Manila Standard - 2019 December 15 - Sunday

PNP ON HIGH ALERT FOR 'SIMBANG GABI'

By Francisco Tuyay

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 304 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE Philippine National Police has placed all its units in Luzon and the Visayas on high alert in time for the start of “Simbang Gabi”tomorrow— a nine-day novena ending on Dec. 24—aimed at addressing safety and security concerns during the Yuletide.

PNP Officer-in-Charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa issued PNP Command Memorandum Circular “Paskuhan” 2019 where 69,335 PNP personnel, reinforced by 157,264 Force Multipliers, will be mobilized for law enforcement and public safety operations to implement the PNP Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) Strategy.

The PNP troop deployment plan for Paskuhan 2019 will cover community firecrackers and display zones, assistance hubs, places of worship, commercial centers, road safety points, sea ports, train stations, and airports.

Other units will be deployed for anti-criminality operations, antimotorcycle-riding suspects, and reactionary standby support force.

Gamboa ordered stepped-up police visibility and preventive patrol operations to ensure safety and security of church-goers attending the traditional Simbang-Gabi.

He instructed all Police Regional Directors to strengthen night shift personnel and redirect mobile and foot patrol operations to maximize police visibility around churches where parishioners gather to attend the traditional dawn masses or Misa de Gallo.

Turnto toA2 A2 Turn

CONGRESS TO END WATER DUOPOLY

GOV'T SLAMS NPA ATTACK IN E. SAMAR

By Francisco Tuyay and Vito Barcelo

ROASTED PIG. With only a couple of days to the official start of the Christmas season, prices of roasted and suckling pigs in Metro Manila’s La Loma District have started to pick up from the P700 per kilo—with buyers unmindful of the guilt-inducing serving of this Filipino relished food on the Christmas table. Manny Palmero

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

PARTY-LIST legislator has intimated President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress would join hands to destroy the duopoly of Maynilad and Manila Water in distributing water services in the metropolis following their threats to impose higher rates against consumers.

House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera of Ang Bagong Henerasyon Party-list group said in a statement Saturday their threats of higher rates and of other dire consequences as a result of the cancellation of the extension of their

agreements with the government would not work.

“Incoming concessionaires can always pay off whatever claims of the old concessionaires may have as long as proper auditing procedures are done so that the consumers will

be protected,” Herrera said.

Herrera, who started to investigate these allegedly onerous water contracts in 2010, said the Philippine Competition Commission and the Department of Justice “should closely watch and even anticipate their manipulations and machinations.”

“This 18th Congress and the Duterte administration will apply the full force of our criminal, civil, and administrative laws against Maynilad and Manila Water,” she said.

She added: “We in Congress will work together to create the competitive environment necessary for new investors to come in to challenge your water services stranglehold in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, as well as in other

DUTERTE APPOINTS MISUARI AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO OIC

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari as Special Economic Envoy on Islamic Affairs to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The appointment will speed up the creation of the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund, one of the remaining commitments contained in the Tripartite Review Process carried out by the Philippine government, MNLF, and the OIC, according to the Office of the

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

Turn to A2

MISUARI APPOINTED.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in this file photo, has appointed MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari as Special Economic Envoy on Islamic Affairs to the Saudi Arabia-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

OPPAPP said Duterte made the announcement during his meeting with Misuari and members of the MNLF Peace Coordinating Committee in Davao City Friday evening.

The OIC, along with the government and MNLF, led the TRP which was concluded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last January 2016.

Duterte said the MNLF founder would help enable “lasting relationships” with leaders in Islamic countries.

Turn to A2

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

areas where you have entered into service agreements.”

She said Metro Manila, with nearly 13 million residents, has grown so big that even four water concessionaires could be tapped to serve the premier region.

Although Malacañang has implied that“cronies will not be allowed” to take over the water distribution and sewerage service in Metro Manila, Herrera said Congress would help open up the water sector in the metropolis to new investors.

AUTHORITIES condemned the ambush by New People’s Army terrorists on a group of civilians and lawmen in Borongan City, Eastern Samar Friday.

The attack left an elderly woman and a policeman dead while 12 others including three minors and seven policemen were wounded.

The latest act by the terrorists came as the government presented a gesture of returning to peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines in what is seen as a move to end insurgency in the country.

The Palace also condemned the ambush, with PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar saying “The loss of life and the violence experienced by the victims are reprehensible.”

Andanar said in a statement: “We vehemently condemn the NPA attack in Barangay Libuton, which left two dead and wounded several individuals, including three children and policemen.

“We can only imagine the grief of their loved ones who would have spent the Christmas season with them in good health, had it not been for the senseless act of these terrorists. Our thoughts go out to all of you in this difficult time.” Turn to A2

S

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

News

A2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNP...

From A1

“We do not really anticipate major peace and order issues during the Yuletide, but we are deploying more policemen in the field as a crime prevention measure,” Gamboa said.

Local police units were instructed to coordinate closely with barangay authorities to muster support from village watchmen, citizen volunteers and other force multipliers to be on the lookout for violators of the ban on dangerous and illegal firecrackers.

They were also reminded to be on the lookout for criminals engaged in common street crime such as robbery, theft, burglary of unattended residences, mugging, swindling and street gang violence.

Gamboa instructed field unit commanders to deploy mobile patrol units with blinkers on to visibly establish police presence which has been proven as an effective deterrent to crime.

Gamboa has designated area supervisors among Directors for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) for unannounced inspection of PNP Units in their areas to determine compliance of field units to the instructions.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said Simbang Gabi for Filipino Catholics was “above all an expression of their filial devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.” He said: “For nine consecutive days, they join and accompany her, so to speak, as she awaits the birth of her Son. For this reason, the Masses on these days are celebrated as solemn votive masses [Masses for a special intention] in her honor.”

With Vito Barcelo

DUTERTE...

From A1

“At least before I die I want to see peace in Mindanao,” Duterte told members of the peace committee.

During the meeting, the government and the MNLF agreed to pursue the implementation of the two remaining commitments contained in the TRP of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. The TRP was concluded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January 2016.

The two remaining commitments were the establishment of the BDAF and the creation of the Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee which will oversee the implementation of the fund.

“I would like to see its creation at the earliest,” Duterte said, adding the parties involved should “pursue simultaneously” the establishment of the BDAF and TIMC “to have a meeting of the minds in the first quarter” of 2020.

“It may be selfish but I want to have the honor of having peace with the Moro during my time… I want everything fixed,” the President added.

Under the TRP, the establishment of the BDAF required the assistance of the OIC and its financial institution, particularly the Islamic Development Bank.

The mechanism will be used for “socioeconomic development projects for the MNLF communities.”

GOV'T...

From A1 The Philippine National Police viewed the ambush as an act of insincerity on the part of the CPP-NPA to give peace a chance.

“The Philippine National Police joins the entire civil society in (its) strongest condemnation of the latest blatant act of un-Christian terror by the communist CPP-NPA against women, children and peace efforts in Borongan, Eastern Samar,” said PNP spokesperson Bernard Banac.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also condemned the attack by the communist NPA “in this season of hope, peace and joy.”

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said: “In this abominable incident that killed a policeman and a civilian, and wounded 14 others including children, the Communist Terrorist Group showed

FILIPINO SAILOR ABDUCTED

BY PIRATES DIES IN CAPTIVITY

S

USPECTED pirates in Togo have released three crew members of a Greek oil tanker seized in November, but a fourth—a Filipino—died in captivity, the ship managers said Friday.

European Products Carriers Ltd said the three men “are safe and well, have had medical checks and are currently being debriefed by the local authorities prior to returning home to the Philippines, Greece and Georgia,

CONGRESS...

From A1 Reports are rife that two major financiers of Duterte when he ran for the top political post in 2016 would be ready to take over the services now being provided by Manila Water and Maynilad.

“The economy is much stronger now than when you entered into those service contracts in the late ‘90s. I believe the concession areas in the Greater Manila Area have grown much and can be divided into at least four and still be large enough to be profitable,” Herrera said.

In effect, Herrera wants to allow the entry of the two major campaign contributors of Duterte into the water services in the metropolis.

She added:“Instead of just East and West Zones, the concession areas can be North, South, East, and West.”

“To make future operations profitable, the sewerage and water treatment aspects of water services can be spun off and opened up to more investors,” she added.

On Thursday, Duterte warned private water concessionaires he would order the military to take over their operations and throw executives of Maynilad and Manila Water in jail as economic saboteurs over what he called onerous provisions in their service contracts with the government.

“Don’t fool me and say that, ‘We will leave and you will lose water.’ I will order the Armed Forces to operate your water,” he said during a party of former Senator Manny Villar.

“Then I will declare the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus but only against economic saboteurs...and I will arrest all of you, for I want to see a billionaire in jail,” he added.

On Friday, the Palace blasted the two concessionaires for saying their rates would rise 100 percent if the government insisted on revoking the extension of their concession agreements.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo slammed the two companies for recanting on their earlier pledge to Duterte to defer the implementation of their approved increase in water rates in January 2020.

Next month, Maynilad is scheduled to increase water rates by P1.95 per cubic meter, while Manila Water is slated to raise its base tariff by P2 per cubic meter.

Panelo said Manila Water and Maynilad apparently did not care about the plight of water consumers.

“We note that the two Metro Manila water concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water, have threatened to increase the water rates by 100 percent, following the decision of the MWSS (the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) revoking the extension of their concession agreements,” he said.

Manila Water and Maynilad wrote

once again their (sic) utter disregard of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by killing non-combatant civilians in their nefarious criminal activities.

“This is the same notorious group that masquerades themselves (sic) as propeople and pro-human rights.”

The AFP chief General Noel Clement also expressed his and the AFP’s sincere condolences to the bereaved families and loved ones of the victims and assured them “we are one with (you) in the quest for justice. “ Arevalo said: “Your government security efforts shall continue relentlessly the pursuit operations even as we collaborate with the Provincial Police who leads the law enforcement operation.

“We urge our people to reject these communist terrorists and report any attempts to infiltrate their communities.

Those murderers have no place in our civilized society. They should be denied every chance to get near our children and ruin their future.”

respectively”.

“It is with great sadness, however, that the managers must confirm that the fourth crew member, a Filipino national, kidnapped and held hostage, has died,” the company said in

a statement.

“A full investigation is under way into the situation, but it is understood that his demise was not as a result of any actions by those holding the crew hostage but due to illness,” it added.

The Togolese navy said “armed individuals” had stormed the Elka Aristotle tanker some 10 nautical miles off the coast of the capital Lome, even with guards trying to repel the raid.

West African waters have become one of the most dangerous maritime

regions in the world.

Attacks on ships and the abductions of crew for ransom have become more frequent, especially along the Nigerian coast.

The pirates sometimes divert ships for several days, long enough to plunder the cargo and demand huge ransoms before freeing the crew.

Nine sailors abducted by suspected pirates from a Norwegian-owned cargo ship off Benin’s port of Cotonou were also freed this week after 35 days in captivity. AFP

separate letters to Duterte on Dec. 10, expressing their willingness to make amends following threats of facing charges of economic sabotage and even expropriation from the President.

“We recall that they offered not to implement the approved new water rates, among others, after the President publicly denounced the onerous provisions of the said contracts. These concessionaires can do their worst and continue with fleecing the consumers while the President will do his best in serving and protecting the interest of the people,” Panelo said.

Duterte has repeatedly claimed that the government’s concession agreements with the two water concessionaires contain “onerous” provisions that are disadvantageous to the public.

He has been lambasting the two companies after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore ordered the Philippine government to pay Manila Water P7.39 billion for the nonimplementation of water hikes from June 1, 2015 to Nov. 22, 2019.

The PCA also upheld its October 2018 ruling ordering the Philippine government to pay P3.4 billion for Maynilad’s losses from March 11, 2015 to Aug. 31, 2016.

Duterte has ordered the filing of appropriate criminal, civil, and administrative charges against the owners and legal counsels of Manila Water and Maynilad, as well as the agents and lawyers of the government agencies involved in the crafting of the water concession deals.

Duterte’s actions prompted Manila Water and Maynilad to send him a letter, signifying their intent to cooperate with the government to settle the issue.

Panelo on Friday released the letters, which are still under review by the Chief Executive, “for the sake of transparency.”

Manila Water chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, in his letter, relayed to Duterte his company’s decision not to collect the P7.39 billion it won in an arbitration case against the government.

Zobel also assured the President that Manila Water informed state water regulator MWSS on Dec. 3 of its plan to“work out an arrangement that will effectively defer the implementation of the approved water charge.”

He also noted that Manila Water has agreed to “immediately start with the discussions and expedite the negotiations”with regard to its supposed “illegal, onerous or disadvantageous” agreement with the government.

“Mr. President, we heed your call to revisit and re-negotiate certain provisions of the concession agreement. We fully share your mandate to put the interest of the people as the primary objective,” Zobel’s letter read.

“We will work closely with the proper government agency to make sure that the P7.39 billion arbitral award will not have to be paid by the government directly or through the customers.”

Meanwhile, Maynilad chairman Manuel Pangilinan and president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez assured the President that they would cooperate with MWSS in reviewing and possibly amending the concession agreement.

Pangilinan and Fernandez guaranteed that just like the President, their desire is to also“provide our people access to water and waste water services at affordable rates.”

Despite this, the MWSS announced on Tuesday that it has revoked the resolution extending by 15 years the 25-year concession agreements with Manila Water and Maynilad signed in 1997 during the leadership of thenPresident Fidel Ramos. This would mean their roles as concessionaires would end in 2022, unless their agreements are renewed.

An MWSS resolution in 2009 extended their contracts to 2037, but the same agency revoked the extension this month, after the President’s order to have the agreements reviewed.

Panelo said the water concession pacts with Manila Water and Maynilad “violate every prohibited act of the law.”

“All legal options are open to him (Duterte),” Panelo said.

Panelo also said Duterte would not be swayed by nor enticed into the proposed settlements by Manila Water and Maynilad.

“The concessionaires are put on notice that the Chief Executive will not renege from his constitutional duty of enforcing the law. Neither will he be swayed (by) nor enticed into accepting a compromise. Dura lex sed lex (The law is harsh but it is the law),” he said.

Panelo noted that water was a natural resource and the people’s access to it is a basic human right and is constitutionally protected as well.

“Any measure therefore in derogation of this right requires government intervention,” he added.

The Department of Justice, meanwhile, justified the MWSS move to revoke the extension of their concession agreements.

Justice Undersecretary Marrk Perete said the MWSS’ decision to cancel its earlier extension of its concession agreements with the two water concessionaires needed approval from a court.

“The burden of taking action based on an interpretation of the contract is assumed by the executive. In assuming that burden, it need not obtain prior court approval,” Perete said.

“Only in case of disagreement will resort to judicial intervention prove necessary,” Perete added.

“Take note the proper time to renew the contract is upon the expiration of the concession agreement in 2022, as expressly provided in the agreements themselves,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

The MWSS had granted a 15-year extension in 2009 for Manila Water

and in 2010 for Maynilad, ahead of the original expiration of the agreements in 2022.

However, the MWSS board canceled the extension of its contract with Maynilad and Manila Water on Dec. 5.

Duterte earlier slammed a Singapore-based arbitration court’s decision ordering the government to pay the two distributors a total of P10.8 billion as compensation for losses incurred for non-implementation of rate increases.

This week, both Maynilad and Manila Water announced that they would no longer collect the awards and vowed to work with government on possible revisions to their concession agreements.

Guevarra, meanwhile, asked Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar to inhibit herself from participating in the ongoing review of the government’s water concession agreements with Manila Water and Maynilad to remove suspicions of a vested interest.

Villar, a former congresswoman, is the wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and the daughter-in-law of Senator Cynthia Villar and businessman Manny Villar.

The Villar family owns the water utility PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., which is headed by Senator Villar’s eldest son, Manuel Paolo Villar.

Based on DOJ’s review, several provision of the existing contracts of Manila Water and Maynilad are disadvantageous to the government as these prohibit government interference in rate-setting and contain a provision for indemnity in case of such an interference.

The undersecretary on Friday said she would inhibit herself from participating in the review.

“To eliminate any cloud of doubt on the impartiality of the department’s review and renegotiation of the water concession agreements with (MWSS)… I am inhibiting (myself) from any involvement in the department’s review and renegotiation of the said agreements,” she said in a memo to Guevarra.

Fi n a n c e S e c r e t a r y C a r l o s Dominguez III said Friday the concession contracts must be closely scrutinized.

