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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 94 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COMELEC: WINNERS' PROCLAMATION RESET

Rita Daniela

FUN TRIP WITH STRANGERS IN 'SUMMER SQUAD GOALS'

NARCO-POLS FAR FROM BEING CLEARED By Maricel V. Cruz AT LEAST 25 local officials on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s drug list who won in the elections could no longer invoke the doctrine of condonation should they be charged by the PDEA for drug-related offenses. The local officials won although their names were made known by President Rodrigo Duterte and anti-illegal drugs authorities. The doctrine of condonation had been used by hundreds of elective officials who were charged in court but who won elections while their cases were pending resolution. Thus, the politicians on the narco-list can no longer invoke the doctrine of condonation to have charges that may be filed against them dropped. The election victory of 25 of the 46 politicians implicated in the drug trade Turn to A2

DOLE MULLS OVER RECALL OF ATTACHÉS

By Vito Barcelo

MUSEUM DAY. A young man is lost in thoughts while looking Saturday at the Spoliarium,

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

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DFA WARNS VS. ILLEGAL RECRUITERS

3 OFWS HOSTAGED IN LIBYA FREED By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has warned the public unscrupulous individuals who are operating a recruitment network in Pampanga and Pasay City in the Philippines, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Erbil in Iraq who are offering vacancies abroad for household service workers. The DFA issued the warning after eight more trafficking victims are secured by the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad last month. According to the official statements gathered by the DFA from trafficking victims from July 2018 to March 2019, the recruiters will usually offer jobs in Dubai, Turkey or European cities, promising applicants that their visas to these cities will be available during their transit in Iraq. Earlier this year, a trafficking victim detained at Basra Prison was finally released for deportation but only after three months of detention for visa violations. She came to Iraq using a Kurdistan visit visa which was not valid for her stay in Basra. Filipinos who are residing, working, or vacationing in Iraq are advised to take note that their Kurdistan visas will not be valid in Baghdad, Basra or other provinces in Iraq outside of the Kurdistan provinces of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah. Filipinos who encounter job offers abroad especially vacancies for household service workers are reminded of the early warning signs of fraud namely: applicants are not provided copies of their visas to the intended destination; vague information regarding the nature and conditions of the work offered by the recruitment agency; applicants are not in control of their own identification documents such as IDs or passport, and are advised to claim to authorities that he or she is just a tourist visiting a particular city; the agency has no permanent address, and their agents do not reveal their full names and contact details; and applicants are told there is no Philippine Embassy in Iraq and they must coordinate with particular individuals in case of emergencies.

HREE Filipino civil engineers who have been freed on Friday following months of captivity in Libya have finally returned home.

RAISE BUYING PRICE FOR PALAY, NFA TOLD By Maricel V. Cruz A MILITANT legislator on Saturday urged the National Food Authority to raise its buying price for palay to P20 per kilo from the present P18 in drought-stricken areas. “We call on the government to control the farmgate price of palay in calamity areas, to protect the farmers from profiteering and exploitation of traders,” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao said. Casilao said the extended dry spell has resulted in the destruction of at least P8 billion worth of crops.

He lamented that farmers have suffered enough from the impact of the dry spell and underpricing by private traders of palay harvests on calamity areas. “The government has reported dwindling farmgate price across the country falling as P18.87 per kilo this April, from P20.55 last year. Farmers reported depressed farmgate prices such as in Nueva Ecija P13 to P14 per kilo, Isabela at P16, Laguna at P14 to 15, and South Cotabato at P14 per kilo,” Casilao said. Forty-three local government units have already declared a state

of calamity because of the dry spell. “The government should also enforce control of the retail price of rice in calamity-stricken areas, to ease the impact of the loss of livelihood of farmers and other sectors relying on agriculture,” Casilao added. He said the retail price of rice should be at most P38 per kilo if based on the average farmgate price. “Why are we finding rice being sold at P40 and higher? Palay prices are already falling down, on top of the impact of the drought, and the government has yet to decisively act on the prices,” he said.

The freed hostages, whose n a m es we re w i t h h e l d by t h e Department of Foreign Affairs, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Saturday morning on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR-0659. Manila International Airport Authority chief information officer Connie Bungag said the three were accompanied by Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hjayceelyn Quintana when they arrived at the airport. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. welcomed the three engineers at the airport. “We are glad that we are able to bring them home alive and safe to their families. These Filipinos coming home to their families are living proof that the Department of Foreign Affairs will never leave a Filipino in danger behind,” he said. Locsin also thanked the United Arab Emirates and other countries for their “intensive efforts” that resulted in the release of the three Filipinos who were held hostage along with a South Korean colleague in July 2018. The DFA, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, shouldered their airline tickets to Manila and provided them with cash assistance. The United Arab Emirates worked closely with the self-styled Libyan National Army led by commander Khalifa Hifter for the release of the four hostages. The four are civilian engineers who were working at a desalinization plant in Libya. The three Filipino engineers and their South Korean colleague were taken by armed men from the project site of the Great Man-Made River Project in the southern part of Libya on July 6, 2018. The four were initially airlifted to Abu Dhabi before being taken to their home countries.

CONGRESS WANTS NATIONAL BOAT THE House of Representatives wants the balangay, otherwise known as the Butuan Boat, to be declared as the national boat of the Philippines. House Bill No. 7070, authored by Reps. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun of Agusan del Norte and Ramon Durano IV of Cebu, has been approved on third and final reading. “The balangay, otherwise known as the Butuan Boat including all similar boats that may be discovered later elsewhere in the country, is hereby declared as the National Boat of the Philippines,” the bill stated. Fortun, vice chairman of the House committee on ecology, said the balangay was the first-ever wooden watercraft to be excavated in Southeast Asia, demonstrating early Fili-

pino boar-building genius and seamanship expertise during the pre-colonial times. He said the Butuan Boat, found only in the Philippines where a flotilla of such ancient boats exists, was used by Filipino ancestors to maintain trade relations with neighboring islands around the country and empire around Southeast Asia. This extensive use of the balangay for trade confirms that Filipino ancestors were actively involved in the robust commercial activities in Asia as early as the 10th and 11th centuries, he added Fortun said the balangay, from which the word barangay is derived, is a symbol of the Filipino community’s character of unity, cooperation, determination and resilience. Maricel V. Cruz

File photo shows a traditional Philippine wooden boat known as ‘balangay’ setting sail from Manila to China on April 28, 2018. AFP

MISSION TO MARS NEXT —TRUMP

WASHINGTON—On Dec. 11, 2017, US President Donald Trump signed a directive ordering NASA to prepare to return astronauts to the Moon “followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.” The dates fixed by the space agency are 2024 for the Moon and Mars in 2033, but according to experts and industry insiders, reaching the Red Planet by then is highly improbable barring a Herculean effort on the scale of the Apollo program in the 1960s. “The Moon is the proving ground for our eventual mission to Mars,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a conference this week. “The Moon is our path to get to Mars in the fastest, safest way possible. That’s why we go to the Moon.” According to Robert Howard, who heads up the lab developing future space habitats at the legendary Johnson Space Center in Houston, the hurdles aren’t so much technical or scientific as much as a question of budget and political will. “A lot of people want us to have an Apollo moment, and have a president stand up like Kennedy and say, we’ve got to do it and the entire country comes together,” he said. AFP

ECO-FRIENDLY SCHOOL CLEANUP PUSHED

‘YOSI KADIRI’ IS BACK. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (2nd from left) and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (2nd from right) do the ‘fist pose’ with the ‘Yosi Kadiri’ mascot in a joint press conference on sin tax at the Department of Finance office in Manila on May 17. PNA

ENVIRONMENTALIST group Eco- waste Coalition on Saturday urged participants in the Brigada Eskwela program to ensure the school cleanup, repair and renovation activities are done in an eco-friendly manner. Brigada Eskwela is an annual weeklong school maintenance activity initiated by the Department of Education to help ensure that public elementary and high schools nationwide will be ready in time for the school opening. Teachers, parents, pupils, civic groups, volunteer and even police and military personnel picked up brooms, paint brushes, washed walls and started cleaning the surroundings and classrooms in public schools nationwide. “We laud the yearly conduct of the DepEd-led Brigada Eskwela, which is an excellent expression of the timeless Filipino bayanihan spirit,” said Ecowaste

done in oil on canvas (4.22 m × 7.675 m) by Juan Luna of Badoc, Ilocos Norte. The painting, done in 1884, has bloody carcasses of slave gladiators being dragged away from the arena where they had entertained their Roman oppressors with their lives... stripped to satisfy the lewd contempt of their Roman persecutors with their honor....” This is among highlights of the 11th anniversary of the National Museum which coincides with International Museum Day, with officials saying more than a million have visited the museum since it opened to the public on May 18 last year. Norman Cruz

chemical safety campaignerThony Dizon. “As stakeholders partake in this outstanding voluntary effort, we urge them to avoid practices that tend to generate more trash and pollution such as mixed waste disposal, open burning and dumping, and the use of leaded paints and hazardous cleaning agents,” he added. The group also asked winning and losing candidates to “quietly” help in the program as a way of thanking the public for their support in the recently concluded midterm polls. “In lieu of post-election ‘thank you’ tarpaulins, we invite well-meaning politicians to join, without fanfare, school cleanup activities or donate Brigada Eskwela essentials such as brooms and broomsticks, dust pans, rags, soaps, buckets, non-mercury LED lamps, and lead-safe paints,” Dizon said.

The group offered the following eco-tips for the cleanup, which are also in line with government policies and regulations. • Observe the proper segregation of discards at source to facilitate their recycling or composting, and to minimize the volume of garbage for disposal; • Do not set trash on fire to prevent the generation of environmental pollutants such as fine particles, heavy metals and dioxins; • Compost biodegradable discards such as yard trimmings to produce natural fertilizer or soil enhancer for the school garden; • Clean up the school’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), also known as Ecology Center, including the containers or segregators for properlylabeled recyclable and compostable discards. Joel E. Zurbano

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III is considering the possibility of withdrawing Philippine labor attachés in Canada due to an escalating row over the tons of garbage dumped in the Philippines. The Labor secretary, who made the threat over a radio interview, however, said he was still studying the recall of labor attaches, if the relationship with Canada would not improve. “This is not just the issue over trash but the connection to the dignity of our country,” he said. “If it’s just trash, why doesn’t Canada just take it back? First of all, bringing the trash here is wrong. We are not a garbage dump. That’s not right.,” Bello said. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin earlier ordered the recall of diplomats in Canada after the said country missed the May 15 deadline to retrieve the waste. Turn to A2

By Vito Barcelo

HE Commission on Elections on Saturday said the proclamation of senatorial winners initially planned for today would not push through.

Frances Arabe, director of the COMELEC’s education and information department, made the announcement in a press conference where she said canvassing had yet to be completed, with 17 certificates of canvass still remaining. The remaining COCs are from Lanao del Sur; Isabela; Zamboanga del Norte; Zamboanga del Sur; Washington, DC; Japan; Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Oslo; Abuja, Nigeria; Nairobi; and Tehran. The NBOC has so far canvassed 149 out of 167 certificates. “The scheduled announcement made yesterday will not facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

push through [on Sunday]. We are not ready to proclaim yet so the schedule will be announced [later]. Depends if we will be able to finish all the COCs tomorrow,” she said. She added the Comelec had coordinated with the candidates leading the senatorial race. As of Friday night, senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe topped the COMELEC’s partial and official tally with 23,610,580 and 20,711,849 votes, respectively. Meanwhile, various militant group, led by Sanlakas and Partido Lakas ng Masa senatorial Turn to A2 manilastandard.net

FROM THE VATICAN. The secretariat presents the ballot box with its contents from Vatican City to the National Board of Canvassers. The canvassing of votes for senators and party-list groups is continuing, with COMELEC officials saying proclamation may happen between Sunday and Tuesday. Norman Cruz

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PALACE BERATES PCSO EXEC OVER GRAFT YARN By Vito Barcelo PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam is free to resign anytime from her post if she could no longer stomach the alleged corruption practices in the agency, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Cam, who hogged the limelight by exposing alleged operators of banned lottery across the country in 2005, has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to be relieved of her duties since she could no longer stand the alleged corruption at the PCSO. In a statement, Panelo said she could resign anytime and should file a formal complaint so the President could order a thorough investigation. Cam, the former president of the Philippine Whistleblower Association of the Philippines who was appointed by Duterte in 2017, renewed her allegations of the problematic small town lotteries led by either retired police or military generals. The PCSO board member said she was already fed up with the corruption issues hounding the agency. The Palace spokesperson advised Cam to file charges against the corrupt PCSO officials and substantiate her “serious” allegations about the supposed irregularities in the internal decision-making process of the agency. “We asked her to formally submit in writing her complaint to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, which is directly under the Office of the President so that it would be acted on accordingly,” the Palace official said. Panelo said “President Rodrigo Duterte is beholden to no one.” “He will not spare even his close friends and long-time allies in his drive to weed out corruption in the bureaucracy. We repeat: There are no sacred cows in this administration,” he said. “We thus urge the likes of Ms. Cam to come forward and expose government shenanigans and malfeasance if she knows any,” he added. Panelo assured Cam and other whistleblowers that “they have PRRD’s ears in this regard.”

NARCO-POLS...

From A1

must not stop government from pursuing their immediate ouster if evidence warrants, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said. Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, made the statement as he urged law enforcement agencies to file charges against all of those in the list. Barbers’s call was supported by Reps. Bernadette Herrera Dy of Bagong Henerasyon, Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental, Winston Castelo of Quezon City and Ruffy Biazon of Muntinlupa. “If the government is serious about it, then it’s best to file charges in court. That way the accused will be given a fair chance to defend himself or herself,” added Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong of Negros Oriental. Those on the so-called narco-list who won include Oroquieta City Mayor Jason Paredes Almonte and Zambales Rep. Jeffrey Khonghun and his son, Subic Mayor Jefferson Khonghun— among those linked by Duterte to illegal narcotics. “The government should file charges already especially if the evidence at hand is overwhelming. If proven guilty, then they should suffer the punishment due them,” said Barbers, whose reelection victory saved his team from being “wiped out” in Surigao del Norte. Herrera-Dy, on the other hand, said winning narco-list politicians should be stopped from “retaining their position and from using their position of power” if they are indeed involved in illegal drug trade. Benitez and Biazon said sufficient evidence was basic in filing charges in court, adding that if government had this in their hands, then cases should be filed soonest. Castelo said the PDEA and the Philippine National Police were under obligation to file criminal complaints. “The DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] also must level charges against these people and file administrative cases as basis for suspension if evidence warrants,” said Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.

EXTRA PAY FOR TEACHERS, POLL WORKERS SOUGHT

ACOLOD CITY—Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has pushed for additional pay for poll workers from local government units as well as teachers who rendered overtime during the May 13 midterm polls. “We should issue a resolution encouraging or endorsing to the LGUs to pay overtime those who served in the elections,”Guanzon said in an interview with reporters here Friday afternoon— with the COMELEC still to tackle the appeal for additiinal payment. “Again, like all petitions that have to be discussed by the en banc, so I can’t give you any answer,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview Saturday. Jimenez was reacting to the appeal of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, an organization of teachers, academic non-teaching personnel and non-academic non-teaching personnel, for additional compensation for teachers who served as Board of Election Inspectors beyond the voting period last Monday. Guanzon was in the city to witness

the proclamation of her elder brother, Sixto Guanzon, who was elected board member of the second district of Negros Occidental. The Guanzons hail from Cadiz City, where the COMELEC commissioner once served as mayor. At the same time, the Comelec has yet to tackle the appeal for additional payment for teachers who served overtime during the conduct of the May 13 midterm polls. Guanzon said employees of LGUs, such as social workers, day care workers, health workers, and staff of the treasurer’s office who worked beyond Monday’s elections, should receive additional pay. Guanzon also said there was a proposal from one of her colleagues that teachers who rendered overtime should also be given added compen-

sation. “I think it will pass. I will support that [resolution],” she said. She noted that as of Friday, some teachers were still manning certain precincts where the SD [secure digital] cards have not yet been completely reconfigured. Negros Occidental Provincial Election supervisor Salud Milagros Villanueva said that under normal conditions, the canvassing of votes in clustered precincts should have been finished by the Electoral Boards by Monday evening or Tuesday morning. However, cases of defective SD cards have delayed the canvassing for two to three days in some 30 clustered precincts in the province. Villanueva also said ComelecNegros Occidental has already begun releasing the honorarium of the EBs and other school personnel who rendered election duties. The chairman of the EB receives P6,000 while the poll clerk and the third member are given P5,000 each as stated in the Election Service Reform Act.

