Manila Standard - 2019 December 22 - Sunday

RODY, LENI RATINGS UP —PULSE ASIA

By Vito Barcelo

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 311 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s approval rating jumped by nine percentage points to 87 percent, from 78 percent last September, while disapproval rating declined by three percentage points from eight percent to five percent.

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo’s approval and trust ratings likewise improved, according to results of a nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia earlier this month.

Duterte’s approval and trust ratings went up to 87 percent and 83 percent, respectively, which are both 9 percent higher than his ratings in September.

Robredo, got an approval rating of 58 percent, an 8 percent increase from September. Her trust rating also went up by 7 percent to 53 percent from September’s 46 percent.

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PH NATIVITY SCENE WORLD RECORD CITY OF San Jose del Monte, Bulacan—A new Guinness world record was established in this city on Friday for having the most number of living figures joining a Nativity scene.

It was the second Guinness world record for the City of San Jose del Monte, the first being the largest lantern parade on Sept. 19, 2017, with 14,173 lantern-bearing participants.

A total 2,101 took part in the Nativity scene at the Altraza Spine Road in Barangay Tungkong Mangga in the city at 6 p.m.

This bested the 1,254 record set by the Calne Town Council and Bible Society in Calne, Wiltshire, United Kingdom on Dec. 3, 2016.

Swapnil Dangarikar, the official adjudicator of the Guinness Book of World Records, made the official announcement after the staging of the birth of Jesus Christ scene.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS. Yet another world record has been established by the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan in the northern skirts of Manila: the most number of living figures (inset right)—2,101 which beat the 1,254 record set by Calne Town Council and Bible Society in Calne, Wiltshire, Britain on Dec 3, 2016—joining a Nativity scene on Friday at the Altaraza Spine Road in the city’s Barangay Tungkong Mangga. On Sept. 19, 2017, the city notched its first Guinness world record with 14,173 lantern-bearing participants.

'FLAWS' EXPOSED IN JUSTICE SYSTEM

By Vito Barcelo

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ALACAÑANG on Saturday admitted “serious flaws” existed in the Philippine justice system that needed to be rectified, following the promulgation earlier this week by a court on the case of Maguindanao massacre.

The Palace issued the statement after the celebrated Maguindanao massacre case found eight members of the Ampatuan clan guilty and sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison for the murder of 57 people in Maguindanao, which took 10 years to end.

Among those convicted were Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan, and Datu Anwar, Sr.—sons of the late former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. who prosecution witnesses said masterminded the crime.

Another son of Andal Sr., Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, was acquitted, with three other relatives.

Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes announced the verdict on Thursday, more than 10 years after the mass

killing.

The dispositive portion of Judge Solis-Reyes’761-page decision, which was read in court, said the prosecution was able to “establish the guilt beyond reasonable doubt” of 28 accused “who are found to have acted as principal.”

However, four Ampatuans—Akmad alias “Tato,” Sajid Islam, Jonathan, Jimmy—along with dozens of other individuals were acquitted on the ground of reasonable doubt; three were acquitted for the prosecution’s “absolute” failure to prove their guilt.

They were ordered released from jail unless they were being detained for other lawful causes.

The court acquitted all the accused over the death of photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, the

58th massacre victim whose body was never found, due to reasonable doubt and dismissed his family’s claim for damages.

In a statement, Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that “while the rule of law has prevailed following Thursday’s promulgation by the trial court on the case of the Maguindanao massacre, the Palace notes that there are serious flaws in our justice system long existing and must be rectified, if we are to be fealty to the rule of law and due process as enshrined in our Constitution.”

He lamented that it took 10 years for the case to wrap up and for the trial to end.

“An analysis of the court’s judgment shows that 10 years of what could have been productive lives of 56 acquitted accused have been wasted in incarceration, and necessarily their families have since become dysfunctional, with their wives and their children bearing the brunt of the stigma and the humiliation that come with

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it, scarring them for the rest of their lives,” he said.

The Palace vowed to do something about the justice system to ensure such injustice to acquitted would not happen again.

“This is an injustice that cannot be countenanced nor continue. It must not find print ever again in the pages of our history as a nation,” Panelo said.

The Palace official said the major cause of the aberration was “the filing of charges before the court against any accused even if the evidence presented before the investigating public prosecutor cannot sustain a conviction of an accused of a crime to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“The hasty and heedless filing of an information is due either to the faulty appreciation of evidence by—or the fear of—the investigating prosecutor to be subjected to an administrative sanction or get a Turn to A2

17,000 RIDERS FACE JOB LOSS; ANGKAS FUMES THE motorcycle-hailing app Angkas has appealed to the public to help “save” some 17,000 drivers who may lose their jobs after the government slashed more than half of the motorcycle taxi company’s workforce.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has denied Angkas’ petition to have more drivers, and instead limited the motorcycle-hailing app’s drivers to 10,000 from 27,000.

“That’s a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and a direct blow to 17,000 Filipino families,” Angkas said in a statement Saturday.

It added: “Why limit and take away the jobs of our bikers? Why punish bikers who went through training and have proven their skills Turn to A2 on the road?

RATIFIED BUDGET UP TO DUTERTE; SOME ITEMS 'QUESTIONABLE' AGAINST issues of “pork” allegedly included in the proposed 2020 P4.1 trillion national budget, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Saturday said he had signed the ratified General Appropriations Bill the night before.

In a text message to reporters, Sotto said: “Yes I did (sign) last night. The President, Sec. Avisado, Sen (Panfilo) Lacson, and I already understand each others’ concern.”

He was referring to Wendel Eliot Avisado, the incumbent Secretary of Budget and Management appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 5

to replace Janet Abuel Lacson himself confirmed this, saying he also passed the “list of questionable budget items” to Sotto, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and Avisado.

“I already submitted [...] the list of questionable budget items. Having said that, I leave the fate of the national budget to their appreciation as it is purely presidential prerogative,” he told reporters in a message.

Earlier, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the version of the P4.1 trillion budget approved by

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TOP MINERAL EXPORTER. Platinum Group Metals Corporation, the Surigao del Norte-based operating arm

of listed Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. has been conferred Top Exporter for the Minerals Sector by the Export Development Council, and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. during the recent National Export Congress. The citation was based on the value of the Company’s export transactions provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority for 2018. PGMC is engaged in the exploration, extraction and marketing of nickel ore for the international market and holds the distinction of being the largest single lateritic mine exporter in the world. At the awarding ceremonies are (from left) DTI-EMB Director Senen M. Perlada; DTI-Trade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman; DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez; PGMC Chairman Joseph C. Sy; PHILEXPORT Trustee and FNI Independent Director Roberto C. Amores; PGMC President Dante R. Bravo; PHILEXPORT President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr.; and PCCI Chairman George T. Barcelon.

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'FLAWS' ...

From A1 reprisal from the complainant if the case is dismissed at the preliminary investigation stage,” Panelo said.

“The resultant tragedy is the deprivation of the liberty of the persons adjudged as innocent by the court, as what happened on Thursday. It is not an isolated case, there are hundreds of similar pending cases obtaining in other courts,” he added.

“The blindfolded Lady Justice symbolizes an impartial proceeding without regard to the social and political status of those haled before the mighty and unforgiving arm of the law, uninfluenced by the torrent of adverse people’s judgment. The government, forever unaffected and unmoved by the infectious winds of public opinion, must pursue and protect this ideal,” Panelo said.

“Aside from throwing away productive years of those accused who were pronounced not guilty, government resources, including man-hours and effort, have gone to waste. This is one lesson we must all learn lest we repeat the same grievous error at the cost of liberty and honor of the innocent,” he said.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said those convicted should not be given special treatment.

Abante urged officials of the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Corrections to work together to “ensure that those convicted of this horrible crime are treated like the criminals they are.”

“The evidence has been weighed and our courts have spoken. These individuals have been found guilty as charged and they should be meted out the same kind of punishment given to those convicted of similar crimes,” said Abante.

According to Abante, “an important, essential component of justice is punishment.”

“We have seen instances in the past wherein prominent politicians and drug lords have used their influence and wealth to buy themselves special privileges. That should not be allowed here, or in any case,” said Abante.

The legislator tipped his hat to Judge Solis Reyes, “for having the courage and conviction to uphold the law regardless of the alleged threats to her life.”

He said: “Those now tasked with the incarceration of the Ampatuans should display the character exhibited by Judge Reyes. They should not allow themselves to be bribed or intimidated, and should instead properly perform their roles as instruments of justice.”

17,000...

From A1 “Your everyday heroes in traffic will enter this Christmas season not knowing whether they will have money to feed their families next year.”

Angkas, which criticized the interagency Technical Working Group for putting a cap on each of the three service providers in the extended pilot run of operations, underlined the the importance of having motorcycle taxis amid Metro Manila’s traffic logjams.

“The traffic in our thoroughfares is getting heavier each day, and there are more and more commuters to serve as time goes by,” it added in its statement.

The Department of Transportation’s Technical Working Group extended the six-month pilot run of motorcycle ridehailing operations, involving Angkas, for another three months, with the inclusion of two new players.

The present pilot run was supposed to end on December 26.

But the inter-agency group allotted a cap of 39,000 registered bikers—10,000 bikers per Transport Network Company (TNC) for Metro Manila and 3,000 bikers per TNC for Metro Cebu operations.

With this, Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said, “That’s a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and a direct blow to 17,000 Filipino families,” Royeca said.

In May, the DOTr allowed Angkas to operate as ride-hailing motorcycle taxi for six months starting in June.

RODY,..

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For Duterte, the undecided also dropped by six percentage points to eight percent, from 14 percent.

But in the National Capital Region (NCR), Duterte’s approval rating dipped two percentage points to 78 percent, from 80 percent in September after the number of undecided increased by four percentage points to 16 percent, from 12 percent.

Despite the lower approval rating in the NCR, the President’s disapproval score decreased by two percentage points to six percent in December, from eight percent in September. n balance Luzon, approval rating accelerated by 14 percentage points to 83 percent, from 69 percent last September after disapproval and undecided fell to six percent and 11 percent, respectively.

CUT THE RED TAPE, FINISH DEALS IN HOURS—PALACE

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S PART of his plan to cut bureaucratic red tape in government, President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday ordered state offices to finish all transactions just in hours.

The President gave the fresh directive, only one month after he issued an ultimatum demanding the completion of paperwork in all government offices by mid-December.

Duterte maintained he would not allow any government worker to prolong the processing of documents to extort money from the public.

“I’m warning again the bureaucracy. Cabinet secretaries are here and they can act on them. I do not want papers to be acted (on) by days.

I want it by hours,” he said during the closing ceremony of the National ROTC Summit and the first Presidential Silent Drill Competition at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

“If you are a director, do not hang on it. Do not sit on it and let the public

spend too much time going back and forth until they are forced to give you money,” he added.

Duterte has been complaining about the supposed snail-paced government transactions causing inconvenience to people who need to line up and spend too much time to get permits and other documents from concerned public offices.

On November 22, Duterte wanted all government offices to finish their pending transactions by December 15 this year.

However, he failed to mention in his latest speech whether his directive was followed.

During the 44th Cabinet meeting on December 2, Duterte approved the proposal to streamline and auto-

mate processes of government agencies to further improve the country’s business climate.

In June this year, the President sought the issuance of an executive order that would streamline government processes and set a timetable on the release of public documents under the executive branches.

In May 2018, Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 was signed by Duterte to address the tedious and unnecessary procedures in the delivery of public services.

RA 11032, which supplants RA 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, introduces simplified requirements and streamlines procedures in the processing of government documents.

RA 11032 mandates government agencies to process simple transactions within three working days, complex transactions within seven working days, and highly-technical

transactions in 20 working days. No preferential treatment Cutting red tape in government is one of the solutions seen by Duterte to stop public servants from being involved in corrupt activities.

The President assured the public that he would not give preferential treatment to anyone, including his allies who may be linked to corruption.

He said he was elected to the presidency to serve the country and not to favor the interests of any particular person or group.

“I have fired about five whose friendship dates back to 1988 when I first became the mayor of Davao.

These guys were with me and who helped me all throughout,” he recalled.

“But I said, when we are in the government and I have the power to appoint you, do not put me at (a) disadvantage because I do not really tolerate corruption, the corruption in government,” Duterte said. PNA

PH NATIVITY...

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WAITING FOR SANTA. Poor families, including children, women and the elderly in the capital city of Manila, make a weekend sight at the premises of the bayside Ospital ng Maynila, while waiting for Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved children on the night of Christmas Eve or during the early morning hours of Christmas Day. Lino Santos

RATIFIED...

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the bicameral conference committee and ratified by both Houses of Congress contained no pork and no parked funds.

Committee chairman Isidro Ungab said the 2020 general appropriations bill complied with the “express instructions” of Duterte as it would be a powerful tool to help deliver his goal of a “safe and comfortable life for all.”

Ungab said the budget process was undertaken with “utmost transparency.”

“It represents the clear 2020 vision of the President and his economic strategy anchored on increased spending in infrastructure and human capital development. The projects outlined under the 2020 budget will help sustain our status as one of Asia’s best-performing economies,” he said.

“Attempts to label the 2020 budget pork-ridden by constantly redefining ‘pork’ is unfair and misleading.

In the September survey in areas of Luzon outside Metro Manila, the President’s disapproval rating was at 11 percent while undecided was at 21 percent.

The President, meanwhile, got the highest approval ratings in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

According to the Pulse Asia’s December survey, Duterte scored an approval rating of 98 percent in Mindanao, a further improvement from 92 percent in September.

Based on the latest survey in Mindanao, none of the respondents had disapproved the President’s performance and only two percent were undecided.

Visayas also gave Duterte an approval rating of 93 percent, up nine percentage points compared with 84 percent previously.

The chief executive’s disapproval rating in the region declined one percentage point to five percent, while undecided was down seven percentage points to two percent.

The Supreme Court has already declared pork barrel funds as unconstitutional and clearly defined what constitutes pork. The 2020 budget is pork-free,” he added.

The lawmaker noted that all changes in the GAB were aligned with the President’s priorities and were based on the recommendations of the Cabinet departments and other government agencies.

“Both houses ratified the budget bill. The representatives of both the Senate and House agreed on the amendments to, and final version of, the 2020 GAB at the bicameral conference committee,” he said.

On Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said there was no room for unconstitutional provisions in the proposed 2020 national budget.

Panelo made this assurance following concerns raised by Lacson that members of the House of Repre-

Across social classes, “ABC” gave the President an approval rating of 89 percent, an improvement from 75 percent in September.

Duterte’s approval score from the “D” class, likewise, jumped 10 percentage points to 88 percent, from 78 percent.

Meanwhile, the Palace vowed that the Duterte administration would continue to serve the public and urged Filipinos to remain positive.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the public should “remain positive, keep hopes up, and continue to support the government” as 2020 approaches.

“With foundations set in place for the years to come, the administration will continue to provide each and every Filipino the much-needed support and service in all aspects of public administration,” Andanar said.

The Pulse Asia survey released Friday

sentatives allegedly made last-minute insertions before the signing of the budget by the bicameral conference committee.

“Provisions in the budget that run counter to the Constitution will be vetoed by the President, there is no change in that policy,” Panelo said in a statement.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, like Panelo, earlier said the President would not hesitate to use his veto powers as he did when he vetoed the 2019 national budget.

The House approved House Bill No. 4228, or the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2020, on Sept. 20 while the Senate passed its version on Nov. 27.

Duterte earlier said he wanted to avoid a repeat of the nearly fourmonth delay in 2019 budget enactment due to an impasse between the House and Senate on realignments made by some House members.

showed that 93 percent of Filipinos said they will face 2020 with hope while seven percent are undecided, while less than one percent (0.2 percent) said they will face the approaching new year without hope.

“We are one with all the Filipinos who are looking forward to 2020 with high hopes and prospects. 9 out of 10 or 93 percent of Filipinos are optimistic for the incoming 2020.

The number is higher than the 91 percent recorded last 2018,”Andanar said.

“With 2019 reaching its end, the Duterte administration has implemented numerous policies, initiatives, and programs that have translated to beneficial gains and advantages for the Filipinos throughout the year. These undoubtedly will influence them through 2020 and for years to come,” Andanar said.

Andanar also noted the“increase in the country’s standing in the Global Corruption Perception Index and Global Innova-

The Nativity scene consisted of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, wise men, shepherds, angels, and livestock.

The event was spearheaded by the local government of San Jose del Monte.

The city’s lone district Rep. Florida Robes expressed elation over the setting of the new world record, saying it is a testament to the unity and commitment of the people of San Jose del Monte to achieve a feat.

