment such as for office buildings. Dubbed as NOW Virtual Network Operator (NVNO), NOW’s business partnership model gives exclusive distributorship rights to the company’s broadband service to a local partner over a particular area, or preferably in one of the 35 priority cities in North and South Luzon which NOW has identified. An MVNO is a mobile operator that does not own its own network but instead leases wholesale capacity from an existing mobile operator and its network infrastructure and resells the bandwidth to its own end-clients. It is a proven formula to propagate telecommunications in other countries including the US. Previous attempts by one telecom company to use the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the Philippines have failed due to extremely high transactional fees being charged by the telecom firm to the MVNO.
Transparent cost structure
But NOW Corp. president and CEO Mel Velarde emphasized that they are aiming to inject renewed energy to the failed MVNO attempts by its predecessors and will seek to correct the shortcomings. To do this, Velarde said they vow to adopt a transparent cost structure, adopt a shared vision as well as technological and execution risks, and a clear shared wealth through revenue sharing. In late 2015, NOW Corp. and its telecommunications arm NOW Telecom launched Fiber in the Air, a fixed wireless broadband internet service that provides guaranteed broadband internet for enterprises with a capacity of 2.4 gbps. Since then, NOW Corp. has forged partnerships in Mega Manila with more than 200 building properties with a two-kilometer radius area coverage. According to Velarde, fixed wireless connectivity is the way to go not only here but worldwide. In fact, US companies such as Verizon, AT&T and even Google Fiber are pursuing wireless deployment, he noted. He explained that unlike traditional fixed broadband which requirescompanies to run cables to individual homes, offices, or buildings, fixed wireless uses radio waves to beam internet connectivity to multiple locations from a single site, thus allowing data delivery in a more cost-efficient way as well as faster end-user connection.
Fixed wireless
NOW Corp. has chosen to adopt fixed wireless as its initial mode of deployment in penetrating Mega Manila. Velarde stressed that Metro Manila is around 622 square kms and given the density of the area where electric poles and underground fiber optic are a logistical nightmare. Velarde said airwaves, which is being used by telcos to deliver broadband via wireless, belongs to Filipinos, and therefore, it is but right for everyone to benefit not just in terms of technological application but also in economic benefits. Thus, the company has opened its doors to business partners in terms of distributing the service to a certain area of territory. The business partnership is exclusive for five years with a revenue-sharing model that provides the partner with a healthy return on investment. The business partner will select the area, hire and manage sales people in order to sell the product, Turn to C3
Destinations D1
sunday, may 5, 2019
Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor
manilastandardlife@gmail.com
@manilastandardlife
@MStandardLIFE
Where to go, What to do:
phuket
Get up close with giraffes in South africa. (Photo from Wikimedia)
Win a trip to South africa, croatia
SEASCAPE. Phuket, Thailand is home to some of the world's pristine white sand beaches offering different kinds of adventures.
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NoWN for its world-class white sand beaches and colorful nightlife, Phuket, an island off the west coast of Thailand, is a favorite summer destination. There are three ways to fully Partygoers, meanwhile, can immerse in its beauty; Phuket choose from several beach offers a variety of great escapes clubs in the area. at Xana from sunrise to sundown. Beach Club on Bangtao Beach, the beach restaurant transChoose a beach forms into a hip club after Phuket is home to some of sundown where guests can Thailand’s most picture-perfect indulge in a selection of euroislands and beaches. Some are pean, Mediterranean, and Thai perfect for underwater adven- cuisines. The Paradise Beach tures, some for parties, and Club in Patong is also a mustIlluzion Club and Discotheque (Photo from phuket.com) some for sunbathing sessions. try since it’s the only place in The 300-meter-long strip of aerial performances. fine white sand in Freedom If a more relaxed ambiance Beach, for example, lets touris what they seek, the compact ists relish their solitude since and open-sided Kangaroo Bar, it has none of the usual parawhich spills to Soi Bangla, is a sailing, jet skis, and other wamust-try. Kangaroo Bar is a plus ter activities common in busifor those who have a fascination er beaches. Those who seek a for vintage and classic vibes, as diving adventure, the isolated it houses a collection of CDs Racha Noi is home to manta played by the appropriatelyrays, reef fish, whale sharks, Colorful Thai dessert bua loi and a warm bowl of boat noodles named DJ Song. (Photos from Thailand tourism/Facebook) and a ship wreck. Phuket where one can experience full moon parties.