The Department of Education Supervising Officer gets P4,000 and the DESO support staff, P2,000. They are also provided a travel allowance of P1,000 each. In a statement, Raymond Basilio, ACT secretary general, urged concerned agencies to provide BEIs with additional compensation for working overtime. “We call on the concerned agencies to give justice to the immeasurable sacrifice of teacher-poll workers. At the minimum, they shall ensure that all those who rendered extended poll service due to Comelec’s inefficiency be properly compensated and provided additional service credit. They have been denied their much-needed and deserved rest. Maawa naman kayo sa mga guro (Have mercy on teachers),” he said. He noted some 10,000 teachers had rendered nearly 60 hours straight of election service, pending the transmission of results from the vote counting machines on election day. The Comelec-Employees’ Union expressed support for the teachers’ request. PNA

decision to recall the Philippine ambassador and consuls general. However, we will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue,”Guillaume Bérubé, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said in an e-mal sent to the government-run Philippine News Agency. Bérubé provided no estimate when the containers of trash will be pulled out, but reiterated Canada’s “commitment to promptly ship and dispose of the Canadian waste.” “We remain committed to finalizing these arrangements for the return of the waste to Canada,” he said. “Canada values its deep and long-standing relationship with the Philippines.” Global Affairs Canada, which manages Ottawa’s diplomatic relations and trade, is headed by ministers, including Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland. The diplomatic rift between the two countries threatened to escalate after the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday night recalled its ambassador and consuls from Canada. Ottawa missed the deadline set by the government on May 15, 2019,

said DFA chief Teodoro Locsin, Jr. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the order was to persuade Canada to speed up the process of retrieving more than 100 containers of waste that had been shipped in batches to the Port of Manila from 2103 to 2014. “That order of the recall is to persuade them to make it fast. The more they delay, the more personnel will be coming back,” he said. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, meanwhile, said the row over garbage would not affect trade relations between the two countries. “I think that’s really a separate issue, because it’s already being solved. They’re working out plans so I really don’t think it will affect trade relations,” Lopez said in Filipino. Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday the dumping of toxic garbage smacked of arrogance, and said it was right to pull out the country’s diplomats in Canada. “National dignity is part and parcel of diplomacy,” Lacson said. The Philippines recalled its ambassador Petronila Garcia and consul generals in Canada after the Canadian government missed the May 15 deadline to ship back trash sent to the

Philippines six years ago. The tons of garbage were loaded inside 103 containers which were sent to the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. They were mislabeled as recyclable plastic scraps and consisted largely of kitchen scraps and diapers as well as electronic waste. Part of the garbage shipment, in 26 containers, was buried in a Tarlac landfill. Senate President Vicente Sotto III called for a Senate investigation into the local importer or consignee of the trash. He said the local contact or consignee must also be held accountable. Last month, Duterte threatened to “declare war”against Canada over the garbage issue. “I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to. Your garbage is coming home,” the President said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been quizzed about the garbage during his visits to the country but gave no satisfactory answer. In 2017, he said it was “theoretically possible for Canada to deal with the trash.” With PNA

DOLE...

From A1

Bello even took a swipe on the past administration for the garbage issue, saying “I don’t know why the previous administration allowed that.” Bello said overseas Filipino workers going to Canada or are already in Canada would not be affected by the issue—with more than 800,000 Filipinos living and working in Canada. Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would “sail to Canada and dump their garbage there.” The tons of garbage contained in more than 50 container vans filled with common household rubbish arrived in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014 which were declared as recyclable plastics. “Canada missed the... deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is [shipped back] there,” Locsin said in a tweet. On Thursda, Canada vowed to work closely with the Philippines to send back tons of garbage that had been shipped to Philippine ports in 2013 and 2014. The Canadian government issued this statement after the Philippines recalled ranking Filipino envoys from their posts in Canada. “Canada is disappointed by this

COMELEC:...

From A1

candidate Leody de Guzman, called on the COMELEC, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, to suspend the proclamation of national candidates pending a thorough investigation on irregularities and allegations of voter fraud during the May 13 midterm elections. Lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, Sanlakas secretary general and nominee for Partido Lakas ng Masa party-list, said these issues marred the credibility of the election results and put in question the legitimacy of its “winners.” Pedrosa insisted “it is only through public access to the data logs will we allay suspicions of electoral fraud arising from vote manipulation.” Pedrosa said De Guzman had adopted the similar motion and manifestation filed by Append party-list, Partido Lakas ng Masa partylist, Murang Kuryente party-list, and Ang Nars party-list who asked the Commission on Elections to stop or suspend the canvassing of votes for the party-list representatives and defer the proclamation of those who might obtain the minimum number of votes. In a separate statement, De Guzman also questioned the “undue haste” of the COMELEC to proclaim winners in the senatorial and partylist elections, reportedly scheduled today.

De Guzman said: “Why is COMELEC in a hurry when there are pending manifestations to investigate allegations and irregularities? “Comelec should look into incidents and reports that taint the integrity of the ballot, these include the breakdown of vote counting machines, the eight-hour blackout in the transmission of electoral results, the heightened practice of vote buying, the negative campaigning and black propaganda by AFP and PNP against militant party-list groups.” In a related development, the Comelec, sitting as members of the National Board of Canvassers for the 2019 elections, is left with 20 more COCs as of Saturday afternoon, 147 out of 167 COCs. In the party-list polls, there are 131 groups competing for 61 seats at the House of Representatives. A poll official said the remaining COCs could no longer affect the current senatorial standings, saying the number of votes being contested on the 12th place was between 200,000 and 300,000 votes, while the remaining COCs could only reach more than 100,000 votes. Reelectionist senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe continue to top the senatorial race in the partial and unofficial results of the midterm elections from the polls transparency server.

Based on 98.09 percent of nationwide election returns processed, Villar had 25,082,779 votes while Poe got 21,891,796 votes. Former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go was in third place at 20,411,431 votes. The rest of the Top 12 and their number of votes are: Pia Cayetano: 19,608,110 Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa: 18,763,572 Sonny Angara: 18,022,308 Lito Lapid: 16,858,671 Imee Marcos: 15,710,402 Francis Tolentino: 15,334,519 Ramon “Bong” Revilla: 14,520,166 Koko Pimentel: 14,519,562 Nancy Binay: 14,432,215 Meanwhile, the COMELEC has reminded candidates in Iloilo province to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez issued the reminder to all candidates who ran or not, who won or lost, that they need to submit SOCE within 30 days from the end of elections and until June 12. “Otherwise, what the law says is that they will be unable to assume their elective positions,” he said. Based on Resolution 10505, the COMELEC said, “No elected candidate shall enter upon the duties of office until he filed his SOCE.” It added that the office of an elected candidate who failed to

file SOCE shall be considered “vacant” pursuant to Section 11 of the Omnibus Election Code until he has complied and submitted his SOCE within six months from proclamation. Section 11 of the OEC states that “the office of any official elected who fails or refuses to take his oath of office within six months from his proclamation shall be considered vacant.” After the lapse of the said period and the candidate failed to assume office, the Comelec said a “permanent vacancy” occurs for which said office shall be filled up in accordance with the law. Despite the COMELEC insistence that they have provided the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting access to the audit logs of the transparency server, De Guzman in his press statement said in his motion that “this alone will not give the electorate satisfactory answers that would eliminate suspicions as to perceived irregularities arising from technical glitches”. He explained it was the mandate of the electoral commission to conduct clean, honest and credible elections and any undue haste to proclaim candidates without threshing out all the issues raised by various groups will only give credence to politicians who benefitted from systematic fraud and disenfranchisement of the electorate.

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MIAA OFFICIALS NAB MAN BRINGING IN GRENADE AT NAIA By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Manila International Airport Authority on Saturday warned air travelers anew on the dangers of bringing in or carrying firearms and explosives as authorities continue to apprehend people carrying such items at the airport. On Friday, airport personnel arrested Deogracias Pulmano who was caught in possession of a grenade late afternoon at the initial screening area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. Pulmano was about to board Philippine Airlines

flight PR-2819 bound for Davao around 5:30 p.m. when members of the Office for Transportation Security found the MK2 fragmentation grenade inside his backpack bag. “Upon seeing the image, the alert screeners immediately called for the K9 unit to check the item and was later confirmed to be one,” said MIAA public affairs head and chief information officer Connie Bungag. Bungag said the OTS screeners asked Pulmano to show legal documents for possessing or for bringing in the grenade but he failed to present any. This prompted the authorities to place the passenger under arrest and confiscated the explosive. The OTS men turned over Pulmano to the custody of the office of the Police Aviation Security Group, pending the filing of criminal complaint against him before the Pasay City Prosecutors Office.

MIAA general manager Eddie Villanueva Monreal urged the people not to bring firearms, explosives, ammunition, amulet and other prohibited items when traveling to avoid flight delays. He reminded travelers to secure documents, particularly a permit to transport from the Philippine National Police, when bringing guns and ammunition during their trips. The Firearms and Explosives Office of the PNP is the police unit handling clearances for passengers who wish to bring guns and ammunition when traveling. The FEO will issue a passenger’s Permit to Transport, the basic requirement for a passenger to be allowed to bring a gun in-flight. The said office also issues other related documents depending on the purpose of transport such as a License to Operate, Importation Permit, Authorization to Export, and a Certificate of Balance.

DRIED FISH.

Serio Ilaran, 29, of Sitio Tambak, Culasi, Roxas City sprays salt water on dried fish three times a day to preserve the freshness. Fish prepared as ‘daing‘ (dried fish) are split open, salted, and then sun- and air-dried. PNA

NBI, PMA RALLY BEHIND PHILHEALTH’S BID VS. FRAUD, MALPRACTICES THE anti-fraud campaign launched by Dr. Roy Ferrer, acting president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is gaining momentum bolstered by the expressed support of investigative agencies, enforcers, professional groups and hospital associations. The National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Hospital Association, and the Professional Regulation Commission have thrown their support behind PhilHealth’s campaign against malpractices and violations that are defrauding government of funds and resources. The growing base of support for PhilHealth is prompted by people’s perception that the acting PhilHealth president has “shown his grit and determination to stamp out health insurance fraud,” said one physician who belongs to the PMA. “This is specially true, he noted, “since PhilHealth has succeeded in identifying violators, prosecuting

them and are meted penalties.” The NBI has made its investigative skills and facilities available to PhilHealth to catch wrongdoers, produce evidence of fraud, and assist prosecutors to buttress their cases against violators. The PMA, the countrywide association of medical doctors, has pledged its support for PhilHealth, vowing to apply peer pressure against practitioners “who take the low road of deception and crime.” “Ours is an intelligence network than can easily spot our fellow practitioners if they make false medical claims, fabricate forms and documents, and submit multiple claims for one disease, a PMA official said. “We are ashamed of hospitals which betray the trust of PhilHealth when they engage in fraudulent acts,” said an official of PHA, who added that their association will not hesitate taking out these unethical hospitals from their membership

roll. There have been cases of hospitals which connived with doctors to submit false claims—just so to make money. The PRC, the regulator and licensing body for all professionals, said it is ready to suspend the licenses of unscrupulous medical doctors and participating nurses if evidence would show that they engaged in fraudulent activities, said a PRC official. “It is always good to cleanse our professional ranks of unethical and abusive peers,” he added. Ferrer, visibly elated by this show of support, said that PhilHealth will be able to put an end to this health insurance fraud “faster than expected” due to the support of public and private agencies. “I am vindicated and reassured that our courageous effort to frontally face the problem has drawn support from well-meaning public and private groups,” he said. The broadening support for Phil-

Health has augured well for the early success of the anti-fraud campaign, and has reassured PhilHealth members that the collective PhilHealth Fund will remain solid and robust. Philhealth ended 2018 with 11.6 billion in net income. PhilHealth’s financial health is further bolstered by the Universal Health Care Law which would raise premium contributions from PhilHealth members, national government subsidies, and shares from government agencies such as the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. With these developments, Ferrer has rallied his PhilHealth “army” to be “very vigilant and aggressive” in bringing this anti-fraud campaign to a suitable conclusion: “Make fraud a thing of the past, and enable PhilHealth to focus on its mandate to help patients in confinement and in disease treatment.”

PH COFFEE INDUSTRY RIPE FOR BREWING, FARMERS SAY

AS THE government continues to support the development of the local coffee industry, more farmers and entrepreneurs are looking at venturing in the business. Guided by the Philippine Coffee Roadmap, drafted by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture, Filipino growers and traders can have a shot at penetrating the $77-billion international coffee market. An essential part of the roadmap is the provision of a capacity building program aimed at allowing coffee farmers to be connected to the huge global coffee chain where opportunities abound. To date, the Philippines accounted for less than 0.001 percent of the global export trade in green and roasted coffee. The government believes that the Philippines can be among the biggest suppliers of coffee beans to the world. For Rizal MicroBank, a thrift bank arm of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. focused on micro and small entrepreneurs, the opportunity to help small coffee

farmers and their associations came after sealing a partnership in 2018 with ACDI/ VOCA, an international development organization tapped by the United States Department of Agriculture to implement the Mindanao Productivity in Agricultural Commerce and Trade project. One of the thrusts of the MinPACT project is to provide technical assistance and training to small coffee farmers in the region. Due to the success of the project, USDA has extended the project for another five years and made it national in scope under a new project name called Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise. “We believe that specialty coffee has a very lucrative market and there is a huge space for growth, especially here in the Philippines. With the coffee roadmap in placed and massive support being provided to small coffee farmers, Rizal MicroBank has become more confident in extending financial services especially loans to this sector,” said Raymundo C. Roxas, RMB president.

ALL ABOUT CACTUS. People stop by to look at the displays during the Cactus and Succulent Convention Philippines held at the UN Square in Manila. Norman Cruz

CEB TO SEND MORE CADETS FOR TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA THE Cebu Pacific Air announced on Saturday that it has started accepting applicants for the 7th batch of cadets to undergo training in Australia and become members of its corps of pilots. “Leading Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific is opening applications for a seventh batch of cadet pilots to be trained at the prestigious Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) in Australia through CEB’s “study now, pay later, zero-interest” training program,” the airline said in a statement. The carrier will be selecting 16 cadet pilots to join six other batches currently undergoing pilot training in Australia. The application period will run from May 17 to 26, 2019 and there is no application fee for the program. The Cadet Pilot Program is open to all Filipino citizens who are college graduates and proficient in English. There are no preferred college degrees, and applicants need only have an average grade of at least 80 percent or its equivalent in subjects related to Math, Physics and English. Only applicants who pass the online pre-screening will proceed with the next stages of the selection process. The selection process consists of interviews, computer aptitude tests, medical examinations, psychological tests and spoken English tests. Only successful applicants will undergo on-site screening for core skills and pilot aptitude tests, among others, where a fee of AU$425.00 (about P19,000) will be charged. Cebu Pacific will shoulder the entire cost of the pilot training. Cadet-pilots who successfully complete the training are assured of employment with the carrier. They then reimburse the cost of the program through monthly salary deduction over a maximum of 10 years at zero-interest. One of the applicants was Darryl Dave Ditucalan from Iligan City. A certified Electronics and Communications Engineer, Ditucalan graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology. His parents are farmers and local government officials in the province of Lanao del Norte. Joel E. Zurbano

LTFRB ISSUES PREVENTIVE ORDER VS. BUS FIRM AFTER QUEZON MISHAP THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has issued a preventive suspension order against bus firm Elavil Tours Phils Inc. after one of its buses was involved in a road accident in Quezon province. The board also directed the bus company to explain why its certificate of public convenience should not be suspended or revoked after an Elavil bus bound for Manila crashed into the roadside metal railing along a highway in Tagkawayan, Quezon at about 12:30 a.m. Friday, leaving 20 passengers injured. “The agency will await [a] written answer from Elavil Tours Phils, Inc. to explain why its certificate of public convenience should not be suspended, canceled and/or revoked for violation of the terms and conditions of its franchise,” the LTFRB said in a statement. The board likewise ordered Elavil to surrender to its legal division by May 24 all the “For Hire” plates of 10 Elavil buses, as well as their GPS recordings, the video clips from their dashcams, and CCTVs. “All authorized traffic enforcement agencies are ordered to apprehend and impound vehicles of Elavil Tours Phils, Inc. under the said case number (2007-1991ST), if found operating,” the LTFRB said. The operator and driver of the bus involved in the accident have been summoned to appear in a hearing set at the LTFRB central office in Quezon City on May 29. A report from the Quezon provincial police said that an Elavil bus with 70 passengers, driven by a certain Allan Robles, crashed into the railings while traversing a descending curved section of the highway. The overloaded bus was allegedly speeding. The bus driver escaped after the incident. The injured were rushed to the Ma. Lourdes Eleazar Memorial District Hospital at the town center. PNA

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

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DFA WARNS VS. ILLEGAL RECRUITERS

3 OFWS HOSTAGED IN LIBYA FREED By Joel E. Zurbano

HREE Filipino civil engineers who have been freed on Friday following months of captivity in Libya have finally returned home.