“We have to look at the entire contract. I’ve actually talked to the Ayalas and one of the partners of Maynilad and I already told them ‘You guys should also put yourselves in our position and see what items are disadvantageous to the government, then you should make your proposals already so we don’t have to go through this long, drawnout discussions,” he said.

“This is my personal opinion. The contracts should recognize that times change and you cannot fix the return on a fixed basis. It should be referenced to what the interest rates are at that particular time,” he said.

Andanar praised those who showed selfless acts to help those who sustained injuries during the explosion, saying “We commend the police, the emergency personnel, and the civilians who helped and protected those that they could. Their courage and selflessness are admirable,” he said.

The attack came just four days after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that he was considering communist rebels as his “friends.”

“Rest assured, this administration will continue its fight against terrorism and insurgency for the safety and security of all Filipinos, and in order to achieve true and lasting peace for the country,” he added.

The National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict itself vowed to convey the government’s resolve to end the armed struggle by communicating and engaging with local officials and civil society groups.

The NTF-ELCAC, created through Executive Order 70 signed by Duterte on

Dec. 4, 2018, is mandated to implement the whole-of-nation approach that seeks to attain“inclusive and sustainable peace.”

Meanwhile, two child warriors who were coerced in joining the local communists and six other NPA cadres operating in the hinterlands of General Nakar, Quezon yielded to authorities Thursday, military officials said.

The identities of the two minors were withheld for security reasons.

Their ordeal culminated following negotiations that persuaded them to abandon the underground movement, the officials said.

Col. Alex Rillera, commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, said one of the minors was a 13-year-old boy while the other was a 17-year-old.

Rillera, quoting the child-warriors, said “they were forced by the rebels to join their ranks and were forbidden to leave a terrorist camp under threat of severe repercussions to their families.”

He viewed this as a deplorable practice

within the terrorist organization that could never be justified.

Military’s records showed that with the surrender of the latest two minors, five children of minor age have been rescued in less than two months.

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., acting commander of the AFP’s Southern Luzon Command, attributed the influx of surrenders to the wholeof-nation approach strategy which the government has adapted to end local communist armed conflict.

He conveyed the military’s sympathies to the parents of the minors saying “no form of explanation will justify this dastardly act of putting Filipino minors in harm’s way” as he expressed outrage against the NPAs’ evil act of violating the Filipino children’s innocence, saying “there are written and unwritten rules in warfare that gives emphasis to the protection of women and children regardless whether you are pro or anti government.”

News

T

PALACE: US-PH TIES STILL ‘UNTARNISHED’

HE Philippines’ relations with the United States would remain “untarnished” despite the “misguided and intrusive act” by some American senators considered as an insult to Manila’s dignity and sovereignty, Malacañang said Saturday.

The assurance was made by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo as he said the Duterte administration viewed with “grave concern” the US Senate foreign relations

panel’s call for the immediate release of detained Senator Leila de Lima and the dropping of charges against Rappler chief Maria Ressa.

“While we continue to respect the US Senate as an institution, we, however, will not allow our sovereignty trampled upon by a few of their members,” Panelo, who is also the Presidential Chief Legal Counsel, said in a statement.

“We hope that probing and educated minds will ultimately prevail and that such misguided and intrusive act shall not tarnish nor diminish the warm relations between

our two countries.”

The US Senate foreign relations committee approved on Dec. 11 Resolution 142, which urges the Philippine government to immediately release De Lima and withdraw charges against Ressa.

De Lima is detained at the Philippine Custodial Center in Quezon City because of her supposed involvement in unlawful drug trade during her stint as Justice secretary under the Aquino administration.

Ressa is accused of evading the payment of P150 million in tax dues. PNA

POSITIVE ID. Victims positively identify six Chinese nationals suspected of kidnapping with rape presented to the media by the Philippine National Police AntiKidnapping Group on Saturday at Camp Crame in Quezon City. The suspects were named as Zhong Shuo Cheng, Wang Su Long, Du A Long, Zhu Lin Feng, Zou Jun and Yang Bo Kuan. Manny Palmero

GIRL DIES, KID HURT IN TAGUIG BLAZE THAT DESTROYS 100 HOUSES

By Joel E. Zurbano A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl died while another child was injured when a fire of still-unknown cause struck a populated barangay in Taguig City, police said on Saturday.

The Southern Police District identified the fatality as Precious Clarisa Parcarey, while the other victim was nine-year-old John Rey Mendibel.

The fire started around 8:26 a.m. at a house along Maestrong Pinang Street, Purok Pulang Araw

in Barangay Ligid-Tipas, investigators said.

The blaze destroyed at least 100 houses, according to the Taguig City Police Community Precinct 5. Responding firemen declared the fire out after more than two hours.

Fire Supt. Randolph Bides, head of the Taguig Bureau of Fire Protection, said they are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

Just last month, a 39-year-old woman was killed in a fire, also in Taguig City.

Rose Franco was trapped when the blaze struck at her residence along Dimasalang Street in Barangay Hagonoy. Two other houses were destroyed, affecting eight families in the compound.

The so-called “Ber Months” (September to December) is a perennial period for fire safety in the country, as it usually registers a high number of fire cases, mostly caused by malfunctioning or overheating Christmas lights and firecracker-related incidents, the BFP said.

The city government said people should consider safety first when installing Christmas lights and lanterns, and make sure the products they are using pass safety and quality standards inspections.

The BFP advised the people to take into consideration the outdoor and indoor usage of Christmas lights as specified in the product information, and that there should be no exposed wirings in the connections when putting it on display.

REVIEW PNEUMONIA VACCINES OFFERED TO DOH, SOLON SAYS

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Department of Health should determine the experience of other countries that used a new vaccine that is being offered to the DOH to bolster its campaign against pneumonia, Rep. Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan Partylist said Saturday.

Defensor said the vaccine should have been “proven efficacious” in the countries that have already used it before it is procured by the health department.

“We don’t need to reinvent (the process), as there are models out there where we can base our strategy to achieve our dream of eradicating pneumonia among our people, most especially our children,” said Defensor, vice chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health.

At the same time, Rep. Angelina Tan of Quezon, chairman of the House health committee, lauded the department for suspending the bidding for the vaccines and ordering a review of all the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines being offered.

Tan, however, said the reassessment “must really be finished soon, considering the continued threat posed by pneumonia on children.”

She said this after the department ordered the Health Technology As-

sessment Council to complete the assessment for the PCV tender within one month.

Earlier, Anna Ong Lim, president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, said the Philippines is among the top 15 countries in terms of pneumonia deaths.

Lim added that 75 percent of all pneumonia deaths are in those 15 countries. She noted the two antipneumonia vaccines being offered to the DOH—PCV10 and PCV13—help in controlling the overall disease burden from pneumococcal diseases.

Earlier this month, the DOH suspended the first call for tender for pneumonia vaccines, in response to public clamor that biddings should be open and competitive.

“Biddings should not favor a single brand,” Tan stressed. “I’m into open, competitive bidding because bids should not lean on certain companies. The more cost-effective product should be purchased.”

Medical experts have said open competitive bidding for vaccines is good for the Philippines because an open bid can save hundreds of millions of pesos year after year that can be used for public health initiatives by the government and save more lives and address more diseases.

CHILD RIGHTS DEAL. Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle ‘Beng’ Climaco (left) and UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyun Dendevnorov sign an understanding to implement projects for children through integrated and sustainable programming, and strategic reforms and policies for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. The deal is for four years through 2023.

A3

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘DISTURBING’ EXPANSION OF SINO SYNDICATES IN PH—ANG-SEE IT IS “disturbing” that Chinese syndicates have expanded their activities in the Philippines to include the illegal recruitment of their countrymen, anti-crime advocate Teresita Ang-See said Saturday.

“It’s not just the people who owe debts to casinos anymore, it’s now expanding,” said Ang-See, founder of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order, in a radio interview aired on GMA News TV. “Their employees are now the ones who are being enticed under false pretenses, like our OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] who are victims of illegal recruitment,” she added.

Chinese workers were being offered information technology jobs with eight hours of work daily and salaries of P50,000 a month, but would end up working in Philippine Online Gaming Operations (POGOs), Ang-See said.

“They entice especially those (who live) in the provinces, saying: ‘You don’t need a sophisticated education, as long as you can speak and type in Chinese.’ They promise a lot of things,” she said.

The Chinese who want to quit after being recruited are then badly tortured or beaten, Ang-See added.

Syndicates target not only Chinese employees but also legitimate businessmen, who are abducted upon their exit from immigration gates, taken into a van, then brought into a safe house for ransom negotiations, she said.

On Monday, a Chinese woman was forcibly taken into a vehicle and allegedly abducted in Makati City. The incident was caught on video and has since gone viral on social media.

The woman’s husband was considered a person of interest in the case, and after he gave his testimony to authorities, police deemed his answers “inconsistent” and said a “personal grudge” may have been the motive behind her abduction.

Ang-See said their movement learned of six cases of Chinese businessmen getting abducted in October or November. She said it is “shocking” that ransom payments were made involving hundreds of millions of pesos.

FULL-SCALE BOMB EXERCISE FOR ILOILO AIRPORT ILOILO CITY—The Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town, Iloilo province showed its bomb explosion response capabilities through a fullscale simulation exercise on Saturday morning.

The drill tested the abilities of the various agencies, including the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Department of Health, in responding to a bomb explosion that stemmed from “unattended baggage.”

“It has been a successful activity, of course, with the cooperation of other agencies [that] helped us in the preparation,” Manuela Luisa Palma, acting airport manager of the Iloilo International Airport, said in an interview. The exercise started at 8 a.m. and ended at 9:10, she said.

Palma noted the improvement of the Iloilo International Airport and the multi-agencies in the full-scale emergency response.

With the help of the National Telecommunications Commission, she said the airport has improved a lot in the communication aspect. “In the previous activities, we had lapses. So, this one, we have improved,” she said.

The logistics aspects, however, can still be improved and the airport can add more equipment for radio communication.

The Iloilo International Airport, being a certified aerodrome, conducts full-scale emergency response drills once every two years.

“If you are a certified aerodrome, it is a requirement and to also test the inter-operability of the various agencies that help us when there are incidents in the airport. We are not asking for it, but if there are incidents, this will be the scenario. We can see the readiness assessment [and] operations preparedness of each agency,” Palma said.

She also assured that the strict security measures at the airport would prevent any bomb incident.

“We have an implementation plan and security procedures that we follow,” Palma said, noting the task in explosive ordnance is being spearheaded by the Iloilo Airport Police Station.PNA

A4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News BUTIL: SCRAP FARMER’S SUBSIDY FEE

By Maricel V. Cruz

JETSTAR PLANE VEERS OFF RUNWAY, FLIGHTS CANCELED STUCK. A Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 passenger aircraft is seen stuck after it rolled into the grass prior to taking off at the international airport in Manila on Dec. 14, 2019.

More than a dozen flights were canceled and many others delayed as NAIA shut off one of only two runways at the country's busiest gateway, officials said. AFP

By Joel E. Zurbano

A

IRPORT and aviation authorities temporarily closed one of the runways of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a Jetstar plane bound for Japan with 140 passengers and crew on board veered off the runway early Saturday morning.

No one was reported hurt in the incident, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.

The closure of the runway, however, resulted in the delayed arrival and departure of 11 flights, and the cancellations of at least 14 domestic flights of Cebu Pacific Air to and from Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Caticlan, Cebu, Legazpi, Tacloban and Tuguegarao.

Also at the time of incident, three Manila-bound flights were diverted to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

These were Cebu Pacific flight 5J269 from Xiamen, Cebu Pacific flight 5J580 from Cebu, and Air Asia flight Z2889 from Seoul.

“Runway 13-31 was closed for operations early today after an Airbus A320 jet with 140 passengers and crew onboard made an excursion towards the Runway Safety Area (RSA-grassy area) while positioning for takeoff,” the MIAA management said in a statement.

All 140 (139 plus 1 infant) passengers and crew deplaned safely and were

brought back to NAIA Terminal 1 by shuttle buses.

Initial reports showed that Jetstar flight GK40 from Manila to Narita, Japan, pushed back from the NAIA Terminal 1 at 2:08 a.m. and headed for Runway 13 for takeoff.

While positioning for takeoff, the aircraft overshot the turn causing the front and right landing gears to veer towards the RSA, leaving the front to get imbedded in the soft ground.

MIAA Fire and Rescue and Operations teams immediately proceeded to the site to assist the passengers and crew.

“With the disabled aircraft blocking parts of the runway, Runway 13-31 is currently closed

for operations with the affected flights using the main runway, Runway 06-24 for the meantime,” said MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal.

At press time, Monreal and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco were on site personally overseeing aircraft removal operations.

“As of this time, the aircraft is now out of the grassy area and being prepared for towing to a nearby aircraft maintenance center. Simultaneous clearing of the runway and repair of damaged runway lights are now in progress. We hope to resume operations soon,” Monreal said.

SMC’S ANG: CONTRIBUTE TO NATION-BUILDING

San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang led the TOFIL awardees along with Dr. Glenn Banaguas (Environment Conservation and Science Diplomacy); Dr. Joselito Chavez (Medicine); Dr. Virgilio Malang (Science and Technology); Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal (Government/ Public Service); and Dr. Nelly Siababa-Aggangan (Agriculture).

TOFIL (The Outstanding Filipino) awardee Ramon Ang, president and CEO of San Miguel Corp., has exhorted every Filipino to contribute to the vision of a better Philippines.

Ang made the call in his acceptance speech delivered by his son, Jomar, during the awarding ceremony at the historic Manila Hotel recently.

“As citizens, each of us can contribute greatly to the vision of a better Philippines. It can be as simple as following traffic rules or keeping our neighborhoods clean. It is also about practicing the good values we were taught as children, and passing them on to the next generation,” he said.

“Do what is right. Give your best. Be accountable. Be a good neighbor. Serve a greater purpose. Be kind and humble. These are the same values we live by in San Miguel,” Ang added.

In his speech, Ang shared how San Miguel Corp. diversified and expanded to what it is today, contributing to more than 5 percent

of the country’s gross domestic product.

From a beer, food and packaging company, SMC has transformed into a conglomerate with interests in power generation, oil and petrochemicals, infrastructure, cement manufacturing and banking.

SMC’s infrastructure projects cover expressways, mass rail, ports and airports. It is building the Manila International Airport in Bulacan that will not only decongest traffic in Metro Manila but also generate about 30 million jobs and develop nearby provinces of Central Luzon. It is also undertaking the MRT 7 and Skyway Stage 3 projects that will cut travel time for commuters.

According to Ang, SMC is also expanding its food and beverage businesses to produce high quality but affordable food for every Filipino. He also spoke about SMC’s sustainability initiatives and its vision “to deliver on our nation’s goals, to set the pace for progress, and make the lives of every Filipino better.”

THOUSANDS OF ‘PENIS FISH’ FLOOD CALIFORNIA BEACH THOUSANDS of marine worms dubbed "penis fish" for their shape and color appeared this week on a California beach after a strong winter storm exposed them.

The creatures—more commonly known as fat innkeeper worms—covered Drakes Beach, 50 miles north of San Francisco.

Despite their eye-catching appearance, the pulsating worms which reach around 10 inches are adept at digging U-shaped burrows on beaches and marshes, using the tunnels to catch food.

Found almost exclusively in California, they are themselves considered a culinary delicacy in South Korea, with reputed aphrodisiac effects.

"Yes, the physical design of the fat innkeeper worm has some explaining to do," wrote biologist Ivan Parr. "But the

fat innkeeper is perfectly shaped for a life spent underground."

Parr explained in a column on the Bay Nature website this week that fossil evidence of the animals dates back at least 300 million years.

"They are preyed on by otters, flounders, sharks, rays, gulls, and humans," the latter of whom eat them as sashimi, fried or grilled.

In this case the worms were caught out by heavy rain.

"We're seeing the risk of building your home out of sand," noted Parr.

"Strong storms... are perfectly capable of laying siege to the intertidal zone, breaking apart the sediments, and leaving their contents stranded on shore.”

The beach is named after Francis Drake, who is believed to have landed here in 1579 during his circumnavigation of the globe. AFP

File photo of a “penis fish”—a marine worm that reaches around 10 inches in length and are adept at digging burrows on beaches and marshes. AFP

A PARTY-LIST group representing farmers on Saturday called for the scrapping of what he described as "unconscionable and cruel" 3.5 percent a year management fee that state-owned banks will charge on the P1-billion credit fund for small farmers under the Rice Tariffication Law. "The P1 billion is a pittance when viewed in the environment of almost zero credit for small rice farmers and their many other woes,” said former lawmaker Cecil Chavez, a senior member of the Butil Party-list group.

