Manila Standard - 2020 March 8 - Sunday

SIX FILIPINOS ABOARD SHIP COVID-INFECTED • KUWAIT SUSPENDS FLIGHTS TO, FROM PH, SIX OTHERS • PILGRIMS TOLD TO DEFER TRIP TO HOLY LAND

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 27 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque

President Rodrigo Duterte

PUBLIC EMERGENCY, CODE RED OVER VIRUS

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, closely monitoring developments in the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic which rippled from Wuhan, China last December, has declared a state of public health emergency, underscoring the Code Red alert level raised during the weekend by the Department of Health.

The DOH confirmed the country is now at the localized transmission stage following another case of COVID-19—the wife of a local patient earlier diagnosed with the disease.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, in a text message to Manila Standard, said “It (state of public

health emergency) has been declared...after considering all critical factors with the aim of safeguarding the health of the Filipino people.”

With a total of six confirmed cases in the country, the Health department had recommended to Turn to A2

HOME FROM THE RANGE. Some 163 adults and five infants stranded in Macau (topmost left) for more than two months arrive at the NAIA Terminal 1 repatriated by the Department of Foreign Affairs on board the chartered flight Air Macau (above left), including 130 undocumented Filipino workers—the repatriates shall undergo the prescribed quarantine measures implemented by the government, while hundreds of OFWs bound for Kuwait are themselves stranded at the NAIA (above right) after the Kuwaiti government imposed a travel ban because of COVID-19.

Che Santos, DFA

SAUDI 'S 3 PRINCES DETAINED AMID COUP

WORLD B2

VIRUS CASES EXCEED 100,000 NEWS A2

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U.S. SANITIZES DOLLAR BILLS FROM CHINA DOLLAR bills from China are going into quarantine due to the coronavirus epidemic, as the Federal Reserve is putting extra precautions on money coming into the United States.

The new procedures “provide for a longer holding period” so that currency coming from China or anywhere in Asia will be held for at least “seven to 10 days before the deposits are processed,” a Fed spokeswoman confirmed Friday.

The cash handling procedures took effect Feb. 21.

In normal circumstances, bills would be held for anywhere from five to 60 days, the spokeswoman said.

If the epidemic continues to spread and US health authorities or the State Department “identifies specific additional countries of risk, the Fed is prepared to implement additional modified procedures.”

Have no fear: there is unlikely to be a shortage of cash as the Fed “always has a contingency stock of new currency that can be circulated to the public should the need ever arise.” AFP

PHOENIX SETS OFF ANOTHER OIL PRICE CUT: P1.20/LITER

By Alena Mae S. Flores

KING SALMAN

THE World Health Organization, which has a representative office in the Philippines, is verifying reports that six Filipino crewmen of the Grand Princess, now anchored off California in the United States, have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier confirmed there were 518 Filipinos among the crew members of the Grand Princess.

The cruise ship has 3,533 people on board, of which, 2,422 are guests and 1,111 are crew members.

Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative in the Philippines, told a news conference Saturday said 46 people aboard the quarantined cruise ship, have been tested for COVID-19.

Of the 46 tested, 21 are crew members while two are passengers of the cruise ship. Of those tested, six are Filipinos.

He told a news conference at the Department of Health main headquarters in Manila: “I understand there are six Filipinos, these are unconfirmed reports, among the positive, six of them are Filipino crew members.”

Kuwait suspends flights Meanwhile, Kuwait has suspended flights to and from seven countries, including the Philippines, as part of precautionary measures to contain COVID-19.

Under Circular 27 of Kuwait’s

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines cut pump prices by P1.20 per liter for gasoline and P0.75 per liter for diesel effective 6 a.m. Saturday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Phoenix Petroleum will decrease the prices of diesel by P0.75 per liter and gasoline by P1.20 per liter effective 6am March 7,” the company said in its advisory.

Cleanfuel announced that it will cut prices at the same level effective Sunday, 4:01 p.m. while other oil firms oil firms are also expected to follow suit. twitter.com/ MlaStandard

Last week, the oil firms also cut pump prices as much as P1.65 per liter as global economies reel from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-2019). The coronavirus outbreak has already affected air travel, shipping and other businesses worldwide.

Phoenix Petroleum implemented its second P20 per liter offering for any of its fuel variants last March 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. only in selected stations.

On Feb. 20, Phoenix Petroleum implemented its first P20 per liter promo on its fuels at ten participating Phoenix stations nationwide for a limited time only.

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THIS IS IT. The building where Deloitte Philippines, a business process outsourcing firm, has one of its employees—now in hospital for treatment—got infected with COVID-19, with a sanitation team now conducting massive spraying and disinfection as a preventive measure against the spread of the disease. Norman Cruz Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

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SIX FILIPINOS...

WAVE OF COUNTRIES BLOATS CASES BEYOND 100K

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation, flights from Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt are temporarily suspended effective March 6 “until one week.”

“All arrivals in the State of Kuwait from any nationality who have a valid residency or previous entry visa, as well as those from other airports who were present in the countries mentioned above during the past two weeks, are prohibited,” the Kuwaiti Circular read.

At the same time, Kuwaiti citizens “coming from these countries are allowed to enter, provided that the necessary quarantine procedures are applied to them.”

Earlier, the Kuwaiti DGCA issued and later on suspended its Circular 25, which requires Kuwaiti-bound travelers from the Philippines and nine other countries to present medical certificates stating they are free of Covid-19.

In a related development, Filipinos planning a pilgrimage tour of the Holy Land have been advised to postpone their trips following the various travel restrictions imposed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority as COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide.

‘Postpone pilgrimage’ “The Department of Foreign Affairs advises all Filipinos planning to undertake pilgrimages to the Holy Land to postpone their trips until further notice,” the DFA said in an advisory dated March 6.

The Palestinian Authority has decided to temporarily ban the entry of all tourists into the West Bank, including Bethlehem and Jericho, DFA said.

The Israeli government also decided to restrict all travels to Bethlehem from Israel.

“Prospective travelers are therefore advised to coordinate with their tour operators to avoid any inconvenience,” the department said.

Some 15 COVID-19 cases in Israel and seven in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been confirmed, based on the latest data of the World Health Organization.

The UN-body reported 98,192 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, some 80,711 of which were recorded in China and 17,481 cases outside the state.

At the same time, the DOH said repatriates from Macau would undergo “home quarantine”should they arrive in Manila without manifesting COVID-19 symptoms.

“They will all undergo an assessment to see who among them has symptoms. For those with symptoms, we have an ambulance on standby where they will be brought to referral facilities. Those who do not have symptoms, they will be advised to do home quarantine,” DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press conference.

Continuous monitoring Once the repatriates are sent home, the DOH will continuously monitor them, she said.

“There will be a monitoring scheme with the help of the local government units and, of course, OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) to ensure that they would undergo quarantine,” she added.

At least 163 Filipinos from Macau arrived at 4:28 p.m. in Manila on Saturday.

The repatriates, a mix of undocumented workers and OWWA members, were stranded in Macau after all direct flights to the country were canceled due to travel restrictions.

A travel ban was imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on China and its special administrative regions (SARs), Hong Kong and Macau, on Feb. 2 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Recently, it partially lifted the restriction for new and returning overseas Filipino workers to the two Chinese SARs. Based on the latest reports from the World Health Organization, there are 10 confirmed cases in Macau.

In the Philippines, the government has recorded six Covid-19 patients since the outbreak, with the 6th case being confirmed on Saturday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the DOH will further enhance its diagnostic capability by expanding testing centers across the country after the COVID-19 alert system was raised to code red, sub-level 1.

No Advisory The Manila International Airport Authority, meanwhile, said it had yet to receive any advisory on flight cancelations between the Philippines and Kuwait.

“None of our local carriers offer flights to/from Kuwait. There’s only one – Kuwait Airways,” MIAA Media Affairs Division head Jess Martinez said in a text message.

There was no immediate comment or reaction from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

On Saturday, the Department of Health raised code ‘red sub-level 1’ following its confirmation of the first case of local transmission of COVID-19 in the country.

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HE number of cases from the new coronavirus topped 100,000 worldwide as official data Saturday showed a significant hit to Chinese exports after the deadly outbreak brought much of the country to a halt.

The World Health Organization called the spread of the virus “deeply concerning” as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease—which has now killed nearly 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 across 92 nations and territories.

The US was battling to contain an outbreak on a cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive for the virus.

The Grand Princess has been stranded off San Francisco since Wednesday—when it was supposed to dock —after it emerged that two people who had been on the ship during its previous voyage had contracted the virus. One later died.

US Vice President Mike Pence said the ship will be brought to a non-commercial dock this weekend and all 3,533 passengers and crew will be tested.

The Grand Princess belongs to Princess Cruises, the same company which operated the coronavirusstricken ship held off Japan last month on which more than 700 people tested positive.

Iranian lawmaker An Iranian lawmaker died from the novel coronavirus on Saturday,

state news agency IRNA reported, one of several officials to succumb to the illness in the epidemic-hit country.

Fatemeh Rahbar, 55, was a conservative MP and had recently been elected to the parliament from the capital Tehran, the agency said.

She is the second lawmaker killed by the virus in Iran and one of seven politicians and government officials who have died in the outbreak since the country reported its first cases in mid-February.

Iran has been scrambling to contain the rapid spread of the virus, which so far has infected 4,747 people and killed at least 124.

Rahbar was among the top candidates in Tehran for the conservatives,who overwhelmingly won February’s general election marked by thelowest turnout in the Islamic republic’s history.

Iran has closed schools and universities, suspended major cultural andsporting events and reduced working hours across the country to slow the contagion, which has spread to all of its 31 provinces.

In China, where the outbreak began in December, the virus has wreaked havoc on the world’s sec-

ond-largest economy, shutting down businesses and disrupting global supply chains.

The negative impact was shown in official data Saturday, with China’s exports plunging 17.2 percent in the first two months of the year.

Global spread WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged “that all countries make containment their highest priority.”

A US pro-Israel lobby group said Friday that two people who took part in a Washington conference—also attended by Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and dozens of lawmakers—had tested positive for coronavirus.

Slovakia, Serbia, the Vatican, Peru, Cameroon and Togo have all reported their first cases while the Netherlands recorded its first death on Friday.

Cameroon is the first central African country to register a case of the deadly virus.

Florida confirmed Friday two deaths from the virus—the first US fatalities outside the west coast states of Washington and California -taking the country’s death toll to 16.

The number of infections in South Korea went above 7,000 on Saturday—the highest in the world outside China.

In China, the number of new cases reported Saturday nationwide was the lowest in weeks.

The Chinese government has hinted it may soon lift the quarantine

imposed on Hubei province—the locked-down epicenter where some 56 million people have been effectively housebound since late January.

For the second consecutive day, there were no new cases reported in Hubei outside Wuhan, the province’s capital.

But the number of infections beyond the epicenter rose for the third straight day, fueling fears about cases being brought into the country from overseas. There have now been 60 imported cases.

Many local authorities are imposing two-week quarantines on anyone who has traveled to virusaffected provinces or countries.

Cancellations The epidemic has wreaked havoc on international business, tourism, and sports events, with almost 300 million students sent home worldwide as schools and universities close.

The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to drop sharply this year due to the virus, the World Tourism Organization said Friday, reversing a previous forecast for a substantial increase.

The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and the Ultra electronic dance festival in Miami were among the latest events to be cancelled as scrutiny grows on events that draw large crowds.

In India, the world’s biggest film industry called off its equivalent of the Oscars that had been set for the end of the month. AFP

to manage the situation.”

“Deloitte Philippines continues to comply with the instruction and directions from the Department of Health. All necessary actions were promptly taken to inform those who might have come into contact with the colleague for the appropriate checks and provide any possible form of support,” it added.

I n re l a t e d d e ve l o p m e n t s, Malacañang called on the public to stay calm amid new cases of COVID-19, urging the people to rely only on verified information.

“We call on everyone to be the voice of calm and sobriety,” Panelo said in a statement.

He said the DOH, which has been following established international protocols, continues to monitor persons under investigation. Teams have been formed to do contact tracing.

“The Health department, along with other agencies of the government, likewise provides our people with the latest updates relative to the impact of this global health scare,” the Palace statement said.

Panelo also asked the public to avoid sharing “unverified and unofficial information” that may only cause undue panic among the population, as well as be “scrupulous” in reading materials that may help them be informed of COVID-19.

At the same time, Vice President Leni Robredo asked the public not to panic, and just be calm and alert amid the increasing number of Filipinos getting infected with COVID-19.

“I know that many of you are getting worried with what you see on the news and read everyday about the COVID-19. The number in the list of those affected is increasing,” she said in her video message to Filipinos.

In Makati City, Rep. Luis Campos Jr. is pushing for support for private companies hit by COVID-19 to assure job security for their workers.

“If the government is going to extend temporary relief to private companies reeling from the COVID-19 outbreak, it should do so in return for the beneficiaries pledging to minimize labor cutbacks,” he said.

“We are all for the grant of provisional reprieves to travel and tourismrelated businesses that have been hit hard by the global health emergency, but we would prefer that the concessions be tied directly to the job security of their employees,” he added.