The freed hostages, whose na m es we re w i t h he ld by t he Department of Foreign Affairs, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Saturday morning on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR-0659. Manila International Airport Authority chief information officer Connie Bungag said the three were accompanied by Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hjayceelyn Quintana when they arrived at the airport. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. welcomed the three engineers at the airport. “We are glad that we are able to bring them home alive and safe to their families. These Filipinos coming home to their families are living proof that the Department of Foreign Affairs will never leave a Filipino in danger behind,” he said. Locsin also thanked the United Arab Emirates and other countries for their “intensive efforts” that resulted in the release of the three Filipinos who were held hostage along with a South Korean colleague in July 2018. The DFA, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, shouldered their airline tickets to Manila and provided them with cash assistance. The United Arab Emirates worked closely with the self-styled Libyan National Army led by commander Khalifa Hifter for the release of the four hostages. The four are civilian engineers who were working at a desalinization plant in Libya. The three Filipino engineers and their South Korean colleague were taken by armed men from the project site of the Great Man-Made River Project in the southern part of Libya on July 6, 2018. The four were initially airlifted to Abu Dhabi before being taken to their home countries.

File photo shows a traditional Philippine wooden boat known as ‘balangay’ setting sail from Manila to China on April 28, 2018. AFP

MISSION TO MARS NEXT —TRUMP

ECO-FRIENDLY SCHOOL CLEANUP PUSHED

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WHATSAPP, SECURITY AND SPYWARE: WHAT HAPPENED

EDITORIAL

SALUTE TO THOSE WHO CONCEDED

HE government’s election watchdog, the Commission on Elections, has declared it will proclaim later this week the 12 winners in the May 13 midterm polls despite a protest by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines who wants malfunctions in vote counting machines looked into first. The CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action has said there is a need for impartial investigation to ensure there is no fraud or manipulation of election results in the different levels. But the Comelec, which sits as the National

Board of Canvassers, has said it will push through with the proclamation because it must follow its rules and proceed with the canvass as stated in the canvassing laws. The administration, meanwhile, has been repeatedly jabbed with allegations of vote buying and technical snags encountered with the vote counting machines. Many in the opposition have also slammed the much vaunted “Duterte magic” for the victory of the President’s allies, scathingly suggesting that the chief executive controlled Comelec and countenanced the trickery in the automated polls. One outspoken candidate has refused to concede the Senate race, saying he will “never concede defeat to a rotten electoral exercise that has basically deceived, bribed, intimidated, and manipulated our people into electing the worst kinds of leaders imaginable.” Malacañang itself has urged the opposition,

the critics and the knockers as well as the nitpickers to bow to the choice of the majority and “yield to the resounding voice of the electorate.” A total 62 candidates ran for 12 Senate seats to complete the 24-member upper chamber, with the following elective seats available: 59 partylist representatives, 243 district representatives, 81 governors, 81 vice governors, 780 provincial board members, 145 city mayors, 145 city vice mayors, 1,628 city councilors, 1,489 municipal mayors, 1,489 municipal vice mayors, 11,916 municipal councilors and one Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor, one ARMM regional vice governor and 24 ARMM regional assemblymen. Having read both bulletin boards, and having seen and heard the oft sardonic exchange, we doff our hat to those—they are uncountable— who had the courage to concede defeat early enough to demonstrate their honorableness.

TONY AND NICK AWARDS, PALIHANG ROGELIO SIKAT CONGRATULATIONS to the Philippines Graphic family for their successful staging of the first AsiaPacific Nick Joaquin Literary Awards last May 15 at Winford Manila Resort and Casino. The NJLA was for many years a local competition until now. This maiden international literary contest recognizes a Poet of the Year and three short fiction awardees from among the writers published in ‘Tony & Nick,’ the Business Mirror’s literary and arts and culture section which is a collaboration with Graphic. ‘Tony & Nick’ carries poetry and short fiction written by authors located in Asean member states, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. Four women writers flew to Manila to receive their trophies and prizes in the presence of National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, members of the local writing community, and representatives of the Asia-Pacific NJLA sponsors. Graphic and Business Mirror publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon said in his welcome remarks that “Tony & Nick is a testament to that friendship between my father Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua and National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, a friendship that opened doors for local authors.” Poet of the Year is Jade-Ceres Violet Dolor Muñoz for her poem ‘For Abby and those who struggle

daily.’ She is a Filipina based in New Zealand, and is the daughter of Ramon Faustino ‘Beting’ Laygo Dolor II, who won second prize in the regular 2015 NJLA. First Prize winner is Mumbai native Prachi Agarwal-Topiwala for the short story ‘Mountains of Fear, Valleys of Hope’. She lives in Singapore where she is completing a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing at the Lasalle College. Second Prize went to Anneliz A. Erese for her short story ‘Departures’. Erese, a Filipina residing in Australia, recently completed her master’s degree in Writing and Literature. Third Prize winner is Vicky Chong for her short story ‘The Uber Driver’. Chong is completing her MA in Creative Writing at the Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore.. The winning works were selected by the panel of judges who read them double-blind—the manuscripts were printed out and sent to them without bylines and in uniform typefaces and layout formats. The panel of judges was chaired by poet, novelist, Gawad Dangal ng Lahi awardee, and Philippine Star columnist Alfred ‘Krip’ Yuson. Also on the panel were prolific author and director of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo; and poet, National Arts Council Singapore’s 2005 Young Artist of the Year, and Iowa International Writing Program

fellow Alvin Pang. In her remarks at the event that evening, Graphic Literary Editor Alma Anonas-Carpio explained the rationale for the awards: “We are building ties of culture and literature across the region and opening up a new platform and pathway for the poetry and stories that we in the Philippines, and in the Asia-Pacific, have to offer to the world. We are also bringing the writers of the Asia-Pacific to our readers in the Philippines.” The prizes were $1,000 each for the first prize winner and the Poet of the Year, $600 for the second prize winner, and $400 for the third prize winner. *** Fifteen fellows were chosen from among 128 applicants from all over the country to join the 12th Palihang Rogelio Sicat (Rogelio Sicat Writers Workshop) at the University of the Philippines-Los Baňos this year. They are Ryan Cezar Alcarde (Agusan del Sur), Evan John Daynos (Manila), Rochelle Ann Molina (Catanduanes), Eddie Ramos (Tarlac), and Rod Anthony Robles (Quezon City) for poetry; Napoleon Arcilla III (Catanduanes), Joycel Vincent Dabalos (Quezon City), and Elizabeth Joy Serrano-Quijano (Davao del Sur) for the short story; Jan Henry Choa Jr. (Makati) and Myla Ogaya (Masbate) for the story for children; Gabriela Baron (Manila)

By Rob Lever FACEBOOK-OWNED WhatsApp’s revelation of a security flaw allowing hackers to inject spyware on smartphones raised fresh concerns about the security of the mobile ecosystem. Here are five key questions and answers: What happened to WhatsApp? The security hole in the WhatsApp messaging app could enable an attacker to inject malware to gain access to Android or Apple smartphones. WhatsApp patched the flaw this week after being informed that the spyware was being used to track human rights activists and lawyers. Security researchers believe the attackers used the powerful Pegasus spyware from Israel-based NSO Group. According to a recent analysis of the software by the security firm Lookout, Pegasus can “subvert” the device’s security and “steals the victim’s contact list and GPS location, as well as personal, Wi-Fi, and router passwords stored on the device.” The infection could take root with a simple call through WhatsApp. To make matters worse, victims may not know their phones were infected because the malware allowed attackers to erase call histories. This delivery was “particularly scary,” said security researcher John Dickson of the Denim Group, because it infected devices without any user action. “Normally a user has to click on something or go to a site, but that wasn’t the case here,” Dickson said. “And once (the attacker) is in, they own the device, they can do anything.” Who is to blame? While the flaw was discovered in WhatsApp, security experts say any application could have been a “vehicle” for the spyware payload. “We have not yet been able to write software that doesn’t have bugs or flaws,” said Joseph Hall, chief technologist for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a digital rights group. Hall said the encryption in WhatsApp was not broken and that “Facebook’s response was exceedingly fast.” Marc Lueck of the security firm Zscaler said that based on Facebook’s response, “You should give them kudos for discovering it in the first place, this was a very deep vulnerability.” The intrusion at WhatsApp “wasn’t an attack on encryption, it was an attack on another element of the application,” said Lueck. Is encryption still worthwhile? Encryption remains an important feature by establishing a secure “tunnel” between two parties that verifies their identities, Lueck noted. “Encryption isn’t important just for privacy, it’s important for trust,” he said. Encryption used by WhatsApp and other messaging applications prevents eavesdropping on messages and conversations but does not protect against an attack that gains access to the device itself, researchers note. “End to end encryption does nothing to protect against attacks on your endpoint, true. And seatbelts and airbags do nothing to prevent your car from being hit by a meteorite,” tweeted Matt Blaze, a Georgetown University computer security expert. “While neither protects against every possible harm, they both remain the most effective defenses against very common harm.” Dickson said that while no encryption is foolproof, the only way to completely avoid hacking would be to avoid electronics entirely: “You could use guys on horseback.” Should I worry about being attacked? Citizen Lab, a research center at the University of Toronto, said in a 2018 report that it found Pegasus spyware infections in 45 countries, with 36 “probable government operators.” NSO maintains it delivers its software for legitimate law enforcement and intelligence purposes. But the Toronto researchers said it had been obtained by countries with “dubious” human rights records and suggested it may have been used by Saudi Arabia to track and kill dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Citizen Lab researchers wrote in the Globe & Mail that they “unearthed at least 25 cases of abusive targeting of advocacy groups, lawyers, scientists and researchers, investigators into mass disappearances and media members.” But Lueck said programs such as Pegasus are extremely costly and cannot easily be monetized by hackers for profit. “Your average person is not the target of this specific piece of software, which is built to sell to governments to target individuals and doesn’t work on a large scale,” he said. Still, Lueck said the flaw underscores the fact that “the mobile phone ecosystem has become as insecure and as vulnerable a platform as the computer.” Do governments need better digital tools? The revelations come as governments seek better tools to track criminals and extremists using encrypted messaging. An Australian law requires tech giants to remove electronic protections and help with access to devices or services. Law enforcement agencies have complained of “going dark” in the face of encrypted electronic communications as they investigate serious crimes like terrorism and child sex offenses. But Hall said that the news about Pegasus shows governments have tools to exploit software flaws for specific targeting without weakening encryption and privacy for all users. “You can target the delivery at specific people rather than breaking into everyone’s phone at once,” he said. AFP

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE for flash fiction; Ferdinand Eusebio (Laguna), and Geraldine GentozalaJuachon (Quezon City) for the play; and Angela Mae Pamaos (Las Piňas), and Jazon Federigan Pozon (Laguna) for the essay. Playwright Bonifacio Ilagan of Los Baňos is the guest of honor of PRS 12, which will be held from May 29 to June 2. PRS lectures and sessions are open to the public. The UP Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature (DFPP) leads the PRS in cooperation with the Office of the President-UP, UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, and the Office of the Chancellor-UPLB which is headed by Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez Jr. This year’s panelists include Edward Perez, Layeta Pinzon Bucoy, Rica Saturay Palis, Laurence Marvin Castillo, Christian Tablazon, Perry Mangilaya (Liwayway magazine editor), Choi Pangilinan, and DFPP faculty members Vladimeir Gonzales (chairman), Luna Sicat Cleto, Joey Baquiran, Will Ortiz, Vim Nadera, Rommel Rodriguez, and PRS cofounders Jimmuel Naval and Reuel Molina Aguila. Literature is the soul and conscience of the nation. If it isn’t, it should be. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

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POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF BRAZILIAN BISHOP SAO PAULO—Pope Francis on Friday accepted the resignation of a Brazilian bishop reportedly suspected of extorting priests and covering up sexual abuse, the Vatican said in a statement. The announcement comes after Pope Francis last week passed a landmark new measure to oblige those who know about sex abuse in the Catholic Church to report it to their superiors, in a move which could bring countless new cases to light. Vilson Dias de Oliveira, 60, confessed to Brazilian police in April that he had swiped $4,000 from parish funds for personal use, telling them he did so because he was having financial difficulties, local media said. Dias also allegedly protected a priest accused of sexual abuse. The Vatican always announces when Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a bishop, but never explains why. Dias also admitted to investigators that he had bought two coastal properties in Brazil worth more than one million reais ($250,000), but claimed he had used his family’s money and his income from the church, news portal G1 said. “Dear brothers and sisters, in recent months we have had to bear all sorts of crosses through attacks against our... church, against me and other presbyters,” Dias said in a statement. He added that while he acknowledged his “limitations,” he carried the love of supporters in his heart. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

US TREASURY DEFIES TRUMP TAX SUBPOENA

ASHINGTON—US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rejected Friday a congressional subpoena for President Donald Trump’s tax records, setting up a new court battle between the two sides of government. Mnuchin told Democratic Representative Richard Neal, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, that the committee “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose” to demand Trump’s tax returns. Neal issued the subpoena on May 10, saying the confidential documents were necessary in carrying out oversight of taxation, including understanding how a sitting president with extensive business interests is treated by the Internal Revenue Service. Neal expected the rejection and told reporters earlier Friday he would take the issue to court as

early as next week rather than seek a contempt citation against Mnuchin, according to Roll Call, a news outlet that covers US government. The court will have to rule whether the committee, as Neal asserts, has the right to demand the tax records of any American from the IRS as part of its oversight powers. Trump has bucked the tradition of presidential candidates baring their finances and divulging how much they have paid in taxes. Since before the 2016 election he has claimed that his personal and corporate annual income statements have been under audit by the IRS and cannot be released. Democratic opponents suspect the real estate billionaire of using accounting and other loopholes to avoid taxes. The New York Times reported earlier this month that based on an analysis of IRS records, Trump reported losses of nearly $1.2 billion between 1985 and 1994 and may have been able to carry over those losses for years after to minimize his tax bills. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, A US federal court on Friday heard the first of many challenges to President Donald Trump’s declaration of an

emergency to pay for construction of a wall along the southern border with Mexico. The first hearing on two lawsuits filed in Oakland, California challenging the declaration adjourned after dealing with procedural issues, with the judge giving no indication of when a ruling may be handed down. About 20 states, including Democratic strongholds New York and California, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), environmental groups and border communities are involved in the suits, which claim the emergency declaration violates the constitution. “We are hopeful that today’s hearing stressed what is truly at stake with Trump’s border wall —the endangerment of communities and destruction of our environment,” said Gloria Smith, managing attorney at the Sierra Club, one of the plaintiffs. Trump made the construction of a wall to stem illegal immigration from Latin America central to his successful 2016 campaign for the presidency. But despite saying Mexico would pay for the barrier, he’s had to ask Congress for $3.6 billion in funding to make the project happen, along with an additional $2.5 billion to fight drug traffickers. AFP

EX-CIA AGENT GETS 20-YEAR SENTENCE FOR CHINA SPYING

WASHINGTON—An ex-CIA officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for spying for China in a case called part of an “alarming trend” in the US intelligence community. Kevin Mallory, 62, was convicted under the Espionage Act for selling classified US “defense information” to a Chinese intelligence agent for $25,000 during trips to Shanghai in March and April 2017. “Your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid,” he told the Chinese agent in a May 5, 2017 message. The fluent Mandarin speaker had served in the US army, then as a special agent for the security service of the State Department, before becoming a covert case officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. Mallory is one of several US officials with high-level security clearances arrested and charged over unsanctioned dealings with Chinese intelligence. Former Defense Intelligence Agency official Ron Hansen faces 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in March to charges of attempting to sell classified information to the Chinese. AFP