“Why would two government banks charge management fees for the elementary task of looking for conduits for that negligible P1-billion fund?“ she added.

Chavez asked President Rodrigo Duterte to intervene to force the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines to forgo the 3.5 percent management fee to eliminate the administrative cost on that small fund.

The people in government corporate banking already enjoy decent salaries and other perks, said Chavez.

In contrast, the three-million rice farmers have been denied loans even by the institutions that were organized to help small farmers, particularly the LandBank, she added.

“Just look at the two situations.

Government corporate bankers lead good lives. The small rice farmers are grievously suffering from the impact of the unlimited rice importation.

Yet, the corporate bankers of government still charge a cruel management fee on a credit fund that is being raised on the back of the small farmers’ miseries," she said.

Chavez said she finds ironic that the two government banks still feel that the management fee of 3.5 percent is inadequate and should be raised to the standard level of 4.5 percent a year.

PHILHEALTH NG MASA HAILED THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. has recognized the City of Makati as the local government unit in southern Metro Manila with the highest sponsored health program for the poor.

Based on records of the Makati Social Welfare Department, the city has been able to maintain around 22,000 active PhilHealth ng Masa members to date, with 8,807 renewals registered since Oct. 1 to Nov. 28 this year.

Makati received a plaque of appreciation for its “extraordinary support to the fulfillment of the thrust of the National Health Insurance Program” during the LGU Engagement ceremony held recently at Marquis Event Place, Bonifacio Global City.

Mayor Abigail Binay expressed her appreciation for the award and lauded the PhilHealth Services Section of the MSWD for a job well done.

“We are grateful to PhilHealth for this recognition, and we assure you of our unstinting support for the proper implementation of the PhilHealth ng Masa Program in the city,” said Binay.

“Congratulations to the MSWD PhilHeath Section for its efficient performance that has earned this recognition for our city. We must also give credit to Makatizens for their active participation in the program,” she added.

The city chief executive urged city residents to renew their membership with PhilHealth ng Masa yearly so that they, together with their dependents, can continuously access quality health care and other health benefits under the program.

She reminded them that the renewal of expired PhilHealth ng Masa membership started on Oct. 1 and will end on Dec. 27, 2019.

The Southern Metro Manila area covers the cities of Makati, Pasay, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasig and Las Piñas, and the town of Pateros. Joel E. Zurbano

B1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion THE HEROES OF BASTOGNE: 75 YEARS ON

EDITORIAL

ONE ANGRY KID

T

HIS year’s Person of the Year, for TIME Magazine, is 16-yearold climate activist Greta Thunberg.

After learning of the announcement, United States President Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his opinion.

“So ridiculous,” he said. “Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to an old-fashioned movie with a friend. Chill Greta, Chill.”

Thunberg did not reply to this, but changed her Twitter bio to: “A teenager worker on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend.”

The response was classy and exposed Trump for the bully and misogynist that he is.

But he got one thing right—Thunberg is angry, indeed. The TIME cover story describes the time she first heard about the climate crisis, when she

was 11. She has Asperger’s syndrome and does not process information like many people do, so when her teacher talked about the existential threat, Thunberg fell into a deep depression and stopped speaking almost entirely, for months.

She ate so little she was nearly hospitalized. It was only when family members altered their lifestyle—eating less meat, using solar panels, eschewing air travel—that she slowly stirred back to life.

In August last year, Thunberg skipped class and camped out in front of the Swedish parliament building, demanding that her government’s leaders did something concrete and consequential about the looming emergency.

Much has changed since then. The climate strikes became a global event, and Thunberg herself has gained popularity—notoriety, for some—speaking before government and business leaders and taking them to task for only talking about the climate crisis without doing anything about it. For the youth, she has become a rallying figure. Already there are numerous

champions, equally young, equally angry, and equally resolute to make a difference in their own parts of the world.

There is no dearth of haters: Why listen, they say, to a white girl from a rich country? Some make fun of her condition and questioned why she was exhorting other children to skip school. Others ridicule her manner of speaking and responding to questions. Trump, of course, asked her to chill and see a movie.

But to chill is a luxury because the emergency is upon us, and will only get worse with every day there is more talk than action. Thunberg is Person of the Year not because the world is glorifying a petite teenager for whom a scowl is more common than a smile, but because her anger and urgency should be amplified across the globe. Some messengers tell us things that we don’t know; Thunberg is telling us something we already do but, tragically, do not acknowledge as important or compelling.

This is why she will not chill. This is why we shouldn’t, as well.

By Matthieu Demeestere THE Battle of the Bulge was the last German offensive of World War II, and the Siege of Bastogne the scene of a heroic defense by American paratroopers.

Seventy-five years on, the Belgian town is hosting a weekend of colorful reenactments followed by solemn ceremonies of remembrance.

Veterans, historians and military enthusiasts will join international officials to mark the now legendary close quarters battle on a snowbound wooded plateau.

Bastogne’s relief in late December 1944 by General George “Old Blood and Guts” Patton helped seal his reputation as one of America’s military giants.

But the out-gun—who held the pocket for a week against advancing German armor—also claim a share of the glory.

The Belgian town of Bastogne, close to the Luxembourg border in the Ardennes hills, is the focus of the commemoration, as it was of the fighting.

On Dec. 16, 1944, German forces — which had been falling back before the Allied advance from France since June’s D-Day landings—counter-attacked.

Their goal was to seize the port of Antwerp to deny it to Allied resupply ships, and five of the roads north converged on the small southern town.

By Dec. 20, the battle-hardened but lightly-armed US paratroopers were surrounded and a German Panzer general demanded their surrender.

“Nuts!” was the one word reply from the US commander, and the ensuing week-long siege lasted until Patton’s Third Army was able to come to the rescue.

On Sunday, hundreds of re-enactors in period uniforms from both sides will recreate sequences of the battle outside the hamlet of Hardigny.

And on Monday, dignitaries will gather at the Mardasson Memorial to the thousands of American dead for the official ceremony of remembrance.

Belgium’s prime minister, Sophie Wilmes, will be joined by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda will also be there, along with envoys from Britain, Canada and France.

In the afternoon, the convoy will cross the border to the Luxembourg Military Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm, Patton’s last resting place.

The general died in a road accident during the 1945 occupation of a defeated Germany, but was buried in the Ardennes with comrades from his famous victory.

There they will be received by Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

Mathieu Billa, historian director of the Bastogne War Museum, told AFP that the then 59-year-old Patton reached the summit of his glory when he relieved Bastogne.

The 18,000 encircled men had fought bravely against enormous odds, but risked being overrun.

ARTILLERY BARRAGE The overall Battle of the Bulge would rage across the Ardennes for six weeks, until the Allies prevailed against the Germans in January 1945.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 German troops died, against between 10,000 and 19,000 Americans.

And 3,000 Belgian civilians perished under artillery bombardments or in massacres carried out by the Waffen-SS in villages like Houffalize.

The Bastogne fighting has been recounted by veterans interviewed for the book and the television series “Band of Brothers” and entered US military folklore. But 75 years on the number of former combatants and witnesses who can attend ceremonies is declining, and Belgium’s War Heritage Institute has invited them.

There will be Belgians and Americans and also Germans “because we must appreciate history from both sides with a view to reconciliation,” said spokesman John Osselaer.

On Sunday, 10 serving members of the 101st will read accounts of the fighting in the Jacques Wood where their predecessors dug foxholes in the snowy ground.

“Our gratitude to the young Americans who fell on Ardennes soil is eternal. We owe them our freedom,” said Bastogne’s Mayor Benoit Lutgen.

AFP

U.N. TALKS DEADLOCKED, DETACHED FROM CLIMATE EMERGENCY

By Marlowe Hood and Patrick Galey UNITED Nations climate negotiations were deadlocked deep into overtime and through the night, with even the best-case outcome likely to fall well short of what science says is needed to avert a future ravaged by global warming.

The COP25 summit in Madrid arrives on the heels of climate-related disasters across the planet, including unprecedented cyclones, deadly droughts and record-setting heatwaves.

It began on Dec. 2 and the talks were supposed to end on Friday evening, but—as is often the case at such summits—they were still under way early Saturday, with new statements expected to be released in the coming hours.

Scientists have amassed a mountain of evidence pointing to even more dire impacts on the near horizon, while millions of youth activists are holding weekly strikes demanding government action.

Sixteen-year-old activist Greta Thunberg led student marchers in Turin, Italy Friday, and chastised world leaders for acting “as if there is no tomorrow.”

Briefing journalists as talks sailed past their provisional deadline, host Chile’s coordinator Andres Landerretche

admitted “the eyes of the people are on us .”

“We must show the world that we are capable of delivering the agreements that are needed to tackle the unprecedented challenge before us,” he said.

As pressure inside and outside the talks mounted, however, old splits between rich polluters and developing nations re-emerged over who should slash greenhouse gas emissions by how much, and how to pay the trillions needed to live in a climate-addled world.

Newer fissures, meanwhile, between poor, climate-vulnerable nations and emerging giants such as China and India—the world’s No.1 and No.4 emitters—also blocked progress.

DEADLOCK The narrow aim of the Madrid negotiations is to finalize the rulebook for the 2015 Paris climate accord, which enjoins nations to limit global temperature rises to “well below” two degrees Celsius.

Earth has already warmed 1C, and is on track to heat up another two or three degrees by 2100.

But “raising ambition” on emissions remains the overarching goal in Madrid and especially next year, when Glasgow will host the last climate summit before the Paris treaty becomes operational.

The draft Madrid agreement under

negotiation, which must be approved by consensus, lays out two options.

The first—favored by nations reluctant to enhance their targets in the short term, including the US, India, China and Saudi Arabia—simply repeats language in the 2015 treaty.

But a group of more than 80 poor and climate-vulnerable nations backed by the European Union are insisting on a stronger commitment from all. “[We] will not walk away without a clear call for all countries to enhance their ambitions,” said Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege.

“On ambition, this will be the key fight tonight, and probably well into tomorrow,” said Alden Meyer, policy and strategy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

‘RED LINE FOR US’ Another potential deal-breaker is so-called “loss and damage”—how countries already counting the cost of the climate emergency can be compensated.

The United States, which is leaving the Paris agreement, has aggressively blocked any provisions that might leave them and other developed countries on the hook for damages that could total more than $150 billion per year by 2025, observers and diplomats have said.

“This is a red line issue for Washington,” said Meyer.

“There can be no acknowledgement of the need for additional finance because that would push the button of a certain man in the Oval Office.”

Some countries historically aligned with the emerging giants China, India and Brazil over the course of the 25-year talks broke rank this week.

In a statement, the Association of Small Island States coalition accused Australia, the United States, Canada, Russia, India, China, and Brazil of “a lack of ambition that also undermines ours.”

The talks received a shot in the arm Friday after the EU pledged to make the bloc carbon-neutral by 2050 despite the refusal of Poland—a major emitter —to sign on.

But the EU Commission stopped short of setting a crucial intermediate target of reducing emissions by 55 percent or more by 2030.

The UN said this month that in order for the world to limit warming to 1.5C, emissions would need to drop over seven percent annually to 2030, requiring nothing less than a restructuring of the global economy.

In fact, they are currently rising yearon-year, and have grown 4 percent since the Paris deal was signed.

“It’s basically like what’s happening in the real world and in the streets, the protesters, doesn’t exist,” said Meyer.

“We are in a fantasy land here.” AFP

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

ONLINE MEMBER

PPI

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

B2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PENSION STRIKE PERSISTS, FRANCE BRACES FOR MISERY PARIS—French commuters endured a ninth day of public transport strikes Friday, with little relief expected in coming days as unions vow to keep up their protest against a pension overhaul through the holidays unless the government backs down.

Officials have said they are ready to negotiate, with Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer meeting teachers’ representatives on Friday to try to stave off another day of class shutdowns.

“It was an intense and frank meeting... but we still need details, and maintain our call to strike on Tuesday,” Stephane Crochet of the SE-Unsa teachers’ union said.

Unions are hoping for a repeat of 1995, when they forced a rightwing government to back down on pension reforms after three weeks of metro and rail strikes just before Christmas.

The prospect of a protracted standoff has businesses fearing big losses during the crucial year-end festivities, and travellers worried that their holiday plans are compromised.

“Right now it’s a catastrophe here, but we’re hoping there will be a solution before Christmas,” Frederic Masse, a foie gras producer at the sprawling Rungis wholesale food market south of Paris, told AFP on Friday.

The capital city was again choked by huge traffic jams as most metro lines remained shut, only a handful of buses and trams were running, and three in four TGV trains were cancelled.

Officials warned Friday of similar disruptions through the weekend, with train operator SNCF saying that on Tuesday it will start warning ticket holders of their chances of travel during the Christmas break that begins next Saturday.

“I’m sick of this, and I won’t be able to keep working if it goes on,” Zigo Makango, a 57-year-old security agent, told AFP onboard a bus in the Bobigny suburb northeast of Paris.

To get home at night Makango said he has to use taxis, but “my boss doesn’t reimburse me for that”.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday expressed his “solidarity” with people impacted by the strike, “but I want the government to continue its work” in forging a single pension system, a key campaign promise.

“It’s a historic reform for the country... for a welfare state of the 21st century,” he told journalists at an EU summit in Brussels.

The overhaul, unveiled this week

by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, would do away with 42 separate regimes, some of which offer early retirement and other benefits to public-sector employees such as train drivers, dockers and even Paris Opera employees. AFP

5 HELD OVER MAN’S DEATH IN HK PROTESTS HONG KONG—Five Hong Kong teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man hit on the head by a brick during clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters last month, police said Saturday.

The three males and two females aged 15 to 18 were arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder, rioting and wounding and had been detained pending further investigation, police said in a statement.

The incident occurred in mid-November as the pro-democracy movement was in its fifth month, with hardcore demonstrators engaged in a “blossom everywhere” campaign across the city to stretch police resources.

Footage of the incident showed rival groups of protesters throwing bricks at each other, during which a man was hit by a brick and fell to the ground.

The 70-year-old was rushed to hospital unconscious and certified dead the following day.

He was the second person in less than a week to die in protest-linked incidents.

Alex Chow, a 22-year-old university student, died on November 8 from head injuries Manila sustained durNotice to the Public Standard ing a fall in a TODAY Notice is hereby given that multi-storey MERALCO Bill Deposit Receipt under Service Identification carpark while Number 1001715401010 with Service Address at Unit 1101 , police and pro11 Floor One Corporate Center, testers were 9001 Dolia Julia Vargas St. Ortigas Commercial Center, San clashing.

Antonio, Pasig City under the name of Forever Flawless Face Although the and Body Center, Inc. through its duly authorized representative events leading JOEY S. MANALANG, PTRP to his fall are was reported lost last October 2019 as per Affidavit of Loss unclear and diswith Doc. No. 309, Page No. 63, Book No. 133, Series of 2019 puted, protestunder notary public Attorney James K. Abugan. ers have blamed police. AFP th

(MS-DEC. 15, 2019)

L

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

MOVE PAST BREXIT DIVIDE, WINNER JOHNSON URGES

ONDON—Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Britons to put years of bitter divisions over the country’s EU membership behind them as he vowed to use his resounding election victory to finally deliver Brexit next month.

Johnson’s ruling Conservatives won their best result for three decades on Thursday night after promising to get Britain out of the European Union on January 31, a new deadline set by Brussels.

The snap general election turned into a re-run of the original 2016 EU membership referendum, whose outcome paralysed Britain’s leaders and created divisions across society.

But in a victory speech in Downing Street on Friday, the former London mayor struck a magnanimous tone, vowing to listen to those who opposed Brexit and lead an inclusive government.

“I urge everyone to find closure and to let the healing begin,” he said hours after visiting Queen Elizabeth II to be reappointed prime minister.

Johnson staked his political career on the election, which created the possibility of the pro-EU opposition coming to power and calling a new Brexit referendum that could undo the results of the first.

The gambit payed off spectacularly, with his Tories securing 365 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons -- their biggest majority since the 1980s heyday of Margaret Thatcher.

It also devastated the main opposition Labour party, which suffered its worst result since 1935.

Labour’s socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would step down after a period of “reflection” within the

century-old party.

The anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats also had a dismal night, falling to just 11 seats and losing their leader, Jo Swinson.

London stocks and the British pound jumped on hopes of an end to years of uncertainty, which has hurt investment and economic growth.