He reacted to the government’s initial plan to waive airport “landing fees to help commercial carriers,

such as Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, that have been distressed by international travel restrictions and the sudden plunge in passenger traffic.

“For instance, it might be viable for establishments to keep all their workers and simply put them on job rotation, instead of permanently laying off some while retaining others full-time,” he said.

In Navotas City, Mayor Toby Tiangco called on the Department of Education to automatically pass all students this school year.

The mayor also declared class suspension on March 9 for all levels, both public and private.

“The Department of Health yesterday (Friday) released an update stating we now have two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and both are Filipino. The virus can be spread easily, especially in crowded places like schools,” he said.

“In light of this, I urge DepEd to automatically grant passing grades to all students so they do not have to attend classes anymore. We must take all necessary precautions to protect our people, especially our children, from this disease,” he added. With Joel E. Zurbano, Rio N. Araja, Vito Barcelo and Jun David

PUBLIC...

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President Duterte to declare a state of public health emergency to facilitate the mobilization of resources and case processes—including procurement of critical logistics and supplies—and to intensify reporting.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the public health emergency declaration “would be crucial to facilitate the sufficient and immediate access to funding, particularly for local government units, and ease processes on procurement, mandatory reporting, mandatory quarantine, and travel restrictions, among others.”

Code Red in effect “It would also put to rest questions on whether an automatic price freeze on medicines and medical supplies may be made by the DOH and the Department of Trade and Industry,” he added.

Duque said Code Red, Sub-Level 1 was now in effect with the confirmation of the country’s first case of local transmission in the 5th COVID-19 case, a 62-year-old man now suffering from severe pneumonia.

Once there is sustained community transmission or an increasing number of local cases whose links cannot be established, the strategy will shift from intensive contact tracing to community-level quarantine or lockdown, and possible suspension of work or school.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco was the earliest to respond to the Code Red alert, announcing the suspension of classes in all levels on Monday (March 9) amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Duque, however, said it was still “premature to consider at this point” raising the alert to Sub-Level 2 as there is no sustained community transmission.

The 59-year-old wife of the 5th case, Duque said, was currently in a “stable” condition after experiencing cough. Both of them are confined at the state-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

The husband, who is also suffering from hypertension and diabetes, frequented a Muslim prayer hall in San Juan which has since been temporarily closed for disinfection. He has no history of recent travel abroad.

“The DOH is currently exhausting all its efforts to identify others who have come in contact with the confirmed cases to ensure that this localized transmission does not progress to community spread,” Duque said.

Testing prioritized “We will be prioritizing testing of those symptomatic individuals found to have had close contact with the confirmed cases. We urge those who may have interacted with the confirmed cases within the past 14 days to immediately call the DoH hotline (02)8-651-7600 local 1149-1150 for appropriate referral to a health facility,” he added.

The first three COVID-19 cases in the country involved Chinese nationals with history of travel to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. One of them died of severe pneumonia on Feb. 1 while two recovered and have returned home.

The 4th case, a 48-year-old Filipino man, had traveled to Japan.

Deloitte Philippines confirmed that the patient was an employee.

Neo Property Management Inc. said the building that houses Deloitte, Six/NeO, had been closed down for thorough disinfection.

The local government of Cainta, on the other hand, has started distributing face masks, disinfectants and vitamins in the village where the couple (5th and 6th cases) live.

Meanwhile, a sanitation team from the Bonifacio Global City is now conducting massive spraying and disinfection as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19 in the business district.

“Frequent sanitation and disinfection of BGC malls and buildings, public transportation utilities, parks and common areas are being conducted, as well as temperature checks in entrances,” the BGC administration said in a statement.

Close monitoring The BGC management is working closely with the Taguig City government and DOH to ensure all protocols are followed to manage the situation in light of the recent development in which a worker at a BGC-based firm was tested positive for the disease.

The firm—Deloitte Philippines, engaged in business processing outsourcing—confirmed that one of its employees got infected with the deadly virus.

“The colleague is currently in hospital receiving treatment and further tests, and Deloitte is supporting the colleague and family in every way we can,” it said.

The company said that “the health and safety of our people, our clients, and out community is our highest priority, and our immediate response has been to take all necessary actions

PHOENIX...

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“We have received overwhelming responses and requests from Filipino motorists who wish to avail of our fuels at a very low price after we implemented our first P20 per liter promo, thus, we are offering a second round, this time, at other locations to reach other communities and on a weekend to give opportunities for those who were unable to gas up during the weekday run,” Phoenix Petroleum chief operating officer Henry Albert Fadullon said.

“This special treat is meant to celebrate how we rose to be a credible alternative brand over the years because of the support of our loyal customers, and consequently, show them how committed we are to continue to be their indispensable partner in their journey,” Fadullon added.

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MAKATI SETS ASIDE P5.26B FOR HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR 2020 TAGUIG PROGRAM TO HELP VENDORS THE Taguig City government has initiated a program aimed at helping street vendors and those affected by the city’s intensified road clearing operations.

The local government opened the Weekend Markets project in three locations in the city to give residents more livelihood opportunities.

The vendors sold products alongside other small and medium entrepreneurs at the Flea Market Bazaar, and at a Farmers and Wet Markets in Mercado del Lago and Veterans Road in Western Bicutan over the weekend.

The project is also in line with the program of Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano to promote tourism and have safer roads in Taguig.

“Through new markets that were launched over the weekend, ambulant vendors who had previously been removed from the streets in a comprehensive drive to improve mobility across Taguig City now got a new opportunity to earn,” said Cayetano.

This initiative is also a crucial step in the Mobility Plan of the city of Taguig, he added.

Cayetano said that when the local government started to clear roads of all kinds of obstructions, among those affected were business owners.

“The city has always acknowledged that they have families to support, so Taguig City has actively sought ways to legitimize their businesses and give them spaces where they could generate income without becoming distractions and chokepoints on the roads,” the city chief executive said.

Apart from establishing safety through mobility, the development of these markets offering a wide selection of ware will also provide a consistent livelihood for small and medium enterprises but also elevate the local economy and boost tourism by attracting customers both within and outside the City to visit these markets.

Moreover, as part of the city’s plan of going zero waste, single-use plastic is prohibited from all sites. Joel E. Zurbano

By Joel E. Zurbano

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HE city government of Makati announced on Saturday that it has allocated P5.26 billion for its local health programs this year.

Mayor Abigail BInay said programs and services on public health got the biggest chunk from the P18.04billion total executive budget for 2020.

She added that the budget for the city’s Drug Subsidy Program (Libreng Gamot Para sa Mamamayan) has been increased by P75 million, from P1.2 billion in 2019 to P1.27 billion.

“We have decided to increase the budget for the free medicines to meet the growing demand for maintenance medicines and vitamin supplements of Yellow Card members and their dependents,” the city chief executive said.

Binay said the city has also increased the budgetary allocations for other programs aimed at improving the quality of health care and medical services being provided to residents.

“We will continue to upgrade our medical equipment and services while intensifying our preventive health

care program. Our aim is to promote wellness from the early stages of life to ensure that the next generation of leaders will be healthy and fit for their important role,” she added.

Records from the Makati Health Department showed that in 2019, a total of 680,831 beneficiaries have availed of free medicines, vitamins, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical products through the city’s drug subsidy program.

Of the P5.26-billion budget of the Health sector, 42.02 percent or P2.21 billion has been allocated to the Patients Care Program and other related projects of the city-run Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) in District 2.

Under the MHD, P104.94 million has been allotted to the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program, which covers tuberculosis, dengue, and HIV/AIDS prevention. The figure is higher by P780,240 than last year.

To promote maternal and newborn health, the city has increased the budget by 165.5 percent to P12.03 million for its Maternal and Child Care Program, which covers the regular prenatal checkups of pregnant women and the provision of Baby Makatizen kits for newborns. The said budget includes Natal Care (P4.46 million), Human Milk Bank (P2.56 million), Comprehensive Nutrition Program (P3.37 million), and Adolescent Health and Development Program (P1.62 million).

LOW PRICES. People line up as farmers from La Trinidad, Benguet sell their vegetables at farmgate prices at a drop-off area in Quezon City Circle.

(Inset) The price of a sack of rice remains low in a market at the Golden City Business Park, in Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan. Manny Palmero/Andrew Rabulan

GMRC RATIFIED AS PART OF BASIC EDUCATION

By Rio N. Araja CONGRESS has already ratified a measure to include the subjects on Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education in the basic education curriculum.

The subjects would replace Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao in the curriculum to strengthen “the common core values and inculcate universally acceptable moral standards among the Filipino youth,” Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

“If enacted into law, the new curriculum shall focus on the basic tenets of GMRC, such as caring for oneself, giving concern for others, according proper respect to people, upholding discipline and order, culti-

vating sincerity, honesty, obedience, and above all, love for country,” he added.

House Bill No. 5829 states that GMRC and Values Education would be core subjects with GMRC “integrated into the daily learning activities of students” from grades one to six.

GMRC shall eventually be “integrated into” a new Values Education subject once the student reaches grades seven to 10.

Under the K to 12 program, GMRC was abolished as a regular subject in 2013, and Values Education was integrated with other subjects, such as Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao and Araling Panlipunan.

“It shall foster among students the

basic tenets of [values education] such as observance of respect for oneself, others, and our elders; intercultural diversity; gender equity; ecology and integration of creation; peace and justice; obedience to the law; nationalism and global citizenship; as well as the values of patience, perseverance, industry, honesty and integrity, and good faith in dealing with other human beings,” the measure read. “[This will] greatly contribute to the development of a national moral uprightness program of the country, which is a key factor in nation-building. This measure is vital to prevent perennial problems of the society like corruption, crime and illegal drugs,” the House Speaker said.

of exceptions by the City Council after all efforts have been exerted,” she added.

The city has 150 tricycle operator and drivers associations and 24,756 tricycles with franchise, and 2,237 utility service tricycles that directly support the needs of at least 150,000 local residents.

As the task force chairperson, Belmonte designated the Quezon City Police District and the Assistant City Administrator for Operations as vice chairpersons with the head of the city’s Tricycle Regulation Division under the Task Force on Transport and Traffic Management as action officer.

The directive shall implement a two-pronged approach to ensure compliance with the DILG directive and provide livelihood and other forms of assistance to affected tricycle operators and drivers.

Rio N. Araja

BARMM FACES CHALLENGES TO COMBAT EXTREME POVERTY

By Nash B. Maulana COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will vigorously push programs and strategies to improve from latest poverty index released from 2018 government surveys by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Initial steps with immediate impact to working families are jobs created by programs and projects of the Ministry of the Environment, Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of the Interior and Local Government, and the Ministry of Public Works, officials said.

BARMM officially started on Feb. 25, 2019 when Chief Minister Ahod Hadji Murad Balawag Ibrahim assumed office along with 78 other Presidential appointees to the Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Hundreds of former combatants and their families have enlisted as contractual “Palaw Rangers” for the region’s reforestation and forest preservation program, protection of riverbanks and bridges from waterway clogging earth-mass of hard marsh grass and hyacinths, as well as in ongoing construction works for repair and building of roads and bridges.

BARMM Executive Secretary Abdulraof Macacua said that in a meeting middle of last year, President Rodrigo Duterte told Ibrahim to push for the development of the Ligawasan Marsh—“because Ligawasan Marsh is yours,” he quoted the President as saying on July 6, 2019.

BARMM MILG Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, who was also present during that meeting, said more longterm programs were designed to improve the region’s poverty situation from the 2018 figures in the tenure of its forerunner, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Poverty incidence rose in provinces now covered by the BARMM, with 6 out of 10 among its population unable to earn enough income for food and non-food needs in 2018, according to the PSA. BARMM is made up of the five former ARMM provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, and 63 barangays of five towns of (North) Cotabato Province.

In 2018, 61.3 percent of Filipinos in ARMM had per capita income insufficient to meet basic food and nonfood needs, said PSA BARMM Director Razulden Mangelen.

For long-term economic foresight, the BARMM government under Ibrahim intends to open the Ligawasan Marsh, initially by reconstructing old Cotabato provincial roads connecting Pikit, Cotabato to riverside villages, and across Mindanao River to Buluan and Rajah Buayan towns in Maguindanao. These roads were built during the early period of the American colonial government, represented by the then Department of Mindanao and Sulu in the 1900s.

BARMM has fixed shares from national taxes and customs collections for a provision of P70 billion block grant from the national government.

President Duterte has directed the Department of Budget and Management to “release whatever is due to BARMM to the last centavo,” Budget Secretary Wendel Aviisado was quoted as saying in a recent meeting with Moro officials.

ISKO’S ORDINANCE REQUIRES FASTFOODS TO HIRE SENIORS, PWDS

BELMONTE CREATES TASK FORCE TO REVIEW TRICYCLES ROUTE PLAN QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has created a task force to make tricycle more responsive to today’s challenges, and to review the city’s tricycle route plan.

Belmonte issued Executive Order No. 15 creating Task Force Tricycle as directed by the DILG in its Memorandum Circular No. 2020-036.

The circular reiterates the prohibition of tricycles, pedicabs and motorized pedicabs from operating on national highways, directing local government units to establish a tricycle task force, separate from the tricycle regulatory board, to formulate or review its tricycle route plan.