Embark on nighttime adventures
Tourists can soak up the sun on Patong beach by day and enjoy the parties at the beach clubs at night.
While a beach party is the closest thing one can have to a nightlife adventure, wandering deeper into Phuket after sunset will lead to discoveries of more bars and clubs, which are plenty on Soi Bangla. at the heart of the nightlife entertainment area, explorers can find one of the most impressive night spots in Patong Beach: the Illuzion Club & Discotheque, where they can catch shows that range from DJ live performances to theatrical
mercury rising By BoB zozoBrado
I have always wondered what “savoy” really means ever since I worked for the hyatt Regency Manila along Roxas Boulevard (now the Midas hotel), which used to be the Savoy hotel and eventually closed down to give way to the hotel chain I worked for. This was around four decades ago. Now that Savoy hotel Manila opened, I finally decided to take a closer look at the word’s meaning. Initially, I was stunned to find out that the word meant a kind of cabbage, a wrinkly one at that, but digging deeper into its etymology, I found out that Savoy was the name of a noble family from a kingdom in the southeast France near the border of Italy. The name, after all, is associated with nobility and royalty. With this knowledge in mind, I was
Savoring Savoy Savoy hotel Manila’s spacious lobby can easily accommodate passengers of a cancelled flight, as the hotel is the favorite of airlines operating out of NaIa.
ready to discover the new Savoy hotel Manila, one of the new hotels that recently mushroomed in Newport City, and I hasten to add—this discovery was filled with pleasant surprises. First of all, with its 684 beautifully designed rooms, spread over 11
floors, with suites as big as 50 square meters, it is now the largest hotel in the country. Large enough for me to complete my targeted fitness regimen of 5,000 steps daily—when I did my ocular of the entire property in the pleasant company of the hotel’s
TRaveLeRS’ favorite companion, reloadable prepaid card PayMaya treats its users to curated travel experiences in South africa, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Iceland, and South Korea. For PayMaya Tara! raffle promo, users simply need to pay cashless using their card to get a chance to win a trip with three of their friends and fly to one of the aforementioned travel destinations with a photographer and videographer to document their trip. Winners of the raffle promo, which runs until May 31, can choose from a Safari adventure in South africa, a magical getaway in London and Scotland, a gastronomic feast in Italy, a journey to the land of ice and fire in Iceland and Croatia, or a full KPop experience in South Korea.
Taste Thai gastronomy
Phuket’s beaches are already home to some of the island’s well-known restaurants, but those who want a more unique gastronomic adventure must try dining at a floating restaurant. Floating restaurants, which can be found on the eastern coast of Phuket, let diners enjoy breathtaking seascape views while they feast on fresh fishermen’s catch that include huge oysters, crabs, and shrimps prepared in different decadent ways. Visit www.tourismthailand.org to know more about Phuket.
hardworking and efficient Concierge Manager, Charles Brown. This hotel really surprised me because I didn’t even know it was under construction in that corner of Newport City. It opened its doors to the public June of last year and its owner, Megaworld, has announced that this will be one of three Savoy properties in the country—one has already opened in Boracay and another one is now being built in LapuLapu City in Cebu. another interesting and unique feature Savoy hotel Manila has is its “The Squares,” found on every evennumbered floor. This is a lounge right outside the guest rooms, stretching along the entire length of the floor, where guests can entertain visitors and order some snacks in the Food and Beverage counter right next to it. hotel guests can also use this lounge for themselves, when they want to work or just watch Tv and don’t want the feeling of being cooped up in their rooms all the time. The hotel’s location is definitely a big plus for repeat travelers. It is right next to Runway Manila Bridge, an airconditioned walkway connecting to Turn to D2
Walk the streets of Westeros in Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Photo from Wikimedia)
To earn raffle entries to the promo, users must complete any the following actions: activate your virtual card; Link your physical PayMaya card to your PayMaya app; add money to your account; Upgrade your account and complete the upgrade / KnowYour-Customer process; Pay bills in full and on time; Send money to another PayMaya user with a minimum amount of P10 via the PayMaya app or PayMaya in Messenger; Shop online and in-store using your virtual card in the PayMaya app or your physical PayMaya-issued card with a minimum spend of P300; Purchase prepaid load, gaming pins, or cable Tv prepaid credits found in the in-app shop or PayMaya in Messenger; Scan-to-pay via PayMaya QR with a minimum spend of P100. “Travel is among the top use cases of the PayMaya card, and we’ve noticed this trend ever since we launched the product about four years ago. This is why we have designed the travel experience around the PayMaya card so that it provides not just the best deals but also the most hassle-free transactions for our customers, whether they’re traveling here or abroad,” said Kenneth Palacios, director and head of wallets business at PayMaya Philippines.