Johnson said his party had an “overwhelming mandate from this election to get Brexit done”.

He promised to then focus on other public priorities, notably by increasing investment in healthcare, schools and infrastructure.

“The work is now stepped up to make 2020 a year of prosperity and growth and hope,” he concluded, to cheers from aides and activists outside Number 10.

Anti-Brexit campaign groups expressed dismay at the result, which spells the end of attempts to keep Britain in the European Union, although many voters welcomed a decisive result. AFP

MASKED BEAUTY.

A demonstrator with a mask attends a climate protest rally in Sydney on December 11. Up to 20,000 protesters rallied in Sydney on Wednesday demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike. AFP

TRUMP TO FACE IMPEACHMENT VOTE; HOUSE PANEL OKS CHARGES WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump stood on the verge of impeachment Friday after a House panel approved charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress, setting up a historic vote in the chamber next week.

In a grave moment for a deeply divided nation, members of the Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to approve two articles of impeachment against the president for committing acts that met the constitutional threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The panel recommended by 23 votes to 17 that the Democratic-led House ratify both articles, ahead of a vote by the entire chamber that is expected to make Trump only the third US president in history to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

“Today is a solemn and sad day,”

committee chairman Jerry Nadler said after the vote, which was called with surprising speed the day after a rancorous 14-hour debate.

“Yet we must meet the challenge posed by a president who puts himself before the country, whose actions pose a direct threat to the integrity of our elections, and to the separation of powers that safeguard our liberty.”

One article charges the president with abuse of power for conditioning $391 million in critical military aid and a White House meeting on Ukraine launching investigations into Democrats ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

The other charges him with obstructing Congress for refusing to cooperate with the inquiry, a development Democrats say is unprecedented in American history.

Nadler said the House will act “expe-

ditiously” to vote on the charges.

The chamber’s Rules Committee will convene Tuesday morning to lay out guidelines for the impeachment debate and eventual vote.

Impeachment would trigger a January trial in the Senate, where the solid Republican majority is expected to protect the president by voting against conviction and removal.

An ever-defiant Trump, who insists there is a witch hunt against him, called the panel’s impeachment vote “an embarrassment to our country.”

He also insisted the divisive process will be “very good for me politically” as Americans face a presidential election next November.

But while the White House said Trump looks forward to a fair trial and due process in the Senate, the president lashed out at Democratic “fools” and branded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “liar.” AFP

TEPID RECEPTION FOR US-CHINA TRADE DEAL TRUCE WASHINGTON—US officials announced a truce in the trade war with China with much fanfare, but economists and trade experts call it largely a victory for Beijing.

After a dispute that raged for close to two years, with several fumbled efforts at a resolution, the US agreed to cancel planned tariffs and rollback others immediately, without a similar commitment from China to lift tariffs it imposed on the US. “Pardon me if I don’t pop champagne, but aside from a cessation of continued escalation, there is not much worth cheering,” leading China expert Scott Kennedy said in an analysis of the agreement.

“The costs have been substantial and far reaching, the benefits narrow and ephemeral.”

The US Trade Representative office said they expect to sign the phase one agreement in the first week of January, and issued a fact sheet highlighting key points, including enforcement provisions and improved protection for American technology.

In addition, it includes a Chinese commitment to buy $200 billion more in US goods and services over two years, USTR said.

That would be a significant increase: China imported just shy of $190 billion in goods and services in 2017, so if the target is met it would cut the US trade deficit with China by a third.

President Donald Trump has long railed against the trade imbalance, citing it as proof China is using distorting policies to gain an unfair advantage.

Trump tweeted that Beijing “agreed to many structural changes and massive purchases of Agricultural Product, Energy, and Manufactured Goods, plus much more.”

Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said agreeing to remove tariffs amounted to “giving away much of our leverage, while kicking the can down the road on the most meaningful trade issues with China.”

And trade economist Mary Lovely said the deal could only be viewed as a “partial win” which “didn’t move the needle very much.”

“We were kind of on a brink, and we saw the negotiators reach a deal that pulled us back, and I think that is important,” she said of the news Trump canceled the 15 percent tariffs on electronics that were due to hit Sunday. AFP

REMAINING BODIES FROM NZ VOLCANIC ERUPTION SOUGHT WELLINGTON—Divers searched seas around New Zealand’s volatile White Island Saturday for two people still missing five days after the volcano erupted, amid warnings it could do so again.

Police deputy commissioner John Tims said the divers faced “unique and challenging conditions” as they searched waters “with between zero and two metres visibility”.

They were focusing on an area where a body was seen floating in the water earlier in the week.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, meanwhile, has called for a minute’s silence to be observed at 2.11pm (0111 GMT) on Monday in honour of the victims of the eruption.

“Together we can express our sorrow for those who have died and been hurt, and our support for their grieving families and friends,” Ardern said with

the minute’s silence to start exactly one week after the eruption began.

Of the 47 people on the island at the time of the eruption, at least 16 were killed while 28 remain in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia with 21 listed as being in a “critical” condition.

Scientists monitoring the island said the likelihood of another eruption over the weekend was decreasing but the risk remained.

“Their new calculation was that there is a 35-50 per percent chance of an eruption occurring,” Natalia Deligne, a volcanic hazard and risk modeller, said.

The remains of six people were retrieved Friday in a daring rescue by elite soldiers under threat of another blast.

Most of the people on the island were tourists from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Germany, Malaysia and New Zealand who were on a day trip to see the natural wonder. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

EYES EVERYWHERE. Demonstrators hold placards depicting eyes, in reference

to police pellets reaching demonstrators’ eyes, during a protest against Pinera’s government in Santiago, on December 10. Pinera promised, during commemoration Tuesday of the International Day of Human rights, support for victims of human rights violations by security forces during protests in Chile, and a firm commitment to achieve truth and justice. AFP

Images

B3

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

UNDERWATER CHRISTMAS. A diver dressed in a Santa Claus costume swims with fish at Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo on Dec. 13 during a promotional Christmas show. AFP

COMING TO THEIR DEFENSE. Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at the UN’s International Court of Justice on Dec. 11 in the Peace Palace of The Hague, on the second day of her hearing on the Rohingya genocide case. AFP

URGENT AGENDA. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event ‘Unite behind the science’ within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 at the ‘IFEMA-Feria de Madrid’ exhibition center, in Madrid on Dec. 10. AFP

PROVOCATEUR. A human rights advocate holds up a mask featuring President Rodrigo Duterte during a march to mark International Human Rights Day in Manila on Dec. 10. Duterte has waged a deadly war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives. Overwhelmingly backed by Filipinos but condemned by critics who say it is a war crime, the killings by police as well as unknown suspects are the subject of a preliminary inquiry by the International Criminal Court prosecutor. AFP

HELLO, GOODBYE. Performers from Vietnam participate in the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games at the athletics stadium in Capas, Tarlac province, north of Manila on Dec. 11. Vietnam will host the next SEA Games in 2021 in Hanoi. AFP

B4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

GO MAKES HISTORY WITH 3 INTERNATIONAL KART TITLES

O

NE rising Filipino karter. Three international titles in a year. Unlimited potential on the race track Multi-title William John Riley Tiu Go cemented his status as Philippine karting’s newest darling as he claimed a historic third international title—the Mini ROK division of the Asian Karting Open Championship following another dominant showing in the Macau leg at the Kartodomo de Coloane last Dec. 8 and 9.

Away from the hoopla of the 30th Southeast Asian Games back home, Go did his own thing on foreign soil as he earned 24 points in the Macau round to finish the season with 199, 58 points ahead of second placer Enzo Yeh (144) of China and thirdranked Yan Yu (66 points), also of China.

Go’s fellow Filipino Melwin William Tan finished fourth with 51 points, while Quinten Lu of China placed fifth with a similar 51 points.

The 11-year-old Cebuano karter was so dominant in the four-leg kartfest that the final round was Go’s formal coronation leg, after virtually securing the title in the third stop in the Philippines last September with an unreachable total of 175 points.

He had 55 points in the first leg in Beijing on April 27 and 28 and a perfect 60 each in the second round in Macau on June 29 and 30.

Already one of the top racers in Southeast Asia last year, Go may have earned the reputation as the region’s best now with his triple-kill for the year, counting his title runs in the IAME Series Asia at the Sepang International Kart Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia and the Rok Singapore Cup—a feat never been done by any Filipino karter in the past.

It could have been four overall international titles, but the Grade 6 student of the St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre in Cebu City only placed 1st runner-up in the ROK CUP Asia Zone in Sentul, Indonesia, where he skipped two races due to conflict with his schooling.

“This one is for all the people who supported me in this journey, my team, my parents. I couldn’t have done it without them,” said Go. “Everyone was focused on the task at

William John Riley Tiu Go is shown with his team. At right, Go holds his championship trophy while flashing three fingers representing his three international titles.

hand and that proved to be the difference. Everyone contributed, it’s really a team effort from my coaches to my mechanics.”

Go’s amazing streak of titles began in September when he captured the overall cadet championship of the IAME Series Asia at the Sepang International Kart Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, where he bested 27 seasoned drivers from all over the world. Go, who bagged the overall crown with 143 points in five races and shoved eventual second placer Timofey Timofey Mikhaylov (134 points) behind, closed out the series in a blazing note with a total time of 13:42.118 in 12 laps, highlighted by the best lap time of 1:07.812.

What followed was another scintillating showing in the Rok Singapore Cup, where he bludgeoned the competition

with his 1,390 points, 629 ahead of runnerup Dillan Tan of the hosts.

Go, it turns out, is just warming up.

After competing in the Mini ROK division, the Cebuano prodigy plans to level up and compete in the Junior division next year.

“It was been a wonderful ride. It’s now time to search for bigger challenges” said Go.

SEAG WINNERS GET CASH WINDFALL FROM POC PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Saturday announced that all medalists from the Philippine hosting of the South East Asian Games will receive cash incentives from the local Olympic body.

“We got some help from our friends, such as Mr. Dennis Uy of Udenna/ Phoenix and my colleagues in Congress. The POC alone does not have enough cash to include everyone but we were fortunate to have individuals who personally pitched in because they believe our athletes deserve to be rewarded”, said Tolentino.

“This was all started by the San tino added.

Miguel Corp. and the Manny V. PanThe POC will give out P200K for gilinan Sports Foundation,” Tolen- every individual gold medalist.

For team medalists, it’s P100K each for two members, P75K each for teams composed of 3-4 members, and P50K for every member of teams with 5 or more athletes who won gold.

Individual silver medalists and teams with 2 members will receive P50K per athlete while those with 3 or more members will be given P30K each.

All bronze medalists will receive P30K a piece.

The grand total comes out to P52.87M in cash incentives.

“It’s the least we can do for the athletes who sacrificed, toiled and persevered to make our countrymen proud in our hosting of the

Games,” the Tagaytay solon said.

“With the previous contributions from San Miguel Corporation, the MVP Sports Foundation and the PBA, plus yesterday’s pledge of P15M from Mr. Uy and P6M from the members of Congress, we are able to make this happen”.

“This is the first time that the POC is giving out cash incentives for SEA Games medalists”, he added.

The 2019 Philippine SEA Games yielded 149 gold medals, 117 silver and 121 bronze for the host country, which gave the Philippines the over-all championship. Vietnam, the next host country in 2021, was a distant second with 98 gold while third placer Thailand managed 92.

X1R MIZUNO AHEAD BY 22 OVER CHE LUS IN FIL-AM GOLF X1R-MIZUNO drew 37 points from Justine Tambunting and a 33 from King Stehmeier to pad its lead to 22 over Che’Lus I after two rounds in the Fil-A division of the 70th Fil-Am Invitational held at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio City.

Playing captain Ace Stehmeier and Gab Macalagium each contributed 29 to account for the team’s 128 output and 253 total.

Che’Lus I assembled 111 for 231. Mike Castro topscored with 35 and was backed by Warren Pelletier’s 27, John Quinata’s 25 and Jesse Quenga 24.

Mizuno and Che’Lus I also went head to head in 2011 but the former won by count-back.

“It’s a comfortable lead going to BCC. But we can’t be complacent in the last two rounds. We need to continue to play and score well,” said team owner Brixton Aw. Action shifts to the tougher Baguio Country Club layout on Monday.

Nico Sevilla scored 20 points at the Baguio Country Club to help IslanderMizuno into the top 3 in the AM Championship after the first round in the 70th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament in Baguio City.

TOP JUNIORS, LOCAL ACES CLASH IN PPS JOHN David Velez and Bliss Bayking set out against a crack set of rivals in their respective sides, including a slew of local bets out to fuel their own title drive in the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Festival national age-group tournament which got going yesterday (Saturday) at the City of Naga Tennis Courts in Cebu.

Velez and Bayking have dominated the premier division (18-and-under) majority of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis season but the young stars are in for a tough challenge with a host of title-hungry players out to foil their bid in the Group I tournament which drew a huge cast of over 250 entries in nine age-group categories.

But the likes of Venz Alforque, Eric Longakit, Mitch Largo and Vincent Canete are all geared up to defend their turf, coming into the event riding the momentum of their surprise victories in last week’s PPS-PEPP Mayor Junard Chan leg of the country’s longrunning and biggest talent-search presented by Dunlop.

Alforque joins Velez in the featured division that also includes Eric Tangub, Vinz Lominoque, Vincent Yamut and Cesar Salimbangon; Longakit and Largo are in the 16-U cast also led by Velez and Tangub; while Canete shoots for another reversal in the 12-U play the way he did in Lapu Lapu City last week.

Bayking also expects to have her hands full in the girls’ 18-U section with Mia Gemida and siblings Khymberly and Ashley McKenzie in the draw with the McKenzies and Gemida topbilling the 16-U category along with Claire Nocos and Hazel Coderos.

“The presence of the country’s top juniors are expected to fire up the locals and we expect topnotch action and surprises from this big field chasing ranking points and recognition,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

BOOK ON UP MAROONS LAUNCHED AFTER just one season, the muchawaited book that narrates the amazing rise of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons— from cellar dwellers of the collegiate league to finals contenders in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines— was launched December 9 at the UP Executive House in Diliman.

Entitled Nowhere to Go But UP: How a Basketball Team Inspired a Nation, the book’s author is Naveen K. Ganglani, a young sportswriter and host from Rappler.com.

The launch was attended by all those who formed part of the narrative— wpast and current players, coaches, team managers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, prominent alumni, UP officials and fans.

Ganglani wrote the story through the eyes of the founders of the nowheretogobutUP Foundation, the group of alumni who banded together and began the UPrising during UP’s darkest days when it went through several winless seasons.

Renan B. Dalisay, who spearheaded the movement that breathed new life to the UP Maroons and awakened the entire UP community, shared how the foundation got through its birthing pains and led the entire UP community to where it is now.

He chronicled how each year, new recruits, more partners, new supporters, a beefed up coaching staff and quality training built the Fighting Maroons into true contenders. Dalisay, a newbie in the sports scene because of decades spent rendering service to the country through political and government work, described the amazing ride that the team, the community and sponsors took to bring the team to where it is now.

C1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

Business

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

‘FOREIGNOY’ HELPS ENTREPRENEURS COPE WITH METRO MANILA TRAFFIC

A

DANISH expatriate who has been living in the Philippines for nearly three decades considers himself Filipino at heart and knows how it feels when commuters deal with Metro Manila traffic on a daily basis.

Lars Wittig, who first came to the Philippines in 1992, offers a solution—flexible work space that makes it easier for businessmen, entrepreneurs and employees to work in an office space that is close to their homes.

Wittig is the country manager of Regus & Spaces by IWG, the London-listed flexible office space provider that now has 30 centers in the Philippines. He describes himself as “foreignoy”.

Regus had only four centers when Wittig joined the company eight years ago, and he oversaw the network expansion not only in the central business districts of Makati, Ortigas and Fort Bonifacio, but also in the suburbs of Metro Manila as well as in Cebu, Davao and Clark.

“The Philippines is a very successful market for us. We are in 120 countries, but according to our annual report, from 2018 the Philippines is among the top four performers in the world. We are there together with Japan, Canada and the US in that list,” says Wittig who lives with his Filipino wife and three children in Las Piñas City.

“In the US, we have 1,200 locations. In Japan, we have 130.

Here, barely 30 and still we are up there. That is very remarkable,” says Wittig, who also serves as the senior vice president of IWG for ASEAN and South Korea.

While based in Manila, he also serves the country manager of IWG in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Korea.

He first came to Manila in 1992 when the country had a population of only 65 million.