“It took us around six months to prepare for this event. The process was so tedious because the Guinness Book of World Records had strict requirements. But with the perseverance of our people, we made it and we are very happy,” Robes said.

Robes and her husband, incumbent Mayor Arthur Robes, also participated in the Nativity scene as shepherds who came to honor the birth of Jesus Christ.

Robes added that the Nativity scene was chosen because of the innate religiosity of the people of San Jose del Monte.

It was also in accordance with the recent Apostolic Letter of the Pope encouraging Catholics to display the Nativity scene in their homes and in other public places.

“We felt that we were being blessed because a few days ago, Pope Francis said in his apostolic letter that putting up a Nativity scene before Christmas is a reminder to stop and remember what Christmas is really about and to prepare one’s heart like a manger for the coming of Christ,” she said.

Mayor Robes said he hopes the event becomes a renewal for the people of San Jose del Monte to put the essence of Christmas in the forefront of the celebrations.

“We can achieve more if we are united and we hope that this Nativity scene reminds us of the true reason for the season as we face hand in hand life’s challenges. This is the best Christmas gift we have received as a city,” he said. PNA

tion Index; effective war on illegal drugs campaign; expansion and prioritization of the Build, Build, Build Program; engaging the local level to help end conflict with the communist group; and expansion of universal health care and other social services.”

“With foundations set in place for the years to come, the administration will continue to provide each and every Filipino the much-needed support and service in all aspects of public administration,” Andanar said in a statement.

For 2020, Andanar said the country’s economic growth was projected at 6.5 to 7.5 percent, citing the Development Budget Coordination Committee.

“And with further improvements and expansions for plans and policies, development projects, and social services, we will see to it that this optimism is maintained not only until the end of President Duterte’s term, but also for the succeeding years as part of this administration’s legacy,” Andanar added.

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MILITARY UPGRADE PUSHED AMID SECURITY THREATS

By Maricel V. Cruz

“Amid present challenges in our national security, may the AFP remain resolute in safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity. And may the HE government should values of honor and loyalty to our flag deepen in pursue the modernization every Filipino soldier’s heart,” said Cabotchan.

The modernization of the Armed Forces was of the Armed Forces since delayed for several decades as the government the troops need all the help focused on the Moro insurgencies. that they can get if they were to It was only during the current decade that the Armed Forces was again equipped with defend the country against enmore modern equipment, includimg 50-yearemies, a party-list lawmaker said. old former US Coast Guard Cutters that were rearmed and now being used as frigates of the Navy Rep. Manuel Cabotchan III of Magdalo party- and as quadron of brand new armed supersonic list “reminded the military of their sworn duty to jet trainers from South Korea.

The Army, on the other hand, recived newly protect the people and commitment to preserve refurbished armed personnel carriers and tens of our democratic institutions.”

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thousands of new riffles and handguns.

The Navy will also receive two brand new frigates that were puchased in South Korea Cabotchan, a former Navy officer, expressed hope that the Armed Forces under the present government will receive the much needed support for its modernization and development.

“The government should be an instrument for the AFP to be capable in fulfilling its mandate.

Instead of hindering the AFP’s performance of its duties, the government should be the one enhancing the capabilities and raising the morale of our military,” said Cabotchan.

“On our end, in the Magdalo we will continue to push for policies in the Congress that would strengthen our military and ensure the welfare of our soldiers, retirees, and veterans,” he added.

XMAS RUSH. Passengers flock to the Araneta provincial bus terminal in Cubao,

Quezon City in the frenzied rush to spend Christmas with family and friends. Manny Palmero

WATCHDOG NEUTRAL IN FAMILY FEUD OVER TRANSPORT FIRM THE Securities and Exchange Commission clarified Saturday that it remained neutral in relation to the ongoing dispute within the Yanson family over the ownership and management of Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus transport company.

SEC said shareholders cannot use the general information sheet like the one submitted by the four Yanson siblings as a proof of ownership in a company.

In a letter dated December 19, 2019 to the incumbent management of VTI through law firm Madrid Danao & Associates, SEC director and officer-incharge Romuald C. Padilla said the general information sheet provided by the Yanson 4 on December 6 to contest the management of the company is an insufficient proof of ownership.

“We would like to emphasize and reiterate that it is the ministerial duty of this commission to receive the general information sheet from any person filing in behalf of a corporation.

However, this does not mean that the commission affirms the truthfulness of, or its bound by the entries/declara-

tions therein,” he said.

“The foregoing is based on the established doctrine that mere inclusion of a name of an individual in the general information sheet is insufficient proof he/she is a shareholder of a corporation submitting the said document. In determining the true owners of shares of stock of a corporation, the stock and transfer book of the corporation is controlling,” Padilla said.

Madrid Danao & Associates said that based on the stock and transfer book, Emily V. Yanson, one of the four Yanson siblings who want to strip their mother of control over the company, has no shares in VTI. Madrid Danao & Associates said this only proves the Yanson 4’s ill-contemplated attempt to mislead the SEC and the public that that they have majority control of VTI. This followed the election of Yanson matriarch Olivia V. Yanson, Leo Rey Yanson, Ginnette Y. Dumancas, Charles M. Dumancas, Arvin John Villaruel, Anita G. Chua and Daniel Nicolas Golez as members of the board of

directors of VTI on December 7. The Yanson 4 held a separate meeting of their own on the same day to question the legitimacy of the incumbent management.

Madrid Danao & Associates represents the incumbent VTI management who held their annual shareholders’ meeting on December 7, 2019 at the company’s principal office at Ceres compound, Barangay Mansilingan in Bacolod City on December 7, pursuant to the company’s by-laws which state that the annual shareholders’ meeting should be held every first Saturday of December at its principal office. This proves that they have the physical and legal ownership and management of the company.

At the same time, the VTI directors authorized law firm Madrid Danao & Associates to question the meeting organized on the same day by the “impostor stockholders, directors and officers of VTI, namely Roy V. Yanson, Ma. Lourdes Celina Y. Lopez, Ricardo V. Yanson Jr. and Emily V. Yanson” who are collectively known as the Yanson 4.

In a letter dated December 9, 2019,

Madrid Danao & Associates asked SEC-Bacolod officer-in-charge Atty.

Annabelle Corral-Respall to cease and desist from interference, aiding and abetting the “impostor stockholders, directors and officers of VTI” as evidenced by their attendance in the meeting called by the Yanson 4 at SEDA Hotel in Bacolod City on December 7.

“You and your representatives’ reported presence and meddling at the bogus meeting that projected to interfere, aid and abet the Y4’s illegal meeting is highly irregular and unlawful,” said Madrid Danao & Associates, which also filed a complaint with the head office of SEC in Ortigas Center, Pasig City on December 10.

In response, Padilla said the SEC conducted its own investigation on the matter and required Respall to explain their presence at the meeting called by the Yanson 4. “The commission, however, gives its assurance that it shall remain neutral in relation to the ongoing dispute within the Yanson family involving their various bus companies,” Padilla said.

MFPA CENTER SETS STAGE FOR GEN Z LEADERS LAST November 20, 2019, the St. Scholastica’s College Manila Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo Center for Leadership Excellence held its second annual thought leadership workshop for student leaders.

Fifty-twopromising students from Grades 7-1 took part to hone their leadership skills and become an inspiration to others.

The MFPA Leadership Center partnered with 2017 Ramon Magsaysay awardee, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), to highlight this year’s theme, Inspire to Lead. PETA used the fundamentals of theater and storytelling to teach the workshop participants to be critical, communicative, and creative in dealing with the problems facing their generation.

Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, founder of the Center and President and CEO of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) and outspoken advocate of woman empowerment, explained the importance of this creative workshop.

“We are living in uncertain and volatile times. Young leaders have access to so much information about societal issues and want to help change the world for

Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo

the better, but it can be difficult for them to know where to start. This innovative workshop with PETA will help them learn how to get the full picture and inspire others to act.”

MFPA Center for Leadership Excellence

Founder, woman empowerment advocate, and proud Scholastican, Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo addresses St. Scholastica’s student leaders at the Center’s Thought Leadership Workshop held at the College last November.

The MFPA Center for Leadership Excellence was established on April 24, 2017 to complement the Scholastican academic tradition of leadership. The Center is based on four pillars or modules: Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Social Change, and Service Learning.

In November 2018, the Center held its inaugural session with a Thought Leadership Forum of woman executives that helped impart the proper mindset for leadership in the age of digital disruption.

This year, the workshop developed by PETA and the Center focused on promoting a deeper understanding of the issues that beset the Filipino family and society today. The student leaders were encouraged to reflect on these issues and consider how they can harness creativity to be better heard and listened to.

After the workshop sessions, selected

student leaders shared their key insights and takeaways. Grade 12 class president Chloe Nicole T. Ebeo delivered a message on behalf of the participants.

“Thank you, Ms. Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, for inspiring us to take an extra step for all the opportunities we may come across. You have truly showed us that compassion and determination does get you far…. Thank you to PETA, its members, and staff for giving us such an eye opening experience…that reminds us that we were given this platform to be able to speak up and bring change.”

After watching the students deliver their presentations, Ms. Agudo encouraged the young leaders to continue learning and growing. “As a member of a generation that has seen AND addressed our share of problems over the years, I hope that sharing our insights and experiences can help you mold a better future for our country and for the world! I know I have learned so much just from watching your wonderful presentations! I am inspired to believe that your generation is strong and brave and compassionate enough to face any challenge or problem head on!”

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MAKATI WOMAN NABBED FOR SELLING FAKE FILMFEST TICKETS

By Joel E. Zurbano POLICE arrested in Makati City a woman caught illegally selling tickets of this year´s Metro Manila Film Festival.

The suspect Hanna Evangelista was arrested in an entrapment operation conduted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Barangay Guadalupe around 11 a.m. Saturday Another person, said to be boyfriend of Evangelista’s, was also placed under police custody.

Prior to the entrapment operation, Evangelista was found selling the MMFF movie tickets via social media, particularly on Facebook.

One of her online status posts seen her saying “Sino po ang gusto mag avail? Metro Manila Film Festival Ticket.

Lahat lahat pong iyan. PM for orders and reservations. No to cancellations.”

Members of the MMFF Committee and MMDA officials learned about Evangelista´s social media post, prompting them to seek the help of the CIDG for the entrapment operation.

They also claimed the tickets being sold by the suspects were fake.

MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, who chairs the MMFF committee, warned the public against unscrupolous individuals using social media flatforms to victimize moviegoers.

“Please don´t be fooled by these people who sell fake MMFF passes. Miss Evangelista is now with the police. And those who bought and will be caught using these fake passes ay be held criminally liable too,” said Lim. The MMDA is the overall organizer and the supervising body of the annual festival.

During the time of then chairman and now Senator Francis Tolentino, a man was arrested, also for selling fake MMFF tickets.

The suspect said someone offered to give him money in exchange for selling forged MMFF passes online. The falsified passes were advertised at the buy and sell website sulit.com and cost P800 each.

The fake passes have the same serial numbers as with the genuine ones.

Also in 2017, the MMDA under the supervision of then general manager Thomas Orbos came up with a new policy in distributing free MMFF passes after two of its personnel, including a traffic enforcer, were caught selling them on social networking sites.

LRT 1 DRAWS UP TEMPORARY TRAFFIC SCHEME THE Light Rail Manila Corporation said a new temporary passenger traffic scheme will be implemented in LRT-1 north line composed of Monumento, Balintawak, and Roosevelt stations, effective January 4, 2020 to March 31, 2020. This is to accommodate the construction of the Common Station also known as the Unified Grand Central Station (UGCS) which will connect the systems of LRT-1, MRT-3 and MRT-7.

Under the temporary passenger traffic scheme, commuters traveling northbound may take the Baclaranto-Monumento circuit and the Baclaran-to-Balintawak circuit, LRMC said in a statement.

Passengers with Roosevelt station as their last stop are advised to take the Baclaran-to-Balintawak circuit. A special shuttle train will arrive every ten minutes during weekday peak period to exclusively pick up passengers in Balintawak station and shuttle them to Roosevelt station. The same shuttle train will pick-up passengers from Roosevelt station and bring them to Balintawak station where LRT-1 commuters can take the train going southbound.

LRMC Chief Operating Officer Enrico Benipayo said the Baclaran-toMonumento circuit will address the heavy passenger volume in Monumento station especially during peak hours. “We want to ensure normal operations in all twenty stations of our existing line while the construction of the common station is ongoing that’s why we have this temporary passenger traffic scheme.”

LRMC will deploy additional crowd marshals and safety teams as well as put up directional signages in the stations. “We will also add signage inside the trains for passengers to easily identify if the last stop of the train is either Monumento or Balintawak,” added Benipayo.

The Common Station is one of the big-ticket projects of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to enable passengers to seamlessly transfer from one rail line to another.

A4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

News

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PDEA WARNS AGAINST MARIJUANA OIL SALE

FB, TWITTER TAKE DOWN STATE-BACKED PROPAGANDA FACEBOOK and Twitter on Friday said they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world, several of which favored US President Donald Trump, as part of a crackdown on state-sponsored propaganda efforts.

Twitter said it had blocked some 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi state-backed “information operations” in violation of its manipulation rules.

Separately, Facebook said it had blocked a network in Vietnam and the United States which posted pro-Trump messages aimed at US citizens, along with another network targeting domestic audiences in the country of Georgia.

It comes as social media giants have been struggling in the face of state-backed disinformation efforts, often using automated accounts or “bots” to manipulate the platforms, amplifying their own messages while disparaging opponents.

Most of the accounts blocked

by Twitter on Friday were in Arabic and aimed at“amplifying messages favorable to Saudi authorities,” but that some English language content was aimed at “Western audiences.”

“Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targeting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage,” the Twitter safety team said in a blog post.

Twitter said it released details on 5,929 accounts which it called a “representative sample” of the 88,000 suspicious accounts.

Twitter’s investigations traced the source of the coordinated activity to the Saudi-based social media marketing firm Smaat, which has been permanently blocked from the platform.

Smaat was working for “highprofile individuals,”Twitter said, and several government departments in Saudi Arabia, using automated tools “to mask the overall platform manipulation originating from these accounts.”

Some of the tweets in question date back to 2016 and appear to be supportive of President Donald Trump or his campaign.

One dated November 11, 2016 showed a photo of billionaire George Soros—a frequent target of conservatives—and said Trump should put him “on the FBI most wanted list.”

Another from October 2016 showed a picture of former president Bill Clinton and said: “You don’t even need these polls, Donald Trump won. You can read it on Bill Clinton’s face.”

Facebook said the effort originating in Vietnam was traced to the multi-language media group Epoch Times, which is linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and a US media outlet called BL, which has been posting pro-Trump messages. AFP

By Maricel V. Cruz

HOLIDAYS FOR ANIMALS, TOO. Malabon Zoo founder Manny Tangco celebrate Christmas together with lions, tigers and orangutans on Dec. 21. Andrew Rabulan

AVOID X’MAS RUSH: BE EARLY AT NAIA

By Joel E. Zurbano

M

AJOR airlines have reminded travelers to be at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at least two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours for international flights in anticipation of the increase in air traffic during the holidays.

Cebu Pacific Air and its sister airline CebGo urged all passengers to allot ample time for security inspection, immigration screening, check-in, bag drop and other pre-departure requirements.

It also reminded those traveling to Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) to earmark additional time for more stringent security screening.

“We advise all passengers to monitor flight information and if possible, immediately proceed to their respective boarding gates. Passengers should be at the gate at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure, except for flights departing Dubai (45 minutes),” the CEB management said.

Passengers were also reminded to pack their luggage properly and ensure

checked-in baggage have proper identification labels with name, address and contact details.

While weighing scales at the checkin counters are calibrated regularly to ensure accuracy, passengers were advised to check the weight of their bags prior to heading for the airport to avoid the hassle of repacking.

Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines encouraged passengers to check in as early as five hours before their flight to San Francisco to ensure adequate lead time in the processing of luggage.

“An early arrival at the San Francisco Airport is deemed necessary due to current baggage handling conveyor system issues at the passenger terminal,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

PAL also reminded its passengers of the Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia’s requirement for an International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) book as proof of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) vaccination at NAIA Terminal 2.

For passengers who have not received polio vaccination (IPV), the vaccine will be administered at the Port Health Clinic in Denpasar and Jakarta for $13. Failure to comply will result in recommendation for deportation by the Indonesian Immigration Department.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday announced the suspension of the number coding scheme for provincial buses and private and public utility vehicles during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The number coding scheme would be suspended for Metro Manila buses, private vehicles, and PUVs on December 23 to December 25 and December 30 to January 1.