“The Task Force will ensure that the city abides by the DILG’s directive, and will guarantee that the livelihoods of affected tricycle drivers and operators are protected,” Belmonte said.

“The city will be very strict about this and will only resort to the grant

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By Willie Casas

CLOSED FOR DISINFECTION. A Muslim mosque in Greenhills, San Juan has been temporarily closed for disinfection after the Department of Health announced that a person who regularly visit the mosque to pray has been identified as the fifth case of COVID-19.

MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko“ Domagoso has signed an ordinance that requires fastfood restaurants to hire senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Under the ordinance, fastfood chains should provide employment to the city’s elderly and disadvantaged for “not more than 6 months.”

Each branch must employ 2 senior citizens and 1 PWD who will work for a minimum of 4 hours for at least 4 days each week. They should receive the minimum wage as provided under the Labor Code.

The ordinance also prohibits companies assigning tasks to senior citizens and PWDs considered hazardous and beyond their capacity.

Domagoso vowed last year to boost employment opportunities for the city’s elderly and disadvantaged.

The Manila City government also signed last year a separate memorandum of agreements with fastfood giants Jollibee and McDonald’s to hire elderly staff members and PWDs.

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CUSTOMS SEIZES P1-M HOT MONEY

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

C

USTOMS agents intercepted a Malaysian national caught in possession of more than P1 million cash Friday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

G an K ang Hsiung, 32, arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 from Kota Kinabalu with an undeclared cash amounting to P1.1 million in his possession.

Customs arrival examiner Edgardo Cabanillas directed the foreigner to bring his checked-in luggage to the examination lane for inspection after noticing that the latter and his two companions were acting suspiciously.

Agents of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Enforcement and Security Service immediately placed the foreigner under

arrest after Cabanillas discovered the Philippine peso bills inside the luggage. “[The foreigner is now] undergoing custodial investigation. Concerned personnel are preparing their affidavits for the institution of inquest proceedings,” said lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, NAIA Customs Deputy Collector for Passenger Service, in a text message.

The foreigner violated provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Manual of Regulations on Foreign Exchange.

Authorities reminded foreign and local air travelers to declare their money at the airport to avoid any inconvenience.

Seven months ago, Customs operatives also intercepted a package containing US dollars equivalent to more than half a million pesos smuggled from Arkansas via air cargo.

The package shipped through FedEx from Arkansas, USA with some USD12,000 cash in 100

HIGHER SALARY SOUGHT FOR PUBLIC TEACHERS

By Willie Casas

THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines has led 500 teachers in an “SG 15” human formation to mark today’s International Working Women’s Day with a call for the upgrade of public school teachers’pay to Salary Grade 15.

“For this year’s IWWD, we aim to highlight the urgent demand of teachers, of whom 80 percent are women, for salary upgrading. We share the call of all working women for decent pay and dignity of work,”said ACT chairperson Joselyn Martinez.

ACT lamented the teaching profession has remained “gravely undervalued” by the government.

“Productive work greatly depends on education. The quality of productive citizens we produce is directly proportional to the quality of education they receive. And in order to improve both, the state should grant teachers living wages,” she added.

The group scored the government

bills was wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a mobile phone box.

In December 2018, authorities intercepted a huge amount of undeclared foreign currency brought into the country by Korean tourist Kim Junheon.

Kim arrived in Manila on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Hong Kong with an undeclared cash amounting to HK$3.828 million (about P25million in Philippine peso) in his possession.

The foreigner was about to exit the arrival area with his silver carry-on bag when Customs men stopped him.

“The public is advised to refrain from similar fraudulent schemes as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Manual of Foreign Exchange Transaction requires the faithful declaration and accomplishment of Foreign Currency Declaration Forms for importation and exportation of foreign currency in excess of $10,000 or its equivalent,” the BOC said.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE. (Above) Teams from industrial and commercial establishments participate in this year’s National Fire Brigade Competition held at the Ayala Malls Circuit Makati open grounds Saturday to mark the Fire Safety Month. (Below) A firewoman responds to fire incident at Barangay Baesa in Quezon City. Diana Noche and Manny Palmero

for saying it cannot raise the salaries of close to a million public school teachers while doubling the pay of military and uniformed personnel.

“It really is a matter of political will and appreciation of the indispensable contribution of teachers and of education to the nation’s progress,” Martinez said.

She said the victory of public sector nurses in their fight for decent pay before the Supreme Court has encouraged public school teachers to push for the same.

The High Court earlier ruled that starting this year, the entry-level pay of public nurses will be at Salary Grade 15 or P32,053.

“The victory of nurses strengthens the justness and urgency of our fight, especially as nurses and teachers share similar qualifications and provide equally important services. There’s no reason for teachers to remain at Salary Grade 11 which will only come to about P27,000,” Martinez said.

‘PANDEMONIUM’: VIRUS PANIC BUYING HITS LOS ANGELES

Wholesale stores were unable to keep up with soaring demand for a range of staple items, as California residents prepare for the worst. AFP

SPRINTING shoppers, rationed mineral water and not a roll of toilet paper to be seen: Panic buying sparked by the new coronavirus soared in Los Angeles this week.

Two days after California declared a statewide emergency, wholesale stores visited by AFP on Friday were unable to keep up with soaring demand for a range of staple items, as citizens prepare for the worst.

“It’s pandemonium—our numbers are double the usual,”said Rene, an employee at a Costco supermarket in Burbank.

“Today has been out of control.

That’s why we’re out of toilet paper,

out of almost all water, out of hand sanitizer.”

One person has died so far in California, which as of Friday had registered 69 coronavirus cases— second in the US only to nearby Washington state.

Despite officials’ pleas for restraint, Californians have begun emulating the panic-buying seen across swathes of Asia and other regions.

“It’s been nuts,”Costco CFO Richard Galanti told analysts on a callThursday.

The same day, police in San Bernardino County, near Los Angeles, were called to one store after customers became enraged by the lack

of supplies.

On Friday, Costco shoppers were restricted to two crates of water, down from four the previous day.

Several tried to ignore the rule and saw their extra waters confiscated at checkout, leading to “some pushing, a little bit,” an attendant said.

A worker wheeling an overloaded cart of confiscated bottles back to their shelf was repeatedly stopped by new customers grabbing what they could.

Even Costco’s famous free food samples had been suspended for fear of spreading the virus, another employee confirmed. AFP

BI BARS 500 UNWANTED ALIENS FROM ENTERING PH

By Vito Barcelo CLOSE to 500 foreigners have been excluded since February as a result of the heightened vigilance and stricter screening of passengers by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other international airports across the country, the Bureau of Immigration said.

BI-Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said from March 1 to 6, a total of 160 foreigners were excluded as the bureau continued to tighten its screening and monitoring of foreigners.

In February, more than 300 foreigners, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Myanmar, Thais, and Indonesians, were also barred from entering the country.

The exclusion of foreigners came on the heels of the investigation on the alleged “pastillas” scheme where foreigners were being accorded VIP treatment in exchange for money.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered an investigation on the racket as he assured cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice for a separate probe and lifestyle check of all alleged BI personnel linked to the scheme at NAIA. Most of the foreigners who were barred entry have the intention of working illegally at Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), while some were women suspected to be trafficked for sex work.

Morente said the foreigners will be included in the bureau’s blacklist so that they will not be able to return to the country in the future.

Only recently, the BI chief ordered a total revamp of the NAIA personnel following the reveal of the “pastillas” scandal during a Senate hearing on POGOs.

CHINA’S EXPORTS PLUMMET AMID VIRUS OUTBREAK CHINA’S exports plummeted in the first two months of this year on the back of a coronavirus epidemic that forced businesses to suspend operations, disrupting the world’s supply chains.

Exports fell 17.2 percent, the biggest drop since February 2019 during the trade war with the United States, and imports dropped 4 percent, according to official data released Saturday.

A Bloomberg poll of economists had expected exports to drop less, by 16.2 percent, but had foreseen a much starker drop on imports of 16.1 percent.

Consumers stayed home during the Lunar New Year break at the end of January and businesses saw a much slower return to work, as the country struggled to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 3,000 people in China alone.

China’s trade surplus with the US—a key point of contention in the trade dispute between the two countries—sharply narrowed 40 percent in the first two months, from $42 billion last year to $25.4 billion.

Chinese authorities said last month that January and February’s data would be combined.

This is in line with how some other indicators are released, to smooth over distortions from the holiday break.

In an early sign of the economic impact to come, China’s manufacturing activity fell to its lowest level on record in February, with non-manufacturing activity plummeting as well.

Much deeper impact Capital Economics’ Julian EvansPritchard said in a report Friday that the decision to combine the data in January and February means the “published growth rate won’t fully reflect the extent of the recent weakness.”

This is because the disruption was mostly concentrated in February.

He added that the recent downturn in trade has been “much deeper” than the trade data is likely to suggest. AFP

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Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MEXICAN MEN CONFRONT MACHISMO CULTURE IN THERAPY TO COMBAT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

EDITORIAL

INVISIBLE BARRIERS

P

ERVASIVE bias and prejudice against women continue at an alarming—in fact, shocking—rate, according to the Gender Social Norms Index, released by the United Nations Development Programme.

Close to 90 percent of men and women in the 75 countries surveyed, where 80 percent of the global population live, still hold some sort of bias against women.

There have been decades of progress, of course. The world has taken great strides in ensuring that women can have the same access to basic needs as men do. “We have reached parity in primarily school enrollment and reduced maternal mortality by 45 percent since the year 1990,” the report

By Antonio Guterres

authors write. Nonetheless, gender gaps remain obvious in other areas especially in those that challenge power relations.

And indeed about half of men and women feel that men make better political leaders, over 40 percent feel that men make better business executives, men have more right to a job when jobs are scarce, and 28 percent believe it is all right for a man to beat his wife.

While men and women vote at similar rates, only 24 percent of parliamentary seats worldwide are held by women. There are only 10 female heads of government out of a possible 193. Women in the labor market are paid less than men and are much less likely to be in senior positions: less than 6 percent of CEOs in S&P 500 companies are women.

And while women work more hours

than men, this work is more likely to be unpaid care work, the report said.

Biases and prejudices are difficult to correct, because they have always been there and the individuals who have them may not even be aware of having them in the first place.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, whether we are male or female, let us vow to keep ourselves in check for deep-seated prejudices we may not even know we have about women. These prejudices may be affecting how we do our jobs, relate with others, raise our children and even see ourselves.

Women’s Day words may just be tokens, uttered without meaning every March 8, if we do not make our actions and world view congruous to what we profess to believe.

By Natalia Cano IN AN improvised therapy room in a large house in the center of Mexico City, a group of men aged between 20 and 70 close their eyes, inhale and exhale.

Each places his hand on his heart and —in a moment of honest reflection— takes time to think about the violence he inflicted on women and the consequences of those actions.

“I’m Jaime. This week I committed verbal and emotional violence against my partner. I’m here to help and be helped,” said a 63-year-old before a dozen other men replied in unison: “I will help you.”

Mexico is suffering from a femicide crisis, with 10 women murdered every day, and increasingly men are questioning the prevalent male chauvinism—or machismo—deeply entrenched in society.

“I’ve never been physically violent with a woman, but yes I’ve done it in other forms: emotionally, verbally and sexually because several times I was unfaithful,” said Jaime, who withheld his surname to protect his family.

“I recognize that and I want to change.”

Jaime approached Gendes, a gender and development center, a couple of years ago on his partner’s advice as they struggled with relationship problems.

Founded in 2009, Gendes conducts studies about social inequality and supports activism in a bid to rehabilitate male chauvinists.

‘VIOLENCE, DOMINATION AND FORCE’ “Masculinity has always been associated with violence, domination and force, but now that’s changing. New (perceptions of ) masculinity propose the idea of promoting equal treatment of men and women,” said psychotherapist and Gendes director Mauro Vargas.

He aims to teach the 1,200 men per year who attend his meetings to understand and confront the different types of violence against women: sexual, physical, economic, verbal and cyber.

Mexico has long faced governmental indifference and ineffective policies when it comes to tackling violence against women.

Women have begun to take to the streets to demand immediate action to reduce the number of femicides, which grew by 136 percent between 2015 and 2019.

Two brutal murders last month, including that of a seven-year-old girl, highlighted the issue ahead of International Women’s Day March 8 and ignited protests.

Vargas says daily occurrences such as wolf whistling, sharing photos of naked women or sexist comments about female colleagues perpetuate an inequality that results in violence against women.

The therapy at Gendes helps men “unlearn what society has taught them within a macho and misogynistic environment,” said Vargas.

‘A MAN IN DECONSTRUCTION’ Although there is no official data on their numbers, groups exploring a nontraditional type of masculinity to break from a patriarchal culture are multiplying in Mexico.

Using mostly social media, men organize meetings in spots such as urban art galleries or book shops to debate their role in a growing feminism movement.

But Arturo Reyes, a 29-year-old psychologist and an instructor at Gendes, says he believes men cannot themselves be feminists.

“There are allies to feminism, but there are no men feminists. The fight is for women only,” said Reyes.

He says machismo is “a cultural decision” rather than an individual affliction.

“A macho in rehabilitation is a man in deconstruction,” he added.