“Since I was working at that time in the distribution business, I walked the barangays of Tondo and Caloocan for a big Danish company [East Asiatic Company] that was the sole distributor for Philip Morris cigarettes. It gave me a very early experience or insights on socioeconomic levels of society especially when you focus on sari-sari stores and hardto-reach squatter areas,” he says.

He also once took a container ship bound for Manila, while work ing as the marketing manager for Asia of fruits producer Dole Packed Foods.

Those travels provided Wittig the proper perspective on the Philippine economy and on how to expand IWG’s business in the country. “We opened the first

Regus & Spaces by IWG Philippines country manager Lars Wittig

center in Makati more than 20 years ago. We pioneered the business. In the last seven years, we grew from four centers to now nearly 30 locations.

What is remarkable is out of the 25 that we have in Metro Manila, half of them are in the suburbs. That makes it very relevant,” he says in an interview at Regus GT Tower in Makati.

NATIONWIDE EXPANSION “It is not only my mandate but also my obligation to expand when the demand is as high as it is. Right now, I am getting more than 1,400 inquiries per month just here in the Philippines.

We have never ever had such a high occupancy as we do now. We are approaching 90-percent occupancy nationwide,” he says.

“We are seeking expansion at all levels horizontally and vertically.

We are all the time looking at more locations than the more obvious CBD areas. We are looking for local partners everywhere we are going to,” he says.

“Right now, we have spaces for coworking at Spaces and Regus. We have

another brand called HQ which has a lower price point. That could easily be more justifiable in some provinces, and we could be there sooner rather than later. We are exploring all opportunities.

Top of mind, we have to further develop the network in Davao City,” he says.

“We want to open in General Santos and Cagayan de Oro. I would love to see more locations in Cebu, Dumaguete and Mactan Island and of course Iloilo, Bacolod, Naga and Batangas City. We are already in Clark, but we need more locations in Subic, Baguio and Laoag. I hope that very soon we will be able to be in all those locations with the right local partners. The market for flexible work space is growing so fast,” he says.

He says he made the decision to expand to the suburbs to bring the service to more people whose productivity is affected by the daily commute to the CBDs. “We look at how you can work in an office, from home and anywhere in between. That is why it is very critical for us and our customers that we are in suburbs,” he says.

“People generally do not want to work from home. It turns out that if they do not get disturbed at home, then they get lonely. And if they don’t get lonely, it is because they get disturbed. What they really need is to work near home. It is important for produc tivity and for people’s well-being that they don’t have to go through the commute,” says Wittig.

“If people are asked what they like the least about their jobs, the most likely answer is the commute or getting to and from work. It is a big burden on our environment and it really costs us a lot of time as detailed in our survey,” he says.

SURVEY RESULTS The first comprehensive socio-economic study of second-city and suburban workspaces shows that the increasing migration of flexible office space and coworking locations to areas outside of major metropolitan cities globally is creating a ‘flex economy’ that could contribute more than $254 billion to local economies in the next decade.

The analysis, commissioned

by Regus and conducted by independent economists, studied 19 key countries including the Philippines to delve into the economic and social impact of flexible workspaces in secondary and tertiary cities and suburban areas both now and through to 2029.

It predicts that by 2029, there could be more than 74,000 people working at local business centers across the Philippines, providing net additional employment oppor tunities for local residents amounting to over 31,600 jobs.

The rise in local working is being largely driven by big companies adopting flexible working policies; moving away from relying on a single, central HQ and increasingly basing employees outside of the major metropolitan hubs in flex spaces.

It says that an individual flexible workspace or coworking center in a suburban location can benefit the local economy in numerous ways, from creating jobs both inside and outside the center, stimulating businesses and services in the nearby area, improving productivity and opening new working opportunities for those who live locally.

Across the 19 countries analyzed, in the Philippines the average individual workspace sustains 211 jobs. This includes temporary jobs created during the fitting-out stage of the Turn to C2

BISCUIT FIRM PROMOTES INNER STRENGTH

By Alena Mae S. Flores TIGER Biscuit of Mondelez Philippines is rallying mothers and their children to overcome life’s challenges through a movement called #InnerStrength.

Tiger hopes to teach parents about the importance of inner strength in children, and how this allows them to overcome challenges in life.

It is critical to let kids know and understand that challenges help a person learn and grow, it said.

The value of courage, humility, friendliness, resilience and confidence will always see them through, especially as they grow older, it added.

“Today’s world presents many challenges that can break a child’s spirit. With inner strength, they will be able to withstand more effectively every obstacle, and thrive,” said Kristine Enriquez, Tiger Biscuit brand manager.

Tiger is not like any ordinary biscuit. It contains wheat plus vitamins and minerals to help children get the proper nutrition they need. Tiger is the better “baon” option for kids, she said.

“Kids these days also have many activities in school and outside of school, through extra-curricular activities like sports lessons, art classes, among others,” said Enriquez. “That’s why they need proper nutrition to face the challenges and seize the opportunities that come their way.”

Armed with physical strength, children are better able to develop inner strength. Well-nourished children are able to think, decide and take action for themselves.

“It’s important for children to have the proper nutrition to face their day. The more they’re nourished, the more they are optimistic and positive and see the brighter side of life,” she said.

Celebrity mom Jolina Magdangal supports the new brand purpose of Tiger Biscuit.

Magdangal acknowledges the inescapable concern among moms in keeping their kids healthy and strong as they face their lives on their own in school.

“Developing a child’s Inner strength should start early. This is the time when parents help shape the overall well-being of their child.

It can be in the way you discipline them or as simple as the kind of food you serve them. I think I’m not alone when I say everything matters when it comes to our children,” she said.

“I want to make sure that my kids know that they have power over their mind, and whatever storms they go through, they can always reach deep down and find the inner strength to overcome them. I’m happy that Tiger sets things in motion to give importance to it,” she said.

Tiger believes that to create a brighter future for all, the world needs a new breed of resilient and confident children who can overcome challenges through inner strength.

Tiger Biscuit is made with the goodness of wheat, vitamins and minerals. It is rich in Vitamin B2 and Zinc and a source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 and Iron, which are all important to ensure proper body functioning.

It comes in two biscuit flavors, vanilla and chocolate. It also introduced the Tiger Choco Cream crackers last year, which has a sweet and salty cracker with delicious chocolate cream inside.

PHILIPPINES TAKES HUGE STEP FOR NEUROSCIENCES

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III speaks at the 9th Neuroscience International Symposium.

THE Philippines has recently become a first-time host and member to global neuroscience network BrainConnects at the 9th Neuroscience International Symposium held by the Institute for Neurosciences at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Bonifacio Global City.

With the theme “Bridging Brains, Enriching Minds,” the three - day symposium gathered clinicians, researchers and experts in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, engineering, clinical psychology, robotics and applied physics with the aim of spurring innovation among various disciplines.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III commended the institute’s move towards further collaboration during a symposium on Oct. 23 to 25.

“The Philippines’ participation to the BrainConnects network is a huge step for neurosciences in this country,” said Duque who graced the event as guest of honor.

Established in 2014, BrainConnects is a network of researchers seeking to enhance the cognitive and mental wellbeing of the prevalent aging population in the Asia Pacific region through neuroimaging, neurologic and cognitive sciences and engineering technology.

SLMC-INS officially signed onto the network this year as the Philippines’ representative alongside institutes and groups from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. At present, it has become a local research hub for

neuroinformatics.

“The elderly immensely contribute to our society as family and community members and as active participants in the workforce. Unfortunately, many older adults are at risk of developing mental and neurological disorders, along with other health problems,” said Duque.

The network held BrainConnects 2019 on the symposium’s first leg. With the Philippines as a renowned Special Interest Group for Neuroinformatics in Aging under the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility, the 6th Annual BrainConnects Meeting featured presentations on neuroimaging methods, diagnosis and prevention of cognitive disease and maintenance of brain health.

Its second leg, Brain Trauma 2019,

featured experts from the Brain Trauma Foundation in the US. INS head for Global City and organizer Dr. Lina Laxamana said the key to moving forward is collaboration and research.

INS overall head and organizing chairperson Dr. Ma. Socorro Martinez said SLMC has the adequate patient count and advanced technology for translational research.

“We could harness the knowledge gained from basic neuroscience research and clinical trials to develop techniques or tools that address medical needs designed to improve neurological treatment outcomes, especially in diseases affecting the aged population—therefore completing the cycle of research from lab to bed,” she said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

C2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 business@manilastandard.net

IN BRIEF

MINDANAO RESTAURATEUR TOP 2019 CMA RECIPIENT

TGIFRIDAYS’ MARKS 25TH YEAR AT GLORIETTA

TGIFridays’ management and staff and loyal guests gathered together for a party on Nov. 26 at Glorietta Activity Center in the same mall where it opened its first branch in 1994.

Host Candy Gamos led the party that commenced with a 25th anniversary AVP that showcased all ‘Fridays Believers’―customers, partners and friends who shared wonderful TGIFridays memories.

This was followed by a digital countdown and ceremonial lighting of a marker that symbolized 25 years of TGIFridays, led by The Bistro Group chairman and CEO William Stelton, president and COO Jean Paul Manuud and the company’s execom committee.

Other event highlights included the blowing of the birthday cake, bartending exhibitions, a performance by stand-up comedian Alex Calleja and entertainment numbers by Verse Two. “Our team is happy to spend TGIFridays’ 25th year with our guests tonight who have been and will always be part of our journey.

We look back with pride at the last 25 years, and we look forward with much optimism about what TGIFridays will have in store for you,” said Manuud.

Rechele Tiongson, vice president for operations, also announced the exciting Dec. 11 promotion which was offered simultaneously across all Fridays stores nationwide. Every table at 1 p.m. And 7 p.m. got the popular Chilli Ballpark Nachos for free and every person received a complimentary beverage during the promo.

BAYAN ACADEMY LAUDS VISIONARY SCHOOL LEADERS

SEPARATED by more than 600 kilometers of land and sea, Alabat Island National High School in Quezon Province and Tisa II Elementary School in Cebu have very little things in common except for their visionary principals who believed the schools can do more.

Principal Gregorio Racelis of Alabat Island National High School implemented a comprehensive values-based program that ultimately increased the National Achievement Test Mean Percentage Score by more than 20 percentage points over a span of six years.

Principal Maricon Gumba of Tisa II Elementary School rallied her master teachers to influence institutional change, fixing the physical deterioration of the school, revitalizing programs such as Brigada Eskwela, and developing her own initiatives that led to academic transformation.

Alabat Island National High School and Tisa II Elementary School are two of the seven schools across the Philippines that were recognized by Bayan Academy during the 6th Excellence in Education Transformation Awards on Nov. 19 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. The awards this year were selected based on exceptional innovation in the field of strategic human resource management.

Other awardees are Palusapis Integrated School, Science City of Munoz in Nueva Ecija; Babag National High School, Lapu-Lapu City; Schools Division of Quezon Province; Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Basic Education, Intramuros, Manila; and University of Santo Tomas Senior High School in Sampaloc, Manila.

MODERN, NEW POWER PLANTS TO BOOST GDP GROWTH

AMID rising global uncertainties, the country’s economy remains strong and is projected to grow from 5.8 percent this year to 6.0 percent by 2021, according to a recent economic update from the World Bank.

The sustained and inclusive economic growth of the country, the report said, would depend on the successful and timely implementation of highimpact projects such as those under the government’s‘Build, Build, Build”program.

Crucial to the implementation of these programs is the availability of reliable and sufficient power to ensure that highimpact projects operate efficiently upon completion.

There is however a looming concern among businesses that are taking part in the government’s infrastructure programs. The’‘Build, Build, Build’program is stretching the energy supply in the Philippines.

GENERATION CAPACITY According Department of Energy data, the Philippines had an installed generating capacity of 23,815 megawatts as of end 2018, with the bulk, or 8,844 MW, coming from coal-fired power plants.

Eduardo Azores (fourth from left), the CMA national winner, leads this year’s batch of microentrepreneurs recognized for their outstanding achievements, joined by National Selection Committee co-chairs Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno (standing, left) and Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed (standing, right).

E

DUARDO Azores of Koronadal City, South Cotabato was named national winner during the recent awarding ceremonies of the 17th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila. T This microentrepreneur successfully developed variants of a food product and wisely used his initial success to grow his business and brand.

The owner of Ali-Ali Pastil restaurant, Azores sells the popular pastil, a Muslim dish of steamed rice and shredded fish, chicken or beef wrapped in banana leaves; and offers close to 30 other kinds of toppings including laing and seafood.

From his restaurant’s earnings, Azores was able to open a convenience store, a catering business, a lodging inn and another restaurant branch. Azores credits his success to Rizal Micro Bank that granted him loans to raise his capital.

Also honored during the event were regional awardee for Luzon Lea Mancera, owner of Daniel’s Handicraft Weaving and Metal Frame; regional awardee for Visayas Merly Domingo of Ebina Garment Manufacturing; and regional awardee for Mindanao

’FOREIGNOY’...

From C1

office space, permanent jobs to run the office, including reception, maintenance, cleaning, plus the jobs associated with the occupancy of the workspace.

The research also reveals that on average, 90 net additional jobs would be created in the local economy for each individual center.

This is because the presence of businesses and their employees provide stimulation to the nearby area. When businesses set up in suburban locations, they bring with them local goods and services, and employees who will spend in the local area, creating a ‘sandwich economy.’

It says flexible workspaces also benefit the local area through an uplift in gross value added—the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area. The study found that an average flexible workspace generated P186.46 million GVA each year, of which P78.70 million contributed to the local economy.

HUMAN CAPITAL Aside from the direct financial impact, local office space has been found to benefit workers and local

Renewable energy followed at 7,227 MW, oil at 4,292 MW and natural gas at 3,453 MW. The country’s dependable generating capacity in 2018, however, was much lower at 21,241 MW. Power consumption reached nearly 100 million gigawatt-hours in 2018, up 9 percent from 94,370 million gWh in 2016.

As the economy continues to expand, DOE predicts that the nation will need 43,765 MW of additional power-generation capacity by 2040 to meet increasing power demand. With the anticipated completion of infrastructure projects the ongoing‘Build, Build, Build!”program, the country will soon need more power.

ENERGY SECURITY Considering DOE’s prediction, it is crucial for the country to install at least 7,000 more MW of generation capacity over the next five years. Otherwise, the economic growth will run into an unbreakable wall.

A good model is Taiwan, one of the most progressive nations in the region, which currently has more than 20 ultrasupercritical power plants, including the

Lucrecia Neri of Manna’s Alternatives Herbal Products and Ati Manna Organic Hub. Romualdo Blanco Jr. of San Pascual, Batangas and who owns PK Maja’s Special, received the Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year Award. Two deserving microentrepreneurs were chosen as Special Awardees for Agri-Micro business—Rolando Pega, a spring onion farmer in Pangil, Laguna; and Rosanna Sinapilo, owner of Coco Deli in Candelaria, Quezon province.

Caroline Jamias of Carol Line’s Ethnic and Fashion won the special award for preservation of traditions for her enterprise that showcases the Kalinga culture.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said: “The CMA honors the men and women whose transformed lives and journey as entrepreneurs demonstrate the power of microfinance as a poverty alleviation tool.

Most of these microentrepreneurs started with close to nothing, and yet were able to build and grow a business that support their families and even their communities. Theirs is a story of empowerment. And this is what microfinance is truly about.”

Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed, in his welcome remarks, said: “The compelling stories of the CMA winners speak volumes about the winning spirit of the microentrepreneur. This highlights the need for recognizing and rewarding the journeys of these outstanding entrepreneurs who have overcome a multitude of challenges to grow their businesses, improve the lives of their families, become catalysts for motivating other aspiring microentrepreneurs and contribute to employment and development

regions. This includes reducing the time spent commuting, with access to a local office space expected to save 8,845 hours per year for workers. Filipinos can have 4,423 hours saved to be used for personal purposes. This has wider benefits as a shorter commute has been shown to reduce stress levels, which can increase staff morale and resilience, as well as mental well-being.

At the same time, it is estimated that a total of 50 metric tons of CO2 would be saved from over 483,000 Filipino passenger kilometers that are no longer required because of shorter local commuting trips.

R e g u s a l s o l o o k e d at t h e estimated potential of each market to host a larger, national portfolio of local flexible workspaces. It forecasts potential changes over the next decade, reflecting expected trends in workforce demography, technological change and changes in business practices.

This additional analysis predicts that, if current trends towards regional flexible working continues, these communities could see over 31,663 local jobs created by 2029.

The forecast also predicts that P27.14 billion GVA will be retained by local economies.