Meanwhile, the number coding scheme for provincial buses would be suspended on December 26 to 27 and January 2.

LOOK UP. Chief

Observatory weather specialist Mario Raymundo explains the incoming solar eclipse that will occur right after Christmas day on Dec. 26 that will create a “ring of fire” effect according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

BORACAY BAGS ‘BEST ISLAND IN ASIA’

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep Martin Romualdez (right) in partnership with Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (not in photo) as well as his first cousin Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez thank more than 1,500 leaders and supporters led by mayors, vice mayors, councilors and barangay officials from the first district of Leyte during a thanksgiving and Christmas party in Tacloban City. Ver Noveno

MONTHS of hard work and tireless efforts paid off for the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force as the tourist spot once labeled as a “cesspool” bounced back as one of the best islands in the world this year.

“We couldn’t be more proud of what Boracay has become after one and a half years of rehabilitation,” Environment Secretary and BIATF chairman Roy Cimatu said on Saturday.

The Conde Nast Traveler, which is recognized as one of the most distinguished and trusted authorities on lifestyle travel, named Boracay as “the best island in Asia” and one of the 30 best islands in the world for 2019.

Boracay did not make it to the prestigious list last year due to the ongoing rehabilitation, after being crowned as the world’s best island for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.

This year’s rundown of the best islands in the world was broken down into six parts: Asia, Australia and the South Pacific,

Caribbean and the Atlantic, Europe, North America, and the United States.

Cimatu said the government’s efforts to restore Boracay are bearing fruit with the recognition from a global authority like Conde Nast Traveler.

According to Cimatu, the Boracay rehabilitation is now more than 80 percent complete. The BIATF has until May 2020 to finish the rehabilitation, or two years after it was created by President Rodrigo Duterte under Executive Order No. 53.

After one-and-a-half years of rehabilitation, Cimatu proudly announced that the water quality in Boracay‘s world-famous White Beach has greatly improved, with coliform count now in the range of less than 1 most probable number per 100 milliliters (mpn/100ml) to 11.9 mpn/100ml which is way below the standard quality of 100 mpn/100ml for recreational waters.

Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has warned the public against the proliferation of imported cannabidiol (CBD) oil being sold as pain reliever as well as immune system booster.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said there has been an increasing number of illegal delivery of CBD oil through mail and parcel services.

Aquino said CBD oil is also openly sold in online shopping platforms in the country.

Cannabidiol is the second most prevalent active ingredient of marijuana next to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which causes mind-altering and euphoric effects.

THC is considered a dangerous drug under the 1971 United Nations Single Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

But unlike the THC, CBD is nonpsychoactive and there is no evidence of public health problems associated with it.

According to the World Health Organization, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.

“CBD is not addictive, but contains very small amounts of THC which remain illegal under the law. In general, the law dictates that any variety and derivative from marijuana, including CBD, is prohibited,” Aquino said.

Aquino cited clinical studies which said that CBD has broad therapeutic value. CBD is known to be effective for seizure disorder and chronic pain. The cannabis oil may also be used to help improve sleep, and reduce anxiety and stress.

CBD oil, however, can also cause unpleasant side effects, the most common of which are nausea, fatigue, and irritability. Cannabis oil can also cause dry mouth, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and drowsiness.

“While marijuana remains illegal, including for medical purposes, in the country, terminally-ill patients may apply for special permit from Food and Drugs Administration for the compassionate use of CBD oil,” Aquino said.

WORKERS SLAM REPEAL OF SERVICE FEE

By Vito Barcelo THE workers group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) on Saturday criticized the move of some business owners repealing the collection of the service charge that is divided equally among all contractual and rank-andfile employees in restaurant, hotel and other service-oriented enterprises.

The management move came after the law on service charge fee collection was amended by Republic Act No. 11360 enacted by President Rodrigo Duterte last month.

Before the amendment, 85 percent of the service charge collected by establishments would be distributed to employees while the 15 percent are collected for management discretion for losses and breakages.

“The repeal of some restaurants, hotels and service-oriented business enterprises of the service charge benefit is not in the intention of the revised service charge law. The revised Service Charge Law of 2019 which was approved by President Duterte last month turns over 100 percent of the service fees to all rank-and-file employees does not mandate or obligates employers and business-owners to discourage them from adopting the scheme or to rescind the practice altogether.

This is not the intention of the law,” said ALU-TUCP National Executive Vice President Gerard Seno.

“Rather, the intention of the law is to improve the quality of service of businesses by incentivizing and empowering the best efforts of the employees and improve the workplace working conditions,” he added.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion

EDITORIAL

EVERYMAN

OVERSEAS FILIPINOS CAN ADOPT SCHOOLS

AN ONGOING STRUGGLE

I

T’S justice all right, albeit imperfect.

Ten years after the worst election-related incidence of violence, a Quezon City court finally handed down its decision on the massacre in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao that gained notoriety for the Philippines.

Five members of the Ampatuan clan were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the killing of 57, of which 32 were journalists and media workers.

Former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., his brother, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan, Anwar Ampatuan Sr., Anwar “Ipi” Ampatuan Jr., and Anwar Sajid “Ulo” Ampatuan were sentenced to reclusion perpetua for each of the 57 counts of murder.

The masterminds were also ordered to indemnify the families of the dead.

Two other members of the clan, however, Akmad Tato and Sajid Islam Ampatuan, were acquitted for lack of proof placing them at the scene of the killings. The decision is only deemed partial because more than 80 of the suspects are at large.

But the decision only acknowledged 57 victims. A 58th, photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, was not included because remains had not been found, even as his lawyer said his false teeth had been discovered at the scene.

The decision by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes will no doubt be picked apart and analyzed for days to come. There are legal recourses available to those who feel they did not receive what they deserved. For the rest of us who were first outraged in 2009 and who followed the case over the years, the decision, while imperfect, pinned down the masterminds and the main personalities behind the horrific crime.

We need to keep watch. The struggle does not

end with Thursday’s promulgation. Somewhere in the Philippines, right at this moment, there remain political families lording it over their territories and governing as though they were kings and tyrants instead of public servants. They look at everybody else as a means to protect their turf, and use all the resources available to them to ensure that they keep their hold on power.

There will always be those who are smug in their belief that they can do anything without being caught, and even if they are, they could beat the system.

These people prosper because those who should be watching them and taking them to task are cowed and choose to look the other way.

The Ampatuan decision is a good start toward making people aware that impunity does not pay, and that justice here, while slow and frustrating, could be made to work especially when the public sheds its apathy and indifference.

By Val Abelgas THE recent report by the 2018 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that showed the Philippines scored lowest among 79 countries in reading comprehension, and second to last in both math and science, should wake us up to the realization that our longtime boast that the country has one of the highest literacy rates in the world has just become an urban myth.

The study was conducted under the OECD’s 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which examined students’ knowledge in reading, mathematics and science.

In reading, the main subject assessed among 15-year-old students, the Philippines had an average reading score of 340, more than 200 points below China (555) and more than 100 points less than the OECD average (487). Both boys’ and girls’ performances in reading ranked lowest among PISA-participating countries.

“Reading proficiency is essential for a wide variety of human activities - from following instructions in a manual; to finding out the who, what, when, where, and why of an event; to communicating with others for a specific purpose or transaction,” the summary of the PISA 2018 results reads.

The Philippines placed the second-lowest in mathematics (353), along with Panama, and science (357). Only the Dominican Republic scored lower in these categories. China also led both categories.

Although we have always prided ourselves to have some of the best educated students in the world, it still came as no surprise that our students would fare low in the OECD assessment. What came as a surprise was that we were at the bottom of the ladder in all categories.

For decades, public school teachers have been complaining of lack of support from the government. They have been asking for salary increases but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears, especially in this administration which would rather give hefty pay increases and benefits to soldiers and policemen but nothing for teachers. Even the teachers’ pay for services rendered during election time, during which they spend long hours and risk their lives and limbs, are often delayed.

For wages that could hardly meet their families’ needs, teachers have to wake up early in the morning to be in school before the students arrive and stay late at night preparing the next day’s lesson plan, checking test papers and homework, and bear the responsibility of parents during school hours. On top of that, some teachers in the rural areas have to buy their own school supplies and some have to provide their poor students with paper and pencils.

Many students in the rural areas have to walk long distances on empty stomachs and attend classes the whole day still on empty stomachs, and walk long distances for home, on even emptier stomachs. This also applies to some public school students in the urban areas, many of whom can’t even afford to buy basic school supplies and books, let alone have enough “baon” to survive the day.

The government can only do so much to provide decent free education to the millions of students, but hopefully it can at least give teachers a decent pay and schools a decent budget.

Educating the youth is paramount to a country hoping to get out of poverty. China did not get to where it is now just because it had hundreds of millions of workers willing to work for crumbs, but also because it gave importance to educating its future workers as shown by the OECD assessment where its students topped all categories.

But, as I said, the cash-strapped Philippine government cannot do it alone. This is where overseas Filipino individuals and organizations can come in. For example, I know of one retired Filipino who invested a big bulk of his retirement money to provide monthly allowances to poor students of Cavite Provincial High School in Cavite City. Abelardo Estacion, who experienced first hand the difficulty of studying on an empty stomach as a young student in Cavite, helped many poor Cavite high school students graduate with flying colors and even supported some of them through college.

I attended one of the graduation ceremonies of these Estacion scholars, and I heard and saw first hand how grateful they were for the help.

Some of them were the first to graduate in the family because many of their siblings had to drop out to work and help support their families. Unfortunately, Estacion died suddenly a few years ago and the scholarships had to stop.

Just recently, a couple in Los Angeles heard about the problems of a vocational high school in the seaside town of Villaba, Leyte, one of many schools in the province destroyed by typhoon Haiyan. For years, the teachers and students had to conduct their classes in the heavily damaged school building. When it rains, the students had to cramp in one corner where the rains do not drip because the school had to make do with the galvanized roof destroyed by the typhoon. The typhoon also left them without books or computer in the library.

Upon hearing of the problem, community leaders Noel and Mary Ann Omega immediately went to work. With the help of their friends from the Filipino-American Chambers of Commerce, they raised funds to add to their own hefty contribution to help rebuild the school. Noel is from Leyte and his late father donated the land where the school was built.

The World One Institute Foundation, headed

by Dr. Yolanda Stern, helped and the school building was completed in 2014 with new classrooms and a roof that didn’t leak. The Omegas donated money again in 2017 that was matched by the Capital Group Foundation for the rebuilding and re-furnishing of the school library and the construction of a His and Hers bathroom with flushing toilets.

Filipino organizations in the United States and all over the world can duplicate the work done

by Estacion and the Omega couple, adopting a school in the Philippines to help the students and teachers have a better learning environment. If each of these tens of thousands of Filipino organizations in the US and all over the world adopt one school each, perhaps in a few years, the Philippines will be on top of the OECD student assessment, instead of at the bottom.

WAS JUSTICE FINALLY SERVED? JUDGMENT day came Thursday on the decade-old Maguindanao Massacre, the worst act of political violence ever recorded in Philippine history. Among those killed were 32 media workers. The verdict was handed down—but is it the end of the road for those seeking justice?

As expected, the three major principals —Datu Unsay Ampatuan, Zaldy Ampatuan and Datu Anwar Ampatuan— in the brazen mass murder were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

They were also ordered to indemnify the heirs of the murdered. Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes will be remembered for this.

But there were only 57 counts of murder, not 58. The reason was that the remains of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay had not been found. This means that the 58th murder case was junked.

Was this not unfair to Momay’s family?

In any case, while the judge took 10 years to come out with the verdict because of delays, there is now a decision.

Sadly, the battle is only half-won.

As expected, there were those who were acquitted and some of those found guilty were given lower penalties. What is now important is that there are still some 80 Muslims belonging to the Ampatuan clan who are still at large. Law enforcers must put a rightful end to this case.

Will the verdict finally put an end to all the killings and violence among the warring Muslim clans? I doubt this very

much, knowing the culture and history of the Muslims. Clans must always fight to gain supremacy – my gulay, it’s their way of life!

With no less than five towns in Maguindanao still under the control of the Ampatuans, it’s unlikely that peace will come despite the guilty verdict.

Another question is, will the government, with all its awesome powers, still be able to arrest the 80 members of the Ampatuan clan who have evaded the law and make them answer for their murder of 58 people?

Finally, can peace and justice really ever come to Mindanao? *** So, was justice finally served?

I ask this question since the fact remains that those found guilty can still appeal and elevate their case to the Supreme Court.

For one thing, not all Ampatuans were convicted. Some were acquitted.

The families of those who died had expected a wholesale conviction of all the accused. As I said, there are still armed and dangerous fugitives out there. There are still concerns about retaliation and violence. *** I have written a lot about the rotten deal between the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the Malaysian form MTD Capital Berhad. I said the Palace and Congress should investigate the deal because the Philippine government has been

seriously disadvantaged. To this day, though, nothing is being done. Why? A look at the records regarding the deal clearly shows that the agreement is not only anomalous; it is rotten to the core!

Back in January 2018, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel said it would go over all contracts entered into by every government-owned and -controlled corporation.

The OGCC at that time opined that the BCDA deal with the Malaysian form to put up the sports facilities in Capas, Tarlac for the recent Southeast Asian Games was a build-transfer scheme embedded in the joint venture agreement. BCDA and the Malaysian firm entered into a deal to build the P4.2-billion National Government Administrative Center with BCDA contributing its share in the form of the 40-hectare land.

And since the sports facility is a buildtransfer project, it must undergo public bidding. This is why the OGCC at that time told the BCDA to revise its draft to align with the law on joint ventures.

What is Section 8 of the draft joint venture, anyway? Read this and weep!

The BCDA is required to pay and/ or reimburse the Malaysian firm the cost of the construction of the sports facilities for five years (yearly installment). The contract review dated January 3, 2018 required the BCDA to revise this section and that insofar as the deal with the Malaysian form goes, the cost of the sports facilities amounts to P8.5 billion since this is the contribution of the

Malaysian firm in the venture.

In joint ventures, a partner does not pay the contribution of the other partner.

So why should the BCDA pay for the construction of the sports facilities. What was in it for the BCDA, anyway?

Instead of revising the draft, the BCDA inserted Section 4.9 to say that the income of the sports facilities will be divided 5050. This makes the Malaysian firm entitled to 50 percent of the income for 25 years.

Santa Banana, this provision was even in the unsolicited proposal of the Malaysian firm submitted and agreed upon. But it was not in the Terms of Reference that was subject to the Swiss challenge!

My gulay, the BCDA even inserted P2.2 million that “once and for all, such advances of such annual installments shall be payable to the winning entity to cover reasonable costs and returns.”

On this alone, whoever signed the deal should be probed for graft and corruption.

Just for the record, on December 2, 2019, BCDA President Vince Dizon, at a press conference together with Government Corporate Counsel Elpidio Vega, admitted that BCDA had inserted these questionable provisions (50-50 sharing) and a P2.49 billion ROI for MTD Capital Berhad.

Another questionable aspect of the deal is that on February 22,2019, BDCA and the Malaysian firm entered into a JVA disregarding the comments and suggestions as stated in the January 2018 contract review.

Mr. Abelgas is a former managing editor of Manila Standard.

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

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Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

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

ONLINE MEMBER

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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

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B2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘CATASTROPHIC’ CONDITIONS AS BUSHFIRES RAGE BARGO, Australia—A scorching heatwave intensified bushfires that are ravaging parts of Australia on Saturday, and out-of-control blazes surrounding Sydney worsened under “catastrophic” conditions.

Australia’s eastern coast has been hit by a record-breaking heatwave, which has moved in from the west of the country, exacerbating hundreds of devastating fires in its path.

Sydney was shrouded in toxic smoke as blazes flared to its north, south and west, some just 130 kilometres (80 miles) from Australia’s largest city.

“We are expecting very difficult circumstances, situations, in relation to all the fire fronts,” New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

“As you know, it is a catastrophic condition, which means that at short notice, any fires active can become dangerous in a short time.”

Australia endures bushfires every year but the early and intense start to this season, along with the record temperatures, has fuelled concerns about global warming.

Temperatures were expected to peak at 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the country’s most populous state, New South Wales, with west Sydney expected to reach 37 C before a cool change is expected later in the day.

Evacuations were being carried out in the town of Bargo, on the front of a 185,000-hectare blaze which tore through the nearby area on Thursday.