PayMaya Philippines director and head of growth and marketing Raymund villanueva and director and head of wallets business Kenneth Palacios
Destinations
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SUND SUNDaY, MaY 5, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com
the Women in philippine touriSm The Department of Tourism illustrates the Philippine life in all its colors, distinctly local flavors, drama, and wonder.
By Diana B. Noche
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eRNaDeTTe RomuloPuyat, the current big enchilada at the Department of Tourism, shows a unique steadfastness to the pursuit of the long-range goals of her office. “It was when I reached out to these grassroots communities all over the country that I realized how I have the power to change hundreds of women’s lives by creating government policies that protect them and programs that capacitate them,” she said. Philippine tourism, with an emphasis on preserving the country’s remarkable heritage as well as on staving off the decline of our biodiversity thru careless kitsch and crass commercialism, got a fresh shunt recently. The one-day blitz at the Philippine International Convention in Pasay City, “Jobs and Women in the Philippine Tourism Industry” aims to make an extraordinary push for Filipino women to create an impact on our tourism industry. The forum had zero to do with the more debatable man/woman divide. It was primarily conceived as a way for women to show and lend their talents so they can rise above the old stereotyping within the pigeonhole. Filipino women are a formidable force. Their let’s-try-anything spirit is the waterfall of abilities to move themselves and those around them forward, to slash their way to progress, and to expand that influence to more possibilities. The DoT acknowledges that influence. It knows that the Philippines has the potential to be a world tourism destination. The 7,641 islands have a lot of sand to cover and the DoT needs a lot of hands from everyone to not miss a grain of it. It’s going to be a no picnic task. of vital interest to the DoT vision for women is in increasing employment in management and non-traditional occupations (a woman com-
FORMIDABLE FORCE. The Jobs and Women in the Philippine Tourism Industry forum showcases the female forces who flourish and create impact on the country's tourism arena.
mercial pilot, for example), increasing womenowned or -operated tourism-related enterprises, providing greater access to credit, training, product development, and wider markets, and in eliminating human trafficking and prostitution by discouraging the portrayal of women in a provocative and unrealistic come-ons in advertising campaigns and materials. Difficult, yes. Impossible, of course not. Try asking that to a Pinay. Romulo-Puyat is a cultural warrior and fortunately we are at a time when things for tourism are looking good. Two happy notes: In 2018, 7.1 million tourists had more fun in the Philippines, and, in this part of asia, more than half of all tourism enterprises in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand are run by women. The big picture here is for the DoT, with women as supporting instrumentalists for tourism boost, to promote the concept of a total form of bio-exhibitory, illustrating Philippine life in all its colors, distinctly local flavors, drama, wonder, and their interconnectedness. our country is
a storied land. every island is rich in nifty features distinct from each, where legends abound speaking thoroughly of an era now past. Such legends are now cultural vestiges, historic evidence of our ancestors’ spirit that forms the country’s ethnic mosaic. Travel, definitely, is a gift to memory. The experiences are pleasureful, but what we truly embrace are the memories that we carry and bring home. These memories keep us in going back to the same place, and ultimately, we venture to other destinations to relive them. Yapak, a multi-dimensional feather in the DoT’s bandana, urges us to pack our bags and create some memories. Its circle of travel immersions—arts and culture, business opportunities, health and wellness, knowledge exchange, eco-tourism, farm tourism, people and history, medical tourism, religious pilgrimages, retirement villages, culinary tourism—should be enough ground bait to lure us into discovering more of the Philippines’ mystery of “true identity” and innate beauty without smothering