“When people commute into

2,400 MW Linkou Power Plant in New Taipei City.

Linkou Power plant adopted a wellthought and methodical approach in 2014 to decommission two 300 MW coal-fired power plants built in the 60s. The plants had been transformed into an ultra-supercritical coal plant, using the most advanced technology that significantly reduces carbon emissions.

Today, Linkou Power plant had installed capacity of 800 MW per unit, producing 2,400MW using ultra-supercritical boiler that achieves an impressive high level of efficiency. These modern facilities now contribute 38 percent of Taiwan’s power requirements.

The Philippines can take the lead from Linkou of Taiwan in producing muchneeded power supply. Currently, a supercritical power plant now operates in Quezon, but the country has yet to develop an ultra-supercritical power plant.

The Philippines needs new and modern coal plants.

within their respective communities.”

“We are thrilled at having the opportunity to contribute to financial inclusion through the CMA program. Additionally, we would like to highlight that 76 percent of the awardees over the last 17 years have been women,” Ahmed said.

Since its inception in 2002, the CMA has recognized 141 outstanding microentrepreneurs who overcame struggles and showed determination to bring their businesses to a higher level of success. The awards program is a signature initiative of the Citi Foundation; and highlights the efforts of partners BSP, Citi Philippines and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines Inc. to strengthen microfinance and enterprise development, and financial inclusion in the country.

Azores and the seven other winners were chosen by the national selection committee co-chaired by Diokno and Ahmed.

The national winner received a cash prize of P200,000 while each of the regional winners and the special awardees were given P100,000. They also received a laptop; life and health insurance coverage for one year; and access to grassroots entrepreneurship management and basic computer literacy training at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center, another Citi Foundation program in partnership with Bayan Academy.

The winners’ loan officers and microfinance institution partners were also given a plaque of recognition and cash incentive of P10,000 each.

major cities their wallets commute with them. Working locally keeps that spending power closer to home. What this study shows is that providing more opportunities for people to work closer to home can have a tremendous effect, not just on them, but on their local area too. Businesses also recognize the benefits, and we are seeing increasing demand from companies of all sizes for flexible space in smaller cities and towns. Larger businesses are opting for a ‘hub and spoke’ real estate model. At the same time, smaller enterprises want to cluster and collaborate, and so choose flexible workspaces to be near other businesses,” says Wittig.

Wittig says the Philippines is the only country from Southeast Asia that was included in the study. “It underscores we have a very proud history. This market is a very high priority to us,” he says.

“For the Philippines, the results are even more pronounced than in any other country. Compared to other countries in the survey, we have the worst traffic in the world, and we have some of the worst pollution which is affecting our health and our longevity,” he says.

“What we can show is we can greatly improve the human capital

index by making people more productive, have them less time in the traffic, produce less C02 emissions and bring higher value to office jobs out into suburbs and Tier 2 cities.

Flexible work space also means that single mother has easier access to higher value job if she is allowed to work near home. That aids in closing the gender gap,” says Wittig.

Wittig says that once becomes a Regus member, he or she gets access to all 30 locations in the Philippines and 3,400 locations in 120 countries and over 1,000 cities.

IWG has 2.5 million members across 3,400 locations in over 1,000 cities in 100 countries. Wittig estimates that in the Philippines, IWG has close to 7,000 members.

“People also become a member because they want to learn from each other. The millennials in blue jeans and white T-shirts want to interact with the baby boomers like me because they can learn from my experience. On the other hand, I have to make sure that I as a baby boomer do not become obsolete, so I also need to talk to millennials and Generation Z because I need to catch up and have the latest knowledge.

That community building is very important,” he says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

INDUSTRIES’ CLAMOR The Federation of Philippine Industries is concerned that construction of new power plants are being delayed and called the DOE, as well as other industry players and stakeholders to fast-track the next round of biddings for the much-needed greenfield baseload capacity.

“We hope both the public and private sector can already speed up their processes and start with the next round of CSP [competitive selection process] bidding so as to fast-track the construction of muchneeded power plants, to meet the growing power demand of the country,” said FPI chairman Jesus Arranza.

FPI, according to Arranza, is alarmed of the recurring yellow alerts despite the cooler months of October and November.

The Luzon grid experienced yellow alerts for three consecutive days during the last two months, bringing the total number of yellow alerts to almost 50 for the year 2019. There were also 14 days of red alerts this year with rotational brownouts, more than the total in

the last five years.

“The group believes it has never been more obvious that the Philippines’ growing demand for power requires additional capacity to the grid,” Arranza said.

The FPI president said that the new power plants should not compete with the older plants. He said that currently, the priority is securing an oversupply in power generation, to address the constant yellow and red alerts plaguing our nation.

He said new plants are crucial to system reliability, citing that under the 20-year term of PSA, brownfield plants that have been in operationforseveralyearsarelesslikelytoremain reliable and ensure delivery for the entire term, which will gravely affect consumers.

Greenfield plants, on the other hand, are the country’s best option to help ensure long-term, reliable power supply to the grid, at best cost, which will directly benefit customers, he said.

“Our group supports and encourages the development of more greenfield power plants to address future demand and avert a power supply shortage,” Arranza said.

Tech & Gadgets

PH EMBASSY IN MADRID LAUNCHES eFILIPINAS APP

M

ADRID—The Philippine Embassy in Madrid launched the eFILIPINAS mobile app, a mobile application for overseas Filipino workers during the 3rd National Congress of Filipino Community Leaders in Spain and Andorra held in Madrid on Nov. 16.

The app, a brainchild of Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier, is a freeware program dedicated to Filipinos visiting and living in Spain and Andorra. The app is the first of its kind in the Philippine foreign service and offers a host of consular services with step-by-step instructions on how to obtain them as well as a directory of all Philippine missions in Spain and Andorra, among other features.

“In my two decades of service as Ambassador of the Philippines to different countries, I have always sought to give our hardworking Filipinos, particularly those in Spain and Andorra, quality service and a sense of home for our Filipino residents or tourists,” said the Ambassador.

This app will also provide our kababayans with urgent assistance for matters concerning security and other related concerns. Police and emergency hotlines are also accessible through the app for quick response.

In addition, the app has an interactive consulate locator where the user’s location can be entered manually. The locator has map pins of consular offices in Spain and Andorra and a search option showing the user’s current location for enhanced experience.

Adding to the rich information base that this app builds is the availability of an RSS feed which features news from Spain, Andorra, and the Philippines. The feed pulls information from news sites in real-time for users.

Philippe J. Lhuillier, Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra, presents and discusses “eFILIPINAS” the first freeware mobile application or app during the 3rd National Congress of Filipino Community Leaders in Spain and Andorra held at the Colegio Casa de La Virgen in Madrid, Spain.

Filipinos in Spain and Andorra are also kept up-to-date with a digital community notice board where alerts for nationwide or city-wide holidays are posted as well as travel advisories, consular outreach schedules, and other pertinent updates. Push notifications will also be enabled for any upcoming consular missions and Embassy events that they may want to join.

Another highlight of the application is the overseas Filipino worker or OFW Corner, a section that features various services that address employment and contract verification concerns, as well as Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) benefits for accredited members.

The eFILIPINAS app is now entering its third phase of development where a community wall and a meeting place for app users will be introduced; this feature will include a chat room for real-time and easier connectivity, as well as a bulletin board for announcements that users may want to post; polls and surveys that will surface the collective opinions of Filipinos in Spain and Andorra; and lastly, a Rizal Tour in Madrid through an audio guide that will help its audience retrace the steps of our national hero in Madrid.

In the near future, the application will be equipped with interactive and transactional features that will enable OFWs in Spain and Andorra to submit

requirements for application to the Embassy, a strengthened messaging service as well as financial service capabilities such as money transfers, foreign exchange rates, e-Commerce, and e-Banking.

The app is envisioned to be a onestop service app for the Filipino and bring convenience to their fingertips, thereby effectively bringing solutions to their problems.

“With the success of this app in the distant future, we hope that we may encourage more embassies to follow suit,” said Ambassador Lhuillier.

The app is now ready for download through the Apple Ap p Store and Google Play Store.

GET AD-FREE YOUTUBE, YOUTUBE MUSIC WITH SAMSUNG SAMSUNG has partnered with YouTube to let Galaxy smartphone users experience the many perks of the streaming platform simply by being part of #TeamGalaxy.

Loyal Galaxy customers can now watch videos without interruptions with YouTube Premium, as well as get exclusive access to their music streaming app—YouTube Music.

YouTube Premium allows patrons to enjoy background play so they can continue to listen to music or watch videos even when they exit the YouTube or YouTube Music apps.

They can also download videos and watch them offline, and view clips ad-free.

Owners of the Galaxy A Series (A80, A70, A50s, A30s, A20s and A10s) can avail two months of access to You-

Tube Premium and YouTube Music.

Meanwhile, customers who have the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Note Series (Note10 and Note10+), Galaxy S Series (S10e, S10 and S10+), and Galaxy Tabs (S5e and S6) can enjoy four months of access.

To avail, customers must have purchased and activated their Galaxy devices between Feb. 20, 2019 and Feb. 29, 2020. They can redeem their subscription on the account section of the YouTube app, where they can click on “Get YouTube Premium.”

Galaxy owners can only avail of this promo if they have not been a recipient of a trial to Google Play Music, YouTube Premium, or YouTube Music Premium in the past 12 months.

Eligible customers must redeem this offer on their devices before March

31, 2020.

“Offering complimentary access to YouTube Premium is just one of the many ways we want

to thank our customers for their support. It is also our way of showing that Galaxy devices are the perfect lifestyle companion for them to watch their favorite channels and listen to their much-loved music,” says Jerry Manus, Samsung Philippines’ Business Unit Head for IT and Mobile.

For more information, visit samsung. com/ph and youtube.com/premium/samsung

PATIENTS IN OVER 20 COUNTRIES TRUST SHIN KONG HOSPITAL'S TECH

By Paul David L. Gelario THOUSANDS of patients in over 20 countries travel all the way to Taipei, Taiwan to visit Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital for its advanced

technology and world-class facilities.

Its 256-slide Computerized Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are up-to-date with the latest medical equipments to diag-

GE’s Revolution CT scan at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital

nose illnesses in clear-cut precision.

Its CT Scan was recently upgraded to GE’s latest Revolution CT that delivers uncompromised image quality along with all-in-one clinical capabilities such as temporal resolution, spatial resolution, and spectral imaging. This is part of the hospital’s aim to obtain the best equipment.

“We have the best medical equipment,” International Health Center Supervisor, Karen Chang said.

A patient from Palau diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer, expressed her admiration of the equipments that made her now presumably cancer free.

“What I love about this hospital is how they treat the sickness I have, which is cancer,” patient Nestrada Jorgensen said. “Yesterday was the last day of therapy. I feel like I am better.”

Check ups are offered in two packages. The first one is a com-

prehensive physical check up called Comprehensive + LD-CT, which includes painless upper gastrointestinal panendoscopy, colonoscopy, and detailed health screening results.

The second package is focused on women, called Women’s Health + LD-CT, featuring a low-dose CT scan for lung cancer screening, breast ultrasound, and whole body bone density exam.

The fee for the Comprehensive +LD-CT is at NT$28,500 or P47,661, while the Women’s Health + LD-CT is at NT$ 31,100 or P52,000.

Chang advised that physical check up is very important as it is the first step in detecting cancer in its early stages.

“Physical check up is very important, because you don’t know maybe you have cancer,” Chang said.

Smart motion-sensored doors that move in just a wave of a hand were also installed in various parts of the hospital especially restrooms.

C3

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SMART, TNT, SUN CUSTOMERS GET 7-ELEVEN REWARDS PREPAID customers of Smart, TNT, and Sun will have the chance to win instant prizes when they join the Click and Win Promo of PLDT’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) and Philippine Seven Corp. (7-Eleven) for the holiday season.

Under this partnership, subscribers who buy and load any of the participating Smart, Sun, TNT prepaid products from 7-Eleven stores are qualified to join the promo. Up for grabs are smartphones and Smart Bro Home LTE Devices; instant load products; and Cliqq credits.

“This promo is about giving our loyal Smart, TNT, and Sun customers some rewards and prizes that they can enjoy this Christmas. Our partnership with 7-Eleven also enables us to reach more people and encourage them to level up to LTE in order to enjoy our fastest mobile network,” said Precy P. Katigbak, FVP and Head of National Key Accounts at Smart.

“After our successful run last year, we are pleased to have the chance to do this activity again with Smart. Our partnership with Smart has enabled us to offer more convenience to our customers at 7-Eleven,” said Sydney Roxanne Lau, Loyalty and Services Manager at Philippine Seven Corp.

This partnership is supported

by Gate Distribution, Inc, which provided a wider distribution avenue for Smart and 7-Eleven, to reach more Filipinos nationwide.

“We are excited to be part of this growing partnership between these two top brands in the Philippines—Smart and 7-Eleven. It is important for us to reward our customers with simple yet delightful gifts for the holiday season,” said Ma. Patricia D. Pascual, Sales Director-General Manager at Gate Distribution Enterprise, Inc. For more information, visit www. smart.com.ph.

PAYPAL...

From C4

case, a number, and a special character; not a word or date associated with you; a combination of words with unusual capitalization, numbers, or a special character; and most importantly, something you can remember.

But even a perfect password isn’t perfect. Another option is to use a password manager to create virtually uncrackable passwords for you. It’ll also keep track of them and enter them, so you don’t have to think about it.

3. Opt for 2-factor authentication.

Having 2-factor authentication can prevent loss of confidential information & can prevent data from being hacked. This security measure has been used to control access to sensitive data and systems, and online services are increasingly introducing 2-factor authentication to prevent their users’ data from being hacked. It also prevents fraudulent transactions when someone tries to transact using your data.

4. Use Trusted Online Payment Systems.Link your credit card to your PayPal account to not just shop securely, but to also enjoy rewards such as cashbacks and rebates as well. Aside from being able to link multiple credit cards to your account, using PayPal to complete your online purchases keeps your financial details more secure while still enabling you to enjoy the rewards associated with each card (contact your card issuer for details).

PayPal’s Buyer Protection policy also covers eligible purchases, should anything go wrong with your purchase.

5. Beware of Phishing Emails.During key shopping periods like the Christmas season, you are likely to be swamped with festive e-mailers from your favorite online stores telling you about their fabulous promotions. While it may be tempting to click through, keep a lookout for tell-tale signs that it could be a phishing email.

PayPal’s world-class cyber defence centre provides coverage 24/7, 365 days a year. Through coordinated efforts, the company has successfully shut down 500,000 fraudulant websites annually. Lookout for potential red flags, such as poor grammar or spelling, and URLs and domains that don’t match the sender before clicking through the links.

TECH & Gadgets

C4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

PRODUCTIVITIY, EFFICIENCY WITH HP SMART TANK 615

By Shana Angela S. Cervania

PAYPAL GIVES 5 TIPS FOR SAFE ONLINE SHOPPING

I

NCLUDED in HP’s newest line of printers, the HP Smart Tank 615 All-in-One printer which can print, copy, scan, fax is a major upgrade with the newest innovative technology that is surely a pleasant surprise for corporations, publications, businesses, start-ups, and for personal use with its boosted performance and efficiency.

Not compromising on quality, the speedy ink tank printer delivers crisp black and white, and colored documents with quality text and graphics, with up to 6000 black and white pages and 8000 colored pages; and its scan file format in JPEG, TIFF, PDF, BMP, PNG, with up to 1200 dpi optical scan resolution.

Perfect for borderless publication materials up to 8.5 x 11 in, 210 x 297 mm, your document needs such as flyers, posters, brochures, magazines, photos will be more organized and professional-looking.

With, an automatic print sensor, it will also be easy to track remaining ink levels with the built-in tank design and refill these effortlessly and spill-free with its resealable package.

With the new wireless technology, it can be connected through dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth LE with mobile printing capability through the HP ePrint; HP Smart

app; and Apple AirPrint, besides through its HiSpeed USB 2.0, which makes it all the more convenient for users, along with its customizable shortcuts to be more efficient, productive, and less time consuming for businesses.

With the HP Thermal Inkjet, it is capable of printing A4, B5, A6, DL envelope, and legal documents; also with custom media sizes, 76.2 x 127 mm to 215.9 x 355.6 mm in plain and photo papers; matte, glossy, envelopes, and other specialty papers.

It also has a silent mode feature which will take printing longer.

However, it will still produce the same high-quality documents.

It also includes software such as the HP Printer Software, HP

Update, and HP Photo Creations.