In the house in the central Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, those in therapy fix their eyes on the floor.

When they’re ready, they raise their faces, take a deep breath and drum up the courage to relate their own personal experiences.

One visibly stressed man confesses to having assaulted his son.

For Reyes, the most satisfying element of the therapy is when one of the men approaches him afterwards with a hug and says: “Thanks to these sessions, my wife and children can now approach me without fear.”

THE GENDER POWER GAP

GENDER inequality is the overwhelming injustice of our age and the biggest human rights challenge we face.

But gender equality offers solutions to some of the most intractable problems of our age.

Everywhere, women are worse off than men—simply because they are women. The reality for women from minorities, older women, those with disabilities and women migrants and refugees is even worse.

While we have seen enormous progress on women’s rights over recent decades, from the abolition of discriminatory laws to increased numbers of girls in school, we now face a powerful pushback. Legal protections against rape and domestic abuse are being diluted in some countries while policies that penalize women, from austerity to coercive reproduction, are being introduced in others. Women’s sexual and reproductive rights are under threat from all sides.

All this is because gender equality is fundamentally a question of power. Centuries of discrimination and deep-rooted patriarchy have created a yawning gender power gap in our economies, our political systems and our corporations. The evidence is everywhere.

Women are still excluded from the top table, from governments to corporate boards to prestigious award cer-

emonies. Women leaders and public figures face harassment, threats and abuse online and off. The gender pay gap is just a symptom of the gender power gap.

Even the supposedly neutral data that informs decision-making from urban planning to drug testing is often based on a “default male”; men are seen as standard while women are an exception.

Women and girls also contend with centuries of misogyny and the erasure of their achievements. They are ridiculed as hysterical or hormonal; they are routinely judged on their looks; they are subjected to endless myths and taboos about their natural bodily functions; they are confronted by everyday sexism, mansplaining and victim-blaming.

This profoundly affects us all, and is a barrier to solving many of the challenges and threats we face.

Take inequality. Women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The latest research by the World Economic Forum says it will take 257 years to close this gap. Meanwhile women and girls do some 12 billion hours of unpaid care work every day that simply does not figure in economic decision-making.

If we are to achieve a fair globalization that works for everyone, we need to base our policies on statistics that take account of women’s true contributions.

Digital technology is another case in point. The lack of gender balance in

the universities, start-ups and Silicon Valleys of our world is deeply worrying. These tech hubs are shaping the societies and economies of the future; we cannot allow them to entrench and exacerbate male dominance.

Or take the wars that are ravaging our world. There is a straight line between violence against women, civil oppression and conflict. How a society treats the female half of its population is a significant indicator of how it will treat others. Even in peaceful societies, many women are in deadly danger in their own homes.

There is even a gender gap in our response to the climate crisis. Initiatives to reduce and recycle are overwhelmingly marketed at women, while men are more likely to put their faith in untested technological fixes. And women economists and parliamentarians are more likely than men to support proenvironmental policies.

Finally, political representation is the clearest evidence of the gender power gap. Women are outnumbered by an average of 3 to 1 in parliaments around the world, but their presence is strongly correlated with innovation and investment in health and education. It is no coincidence that the governments that are redefining economic success to include wellbeing and sustainability are led by women.

This is why one of my first priorities at the United Nations was to bring more women into our leadership. We have

Antonio Guterres United Nations Secretary-General now achieved gender parity at the senior level, two years ahead of schedule, and we have a roadmap for parity at all levels in the years to come.

Our world is in trouble, and gender equality is an essential part of the answer. Man-made problems have human-led solutions. Gender equality is a means of redefining and transforming power that will yield benefits for all.

The 21st century must be the century of women’s equality in peace negotiations and trade talks; in board rooms and classrooms; at the G20 and the United Nations.

It is time to stop trying to change women, and to start changing the systems that prevent them from achieving their potential.

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

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

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RARE CALM SEEN IN SYRIA’S IDLIB AFTER CEASEFIRE IDLIB, Syria—Syria’s war-ravaged northwest woke up to relative calm Friday, its skies free of warplanes for the first day in months, following a Russian-Turkish ceasefire deal.

The agreement raised hopes of an end to one of the bloodiest phases in the nine-year conflict but residents in Idlib were sceptical this deal would last longer than previous ones.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group and AFP correspondents in Idlib province said the truce appeared to be holding after coming into force at midnight.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman reported “a complete absence of regime and Russian warplanes in the Idlib airspace”.

He said an exchange of fire before dawn killed six regime fighters and nine members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, a Uighur-dominated jihadist group, but in general belligerents seemed to be observing the ceasefire.

Syrian state news agency SANA also reported calm in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached a deal following hours of talks in Moscow on Thursday.

The agreement will create a security corridor along the key M4 highway in northern Syria, where Turkish and Russian forces will launch joint patrols later this month. AFP

R

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

SAUDI DETAINS 3 ROYAL PRINCES OVER ‘COUP PLOT’

IYADH—Saudi Arabian authorities have detained three princes including King Salman’s brother and nephew on charges of plotting a coup, the US media reported Friday, signaling a further consolidation of power by the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

The detentions cast aside the last vestiges of potential opposition to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and come as the kingdom limits access to Islam’s holiest sites in a highly sensitive move to contain the fastspreading coronavirus.

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the monarch’s nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were accused of treason and taken from their homes early Friday by black-clad royal guards, the

Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources.

The Saudi royal court has accused the two men, once potential contenders for the throne, of “plotting a coup to unseat the king and crown prince” and could face lifetime imprisonment or execution, the newspaper said.

The New York Times also reported the detentions, adding that Prince Nayef’s younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, had also been detained.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The detentions mark the latest crackdown

by Prince Mohammed, who has consolidated his grip on power with the imprisonment of prominent clerics and activists as well as princes and business elites.

Prince Mohammed has also faced a torrent of international condemnation over the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in October 2018.

Already viewed as the de facto ruler controlling

all the major levers of government, from defense to the economy, the prince is widely seen to be stamping out traces of internal dissent before a formal transfer of power from his 84-year-old father King Salman.

“Prince Mohammed is emboldened—he has already ousted any threats to his rise and jailed or murdered critics of his regime without any repercussion,” Becca Wasser, a policy analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation, said of the latest crackdown.

“This is a further step to shore up his power and a message to anyone—including royals— not to cross him.”

Prince Ahmed, said to be in his 70s, had returned to the kingdom from his base in London in the aftermath of the Khashoggi scandal, in what some saw as an effort to shore up support for the monarchy.

Just before his return in October 2018, the prince had courted controversy over remarks he made to protesters in London chanting against Saudi royals over the kingdom’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. AFP

SUICIDE ATTACKERS HIT OUTSIDE U.S. EMBASSY IN TUNIS

MIGRANTS, POLICE IN BORDER CLASHES AT TURKEY, GREECE PAZARKULE, Turkey—Greek police fired tear gas in clashes with migrants at the Turkish border on Friday, as Athens said a 2016 EU-Ankara deal limiting migration to Europe was “dead.”

Thousands of people have gathered at the border since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that his country would no longer stop refugees from trying to leave.

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused Ankara of “assisting” an ongoing surge of desperate people gathering at the border.

“Right now, let’s be honest, the agreement is dead,” Mitsotakis told CNN, referring to the EU-Turkey accord.

“And it’s dead because Turkey has decided to completely violate the agreement, because of what happened in Syria,” he added.

Turkey agreed in 2016 to stop letting migrants leave in exchange for six billion euros—but Ankara says other parts of the EU deal including improved visa and trade rules were never fulfilled.

Mitsotakis said Turkey was doing “the exact opposite” of its obligation to hold back asylum-seekers.

Friday’s brief clashes occurred as migrants tried to break through the fence, according to AFP journalists at the scene, but they quickly ended the volley of rocks and instead sat peacefully chanting “freedom” and “open the gates”.

Greek forces say they have prevented nearly 39,000 people from crossing the border. Turkey claims the real number is more than three times higher.

Many migrants say they are being pushed to attempt illegal entry to Greece. AFP

WHO ASKS FOR $20M TO FIGHT EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN CONGO GENEVA—The World Health Organization said Friday it needs $20 million to fight Ebola in DR Congo, even as the end of the devastating 19-month epidemic finally seemed within grasp.

While the world’s attention has been focused on the coronavirus, the last patient being treated for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was discharged on Tuesday.

If no more cases are diagnosed, the epidemic will officially end within 42 days from the date of the last confirmed patient’s second negative test.

“The end of the outbreak will be declared on April 12” barring further cases, WHO assistant director-general for emergency response Ibrahima Soce Fall told the media in Geneva on Friday.

But he issued a note of warning, saying “it is critical to maintain surveillance and rapid response capacity” in order to quickly diagnose any new cases.

“We have over 1,169 survivors. So we have an important programme to continue to provide care to survivors, but also to make sure that we don’t have any flare-ups,” he added.

“We know that the focus is more now on COVID-19, but... we still need an additional $20 million for WHO to maintain the team on the ground because Ebola is also a matter of global health security.”

DR Congo’s most recent Ebola outbreak was first identified in August 2018 and WHO declared it a “public health emergency of international concern” last July. AFP

PAJAMA FIGHTER. One of the students of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) clashes with riot

police during a protest demanding justice for the murder of indigenous leader, coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), and environmental activist Berta Caceres in Tegucigalpa, on March 3. Caceres was murdered at her house by unidentified armed gunmen on March 2, 2016. AFP

DOZENS KILLED AS GUNMEN ATTACK AFGHAN RALLY KABUL—Dozens of people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a political rally in Kabul on Friday, the deadliest assault in Afghanistan since the US signed a withdrawal deal with the Taliban.

The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, highlights a glaring lack of security in the Afghan capital just 14 months ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of all foreign forces.

It also calls into question a key element of the US-Taliban deal signed Feb. 29—whether the Taliban can stop jihadists such as IS from running amok in Afghanistan after US forces pull out.

In a statement, IS said two brothers had targeted a “gathering of apostates” with machine guns and grenades.

The gunmen inflicted devastating carnage at the crowded event

in west Kabul, killing 32 people and wounding 58 others, health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar told AFP. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi put the toll at 29 dead, with an additional 61 wounded. He said special forces units eventually killed the two gunmen.

The assault occurred at a commemoration ceremony for Abdul Ali Mazari—a politician from the Hazara ethnic group, most of whom are Shiite Muslims.

The Sunni-extremist IS had claimed an attack on the same ceremony last year, when a barrage of mortar fire killed at least 11 people.

Rahimi said gunfire had erupted from a construction site near the event.

Several top political officials were at the ceremony, including Afghanistan’s chief executive Abdullah

Abdullah.

The interior ministry later confirmed that all the high-ranking officials had been “safely evacuated.”

“We left the ceremony following the gunfire, and a number of people were wounded, but I do not have any reports of martyred people for now,” Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told Tolo News.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the massacre as a “crime against humanity”.

The attack came less than a week after the US and Taliban signed a deal that would result in the complete withdrawal of foreign troops in 14 months.

The withdrawal however depends heavily on the Taliban being able to control jihadist forces such as Al-Qaeda and IS. If such groups remain, so too does the US military. AFP

TUNIS, Tunisia—Suicide attackers struck outside the US embassy in the Tunisian capital on Friday, killing a police officer, wounding six other people and once again shaking a city repeatedly hit by jihadist violence.

The latest attack came despite a state of emergency imposed in the North African nation in 2015 following a string of bloody assaults claimed by the Islamic State group.

The noon explosion rocked the Berges du Lac district hosting the highly fortified embassy, causing panic among pedestrians and motorists.

“Two individuals targeted a security patrol... in the street leading to the American embassy,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Police at the scene said the assailants drove to the area on a motorcycle and detonated their explosive devices as they were approached by officers at a roundabout near the embassy.

The two attackers died and one officer, 52-year-old father of three Lieutenant Taoufik Mohammed El Nissaoui, died of his wounds.

Five more injured officers and a lightly wounded female civilian were in a stable state, Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi told journalists.

“It was a homemade explosive device and we are looking for those who helped make it,” he said.

Local media reported police raids on two working-class neighborhoods in northern Tunis.

Anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened an enquiry, spokesman Sofiene Sliti said, but no arrests had yet been made. AFP

OPEC, ALLIES FAIL TO REACH DEAL ON OIL OUTPUT CUTS

COST OF WAR. A wounded Syrian child sits at a makeshift clinic in the town of Maaret Misrin following Syrian government forces airstrikes on March 5 in the country’s northwestern Idlib province. Russian air strikes killed at least 15 civilians, including a child, in the last major opposition bastion of Idlib in northwestern Syria, a Britain-based war monitor said. AFP

VIENNA, Austria—The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies failed to reach a deal on oil production cuts Friday, after Moscow refused to tighten supply to counter the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, sending oil prices tumbling.

The day before, OPEC ministers, led

by Saudi Arabia, had recommended reducing output by 1.5 million barrels per day in the face of the global slowdown caused by the epidemic and the resulting fall in demand for oil.

But the decision hinged on agreement from the so-called OPEC+ grouping -- Russia, the world’s second largest oil producer, foremost among them.

Following hours of discussions, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that the talks between OPEC and OPEC+ had failed to bring about a deal.