AUSTRIA’S STRACHE FACES QUIT CALLS OVER STING VIDEO VIENNA—Austria’s opposition called Friday for the resignation of far-right leader and Vice Chancellor HeinzChristian Strache after media reports alleging he had promised public contracts in return for campaign help. On Friday Germany’s Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung published hidden-camera recordings of a sting operation they say took place a few months before 2017’s parliamentary elections in Austria. In the recordings Strache and party colleague, MP Johann Gudenus, are seen discussing with a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch how she can invest in Austria, specifically to gain control of the country’s largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung. Strache is seen suggesting that new owners could make staff changes at the Krone and use the paper to help his Freedom Party (FPOe) in its election campaign. He goes on to suggest the woman would then be able to gain access to public contracts. According the newspapers, Strache says that there would be no resistance among the Krone’s editorial staff as “journalists are the biggest whores on the planet”. Both the newspapers that published the footage say they don’t have any firm information over who set up the elaborate sting, filmed in a luxury villa on the island of Ibiza. Strache admitted the meeting took place but denies any wrongdoing. AFP

EBOLA DEATH. Health workers carry a coffin containing a victim of Ebola virus on Thursday in Butembo. The city of Butembo is at the epicenter of the Ebola crisis, the death toll of the outbreak to date is now over 1,000 deaths. The Red Cross warned that critical underfunding could force it to cut vital work to rein in the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a time when case numbers are soaring. AFP

US LIFTS STEEL, ALUMINUM TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Friday announced a deal to lift US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico that had created friction between the neighbors and blocked a new North American free trade agreement. “I’m pleased to announce that we’ve just reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico and will be selling our product into those countries, without the imposition of tariffs,” Trump said at an event in the US capital. His statement came moments after Canada released the text of the agreement between Ottawa and Washington in which they

agreed to eliminate US tariffs on steel and aluminum, and Canada’s retaliatory measures, within no more than two days. Mexico confirmed it had reached a similar agreement with the United States. “Trump’s strategy has worked,” US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement, crediting the tariffs with reviving US steel and aluminum manufacturers. The steep US tariffs imposed last year —25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum—became a major stumbling block to ratifying a new North American trade pact negotiated last year by the three countries. Canada and Mexico initially were

exempted from the tariffs Trump enforced using a national security argument, as part of his hardline trade tactics. Once America’s neighbors were included, the levies drew retaliation with tariffs on a host of US products. Even after the governments agreed to a revised free trade deal -the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA—the tariffs remained in place, but officials in Ottawa and Mexico City said they would not sign unless Washington removed the metals duties. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was a shared recognition that “these tariffs were

harming workers and consumers on both sides of the border” and “didn’t make a lot of sense” in the context of a new free trade deal. “Obviously these continued tariffs on steel and aluminum and our countermeasures represented significant barriers to moving forward with the new NAFTA agreement,” he said, referring to the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. “Now that we’ve had a full lift on these tariffs we are going to work with the United States on timing for ratification but we’re very optimistic we are going to be able to move forward well in the coming weeks,” Trudeau said. AFP

CLIMATE DOMINATES ISSUES AS AUSSIE ELECTION OPENS SYDNEY—Polls opened Saturday in Australia’s nail-biter election, a race that may be the first anywhere decided on climate policy. Just under 17 million people are expected to cast their ballots across the vast island-continent, as final surveys predicted a center-left Labor victory. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative Liberals had closed a yawning gap on the opposition, but differences over climate may prove the difference. In one Sydney suburb, early rising voters trickled into a beachside surf club to cast their ballots, as volunteers wearing bright orange “I’m a climate voter” t-shirts handed out pamphlets. “I’m worried about the climate and that Australia is not doing enough,” the

volunteer Catherine Willis told AFP. A season of record floods, wildfires and droughts has brought the issue front and center in the campaign. In rural areas, climate-hit farmers are demanding action. And in several rich suburbs, eco-minded center-right independents are running Liberal party luminaries close. Labor has pledged ambitious targets for renewable energy, while the Liberals said they would not risk the coal-fueled economy’s health to make the air cleaner. The Liberal message has been pitched at older and wealthier voters who may see higher taxes under Labor. Final polls show the vote is going down to the wire, with Labor ahead roughly 51-49. AFP

WHOA, TORO. A picador falls from his horse during a bullfight at the Las Ventas bullring during the 2019 San Isidro festival in Madrid on Tuesday. AFP

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S O T O H P F THE O EEK W

PARCHED LAND. View of a dock at the dried lake of the Peace Park in San Jose, Costa Rica on May 14. The lake was affected by droughts produced by El Niño phenomenon. AFP

UNHAPPY WITH THE DELAYS. Protesters hold a rally near the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila on May 17 where the Commission on Elections was tallying votes in the midterm polls, demanding COMELEC to be transparent in auditing the votes. AFP SILHOUETTE. US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on May 14. AFP

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

A gay right supporter with a rainbow flag stands outside Taiwan’s Parliament hours before it legalized same-sex marriage on May 17 in a landmark first for Asia as the government survived a last-minute attempt by conservatives to pass watered-down legislation. AFP

THREE’S A CROWD.

This photo taken on May 14 shows a US coastguard interceptor boat (front) speeding past BRP Kalanggaman of the Philippine coastguard, while a Chinese coastguard ship (back) monitors during a joint search and rescue exercise between Philippine and US coastguards near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Two Philippine coastguard ships, BRP Batangas and Kalanggaman and US coastguard cutter Bertholf participated in the exercise. AFP

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. Persons with disability arrive to cast their ballot at Jose P. Laurel Senior High School in Manila on May 13. AFP

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

LADY EAGLES CROWNED VOLLEY QUEENS By Peter Atencio

WBC Medal of Bravery awardee Renerio Arizala (5th from left) is surrounded by Japanese boxing officials and GAB executives.

BOXER WAKES UP FROM COMA, GETS WBC MEDAL OF BRAVERY By Randy Caluag

ILIPINO boxer Renerio Arizala fought the battle of his life—outside the ring—and won.

Arizala suffered a knockout loss, fell into a coma for 10 days and had two brain surgeries in Yokohama, Japan. Only last Wednesday, Arizala came back to his home country with everything intact, including his senses and positive attitude. “Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng tumulong sa akin,” said the smiling Arizala during his visit at the Games Amusement Board office in Makati City, while looking at the Japanese boxing officials, who accompanied him from Japan in his flight back to the Philippines. “Sa aking coach (Jonathan Penalosa) na hindi ako iniwan. Hindi lang po siya trainer, itinuring na rin po nya akong anak. At sa lahat po ng nagdasal para sa mabilis kong paggaling,” he said. When Arizala apologized to Penalosa “sorry po coach hindi tayo nakapagworld champion,” everybody present retorted. “Parang world champion ka na rin nyan!” It was a touching scene

in a room filled with GAB officials that included commissioners Eduard Trinidad and Mar Masanguid, boxing chief Jun Bautista, legal head Ermar Benitez, medical chief Redentor Viernez as well as international matchmakers Art Monis and Takashi Aoshima, Japan Boxing Commission chief Tsuyoshi Yasokuchi and Japan Pro Boxing Association head Kazuhiro Ryuko At this point, Yasokuchi, who is also World Boxing Council (WBC) International Secretary, stood up to present Arizala with what he called a “medal of bravery” from the WBC. Nearly in tears, Arizala managed to smile and showed the medal to everybody with pride. “Pinilit ko po talagang labanan upang mabuhay at makita ko uli ang nanay (Jovencia) ko pati tatay ko at kapatid,” added the youngest of four siblings. Boxing, according to him, would have been his family’s escape from poverty. “Nu’ng kumikita na po ako

Renerio Arizala is greeted by his mother

nang kaunti, sabi ko may pera pala sa boxing.” On that fateful night of March 31, Arizala’s road to the Promised Land came to an abrupt end, losing by a knockout to Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameka in the 6th round of their featherweight bout in Yokohama, Japan. A few minutes in the dressing room, Arizala collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where he received treatment and a couple of operations due to

blood clot in the brain. Arizala showed amazing recovery, much to the delight of Japanese fans and supporters. He even received a pair of new shoes on his birthday, April 12. “There was much worry about Arizala in Yokohama, Japan,” said Tsuyoshi Yasokuchi during the press conference. “Arizala was a brave man. Unfortunately, the accident happened. I’m very sorry we couldn’t protect him

completely but we tried our best,” said Yasokuchi. Ryuko echoed the same. The two joined hands in shouldering the hospital bills which reportedly reached nearly US$50,000 or about P2.7 million. Not as fortunate though were two other Filipino boxers, who previously suffered the same fate as Arizala. In 1995, Pretty Boy Lucas lost via TKO to Korean Chang-Jae Kwon in the 9th of their 10-round flyweight bout in Japan. Cebuano Z Gorres won a unanimous decision over Luis Mendez but not after a knockdown in the 10th and final round of their bantamweight bout in Las Vegas. Lucas and Gorres suffered brain injuries and hardly recovered. Arizala, who will continue with his therapy for complete rehabilitation, announced his retirement and is looking to become a boxing trainer. GAB commissioner Trinidad said they will support Arizala using the Boxers’ Welfare Fund, while JBC and the Japan Pro Boxing Association (JPBA), headed by Kazuhiro Ryuko has also set aside funds for his continuous rehabilitation.

CAPADOCIA, PATRIMONIO SEAL BROOKSIDE TITLE DUEL MARIAN Capadocia and Clarice Patrimonio forged another title clash in the PPS-PEPP Brookside Hills Open Tennis Championships, posting victories in lopsided fashions even as the big guns continued to dominate the men’s singles at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club in Cainta, Rizal yesterday. The top seeded Capadocia dropped just two games in three matches to earn another crack at the crown she won via a tough 6-4, 6-4 victory over Patrimonio last year, including a 6-1, 6-0 romp over Christine Patrimonio in the semifinals while the second ranked Clarice yielded eight games to gain a shot at redemption, including a 6-4,

6-0 triumph over Khim Iglupas in the Final Four. They dispute the crown and the top P25,000 prize at 1 p.m. today (Sunday) with Capadocia, 23, all primed up to make it two-in-row and Patrimonio raring to get back at the Antique City ace in the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala and backed by Rep. Jack Duavit, One Cainta, Bgy. San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal, BRAI, Feeds Edition Batangas, RMJ Agricultural, board member Ross Gongora, Allan del Castillo and Dunlop as official ball. Jeson Patrombon and Johnny Arcilla likewise set a title clash of the

top two seeds in men’s play at 3 p.m. today with the former repeating over No. 3 Vicente Anasta, 6-2, 6-2, and the latter overpowering No. 4 Fritz Verdad, 6-1, 6-1, in the semis. Patrombon, who survived Leander Lazaro, 4-6, 6-1, 10-7, in the quarters, also whipped Anasta, 6-0, 6-3, to pocket the crown last year with the 26-year-old veteran Davis Cupper from Iligan City also dominating Arcilla in the Gov. Umali Cup in Oriental Mindoro last month. Unlike Patrombon, Arcilla has turned in a more impressive showing this week, crushing Deo Talatayod, 6-1, 6-1, in the quarters then cruising past Verdad, who held off doubles

partner Eric Jed Olivarez Jr., 6-4, 7-6(2), in the Last 8. Meanwhile, Jenric Accion and Jelic Amazona hacked out a shock 1-6, 6-3, 10-6 victory over top seed Anasta and Mark Alcoseba to barge into the semis of the men’s doubles. They will next take on the Arcilla-Olivarez pair, which turned back Kinaadman and Antonio Tria, 7-5, 6-2. Verdad and Lazaro fended off Joseph Arcilla and Alberto Villamor, 2-6, 7-6(8), 11-9, to clinch a semis spot in the lower half of the draw against Patrombon and Noel Damian Jr., who eased out Jude Ceniza and Harvey Gilbuena.

BUCKS ROUT RAPTORS FOR 2-0 LEAD LOS ANGELES—Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing 125-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors Friday for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals. The top-seeded Bucks, who rallied to win game one of the best-of-seven series, never trailed and led by as many as 28 points to double their lead in the series, which moves to Toronto for games three and four on Sunday and Tuesday. “Mentally, we were ready for this game,” Antetokounmpo said. “Once the game started, we did a great job setting the tone. We knew Toronto was going to come and try to play hard and try to get one at our place.” Antetokounmpo played a key role in setting that tone—with a dunk, an emphatic block on Raptors center Marc Gasol and another dunk in the opening minute of the contest. “I know every night when the game starts my teammates are looking at me,” Antetokounmpo said.

“I think it definitely gave the team a lot of energy.” The Bucks made sure the Raptors never got a sniff, roaring to an 18-point lead in the first quarter on the back of nine quick points from Nikola Mirotic and a 12-0 scoring run late in the period. Milwaukee led by 25 points, 64-39, at halftime, with Ersan Ilyasova contributing 15 of his 17 before the break and Malcolm Brogdon 12 of his 14 off the Bucks’ bench in the first half. Overall the hosts’ reserves out-scored Toronto’s 3111 in the first half and 54-39 overall. Six Bucks players scored in double figures, and coach Mike Budenholzer said it all started with Antetokounmpo. “I think everybody fed off of Giannis and how he started the game,” Budenholzer said. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 31 points. He came out firing in the third quarter but despite his aggression the Raptors never got the deficit below 13. AFP

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo drives to the basket against Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard. AFP

PLAYING a solid defense at the frontline, the Ateneo Lady Eagles did not waste time in taking the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball honors. The Lady Eagles needed only three sets to get past the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22, yesterday in Game 3 of their best-ofthree finals at the Mall of Asia Arena. Many teammates fell on top of Julianne Marie Samonte after she gave the Lady Eagles the match point in the final set. It was Samonte’s placement shot off the blocks of Tigresses Eya Laure and Caitlin Viray which settled the game in favor of the Lady Eagles during their 99-minute contest. Kat Tolentino led the Lady Eagles with 15 points, with 11 scored on attacks. This earned the Lady Eagles their first crown after four years. It will be their third title after getting back-to-back championship back in 2013 and 2014.. The Lady Eagles moved ahead on a 5-0 blast, with Tolentino leading the charge with a drop shot past season MVP Cherry Rondina at the middle. Their scoring run allowed Ateneo to move away from a 6-5 edge, and take an 11-5 spread off three UST errors and another drop shot at the left corner from Pauline Gaston. The Tigresses stayed close, 22-23, off Rondina’s block off Tolentino and Janine Balcorta’s killshot off Bea de Leon, who was later adjudged as the Finals MVP. But the Lady Eagles managed to take the second set, 25-22, following De Leon’s smash, and after the referee awarded match point to Ateneo. This was after Rondina sent the ball in with her spike, and had a misstep after landing from a jump. Rondina fell forward and across the net, and crashed into the legs of De Leon, who was on her way down from a jumping position. At that point, De Leon was still in the act of deflecting Rondina’s spike. In the third set, the Lady Eagles picked their way out of a 4-all deadlock off De Leon’s block and a long placement shot from Rondina which went out of bounds. The Lady Eagles then pulled away by four, behind the frontline attacks of Tolentino and De Leon, 14-8. This kept the Tigresses from claiming their first title in 10 years.

WOODS PASSES GOLF SUPREMACY TO KOEPKA B E T H PA G E — There wasn’t a ceremony and Brooks Koepka says he needs plenty more major wins to match Tiger Woods, but the aura Brooks Koepka of golf invincibility has been passed, at least verbally. It happened at the PGA Championship after defending champion Koepka fired a five-under par 65 at Bethpage Black on Friday to seize a seven-stroke lead on 12-under 128. It’s the largest 36-hole lead in modern major history. It’s the lowest 36-hole score in major history by two shots. And it’s clear Woods, Koepka’s playing partner the past two days who missed the cut with scores of 72 and 73, sees what happens when a new generation learns from his legend. “At 29 he has got many more years ahead of him where he can do this,” Woods said. “He paid his dues. He found a game and a dedication that he needed to play well and he’s doing that.” Woods edged Koepka by a stroke last month to win the Masters, ending an 11-year major win drought for his 15th career major title. He won the first 14 with big 54-hole leads and sees Koepka able to do the same now. AFP

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

Business

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

GOLD EXPERT OFFERS

COVER FROM WEAK PESO

OSHUA Rotbart, a 45-year-old Israeli lawyer who has built a lucrative career in Asia’s wealth management, now offers rich Filipinos a safe cover against the depreciating peso and volatile inflation rate—gold.