feel relaxed once he/she gets inside any of them. I had the Runway Suite which, of course, overlooks the NaIa runway. It is functionally designed so NaIa’s Terminal 3, making it very easy for hotel guests that, working on my laptop on the study table facto be on time for their flights without having to tackle ing the wall made it easy for me to focus on what I was doing, as such layout prevented me from bethe metro’s traffic woes. Cebu Pacific passengers may even check-in for their ing distracted. The panoramic window is beside the living area and flight at the Travelers Lounge in the nearby Newport the bed, giving me a choice of whether to watch Tv Mall, which can easily be reached by hotel guests or gaze at the calming view of through the continuously availairplanes taxiing in and out of able air-conditioned shuttle. the airport tarmac on their way and, more importantly, the yoUr weekend from/to the runway. service I got from the Rooms DiCHUCkLe all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed vision staff and from the Food my weekend and the pleasand Beverage team was exemI was at a wedding reception ant surprises I had at the hotel, plary, not only because a lot of when the DJ announced, “all the thanks to Rey Fabricante, Sathem were my former students. married men out there, go and voy’s area director of operations, even with those that were not, stand by the person who makes who made sure my weekend I could easily feel their sincerity your life worth living.” The barwould be well spent. With such in doing what they can to give tender was crushed to death! flawless service and impressive me a comfortably enjoyable facilities, no wonder the hotel stay and a most memorable exwon last year’s Tripzilla award perience, be it in the lobby, or in the restaurant, or even in the shuttle service. I’m for Best New hotel In The Philippines. I’m glad I had happy to say that this hotel’s brand of Filipino hospi- the wonderful opportunity to savor Savoy hotel Manila. am planning my next staycation there soon. tality is impeccable! Lest I forget, their guest rooms are so well deFor feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com. signed that any weary traveler would immediately
its precious history. Dianne Zoleta is the brains and prodding stiletto of Yapak’s ideas and results, helping percolate DoT’s latest salvo with Filipino women as capable influencers. Zoleta is in good company: DoT’s Bernadette Romulo-Puyat; Sandra Sanchez Montana, commissioner of Philippine Commission on Women; Chezka Gonzalez Garrido, airasia pilot; Maria Iturralde hamlin, founder of Team asia MICe; Gina Romero, chief executive officer of Connected Women; and Mylene abiva of the Philippine Robotics olympiad. The human quest for beauty never ends. The Philippines, happily, does not run out of popular and yet to be discovered places that slow down time’s passing and offer these tourist destinations to those who seek an alternative lifestyle. People who are on a quest for the unspoiled, away from the mainstream, the smell of sewage floating in the air, and hellacious urban traffic jams will find a second home in the Philippines. Photos by Diana B. Noche
Savoring... from d1
Relaxing in the living area of my bedroom, the panoramic window of which offers a calming view of the NaIa runway.
Entertainment
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019
D3
Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com
EDWARD AND GRAE
PLAY RIVALS IN NEWEST FANTASY SERIES
Siblings Ranz Kyle and Niana Guerrero are among the top YouTube stars who will headline this year’s YouTube FanFest.
YOUTUBE FANFEST
BACK IN MANILA
The lead cast of ABS-CBN’s newest fantasy series, ‘Hiwaga ng Kambat,’ (from left) Edward Barber, Maymay Entrata, Chantal Videla, and Grae Fernandez.
T
EEN stars Edward Barber and Grae Fernandez bring to life the magical story of twins whose lives are separated by a curse and are destined to be mortal enemies in the newest fantasy series Hiwaga ng Kambat, which airs Sunday nights on ABS-CBN. Twins Iking (Edward) and Mateo (Grae) have always been polar opposites. Iking was born with features that resemble a bat, while Mateo grows up to be conceited because of his good looks and luxurious lifestyle. Their contrasting personalities will make them bitter rivals, as Mateo constantly humiliates Iking in front of everyone at school for his distinct qualities. But their worlds will slowly collide as they discover secrets from the past that will change the course of their lives. “Everybody works doubly hard on the set. You may see them tired after a long day but everything’s worth it just to make our Kapamilyas happy,” shared Edward during a press conference held on Tuesday. “Everybody is easy to work with and I found a few things similar among us, the main cast, that’s why it’s just a happy set even though we work really hard,” Grae said. The series was an instant hit as the show’s pilot episode last April 21 recorded a national TV rating of 24.4 percent, compared to Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko (12.1 percent), according to data from Kantar Media. The Kapamily fantaserye once again won its timeslot last Sunday (April 28) with 22.7 percent, compared to its rival show (14 percent). Viewers are in for more surprises in tonight’s episode as Mateo and Iking face each other in an arnis battle. Despite having poor eyesight, Iking will impress Mateo with his abilities, urging the latter to ask for a rematch. But before their fight ends, Iking will run away to make sure his enemy will not see his transformation into a human bat. Joining Edward and Grae in the cast are Maymay Entrata and Chantal Videla with Sunshine Cruz, Epi Quizon, Malou de Guzman, Rubi Rubi, and Manuel Chua completing the support cast. The series is directed by Onat Diaz.