“Regarding cuts in production, given today’s decision, from April 1, no one

—neither OPEC countries nor OPEC+ countries—are obliged to lower production,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Most other ministers, including Saudi Arabia’s, left the meeting at the Vienna-based headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries stone-faced without comments.

Oil prices, which have already tumbled to lows not seen since mid-2017 because of the coronavirus, fell further.

As news of the “no deal” result reached the markets, Brent Crude fell 9 percent to $45.28 around 1630GMT, while US oil prices later fell 10.1 percent to end at $41.28.

“Today’s outcome is a psychological blow for the market, as the steep plunge in oil prices shows,” analyst Ann-Louise Hittle of Wood Mackenzie said. AFP

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FACE OF WORRY. Actress Kim Chiu holds back tears during a television interview on Thursday, a day after her van was shot at eight times by motorcycle-riding gunmen near her home in Katipunan, Quezon City. Chiu, her personal assistant and driver were unhurt, but police said they were facing a blank wall on the attempted killing of the ‘Chinita Princess’. Photo courtesy ABS-CBN

CHOPPER CRASH. Investigators stand next to the remains of a bell 429 helicopter, whose passengers were Philippine National Police Chief General Archie Gamboa and six others, after it crashed seconds after taking off in San Pedro, Laguna on March 5. Gamboa survived the crash, but two other PNP generals were in critical condition, and the rest of the passengers were brought to the nearest hospital for treatment. AFP

POGO PROBE. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Senator Richard Gordon (left) and Senate Minority

VIRUS WARD. This photo taken on March 5 shows medical workers (top) walking past empty beds as

THE LONG WALK. Migrants walk towards Greece along the Turkey-Greece border near Pazarkule,

MASKED MASSES. Protesters wear gas masks in the front of the Romanian Environment Ministry in Bucharest on March 4 to demand better air. Dozens of people holding placards reading ‘Our children don’t breathe air anymore’ gathered in the front of the Environment Ministry to ask for better breathable air in Bucharest. AFP

Leader Franklin Drilon lead the investigation March 5 on the alleged increased incidents of money laundering, kidnapping and prostitution brought about by the introduction of offshore gaming operations in the country.

Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB

in Edirne district, on March 1. Turkey will no longer close its border gates to refugees who want to go to Europe, a senior official told AFP on Feb. 28, shortly after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in an airstrike in northern Syria. AFP

a patient rests at a temporary hospital set up for COVID-19 patients in a sports stadium in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province. Many patients have been discharged after treatment at the temporary hospital, leaving some beds empty. AFP

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Sports

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SOUTHWOODS BLASTS FIELD, REGAINS PAL INTERCLUB TITLE

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ACOLOD — Manila Southwoods proved to be a cut above the rest as it reclaimed the Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub title with a performance that left the Championship division field eating its dust.

Yuto Katsuragawa got back at treelined Marapara with a three-under-par 67 worth 39 points, fellow Japanese Aguri Iwasaki fired 36 and Santino Laurel and Josh Jorge accounted for 34 and 33, respectively as the Carmona-based squad closed out with a whopping 142 points for 504 overall and a 22-point win over Del Monte.

“I’m just so happy that the boys responded the way they did,” nonplaying Southwoods skipper Thirdy Escano said after steering the squad back to the top and putting that sorry loss to Cebu CC last year behind.

“We were really expecting to win (this year), and what made it doubly joyful was how the players bounced back today,” Escano added, referring to woeful scores that Katsuragawa, with 30, Laurel (21) and Jorge (28), submitted in a quiet opening round on Wednesday.

So in-tune was Southwoods that it discarded the 30 of the veteran Jun Jun Plana in winning for the fifth time in the last six years.

Dan Cruz scored 37 points and Jhondie Quibol 32 to lead Luisita’s final round 126, as Del Monte checked in third, 26 points behind the Luisitans after a 120 led by the 33 points of the veteran Raul Minoza.

Former US NCAA standout Jude Eustaquio assembled 34 points over at Binitin in Murcia town as Forest Hills closed out with 122 for a one-

Non-playing captain Thirdy Escano gets a victory ride from members of the victorious Manila Southwoods Team that reclaimed the Men’s Championship in the PAL Interclub. Andy Alvarez

point win over Tagaytay Highlands in the rain-shortened and hotly-contested Founders Division.

Bong Brobio had 30 points and Dennis Nicomedes and Rodel Mangulabnan chipped in with 29 apiece as Forest Hills tallied a 54-hole 356 total.

Junro Mamaril paced Tagaytay Highlands with 34 and Ale Stehmeier had 32 with Gabriel Macalaguim and former PBA player RJ Rizada shooting 31 and 28,

respectively, to make up the squad’s 125.

Riviera Golf rallied with 130 points built around the 34 of Jek Mendoza for a 351 tally, three points ahead of dethroned overall champion Cebu Country Club, which managed just 123.

Hosted by Philippine Airlines, the international event is backed by platinum sponsors Asian Air Safari, Vanguard Radio Network, Fox Networks Group, Radio Mindanao Network, Inc., Asian

Journal Publications Philippines, Inc., Auto Nation Group, Inc. (Mercedes Benz), and SMDC. Major sponsors include The Boeing Company, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, Avolon Aerospace Singapore Pte Ltd, Manila Broadcasting Company, Primax Broadcasting, Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd, CIGNAL TV Inc., Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. (Resorts World), and Airbus.

TSITSIPAS NAILS DAVIS CUP WIN FOR GREECE HE ain’t one of the world’s best netters for nothing.

World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas destroyed whatever hopes were left in the Philippines’ bid of producing a miracle as he thrashed Jeson Patrombon, 6-2, 6-1, yesterday to seal the win for Greece in their World Group II Davis Cup tie at the Philippine Columbian Association’s Plaza Dilao courts in Paco, Manila.

It was another clinical display of world-class tennis by the 21-yearold Tsitsipas, who overpowered AJ Lim by the same score in the first singles the day before, to give

the Greeks the 3-1 lead and the victory.

Tsitsipas’ younger brother Petros, who waylaid Petrombon, 6-2, 6-1, in the first singles, was playing Jed Olivarez, who subbed in for Lim, in a dead rubber at press time.

“We’re looking forward to playing our next opponents,” said Tsitsipas, who finished second to Novak Djokovic in the Dubai Championship last week.

In the doubles earlier, Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales pulled the rug from under Petros Tsitsipas and Markos

Kalovelonis, 7-6 (5), 6-4, yesterday to resuscitate the Philippines’ dying chances.

It turned out to be the host’s last stand as Tsitsipas delivered the tie-clinching win later.

But at least the Filipinos didn’t go out without a fight and averted an embarrassing shutout.

Drawing inspiration from the loud weekend crowd that packed the Philippine Columbian Association’s Plaza Dilao court in Paco, Manila, Alcantara and Gonzales came through when it mattered in helping the Filipinos cut their deficit to 1-2.

Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales celebrate their doubles’ win over Petros Tsitsipas and Markos Kalovelonis.

VERMOSA AQUATHLON 1 FIRES OFF SUNDAY THE world-class Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite, is ready to welcome back a wide field of participants from around the country as the Vermosa Aquathlon 1 fires off on the morning of March 8 (Sunday).

In this official launch event of the 2020 editions of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub Series and the Sun Life Aquathlon Series, participants as young as 7 years old to adults over the age of 50 will take on age-appropriate race distances when the gun goes off at 6:30 a.m., beginning with a swim in the Olympic-size pool, followed by a

run around Vermosa and finish at the track oval.

The longest course is the standard distance composed of a 500-meter swim and the 5-km run. The shortest course is a 100-meter swim and a 600-meter run for kids aged 7 to 10.

At stake in the event presented by Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub, Standard Insurance, Apollo Petroleum Jelly, Alviera, LeGARDE, Smart, official timing partner Garmin, hydration partners Pocari Sweat and Sip Purified Water, shoe partner Saucony and recovery partner Air Relax Massage Guns Phil-

ippines are medals for all finishers, trophies and gift packs for the winners in each category. The awarding ceremony will take place at around 10 a.m. at the pool area.

With regards to the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub Series and the Sun Life Aquathlon Series, points will be awarded to the Top 20 finishers of the standard distance individual category for each aquathlon event.

By joining the races of each series, participants can vie for the honor of being named the Top Aquathlete in their age group by

the end of this year.

For more information on the Vermosa Sports Hub and the March 8 event, visit http://bikekingphilippines.com as well as http://vermosa.ph.

For social media updates, follow @ VermosaPH on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub (AVSH) is a complete one stop training facility for tri athletes and sports enthusiasts.

The first development in the country that integrates an Olympic size pool, football field, track oval and sports and science laboratory.

DUTCHMAN FOILS MONDILLA, SNARES TCC CROWN BY 1 STA. ROSA, Laguna—Guido Van der Valk pulled through in a gripping battle of nerves and wits that stretched up to the final hole, claiming the hotly disputed The Country Club Invitational crown by one with a par against Clyde Mondilla’s wet bogey at the TCC course here yesterday.

Van der Valk blew a three-stroke lead with six holes left in calmer conditions as Mondilla charged back with back-to-back birdies from No. 13 but the Dutchman toughened up in the stretch, matching the Del Monte star’s pars in the next three before outwitting him on the Tom Weiskoph-designed layout’s tough finishing hole that had decided many an outcome in this highlight event of each Philippine Golf Tour season.

“That was stressful,” Van der Valk said after clinching it with a pressure-packed five-foot par putt on the 18th for a 75 and a seven-over 295 total.

But it was all worth the stress and tension as he did not only join the elite circle of TCC Invitational winners and keep the foreign bets’ run in the event after Koreans Micah Shin and Kim Joo Jyung reigned the last two years. But he also pocketed the top purse of P1.5 million, more than his combined P1 million earnings in his first two victories.

The victory, the first in wire-towire fashion in 15 staging of the blue-ribbon event, thus kept Van der Valk’s amazing start in the PGT the past three seasons. He scored his maiden win at Eagle Ridge, the kickoff leg of the 2018 circuit, and ruled the Club Filipino de Cebu, the first official event of the tour’s milestone 10th season after the TCC Invitational last year.

“It was all consistency. I was leading the whole time – had a good start in the first two rounds and I tried to hang on from there as good as I could,” said Van der Valk. “Even without the wind, it was so stressful to play this course.

Every hole, there is really something that makes it difficult. I was just lucky to hold on.”

It was a sorry setback for Mondilla, who had appeared headed for a big finish after that birdie-birdie blast to tie but failed to get it through the treacherous closing hole for the second straight day and dumped his approach shot into the water. He wound up with a bogey and settled for a 74 for a 296 worth P700,000 in a followup to his earnings of $17,500 after ruling the ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic of PGT Asia last January.

Staying ahead by two after 54 holes, the Lelystad, the Netherlands native cracked under early pressure and bogeyed two of the first six holes, enabling Mondilla to draw level with a birdie on No. 7.

Guido Van der Valk holds his trophy Photo by Jr. Josue

WHY SPORTS NUTRITION IS GOOD FOR YOU

Dr. Dana Ryan

STAYING fit takes more than just visiting the gym on a regular basis. You also have to make sure that what you feed your body is healthy, and this is where sports nutrition can help you.

“Some people think that sports nutrition is some over complicated thing. The reality is sports nutrition is grounded in the same principles as general good healthy nutrition,” said leading sports nutritionist Dr. Dana Ryan.

Dr. Ryan is the director for Sports Performance and Education of Herbalife Nutrition. She recently visited the Philippines and shared her take on how

sports nutrition can be beneficial to non-athletes.

“Sports nutrition is really about putting the right nutriments in your body at the right time. Whether you’re winning a race or coming in last place, you’re moving your body and your heart rate goes up. You’re using carbohydrates for fuel. When you’re breaking down muscles, you need protein to recover. The principles of sports nutrition becomes important for anyone who’s active,” she explained.

So, how does one incorporate sports nutrition into one’s daily activities? Dr. Ryan shares the following tips.

1. Make sure that you have adequate carbohydrates before you exercise because that’s going to be your body’s fuel source.

“We don’t store a lot of carbohydrates but it’s our first source of energy when we’re exercising,” Dr. Ryan said.

She added that you need to have some simple carbohydrates prior to working out.

“You can get that energy quickly from fruits,” she said.

2. Have some electrolytes when you’re exercising for over half an hour or doing an intense workout.

“When you sweat when you’re exercis-

ing, you lose electrolytes in addition to fluids. Drinking water is sometimes not enough. You need electrolytes to stay hydrated,” Dr. Ryan pointed out.

3. Get some good quality protein after you exercise.

“Have at least 20 grams of protein in combination with some carbohydrates,” Dr. Ryan advised.

She emphasized that protein is essential after a workout.

“When you exercise, you break down your muscle fibers. Consuming good protein can help rebuild them and make them stronger,” she said.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Business

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

YOUNG CEO

JOINS BINIBINING PILIPINAS PAGEANT

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25-YEAR-OLD founder and chief executive of three companies with around 200 employees joined the 2020 Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant to promote selfreliance and independence among Filipino women.