“Gold has been a traditional asset. It has been around for 3,000 to 4,000 years. It is very recognized globally. It performs very well in the long term. It is always valuable,” Rotbart, the founder and managing partner of Hong Kong-based J. Rotbart & Co., says in an interview at the sidelines of Hubbis Philippines Wealth Management Forum 2019 at Hotel Fairmont Makati. Rotbart, a descendant of the famous Goldberg merchant family who resided in Poland for centuries, is the first member of his family to be born in Israel. He studied law and marketing at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In his career, he has procured and arranged for the transportation and storage of bullion worth over $1 billion. J. Rotbart & Co., established four years ago, buys and sells gold, silver, platinum and palladium bars and coins. It also offers storage and safe deposit box services in 10 tax-free vaults globally. The company has recently opened an office in Manila to offer gold investment services from buying and selling to transportation and storage. Rotbart says while the peso weakened about 5 percent against the US dollar in 2018, the price of gold performed better than most equities and currencies. “In 2018, it did better than stocks and currencies. Ten years ago, it did better. Twenty years ago, it did better. If you are looking at the long term, it is doing very, very well,” he says. Rotbart says that in the Philippines, the historical gold performance shows a significant rise in the price of 1 ounce of gold from around P10,000 in the 1990s to nearly P70,000 today. He says gold shines the most during periods of uncertainty, like when it hit $1,300 an ounce in the second week of May this year after US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariff against China’s exports. Rotbart says the world’s central banks are in fact the biggest buyers of gold. “The first quarter of 2019 marked the highest gold purchases by central banks in six years.

Lawyer Reynato Estrellado (third from left) and wife Eufemia (second from left), with their children Robert, Antonette and Raymond.

LAWYER DAD SETS RETIREMENT OBJECTIVE WITH C-STORE VENTURE

J. Rotbart & Co. founder and managing partner Joshua Rotbart

There is a strong gold demand by central banks, and it is expected to continue in the coming years as countries diversify their assets and reduce their dollar dependency,” he says. Rotbart says unlike stocks, gold prices have remained stable over the years. “If you buy a share, that share may go down and become zero if the company becomes bankrupt. If you buy a property, it may do well or it may not. But gold has always been valuable and it will remain valuable,” he says. “When the markets are not doing well, gold particularly performs well. We believe in medium to long-term prospects especially for physical gold. If the clients are looking for long-term or succession planning, then gold physically is best,” he says. He says his company offers physical gold, and not just mining stocks or shares in a metal financing company. “We offer gold bars or gold coins minted by non-government. What we tell clients is they need to have their own gold bars with serial number. They can access it anytime. It is not a share,” he says. R o t b a r t explains that these gold bars are not pieces of jewelr y. “Jewelr y is nice but if you want to sell it, it is not an investment product. It is good if you wear it, but not good for investment,” he says. “For investment, you need investment product. We help them buy it, we help them store it in Hong Kong and

Singapore. They are invited to come and see it and look at it to make sure it is there,” he says. J. Rotbart & Co. teamed up with BDO Private Bank Inc., the wealth management unit of BDO Unibank Inc., to offer gold investment services in the Philippines. On why the company established a presence in the country, Rotbart says: “We believe in the Philippine market. It is a growing economy and we have some concerns over the inflation and the currency depreciation. Gold is perfect for that,” he says. “Nobody is doing it here. So there is enough commercial business opportunity for us because no one else is doing it in this market now. That’s how we signed a deal with BDO Private Bank to market our services to their clients,” he says. Rotbart who often visits the Philippines says he has already talked to about 10 Filipino families about investing in gold, which is just a small fraction of a few thousand high net-worth families in the country. “We have Filipino clients coming to Hong Kong and Singapore to check their safety box to make sure it is there. They take pictures,” he says. Rotbart says the potential gold market in the Philippines is growing. “We are talking about few thousands of families. There is a lot of work to be done here. We met maybe ten. We still have a lot to go because we just started. There is a lot of potential here. The more people are doing business, the wealthier they become and there’s more work to be done,” he says. Rotbart says a 250-gram gold bar is currently valued at P500,000 at the moment. “This is like money and you can pay with it, trade it and exchange it for money in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Switzerland, anywhere. Gold is money before they invented paper money,” he says. “It is very safe in the sense that it will always be valuable. We call it more than an investment. We call it insurance. If something goes wrong, you have something that pays you back. If there is a financial crisis tomorrow, gold will go up. If there is a war, gold will go up. In this sense, it is very, very safe,” he says.

Turn to C2

FOR every responsible parent, the goal is nothing less than creating a bright future for the children. For lawyer Reynato Alvero Estrellado, he began this by wisely investing in various business opportunities—including a string of 7-Eleven c-store franchises that successfully let him reap the many rewards of a well-deserved retirement and provide inspiration and financial security for his loved ones. Estrellado, a former litigation lawyer for more than 20 years, is regarded as a smart businessman. His entrepreneurial interests include running a trucking business and being a hotel owner. This passion to explore investment oppor tunities coupled with his accumulated experience in managing diverse businesses sparked his decision to venture into franchising. “He wanted to expand his horizons in the business field in San Pablo City and wanted to pioneer a business that will cater to the San Pablenos, in the most affordable, effective yet good investment returns. His store in San Pablo, Laguna, was the lone branch in the city and he wanted to extend the services to the rest of the area,” said 34-year-old Raymond Estrellado, eldest son of Reynato who is in charge of overall management and operations of all stores. Estrellado’s first 7-Eleven store opened at M. Leonor Street corner Maharlika Highway San Pablo City in July 2004. “We chose 7-Eleven over the others because we wanted to expand convenience in our province. It serves as a proof of innovation and modernization in the locality. We wanted to be the front-bearer in the business here in San Pablo with an effective investment,” said Raymond. Reynato’s nine c-stores in Laguna are assumed by Estrellado’s children: Raymond, Antonette, M.D. and Robert. Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive is Raymond. Himself a savvy businessman, Raymond was an operations manager in an export business before he started managing their 7-Eleven store in 2006. He also has a small business in print ad and marketing supplies. Managing the c-store for more than 10 years, according to Raymond, prepared him for even bigger challenges and trained him to become comprehensively ready to any predicaments the store has to face in the future. “The business taught me to have a quick mind in decision making but developed me most to have an open mind and better understanding of my colleagues and staff. They also became part of my family, which I gave my trust and full confidence,” he said.

MYNT UNVEILS 2020 VISION FOR DIGITAL FINANCE GROWTH THE Philippines, with a steadily growing economy, burgeoning millennial population and high mobile penetration, has been ripening for digital disruption in the financial ser vices sphere, according to Mynt vice president and corporate communications group head Ney Villasenor. “The opportunity is huge considering that 66 percent of Filipinos do not have bank accounts, 34 percent of municipalities have no access to banks and the credit bureau in the country is still in its infancy that an astounding 90 percent lack a credit score,” he says. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has made it its mandate to promote digital finance through the National Retail Payment System, a framework that establishes high-level policies, standards and governance principles that cover retail payment operations and infrastructures.

With the aim of hastening the establishment of an effective electronic retail payment system and promote a “cash-lite” economy, the framework promotes interoperability among payment system participants through cooperative arrangements called automated clearinghouses, which allow funds including e-money to be sent from any account to any account. Reducing the amount of cash transactions and transforming them into digital ones will eventually bring significant benefits for almost everyone as speed and efficiency of transactions could help bring down costs while promoting transparency and improving security and expanded access to financial services, Villesenor says. He says that at GCash, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), the framework and the policies released by the central bank in recent years are

an inspiration for the fierce battles that it will face in the coming years. “The central bank is our mighty ally in the war for financial inclusion. With the framework now in full swing, we are aligned with the vision of bringing digital, cashless convenience to the Philippine market and beyond that, educating and empowering the unbanked and underserved to have access to financial products previously out of touch due to conservative and traditional banking policies and regulation. Aside from promoting financial inclusion, the goal of the NRPS is to increase the share of non-cash transactions from a measly 1 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2020. “At Mynt, we have three primary investors that we can draw our strengths from—Globe Telecom Inc., Ant Financial of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma and Ayala

Corp. This trifecta brings in the legacy of Globe’s GCash, a trusted brand in the country’s mobile money landscape, as well as the retail footprint of Ayala through its shopping malls and merchant network across the country,” he says. “Now add to this the technological innovations and consumer insights of Ant Financial being the world’s largest digital payments provider and the result is a reinvigorated GCash mobile app. More so, with a newfound operational efficiency, technical skill set and risk management, Mynt is able to offer beyond remittance and bills payments. GCash customers can now have access to credit, insurance and investments with digital convenience with a flick on their phone screens,” says Villasenor. “In our drive to scale up, we have meticulously segmented its target market and practical uses where its products will be relevant. From students

Mynt vice president and corporate communications group head Ney Villasenor

receiving allowances to employees sending money to loved ones across the archipelago, GCash has a solution to a wide range of financial needs at a cheaper cost relative to traditional means [such as domestic remittance via pawnshops],” he says. Turn to C2

Business

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 business@manilastandard.net

FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING SCHOOL PREPARES FOR GREATER HEIGHTS WORLD-CLASS MARINE PRODUCTS SHOWCASED AT NXTFOOD ASIA

THE Philippine archipelago is home to one of the richest and most diverse aquatic ecosystems in the world. It is through this that the country enjoys an abundance of commercial and domesticated fish, crustaceans and mollusks. These are distributed from major fish ports to all over the country and exported to nations like Europe and the US, with tuna being the largest fishery export from the Philippines followed by seaweed, shrimp and crab products. The fishing industry is a significant sector in the Philippines, contributing around 2 percent of the country’s GDP. The Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions will showcase what the Philippine seas have to offer in the global market at the upcoming IFEX Philippines NXTFood Asia on May 24 to 26 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. One of the new event features that will be unveiled this edition is The Cold Room: Seafood at Sub-Zero. This curated setting will feature the best export quality seafood from the country’s top and rising seafood exporters. To preserve the freshness of these marine products, the whole special setting will be housed in a specially designed cold storage facility custombuilt by Cold Front Technologies Asia, Inc. Trade buyers and visitors are invited to enter The Cold Room and experience temperatures below zero to see and taste the various selections of fresh, frozen and value-added Philippine seafood like tuna, seaweed, prawns, octopus and other high-value marine food products.

JOLLIVILLE OPENS P350-M WATER PARK IN MINDORO

JOLLIVILLE Holdings Corp., through subsidiary Jolliville Leisure and Resort Corp., opened on May 17, 2019 a P350-million water park in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. JOH chairman Jolly Ting said Jolly Waves Water Park and Resort features premium facilities complete with day-time accommodation, unique water amenities and function rooms. Jolly Waves is located in Sapul, Calapan City, a short 15-minute ride from Calapan Port. Ting said the project is the first water recreation facility in the area and is also considered one of the biggest in the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan region. “The theme waterpark is an integrated adventure park which features one of the biggest wave pools in the country, a treasure trove of slides, zip lines and sky bicycles. Pool playground, camp-pod accommodation, huts and cottages, a pool bar, a food park and a pavilion and events place are also available,” said Ting The P350-million investment is designed to bring world-class resort experience to its guests from the towns of Mindoro Island and from Luzon mainland. Oriental Mindoro is a gateway to Mimaropa region and the Visayas and is accessible from areas like Batangas, Caticlan, Iloilo and Palawan. As the regional hub of Mimaropa, Calapan also hosts major private and government regional offices. “The waterpark also adds to the leisure and tourist attractions and destinations of Oriental Mindoro, which boasts of its pristine beaches, caves, waterfalls and mountains,” Ting said. JOH is a diversified conglomerate with business interests in various industries that include real estate, power generation, water distribution, management, leisure and business process outsourcing.

TAGAYTAY: HOME TO BEST SUMMER EXPERIENCE

TAGAYTAY Highlands is the only mountain resort of its kind and scale near Metro Manila with its collection of themed residences spread around the 1,200-hectare development. It has become the favorite summer destination of the country’s elite, with themed homes in nature and an abundance of worldclass amenities all in one place wrapped in exclusivity and luxury. Nestled in one of the highest elevations in the Highlands, Woodlands Point is blessed with Tagaytay’s cool and misty weather, making it the perfect haven for urban dwellers who want to escape the frenzy of city life. Landscaped with thousands of Norfolk pines for an authentic mountaintop feel, Woodlands Point is a signature project of Highlands Prime Inc. The rustic charm of its log cabins promises indulgent countryside living, complemented by soothing vistas of the verdant mountains and Laguna de Bay. Another idyllic vacation spot in Tagaytay Highlands is Horizon Terraces—an integrated development at the Midlands that offers picture-perfect views of the world-famous Taal Lake, Mt. Makiling, Midlands golf course and its own central park. Its Garden Suites—master-planned oneand two-bedroom units amidst nature—are great for families or individuals who seek quick weekend getaways in exclusive and intimate settings. At tropics-inspired Vireya, the summer vibe is at its peak, played out in the tropical-resort-style homes that open up to the most alluring views of nature. As the first and only tropical resort community in Tagaytay Highlands, Vireya offers residents a charming blend of the cool mist of the mountains and the warmth of the tropics. With its accessible location just a 90-minute drive from the metro, Tagaytay Highlands is not only home to the best of summers but also a vacation destination any time of the year.

“We train them not just on academics but more importantly, character-building. We always reiterate that a flight attendant should have certain qualities someone who does not just work for money but knows what their purpose is for flying, someone who is loyal and will not jump from one airline to another,” Mortell said. Mortell has served as a cabin crew at Asiana Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines for eight years. “Being a flight attendant can just be the start to a continuous learning process. We have students who went on to become pilots for Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and other airlines,” said Cenn Nuyda, ICATS trainer for flight emergency procedures, aircraft familiarization and interview essentials. Nuyda is currently a senior cabin crew at Royal Air Charter Service Inc. and an in-flight consultant for SEAir International. ICATS has more than 1,100 graduates and most of them hold vital positions in prestigious local and international commercial airlines. As a way of giving back, ICATS is granting nine full scholarships to bright and deserving individuals. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, these nine ICATS founder and chief executive Princess Joy Garcia (fifth from left) with nine scholars scholars come from different backgrounds and and W.A.V.E. (Work Attitude Values Enhancement), various parts of the country. NTERNATIONAL Cabin “The moment I heard about ICATS was the first a program designed to help a company’s HR team Attendant Training School articulate its vision, mission and core values to time I set goals in my life,” said 22-year old Ferdinand Adriano from Pangasinan. “I considered becoming a employees to build a strong organizational culture. continues to fly high in its It is also conducting a “Me After College” which policeman and a soldier I wanted too many things mission to help young dreamers seeks to help fresh graduates prepare for their and I didn’t know what to do. Being an ICATS scholar professional life through image enhancement and is the first step towards a good future and I can already pursue a fulfilling career in the picture myself in this industry,” he said. job interview essentials. airline service industry. “I really wanted to become a flight attendant ICATS is reaching greater heights for its other core since I was young but I didn’t pursue it because I ICATS, an Ortigas-based school which was recently programs as well. “Through our campus program, international was afraid I might not be able to sustain the financial accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, was cited as the “Premier students have come to know us and have signed up demands of the tourism course,” said 21-year old Flight Attendant Training Center [National Awards]” for training. We also worked with two international Kristel Adriano from Bulacan who studied Finance and during the Elite Business and Leadership Awards schools this year and other schools will soon follow,” Treasury Management at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. “I heard of ICATS after I graduated and 2019 for its exemplary training programs and helping said De Leon. The “Campus Program” has three sub-programs: grabbed the opportunity to become a scholar.” develop professionals in other related industries. Other ICATS scholars include former overseas “When ICATS started, we only envisioned to set up Flight 101 (Introducing the Life of a Flight Attendant), a flight attendant school. Over the years, we saw the Flight 102 (Improving Personal Skills to Becoming an worker Hakim Bonsalagan from Isabela, accounting potential of expanding to the corporate arena,” said Airline Professional) and Flight 103 (Transforming graduate Franz Calbelo from Marikina, former Cebu airport intern Jessa Mae Cartagenas of Cebu, ICATS founder and chief executive Princess Joy Garcia. Flight Attendant Dreams to Reality). Meanwhile, the “Cabin Crew Program” remains Sangguniang Kabataan Councilor Kiara Celine Cruz “We want to help not just aspiring flight attendants but also fresh graduates who do not know where to the school’s flagship program with in-depth courses: from Bulacan, entrepreneurship graduate Diana Ruth start in their chosen fields,” said Arthuro de Leon, Direct Flight Program, Red-Eye Flight Program (for Dones from Mandaluyong, events professional Marie ICATS co-founder and program and training head. De working professionals who want to shift to a flight Erika Grajo from Quezon City, and tourism graduate Leon is a certified corporate image consultant who attendant career) and Connecting Flight Program (for Maria Milvette Lacatan from Taguig. These scholars will undergo training under the Direct Flight Program. trained at the Sterling Style Academy in New York and aspirants living outside of Metro Manila). What makes ICATS different from other training ICAT’s holistic training approach and job assistance has conducted personality development seminars for various top companies like Victory Liner, PNB program have been vital to the success of its schools or organizations is its strong family culture. “Our relationship with our students is not confined Savings, Megaworld, Chinabank Savings, Goldilocks graduates. “We do not just train flight attendants to make it within the four corners of the classroom. We have and Unipharma. For 2019, ICATS is launching two new sub-programs to the industry. The end goal is to help these young former students who still share with us their work and under its “Corporate Program” – the Corporate Image people excel,” said Naze Mortell, an ICATS trainer for even personal experiences. We go above and beyond Enhancement Program, which tackles dressing for personality development, Airbus on-board services what our job requires us to do and I think that’s what sets us apart,” said Mortell. success and cultivating a positive corporate image; and interview essentials.