YOUTUBE is bringing back its biggest stars from around the world back to Manila to stage exciting live shows on May 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena. This year’s stellar lineup features a mix of talented international creators: Alex Wassabi and Matt Steffanina, and local sensations Ranz Kyle and Niana Guerrero, Hannah Kathleen, JaMill, ThatsBella, Rei Germar, Ken San Jose, Brains techKnowlogy, Andrea Brillantes, Pamela Swing, AC Bonifacio, and Hype Streetball. These YouTube stars are set to take the stage at Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, for a night filled with music, dance, and lots of fun. YouTube is also bringing international and local mom creators to join the festivities of this year’s FanFest. The YouTube FanFest Moms Edition is happening on May 16 and May 17 at the Mall of Asia Musical Hall, and features exhibitions and workshops, as well as on stage interviews, performances and featured presentations. FanFest is keeping its tradition of letting fans get up close and personal with their internet favorites, and also experience the daily life of a YouTube star from creating to uploading YouTube videos in themed booths and studios during the festivities. The Filipino YouTube community is getting bigger and more exciting. Today, the Philippines has over 750 channels that reached 100K subscribers, and more than 60 channels with 1M+ subscribers. That is a jump from just 300 channels with 100K subscribers and 19 channels with 1M+ subscribers last year. “We’re thrilled to bring YouTube FanFest back to the Philippines! What started with a simple tweet from the YouTube community in 2015 has turned into a movement. It’s amazing to see generations of local Filipino talent shine onstage alongside international creators. The energy, enthusiasm, and excitement here is unbelievable, and it’s the reason why we love coming to the Philippines,” said Marc Lefkowitz, Head of Creator & Artist Development, YouTube. APAC. Now on its fifth year in town, YouTube FanFest, co-presented by Globe Telecom and P&G, is the biggest gathering of the most creative and well-loved YouTube stars from the Philippines and around the world for an exclusive live show and exciting meet-up with their fans #IRL. Tickets are available via SMTickets. YouTube creators will also be giving away their own tickets to the show and meet & greet sessions via their social media channels. For more details, visit www.youtubefanfest.com/ event/2019-ph.
‘AVENGERS: ENDGAME’ MOST TWEETED-ABOUT MOVIE EVER AFTER 11 years and 22 Marvel movies, Avengers: Endgame marks the end of an era. Since its release, fans all around the world have been turning to Twitter to talk about #AvengersEndgame. In addition to setting records at the box office, Avengers: Endgame also became the mostTweeted about movie ever on Twitter with more than 50 million Tweets since the start of the year, of which nearly half came during the past week. Fans show their love for the Avengers and the impact the movie has on pop culture around the world. While #Thanos was most discussed as the big baddie in the movie, the big surprise is #Thor beating out #IronMan - must have been something to do with his “new” look in Avengers: Endgame. It’s clear that the Americans and Brazilians share a passion for talking about the Avengers on Twitter, while the movie was wildly Tweeted-about
in Asia Pacific as 5 of the top 10 markets come from that region. The Philippines, ranked third among the top countries that tweeted about the blockbuster movie. It was followed by Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and the UK. Avengers:Endgame concludes the Marvel Cinematic Universe’ Infinity Saga storyline, and the Marvel fandom have been flocking to Twitter to express their love and appreciation with the #ThankYouAvengers hashtag. Meanwhile, the cast and directors of the movie mounted a #DontSpoilTheEndgame campaign urging all fans to give one another a chance to have the same emotional experience when watching the move for the first time. The hashtag #DontSpoilTheEndgame has since trended globally, with fans (mostly) abiding by the rules and keeping their silence. Dedicated fans who have yet to catch the movie have gone to great lengths to remind others to stay spoiler-free.