“It’s horrific, it’s devastating driving around. We feel pretty isolated where we are with the roadblocks. Loved ones can’t come and see us,” Bargo resident Corey Cartes told AFP. Cartes was told to leave two days ago, but has stayed behind to defend his property as the fire front on Thursday destroyed most of his fence.

“Everyone is offering to help, but there is nothing they can do. Not for us now, just stay out and stay safe and we hope the fireies (firefighters) can do their job.”

In the state of South Australia, which in the past few days has borne the brunt of the heat wave, more than 1,500 firefighters have been battling fires that ripped through more than 40,000 hectares.

Two people died in fires there over the past two days, and dozens of firefighters have been treated for injuries and smoke inhalation.

At least three million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land has been torched across the country in recent months, with at least 10 people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed. AFP

U.S. TO ‘PAY DEARLY’ FOR RIGHTS CRITICISM, NORTH KOREA WARNS SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea on Saturday warned Washington would only aggravate tensions and “pay dearly” for criticizing Pyongyang over human rights, with nuclear negotiations between the two deadlocked.

The international community has frequently condemned North Korea for political repression, and for decades of prioritizing its military and its nuclear weapons programme over adequately providing for its people.

Criticizing Pyongyang’s human rights record would only aggravate the “already tense situation” on the Korean peninsula, “like pouring oil over burning fire”, a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The statement was in response to concern expressed by a US state department official over North Korea’s human rights situation, KCNA said.

The United States “will be made to pay dearly” for such remarks, the North Korean spokesperson was quoted by KCNA as saying.

The United Nations General Assembly this week had also condemned Pyongyang’s “long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross” violations of human rights.

Negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear programme have been deadlocked since a summit in Hanoi collapsed in February, and Pyongyang has said that if Washington fails to make it an acceptable offer, it will adopt an unspecified “new way”.

Earlier this month, it even promised a “Christmas gift” if the US does not come up with concessions by the end of the year.

It has carried out a series of static tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month, after a number of weapons launches in recent weeks, some of them described as ballistic missiles by Japan and others—which Pyongyang is banned from testing under UN sanctions. AFP

W

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

IMPEACHMENT STAINS GREAT WEEK FOR TRUMP

ASHINGTON —Donald Trump kicked off Christmas vacation on Friday after a series of legislative victories gave him one of his best weeks in office—apart from becoming only the third US president ever impeached.

Surprisingly, for a capital paralyzed by Democratic-Republican gridlock and a presidency mired in scandal, a whole string of breakthroughs came through at once.

While Democrats and Republicans tussle over how his Senate impeachment trial will unfold, possibly in January, Trump is fighting to refocus voters’ minds on the brighter side of his presidency ahead of the 2020 election.

And as he packed his bags for a golf holiday through the New Year at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Congress handed him ammunition.

Trump signed a giant $1.4 trillion spending deal that the Senate passed on Thursday, ahead of a deadline to avoid leaving the federal government with empty coffers.

Also Thursday, the House of Representatives, where the Democratic majority had voted for impeachment a day earlier, finally approved a new US-Mexico-Canada free trade deal, known as USMCA. That will go to the Republicancontrolled Senate and on to Trump.

To top it all off, just before departing for Florida Trump signed a $738 billion defense spending

bill that includes funding for the creation of one of his pet projects—a new branch of the military called Space Force.

“Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital, and we’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough, but very shortly we’ll be leading by a lot,” he said.

“The space force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground.”

One more slice of seasonal cheer was delivered Friday with the White House accepting a formal invitation from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of Trump’s leading Democratic foes, to deliver his annual State of the Union speech to Congress on February 4.

Impeachment and the still-tocome trial were not even mentioned.

Not bad for a president who some

48 hours ago was being pilloried

by Democrats in the House for betraying his oath of office and impeached on two counts.

Republicans exasperated by Trump’s erratic foreign policy, bombastic style and habit of insulting people in public have long wished he would stick to touting the country’s roaring economy.

Unemployment is rock bottom, the stock market is hitting record highs and, usually, an incumbent president with a good economy gets a straightforward path to reelection.

The fact that despite these advantages Trump’s approval rating is stuck in the low 40 percent range and almost half the country backs impeachment shows his inherent weaknesses.

But Trump appears to be making more effort to stay on message since his impeachment. AFP

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN EXTENDING SYRIA CROSS-BORDER AID

COMING THROUGH. A member of the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, carries a wounded girl after a team rescued her from the rubble of a building following a reported Russian air strike in the village of Tal Mardikh in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Thursday. AFP

US SPACE FORCE TO RISE TO CHINA, RUSSIA CHALLENGE WASHINGTON—The United States met a mounting 21st century strategic challenge from Russia and China Friday with the creation of a fullfledged US Space Force within the Department of Defense.

Acting on an ambition by President Donald Trump that had met resistance at first, the White House signaled its determination to not cede superiority in a Star Wars-like future of killer satellites and satellite-killer weapons.

Trump made the Space Force’s creation real with the signing of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which set the initial budget for a Pentagon force that will stand equally with the military’s five other branches.

“Going to be a lot of things happening in space, because space is the world’s newest warfighting domain,” Trump told members of the military gathered for the signing.

The Space Force will be the sixth formal force of the US military, after

the Army, Air Force, Navy Marines, and Coast Guard.

“Our reliance on space-based capabilities has grown dramatically, and today outer space has evolved into a war-fighting domain of its own,” said Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

“Maintaining American dominance in that domain is now the mission of the United States Space For ce.”

Esper compared the Space Force’s creation to the landmark creation of a separate US Air Force in 1947, hived off from the Army after World War II in recognition that aerial war fighting was indeed a separate domain that would be important in the future.

Now that recognition is extended to space, a crucial venue for both military spy and communications satellites which will be targeted by adversaries in any conflict, and the possibility of outer-space launch platforms for destructive weapons.

The Defense Intelligence Agency warned in a report early this year that China and Russia have both developed “robust and capable” space services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

“China and Russia, in particular, are developing a variety of means to exploit perceived US reliance on spacebased systems and challenge the US position in space,” it said.

China already demonstrated it could shoot down a satellite with a ground-based missile in 2007.

“Both states are developing jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground-based antisatellite missiles that can achieve a range of reversible to nonreversible effects,” it said.

Iran and North Korea, too, are increasingly able to extend their military activities into space, jamming the communications of adversaries and developing ballistic missile technologies, it noted. AFP

UNITED NATIONS—Russia and China used their vetoes Friday to block a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended for a year cross-border humanitarian aid to four million Syrians.

Humanitarian aid currently flows into Syria through UNdesignated checkpoints without the formal permission of the regime in Damascus, but that authority is due to expire on January 10.

Germany, Belgium and Kuwait presented a resolution extending that authority for a year, winning the support of 13 council members but drawing the vetoes of Russia and China.

A competing Russian resolution that would have granted a six-month extension while reducing the number of UN crossing points was rejected, having failed to get the minimum nine votes.

Russia is a close ally and major supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and has used its veto 14 times on Syrian issues since the start of the civil war there in 2011.

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said the latest resolution was “obsolete” because the authorities in Damascus have “retaken control of most” of Syria’s territory.

But the UN humanitarian relief department says the aid remains crucial as the situation on the ground has deteriorated over the past year and Syria is heading into winter.

Four million Syrians directly benefit from the cross-border aid shipments while 11 million benefit from international aid after eight years of war.

“I am in a state of shock,” Kelly Craft, the US ambassador, said after the Russian and Chinese vetoes. AFP

ROUHANI ENDS JAPAN VISIT, SEEKS SUPPORT FOR IRAN ECONOMY TOKYO—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan on Saturday as Tehran, under US sanctions pressure, sought economic support from Tokyo.

Rouhani’s trip to Japan, the first by an Iranian head of state in two decades, came after deadly protests over fuel price hikes in his country, where the economy has been hit by US sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The Iranian leader on Saturday held a closed meeting at a Tokyo hotel with Japanese business leaders, during which he criticized those sanctions and expressed hope for strengthening long-standing ties with Japan, public broadcaster NHK said, quoting the Iranian foreign ministry.

The American sanctions were re-imposed last year after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the multinational Iran nuclear deal.

In an interview with NHK on Saturday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lashed out at the sanctions as “unilateral, illegal”.

Rouhani, during a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, had called on Japan and other countries to help the Iranian economy.

“We welcome any plan that can increase trade, especially in the field of energy and increasing the exports and sales of oil,” he told Abe, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA. Ahead of that summit, Rouhani had condemned Washington for “unilaterally and irrationally” withdrawing from the nuclear deal, saying: “I hope Japan and other countries will make efforts to maintain this deal.”

As a key US ally that also maintains close diplomatic and economic ties with Iran, Abe has tried to build bridges between the two rivals. AFP

HIT AND RUN. Police clash with protesters during demonstrations against India’s new citizenship law in Lucknow on Thursday. Indians defied bans on assembly on December 19 in cities nationwide as anger swells against a citizenship law seen as discriminatory against Muslims, following days of protests, clashes and riots that have left six dead. AFP

Images

CASE CLOSED. The court secretary reads the decision of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, seated in the jampacked makeshift courtroom at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, on the Maguindanao massacre case on Thursday. Sentenced to 57 life imprisonment terms were Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr., his brother Zaldy Ampatuan, and 41 others. Judge Solis entered the camp that also houses the National Capital Region Police Office with Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez, while other policemen escort several of the 101 accused into the holding area. Outside the camp, NCR riot police stand ready to fend off protesters and sympathizers of the families of the 58 people, including 32 journalists, who died in the horrific attack over 10 years ago. Rio Araja, Lino Santos and Manny Palmero

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IMPEACHED. US President Donald Trump leaves after speaking Thursday at a summit on transforming mental health treatment to combat homelessness, violence and substance abuse at the White House, on the same day the US House of Representatives voted to impeach him. AFP

NEW COINS. This handout photo from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shows the new 20-peso and redesigned 5-peso coins that will enter circulation starting next year.

FORCED OUT. Some of the hundreds of patients wait outside the building of the National Children’s Hospital at Brgy. Damayan Lagi in Quezon City, after a fire that reached the third alarm gutted the roof deck of the hospital on Friday. Manny Palmero

CALAX OPEN. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar (left) leads the final inspection over the completed 10-kilometer section of the Cavite Laguna Expressway (Calax) on Friday together with MPCALA Holding President Roberto Bontia. Roy Tomandao

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

‘GOVERNMENT FUNDING, LEADERSHIP NEEDED’

By Lito Cinco

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VEN as Filipino athletes continue to bask in glory after dominating the recent 30th South East Asian Games hosted by the Philippines, they very well know what needs to be done in order to sustain the gains made in the biennial meet.

In a Champions’ Summit Media Conference at the Conrad Hotel, the bemedalled athletes from different disciplines, including karatedo’s Jamie Lim, wushu double-gold medalist Agatha Wong, triathlon champions Kim Mangrobang and Rambo Chicano, three-time SEAG gold medalist in taekwondo Samuel Morrison, Blu Girl Cheska Altamonte, ice hockey’s Kenneth Stern and underwater hockey’s Christopher Policarpio, among others, they identified several specific things needed to sustain the high performance of Filipino athletes as they look to the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.

Filipino athletes know that in Vietnam, there will be no hometown crowd support that was a major factor for them, nor will they see the same number of over a thousand local athletes fielded and less events that would favor Filipinos.

And so they identified government funding support that would assure them of international training and exposure, the availability of training venues, a working grassroots’ program and good leadership in their respective National Sports Associations as among the factors needed to sustain the momentum of their SEAG title romp.

Altamonte cited the need for NSAs to do their own efforts to support their sport.

“We cannot depend on the Philippine Sports Commission all the time. We need to start with our own NSAs. Softball has long been enjoying continued support from sportsman-businessman Jean Henri Lhuillier,” Altamonte said.

Meanwhile, gymnastics’ head Cynthia Carrion pointed out that the biggest legacy from the 30th SEA Games would be the world-class facilities left behind after the games, referring to the New Clark City and the refurbished Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

For the record, after the 1991 SEA Games in Manila, from second place with 91 golds, the Philippines slid to 5th place in 1993 with only 57 golds. In 2005 when Team Philippines won the overall title for the first time with 113 golds,

Filipino athletes continue to bask in glory after dominating the recent 30th South East Asian Games.

there was a drastic drop to 6th place two years later with only 41 golds.

How to avoid a repetition of this is the challenge posed to Filipino sports leaders and athletes.

PLDT-SMART REWARDS ESPORTS VICTORS AS PART of its commitment to promote sports and support Filipino athletes, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications recently awarded cash incentives to the 30th Southeast Asian Games eSports gold, silver, and bronze medalists from Team Sibol, the Philippines’ first national eSports team.

Team Sibol bagged five medals at the multi-sports competition’s inaugural virtual tilt.

According to PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, the cash award for the eSports athletes is a tribute to their commendable performance.

“We are very proud of how well you represented the Philippines in the SEA Games, especially since it’s the first time that eSports has been included in a prestigious sporting event,” Pangilinan said.

“While it may not be as physical as basketball, eSports requires a lot of physical and mental effort, and dedication for our young people to excel in this sport,” Pangilinan added.

Cignal TV and TV5 President and CEO Jane Basas also acknowledged that eSports is one of the fastest growing sports today.

“Many years ago, including eSports in an International Olympic Committee-accredited event was

PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, together with Cignal TV and TV5 President and CEO Jane Basas, joined by Julie Carciller, Chief of Staff, Chief Revenue Office, PLDT; and Lloyd Manaloto, VP and Chief of Staff, TV5, turned over cash incentives to Team Sibol.

just a dream, and now, it actually happened, thanks to our partners; the athletes, coaches, and management; and of course, to sponsors like Smart.” Basas added, “It’s a milestone in the history of eSports that we were been able to put it in an international event like this and broadcast to many homes, not just in the Philippines but to the rest of Southeast Asia.”

With his team conquering the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) competition, Angelo Arcangel shared that the team would play eight to 10 hours a day as part of their training. Also known as Pheww among his teammates, he said all of

their hard work has borne fruit after clinching the gold medal. Smart provided the connectivity and other equipment in the training grounds of Team Sibol.

“Sobrang nakakatuwa ‘yung suporta. Sobrang laki. Kasi kung hindi dahil sa Smart, sa mga sponsors, hindi naman kami mabubuo, hindi naman kami pwedeng mag-training kami nang kami-kami lang. kaya sobrang laki ng tulong nila sa amin (The huge support really makes me happy. If not for sponsors like Smart, the team would have not been formed. It is not like we can train individually. The sponsors have really helped us),” said Arcangel.

And as the whole country celebrated this victory, Mobile Legends team manager Jab Escutin noted that this was just the beginning and hoped that the momentum would be sustained. “I’m pretty sure that since we got an actual gold medal, it’s a signal that [eSports] can be an actual career that people can take seriously. There’s a big backing for it.

There are a lot more career options for everybody, especially since we are in the digital age,” Escutin said.

Pangilinan and Basas personally greeted and congratulated Team Sibol in awarding the cash incentives. The gold medalists for team events (MLBB and DoTA II) were awarded P2 million. Individual event gold medalist for StarCraft II Caviar “EnDerr” Acampado was awarded P1 million. Tekken 7 silver medalist Alexandre “AK” Laverez and bronze medalist Andreij “Douijin” Albar were awarded P500,000 and P250,000 respectively.

Even after the SEA Games have concluded, Pangilinan said that PLDT and Smart will continue extending support to the eSports athletes to encourage them, particularly as they prepare for the 2021 SEA Games should host country Vietnam decide to sustain the event.

For more information, visit www. smart.com.ph.

DYKE’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE SHOW LIFTS MANILA PAST BACOLOD WHEN called upon to start, Manila-Frontrow forward Mark Dyke made sure to go all out as he tallied his first double-double of the 2019-20 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season.

Dyke posted 17 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, helping the Stars clobber Bacolod Master Sardines, 87-70, at the San Andres Sports Complex, Friday.

But the soft-spoken, undersized forward was just returning the favor to Manila’s coaching staff, headed by Tino Pinat and Ariel Vanguardia.

“Entering the game pa lang, focused na talaga ako kasi binibigyan ako ng confidence nila coach, lagi na nila akong iniis-

tart. Ayaw ko lang mawala ‘yung tiwala nila sa akin, so ibinabalik ko lang sa kanila,” said the 6’3” forward, who was released by La Salle last April.

Dyke also went a perfect 2-of-2 from the three-point line, including a big triple in the 3:01 mark of the fourth period that gave the Frontrow-backed Stars an insurmountable 21-point advantage, 80-59.