ABOITIZ CONSTRUCTION GENERATED MORE THAN 6,000 JOBS IN 2018 CEBU CITY—Thousands of jobs have been created thanks to the sustained economic growth in the Philippines, with the construction sector touted as the largest contributor according to the 2018 Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority. The Aboitiz Group, through construction arm Aboitiz Construction Inc., is one of the biggest employers of Filipino skilled workers. It created 6,598 jobs in 2018 and earmarked 4,000 more vacancies in 2019 to meet job orders and contracted projects both for its local and international clients. At the business forum held by the Aboitiz Group in Cebu, Aboitiz Construction president and chief operating officer Albert Ignacio Jr. said the company has been bagging projects that require massive numbers of workers to meet the market demand. Among the big projects that the company has lined up for this year is the logistics facility of Metro Pacific Movers Inc. in Cavite province, called the South Mega Distribution Center. “With this, we really have to recruit aggressively at the sites where we construct our projects. About 85 percent of these jobs will be mobilized for our Visayas and Mindanao operations. This is how we deliver our brand promise to advance business and communities by delivering quality engineering,

GOLD... FromC1 He advises rich families to allocate about 5 percent to 10 percent of their wealth to gold investment. “Not everything. You can still invest in stocks, bonds, property and all these. We think 5 to 10 percent is enough,” he says. Rotbart, however, says the company does not promise any particular returns on investment. “The price of gold is the price of gold. It is like buying a house. If it goes up, it goes up. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. You cannot promise anything,” he says. “In times of political uncertainty, gold price usually appreciates in any country. In Vietnam, they buy a lot of gold because of high inflation. In Indonesia, they buy a lot of gold. India takes a quarter of the world’s gold. Another quarter is bought by China,” he says. Rotbart says the minimum investment is about $100,000 because the gold bars are stored in Hong Kong and Singapore which have tax-free vaults. J. Rotbart & Co. offers to handle the entire gold investment process for clients. “We make it our job to make it simple. We take care of ever ything. We take care of

Aboitiz Construction operates a five-hectare assembly and fabrication shop in Balamban, West Cebu where it employs at least 2,000 workers that process job orders for its international clients. The company announced it would need at least 4,000 workers over the next three to five years to meet job orders and contracted projects.

design and construction services that generate sustainable shareholder returns, provide nationbuilding opportunities for its suppliers and partners, and provide a safe workplace and rewarding careers for our Kauban employees,” he said. Aboitiz Construction’s shared value creating

selling the real gold, from good reputable refiners that are known internationally, mostly Swiss. We find them good storage facilities. We arrange for insurance. Later if they want to sell it, we sell it for them. We handle the entire process from A to Z,” says Rotbart. “Gold is a serious investment, so important that you assay its purity and examine its authenticity whether they are in the form of bars or coins. Safe storage is important to protect your high-value assets, and transportation must be done with top-notch security. If you’re not privy to this, then it’s highly recommended to ask professionals for help,” Rotbart says. Rotbart says the Philippines can become a center of gold trading in the region, because of its rich deposits of minerals. The challenge, he says, is that gold is highly taxed in the country. “We are confident that the market will grow here but the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] needs to change its policy and open the market like Singapore did which is now a big gold center. The Philippines can be in the same position because you mine gold and you buy gold. So assuming the government changes its policy, I see a bright future for the bullion market here,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

impact is a part of the company’s reputation as a trusted and respected engineering, design and construction company in the Philippines with a global footprint in 18 countries built over its 44 years of operations. The company’s projects range from storage tank construction and modular fabrication to engineering and design and site development catering to various clients in the shipbuilding, power, mining, manufacturing, logistics and housing and commercial sectors. With the anticipated growth in the infrastructure industry, Aboitiz Construction vice president for human resources Nina Pedro said there would be plenty of job opportunities for those in the engineering, architecture, project management, supply chain operations and for OFWs who wish to return to the country. “We anticipate large-scale projects to kick off this year which all require massive recruitment for skilled workers. Along with this, we are also looking for business development specialists, estimators, designers, project managers, supply chain and site human resources professionals to add to our teams. As our business grow and expand here and offshore, we will also grow our Kauban count and capability,” she said.

MYNT... From C1 Innovation also comes in the form of GCredit, which can lend money to individuals who would not have been able to access traditional bank loans or credit cards. The back-end of this innovation is taken care of Fuse, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt. Aligned with the NRPS, another critical component to sustaining the relevance of GCash is the payment acceptance ecosystem in traditional retail and online e-commerce space. GCash leads the industry with its robust portfolio of brands and establishments accepting QR payments—from food outlets, clothing and groceries. Enterprise solutions are also part of the business verticals being pursued by the company such as loan disbursements and payroll for SMEs who cannot afford to maintain expensive bank accounts for their employees. Getting a GCash account is now more convenient than before. With biometric identity capabilities that enables face authentication, anyone who wants to have the app no longer has to take out time to manually fill out forms and line up in a physical store for a face-to-face verification. With the KYC (know-your-customer)

procedure electronically democratized by the NRPS as e-KYC, a live video call is all that is needed to get accounts fully verified. This innovation definitely accelerates financial inclusion in the country while at the same time still compliant with the Anti Money Laundering Act and is considered to be one of the best practice in the industry, says Villasenor. “Still, the Philippines is still much of a cash-based economy and it will take some time to transform considering the cultural and practical attachments to cash transactions. The ambitious goal of increasing the non-cash transactions volume to 20 percent of the total is an ambitious goal, but it is still doable,” he says. Villasenor says to support the government in its endeavor, Globe has sustained its partnership with over 12,000 stores for account holders to convert their cash into electronic money. The cash-in procedure is made more convenient as it involves no cost to the customer, unlike other products in the market right now. The GCash platform, a zero-rated mobile application by Globe, is available to its 60 million subscribers anytime without consuming their data allocation. “Now that is truly financial inclusion and digital money convenience at the Filipino’s fingertips,” says Villasenor.

Tech & Gadgets

TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS STAND OUT AT SMART’S INNOVATION AWARDS T

RANSPORT solutions stood out from among 10 #FutureReady 5G and Internet of Things entries that vied for over one million pesos total worth of prizes at the Grand Finals of the 15th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards.

Spearheaded by Philippines’ leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, the SWEEP Awards is an annual competition that encourages innovation and excellence in wireless applications development among students of tertiary schools. The search is part of Smart’s Wireless Engineering Education Program, an industryacademe linkage initiative for colleges and universities that offer Electronics and Communication Engineering and Information Technology courses. Guided by #SWEEP15’s theme “#FutureReady: Creative Innovations Beyond Imagination”, judges narrowed down the competition from over 160 entries to the following 10 solutions: LYNIA by Asia Pacific College, ALERTO by Bicol University-Polangui Campus, MOSFAS by Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Palaymo by Mapua University, ARGOS by National Teachers College, BeeNotified and Smart FDAS by Technological University of the Philippines, Car Space by University of San Jose-Recoletos, iFarm by the University of the Cordilleras, and PONDORA by University of the Immaculate Conception. In the end, the grand prize was awarded to CarSpace by the University of San Jose–Recoletos. Stu-

This year’s podium finishers are teams from the University of San Jose-Recoletos, grand champion (center); Asia Pacific College, first runner-up (right); and Technological University of the Philippines-Manila, second runner-up.

Eventual grand prize winner CarSpace team from University of San Jose-Recoletos presents their parking solution during the final pitch.

dents Noel Daniel Seldura, Jesury Thomas Gadiane, and Kevin Cerdon developed the parking solution along with the help of men-

tor Eric Magto. The team received Php 300,000 cash and a slot for Huawei’s two-week technological study trip in China for their Seeds

for the Future program. Students from Asia Pacific College bagged the 1st runner up award for their LYNIA line queuing application and received a cash prize of Php 200,000. A standout among other 5G and IoT entries, bee-keeping innovation BeeNotified by students from the Technological University of the Philippines –Manila was named 2nd runner up and took home P100,000. All finalists were awarded with a cash prize of P50,000. Ericsson also presented Php 20,000 to the team from National Teachers for the People’s Choice award. For 15 years, Smart has partnered with SWEEP schools to help them produce industry-ready ECE and IT graduates by leveraging on its network, infrastructure and technologies. For more information on SWEEP, visit www.facebook.com/sweepschools or send an email to learnsmart@smart.com.ph.

EASYRFC’S BASKET FINANCING NOW AVAILABLE FOR SHOPEE PURCHASES FOR the past years, online shopping has grown exponentially among Filipinos who now see ecommerce as a convenient, more affordable, way of purchasing products. Shopee, the leading e-commerce platforms in the country, has pursued creative ways of attracting online shoppers and those who have not yet jumped on the bandwagon to try out and enjoy their app. With this goal in mind, Shopee has partnered with trusted and time-tested Radiowealth Finance Corporation to make shopping easier on the budget with what they call as, “basket financing”. “Basket financing” is a personalized financial and on-demand lending service meant to assist customers who need to purchase an item online through installment, “ said RFC Head of Business Development Victor Belgar. The collaboration between the country’s leading e-commerce platform and one of the country’s pillars in the financing industry will certainly make online shopping easier on the budget. The EASYRFC Shopping Credits will provide qualified Shopee users an option of availing a loan from P 7,000 to a maximum of P60, 000. Shopee users can choose among loan term spreads of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Once approved, they will receive their approved vouchers embedded in their Shopee accounts, which they can easily use upon checkout. “We are pleased to partner with Radiowealth Fi-

nance to give Filipinos even more choice and flexibility in payments on Shopee. As the first credit provider to offer shopping basket financing on Shopee, Radiowealth Finance helps Shopee with our mission to make online shopping accessible to all of our users,” says Martin Yu, Associate Director, Shopee Philippines. RFC Digital & Marketing Communications Manager Ruchell Salas revealed that this is just one among the many innovations on RFC Financing. “We are happy to be partnering with Shopee, because we understand that many of their customers can appreciate being given the option to purchase a need without sacrificing their budget. RFC will continue to build joint ventures with all our valued partners, so more Filipinos can benefit from this initiative.” Backed by a 55-year legacy as one of the country’s pillars in the financing industry, Radiowealth Finance Corporation has continued in its mission of serving the needs of Filipinos by customized

financing products and services that empower its customers. Founded by visionary Domingo Guevara, RFC remains true to its deeply-rooted commitment to develop and offer products and easy processing that cater to relevant market needs and demands, and remains one of the most respected and innovative financing companies in the Philippines. “Our commitment is to promote inclusion among the majority of Filipinos, as we continue to study, develop and offer financing products and services that are essential to our fellow countrymen. RFC’s expansion in providing financial services in the dynamic e-commerce industry is certainly an important step on addressing the growing number of Filipino netizens,” concludes RFC COO Erwin Chuaunsu. For more information on the EASYRFC basket financing service for Shopee, please visit the Shopee website at https://shopee.ph/. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

PAYPAL SURVEY: 92% OF FILIPINO FREELANCERS SAY JOB STABILITY A KEY CONCERN A RECENT online survey of Filipino freelancers by PayPal found that 92% of those surveyed saw “job stability” as a key concern for their careers. “The Philippines has one of the largest proportions of freelancers to total population in the world, with 2% of its economy made up of freelancers,” said Nagesh Devata, General Manager for PayPal Southeast Asia Cross-Border Trade. “While flexibility and autonomy are some of the core benefits of freelancing, participating in the gig economy does come with its own set of challenges – and job stability is one of them. As freelancers move from contract to contract, it’s difficult to forecast their businesses.” The survey was conducted by PayPal in April to better understand the needs of freelancers. The Philippines is home to a vibrant gig economy, with an estimated 1.5 million freelancers in the country. This is a segment that is fast becoming an influential part of the Filipino workforce and a key engine driving the growth of its economy. Aside from highlighting job stability as a key challenge, the survey also revealed the various strategies that freelancers employ to sustain a pipeline.

Freelancing for multiple clients

One of the key ways to ensure job stability is to freelance for multiple clients. As indicated in the survey, 64% of Filipino Freelancers say that ‘Having more than one client’ is important to succeeding as a freelancer. This allows them to hedge the unpredictability of work and diversify their income streams. Many have embraced this strategy with 6 in 10 of the respondents stating that they currently have two clients or more. “From working with the freelancer community in the Philippines for the past few years, we have seen that the more experienced freelancers have learned to work around the ‘job stability’ challenge by investing in client relationships and managing their time across multiple clients,” Devata said. This is evident in the survey results, where nearly 54% of the respondents stated that building client relationships is the best approach to improving job stability. Other approaches include charging higher rates (20%) and upskilling with additional training (14%). “As in any industry, an important aspect of creating stability in business is building new client relationships and maintaining existing ones. This is true for freelancers as well. Happy and loyal clients ensure sustainable long-term success,” Devata added. Even as freelancers look to increase their client pool to ensure job stability, they face the challenges that comes with having and juggling multiple clients. The respondents cited ‘Time management’ (69%) as the biggest challenge, followed by Different Client Requests (12%), and Building New Client Relationships (6%).

Seamless cross-border transactions

Another challenge to managing multiple jobs from various companies or employers across the globe is having a crossborder payments platform / system that allows freelancers to receive payment, and get paid on time. “Most of these freelancers work online and remotely for employers from outside the Philippines, with a majority of them from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. By facilitating cross-border payments seamlessly with our industry-leading products, strong strategic partnerships and global outreach PayPal is an international bridge for freelancers and businesses, especially SMEs. Besides providing freelancers access to funds quickly, we also empower them by providing access to global customers, helping them to widen and increase their client pool, which they’ve indicated in the survey is key to ensuring job stability for them,” Devata said.

INGRAM MICRO PH CELEBRATES 10T YEAR WITH ROCK MNL CONCERT REACHING a decade of doing business is no easy feat. It’s a milestone that a lot of companies dream of reaching. For Ingram Micro Philippines, it all started with a vision. From its small beginnings back in 2009 when they started with just a handful of employees, the family grew exponentially and became a home to over 2,500 employees to date. These associates served as the company’s unwavering foundation as it grew and blossomed. While the industry might have changed and shifted throughout the past decade, Ingram Micro PH’s steadfast commitment in providing exceptional customer experience and realizing the Promise of Technology™ thrusted it forward into where it is now. As a sign of gratitude to its partners and employees, Ingram Micro PH staged an exclusive friends-andfamily concert coinciding with its 10th year milestone. Dubbed Rock MNL, the party featured luminaries of the local music scene such as This Band, The Ransom Collective, December Avenue, Parokya ni Edgar,

and Ely Buendia. Hosting the event was the gorgeous and ever-bubbly Joyce Pring who lit up the crowd with her wit and banter. Junar Amador, Ingram Micro Philippines’ Managing Director beamed with pride as he bore witness to how the company blossomed into what it is today. Looking towards the future, Amador wants to hit the ground running and build upon the

Shown here are (from left) Ingram Micro Philippines HR Director Sam White; Ingram Micro Philippines Director for GBS Digitalization & Applications Kanishka Sinha; Ingram Micro Philippines Managing Director Junar Amador; Ingram Micro Philippines Finance Services Director Cees Schepers; Ingram Micro Philippines Finance Director Thomas Hasseneder; Ingram Micro Philippines Controllership and Purchasing Senior Manager Jun Meneses; Ingram Micro Philippines Legal Officer Atty. Jo Amoncio; Ingram Micro Philippines Manila Go-to Market Director Maan Ceville and Ingram Micro Philippines Service Delivery Excellence Director Dindo Gatan

Ely Buendia rocks the house

momentum the company currently has. “We have accomplished a lot together during our first

10 years and we have empowered thousands of businesses around the globe to realize their vision. Now more than

ever, we take our most important step to similar to the unconditional and unwavconquer new horizons,” Amador said. ering love of our parents who helped Ingram Micro is the world leader in and stood by us to realize the power of technology and IT supply chain services. our true potentials, Ingram Micro is also Founded back in 1979, it has expanded its reemphasizing its unrelenting comglobal network exponentially, providing mitment to Realize the Promise of support through approximately 35,000 Technology™, working silently at the world-wide associates and serving more background, connecting technologies to than 200,000 resellers in approximately millions of people all over the world. 160 countries. Recognizing the thriving To watch the Standy by Me video, click IT-BPM and Shared Services industry in the the link below: https://www.facebook.com/ Philippines and the excellence of its work- IngramMicroPH/videos/453623072050936? force, Ingram Micro made a significant s=1630664007&v=e&sfns=mo investment to establish its foothold in local shores. Its Manila Manila office opened its doors in 2009 Standard NOTICE OF LOSS and has since risen to the occaTODAY sion, becoming one of the most Notice is hereby given that Holy reputable and multi-awarded Garden Memorial Certificate of Shared Services companies in the country. Ownership with No. 943 and Deed of Also unveiled during the anSale with No. 2757 under the name niversary event was a short and of Angelita de Leon Manapat was heartwarming video produced declared lost as per Doc. No. 471; by Ingram Micro. Titled ‘Stand Page No.95; Book No. XXXVI, Series by Me’, the clip was released in of 2019; before Notary Public Atty. time for Mother’s Day not just Honorato J. De Leon, Jr. to give honor to the mothers but to also commemorate In(Manila Standard May 5, 12 & 19, 2019) gram Micro’s brand promise:

TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

XIAOMI BRINGS COMPACT, POWERFUL MI 9 TO PH

BRING GOALS TO LIFE WITH SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A WITH S PEN

IAOMI announced Mi 9 SE in the Philippines —the latest addition to the Mi 9 series.