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sunday, may 5, 2019
Desiree Carlos, Editor
daycarlos28@yahoo.com
Pets
LeaFy greens
D
ogs and cats benefit from leafy green vegetables as these are packed with nutrients that fight celluar aging. Leafy greens also help pets in the proper digestion of food and elimination of waste. “Don’t scold your dog or cat for nibbling your house plants—she’s telling you something!, “ said Juniper Russo in “ Leafy greens for dogs and cats in Animal Wellness site. Russo stressed: “Many animals are deficient in the nutrients found in leafy greens. Meat should be the primary component of a carnivore’s diet, of course, but a diet containing no plant matter is a fast ticket to nutritional disaster. A dog or cat that eats no green foods is more likely to experience digestive disorders, trace mineral deficiencies and even some forms of cancer. An animal that eats a diet rich in greens is likely to have a long and healthy life.”
Make your dog or cat More heaLthy
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.
Benefits for dogs and cats
The benefit of leafy greens, but these benefits vary for each specie. • Dogs are omnivores. It is good that they can fully digest both plant food and animal products. “They benefit from the antioxidants found in green vegetables, which can help fight cellular aging, “ Russo said. “Dogs efficiently process plantbased nutrients; for example, they readily convert beta carotene into vitamin A, “ she added. While greens make a dog more healthy, Russo noted that “this critical component of canine nutrition is neglected by many mainstream veterinarians and commercial food manufacturers.” • Cats, on the other hand, do not have the enzymes needed for digesting plant-based food. “salad greens placed in a bowl may look remarkably the same when they appear in the litter box. Does this mean cats can’t benefit from greens? Not at all!” said Russo. Cats still need green leafy vegetables to remove waste and detoxify the colon. “Leafy vegetables can also help a cat expel hairballs, either by pushing them into the digestive tract or enabling vomiting. A cat that uses greens to induce vomiting shouldn’t be stopped; occasional vomiting is perfectly normal and healthy, “ Russo said.
Why dogs and cats eat grass
Pets do eat grass and weeds and this helpful to them. “Under ideal circumstances, grassy lawns can help them meet their nutritional needs. Dandelion greens are packed with nutritious compounds that detoxify the liver and urinary tract, while common lawn grasses like st. Augustine offer fiber and trace minerals, “ Russo said. But outdoor plants contaminated
Malunggay is ThE most natural multivitamin. Malunggay leaves contain important vitamins that will keep your pet healthy. You do not even have to buy malunggay leaves as most neighbors have a tree or it can be harvested in one's backyard or even a pot. Just plant a branch in a big pot and watch it grow. To give to your pet, remove the leaves from the branches, then steam or put in cooked meat as the broth or hot soup water will already cook it. It is also good to put it in the blender before giving to your pet.
Louise, 10, loves Romaine lettuce served raw. This leafy green vegetable cleanses the liver while providing nutrients that make a pet more healthy. To hydrate Louise and other dogs during these very hot summer days, any kind of lettuce provide the water they need and will cool their bodies.
with pesticides, fertilizers and automobile pollution will harm your pet. “organic indoor grown grass is a healthy alternative for the animal with an urge to graze, “Russo said. There are pet supply stores that sell sprouted alfalfa, wheat and rye---or you can plant these plants yourself--as they are easier for animals to digest than standard lawn grass varieties. “These indoor grasses stay alive and fresh year round, and are especially helpful for animals that nibble house plants. Many cats will also enjoy snacking on indoor grown catnip, which tastes delicious even to kitties that do not respond to its psychoactive compounds, “ Russo said.
onstrated that leafy vegetables can even prevent cancers of the digestive tract. Considering the cancer epidemic among companion animals, this should not be overlooked or underestimated, “ Russo said. “Raw foods contain the highest concentration of live enzymes, which perform essential functions for the plant. Many advocates of raw feeding believe that raw vegetables enable animals to derive more nutrition from plant based foods. Additionally, the proteolytic enzymes found in some leafy greens are anti-inflammatory, and may ease painful conditions like arthritis, “ Russo said.