And that was just how Dyke imagined it, for him to shoot the lights out from downtown after putting much work in his shot.

“College pa lang, three-points na talaga ‘yung winowork ko kasi grabe nu’ ng high school, wala talaga akong shooting. Lagi kong kasama magpractice ng shooting si Carlo (Lastimosa), minsan nagpupustahan

pa kami para mas challenging. Kaya ayon naayos ko na ang shooting ko.”

With stretch-four Aris Dionisio leaving Manila after this season as he was picked in the PBA Draft, Dyke is ready to take the role that Dionisio will vacate.

“Thankful ako na nakasama ko si Aris kasi marami akong natututunan sa kanya.

Kapag pinapanood ko siya, sinusubok kong gayahin kung paano siya maging aggresive. Tinatry ko iapply sa laro ko at buti nagwwork naman.”

In other games, Biboy Enguio’s big double-double lifted Muntinlupa-Angelis Resort over Iloilo, 96-92, while Valenzuela Carga Backload Solutions survived a fourth-quarter rally by Sarangani, 89-84.

CEBUANO STUNS SEAG GOLD MEDALIST IN PPS DAGITAB JOSHUA Kinaadman hacked out a shock 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over SEA Games gold medalist Casey Alcantara to barge into the semifinal round of the men’s singles in the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Festival Open Tennis Championship at the City of Naga Tennis Courts in Cebu Friday.

The University of the East mainstay from Lapu Lapu City, ranked 11th in the 64-player draw, rode on his 7-6(3), 6-0 victory over Kef Gamana and a 6-4, 6-4 reversal over No. 5 Fritz Verdad to topple Alcantara, rallying from a set down with a strong charge in the next two to seal a showdown with second seed Jeson Patrombon.

Patrombon, who teamed up with Alcantara to win the men’s doubles gold in the recent SEAG, stopped No. 12 Norman Enriquez from Pardo, Cebu, 6-0, 6-3, to stay on course for a title collision with top seed Johnny Arcilla, who dispatched Rodolfo Barquin Jr., 6-1, 6-1, in their quarters clash in the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/ CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop.

Enriquez earlier bundled out Mark Alcoseba, member of the SEAG gold medal soft tennis team, 1-6, 7-6(5), 10-7, in the third round of the event held in conjunction with the province’s Dagitab Festival (of Lights) celebrations.

Arcilla will next face No. 10 Arthur Pantino, who upended third ranked Vicente Anasta 6-1, 6-2, in another upset that marked Day 4 of the tournament which also featured the juniors division and sanctioned by by Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPSPEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Alcantara and Patrombon, meanwhile, disposed of Kennex Abadia and Bo Alburo, 6-1, 6-3, to lead the quarterfinal cast in the men’s doubles that includes Barquin-Kyle Sinson, Alcoseba-Kinaadman, John Accion-AJ Alejandre, Vicente and Rollie Anasta, Arcilla-Pantino, Jayson Benitez-Hilbert San Jose, and Lazaro-Verdad.

In men’s 40s singles, Jonathan Largo stunned top seed Celestino Solon, 8-6, to seal a semis faceoff with Jayson Benitez, who routed John Lundqvuist, 6-1, while No. 2 Adonis Lominoque edged Roy Tan, 8-7(9), to arrange a duel with Menandro Econg, who blasted third ranked Roy Tabotabo, 8-3.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

Business

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

ANG, FIRST FILIPINO IN THE ‘BLOOMBERG 50’

San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang

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AMON Ang, the president and chief operating officer of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., has made it into the Bloomberg 50—an elite annual list of top global innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who have changed the global business landscape as compiled by Bloomberg Businessweek. He is the first Filipino to make it to the list.

An unranked list, the Bloomberg 50 represents the most influential thought-leaders in business, entertainment, politics, finance, fashion and science and technology, whose accomplishments were particularly noteworthy and defined 2019.

“It’s a great honor, and I’m grateful to Bloomberg for taking note of our work and the developments here in the Philippines,” Ang said.

“I hope this helps to showcase the many great and positive things happening in our country.”

Ang is joined in the list by Warner Media News and Sports chairman and CNN president Jeff Zucker, TV host Jon Stewart, pop star Rihanna, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke, Glaxosmithkline CEO Emma Walmsley, Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege, American gymnast Simone Biles, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Disney International chairman Kevin Mayer, celebrity and Kylie Cosmetics CEO Kylie Jenner and climate activist Greta Thunberg, among others.

In the last decade, Ang engineered the massive diversification and transformation of the over 100-year-old San Miguel from a beer, food, spirits and packaging company with market leading positions into a diversified conglomerate with interests in industries crucial to Philippine economic growth: food and beverage, oil and fuel, power, infrastructure and banking.

SMC is one of the Philippines’ largest companies by revenues and profits. In 2018, its

revenues breached P1 trillion, equivalent to about 5.9 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product.

REINVESTING IN PH Much of San Miguel’s earnings are plowed back and reinvested in the Philippines in the form of growth-generating manufacturing facilities and infrastructure projects aimed at improving people’s lives, decongesting cities and sustaining economic growth.

Currently, SMC’s food and beverage business is in the mid of the largest capacity expansion program in its 129-year history. It is building additional breweries, new feed mills, flour mills, food processing plants, poultry facilities and a ready-to-eat plant in various locations nationwide.

These new facilities bring direct and indirect jobs, livelihood opportunities, and boost local economies.

SMC, under Ang, is also managing, operating and constructing some of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects.

Its operating expressways include the South Luzon Expressway, Skyway 1 and 2, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, NAIA Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

It is building Skyway Stage 3 which will connect SLEX and Skyway 1 and 2 to the Northern Luzon Expressway from Buendia, Makati; Skyway Stage 4, from Skyway FTI, Parañaque City to the Batasan Complex in Quezon City and to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; and the Skyway Extension from Alabang to SLEX Susana Heights.

SMC is also set to build SLEX TR4 project, which will extend SLEX from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City in Quezon province.

San Miguel is also building the MRT-7 project, which will stretch from North Edsa through Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

The project includes an intermodal transport terminal and a road component that will connect to the North Luzon Expressway.

MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT SMC’s biggest and most ambitious upcoming project to date is the new Manila International Airport project in Bulacan province, just north

of Metro Manila, and accessible via an expansive infrastructure network.

At $15 billion, it is the company’s single largest investment to date and the largest in the country.

The new airport will be the Philippines’ largest and most modern.

To be built on a 2,500-hectare facility, it will have four runways, upgradable to six and world-class facilities seen to boost the country’s competitiveness as an investment and tourism destination.

PHILANTHROPY Ang is also a known philanthropist. Through San Miguel Foundation, he has channeled billions of pesos towards building housing communities for thousands of families affected by natural calamities and armed conflict.

The foundation has built community hospitals, schools and libraries, among others. Its thrust today is to address hunger and education. It recently completed its first learning and feeding center and food bank in the poorest district of Tondo, Manila where Ang grew up.

Under Ang, SMC has pushed for greater sustainability, initiating a landmark water sustainability project which calls for an ambitious 50-percent reduction in the utility and domestic use of water across all its businesses by year 2025.

In 2017, as part of efforts to reduce the company’s solid waste footprint, he announced the discontinuation of San Miguel’s plastic bottled water business.

In 2019, he announced several major sustainability initiatives: a P1 billion donation to clean up the Tullahan River; building the country’s first recycled plastics road; and adopting the Philippines’ first fully-certified biodegradable plastics for various packaging requirements.

From an ear ly age, Ang has had an entrepreneurial spirit. He started in business importing and reconditioning heavy equipment for the local construction industry. He is a mechanical engineering graduate and an avid car aficionado and collector.

The Bloomberg 50 2019 list is published in a special issue of Bloomberg Businessweek released on Dec. 6.

Mushroom lamp by Arden

FILIPINO CRAFTSMEN TO JOIN BIG LIFESTYLE EVENT IN FRANKFURT THE country ’s creative edge in producing distinc tly designed handcrafted products takes centerstage once again as Filipino manufac turers are set to join Ambiente 2020 on Feb. 7 to 11, 2020 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

Under the LifestylePhilippines brand, the 24-strong furniture and home décor manufacturers representing some of the artisan regions in the country will highlight handcrafted and consciously-made products that speak of story and purpose.

The participation’s key messaging for this year is “Hands That Work.” The direction presents a celebration of the innate capabilities of Filipinos to create the most design-driven, yet functional pieces from natural and sustainable raw supplies and even from old and considered as waste materials.

The participation will highlight the artistic and capable hands of local manufacturers that harnessed different material manipulation techniques to create exquisite products globally used and appreciated today.

“We are a country of artisans. Our ancestors, up to our modern lineage, are weavers, sculptors and artists who produce objects that excite the global market. Therefore, we are strongly rallying behind our exporters and helping them promote in the international arena through trade shows like Ambiente,” said Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions executive director Pauline Suaco-Juan.

As the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and I n d u s t r y, C I T E M s p e a r h e a d e d LifestylePhilippines or the collective branding of creative enterprises that represent the best of the Philippines’ home and fashion sectors.

Ambiente is a trade fair recognized as a meeting point for buyers and suppliers from all over the world, and the participation is expected to enable the country to vie for a slice of the design and lifestyle market in Europe.

Germany is the biggest trading partner of the Philippines in the European Union and its 11th global trading partner, with a total trade volume of $7.4 billion in 2018.

The contingent features new and long-time exhibitors of Manila FAME, the country’s foremost design and lifestyle trade show. The Philippine participation in Ambiente is an avenue for Manila FAME to continue to make its mark in the global design scene.

Recognized as the home of Filipino artisans, designers and manufacturers, Manila FAME is the Philippines’ premier sourcing destination for high-quality export products. The show serves as the cultivating ground and springboard for innovative, topof-the-line Philippine products and the gateway for designers to break through key international markets. “ The Philippines has gained significant traction in Ambiente and its pool of buyers as evident in our progressive growth throughout the years. I believe that exciting prospects are ahead of us next year because of our intensified efforts to further widen the country’s reach in the exports landscape especially in the EU” said Suaco-Juan.

VICTORY LINER TAPS GLOBE BUSINESS TO PROVIDE FREE WI-FI GLOBE Business, the enterprise arm of Globe Telecom, and Victory Liner Inc., one of the country’s most recognized names in the transport industry, teamed up to boost bus services with connectivity solutions.

Victory Liner signed up for Globe Business’ boost data plan, which allows the bus company to power 1,044 bus units with Wi-Fi and offer its customers fast and reliable internet access supported by a robust and broad domestic network.

“We continuously improve our operations to achieve a level of excellence that is comparable across the transport industry,” said Marivic del Pilar, Victory Liner vice president for

finance and marketing.

“We know how important comfort and value for money is for our customers, thus we put our trust in Globe Business to help us deliver a differentiated and one-of-a-kind travel experience,” she said.

Globe Business senior vice president Peter Maquera said: “We are thrilled and privileged to have been chosen by Victory Liner as their partner for their digital transformation journey. We are very excited for the partnership, and we look forward to the different ways Globe Business can help grow their business through the services that they availed from us.”

Victory Liner is one of the most recognized bus companies in the

Philippines. As the company celebrates 75 years of service and breakthroughs in transportation and energy sources, Victory Liner continues to live its vision of being “the transport company of choice” and to “move people better and safer by providing quality transport service.”

Globe Business continues to redefine how businesses work—which goes beyond functions, numbers and performance.

It also enables clients and partners to catapult their enterprises to success by providing the right technology, infrastructure and know-how to create a Victory Liner vice president for finance and marketing Marivic del Pilar and Globe Business positive impact and transform people’s vice president for sales Meanne Quiambao showcase a Globe Business WiFi-enabled lives.

Victory Liner bus.

Business

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 business@manilastandard.net

IN BRIEF

RESTAURATEUR WINS GOLD IBA AWARD DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peňa (center) leads the ribbon-cutting for the soft opening of Bauertek Corp. With him are (from left) Bauertek general manager Dr. Richard Gomez, Filipino Inventor Society Producer Cooperative president Francisco Pagayon and Plaridel, Bulacan Mayor Anastacia Vistan.

George Nocom Pua WITH a plethora of ventures and restaurants in his name including Rico’s Lechon, Ogawa Japanese Restaurant, Thai BBQ, Modern China and more, 2019 might be the biggest year yet for George Nocom Pua. At the recently concluded 16th International Business Awards in Vienna, Austria, Pua won the Entrepreneur of the Year (gold). One of Stevie Awards programs, the International Business Awards is a global recognition that is given to premier businesses and working professionals worldwide.

Meat Concepts Corp., owner of Rico’s Lechon brand, was also awarded with Company of the Year (gold) and Campaign of the Year (bronze). For bagging the most number of votes, Rico’s Lechon was also hailed as People’s Choice awardee for food and beverage category.

Another milestone for the entrepreneur is the recognition at the 10th Asia CEO Circle of Excellence Awards 2019. The Asia CEO Award is a prestigious award in recognition of an individual or organization’s significant contributions to the development of the Philippine economy.

VITAL DOME MACHINE LAUNCHED IN OKADA Katherine Alejar, CEO of i3

FILIPINO INVENTOR ESTABLISHES NEXT-GENERATION PHARMA FIRM

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ENOWNED Filipino scientist and Inventor Dr. Richard Nixon Gomez realizes a ten-year endeavor with the establishment of Bauertek Corp.—a 100-percent Filipinoowned research, development and production facility for all-natural herbal supplements which are said to be three to four generations ahead of the norm.

The concept of the whole project started with a high school project of his son in 2009,

VITAL Dome, an advanced infra-therapy ecosystem machine that uses pure far infrared to regenerate the body, was launched during the recent “Beauty and Vitality, Innovative Approach to Anti-Aging” event held at Okada Manila.

Entrepreneur Katherine Alejar, CEO of i3 and Vital Dome’s exclusive distributor in the Philippines, welcomed more than 100 doctors specializing in the aesthetics and wellness industry.

“I am proud to have been part of this event which showcased Vital Dome’s innumerable benefits to one’s heath. Vital Dome provides detoxification, oxygenation of tissues, reduction of edema, skin stimulation and weight loss. After a few of sessions with the Vital Dome, skin becomes firmer, purified and revitalized. Damaged tissues due to stress are also regenerated and wrinkles are reduced,” Alejar said.

Vital Dome’s France-based training manager, Aude Biltz, spoke to the audience about the benefits of infratherapy and farinfrared.

Founded and manufactured in France

by Alexandra Gavsevitch and Eric Fauchon who are internationally known in the naturopathy and health and wellness industry, Vital Dome uses far infrared (a vital radiation of the sun), which is the ultimate, most natural and essential factor for body rejuvenating and healing.

Clinical studies prove that 82 percent of those who experienced Vital Dome’s Infratherapy feel more relaxed while 77 percent achieved a slimmer silhouette. Almost 70 percent noticed how their skin got firmer and almost 80 percent proved they attained lighter legs, improved sleeping pattern and an enhanced overall well-being.

SECURITY BANK BEST SME LENDER

FINANCE publication Asiamoney awarded Security Bank as the country’s Best Bank for SMEs for its consistent support to the needs of small, medium and homegrown businesses.

Asiamoney commended the bank’s digital innovations, electronic cash management services and products like the business express loans—which reduce the turnaround time for a loan application from three weeks to a maximum of five days. The SME loan does not require an application fee or collateral for loans up to P5 million.

“The bank’s small business loans portfolio grew by a remarkable 137 percent in 2018 and continued its strong momentum in the first quarter of 2019.

Small business loans as a percentage of total consumer loans almost doubled from 5 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to 9 percent in the first quarter of 2019,” Asiamoney said.

“The bank will continue to pursue initiatives and offer competitive loan products to cater to the expanding SME sector, driving economic growth,” said Security Bank president and CEO Sanjiv Vohra.

Security Bank was also recognized as the Best SME Bank in the Philippines by the Alpha Southeast Asia Award.

which the family later on decided to register for patent and then officially introduced to the market. This embraces their company motto: “ImbensyongPinoy, GawangPinoy”.

Bauertek was inaugurated through a soft opening ceremony on Dec. 16 and was attended by special guests such as Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peňa, Filipino Inventor Society Producer Cooperative president Francisco Pagayon and Plaridel, Bulacan Mayor Anastacia Vistan.

After the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Gomez led the guests for a special tour inside the newlyconstructed Bauertek building to introduce the different facilities.

Bauertek, located at Sitio Kabilang Bakood, Sta. Rita, Guiguinto, is a pharmaceutical facility dedicated to producing world-class and Food

and Drugs Administration-approved food supplements. One of their products, PiCUR, is the first and only Philippine made food supplement approved by the German government for overthe-counter selling.