Mi 9 SE is a compact flagship featuring Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 712 processor. With an 19.5:9 5.97“ Dot Drop display, Mi 9 SE’s size is comparable to a classic 5.1” smartphone. Like Mi 9, Mi 9 SE offers LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage, holographic rainbow spectrum surface on the back, 48MP camera using the Sony IMX586 sensor, as well as the latest in-screen fingerprint sensor module and multifunction NFC, making it a flagship within the compact phone category. “The Mi 9 SE is designed to give Mi fans the performance they need in a more compact package,” said Steven Shi, Head of Southeast Asia, Xiaomi. “It follows the Mi 9 series’ heritage of bringing flagship-level experience at a more affordable price, strengthening Xiaomi’s commitment to bringing value-for-money products to everyone.”

Beautifully designed for one-hand use

Mi 9 SE has an expansive 5.97” AMOLED Dot Drop display while retaining its small form factor. At only 155g and 7.45mm thick, Mi 9 SE is ultra-slim and light and is made for easy-one handed operation. Mi 9 SE also includes an improved in-screen fingerprint sensor for a faster unlocking experience.

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 712—faster and more power efficient

Mi 9 SE is the first device powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 712 Mobile Platform, an upgrade from the Snapdragon 710. Built with a 10nm processor consisting the Kryo™ 360 CPU (2.3GHz maximum clock speed) and Ad-

reno™ 616 GPU, Mi 9 SE is engineered to handle even the most demanding tasks and delivers up to 35% improved graphics performance and power efficiency compared to its predecessor.

48MP ultra-high resolution triple camera

Mi 9 SE sports a triple camera setup with a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor. Capture 48MP ultraclear shots in daytime or 12MP in low-light conditions, when four pixels combine into one large 1.6-micron pixel. Mi 9 SE is also capable of taking 123° ultra-wide angle shots for landscape and architectural photographs, or shooting beautiful

portraits with its telephoto lens. The Mi 9 SE 6+64 GB variant will be available in black and blue colors for Php 15,990 on Lazada and at the soon-to-be-opened Mi Authorized Store in Robinsons Manila on May 18. It will soon roll out to other Mi Authorized stores. Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 9 July, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core. With the vision of being friends with its users and being the “coolest company” in the hearts of its users, Xiaomi is committed to

continuous innovation, with an unwavering focus on quality and efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology. Xiaomi is currently the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand, and has established the world’s largest consumer IoT platform, with more than 150.9 million smart devices (excluding smartphones and laptops) connected to its platform. Currently, Xiaomi products are present in more than 80 countries and regions around the world and have a leading foothold in many markets.

MY HOME CREDIT APP: YOUR FINANCIALL BFF THE era of smartphones and mobile apps has made the world so much smaller and accessible to all of us. With just a swipe of our finger, we can now have a hot meal delivered to our home, shop without having to brave long queues at the mall, and even have someone do the groceries for us. Nowadays, money is not the only thing that makes the world go round, technology does too. So what happens when you mix both? Home Credit Philippines’ My Home Credit App is an example of one good thing you get when you marry the two. The app, which has been installed in 1.5 million smartphone users, is the digital gateway to the consumer financing provider’s products and services. Having built itself as a market leader in the industry by providing installment loans to those who used to have no access to it, HCPH is now digitizing their products and services— with their mobile app at the heart of it. Check out the list below to know all the cool features of the app. 1. Get payment reminders, loan updates, and check payment history. Tracking due dates can be a little challenging so the My Home Credit App made it easier by sending notifications for payments. Customers are re-

minded of their payment dates a few days before they are due and they also get notifications during the day itself in case they missed it. Loan details such as the remaining balance and payment history are also available via the app’s interface. It’s like having a personal loan manager on your mobile. 2. Chat with an agent. Get instant access to a Home Credit agent via the app through the live chat feature. Those who have downloaded the app no longer need to make long phone calls or wait for an email reply with this function that instantly connects them to Home Credit. 3. Get access to additional products. Eligible existing customers have the option to apply for an additional cash loan or credit card on top of their existing loans through the My Home Credit Mobile App. For the cash loan, the customer only needs to click the Apply Now button, fill up their details, and wait for the result of their application. Once approved, they can easily pick up their cash from any Home Credit partner store in two business days. Customers who are eligible for a credit card, on the other hand, will be automatically directed to the customer service hotline to apply. 4. Apply for app-exclusive products.

A cash loan without any lengthy papers and dozens of documents? Eligible new customers can have access to this by applying to the appexclusive cash loan of Home Credit. The process is as simple as it gets. Customers only need to hit the Apply Now button, key in the promo code needed to unlock the loan offer, and provide their loan preference and personal details. Pre-approved customers will be notified of the results of their application within one hour* and be asked to visit the nearest Home Credit partner store to verify their identity with a sales associate. 5. Apply for auto-debit payments. Keeping track and making payments can be a hassle for some, so the My Home Credit App gives customers the option to set auto-debit payments for their loans. The mobile app user only needs to provide their bank account details to allow automatic deduction from their account and skip going to payment centers. Excited to try the mobile app? You can download the My Home Credit app at the Play Store now. You can also visit our website at https://www.homecredit. ph/ or follow our Facebook page at https://web.facebook.com/homecreditph/ to know more about it. *applications after 9PM will be processed the next day.

LIVING inspired is one of the goals of a new generation of go-getters. For them, they have to thrive in every aspect of their life, whether it’s in their career or their personal time. Samsung launched a range of tablets to support their passions, including the Galaxy Tab A with S Pen, now available in stores. The tablet is designed for moments of creativity and productivity to let users bring their goals to life. The Galaxy Tab A comes with a portable S Pen to help creators reimagine and execute ideas. It is ideal for sketching and writing when inspired, and taking notes for bursts of productivity. The pen is embedded in the tablet’s sleek body and is lightweight at 2.8 grams. The tablet is designed with an 8.0” screen with a narrow bezel for an optimal viewing experience. Those looking to stream content can enjoy a cinematic feel with vivid, bright, and crisp details. It also comes with a blue light filter that turns on with a single tap to reduce emissions and protect the eyes at night. The Galaxy Tab A with S Pen is designed to keep up with even the busiest trailblazer, as it is equipped with an octacore processor that can seamlessly handle multiple apps. It comes with a built-in 32GB of storage space, but can be expanded up to 512GB. The tablet is powered by a 4,200 mAh battery that allows users to take advantage of the device all day with just a single charge. Available in gray and black colors, the Galaxy Tab A with S Pen can now be purchased at any Samsung Authorized stores nationwide with a suggested retail price of P15,990. For more information, visit the Samsung Facebook page or log on to samsung.com/ph.

BEAUTY BLOOMS WITH VIVO V15 LIMITED-EDITION BLOSSOM PINK

VIVO is introducing a limited-edition Blossom Pink color to its V15 smartphone to bring a touch of tender summer feels while evoking affection and sweetness. V15 handsets with the exclusive color variant which celebrates the season of bloom will be available at selected stores nationwide, until supplies last. Aside from its refreshing Blossom Pink color, the Vivo V15 sports a 6.53-inch Ultra FullView display to provide a 90.95% screen-to-body ratio for an immersive viewing and gaming experience. The handset has a 32MP Elevating Selfie Camera and an AI-powered triple rear camera setup of 24 Million Photographic Units, 8MP AI Super Wide-Angle camera, and 5MP Depth

Camera. The AI Super Wide-Angle camera is perfect for capturing amazing landscape and panoramic shots of summer. The Vivo V15 is powered by the Helio P70 with 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. It is available for only P17,999 (SRP) and also comes in standard Topaz Blue and Glamour Red colors. Vivo is a leading global technology company committed to creating trendsetting smart mobile innovations and services. Vivo is devoted to forming a vibrant mobile internet ecosystem, and currently owns and operates an extensive network of research operations, with R&D centers focusing on the development of cutting-edge consumer technologies including 5G, AI, mobile

photography and next-generation smartphone design. In recent years, Vivo has taken frequent efforts in the sports field and is committed to promoting the mutual penetration of the brand’s diverse fields and diversifying its brand image. Vivo Philippines announced its partnership with the NBA by the end of 2018. Currently, Vivo has over two hundred million users enjoying its mobile products and services around the world. Vivo is present in 18 markets globally and features offline retail stores in over 1,000 cities worldwide. In the Philippines, Vivo is the top3 smartphone brand in terms of market share with 1.5 million users nationwide.

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

The Benedictine Monastery of Transfiguration, a peaceful haven for city-weary souls, is home to Monk's Blend Premium Coffee and Monk's Peanut Butter.

BASK IN THE BEAUTY

OF BUKIDNON

ORE than being the “food basket of Mindanao,” Bukidnon offers a mix of exciting activities and rich culture set amidst its vast picturesque countryside, densely forested mountains, and sloping terrains. Perhaps unknown to many, the landlocked province is a destination for both thrill-seekers hungry for adventure and vacationers looking for an idyllic respite.

which takes place from midFebruary until March 10. An ethnic cultural festival held in Malaybalay City, it celebrates the tradition and culture of the province’s tribes namely the When to go Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, The perfect time to visit is Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahaduring the Kaamulan Festival non, and Umayamnon.

complemented by lush pine trees. It also offers lodging and familyfriendly activities like zipline, ropes courses, boot camps, drop zones, and many more. Adrenaline junkies can also head over to Kampo Juan, a nine-hectare eco-adventure park located in the municipality of Manolo Fortich. Visitors can experience the Philippines’ first anicycle, as well as zipline rides, rappelling, and paramotoring. Those looking for a different What to do kind of adventure can enjoy the Head to Dahilayan Adventure stunning nature while glamourPark and Dahilayan Forest Park and camping and horseback riding at bask in its cold weather perfectly Turn to D2

The festival started in 1974 and soon became a regional festival of Northern Mindanao. Every year, the municipalities of the province represent the seven tribes in a lavishly colorful street dancing competition. The highlight of the month-long celebration opens with a tribal ritual marking the start of the festivities, and culminates with tribal music and dance that depict scenes from authentic Bukidnon folk tales.

NUEVA VIZCAYA CELEBRATES CULTURAL DIVERSITY EMBRACED by the mighty mountain ranges of the Cordillera, Caraballo, and Sierra Madre, Nueva Vizcaya is home to 18 indigenous peoples which include the major tribes of Ifugaos, Gaddangs, Isinais, Dumagats, Kalanguyas, and Bugkalots. With such a diverse demographic profile, the Cagayan Valley region province enjoys a colorful culture, something that it takes pride in and celebrates during its Ammungan Festival.

St. Vincent Ferrer Church, an 18th-century Baroque church in Dupax Del Sur.

The 11th staging of the festival on May 22-26 will mark Nueva Vizcaya’s 180th founding anniversary when it was separated from its mother province of Cagayan in 1839 by a Spanish royal decree. The five-day festivity is coined from the Gaddang word “ammungan” and the Ilocano “ummungan” which both mean “gathering.” Governor Carlos Padilla said the festival will showcase the strides made by the province in terms of economy, tourism, governance, and respect for indigenous peoples' rights.

CULTURE AND NATURE. Bukidnon is a destination filled with colorful traditions, nature, and exciting adventures. The Kaamulan Festival celebrates the tradition and culture of the province's seven tribes (top); The Dahilayan Adventure Park offers a variety of thrilling activities (bottom)

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF TOURISM MERCURY RISING BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

WE CAN see how serious the country is in further strengthening our tourism industry because we often hear of events that continue to upgrade the knowledge and skills of our inGo Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat dustry players. led the 10,000 participants to the summit. Just the other day, Go Negosyo and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council well attended Tourism Summit 2019 business chambers, tourism orgaPhilippines, together with the De- to discuss the business aspect of our nizations, business groups whose member-enterprises are related to partment of Tourism and the Tour- tourism industry. ism Promotions Board hosted a very Also in attendance were several the tourism industry, students from

approximately 100 universities and colleges, government officers from around the country, and the diplomatic corps. Organizers readily claimed that around 10,000 delegates participated in the whole-day event. The program included five very interesting fora which corresponded to the 5As of tourism. Each forum had an illustrious set of panelists who were considered the leading personalities in a particular sector of the industry, discussing all business opportunities related to such sector. The first forum tackled ARRIVAL, discussing more channels for tourists’ arrival, whether by air, sea, or land. There was talk of boosting investment in building airports, seaports, and other transportation hubs in strategic points in the country, like Turn to D2

The Ammungan Festival features a parade of floats.

This year’s theme, “Unity: Foundation of Success for the Province of Nueva Vizcaya,” will celebrate the peaceful coexistence of peoples from various cultural roots. Festivities will kick off on May 22 with an agri-trade fair, Gawang Vizcayano exhibit, landscaping contest, family day, Laro ng Lahi, the Saniata ti Vizcaya pageant, community medical services, and evening musical show. There will also be a three-day Arts and Music Festival at the People’s Museum and Library, the former capitol building which was recently declared by the National Museum as an Important Cultural Property Turn to D2

Destinations

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

THE BUSINESS...

From D1

Laoag, Subic-Clark, Manila, Cebu, and Davao. These hubs can serve as centers of business for SMEs, especially in retail and in service. The second forum discussed ACCESS, meaning, the physical infrastructure that can make it easy for tourists to travel to a certain destination. There is a need to build additional highways and roads which can conveniently connect the tourists to the airports, their accommodations or their sightseeing destinations. But, not just that, access also refers to the network of utilities, such as power, water, and communication services. The third forum centered on ACCOMMODATIONS which should be available to all kinds of tourists, from backpackers, to budget travelers, to discriminating luxury guests. Of course, the discussion here covered our luxury hotels, resorts, condotels, B&Bs, inns, lodges, and homestays. The fourth forum covered ATTRACTIONS which our country has plenty of, whether man-made or natural. And, as expected, a long discussion on sustainability ensued. As we all know, this is a big problem our country is currently facing. We have the beautiful attractions but we don’t have an effective monitoring system that will ensure sustainability of our local points of interest. We learned a very expensive and daunting lesson with Boracay. The last forum was on ACTIVITIES which include festivals, cultural events, sports events, shopping, etc., meant to further enhance the tourists’ experience while they are visiting a particular destination in our country.

GOING AROUND MUSEUMS IN MANILA

TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE. Check out the zoological, botanical, and geological specimens displayed the National Museum of Natural History.

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is the fact that it has never tried to contact us!

Joey Concepcion, Go Negosyo founder and presidential assistant for entrepreneurship, hit it right on the head when he said that tourism has been a core industry in our country for several decades now and will continue to be so because ours is a country blessed with beautiful natural attractions. I hasten to add to that our uniqueness as a people—our innate warmth, hospitality, and alluring mystique which can easily mesmerize first-time travelers to our country—ensures us a steady flow of tourists. Thank God for our President’s Build, Build, Build initiative. It paves the way for more domestic destinations for tourists to choose from. This spreads the tourism “bounty” to the other parts of our country, improving their economy and the overall status of our countrymen in those areas. This is why playmakers in the business and tourism sectors are all over the place, finding ways to make the industry as vibrant as possible. As Joey Concepcion rightfully declares, “A boost in tourism is a boost to our economy.” Of course, when the economy is on the upswing, it’s definitely going to be “more fun in the Philippines.” For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

The world turns upside down at the wacky Upside Down Museum.