Good for digestive boost
Most active enzymes in leafy greens are lost when cooked. A few vitamins and minerals are also lost during cooking. Thus, Russo recommended that an owner strive to serve fresh raw food to his/her pet whenever possible. “However, cooked greens are still very nutritious. If your companion will only accept cooked greens, try steaming rather than
Animals with digestive disorders do benefit from leafy green vegetables. “Fibrous greens like kale and chard help prevent constipation, fecal impactions and spastic colon,” said Russo. “Fiber also helps prevent the buildup of gas and waste in the colon. Human studies have dem-
How to give leafy greens to your pet
boiling them. steaming leaves (keep) more of the nutrients intact, “ Russo stressed. Dark leafy vegetables are more nutritious than light-colored ones, said Russo. “In general, dark green vegetables have a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals. For example, Romaine lettuce has about ten times the beta carotene and five times the vitamin C of iceberg lettuce,” Russo said. In the Philippines, pechay Tagalog is a more healthy and less expensive alternative to Baguio pechay. You can cut them into small pieces or put them in a blender raw or after steaming, then add to the meat broth. “Leafy greens, either raw or cooked, can be chopped, minced or pureed and added to your companion’s regular food. start with small amounts and monitor his response—too much all at once might cause diarrhea, especially if he’s not used to eating vegetables. Adding leafy vegetables to your dog or cat’s diet even just a few times a week will do a lot to enhance his overall health, “ Russo said. DC
The Pack Walk ProjecT: on-The-sPoT dog Training in Malabon Today pet tales
By desiree carlos LEsTRE Zapanta, the Pinoy Dog Whisperer, will help owners of dogs with behavioral problems today at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fishermall in Malabon. Lestre Zapanta will share his expertise on dog behavior, responsible pet ownership, and dog training. Entrance and training on this day is free. “Please do not be embarrassed to bring your dogs with behavior problems to the event. If your dog is aggressive, please put a muzzle and approach my team and they will assist you. I will train you how to handle your dog and your dog within the day, “ Zapanta said. Zapanta has recently filmed a TV show Millan who described Zapanta as having “first class” and “masterful” dog training skills. This summer, The Pack Walk project started by Zapanta will be a mall tour that focuses on rabies prevention and dog training as part of responsible pet ownership.
Lestre with dogs Lucas (grey) and summer (white ) who he trained years ago and their owner Tani Benedito (far left).
Last April14, during the first part of the Pack Walk Project, Zapanta helped who used to attack another dog during walks, a dog who refused to have his nails cut, a dog who was unruly in public places, among others. In today’s event, there were be seminars/talks on animal care by canine health and behavior experts, related government agencies, animal welfare advocates, and other special guests; a
Admins of save ALL Inc., an animal welfare group that has rescued 425 dogs and cats in five years, joined the event to raise awareness about the plight of animals on the streets, pounds and in the homes of irresponsible owners. From left (standing) are Alred Pasetes, DC, Cynthia Barcial santos, Katherine Lomboy and Joanne Zamora. seated is Maricel Mondejar.
pet parade and fashion show; and lots of raffle games and contests. There will also be a pet bazaar throughout the day. The MMDA K9 Corps, The Manila Pack, Pawfect Plate, Dr. Clauder’s, Miyoko Pet products, Francis M Clothing Company, The Gabay Gang, Achilles Radial, Top Café, save Animals of Love and light (save ALL), Asian Kennel Club Union of the Philippines, Chi-
huahua Club of the Philippines, Pawsome Pals, DJI authorized retail store, Aromapet grooming and hotel will join and support today’s event. The highlight of the whole-day event will be the training and demo of Zapanta where he will tame unruly dogs on the spot. The registration and training are free. But please bring the vaccination card of your pet.
ChEDDAR is one of the cats that Janelle Manalang rescued in February last year. Janelle decided to keep Cheddar. He had just been born when she found him on the busy Quirino avenue. seeing the poor kitten, Janelle immediately got him and took care of him. “having Cheddar for a year, I saw him grow healthy and become so beautiful. The thing I love about this crazy fellah is when he howls like a wolf! “ Janelle says. Janelle adds: “Cheddar is very playful, sweet and gentle.” “I love Cheddar equally with all my cats with breed because for me, breed does not matter if you are truly a pet lover, “ says Janelle.
ChEsKA was so tiny and about 2-3 days old when harold Calapis saw her on the street. “Being a cat lover, I just couldn't leave her there and just die. I brought her home to foster. My mama cat who fed her milk,” Harold recalls. “As Cheska grew, I saw how beautiful and healthy she became with proper care, “ he adds. Harodl adds: “she is very shy compared to all the cats I have. she never plays with other cats but has a favorite playmate, foster mama cat named Miming. she enjoys playing around with her.” “Cheska is very quiet and very feminine. she has beautiful big round eyes which I really love about her. she is very sweet, kind and easy to cuddle with, “Harold says. (Correction: In last week’s story on Tiger, the owner’s name is CELESTE GRUEZO, not Celeste Gruezp. We are sorry for the typographical error.- editor) 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.