As long you have Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7: 32-bit or 64-bit, 2 GB available hard disk space, the program will run with ease.

One year of outstanding tech-

nical support services; plus, one year or up to 30,000 pages hardware warranty are included.

The HP Smart Tank 615 is now available at P11,990.00 ; with the HP Smart Tank 500 at P7,950, and both the HP Smart Tank 515 and 519 at P9,295.

ALLIANZ WELL NOW AVAILABLE THRU MARIA HEALTH ALLIANZ Well, a high value health insurance product that offers a coverage of up to P100 million, is now available through MariaHealth PH, after premier global insurance company Allianz Philippines entered into a partnership with the technology company.

It is also the first international health plan on Maria Health that offers such a high coverage.

“Allianz believes in making insurance simpler to understand for everyone. This way, people can learn more about its benefits and why it’s important for their financial security. We are glad to have found a like-minded company in Maria Health,” said Allianz Philippines Chief Marketing Officer, Gae Martinez.

Maria Health is an e-commerce facility that allows consumers to easily purchase health insurance plans. It shows comparisons of the different HMO providers so that consumers can easily identify which among their coverages would suit them.

Allianz Philippines’ partnership with the tech company is part of its continued efforts to make its insurance products more accessible and easier to understand for more Filipinos.

Allianz Philippines chief marketing officer Gae Martinez and Chief Distribution Officer Chris Cabognason have signed an agreement with e-commerce technology company Maria Health, represented by its Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Vincent Lau, and vice president for strategy, Camille Packing.

By making Allianz Well available through Maria Health, Allianz Philippines makes it easier for consumers to learn more about the many benefits that the plan offers. These include 24/7 tele-consultation and expert medical opinion services; inpatient hospitalization; ER assistance, the option of a second opinion, among other benefits.

Allianz Well is just one of the many all-inclusive health plans that Allianz Philippines is making available through Maria Health.

Earlier in the year, Martinez had stressed the importance of using technology in the delivery of insurance products and services.

“Through technology, we have the opportunity to give our customers

access to their insurance anytime, anywhere,” he said.

Allianz is the world’s number one insurance brand, according to the 2019 Interbrand Global Rankings. Across all industries, it ranks 43rd in the world.

Allianz has likewise been declared the world’s most sustainable insurer from 2017 to 2019 by Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

CHRISTMAS is officially in the air.

The parols are out, Jose Mari Chan is dominating the airwaves, and Filipinos are checking off items on their holiday shopping lists. The festive season also brings with it the stress of navigating heavy traffic and long lines at retail stores. That’s why many opt for online shopping instead.

Ecommerce continues to gain popularity in the Philippines,1 with convenience and security being the key drivers for this trend.2 And why not shop online? The bargains are there, the selection is vast, and payment is convenient.

With online shopping expected to increase in the weeks leading up to December, opportunistic cyber criminals will be looking to prey on vulnerable online shoppers. According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, the Philippines was the fifth-most targeted country after Algeria, Nepal, Albania and Djibouti. This was attributed to the general carelessness and lack of online security awareness among Filipino Internet users, leading to a large number of drive-by download attacks.3 But being aware of these threats can ensure that your time spent after Boxing Dayis with loved ones and not customer service representatives. PayPal, one of the world’s leading commerce enablers, offers practical tips on staying safe while shopping online this season.

1. Only shop on secure websites.Start at a trusted site. Search results can sometimes lead you astray, and sales on other sites might look enticing, but make a few checks before giving up your info to any website.

Look out for the padlock icon on sites and ensure that they start with “https” before entering your account information and password. This means that the site is secure and any financial or personal details that you provide are encrypted.

To be extra careful, a quick check to see if this website has a social media presence can uncover reviews to see if there are concerns raised by other customers.

Also, beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are some of the oldest tricks in the book.

2. Use a strong password.A secure, unique password for each of your online accounts is never more important than when banking and shopping online.

A strong password should be: more than 8 characters long; use upper case, lower Turn to C3

BUILDRITE SMARTBOND IMPRESSES AT INVENTORS WEEK THE Filipino Inventors Society Inc., in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Application and Promotion Institute, recently staged the National Inventors Week 2019 on Nov. 25 to 29,at the DOST Quadrangle, DOST Compound, Bicutan, Taguig City.

The five-day event put the spotlight on Filipino ingenuity and recognized the valuable contribution of Filipino inventors to the development of various sectors in society. The event honored outstanding Filipino inventors and their works in four different categories: Invention, Utility Model, Patent Pending, and Student Creative Research.

Derrick Tan, who showcased his invention--Buildrite SMARTBOND

Lightweight Tile Adhesive--nabbed Second Best Invention under the Utility Model category. The product possesses an innovative lightweight composition, which merited the award for its multiple benefits to end users and also for being eco-friendly.

“We all know that the Philippines is surrounded by a thousandislands and to serve the need of tile adhesive of the whole country will be the main challenge,” Tan said during his presentation. “This is what inspired me to invent a lightweight tile adhesive to lower the transport cost by increasing the quantity of bags delivered per truck without sacrificing the quality of the product, which has 10% more coverage at 15kg per bag than a regular 25kg

conventional tile adhesive.”

Tan uses waste materials from boilers that could’ve been disposed, and if not properly done can cause pollution, forest fires, and respiratory health problems for humans. He did not only invent an innovative product, he also did his part to help the environment.

“Need is the mother of all inventions.

I encourage the young people to keep inventing. Do not focus on profit, but focus more on the need of the society because profit is only a by-product of helping others,” Tan added.

FIS president Dr. Benjamin S. Santos was thoroughly impressed with SMARTBOND that he hopes for the product’s success not only in the local market, but in the global construction

industry as well. He shared in a speech that American inventors file about 1,000 patents per day and the Chinese are at 6,000 patents per day. However, only one Filipino inventor out of five million would be up to filing a patent per day.

Through the National Inventors Week, Dr. Santos and the Board of Directors of the National Inventors Week hope to encourage more Filipino inventors like Tan to file patents for their inventions. They are planning to make the annual event a national competition to give more opportunities for Filipino inventors to showcase their work, which not only have a potential to be marketable but also help in saving the environment.

Derrick Tan showcases his invention--Buildrite SMARTBOND Lightweight Tile Adhesive.

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

STAY IN

Escape the metro and celebrate the holidays in a refreshing destination.

OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

SIMBANG GABI IN MANILA T

HE nine-day devotional Masses called Simbang Gabi is a cherished Filipino tradition observed during the Yuletide season.

‘TIS the season to escape the bustling, jam-packed metro and head to a refreshing getaway.

The night Masses, which are actually held as early as 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., start on Dec. 16 until Dec. 24, on Christmas Eve. From a practical compromise for farmers during the Spanish rule in the Philippines, it has become a tradition for devotees who believe that if they completed all nine days of Simbang Gabi, a

Baclaran Church (Photo from baclaranchurch.org)

Baclaran Church

The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, more famously known as the Baclaran Church, is one of the oldest historical and goto church for Simbang Gabi in southern Manila. The vast and towering cathedral provides that distinct Christmas “feels” and is easily accessed through the LRT-1 Baclaran station.

San Sebastian Church

The historic and only all-steel church in the Philippines is noted for its Gothic Revival architecture. The stunning minor basilica is one of the most beautiful shrines one can visit in Manila, even after the Simbang Gabi season.

It is accessible from the LRT-1 United Nations station.

San Sebastian Church (Photo from Wikimedia)

request made may be granted, as well a unique occasion to bond with families and friends.

In the nation’s capital, churches are quite abundant, and they are mostly accessible via train or the LRT-1 line. Light Rail Manila Corporation’s tourism campaign ikotMNL shares this list of five must-visit churches in Manila.

Malate Church (Photo from malatechurch.org)

Malate Church

The beautiful stone-wrought Malate Church, also known as the Our Lady of Remedies Parish, is hard to miss—it remains one of the most beautiful structures in the area. To get there, take the LRT-1 Quirino station for a quick ride to the church.

San Agustin Church

Manila is not short on glorious churches, and two of them can be found inside the famous Walled City of Intramuros. San Agustin Church features a majestic, symmetrical interiors with a baroque pulpit.

Head to Intramuros via the LRT-1 Central Terminal to get to the church.

Sunset shindigs and holiday feasts are happening at Discovery Shores Boracay.

Boracay

Got beach holiday on mind? Discovery Shores Boracay cooks up festive celebrations that bring cheer to the season.

The premier resort serves joyful flavors beginning today, Dec. 15. The Clubhouse Lounge offers bibingka and the island’s famous Chori (chorizo) burger until Dec. 30.

Meanwhile, Sand Bar and 360 Roof Lounge transport guests to Havana with Havana-inspired rum-based cocktails with a side of uninterrupted views of sunset from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunset shindig and pool party are scheduled on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, respectively.

Christmas Eve buffet at Sands Restaurant starts at P1,690++ per person; while Christmas day feast, featuring Filipino holiday dishes, is priced at P1,690++. And on Dec. 30, the restaurant is serving a BBQ and grill holiday buffet at 7:00 p.m.

After a series of parties and feasts, guests may treat themselves to a relaxing massage at Discovery Shores’ Terra Wellness Spa which offers Hilot Haplos for P3,000.

Call (02) 7720-8888 or go to www.discoveryshoresboracay.

Club Paradise Palawan welcomes the year 2020 with a Havana-inspired celebration.

Palawan

San Sebastian Church (Photo by Judgefloro on Wikimedia)

Dance to the upbeat Cuban beats while having drinks at Club Paradise Palawan’s Shack Bar. Better still, Turn to D2

RADISSON SPARKLES IN VIETNAM

The City of Da Nang and the Han River

Nhon, which is nestled THE Radisson Hotel on Vietnam’s pristine Group (RHG) has cersouth-central coast, betainly made its presence tween the cities of Nha felt here in the country.

Trang and Hoi An. Slated There is the Radisson Blu to open in 2023, the rein Cebu, the Park Inn by sort will offer a choice Radisson in Davao, in of 120 contemporary North Edsa, in Clark, in MERCURY RISING rooms and suites in the Iloilo and, soon, in BaBY BOB ZOZOBRADO main building, and 160 colod. All these beautiful villas surrounded by lush hotels are owned by SM landscaped gardens. This Hotels and Conventions.

After captivating locals and our interna- property will feature leisure facilities, restional visitors with a taste of its enviable taurants, bars, and function areas.

Quy Nhon is home to many natural and brand of hospitality and service, RHG has now set its sights on Vietnam’s exciting cultural attractions, including ancient temples, traditional fishing villages, idyllic emerging tourist destinations.

The Radisson Blu Resort will open in Quy Turn to D2

Destinations

D2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

OUT...

From D1

welcome 2020 at Rumba Cubana, a Havana-inspired New Year celebration complete with authentic Cuban cuisine, piña coladas, mojitos, and margaritas.

Noche Buena buffet at the hotel features delectable Filipino cuisine at P1,200 nett per person, while the Christmas day feast at the Beachfront will showcase international culinary masterpieces, also at P1,200 nett.

Enjoy a change of scenery and see a movie under the starry night sky by the beach every weekend of December at 8:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse.

Glow Spa gives the gift of pampering with 15 percent discount on Coffee Body Scrub, Paradise Lulur, and Ventosa Healing Treatment.

Call (02) 7719-6971 or go to www.clubparadisepalawan.com.

COTABATO CITY STAGES

SHARIFF KABUNSUAN FESTIVAL

Richmonde Hotel Iloilo offers special Christmas and New Year packages.

Iloilo

It’s an old-fashioned holiday in the City of Love as Richmonde Hotel Iloilo offers special Christmas and New Year packages.

Special rates, starting at P4,800 nett, are on offer from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, 2020.

Room rates include accommodations for up to two persons and two children 5 years old and below, with breakfast buffet, Wi-Fi access, choice refreshments for two, two buy-one, get-one vouchers on Zabana cocktails, use of gym and swimming pool, and 15 percent discount on in-room massage service.

Come Christmas and New Year’s Eve, The Granary serves a lavish assortment of international dishes and traditional local holiday fare for P1,350 nett per person.

Call (033) 328-7888 or email rhireservations@richmondehotel.com.ph.

SIMBANG...

From D1

Binondo Church

Manila’s busiest shopping district is also home to another glorious minor basilica, the Binondo Church. For religious history buffs, it’s an important place for Filipino Christianity because its serves as the home parish of Filipino saint Lorenzo Ruiz. Get down at the LRT-1 Carriedo station and ride a tricycle going to Binondo to reach this Manila landmark.

Binondo Church (Photo by Patrick Roque on Wikimedia)

ISLAMIC HERITAGE. Cotabato City celebrates the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival in commemoration of the arrival of the Arab missionary who

A

introduced Islam in Mindanao.

FOUR-DAY festival that highlights Islamic heritage caps a productive year for Cotabato City.

The annual Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, which opens today, Dec. 15 and runs until Dec. 19, features parades, dancing, business fora, exhibits, and feasts, in commemoration of the arrival of Shariff Muhammad Kabunsuan, an Arab missionary from Malaysia, who introduced Islam in Mindanao in the 13th century, way before the Spaniards brought Christianity in the Visayas.

The festival kicks-off with the Guinakit Fluvial Parade, which features a re-enactment of Shariff Kabunsuan’s arrival at Rio Grande de Mindanao, the island’s second largest river located in Cotabato City.

It was said that the Arab missionary rode on a colorful boat called the guinakit. Through the years, it has been the sailing vessel of Muslim royalty. For the parade, the guinakit is decked with flaglets and vibrant-colored fabrics.

Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi graces the

Cotabato City helps keep the Maguindanaoan inaul, a time-honored weaving tradition, alive.

RADISSON...

From D1

Katerina Giannouka, president for Asia Pacific of Radisson Hotel Group

festival opening ceremonies at the City Plaza. The Old City Hall currently exhibits artworks by local artists.

On Dec. 16, the Mini-Guinakit Opening will exhibit guinakit models at the People’s Palace Grounds.

The Crab Festival at the City Plaza, meanwhile, will showcase the city’s iconic mud crab through a crab race and culinary demo.

Patronized for its sweet and rich meat, the mud crab is one of the city’s economic generators.

Patterned after the reality TV show, Iron Chef, the Flavors of the ASEAN Culinary Competition challenges contestants’ creativity in using local ingredients such as native chicken, goat’s meat, shrimp, and fish.

The Qur’an Reading at the People’s Palace will present readers and reciters who have won in national and international competitions.

The morning of Dec. 17 will rock with the Kuyog Street Danc-

islands, and picturesque pagodas.

In the second quarter of next year, Radisson Hotel Da Nang will open, introducing the brand to the largest city on Vietnam’s central coast.

This landmark hotel is currently under construction in the city’s central district, overlooking the sea. It will have 182 rooms and suites—most with ocean views—a restaurant, lounge, spa, fitness center, swimming pool with pool bar, and modern meeting spaces.

With its long sandy seafront, cultural attractions, and extensive leisure facilities, including golf courses, Da Nang is a key tourist destination. The airport is only 10 minutes away from the hotel and is directly connected to major Asian cities like Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Seoul, and Singapore.

In the first quarter of 2021, Radisson Hotel Quang Binh will open on the charming seafront city of

The Shariff Kabunsuan Festival kicks off with the Guinakit Fluvial Parade, followed by the Mini-Guinakit model exhibit.

ing and Showcase Competition at the City Plaza and at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC). The festival’s main crowd drawer enlists legions of students and cultural groups not only from the city but also from neighboring provinces.

At the City Plaza, the Colors of Cotabato with SK Music Fest features a motley of songs and dances from the various ethnolinguistic groups in the city—Maguinanao, Meranaw, Iranon. Bisayas, Cebuano, and Ilonggo.

One of the Department of Trade and Industry’s visions is to boost the industry of halal—food prepared according to Islamic laws— and make the country globally competitive. Thus, on Dec. 18, the Halal Business Forum at Rebecca’s Café aims to advance the partnership between the private and public sectors.

The DTI will also launch its nationwide program, Negosyo sa Barangay, which trains participants entrepreneurial skills, including business registration, product de-

velopment, marketing, and laws.

There will also be a Pet Fair with activities for owners and their pets at the People’s Palace grounds.

The festival will close with a cultural parade at CCSPC and City Plaza, and the Grand Pagana, where people commune together to feast.

“The Shariff Kabunsuan Festival is the city government’s way of saying thanks to the efforts of every Cotabateño who have made our city nationally recognized for its business progress and good governance,” enthuses Mayor Guiani-Sayadi.