ID you know that you can visit various museums in the metro by simply getting on the LRT-1?

In celebration of International Museum Day on May 18, ikotMNL, a tourism campaign launched by the Light Rail Manila Corporation in 2018, shared an itinerary that brings art, science, and curious enthusiasts to different museums in Manila. Art and design lovers can start by visiting the Yuchengco Museum in the beating heart of the business district in Makati, one jeep ride away from the Gil Puyat LRT station. The museum houses some of the finest contemporary and historical artwork and design exhibitions that enthusiasts will definitely appreciate. More museums await at the next station, Vito Cruz. Drop by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Manila for more Filipino art, then head to the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design Manila in De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s School of Design and Arts to take a look at the latest and cutting-edge in avant-garde and new media. Walk through the country’s

monetary history at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Money Museum nearby, then take a wild trip to the nearby Upside Down Museum for a fun time. Venture further up the LRT-1 line and get off at United Nations Avenue station, where the National Museum Complex is located. Marvel at the very best of Filipino art at the National Museum of Fine Arts, where the famous “Spoliarium” is exhibited among other legendary works by Luna, Rizal, Amorsolo, and other masters. Head over to the National Museum of Anthropology and Natural History as well as the renovated National Planetarium, then cross over to Intramuros for the newly opened Museo de Intramuros. The National Museum Complex is also accessible as part of ikotMNL’s eight-hour “Grand Manila Special Day Tour,” which includes cultural trips to Binondo and Malate, and the six-hour “Manila, My Manila! Tour,” which takes tourists to historical spots in Intramuros, Binondo, and Quiapo.

Museo de Intramuros and National Museum of Natural History are just two of the many museums that await explorers in Manila.

BASK...

From D1

Street dance competition showcases contemporary renditions of ethnic dances.

NUEVA...

From D1

The locus of the cultural extravaganza will be on May 24 with the parade of floats; street dance competition, which will feature municipal contingents interpreting contemporary renditions of ethnic dances; and the Ummungan Ti Umili: People’s Night. The festival will also recreate the locals' way of life at the municipal booths which will display organic agricultural produce, processed food, and ethnic souvenirs and crafts. Spicing up the celebration are fringe activities such as a motor show, talent contests, an endurance challenge, a historical congress and a farmers’ day.

Montesclaros Farm in Valencia. Bukidnon is also known for agricultural tourism. Surrounded by deep ravines, thickly forested terrains, farms, and vast pineapple and banana plantations, tourists can immerse themselves in the local culture through physical activities such as planting, harvesting, and sampling crops. Tourists can also check out Atugan Farms and see how Hinabol, a traditional Higaonon fabric, are woven from abaca fibers. These enriching activities provide sustainable earnings for farmers and the local community. After a series of physical activities, tourists can rejuvenate their minds, bodies, and spirits at the Benedictine Monastery of Transfiguration. Located in the capital city, the monastery is a peaceful haven for the city-weary souls. Curiously, it is also the home of Monk’s Blend Premium Coffee and Monk’s Peanut Butter, world-class products that have found their way to Manila’s high-end supermarkets. Of course, any tour is never complete without trying out the local delicacies. Complete the whole Bukidnon experience by tasting the world’s sweetest pineapples found right here. Another must-taste is binaki—ground corn with powdered milk, baking powder, and sugar boiled in corn husks.

How to get there

The best air entry point to Bukidnon is from Cagayan De Oro through Laguindingan Airport. The Davao International Airport is also an option. Sea transport includes ferries offered by Superferry, 2Go, Trans Asia Shipping Lines, and Sulpicio Lines. Once in CDO, head to the Agora Bus Terminal in Lapasan and take the red Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. (RTMI) bus going to Bukidnon. Tourists may also rent a van or a taxi for convenience. Go to www.visitregion10.com for more information.

Enjoy the view of Bukidnon from a zipline.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

FUN TRIP WITH STRANGERS IN

‘SUMMER SQUAD GOALS’

Tom Taus

TOP BANDS, DJS SIZZLE AT SARBAY FEST THE country’s top rock bands and deejays will sizzle as they rock the famed Gumasa Beach for the Sarangani Bay (SarBay) Festival, the country’s biggest and hippest beach party, set on May 30 to June 1. Opening the three-day event is the San Miguel Night featuring sought-after band Rocksteddy, and DJs Kouta Kutsuma and Cupcakes. The fun continues on the second night with the Bay Bodies ’19 pageant, DJ Battle, and the Talk N Text party featuring 6Cyclemind, DJ Marc Marasigan, and DJ Kat.

OIN Ken Chan, Rita Daniela, Kiray Celis, and David Licauco as they go on a trip with complete strangers and experience one of their most exciting summer adventures in GMA News and Public Affairs’ Summer Squad Goals.

SUMMER SQUAD. (From top, counterclockwise) Ken Chan, Rita Daniela, Kiray Celis and David Licauco embark on a summer adventure trying out destinations hit to thrill-seeking millennials.

TONY’S SEXY SUMMER DUTY IT’S the hottest summer yet, more so with hunky actor-musician Tony Labrusca stepping in as ABS-CBN Lifestyle’s newest celebrity guest editor. Back on primetime TV as one of the actors in Sino Ang May Sala?: Mea Culpa, Tony takes on the role of #ABSCBNLifestyleInspo and tells all about family, fitness, relationships, and other stories chronicling his journey. Always trending and one of the most talented of his contemporaries, Tony also banners this year’s batch of #ABSCBNLifestyleHotshots. He leads a select and stellar group of newcomers the site is betting on to be the next big thing in local entertainment, namely Ion Perez, Josh Colet, Rhys Miguel, Daryl Ong, Luis Hontiveros, Luke Conde, and Kirk Bondad. In a series of articles, videos, and Facebook Live sessions, these hotties spill the beans on fame, fitness secrets, and (past) flings.

This May, ABS-CBN Lifestyle also honors “Mod Moms” or celebrity moms who manage their family and career in optimal style. The series of features also includes the celebs’ children for a truly star-studded cast: singers Jessa Zaragoza and Jayda, journalist Ces Drilon and model son Andre, model/host Phoemela and model/former PBB housemate Kim Baranda, and PR maven Apples Aberin and host Sam Sadhwani. In a special series of articles and one-on-one interview sessions, the celebrity pairs tearfully open up on what makes their relationships unique. Check out the exciting reads and videos with Tony, April-May’s ABSCBN Lifestyle Inspo. Catch more Inspiring Stellar Stories on ABS-CBN Lifestyle by logging on to Lifestyle.ABS-CBN.com and following the site through its social media accounts.

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

Ken and Rita, Kiray, and David join three different “joiner tour packages”—each with unique destination that is a current hit to thrill-seeking millennials. A joiner tour is a vacation package where a traveler signs up to go on a trip with a random group of people. They are usually strangers who booked for the same travel dates. Such package offers cheap rates with the total expenses—including van rental, accommodation, food, and tours--divided among those availing of the offer. Each group is composed of eight to twelve travelers. But here’s the twist: they do not know that Kapuso stars will be part of the group until the day of their departure. One of the items in the itinerary this Sunday is the fast-becoming favorite destination Jomalig Island. Join Chinito heartthrob David Licauco as he explores this island paradise in Quezon with his newfound barkada. The six-hour boat ride to the place takes them to an island surrounded with gold and white sands and clear turquoise waters. David’s experience gets more memorable as one of the joiners spring a wedding proposal to his girlfriend during the trip. Love You Two’s Kiray, on the other hand, joins a set of travelers headed to Burias Group of Islands in Masbate. The tour takes them to five islands boasting of white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and huge rock formations where one can camp and relax with the waves—definitely worth that Instagram post! Finally, the #BoBrey love team—Ken and Rita— visits some of the famous destinations in Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon. Bringing kilig to their group, Ken and Rita travel to Mayon Volcano where they can see the Cagsawa Ruins and join their cotravelers in riding an ATV. They also take part in the extreme adventures of Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC), and lounge along the pink sand of Subic Pink Beach in Matnog, Sorsogon. Along the journey will be interesting stories from the Kapuso stars and other backpackers who crave for adventure and fun. There’s no room for #FOMO this season so catch Summer Squad Goals at 3:30 this afternoon on GMA 7.

Ben & Ben The festivity draws to a close on June 1 with the Globe party series featuring Ben & Ben, and deejays Tom Taus and Carlo Atendido. Now on its 12th edition, this year’s festivity is themed “Neon Summer” which will showcase the tourism gems of the Soccsksargen Region, where Sarangani has been the top tourist destination for 2018. The event draws more than 100,000 guests and stresses environmental awareness among party-goers, with activities such as beach cleanups, mangrove tree-planting, and scuba cleanups. According to Sarangani governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, this year’s edition will celebrate the innovations the beach event has undergone through the years, most notably its advocacy for sustainable tourism and family-oriented recreation. “The Provincial Government of Sa-

Rocksteddy rangani, along with the Department of Tourism, is committed to inculcate the importance of continuous awareness to protect and preserve the resources of Sarangani Bay,” he said. Located in Glan town, Gumasa Beach is regarded as Mindanao’s beach capital with its long stretch of powdery sand, crystalline water, scenic coves, and cozy boutique hotels and restaurants. SarBay Fest officially kicks off with the 15-km Swim Across the Bay relay, Asia’s most extreme swimming event, followed by sporting events such as SarBay Strongman, beach volleyball and football, skim boarding, frisbee, jet ski race, bancathon, mountain bike, skim boarding, and frisbee tournaments. Spicing up the fest are Zumba sessions with the Legendz, drum beating competition, firedancing exhibitions, body painting, and family sand sculpture contests. SarBay Fest is organized by the Sarangani Provincial Tourism Council and supported by the Province of Sarangani, DOT Region 12, and the Municipality of Glan. It is a consistent recipient of the Best Tourism Event Award from the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines. For updates, visit the Sarangani Bay Festival official fan page on Facebook.

6Cyclemind

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets

DETECTING STRESS IN CATS

T IS important to always observe your cat and be on the alert for signs of stress. A change in behavior can be a sign that your cat is sick and needs medical attention immediately. “Stress can make anyone a little crazy, even our cats. The tricky part is while the anxiety and fear associated with stress affects our cats in much the same way it does us, most cats tend to hide and mask their inner turmoil. Even worse, stress can be an indication that your cat has a health issue,” said PetMD in “10 Signs Your Cat Might be Stressed.” Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., a certified applied animal behaviorist, said “chronic stress can even ‘suppress the immune response, causSanti, a white two-three week old kitten when rescued by Save ALL, loves to hide under chairs and play with his brother Seb, ing a broad range of illnesses.’” also an odd-eyed cat. PetMD listed down some signs of stress that an owner has to — especially if your cat is not the watch out for, specially if it occurs typical ‘talker.’ If it does happen, suddenly in your cat. take your cat to the veterinarian 1. Your cat urinates outside the rather than try to crack the kitty litter box. language code, “ PetMD stressed. It may be annoying, smelly and 7. Your cat’s appetite is less than difficult to clean, but please pay her usual appetite. attention when your cat urinates “Cats don't go on fasts or diets like outside the litter box. we do so it's important to consult a “Cats that urinate outside the litveterinarian if your cat suddenly loster box are trying to tell us somees interest in cat food or stops eating thing. Consult your veterinarian or altogether,” PetMD warned. a veterinary behaviorist to find out 8. Your cat sleeps more than he what it is, “ PetMD said. used to do. 2. Your cat has diarrhea, constiCats can sleep up to 20 hours a pation and other digestives issues. day but this does not mean your This is indicative of a possible cat will. medical condition which requires “By now you will have become a visit to the veterinarian. accustomed to his or her sleeping 3. Your cat excessively grooms schedule. Speak with your veteriherself. narian if your cat is sleeping more “Cats are known for their fastidithan usual or seems overly letharous grooming, but licking themgic, “ said PetMD. selves raw or bald is a clear sign 9. Your cat is aggressive towards of distress. Skip the groomer and other animals. go straight for the vet's office, “ A cat who fights or is aggressive PetMD stressed. towards other pets in the house4. Your cat scratches excessively. hold may be sick or stressed. Another indication of several “Consult your veterinarian or health and behavioral issues is exa veterinary behaviorist before cessive scratching. the problem gets worse, “ Pet5. Your cat wants to be alone all MD suggested. Nagui and Lian, gray pusang Pinoys or puspins, were rescued along the busy of a sudden or prefers isolation. 10. Your cat is aggressive toNaguillan Road going down from Baguio to La Union. They were abandoned “Aloofness is second nature to wards people. beside the road. Humans can be that cruel. cats. However, a cat should not “A stressed or sick cat may also be actively and constantly hiding rier, go to the vet, “ PetMD said. “Many find the tone of a cat display aggression towards people, from you and everyone else in the 6. Your cat “talks” a lot. ‘talking’ quite soothing, but be even you. Again, it's best to consult house. Once you've managed to Excessive vocalization indicates wary of unusually long or recur- your veterinarian or a veterinary bewrangle him or her into a cat car- a problem in a cat. ring bouts of panicked meows haviorist immediately, “ PetMD said.

By Kaira Lorraine

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.

MINEA is a one-year and five-month old Pomeranian who is very energetic and playful around people she knows. “She loves roaming round the house and following her owners wherever they go, “ owner Lucille Maximo said. “Minea also likes human snacks so much that she's already familiar with the sound of a plastic wrapper of a biscuit or junk food. Whenever she hears the sound of a plastic wrapper, she'll bark as loud as she can, “ Lucille adds. “Another thing that this pom loves the most is a belly rub!” Lucille says. Whenever her owners try to rub her belly, she will roll over her back and enjoy it. 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.

A HAPPY CHAOS WITH A RESCUED DOG NAMED JACKIE

HE LIVED in the house in front of our apartment, tied to the door. He had the pavement as his bed and he had no water bowl. His owners never spent time with him. They just walked over him like he did not exist. For a long time, this was his life, day in, day out. I had been seeing Jackie, then five months old, like this that I told my mother how angry I was at his owners for neglecting him. Jackie used to be beautiful and he looked like our oldest dog. On March 31, a Sunday, I was home alone, cooking, when I suddenly had this strong urge to go out and take a peek at Jackie. I saw Jackie walking weakly. He looked so sad, like he was carrying a heavy burden of some sort. I fed him a leftover hotdog. He was a very shy pup, I noticed. After that, I could not stop thinking about him. I was worried for him and angry at his owners as well. I decided to bring him to our house to feed him but he did not eat. He just slept. When my mother came home, she asked me what Jackie was doing in front of our house. I told her that they just cut him loose because he was sick. He had a wound on his armpit. He had dry, cracked skin. I saw how unhappy he was. There was something wrong with his feet, too. My mom and I did not actually talk about adopting Jackie. We already had

Jackie loves to put his head on Kaira's lap. This makes him feel secure.

Jackie, rescued when he was about five months old.

three dogs and six cats by then. Our apartment is small. But we had this silent understanding that Jackie would be part of our family from then on. We are not rich so we tried to find alternative and cheaper ways to treat him. We saw him improve as the days passed. After a week of being with us, super shy Jackie now greets us with a wagging tail. He goes on hunger strikes whenever he does not like the food but he eats with gusto when we give him meat

and spaghetti. He likes to climb up my lap and sleep there. He loves tummy rubs and especially loves his bed which is just an old pillow. Jackie slowly learned to mingle with our other pets. Rescuing Jackie was something I did not think about. I just did what I thought should be done, what I believed was right. Jackie did not deserve to be treated like an unfeeling object . He did not

deserve to be robbed of puppyhood in the manner his owners treated him: tied to a door and outside the house, unloved, with not even a water bowl. Strays are also dogs who deserve to be loved and cared for. Aspins do not deserve to live on the streets. They deserve to have a loving home. Having Jackie made our lives more meaningful. He makes me smile as he would bark and growl at the same time whenever he does not get what he wants. He makes us happy just by existing, just by being there with us. Someday soon, Jackie will totally heal and live a happy life together with our other furbabies which ALL dogs deserve. I know there will a ME shouting NO and telling our dogs not to play roughly. It will be a total chaos. But it is going to be a happy chaos.

Handsome Jackie on his new and favorite sleeping place: an old pillow.

Jackie is getting better with treatment, lots of love and a sense of belonging in Kaira's pack. He is now one of the "boys," a happy "boy" at that.