The company plans to team up with various government agencies for the benefit of local farmers, from which the company acquires its plant raw materials. Instead of importing plant raw materials, the company plans to work with Filipinoowned plantations and government managed growing areas such as the 1,000-hectare herbal plant farm in Isabela State University.

The Department of Science and Technology will also play a major role in terms of providing technology needed as well as equipment and machineries to convert the locally-produced plants into globally acceptable products.

SGV ELECTS NEW COUNTRY MANAGING PARTNER

Incoming SGV & Co. country managing partner Wilson Tan

SGV & CO., the country’s largest multidisciplinary professional services firm, announces the election of Wilson Tan as the country managing partner effective Jan. 1, 2020. He will succeed J. Carlitos Cruz who has served as CMP since 2017.

As CMP, Tan will oversee SGV’s overall strategic direction and drive business growth guided by the firm’s purpose to nurture leaders and enable businesses for a better Philippines.

Tan has extensive experience in financial audits for large companies in the banking, infrastructure, telecommunications, power generation and distribution, oil refinery, mining, construction and manufacturing sectors.

He is a recognized authority on International Financial Reporting Standards and performs financial accounting advisory and implementation, financial due diligence reviews and structured transaction advisory, among others. He is the chairman of

the Philippine Interpretations Committee, which assists the Financial Reporting Standards Council of the Philippines in enhancing financial reporting standards in the country.

Tan is the national board membersectoral director for Public Practice and treasurer of the executive committee of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He received the PICPA Outstanding CPA in Public Practice Award in 2009 and a Special Achievement in International

Professional Involvement in 2012.

Tan currently co-chairs the professional development committee of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines. He is also a member of the Management Association of the Philippines and the Makati Business Club.

Tan joined SGV in 1987 and was admitted to the partnership in 2000. Over the course of his career, he has served in various SGV leadership positions including vice chairman and deputy managing partner, markets leader, assurance services leader, market group leader, accounting standards group head and financial and commodity risk services head.

A certified public accountant, he graduated from the University of the East in Manila with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, summa cum laude.

He placed 12th in the 1987 CPA board examinations. He later obtained his Master of Business Administration from the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.

He also attended the Pacific Rim Bankers Program-Foster School of Business, University of Washington.

VALLACAR TRANSIT AFFIRMS LEGALITY OF SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING THE current management of Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus transport company led by co-founder and matriarch Olivia Yanson, affirmed the legality of its annual shareholders’ meeting on Dec. 7, 2019 at the company’s principal office in Bacolod City.

Following the meeting, the newlyelected board of VTI slammed the Securities and Exchange Commission Bacolod Extension Office for attending the alleged irregular meeting separately called by four of the Yanson siblings who are collectively known as the Yanson 4.

Under the company’s by-laws, the annual shareholders’ meeting should be held every first Saturday of December at its principal office in Bacolod City.

Pursuant to the by-laws, the stockholders held their annual meeting at the company’s principal office at Ceres compound, Barangay Mansilingan in Bacolod City which proves that they have physical and management control of the company assets.

The stockholders elected matriarch Olivia, son Leo Rey Yanson, daughter Ginnette Dumancas as well as Charles Dumancas, Arvin John Villaruel, Anita

Ginette in holding their own stockholders’ meeting.

In a letter dated Dec. 9, Madrid Danao & Associates asked SEC-Bacolod officer-incharge Atty. Annabelle Corral-Respall to cease and desist from interference, aiding and abetting the “impostor stockholders, directors and officers of VTI.” The law firm said it received reports Chua and Daniel Nicolas Golez as mem- that representatives from SEC-Bacolod atbers of the board of directors. The board tended the meeting called by the Yanson then held an organizational meeting and 4 at SEDA Hotel in Bacolod City on the re-appointed Leo Rey as the president and same day (Dec. 7).

Olivia Yanson as treasurer and corporate The law firm said the SEC-Bacolod has secretary. no authority and/or jurisdiction to interAt the same time, the VTI directors fere with the intra-corporate dispute of authorized law firm Madrid Danao & the two parties and that there is no court Associates to question the meeting or- order directing them to attend the alleged ganized by the “impostor stockholders, meeting. directors and officers of VTI, namely Roy “Wittingly or unwittingly, you have V. Yanson, Ma. Lourdes Celina Y. Lopez, allowed yourself to be used for the Y4’s Ricardo V. Yanson Jr. and Emily V. Yanson” illegal acts and propaganda,” it said. or the Yanson 4.

The VTI management, therefore, urged The Yanson 4, on their part, filed be- SEC-Bacolod and its representatives to fore the Bacolod City Regional Trial Court “immediately cease and desist from ina lawsuit against their siblings Leo Rey terfering, aiding, abetting, favoring and/ and Ginette and claimed they still have or granting unwarranted benefits to the majority shares of VTI. The petitioners impostor Y4”. questioned the basis used by Leo Rey and In response, Corral-Respall clarified

that SEC Bacolod Extension Office did not support the alleged shareholders meeting of the Yanson 4 on Dec. 7. In a certification letter issued on Dec. 12, Corral-Respall said she and other representatives of SEC Bacolod Extension Office attended the Yanson 4 meeting as mere invitees and observers. “ The attendance of SEC Bacolod Extension Office to the said meeting as observers of a corporation with pending intra-corporate dispute was neither a confirmation of the validity of the meeting, nor of the claimed shareholdings of the above named individuals, nor the affirmation of a quorum during the meeting, but it acted strictly as observers of the proceedings,” she said.

“As a matter of fact, the undersigned (Corral-Respall) declined when asked to be an administering officer for the oathtaking of Roy V. Yanson, Ricardo V. Yanson Jr. Ms. Emily V. Yanson and Ms. Ma. Lourdes Celina V. Yanson-Lopez after their election that afternoon,” she said.

She said the SEC Bacolod Extension Office’s representatives signed only one document during the meeting which was an attendance sheet.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

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Manila

Standard

TODAY

Tech & Gadgets

Republic of the Philippines GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM GSIS Building, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1308

DIGITAL FILIPINA MOM REMAINS CHIEF HOUSEHOLD OFFICER

I

T WAS an afternoon of learning and insightful sharing as theAsianparent Philippines shared the latest results of the Digital Moms Survey. A study done yearly garnering over a thousand responses from the active users of theAsianparent app.

The program began with a keynote message from Susana Tsui, CEO of Media as she shared the latest company growth journey showing throughout the past 10 years. She has also shared how theAsianparent Philippines has grown to have 3.5 million unique views and over 200,000 active users on the app making it the #1 parenting platform in the country.

Following Susana Tsui’s keynote was Alex Cruz, App Marketing Manager of theAsianparent Philippines who shared the different app features available and how this has continued to guide every Filipina mom in various life stages from trying to conceive, as they go through their pregnancy and while raising their child. The app also has several features apart from the developmental trackers such as a media section with its very own rendition of the famous Baby Shark, it has Food & Nutrition that guides moms on what is safe to eat whether you’re pregnant, lactating or when eating your child. The app has an active community of moms seeking questions and sharing experiences with one another.

Regional Head of Content, Carla Perlas, shared this year’s Digital Moms Survey results.

After gathering data from over a thousand respondents, theAsianparent Philippines shared valuable insights to client brands, partner agencies, it’s group of TAPfluencers and to the press on what are the digital usage and purchasing behaviours of today’s Filipina mom.

So, who’s the Filipino digital mom, according to theAsianparent Philippines?

1) She remains to be the Chief Household Officer (CHO) 88% of the respondents shared that they make the biggest purchasing decisions in their household most especially when it is for the baby.

One of the key drivers of making purchasing the product is knowing the benefits and use

of the product (55%).

2) Wa-is mom is also a digital-savvy mom 31% of our mom respondents have shared that their screen time has increased by 4 hours after being a mom. She also gets tips on parenting through social media and the top 3 apps that they use on a daily basis includes: Facebook (33%), theAsianparent app (31%) and Instagram (27%).

3) She continues to strive to be a better version of herself as a mom and a homemaker.

Most of our respondents find themselves actively online past 9pm (28%) after putting the kids to bed. It’s then that she would engage with fellow moms through the app’s community feature or on social media (33%).

4) Shopping for the digital Filipina mom is just a tap away While our respondents still like shopping in physical stores (70%), she also loves online shopping for diapers (48%), clothes (20%) and milk (15%) especially during baby fairs and big promotions.

5) She’s your everyday millennial mom theAsianparent mom is a young mom in her twenties (64%). She is either pregnant with her first child or has one child that’s 3 years old and below (63%). She’s a college graduate (65.2%) but has chosen to be a stay-at-home mom to take care of her family. Nonetheless, she keeps herself updated through social media and regularly communicates with her family and friends through the different messaging apps (62%).

Today’s Filipino mom is on top of her game when it comes to making the right decisions for her family. She knows where to seek the information that she needs and also willingly offers tips and advices when asked. As such, theAsianparent is the best medium to reach today’s digital mom and the right voice to use to influence her.

PAYPAL: CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING TO BENEFIT FROM COMMERCE SPIKE THE holiday shopping season is in full swing, bringing with it an ecommerce frenzy. The spike in online purchases during this time of the year also offers a unique opportunity for Filipino retailers: cross border shopping.

“There is a definitely a real opportunity for Filipino entrepreneurs to connect with global consumers. Chinese consumers are particularly promising, given the Philippines’ improved bilateral relations with the world’s second largest economy,” said Nagesh Devata, General Manager for Cross Border Trade, Asia Pacific, PayPal. According to PayPal’s Cross-Border Consumer Research in 2018, there is a healthy appetite for ecommerce in the Asia Pacific region, with 48 percent of consumers shopping cross-border. Last year, PayPal reported a record-breaking USD 1 billion+ in mobile payment volume for the first time ever on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

For many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, embracing an omni-channel strategy that includes ecommerce has paved the way for more sales opportunities, especially during this time of year.

“The festive season, stretching from the end of November with Black Friday through to February with Chinese New Year, typically marks a critical time for small retailers to maximize their business opportunities and boost sales,” said Devata. “For some, these months can generate the profits needed to cover operations for the year.”

The world has become much smaller as digital commerce platforms like PayPal enable merchants and consumers from all over the world do business with one other, to take advantage of opportunities by connecting them with global consumers, allowing SMEs and micro enterprises more opportunities to thrive.

With many holiday purchases now being done online and global consumers opting to shop cross-border, PayPal shares three tips on how retailers can prepare their businesses for seasonal success: 1. Plan for mobile—Mobile devices have become the preferred platform for shopping due to their convenience. While majority of cross-border purchases in 2018 were still made via desktop, laptop or notebook, the percentage of purchases on mobile is growing.

In fact, 32 percent of all cross-border purchases in Asia Pacific was done on mobile.

2. Check your website security—Research by HubSpot has found that 82 percent of online users avoid sites flagged as ‘not secure’ by their browser. This makes it essential for businesses to strengthen their website security and ensure that their ecommerce pages are compliant with the local laws of their target markets.

3. Offer more payment options—According to PayPal, many consumers will cancel transactions if their preferred or trusted form of payment is unavailable. The 2018 cross-border study shows that two-thirds of online shoppers will only use a payment option or brand they recognize when making a purchase.

By knowing how to effectively use online and digital channels to sell, small retailers and SMEs can make the most out of the festive season and stay ahead of the competition.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Disposal of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) is through a competitive public bidding process. Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

2.

Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

3.

Disposal of GSIS IP-RUs is on an “As-Is, Where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

4.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he/she wants to buy, as long as, he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

5.

Purchase offers are only accepted through CASH basis payable within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS), without privilege of extension.

6.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Date of Bidding Name of the bidder Exact address of property you are interested to bid Transfer Certificate of Title No. Mode of Payment Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) Signature of the bidder/representative

7.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer of the property. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

8.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer shall be in the form of a MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System.

9.

The following shall be inserted in a sealed bid envelope: A. ALL participating bidders must insert: a. properly accomplished BID FORM b. MANAGER’S CHECK payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer B. If the bidder is being represented by an authorized representative, a corresponding Special Power of Attorney (SPA) must also be included

A. He/she participated in actual bidding and B. Inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy inside his/her bid envelope as indicated in Number 9 of these guidelines 12. If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder. He/she must also pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding.

13. The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days of the actual bidding, the following documents: A. If the winning bidder is an individual, a. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures of the winning bidder) b. photocopies of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID) B. If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) c. Articles of Incorporation (if corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC d. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located C. If the winning bidder is a cooperative, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration c. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located 14. A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding. The Bidder’s deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

15. The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer shall be paid on the day of bidding. The 90% balance of the bid amount shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

16. Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS will result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s total deposit.

17. In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, he/she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS. 18. GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

19. For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396.

C. If the bidder is the occupant of the subject property, two (2) proofs of occupancy must also be inserted. These are: a. Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and b. Valid Government Issued ID with an address showing that the bidder is currently residing in the subject property, or the Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name that shows he/she is currently residing in the subject property.

10. The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

11. The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided:

(MS-DEC 21, 22 & 23, 2019)

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

HP OFFICEJET PRO 9020: MORE THAN AN ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER

By Elizabeth Nicole C. Regudo

documents. A five-page document created using Microsoft Word was successfully completed in less than 30 seconds with the first paper out in the first five seconds. Each page was flooded with words.

Now that’s impressive!

I

TS NAME says it all! The HP Officejet Pro 9020 All-in-One Printer is the most sensible model for those looking to buy a printer for their home or office. It functions as a printer, copier, scanner and if you’re still using a fax machine, that, too.

SCAN SPEED AND QUALITY

According to HP, the Officejet Pro 9250 can scan up to 24ppm (black) and 20ppm (color) with a resolution of up to 1200dpi. It is equipped with duplex auto-document feeder capabilities and can accommodate up to 35 sheets.

The scanning quality is set to satisfactory and you can save the documents in PDF, JPEG or TIFF formats.

From its multifunctional characteristic, you can either scan to email, folder, SharePoint or flash drive. You can also send them to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and more.

All your printing and copying needs are covered. The OfficeJet Pro 9025 offers loads of quality, speed and features for high volume work.

DESIGN

What you get after unboxing are the printer itself (one unit of the HP Officejet Pro 9020 All-in-One Printer), a complete set of cartridges (Black, Magento, Cyan and Yellow), one power cord, and the usual documents, which are the warranty and user guides.

Moving away from the rounded solid design of the HP Officejet Pro 8720, the successor HP Officejet Pro 9025 brilliantly displayed an edged, white and dark gray design. According to HP, the re-engineering of the printer saved more space, which made the 9025 39% smaller than its three-year-old predecessor 8720.

With a width of 396mm and height of 437mm, the printer required a significant desk space plus some extra clearance for the fold out paper tray which for the record, has a large paper handling capacity. It weighed heavy at 12kg and needed approximately 60cm of vertical clearance when the scanning lid is opened.

The minimalist approach by the HP designers was skillfully done. The 2.65-inch touch screen panel on the front was bright, responsive, and just perfect in size. It makes navigating through the functions way easier, giving that feeling that you’re using a smart device. On its side are two status lights and on top of them is the power button while the sole USB port is placed at the bottom where external storage devices can be plugged in… a bonus for people who can’t

NOTABLE FEATURES

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9020 is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and is backed by a 512 memory.

Although there are already a number of wireless printers available in the market, the 9020 stands out because of the HP Smart App that makes connecting to the printer simpler and more seamless. Via wireless connectivity, you can effortlessly download documents to your device and print it out with a single touch on the app. You can set the printer at common areas where it can be accessed freely.

wirelessly connect! Going to the back, there are two RJ11 modem ports, one 10/100MBps Ethernet port and a USB 2.0 connector. There is also a pop-out paper tray to catch printed materials and two input THE VERDICT paper trays: one standard A4 (250 sheets) and one In conclusion, for the price of P12,665, the Ofmultipurpose (250 sheets). ficeJet Pro 9020 All-in-One printer is a best buy! You can print, copy, scan and fax—everything you need PRINT QUALITY AND SPEED and want from a printer. It also features wireless When the subject matter is on the print quality and connectivity and support through a smart app. It speed, this HP printer comes prepared. Judging by is powerfully multi-functional and remarkably fast the print-outs, the color reproduction and accuracy (proven ready for a heavy task load). What’s more are on point for all the documents including the ones is that the ink costs lower compared to other inkjet that are photocopied. Those that are colored do not all-in-ones while still providing good quality and smudge even when they get in contact with water smudge-proof print-outs. The OfficeJet Pro 9020 (thanks to the HP original pigment-based inks).