“I want to be an inspiration to everyone, to let them know that everything they crave for, hope for and pray for is at their fingertips,” says Alexangela ‘Gila’ Salvador, one of the 40 contestants in this year’s pageant.

Salvador, a five-foot-six stunner, says she moved out of her comfort zone to encourage other women. “I am blessed to be an entrepreneur, so I am used to time pressure and deadlines. The only thing I am not used to is walking on these heels and make up my face every day,” she says in an interview at her own Mad Cafe, a 300-square-meter restaurant in Quezon City.

“Being immersed in the world of business taught me so many things that have helped me grow into the woman I am today—a CEO and president of three corporations that I built from the ground up,” she says.

Salvador runs an interior design and construction company, a chain of restaurants and a realty development company that is building her own hotel in Siargao Island. All companies bear her Mad brand of business.

“Mad, because it has something to do with my mindset and creativity. I notice that my ideas are out of the box and they are like madness or something crazy,” she says.

with it earned her first million at 18.

“I chose to leave school when I was 17 and start my own business. This leap of faith earned me my first 7-digit income at age 18,” she says.

Gila then bought a P400,000 printer and established a graphic design studio called Graphic Factory for tarpaulin and wallpaper designs. To maximize her investment in the big printer, she also offered room makeovers. A client, impressed by her works, asked her if she could also design a bed and a closet.

“Knowing the person that I am, I said yes to the opportunity. My dad as an architect knew what to do and helped me,” she says.

Gila says this is how her notebook business expanded from notebooks to tarpaulins to wall papers to construction. “From construction, it became restaurant and hotel. It just expanded from there,” she says.

Her companies now include Madhouse Design Studio, Mad Cafe Inc. and Maddev Realty Development Corp. that develops lots into commercial spaces and residences. Soon, Mad Hostel Siargao will open her own hotel in the popular surfing destination.

Her out-of-the-box personality was on full display during the talent competition of the beauty pageant. Instead of singing or dancing, she brought with her construction tools and showed everyone how to use them.

“I was not even planning to join the talent portion. But they said it is an exposure and it will show who you are.

What a better way to show who I am than use construction tools,” she says.

“The modern empowered woman is not boxed by what the society or the male gender dictate. The modern woman is someone who knows what she wants and goes after it,” says Salvador.

Her father and role model, architect and entrepreneur Alexander Salvador, supported Gila’s decision to show her skills in using power tools. “I told her that she could join the beauty pageant because it is more on empowering women,” says Alexander.

It is Alexander who prodded Gila to persevere early on. When Gila was in her early teens, Alexander brought her to a slum in Manila and showed her where young couple lived. That proved to be an eye-opener for Gila.

She was taking Information Design, Minor in Management at Ateneo de Manila University when she got hooked on selling notebooks online and promoted them in social media. With a capital of P4,000 that she collected one Christmas, Gila started an online shop called PaperPlanes Manila and

“I really believe that everything I have gone through is by purpose. With Paperplanes, I learned about social media and how to market digitally. With Graphic Factory, I learned graphic design. With construction, I used my graphic design and digital marketing skills.

When I put up a restaurant, I learned how to construct it at less cost. It is like everything culminated in what it is today,” she says.

“I never saw when I was 17 that I would put up companies like these. When I stopped school, I just wanted to focus on selling notebooks. I did not expect it would grow into a construction business,” says Gila.

Gila is reinvesting her money in more business opportunities. She plans to grow her MadCafe chain to 2020 Binibining five branches this year. She also expects to complete Pilipinas No. 37 candidate the hostel on a 4,000-square-meter beachfront property Alexangela in General Luna, Siargao Island next year. “I also plan ‘Gila’ Salvador to grow Mad House Design into a bigger construction (courtesy of company and start a residential project,” she says.

Salvador’s On why she joined Binibining Pilipinas, Gila says her Facebook page) father challenged her to give it a try in December last year.

“Along the way, I realize that I wanted it as well. I prayed hard because I am already doing so much.

I have to take care of a lot of people. I told myself that if I don’t make it through the screening, it is not for me,” she says.

When Binibining Pilipinas selected her as one of the 40 candidates who qualified through the screening, Gila received messages from hundreds of people through her Youtube and Facebook accounts expressing their support and calling her as an inspiration.

Gila was most moved by a subscriber who admitted that she was depressed but was encouraged by Gila’s videos and stories.

On how she attends the pageant activities and manage her thriving business at the same time, Gila says it is about time management. “It really tests my leadership skills and confidence in my staff if they can do the job. I am just so grateful that I have intelligent and responsible staff. If not for them, I don’t think I would be able to do the pageant activities,” she says.

Gila says joining the pageant also taught him the values of humility, resilience and self-discipline.

“In the world of business, somehow I am not a beginner anymore. But in this pageant, I am a beginner and it makes me humble. They are saying that I don’t know how to walk or how to pose. That is challenging me to become better. The resilience in me and the entrepreneur in me wants to show that I may start weak, but I want to finish strong,” says Gila.

Maddev Realty Development Corp. CEO Gila Salvador (center) together with her parents architect Alexander Salvador Roderick T. dela Cruz and former model Michelle Bernardo Salvador

Business

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 business@manilastandard.net

IN BRIEF

GOOGLE SPICES UP CHILI OIL MAKER’S BUSINESS

UNIONBANK CEO TOP DIGITAL BANKER

UNION Bank of the Philippines reaped seven awards at The Asset Triple A Digital Awards 2020, including Digital Banker of the Year Asia-Pacific for bank president and CEO Edwin Bautista and Digital Bank of the Year-Philippines for the third straight year.

Other awards bestowed on UnionBank were the Best ATM Project for its BitBox ATM, Best Digital Financial Inclusion Project for i2i which connects rural banks to the country’s main financial network, Best Digital Collaboration for its Retailer Financing Program, Best Digital Upgrade for its Mobile Check Deposit and Best Social Media Project for UnionBank GlobalLinker Trade Connect.

Bautista, who has over 25 years of superior track record in banking, launched UnionBank’s digital transformation which prompted the introduction of revolutionary initiatives including the first “selfiebanking” in Asia, first fully digital bank branch in the Philippines and first chatbot in the country, among others.

This was on top of partnerships with fintechs and advocating the use of blockchain technology.

The bank’s digital efforts gave a major boost to its key businesses, while simultaneously enabling greater financial inclusion and inclusion prosperity for all Filipinos.

BRIA, PAG-IBIG EMPLOYEES SIGN DEAL BRIA Homes Inc., a key player in the real estate industry, recently teamed up with DBP Service Corporation and Pag-IBIG Fund Employees Labor Association to provide special housing opportunities to eligible members of the two organizations.

From left: Entrepreneurs Gerome Panlilio of Germano’s Chili, Michelle Mariano of Qmansi and Beltran Almendral of Anito’s Dried Pork

The move further affirms Bria’s resolve to ease the housing backlog of the country with its affordable and quality homes and fortifies its status as the “Pambansang Pabahay ng Pilipinas.”

With over 50 projects nationwide, and with more projects and innovative product lines in the pipeline, Bria gives everyday Filipinos a chance to have their own homes—the foundation they need to foster a secure, productive, and fulfilling life for themselves and their families.

Attending the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony on Feb. 27 were Bria president and COO Red Rosales, Bria chief accountant Michelle Hernandez, administration head Shatriya Paredes, PAFELA head Rodorico Carullo and DBPSC senior executive vice president Edgar Chavez.

Under the alliance, Bria Homes, DBPSC and PAFELA will endeavor to make affordable and beautiful homes truly accessible for hardworking Filipinos all over the country.

Bria Homes is a subsidiary of Golden Bria Holdings Inc., considered the third largest real estate company in terms of market capitalization valued at more than P250 billion. One of the leading housing developers in the Philippines, Bria Homes is primed to bring quality and affordable house-and-lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families.

PDA OBSERVES DENTAL MONTH THE Philippine Dental Association is observing the 16th National Dental Health Month with a series of activities that started in January and will culminate with the HIV Forum on March 10 at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex, World Oral Health Day on March 20 at the Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan City and badminton tournament on March 22 at the Power Up Centro Atletico, North Road, Cubao, Quezon City.

With the theme, “Unite for Mouth Health” which aims to strengthen PDA’s advocacy for “Sugar Away Iwas Tooth Decay” and “Tooth Decay Hindi Okay”, the NDHM kick off was spearheaded by PDA president Dr. Stephen Almonte on Jan. 26 at the Quirino Granstand, Luneta with Aqua Run for Oral Health which conveys the message to the public that water is the best drink as opposed to sugar sweetened beverages.

Other activities were Zumba Marathon, Chant for Smiles, Billboard Unveiling and Interschool Hiphop Competition. Its Mindanao kick-off was held on Feb. 9 in Dipolog City while the Visayas kick-off was on Feb. 16 in Cebu with fun runs.

PDA also held an open house at the PDA Building in Makati City on Feb. 2; National Toothbrushing Day nationwide through all PDA chapters and affiliate societies at the Bonifacio and the Katipunan Revolution Monument in Ermita, Manila on Feb. 3; Indigency Clinic at PDA Building on Feb. 4,6,11, 13,18 and 20; Feast of St. Apolonia (patron saint of dentists) at the Sta. Cruz Parish Church in Manila on Feb. 10; PWD program which involved giving out of oral health care materials in Braille and handwash facilities at the Philippine National School for the Blind in Pasay City on Feb. 12; dart, billiard and bowling tournaments at Starmall, EDSA on February 23; and a public health forum on Feb. 26.

SMART PADALA SPREADS FINANCIAL SERVICES SMART Padala by PayMaya, the country’s largest mobile domestic remittance network, is intensifying its push to provide more digital financial services to the countryside as it launches its flagship stores that act as “digital hubs” across the country.

Smart Padala by PayMaya has transformed its centers into digital hubs that are not only capable of processing sending and receiving remittance transactions, but also bills payment, PayMaya Add Money transactions as well as mobile prepaid reloading services. Soon, these centers will also be able to accept PayMaya QR as a mode of payment for day-to-day purchases of customers.

On top of offering these new services, Smart Padala

by PayMaya flagship stores boast of a fresh new look, complete with a dedicated area for their customer’s transactions, instructional materials on Smart Padala’s services and branded signages, giving their “sukis” a more comfortable and secure experience.

Smart Padala by PayMaya centers all around the country provide crucial digital financial services to Filipinos where the traditional banking system are unable to reach them. We are excited to bring even more services to our customers as we continue to digitize and bring the ‘Padalapit lang’ experience that our customers have come to know over the years,” said Shailesh Baidwan, president of PayMaya.

With these hubs in place, Filipinos no longer need to commute to the city center to pay their bills, send or receive money, buy load or even add money to their PayMaya accounts—they simply have to go to the sari-sari store or Smart Padala center nearest to them.

These Smart Padala flagship stores, currently located in Quezon Province, Pangasinan, Baguio, Bicol Region, Cebu, Aklan, Cagayan De Oro, Bukidnon and Metro Manila, were launched with exclusive promos and fun games for customers, enticing them to avail of Smart Padala’s newest offers.

G

EROME Panlilio quit his job as a pharmacist a decade ago to venture into chili garlic sauce business. After attending a seminar administered

by Google in 2017, he learned how to use digital technologies to develop his brand and promote it not only in the Philippines but also in other countries.

Today, his chili oil products under the brand Germano’s Chilli are available in leading supermarkets in Metro Manila.

“Prior to starting the business, I was a pharmacy assistant at a drugstore. It came to a point that I just could not see myself retiring. I ventured into this business that my brother started in 2005. During that time, chili garlic sauces were only available in Chinese restaurants. The idea was to bring the bottled chili garlic sauce products to homes,” says the 47-year-old entrepreneur from Quezon City.

Panlilio had to attend seminars on sales, accounting and marketing to learn how to promote his products. “I did not come from a family with businesses. I also did not have friends who knew about business, so I had to learn everything by myself. I had to read books and attend seminars about marketing and accounting,” he says.

A seminar administered by Google Philippines customer solutions lead Samuel Jeanblanc in 2017 proved to be enlightening for Panlilio.

“I learned about Google My Business through a seminar led by Sam. When Sam taught Google My Business and how easy it was to set up and it was

free, I was hooked. Google MyBusiness helped me with the branding of my product. I was amazed at how many views and interest that came with it,” says Panlilio.

Google helped the branding of Germano’s Chilli in terms of boosting searches online. Panlilio says he is surprised by the many monthly views and the multiple inquiries he receives each day.

“In spite of our limited resources, I have been able to supply major supermarkets like SM, Robinsons, Puregold, Rustans and Shopwise. I have had a little bit of success also in exporting my product,” says Panlilio.

Germano’s Chili now produces about 400 bottles a day and distributes the products to Metro Manila supermarkets. With such success, Panlilio was able to transfer his production site from a small space in their vacant lot to a bigger space.

Google, one of the world’s largest technology companies, is now helping micro, small and medium enterprises in the Philippines like Germano’s Chili discover larger markets with the use of digital technologies.

Google My Business is a free online listing on Google Maps and Search to help MSMEs connect with more customers in the digital space. It also helps businesses build their online presence, control their business information and create a free website and posts. It has bookings, direct contact, reviews and Q&A pages as well as an insights feature which helps businesses understand their customers better.