Pocket events before and during the festival include volleyball competition, SK Fest Grand Sale, and SK Fest Mobile Legends Tournament.

From Dec. 15 to 31, the Old City Hall displays a cultural exhibit on the story of Datu Pat-I Mata and the Pulangi River. This is a folk tale about a four-eyed datu who was notorious for his polygamy and disrespect for women. His brother Datu Pula punished him for his excesses by turning him into a river.

Dong Hoi. This elegant colonial regular flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi style building is being completely Minh, with plans for regular flights renovated to Radisson’s inter- to international destinations. national brand standards. Upon Katerina Giannouka, president opening, this downtown hotel will for Asia Pacific of Radisson Hotel feature a restaurant, lobby lounge, Group explains the brand’s proswimming liferation pool, fitin Vietnam: ness center, “The counballroom, try is one of YOUR WEEKEND and meetthe world’s ing spaces. most attracCHUCKLE D o n g tive, with Three guys stranded on a desert isHoi is loa strong land find a magic lantern containing cated on e c o n omic a genie, who grants them each one Vietnam’s growth, a wish. The first guy wishes he was off north-cenvibrant culthe island and back home. The sectral coast, ture, and ond guy wishes the same. The third north of spectacular guy says, “I’m lonely. I wish my friends Da Nang. scenery. Da were back here.”

Tourists will Nang has marvel at emerged as the area’s an imporbeautitant regionful beaches and can proceed to al hub for business and leisure Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, while Quy Nhon and Dong Hoi are which is home to the world’s larg- prime locations ready for internaest cave. The city’s airport offers tional tourism.”

Vietnam’s tourism industry is currently on an upswing. It had 14.5 million international visitors in the first 10 months of this year, a 13 percent increase over last year’s figures. It is certainly on the way to another record year. Rising affluence and improving infrastructure are also driving domestic tourism growth, further highlighting the need for suitable accommodations.

In fact, there are now approximately 30,000 rooms under construction throughout the country, which represents 28 percent of its existing inventory.

These three soon-to-open Radisson properties in Vietnam will be in addition to the brand’s existing hotels Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh, and Hoi An. It looks like Vietnam will soon be Radisson territory. Just as well that we’ve passed on the Southeast Asian Games flag to them! These new rooms will come in very handy.

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

Entertainment

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

D3

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

WHO WILL SUCCEED

GOLDEN CAÑEDO

IN THE CLASH? Catriona with Cornerstone VP Jeffrey Vadillo, president Erickson Raymundo, Creative Programs Inc. president Ernie Lopez, ABS-CBN Books head Mark Yambot, and CPI head Paolo Pineda.

The newest Kapamilya author Catriona Gray welcomed by fans and employees at ABS-CBN headquarters.

CATRIONA GRAY

CONTINUES HER JOURNEY INSPIRING FILIPINOS

By Nickie Wang

F

RESH from crowning her successor in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is back in the country to start a new journey.

The 25-year-old Filipino Australian beauty has inked a contract with ABS-CBN’s publishing arm to write a book due for publication next year.

“It’s a collection of lessons that I’ve learned in the past couple of years that I feel allowed me to achieve what I did. Things that I’ve learned from a personal perspective, things that I’ve learned in regards to dealing or learning from others, and also about giving back,” shared Catriona during the contract signing for her upcoming book entitled Conquering Your Universe.

The inspiring read will also delve into her advocacies, especially when she represented Filipinos and raised the Philippine flag in the beloved pageant and promoted various causes all over the world during her reign.

“I want it to be relatable. It’s not about just pageantry. These lessons can be applicable to anyone from whatever walk of life. I just want it to be something that would have a positive impact,” she said.

Her foray into the world of pageantry began in 1999 when she won Little Miss Philippines in Sydney at the age of five. In 2016, she won the Miss World Philippines title and represented the country in the world’s oldest beauty pageant.

Catriona is the first Filipina to represent the country in both the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions, and the second to represent the Philippines in two major international pageants.

Also in 2016, Catriona tapped a non-government organization called “Young Focus Philippines” to help her provide free and accessible education to Filipino children.

ABS-CBN Books is thrilled to partner with Catriona for this exciting project as it aims to encourage readers to conquer their own universe stirred by the wonderful journey of the newest Kapamilya author.

“Catriona has been an inspiration to millions, being an advocate of children’s right to education, equality, and love for country. We at ABSCBN Books hopes that readers will continue to be inspired by her story,” ABS-CBN Books head, Mark Yambot, said.

Conquering Your Universe is targeted to be released in the first quarter of 2020, one of the many exciting reads to be published by ABS-CBN’s publishing arm next year, as it continues to bring the Kapamilya experience in print with its extensive fiction, nonfiction, movie-based, self-help, and motivational reads.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is set to pen her pageant journey and beyond in a book to be launched next year as ABS-CBN Books proudly welcomes the beauty queen into its roster of inspiring authors.

THE twists and surprises keep coming as GMA Network’s original musical competition, The Clash, has recently unveiled its final 6 Clashers.

Last weekend’s intense Clashback gave eliminated contestants a chance to challenge the remaining Clashers for a spot in the Top 6. And after singing their hearts out, one lucky challenger stood out and reclaimed a place in the competition.

Vying towards becoming this season’s champion are Aljon Gutierrez, Antonette Tismo, Jeniffer Maravilla, Jeremiah Tiangco, Nef Medina, and Thea Astley.

Aljon hopes to make his hometown proud by winning the competition, “I look at this competition as a challenge given by God. And I wanted to prove that I am deserving to be in the Grand Finals. Makakapasok tayo, mga tagaMindoro, at makikilala tayo mga tagaMindoro.”

Antonette, who successfully replaced Janina Gonzales in the Clashback round, made sure to give her very best to be part of the Top 6. “Nung tinawagan po ako na may Clashback, sobrang nabuhayan po ako. May chance na ulit. Sabi ko ibibigay ko lahat, wala nang pagkakamali.”

Meanwhile, Jeniffer is out to prove that she is worthy of her place in the competition, “There are moment that we fall but we have to stand up, work harder, and believe in ourselves. I am inspired to keep going and do my best all the time.”

On the other hand, Jeremiah is grateful to have made it this far, “I feel blessed that I became part of the show’s finale. Lalaban po ako hanggang dulo.”

Nef, who sang “Warrior is a Child,” chose the song to convey his fighting spirit, “Pag sinabi nating warrior, alam nating fighter ‘yan, lumalaban ‘yan.

Ganun rin po ako dito sa The Clash.”

For Thea, music has always been her strength and she remains grateful to have come so far in the competition.

“Music really saved me,” she said. “When the The Clash started, I had so many doubts pero ngayon pa lang, masasabi ko na ang layo na nang narating ko, nakaya kong makipagsabayan sa kanilang lahat, nakaya kong lumaban.”

The Clash Panel is composed of Lani Misalucha, Christian Bautista, and Ai Ai delas Alas; and hosted by Clash Masters Rayver Cruz and Julie Anne San Jose; together with Journey Hosts Rita Daniela and Ken Chan.

Under the helm of Director Louie Ignacio, don’t miss the finale of The Clash and find out who will become this season’s Grand Champion tonight after Daig Kayo Ng Lola Koon GMA-7.

‘The Clash’ Top 6 Jeremiah Tiangco, Thea Astley, Aljon Gutierrez, Jeniffer Maravilla, Nef Medina, and Antonette Tismo.

SOME COOL EXPERIMENTS IN ‘IBILIB’

‘iBilib’ host Chris Tiu with James and Roadfill, and Lexi Gonzales

THIS morning, learn about science and have fun as you watch iBilib featuring Street Genius.

Join the cool experiments with award-winning host Chris Tiu, James and Roadfill of Moymoy Palaboy, tween star JK “Dekdek’ Giducos, Lexi Gonzales, Jeremy Sabido, and Primadonnas star, Elijah Alejo.

Make your Sunday mornings more fun and educational by knowing the answers to these questions: Is there such a thing as a fireless firework?; How many crackers can a person eat in one minute?; What can propellant make a ten-pound bowling ball shoot out of canon farthest: funs

snaps, match heads, propane with air or firecrackers?; and Is it possible for a two people to wrap one gift using only one hand each?

Lexi and Jeremy find out how an incredible technology can make the Christmas season even brighter in the Bilibabol Holiday Drone as the segment feature synchronized drones that can light up the sky for holiday festivities without the smoke and explosions.

For her ”Huling Hirit,” Elijah shows viewers how to turn trash into a festive holiday ornament with her ”Plastik Fork Parol Lifehack.”

All these and more in iBilib, every Sunday morning on GMA.

D4

S

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

HOW TO HELP DOGS AND CATS

OME people compare dogs and cats and say one is more intelligent than the other. Some people also say they do not and can not get along well.

The truth is dogs and cats are both intelligent. And they can get along well with each other through proper training and the right environment.

In the article “8 Tricks to Help Your Cat and Dog to Get Along in mentalfloss.com, ” author Kirstin Fawcett noted: “Typically, cats are aloof and easily startled, while dogs are gregarious and territorial. This doesn't mean, however, that they can't share the same space—they're just going to need your help.”

Here are eight tips from cat expert Jackson Galaxy, host of the Animal Planet show My Cat From Hell, and certified dog trainer Zoe Sandor: “If cats and dogs are brought up together in a positive, loving, encouraging environment, they’re going to be friends,” Galaxy said. “Or at the very least, they’ll tolerate each other.”

1. Take the personality into account, not the breed.

Galaxy and Sandor said “it’s more important to take their personalities and energy levels into account. If a dog is aggressive and territorial, it won’t be a good fit in a household with a skittish cat. In contrast, an aging dog would hate sharing his space with a rambunctious kitten.”

“If two animals don’t end up being a personality match, have a backup plan, or consider setting up a household arrangement that keeps them separated for the long term. And if you’re adopting a pet, do your homework and ask its previous owners or shelter if it’s lived with other animals before, or gets along with them,” noted Fawcett.

2. Train your dog.

You can teach your dog to control its impulses so that your dog can live with cats, Sandor said.

“Does it leap across the kitchen when someone drops a cookie, or go on high alert when it sees a squeaky toy? If so, it probably won’t be great with cats right off the bat, since it will likely jump up whenever it spots a feline,” Fawcett said.

“Hold off Fido's face time with Fluffy until the former is trained to stay put. And even then, keep a leash handy during the first several catdog meetings,” Fawcett added.

3. Give the cat its own space before introducing the cat to the dog.

“Cats need a protected space—a ‘base camp’ of sorts—that’s just theirs,” Galaxy said.

“Make this refuge off-limits to the dog, but create safe spaces around the house, too. This way, the cat can confidently navigate shared

LIVE IN HARMONY RC (dog) and Sid (cat) get along well together. RC was rescued by Jhet Man when he was a pup.

He was emaciated and full of ticks. He turned out to be a big but gentle dog. He’s gentle with his cat sibs and humans. Sid was rescued under a big rock when she a kitten before Christmas last year.

She’s a grumpy but a very sweet lap cat.

territory without trouble from its canine sibling,” Fawcett said.

Take advantage of your home’s vertical space as cats are natural climbers, Galaxy said.

You can install shelves, buy tall cat trees, or put a cat bed on top of the book case, Galaxy added.

“This allows your cat to observe the dog from a safe distance, or cross a room without touching the floor,” he said.

“And while you’re at it, keep dogs away from the litter box. Cats should feel safe while doing their business, plus dogs sometimes (ew) like to snack on cat feces, a bad habit that can cause your pooch to contract intestinal parasites. These worms can cause a slew of health problems, including vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia,” Fawcett wrote.

You can use baby gates but there are dogs who are good escape artists. It is best to put the litter box in an open space and leave it uncovered.

“That way, the cat won’t be cornered and trapped mid-squat,” Fawcett wrote.

4. Exercise your dog.

Sandor noted that owners usually exercise their dogs only 20 percent of what they should really be doing.

“It’s really important that their energy is released somewhere else so that they have the ability to slow down their brains and really control themselves when they’re around kitties,” Sandor said.

Dogs should be given a lot of stimulation, Sandor added.

“Receiving it in a controlled manner makes them less likely to satisfy it by, say, chasing a cat. For this, Sandor recommends toys, herding-type activities, lure coursing, and high-intensity trick training,” Fawcett wrote.

“Instead of just taking a walk, stop and do a sit five times on every block…And do direction changes three times on every block, or speed

COMPASSION IN ACTION

MY FURRY BESTIE

PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS Caretakers of Save Animals of Love and Light- Save ALL Inc., an animal welfare group, went around a village in Bulacan and gave stray dogs and cats, and hungry, cold pets, boiled food with turmeric powder to warm their bodies during the onslaught of typhoon Tisoy.

STRAY dogs and cats have it so bad on the streets with no food, no water and no shelter.

Worse, some cruel humans even kick them, pour boiling water on them, stab them or hit them on the head with a sharp, hard object.

They never have it easy, and not many humans care about these poor beings.

Our hearts are thus warmed and gladdened every time we learn about humans who help stray dogs and cats, and even neglected owned pets. We were grateful when we learned about humans who helped the homeless dogs and cats when Supertyphoon Tisoy hit the country.

These acts of compassion are rare. We want to honor the men and women who helped the dogs and cats. This is the least we can do.

Here are photos of compassion in action.

Bless the men and women who helped the animals in need. May other humans do the same, and feed the strays when they can.

Tanods (officers) of Barangay Industrial Valley Complex of Marikina City rescued a kitten trapped on the side of a flyover.

Stray dogs enjoyed a place to sleep and the flattened carton boxes that kept them dry. Thanks to the staff and management of Puregold in Moonwalk, Paranaque, during the height of typhoon Tisoy.

changes two times. It’s about unleashing their herding instincts and prey drive in an appropriate way,” Sandor said.

You can also hire a dog walker, or enroll your dog in doggy daycare.

5. Allow cats and dogs to follow their noses.

Let your dog and cat sniff each other’s beddings and toys prior to the face-to-face introduction, Galaxy recommended.

“This way, they can satisfy their curiosity and avoid potential turf battles,” Fawcett wrote.

6. Carefully plan the first meeting.

Cats and dogs also need a chance to make a good first impression just like humans. It is good that they both love food which might help them learn to love one another, Fawcett noted.

“Schedule the first cat-dog meeting during mealtime, but keep the dog on a leash and both animals on opposite sides of a closed door. They won’t see each other, but they will smell each other while chowing down on their respective foods,” Fawcett said.

Galaxy said they will associate this with the smell of food and thus make the meeting a good thing.

Galaxy said, “Do this every mealtime for several weeks, before slowly introducing visual simulation. Continue feeding the cat and dog separately, but on either side of a dog gate or screen, before finally removing it all together.”

They will eventually eat side by side and will even ignore each other, Galaxy said.

“For safety’s sake, continue keeping the dog on a leash until you’re confident it’s safe to take it off (and even then, exercise caution),” Fawcett wrote.

7. Separate their food and toys.

Keeping the food and toys separate will prevent fights.

“A cat will walk up to the dog bowl—either while the dog’s eating, or in the vicinity—and try to eat out of it,” Galaxy says. “The dog just goes to town on them. You can’t assume that your dog isn’t food-protective or resource-protective.”

“To prevent these disastrous mealtime encounters, schedule regular mealtimes for your pets (no free feeding!) and place the bowls in separate areas of the house, or the cat’s dish up on a table or another high spot,” Fawcett said.

Galaxy revealed that dogs tend to like catnip, thus you have to keep the cat’s toys away from the dog.

8. Raise the dog and cat together if you can.

If they were raised together when they were young, it will be much easier for the dog and cat to get along well.

“Dogs are less confident and smaller at this stage in life, allowing the cat to assume its rightful position at the top of the hierarchy,” Sandor said But Fawcett reminded owners to stay watchful to ensure that everything will go smoothly.

Dogs tend to be rambunctious when they become teenagers, Fawcett said. DC

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.

TOOTSIE and her two siblings were abandoned in the house of a neighbor of Maritess Ong. The three puppies had no food and water for about two days.

Maritess’ mother decided to ask for help from the barangay officials to rescue Tootsie and her siblings.

Tootsie, now one year and three months old, was adopted by Maritess’ family, while the two other pups were adopted by the barangay tanods.

“Tootsie knows some tricks and my Dad said she is very intelligent,” Maritess says.

Maritess adds,” “She loves sleeping beside her hoomans and bath time.”

“Hopefully, she stays healthy and live a long life. We cook mallungay and mix it with her dogfood. She loves it so much, “ Maritess says.

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.