AiO printer would definitely provide your home or The printer works best when printing office office printing needs!

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC UNVEILS PROTECTION FOR ESPORTS GAMERS THE rise in the popularity and competitiveness of e-sports and computer gaming in the Philippines lend to the increased need for more durable and reliable gaming equipment.

With the local gaming circuit fast becoming a high-level, globally competitive one, gamers both professional and casual need to be plugged in for longer hours to train for their chosen games. Consoles and high-performance computers are now considered an investment, making it necessary to ensure their lifespan and optimal capability are maintained. ]Schneider Electric, the world’s leading provider of energy and automation, and digital solutions, understands the need for reliable power supply and surge protection ideal for computers and other electronic devices.

Addressing this need, Schneider Electric introduces the APC Gaming UPS as the best ally to keep gaming systems protected from potential damage, especially during unexpected power disruptions.

“During unexpected power interruption, the APC Gaming UPS is the best back-up available to keep gaming systems protected and connected and, in the game,” says

Schneider Electric Distributor Account Manager Danlyn Morales. “Through our products, we combine protection with innovation, ensuring that power consumption is manageable and cost-efficient.”

POWER FOR SEIGE

The APC Gaming UPS is also the same product used by Miraculum Gaming, a pro-league e-sports team based in Manila, at a friendly DoTA 2 tournament hosted by Schneider Electric. The tournament demonstrated the capacity to continuously power an ongoing game in a power outage scenario.

Some of the special features of the APC Gaming UPS include: Battery backup and surge protector outlets; Sinewave power output* that ensures power quality without distortion or power drop during an outage; Two USB charging ports (Type C + Type A); AVR with boost and trim and 1Gb network protection.

The APC Gaming UPS costs P29,995and will be available at Complink, Easy PC, Gaisano Interpace, GameOne, JW Summit, Octagon, PC Express, PC Hub, PCWorx, Silicon, Smartasia, Thinking Tools, and Villman.

PH FIRMS TAKE STEPS TOWARD SOFTWARE LEGALIZATION

THE Software Alliance reports that the Philippines has responded positively to BSA’s recent campaign to clean up corporate use of illegal software.

At the halfway point of the campaign, the Philippines’ results for software legalization came second to Thailand’s and ahead of Vietnam’s and Indonesia’s.

This encouraging response is the result of both the Philippine Government enforcing laws that require corporations to use only legal software, and corporate CEOs in the Philippines ensuring that their companies make comprehensive efforts to obey those laws.

The BSA Legalize and Protect initiative was launched to educate CEOs about the cyber security, legal, and reputational risks associated with using illegal and unlicensed software. BSA reports that nearly 250 corporations across 9 provinces in the Philippines have cooperated in the software legalization process so far, with the majority of activity taking place in Metro

Manila, Laguna, and Cebu. Most participating companies have been in the manufacturing, engineering, and industrial design industries.

The BSA software legalization campaign will end in February 2020, after which BSA will issue full performance reports for each participating ASEAN country. These reports will be designed to help ASEAN governments plan further enforcement and educational activities in response to continued corporate use of use of illegal software.

“This campaign works in the Philippines because many corporations understand that software legalization is necessary, and it is better to be proactive than wait for a cyber crisis or legal consequences,” said Mr. Tarun Sawney, Senior Director at BSA. “The Optical Media Board (OMB) also plays an important role in holding corporations accountable. We believe that most CEOs in the Philippines are aware of

their responsibility to use legal software, and we expect many more to make certain their companies do so as our campaign continues.”

In September, BSA launched its Clean Up to the Countdown campaign to persuade CEOs to ensure their corporations are compliant with local and international laws by 2020. The campaign is taking place in four large Southeast Asian nations: the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Thus far, in response to the campaign more than 1,000 corporations in the ASEAN region have made legitimate software purchases for approximately 6,000 PCs since September. BSA anticipates these numbers will continue to grow in the campaign’s second half.

To protect themselves from future crises, companies can implement proven software asset management (SAM) to get more out of their technology. Full software legalization also

helps corporations prevent debilitating cyber security damages, improve productivity, reduce downtime, centralize license management, and even reduce costs due to the flexibility of the modern subscription model.

Mr. Sawney has promised to continue working with ASEAN government officials to bring enforcement to every corporation that continues to violate software copyrights. He said that BSA has endeavored to educate CEOs and senior business leaders about the risks of illegal software and how they can clean up their businesses.

“We like the progress we are seeing this year, but some CEOs will only clean up their companies when they face very significant pressure from government enforcement officials, so we will work with our partners in each government to bring appropriate action against CEOs whose corporations refuse to comply,” said Mr. Sawney.

HOLIDAY TREATS VIA GLOBE AT HOME APP TO CELEBRATE the coming of Christmas, Globe At Home aims to delight customers with exciting promos from top brands via their app.

The Globe At Home app is your best partner in managing your home internet connection, delivering easy digital experience for postpaid and prepaid Globe At Home customers. It offers ease and convenience through features such as bills payment, data usage tracking, activation of content subscription plans, promo alerts and resolving basic connectivity issues that make monitoring your plan hassle-free.

And for a special holiday treat, exclusive promos and discounts will be available via the app starting December 12, 2019!

UPGRADE OR GET MORE DATA TO SCORE VOUCHERS As a Globe at Home Postpaid customer, you can get discounts from Forever 21, Shopee and GCash. You can also binge-watch with the whole family through free access to streaming sites iflix (3 months), HOOQ (15 days) and iWant TV (1 day premium). Your kids? They’re in for extra learning fun and will get to practice their creativity with 1 month access to educational apps Da Vinci Kids and ABC Mouse!

Meanwhile, as a Globe at Home Prepaid customer, you can enjoy more family meals at your favorite restaurants and cafes with free 30 day access to Booky Prime, and 1 free order of Jr. Cracklings for every order worth P250 at KFC branches nationwide. You can also stream your favorite content via iWant TV (15-day premium access), iflix (7-day to 30 day VIP access) and HOOQ (15-day access). Just load your Home Prepaid WiFi or Streamwatch Xtreme Prepaid unit with HomeSurf199 and up. HomeSurf 199 will entitle you to one (1) freebie, HomeSurf 599 to two (2) freebies, and HomeSurf 999 to 1499 to three (3) freebies.

SEE THE BEST DEALS FOR YOUR FAVORITE HOME INTERNET DEVICES The fun doesn’t stop after Christmas Day. There will be a Boxing Day Flash Sale on December 26, 2019 where you can avail of exclusive discounts on home devices for an upgraded digital experience!

Take home your own Roku Streamwatch, Apple TV or MiBox at discounted prices via the Globe at Home app, and save up to P1,200 on the device of your choice. Simply check in your app on Boxing Day and take your home streaming to the next level.

Globe at Home Postpaid customers in Metro Manila may also inquire and apply for intelligent devices to automate their home.

For as low as P547 per month, you can bundle your plan with a Connected Home package complete with Globe Connected Home WiFi Hub, Multipurpose Sensor, two Outlets and free installation by the Globe At Home Tech Squad. Visit shop.globe.com.ph/ connectedhome for more details.

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

LIVE BY THE BEACH AND IN BETWEEN MOUNTAINS

PARADISE NEARBY. A two-hour drive from Manila brings one to Barangay Papaya in Nasugbu, Batangas, where mountains and seas meet, and an oasis of calm and relaxation lies. (Photo from hamilocoast.com)

By Mae Gianina Pascual

G

OING from Manila to Nasugbu in Batangas is a trip to nature.

The route from Manila to Cavite is a road of lush greenery. As travelers come close to the undulating ridges of Ternate interlinking Nasugbu via Kaybiang Tunnel, more lush tropical boscage slowly appears. After a few downhill slopes, coves start to emerge.

In between the discreet dichotomy of urban and rural, no one expects to see a paradise two hours away from the city.

Spotting soaring terrains and crystal-like waters ahead gives an acquainted feeling that you’re just about to have a pleasurable withdrawal from the real world.

One of the promising locations in the western coves is Barangay Papaya in Nasugbu, Batangas where Hamilo Coast, a development by SM Prime, is situated—accessible in just a 90-minute drive (approx. 72 kilometers) via the Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) and Ternate-Nasugbu road.

Arriving at the entryway, one is greeted by a wide, expansive property with mesmerizing views—preparing your heart for an oasis of calm and relaxation. The first phase of this resort town’s development is concentrated in a 40-hectare valley within Hamilo Coast, in a protected cove dubbed Pico de Loro (“parrot’s beak”), a home to a variety of flora and fauna.

Guests will be greeted with the first residential community to rise in this beach resort town. Up close, these low-impact tropical contemporary-style condominium buildings, stand against a towering mountain range and circle a man-made lagoon and promenade area—talk about leisure, recreation, and connecting with nature.

Hamilo Coast has recently launched Freia, its beachfront condominium development in Pico de Loro Cove, where future residents can indulge in the spectacular panorama of sea

Hamilo Coast's beachfront condominium development Freia offers residents an unmatched scenery with a perfect proportion of wilderness and seascape tucked in between terrains.

and verdant mountains.

It has an unmatched scenery with a perfect proportion of wilderness and seascape tucked in between terrains that provides the best vantage point looking out to the picturesque West Philippine Sea and Pico de Loro mountains.

Its prime location is a mere five-minute stroll away from the Pico Beach, which boasts 1.5 kilometers of white sand and clear blue waters.

Offering premium seaside living to its discerning clientele, Freia has 223 superior condominium units that include spacious two-bedroom flats and three-bedroom penthouses. Ranging in size from 67 to 392 square meters, these resort-type condo residences are designed with sustainable green living in mind, and exude a contemporary tropical vibe enhanced by its masterfully designed architecture by Broadway Malyan and GF & Partners.

Common areas of the condominium such as the lobby were designed by Budji+Royal with a

cutting-edge local and international design concept, utilizing high quality fixtures to give residents a total luxury beach resort experience.

Each spacious Freia unit features large picture windows and an expansive balcony to maximize prime views. Its residents will have exclusive access to upscale, resort-style amenities, among which is an outdoor pool, lounge deck, function rooms, and lush pocket gardens.

Unit ownership at Freia also comes with membership at the adjacent Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club. This lifetime membership gives homeowners access to a wide array of land- and sea-based recreational and sports facilities in Hamilo Coast.

Supporting Hamilo Coast’s commitment to responsible stewardship of nature and the seaside community’s natural topographies, the property also takes pride in features that allow sustainable green living. For instance, natural ventilation and daylighting, photovoltaic roof-

One the developer's main projects is to preserve and protect the mangroves of Papaya Cove in Hamilo Coast.

ing, and an efficient waste management system ensure reduced carbon footprints on the part of the residential community.

Offering a wealth of natural beauty, three marine protected areas with endemic marine life are thriving in this place. Exotic birds flit through protected mangrove forests, while pawikan hatchlings scurry to the wide-open seas. Lush forests and tree canopies dot the landscape.

To ensure the protection and preservation of its natural surroundings, Hamilo Coast since 2007 has partnered with the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature - Philippines. The use of alternative energy sources, coastal resource management, ridge-to-reef management, solid waste management, livelihood training, and local hiring of majority of its staff are some of the major efforts to achieve the goal of environmental and social sustainability.

Additional photos by Mae Gianina Pascual

‘TIS THE SEASON TO TRAVEL

By Mary Grace Ac-Ac, PhD

Check climate and travel advisories. Be aware of religious customs and local traditions. Confirm any (Editor’s note: Travel and tourism expert Dr. Mary food restrictions on pasalubongs you plan to take Grace Ac-Ac shares the following last-minute tips home. Update your travel insurance coverage. with travelers planning to fly out for the holidays.)

THE most wonderful time of the year is here and this is one of the busiest travel seasons. According to studies, majority (or 67 percent) of people save their vacation days to take a longer break during the holidays, whether it may be a trip back home for a reunion or an end-ofthe-year adventure.

As a lover of travel, I wish to share some holiday travel tips:

Tip 1: Research, research, research

Get the best deal when traveling by comparing promos, discounts, and special packages of airlines and lodgings.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of research, where everything is within reach. Compare promos, discounts, and special packages of airlines, lodgings, land arrangements, and meals.

Be wary of hidden charges.

Tip 2: Pack smart

Thoroughly inspect the wheels, zippers, and locks of your suitcases. Ensure your bags have proper distinguishable identifiers and tags to prevent airport mishaps.

Don’t forget to pack extra copies of your travel documents in different folders in separate bags.

Medicines should be prioritized—bring along your prescription for "just in case" situations.

Do not overestimate the weather; it is always wise to bring a shawl, a sweater, an extra jacket or a coat, plus appropriate headgear and umbrellas for unpredictable days.

Have some extra small bags and Ziploc for emergencies. Bubble wrap is always handy for delicate purchases abroad.

Turn to D2

Destinations

D2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

T

FRANCHISING EMPOWERS BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS

OURIST arrivals in Southeast Asian nations continuously grow every year. The region attracted 113 million tourists in 2016, taking up 9.2 percent of the world market share, according to data from United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Low-cost carriers drive the growth of tourism in the region, accounting for at least 50 percent of the recorded flights. Online travel is also seen to further strengthen the industry.

According to a 2019 report by Google and Temasek, Southeast Asia’s online travel sector has grown from $29.7 billion in 2018 to $34.4 billion in 2019, and is expected to double in the next five years. The biggest growth is expected to come from the accommodation sector, from $12.9 billion in 2019 to $36 billion in 2025.

Though Southeast Asia’s tourism industry is promising, its budget accommodation market still has a long way to go, experts opine.

Lack of regulation, poor safety and service standards, and low affordability are still rampant in the market.

Franchising is one of the key remedies to these issues according to Zen Rooms, a leading economy and mid-range hotel franchise

Zen Rooms empowers budget hotels with the help of technology— hoteliers get cloud-based software to manage the property.

in Southeast Asia. It is at the forefront of standardizing quality, improving services, and bringing in advanced technology.

“Zen Rooms empowers budget hotels to be productive, safe, and competitive, especially now that Southeast Asia’s international tourism is booming. We want to transform the fragmented budget and midscale hospitality in the region,” said co-founder Nathan Boublil.

The hospitality company was founded in 2015 by Boublil and Kiren Tanna as a means

to improve the state of budget hospitality in Southeast Asia, necessary considering that reviews, such as those at booking.com, show only 17 percent of travelers in Southeast Asia are satisfied with their hotel stay, as compared to the 35 percent of satisfied travelers in Europe.

“Many hotels still use offline tools to manually record their reservations and guest arrivals. Dependency on manual practices may cause overbookings, an increase in security is-

sues, and unpleasant travel experiences,” the company said in a statement.

Zen properties offer competitive rates and higher service standards to travelers. Technology plays a key role: hoteliers get cloud-based software to manage the life of the property— from rates and reservations to housekeeping and cashflow; the software is linked to Zen Central Reservation and Distribution Systems, which provides 24/7 support for both travelers and hoteliers; automated processes give complete transparency to the owners and simplify the work of the team.

Knowing the importance of human capital, Zen Rooms has built an in-house hospitality school in the Philippines. Employees and partners go through online and offline training to achieve consistency in the quality of their service, and discuss the problems they may face.

“We do an operational audit for all our properties to reveal their areas for improvement,” said Boublil. “Once we know the pain points, we’ll address them one by one. We believe that proper training, relevant and easy-to-use software, and continuous support will help hotels to achieve their full potential.”

In addition, Zen Rooms recently announced a strategic alliance with its financial backers Yanolja, Korea’s number one travel group, and eZee, a global provider of end-to-end hospitality technology. Zen Rooms will be the first to introduce YFlux in its properties in the first quarter of 2020, making it the leading fullstack hospitality group in the region.

Founded in 2015, Zen Rooms aims to improve the budget hospitality industry in Southeast Asia by providing technological support and training.

STAY IN

Tip 3: Be ready

'TIS...

From D1 When traveling with gifts, I recommend not to gift wrap them as this may cause delays at the airport security.

Refrain from overpacking because you will always regret it more than once.

Motor and body traffic is the norm of the season, so get to the airport early. Arrive at least three hours for international flights and two hours for domestic flights. The busiest days are usually December 22, 23, and 26.

Moccasins, sandals, or loafers are best when flying because they are easier to remove when going through security. Laced shoes are

cumbersome and therefore a nono. Wear thick socks if removal of shoes are required.

As high altitude travel causes dehydration, remember to hydrate. Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages!