Other entrepreneurs who saw the benefits of Google My Business include Michelle Mariano, a former accountant from Quirino province who established Qmansi (Quirino calamansi) business and Beltran Almendral, an Igorot who sells dried pork under the brand Anito’s Dried Pork.

To encourage more MSMEs tap digital technologies, Google teamed up with the Department of Trade and Industry to launch the MSME Caravan. The caravan

will tour around the country to conduct training sessions among MSME owners on digital tools such as Google My Business and the Primer app which can help create a positive impact on their business.

“The intent is to bring all these small businesses online,” says Google Philippines country director Bernadette Nacario.

“In the Philippines, 99.5 percent of the businesses are actually MSMEs. In fact, 63 percent of our workforce are hired by all these small businesses.

They are contributing 25 percent to our export revenue. However, one important data that we have to be aware of is that only 1 percent of them are actually online,” says Nacario.

“The small businesses, as much as they want to go massive, cannot because they don’t understand how technology can help them. For that, Google feels that it is an important and urgent priority. We hope that through this campaign, we will be able to teach them the needed digital skills for them to scale and become globally competitive. We want these local entrepreneurs to be able to get a global exposure. It is not just here in the Philippines that we want them to go, but we also want them to become globally competitive,” says Nacario.

Jeanblanc, a French national, is leading the training across the country. “When we looked at the readiness of small businesses in this country, only 1 percent had websites and were fully digital and were able to export. The programs that we launched are really focused on helping those small businesses grow,” he says.

“We have been to more than 20 cities in eight regions. We have trained over 2,700 MSMEs already and that number keeps on increasing. We are very proud to be contributing to the objective of training hundreds of thousands of small businesses and bringing them online,” says Jeanblanc.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

FREELANCING PROVIDES LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES IN REMOTE AREAS BOLSTERED by demographic changes, advances in technology and shifting work patterns, the freelance and contractual labor market has been thriving as more professionals are seen to join the gig economy for extra income or to satisfy their lifestyle choices.

Multiple factors, like collaborative technology, online marketplaces, and cross-border payment platforms, are enabling the freelance workforce to do business from anywhere in the world.

According to the 2020 Freelancer Income Report of global financial services company, Payoneer—a survey with over 7,000 respondents from more than 150 countries, including the Philippines—freelancing provides an attractive earning potential, that in many cases, exceeds average wages, while empowering workers to find value in the freedom of being their own boss.

The study reveals that the global average hourly rate of gig economy workers is $21, which is higher than the $19 rate reported in 2018. While 33 percent opt to do freelancing alongside a full-time corporate job, individuals who exclusively freelance earn a higher hourly rate and tend to have a more pronounced lifestyle satisfaction. Businesses also benefit from this setup by sourcing top-talent without worrying about location or overhead costs.

It’s common for Filipinos to leave the provinces in search of better employment opportunities in Metro Manila. But with the presence of online careers, more people from Visayas and Mindanao are able to find high-paying jobs, allowing them to earn a reliable means of living without having to leave home.

Realizing the gig economy ’s role in catering to Filipinos living in rural areas, the government has launched initiatives like DigitalJobsPH Technical Training, which aims to bridge freelancers with jobs related to the information communications technology field.

Through this program, aspiring freelancers can take up courses like Digital Marketing and eCommerce, Content Writing, Virtual Assistance, Social Media Marketing and Advertising, among others that will enable them to boost their employability while honing

their talents.

Fintech companies like Payoneer also empower freelancers to explore c ro s s - b o rd e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s by providing them a platform that will even out their billing services. Handling more than 150 different currencies worldwide, Payoneer is integrated with thousands of leading global marketplaces and brands.

“Freelancers are empowered to acquire work, set their own wages, market their skills and get paid how and when they want. It’s our mission to take the complexity and anxiety out of international business for all parties, offering financial services that make it simple for people to take advantage of flourishing global opportunities, and to be a catalyst for businesses to easily acquire the best talent wherever they are and without borders,” said Payoneer chief executive Scott Galit.

MR JEFF CELEBRATES WOMEN’S MONTH SPANISH start-up Jeff app, serviced by Mr Jeff laundry hubs, celebrates with women all over the world this March which is recognized as Women’s Month.

Mr Jeff shares some steps to empower women, help them achieve ‘self-care’ and self-fulfillment. “ Yo u m a y b e m i n d f u l o f t h e environment just by being conscious of your carbon footprints. That’s good, but are you mindful about yourself?

Jumpstart your health by doing some exercise. Be mindful of your looks by treating yourself to a salon. By taking care of yourself, people are bound to take notice and will also be mindful of you,” Mr Jeff advises.

“ When making decisions—from small to big ones—ask yourself: ‘Do I need this or do I want this?’ Focusing on the things you truly need will give your life direction. Avoid toxicity in your daily life. These may include activities as well as other people.”

A lot of stress comes from trying to do so many things at the same time.

Delegating some tasks like scheduled laundry can help people relax and save quality time for the things they’d rather be doing. Unplug, even for just a day.

Using the Jeff app for home-delivery laundry and dry-cleaning needs, for instance, is seen to make things easier.

The Jeff app and website—downloadable

and accessible through any mobile phone or computer—allows users to select the exact location, time and day of laundry pick up.

A driver then picks up the laundry and delivers them cleaned and folded, ironed or dry cleaned, in just 48 hours.

The laundry is washed in Mr Jeff Laundry Hubs located in several areas such as Alabang, Las Pinas, Ermita, Congressional Avenue, West Fairview, Tiendesitas and Sta. Rosa. More hubs are opening in Metro Manila and Cebu in the coming months. Mr Jeff guarantees a 48-hour turnover.

Mr Jeff app is available through subscription and has two options: the

Plan LITE which includes four regular laundry bags and the Plan MAX includes four large laundry bags. Extra services such as additional laundry bags (regular, large or eavy) and ironing are also available.

Tech & Gadgets

NOKIA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH BOND FILM ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ H

MD Global, the home of Nokia phones, announces it is the official phone partner for the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die.

The video advertisement, featuring Lashana Lynch as Agent Nomi, was inspired by the film and directed by BAFTA Award-winning director Amma Asante (Pulse Films). The commercial is part of HMD Global’s largest ever global marketing campaign, showcasing Nokia smartphones as ‘The Only Gadget You’ll Ever Need’.

A range of Nokia phones will appear in the No Time To Die film, forming part of an integrated campaign running across cinema, digital, social, OOH and retail which will launch globally on Sunday (March 8), International Women’s Day. It kicks off with a 90-second video revealing a glimpse of the soon to be announced Nokia smartphones.

The secret device will be fully unveiled on 19 March, in plenty of time for No Time To Die, which is coming to UK cinemas on 12 November 2020. Other future-proof Nokia phones included in the film are the Nokia 7.2, featuring a powerful 48MP triple camera with Quad Pixel technology and ZEISS Optics and the iconic Nokia 3310 fans know and love. The film partnership allows HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, to demonstrate its status as a global provider of Android smartphones, showcasing its commitment to security,

to change the buttons and faces, whilst playing Snake blew my mind! So, after seeing how much Nokia smartphones have evolved over the years from my childhood to now, it’s exciting to play Nomi who helps unveil a new smartphone for this iconic brand.”

Amma Asante explains, “I am always drawn to projects that portray women as strong and intellectual - the campaign script was beautifully crafted to present Nomi as a kick ass agent not afraid of going up against the bad guys and doing it with irreverent humour at the same time.”

Juho Sarvikas, HMD Global Chief Product Officer comments: “Following the announcement to postpone the movie launch to 12 November, we now have a really exciting year ahead of us in the build up to this much anticipated release. Few cultural properties place technology at the heart of their appeal quite like No Time To Die. The film’s commitment to innovation, paired with the amazing technology built into each Nokia smartphone, making our devices the only gadget that anyone – even a 00 agent – will ever need, makes this partnership a real force to be reckoned with.”

“Trust, security and iconic quality design are the foundations every Nokia phone is built upon and our values reflect those of No Time to Die and the trailblazing new 00 agent, Nomi. We take great pride in making the latest technology accessible to everyone and look forward to doing this via our latest partnership,” said Sarvikas.

Lashana Lynch (Agent Nomi) with Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer at HMD Global

speed and innovation, meeting the demands of the world’s toughest customers - MI6 agents.

The video commercial is filmed against the backdrop of the distinctive London skyline featuring St Paul’s and The Shard. Agent Nomi utilises the range of capabilities on her new, soon to be revealed Nokia

smartphone, to complete her mission.

Speaking about her experience with HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, Lynch explained: “My first phone was actually a Nokia 3210 when I was about ten years old. In retrospect, it was my smartphone of the 90’s. Being able

realme UNLEASHES GAMING MONSTER C3

By Charles Dantes AFTER the buzz around the social media about the newest smartphone in town, realme Philippines unveiled the latest addition to its growing list of high-quality phones.

Tagged as “triple camera, gaming monster”, the all-new realme C3 elevates the entry-level smartphone scene in the country with its hightier features and specifications.

“We are excited to introduce the realme C3 to the Filipinos. We hope to empower and encourage more young Filipinos to dare to take the first step toward their goals with realme C3’s powerful features offered at a very accessible value. Now with the realme C3, more young Filipinos can grit and grind,” said realme Philippines Vice President for Marketing Austine Huang.

The realme C3 boasts of a twocolor variant – the blazing red and frozen blue. Adding to its visually appealing color pallette is its 6.5-inch dewdrop screen with light and thin display for the protection of the eye.

It also comes up with a sunrise design, complete with elegant texture, anti-fingerprint and scratch re-

sistance to protect the screen of the phone.

The biggest surprise of the entrylevel phone is it will the first-ever smartphone to house the MediaTek Helio G70 processor, perfect for mobile games.

Other than the improved performance, realme C3 has three rear cameras and an AI front camera.

The primary camera has 12 megapixels with f1/8 aperture, HDR, Chromaboost, and Slo-mo (480P 120fps), while the portrait and macro lens both have 2MP with f2/4 aperture.

The front camera has its own AI for improving your selfies with its 5MP and high dynamic range in order to capture every detail of your photos. realme C3 is priced at P5,990 with a 3-gigabyte ram and 32GB space.

It is already available nationwide and online stores like Shopee and Lazada.

Adding to the release of realme C3 is the announcement of a new Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League with realme as the official sponsor of its season five.

Anthony So, community manager of realme Philippines, said that

Shown here are (from left) Eason de Guzman, realme PH marketing lead for realme, Austine Huang, realme PH VP for Marketing, and Anthony So. realme PH community manager.

realme Mobile Legends Cup will return for its third season to help amateur mobile gamers join a huge tournament with a total prize pool of P300,000.

So also teased the realme Master-

shot, a mobile photography contest where all photos from the realme community are welcome to join.

To learn, interested gamers and photographers can visit realme PH Facebook page for more details.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

CISCO: 5G TO BOOST PH’S TELCO REVENUES

By Angelica Villanueva IN A recent study authorized by Cisco, a multinational technology leader, the annual revenues of local telecommunication operators will be boosted by $650 million if it will start to fully rollout the 5G services in the Philippines.

With the mission to enhance and improve the experiences of users, 5G is said to give internet speed of 50 times faster, 10 times more responsive and much lower power connectivity than its predecessor through its distinctive features— high throughout, ultra-low latency and low power connectivity.

Conducted by consulting firm Kearney, the study “5G in ASEAN: Reigning growth in enterprise and consumer markets,” revealed that these features will help local telcom providers to supply super-fast internet connections.

What does “super-fast internet connections” means? This is enabling users to stream videos in high-definition, cloud gaming, and having an interactive augmented and virtual reality-powered content.

The 5G penetration in the region is expected to be around 25 to 40 percent with the forecast of exceeding 200 million 5G subscriptions by 2025. Meanwhile, in five years, the 5G penetration is said to have about 15 percent.

“The expected rollout of 5G services comes at a perfect time for telecom operators. The usage of cellular data is growing rapidly as users consume increasing anount of servcies and content on their personal devices,” said Naveen Menon, Cisco ASEAN President.

As for enterprises, 5G rollout will help to fast-track the commercialization of several advance use cases of 5G, including smart cities, Industry 4.0, large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, and more. This will help the country’s telcom providers to increase revenues not just from consumers but also its enterprise clients.

“At the same time, enterprises are looking to leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is underpinned by Artificial Intelligence, IoT, 3D Printing, Advanced Robotics and Wearables to boost growth. The successful adoption of these technologies is largely dependent on the underlying connectivity.

This provides a huge opportunity for telecom operators to increase their presence in the enterprise market and sustain their long-term growth,” he added.

Karrie Ilagan, Managing Director for Cisco Philippines, seconded Menon and explained since that digital transformation has been taking over in the Philippines, businesses will use these leverage advancements to enter a new phase of expansion.

“The rollout of 5G services will play a key role in accelerating the adoption and bring substantial benefits to the enterprises. At the same time, consumers are also eagerly waiting for 5G rollout for enhanced experience with content consumption on their personal devices,” said Ilagan.

SHELL’S THERMAL OXIDATION STABILITY HELPS KEEP PISTON CLEAN USING the right products for one’s motorcycle can be tricky, since every owner has specific riding needs.