Upon arrival, position yourself at the carousel, where you can spot your bags come out of the chute.

There should be enough space for

you to safely and comfortably retrieve your luggage.

Tip 4: Enjoy, have fun, create memories

The ultimate goal of a vacation is to relax. Have an open mind. Leave your problems, troubles, and concerns at home. Live the experience to the fullest. Seize the moment, live the experience to the max.

Stay for two nights in a premier twin room.

2-NIGHT STAY, JOLLY HOLIDAY STAY for a night, and one more, with the family as a premier hotel in Manila offers a special getaway package for a minimum stay of two consecutive nights.

Diamond Hotel’s A Holly, Jolly Holiday is available for as low as P5,800 nett per night until Dec. 30. The stay includes complimentary buffet breakfast for two, 20 percent off on massage and laundry services, and other perks to light up the holidays. Book at www.diamondhotel.com and use the promo code HLIDAY. A Diamond Christmas Staycation, which is available for an overnight stay on Dec. 23-24, comes with buffet for two.

While those welcoming the new year may avail of the A New Year’s State of Mind on Dec. 31 whose rates start at P7,800 nett.

It includes access for two to the hip and happening New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at the Upper Lobby. Book online with the promo code NY2020.

Diamond Hotel offers a special rate on twonight stay until Dec. 30.

Pack all the essentials such as important documents and medicines, among others, in bags that are distinguishable and in good condition.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019

D3

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

Manny Pacquiao

Teejay Marquez

GMA Artist Center’s millennial vocal trio JBK

JBK CAPS OFF YEAR WITH VIRAL DITTY

By Nickie Wang

J

OSHUA Bulot, Bryan del Rosario, and Kim Lawrenz Ordonio, collectively known as the vocal group JBK, plan to release more songs next year and perhaps a full-length album that would showcase the kind of music they listen to and enjoy performing.

“We’ve been known for doing covers, we’ve released an album before but we wanted the listeners to know more of our personality through our songs that we are about to release,” said member Joshua.

“Our stint in The X Factor made us realize that we need to level up our music and the way we perform before a live audience. We need to push ourselves to creating more original music, more OPM. We wanted to give it an international flavor. That’s our vision as a boy band,” the onethird of the group continued.

The trio enjoyed an international exposure when they flew from Manila to London to audition for the popular talent show, The X Factor. They performed a cover of Sam Smith’s track ”Lay Me Down.” Their performance received praises from the entire judging panel, comprised of Sharon Osborne, Nicole Scherzinger, Simon Cowell, and Louis Walsh.

“We didn’t end up in the finals but we had a great experience in The X Factor and it opened a lot of doors for us,” the members said.

Since their return to the country, the vocal group has been busy doing shows and appearing on TV. And recently, the trio launched a single entitled “Anestisya,” which they describe a ballad about coping with heartbreak.

The song made an immediate impact on radio listeners storming the music charts of top FM stations, including Win Radio, Wish, MOR and Barangay LS. On YouTube, the song’s official video now has a quarter of a million views since its release.

JBK is composed of Joshua Bulot, Bryan del Rosario, and Kim Lawrenz Ordonio

“We are thankful that we were chosen to record their song. It’s a great honor for us to give it a millennial flavor,” Byan said in an interview.

“Most guys can’t openly express their emotions when they’re going through an emotional episode like a heartbreak. They think it’s not manly to talk

LEARNING SCIENCE IN A FUN WAY

‘iBilib’ host Chris Tiu doing a science experiment with James and Roadfill, and Vaness del Moral.

about their emotional side. The song is like that.

Most men resort to drinking because it makes them feel numb for a moment,” Byan said of the song’s meaning.

“Anestisya” is written by Jojo Panaligan and produced by Rider PH Studios.

TODAY, learn and have fun together with award-winning host Chris Tiu, the wacky duo of James and Roadfill of Moymoy Palaboy, and Kapuso star Vaness del Moral.

For their first experiment, know what will happen if a zinc-plated copper bracelet is exposed to the fire then discover what can shatter Prince Rupert’s Drop into pieces.

Find the answers to these experiments with the help of Street Genius.

How much water can paper carry? Discover the answer in the Water Weight Experiment.

What can cause a t-shirt to turn blue when exposed to ice? Find out in the Thermochromic T-Shirt Experiment.

Join James and Roadfill as they have fun with Kapuso stars to make a smoking big toy, the Bilibol Megavortex.

For ”Huling Hirit,” Vaness starts off the season of giving by showing televiewers how to make a pasta Christmas card.

Learning about science is always fun in iBilib. So remember, make your Sunday mornings more exciting and educational with Chris Tiu and the gang.

STARS SHINE IN CELEBRITYCURATED EYEWEAR SHOW MORE than 20 celebrities and influencers graced the recent launch Philippine-based conglomerate Resident Holdings Group, a company that offers real estate, franchising, direct marketing and fashion accessories curated by some of the most popular and in-demand stars today.

The launch was attended by over 3000 guests and key celebrity partners like Manny Pacquiao, Jinkee Pacquiao, Ruffa Gutierrez, Carla Abellana, Nikki Gil, Alyssa Muhlach, Martin Del Rosario, Ashley Gosiengfiao, Shaira Diaz, David Licauco, Janica Nam, and Thia Thomalla to name a few.

Resident Holdings Group has over 20 business units with project portfolios in property-tech, fashion, beauty, franchising, F&B, e-commerce, e-services, digital marketing, and consumer retail. All companies share a unique brand DNA of partnering global celebrities and influencers.

The company is the brainchild of Robbie Antonio, the Founder and CEO of Revolution Precrafted, which currently serves as the group’s flagship vehicle.

The company is the second biggest unit under Resident Holdings is spreading and popularizing the concept of celebrity-curated food and service franchising. Launched in early April, it has signed international and local celebrities to curate F&B concepts, as well as service-based businesses.

Currently, Renegade has signed over 50 celebrities with a total of over 90 million reach on social media.

Rebel specs Rebel Specs officially launched its 2019 collection curated by celebrities.

Rebel Specs Design is a global marketplace for celebrity designed eyewear pieces, ranging from fashionable, everyday wear sunglasses to designer prescription glasses for both men and women.

Regal Jewelry collection Shining out from its sister companies, Regal Jewelry Collection, the celebritycurated jewelry brand of Resident, almost sold out its collections through its pop-up kiosk. Fans of celebrities who have collections under Regal Jewelry went to the kiosk to check out the curated pieces of their idols.

This Thomalla

Martin del Rosario

D4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

BE KIND TO ANIMALS:

D

DON’T LIGHT FIRECRACKERS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

OGS and cats hate fireworks.

They pant and shake in panic. They can be a nervous wreck when they hear the loud sound coming from fireworks.

Firecrackers can also cause severe harm to dogs.

Some dogs go after a firework and try to catch them, resulting in injury and even death.

DogTime, in “Fireworks Can Be Dangerous For Pets, noted: “while we humans enjoy small town parades, family barbecues and late night fireworks displays, thousands of pets …will be in a panic. You see, Fido and Fluffy do not understand that the ‘rockets red glare’ and the ‘bombs bursting in air’ we enjoy...are just humans’ idea of (relatively) harmless fun.”

It noted that dog and cat injuries due to firecrackers have been recorded during celebrations, thus pet parents are urged to keep their dogs and cats inside the house during festivities.

DogTime noted that there have been cases of dogs trying to attack fireworks or firecrackers, eat them, catch them or try to play with them.

“In 2010, a dog tried to fetch a lit firework, and the rocket exploded in his mouth. The resulting wounds on the German Shepherd’s mouth and face were so severe the dog had to be euthanized. Dogs who’ve had run-ins with bottle rockets and mortars have been burned, have damaged limbs and have even lost eyes as a result,” DogTime said.

INJURIES

Colorado veterinarian Eliza Mazzaferro explained that “People toss a firework or firecracker in the air, and the dog jumps up, swallows it, and the firecrackers cause severe damage to the external organs” It can also cause injuries in less direct ways, Mazzaferro said.

“Pets get anxious and break out of kennels, jump through windows and get lacerations, and when loose, can get hit by cars,” Dr. Mazzaferro said, Dogs and cats who are very frightened often hurt themselves trying to flee from the unsettling sounds of fireworks.

“I have seen them bite through a metal cage and injure their teeth and gums, and also jump through plate glass windows,” explained Dr. Mazzaferro. “They try to escape the noise, not knowing that it is outside.”

Save ALL, an animal welfare group that rescues animals in need, brings dogs from the open, grassy areas into the house on Dec 31 where they stay until the smoke has cleared and the areas have been cleaned of "debris" from fireworks. They stay inside usually until noon of January 1. This is done every year. The dogs have shirts on to make them feel like someone is hugging them, and a soft, soothing music is played all night until the next day. Everyday, the same music is actually played morning till early evening at the foster homes to keep them calm, fireworks or no fireworks. In the photo is Ira, a dog who was to be transported to the Payatas pound for euthanasia, enjoys the sun and the grass.

SHELTER DOGS

DogTime noted the sound of fireworks can be worse for dogs in shelters. A building full of terrified dogs is something organizations want to avoid during fireworks display, specifically on New Year’s eve.

Most dogs are terrified of the fireworks’ sound, while some dogs become anxious when they see other dogs in the shelter so traumatized and trembling in fear.

“A November fireworks show near a shelter in the United Kingdom frightened dogs so badly they literally tore out their claws and ripped up their paws, overcome with terror,

Ace (white) and Dathir), rescues of Save ALL, play everyday at the home. On the afternoon of Dec. 31, every year, all dogs are urged to play. Some are walked. The physical activity will hopefully make them sleepy during the fireworks display. Hopefully, they will not mind the loud sound. Save ALL has noticed though that with all the measures followed and put up, the dogs and cats are actually calm during and after New Year's eve.

scratching at their cages to get free. In the weeks following the display, some dogs were still jumpy, clearly shell-shocked from the ordeal,” DogTime shared. “…the staff at the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Adoption Center are moving all of the animals in their care inside the shelter building, explains the organization’s animal care supervisor, Erika Gamez,” DogTime said.

Shelter staff will play soothing classical music in the hope of calming down anxious animals.

“Staff will also crank up the volume on some soothing classical music, playing it throughout the facility,” DogTime said.

“It’s a trickle-down effect,” Gamez explained.

Vicky Fletcher, Chief Animal Services Officer of the Yolo Country Sheriff’s Department which serves Woodland, California and other nearby communities, shared they had a lot of panicked animals in the shelter during a fireworks display nearby.

Fletcher recalled: “We had a lot of panicked animals in [the] shelter. It was like bombs go-

ing off inside the building. Their ears are sensitive, obviously much more so than ours.”

Fletcher said they take in frightened and injured animals during fireworks display and they expected a lot of stressed-out animals.

“They dig out from underneath fences, they chew through fences, they harm themselves to get away from the sound because they don’t know what it is,” Fletcher said. “All they know is that it’s loud and scary.”

Fletcher said it is best to stay home during fireworks display.

“Dog and cat owners should keep their pets inside, secure and supervised, and just having mom or dad there while the fireworks are going off outside can have a calming effect on scared pets,” Fletcher said.

“If there’s nobody home telling them it’s okay, there’s no comfort zone,” Fletcher explained.

While securing one’s pet or rescued dog or cat, it is best to do the best thing: Keep away from firecrackers. Do not light any firecracker this New Year’s Eve.

A CAT-PROOF CHRISTMAS TREE PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS THE Christmas tree is a symbol of light and joy. But to some furparents, this special tree can be a source of frustration and even pose a danger to pets, specially cats.

In “7 Tips for a Cat-Proof Christmas Tree,” Litter Robot blog shared tips on how to make and keep a Christmas tree cat-proof.

1. Choose an artificial tree.

Real trees pose real risks.

“Needles can cause injury if chewed or swallowed; and even if they do go down smoothly, your cat may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy due to the mild toxicity of such trees,” Litter Robot blog said.

You also need a water bowl underneath a real tree to keep it fresh until the holiday season is over. The problem with this however is that your cat might drink the water. This water is not good for your furbaby.

“More than likely, your cat will treat this water bowl as just another place for a drink. Tree water is often treated with additives such as fertilizer, aspirin, and other harmful ingredients for cats. Even if it’s not treated, the water sitting stagnant invites a breeding ground for bacteria. If you must have a real tree, make sure the water bowl is covered with a skirt or lid,” Litter Robot stressed.

2. Cover your base(s).

Please make sure the tree’s base is sturdy.

“The base should be solid and wide. Some people choose to duct tape a piece of plywood to the bottom of their tree stand. You might even consider fixing the base or the tree itself to the wall or ceiling, depending on its height—for instance, by tying a clear fishing line from the top of the tree to a nail in the ceiling above it,” Litter Robot said.

Also, make the base of the tree unappealing by putting objects with unpleasant textures on the tree skirt, including pine cones, aluminum foil, or double-sided tape. Doing so will keep the cats away.

3. Choose the safest location for the tree.

Choose a place for your tree that the cats do not go to or seldom hang out.

“Have a room in the house that you don’t generally allow your pets in?

You may want to set up your Christmas tree there. If you don’t, then place your tree in the corner of a room that isn’t very near shelves, furniture, or other potential jumping-off points for your cat. Just in case, keep the breakable décor out of range of a potential toppling,” Litter Robot said.

4. Use repellants.

You can put repellants in the tree.

“Certain smells tend to repel cats. Work toward a cat-proof Christmas tree by treating the base of the tree and its lower branches with DIY repellent sprays.,” Litter Robot said.

Here are natural remedies that are safe for cats and will keep them away: Mix water with the peels and juice from a lime, lemon, and/or orange.

Keep kittens and cats away from the Christmas tree by putting natural, safe repellants like a mixture of water and lemon, and avoiding shiny ribbons that can cause damage to organs when ingested.

Put a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper in the water.

You can also toss a few citrus peels around the base of the tree.

5. Choose ornaments wisely.

The Christmas tree's shiny ornaments pose the most danger to cats.

"You may want to leave the tree bare for the first few days, letting your cat adjust to the new addition in the home," Litter Robot said.

Once you have added ornaments to the tree, keep these tips in mind: Put breakable ornaments and shiny baubles higher up on the tree where your cat can not reach them or do not put such ornaments anymore.

Avoid putting unwrapped candy canes, cinnamon sticks, and other edible decorations, especially those with salt, dough and chocolate.

Do not use ornaments with loose metal hooks; if one of these hooks falls off and is swallowed by your cat, it can cause serious injury.

Use ornaments made of more wood, felt, and paper ornaments. They are not appealing to cats. Keep snow globe ornaments away from cats as they often contain antifreeze. If they break, your cat may end up with a serious medical concern.

6. No to tinsel and mistletoe.

Those shiny tinsel and ribbon draped around the tree pose a danger to your cat when swallowed.

“How? They build up into a tangled knot, get stuck in the stomach and intestines, and result in what veterinarians call a linear foreign body. So if

you ever see tinsel or another string-like object hanging out of your cat’s mouth or butt, do not pull it. Instead, get to a veterinarian as soon as possible,” Litter Robot blog warned.

“Most pet parents are familiar with the risks posed by poinsettia (which are somewhat overblown), but many don’t realize that mistletoe is actually a more dangerous holiday plant for your cat. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), mistletoe is toxic to cats and dogs. Consuming mistletoe can cause vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and low heart rate. It’s also a good idea to steer clear of holly, as consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and depression,” Litter Robot stressed.

7. Be careful when putting Christmas lights “If National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation taught us anything, it’s that cats and Christmas lights can be a truly dangerous mix. In reality, if your cat chews through an electric cord he’s more apt to receive a nasty shock than get totally fried—but this is still something you want to avoid. For a cat-proof Christmas tree, place your strands of lights higher up on the tree, tape any loose wires to the floor, and unplug all lights when you’re asleep or out of the house,” Litter Robot blog said.

It is best to buy cord protectors if you have a cat who likes chewing cords.

You can also use cord covers, or run the wires through a cardboard tube.

This is very important: If you notice your cat is drooling or panting, check the lights and cords to make sure that he didn’t burn his mouth by chewing through the electrical current.

“Pets might also drool from chewing on poinsettia and other toxic plants,” Litter Robot blog said.

If you follow these tips, you and your cat will definitely have a merrier, anxiety-free and worry-free holiday season.

Merry Blessings- filled Christmas!

CULINARY HERBS THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON THESE herbs may not offer medicinal benefits, but they bring good flavor to any natural or homemade cat meal: • Basil • Cilantro/coriander • Dill • Rosemary • Thyme Source: LitterRobot blog