Passionate motorcycle owners need to keep their bikes in top shape and find the right product for their specific use like more power, longer endurance, or better mileage for their journeys.

Shell Philippines recently launched a new range of Shell Advance fully synthetic motorcycle oils that provide specific benefits for specific motorcycle riding needs.

According to Lorrie Ramirez, Brand Manager of Shell Advance, the line was developed to provide specific benefits to a customer’s motorcycle engine.

“They use 99.5% pure natural-gasbased oil and are fully synthetic, so they can provide many benefits to the customer,” Ramirez said. “This new range of motorcycle oils provide all the five benefits of complete protection such as maximized horsepower, enhanced fuel economy, protection against high temperature, clean pistons and superior wear protection, but with one enhanced

benefit,” she added.

The three new products are Shell Advance Power, Shell Advance Long Ride, and Shell Advance Fuel Save, with their names explicitly stating what their enhanced benefits are. Here is how each of the three can help riders have safe and effective motorcycle journeys: SHELL ADVANCE POWER Motorcycle engines’ performance ideally need to be preserved even after they’ve been in use for some time. Unfortunately, degeneration can happen when motorcycle users don’t use highquality oil thus oxidation and deposit formation occur.

Because of this, the right kind of motorcycle oil must be used so the bike’s performance doesn’t decline. One of the benefits of Shell Advance Power is thermal oxidation stability. It helps keep the engine piston clean and freerunning, making sure that it has a longlasting performance.

Another benefit of Shell Advance Power is there is no power loss. Based on two separate field trials covering up to 20,000

kilometers, motorcycles lubricated with Shell Advance Power did not experience any power drop compared to when they were new. When motorists use this oil, performance will be preserved without power loss, even with age.

SHELL ADVANCE LONG RIDE The motorcycle engines being used in long rides can be subject to highly unfavorable conditions. For example, when the oil inside a motorcycle’s running engine is subject to high temperatures, it will evaporate, causing oil levels to drop. Oil viscosity will also increase

and affect the oil’s ability to lubricate the engine. During long rides, loss of oil will become substantial and this could cause lubrication failure that leads to engine breakdown.

To specifically address this, Shell Advance Long Ride has oil volatility control, which makes sure that there are enough oil levels to maintain effective lubrication to the engine, with less top-up required. It is expertly formulated to give more endurance during long rides of up to 6,000 kilometers.

Another benefit of Shell Advance Long Ride is its robust formulation.

High-quality oil ensures that the oil will last longer without compromising engine protection and performance. Shell Advance Long Ride is 17.9% more oxidative stable than the leading full-synthetic competitor’s product so it can provide lubrication to the engine longer. This will keep the engine running effectively during long journeys.

SHELL ADVANCE FUEL SAVE There are also motorcycle riders whose priority is to save fuel, such as

those who use their motorcycles every day to go to work and back.

Shell Advance Fuel Save is perfect for these riders. With its Pureplus Technology- derived base oil, molecules are uniformly sized which make it easier to slide over creating lesser friction and smoother components movement hence, less fuel consumption. This is not normally experienced in a mineral-based motorcycle product. Even if fuel consumption is reduced with Shell Advance Fuel Save, engine durability is not affected and an additional five kilometers per liter was realized as compared to a mineral-based motorcycle oil after 12,000 kilometers test under realistic driving conditions.

Riders who use Shell Advance Fuel Save can enjoy a lower running cost and go longer without refueling.

Next time motorcycle enthusiasts get on their bikes, they know that they can now have better journeys with the new line of Shell Advance fully synthetic motorcycle oils addressing their need, be it for a more powerful ride, a long journey, or several fuel-saving trips.

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

HISENSE LAUNCHES PH’S ST 1 100-INCH LASER TV

H

ISENSE is about to change your TV viewing experience as it launched the Philippines’ first 4K Laser TV, the Hisense 100L10E.

A known leader in Laser TV technology, Hisense breaks barriers once again with its 100-inch display.

An exciting innovation from top global manufacturer of consumer electronics, the Hisense 100L10E 4K Laser TV features a unique Laser Light Projector Technology called X Fusion. This laser engine provides exceptional picture quality and color output as compared to traditional projectors that make use of light bulbs. The brand takes pride in their dual red and blue color lasers that help create a wider color gamut. And, because laser light is capable of emitting higher lumens, this 4K Laser TV can even be used in daylight.

With its Ultra Short Throw Laser Projection System, the Hisense 100L10E’s projector can cast a 4K image at 100” in size, even though it is situated only 8 inches away from the wall. Smooth motion and exceptional detail can be expected with this TV’s Ultra HD 3840x2160 resolution. Its Optimized Ambient Light Rejecting Screen complements the laser projector, making sure that light causes only minimal alteration on the display. This allows for big, bold, beautiful viewing from almost any angle, even in brightly lit conditions.

While the use of lasers at home might spark some safety concerns, there is no need to worry.

The Hisense 4K Laser TV is equipped with a safety sensor as it makes use of Class 2 lasers, which are approved for household use. This smart TV is powered by Vidaa U, a Hisense-owned Operating System. Its simple interface allows easy navigation between compatible apps for video streaming, such as YouTube and Netflix.

Completing the entertainment experience is the TV’s speakers, which are sound designed by Harman Kardon. The 14 speakers embedded into the console, partnered with a separate wireless subwoofer can provide full, clear sound worthy of a total cinematic vibe.

Truly, the Hisense 100L10E 4K Laser TV is your best option in the market today. Imagine yourself with the Hisense Laser TV in its 100-inch visual glory, while watching action-packed basketball replays, or getting lost in the virtual world of gaming, or simply indulging in your best-loved flicks like it’s movie pre-

A Cyberzone Game Fest participant enjoying his eSports challenge.

EXPERIENCE AweSM AT CYBEZONE GAME FEST

miere night! Have the ultimate viewing experience all in the comforts of your home. Get yours today and visit www.hisense.com.ph.

Hisense Group was founded in 1969. At present, Hisense Group owns two listed companies— Hisense Electric and Hisense Kelon Electrical, listed in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. And it also owns many brands including Hisense, Toshiba, Gorenje, Kelon and Ronshen.

In the past 50 years, Hisense has always adhered to the core values of “Honesty, Integrity, Practicality and Positivity” and the development strategy of “Sound Technological Foundation and Robust Operation”. The business covers areas including multimedia, home appliances, intelligent information and service industries. Over the years, Hisense has ranked No.1 in TV industries in China, and also No.1 in the new industries such as intelligent transportation and optical communication.

With the products exported to over 130 countries and regions, Hisense has also sponsored the world’s top sporting events such as UEFA EURO 2016, 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2020. In

the “China National Image Global Survey” released

by China International Publishing Group, Hisense was one of the “Top Ten most familiar Chinese brands to overseas citizens” for four consecutive years. With more than 80,000 employees worldwide, Hisense Group has 14 industrial parks and production bases, which are located in Qingdao, Shunde, Jiangmen, Yangzhou, Guiyang, Huzhou, Czech Republic, South Africa, Mexico and so on.

There are also 12 R&D centers located in Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, USA, Europe, Israel, Japan, etc.

For four consecutive years (2015-2018), Hisense received “The Best Global Image award” at the Chinese Enterprise Global Image Summit. Back in February 2018, Hisense made the cut for the “BrandZ Top 10 Chinese Global Brand Builders” and earned the title for the “fastest growing electronics and home appliance brand.” In September 2018, the “User experience Gold Award” from the IFA Product Technical Innovation Award 2018 was given to the Hisense 4K Laser TV L5. With the continuous brand-building efforts, Hisense enjoyed an excellent brand reputation across the globe.

UNIONBANK ASPIRES TO BE DIGITALLY TRANSFORMED UNIONBANK of the Philippines (UnionBank) recently celebrated its 38th anniversary, simultaneously launching a new set of goals as it starts the new decade.

At the anniversary celebration held at the Metrotent Convention Center of Metrowalk in Pasig, UnionBank president and CEO Edwin Bautista thanked all UnionBankers for the role they play in propelling UnionBank to its greatest heights. This came as the bank also unveiled a reinforced strategy that simultaneously responds to elements of certainty and uncertainty in the industry, fueled by technology as a key competitive advantage.

UnionBank aspires to become a fully agile and digitally transformed universal bank to compete with the top publicly-listed banks of today.

KASAMA TEACHERS COMMUNITY WEBSITE TO CONNECT MATH, SCIENCE EDUCATORS THE University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development, in partnership with Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, are happy to invite Filipino K to 12 Science and Mathematics educators to join the largest online community—KaSaMa Teachers Community website.

Packed with exciting features and functions, the online platform is now available for old and new members to explore.

From a small online community where teachers simply share their experiences about the new K to 12 curriculum, the new KaSaMa website goes beyond just a tool that allows members to connect. Through the expertise of Summit Media, it has now become a one-stop hub for communication, collaboration, learning and development for all Filipino K to 12 Science and Math educators.

COMMUNICATING MADE EASY Real-time conversation is now faster and easier, thanks to the website’s improved chat feature. KaSaMa members can send and receive news, updates, and event invites anytime, anywhere. It

also allows them to attach and transfer files for sharing even on the go.

CONVENIENT ACCESS TO RESOURCES The difficulty of finding reliable references is no longer a problem.

Members can get access to UP NISMED’s exclusive repository of teaching and learning materials—free of charge. The new platform is also an excellent venue for teachers to collaborate in developing or improving these materials for the benefit of the whole community.

COMMUNITY CENTERED ON LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT One of the primary goals of the community is to help its members further develop their teaching skills, knowledge, and techniques through specialized trainings.

The website is equipped with a webinar function that they can use to conduct trainings or upload video materials tackling various topics, practices, and issues.

Dr. Aida I. Yap, Director of UP NISMED, is excited and positive about this project.

“This worthwhile project will not only provide teachers, students, and other stakeholders access to quality teaching and

The people behind the new KaSaMa Teachers online community: UP NISMED and KaSaMa Teachers core team led by Director Dr. Aida Yap, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation Executive Director Grace Colet, and the Summit Media team. IMAGE GBF

learning resources, but also serve as an avenue in achieving quality education in the country.”

GBF’s Executive Director, Grace Colet, believes that this project goes beyond creating a website—it’s real vision is to empower teachers to help themselves and each other, creating a culture of collaboration and cooperation. “The com-

munity we are building aims to empower science and math educators to be the best of themselves, to help not only their students but the entire teaching community as a means of uplifting our country.”

All K to 12 Science and Math teachers are invited to be a part of the all-new KaSaMa website. Visit https://www.kasamateachers.ph/ to sign up.

SM Cyberzone, the country’s largest chain of IT retail stores, is placing the Filipino gaming industry on the spotlight with Game Fest 2020 happening in select SM malls.

Now on its fifth year, the tech hub continues to cement their position in the gaming industry and continue to uphold their promise of providing the best and latest gadgets to shoppers.

“We live in an age where we are inseparable with our gadgets that help us power our passions. This month, we’re highlighting this by focusing on Filipino gaming, specifically, eSports,” said SM Supermalls senior assistant vice president for sponsorships and Cyberzone marketing head Patrick Pacla.

Here are 4 tech-citing activities to watch out for at SM: 1. Game Tech Fair—Get a chance to score exclusive deals and discounts on peripherals, gaming hardware, the latest PC builds, and laptops.

2. Gaming Zone—Partnered with top-notch tech and gaming brands, gamers will experience a synergy of incredible touch-and-tr y gamin g experiences featuring only the newest innovations on eSports.

3. Gaming Tournament— To continue developing the future of eSports in the country, Cyberzone Game Fest 2020 will set the stage for the most epic PC and console tournaments.

4. Gaming Lounge—In partnership with the finest gaming brands in the industry, this year’s Game Fest will showcase multiple gaming setups assembled with high performance systems suitable for both enthusiasts and professional players.

Cyberzone Game Fest 2020 kicked off at SM City North EDSA—The Annex on Feb. 28 and will roll out to the following SM malls: Southmall (March 6 to 7), Naga (March 13 to 15), Iloilo (March 20 to 22), Lipa (March 27 to 29), Fairview (April 3 to 5), Cagayan de Oro Downtown (April 17 to 19), Bacoor (April 24 to 26), Cebu (March 1 to 3), Clark (May 8 to 10), Marikina (May 15 to 17), Calamba (May 22 to 24), Davao (May 29 to 31).

Cyberzone Game Fest 2020 was made possible by PC Express, Data Blitz, Playpark, Asus Republic of Gamers, Lenovo, Legion, Acer Predator, MSI, AOC Agon, Philips, Cooler Master, HyperX, Razer, JBL, and Logitech.

Whether it is gaming, virtual reality, photography, or tech—Filipinos can live a #LifePowered by their passion with Cyberzone. For more information, #CheckCyberzone at www.smcyberzone.com.

Happy International Women's Day!

Special Issue/

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Bernadette Lunas, Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

‘‘

GIRL GOT MUSIC.

Fil-Am artist Tiana Kocher makes a name in the US music scene with her notable singles, some have reached the top 40 Indie Charts while others feature starstudded music videos.

When I perform my own songs, that I have been part of the writing process, I can express the storyline to the audience so much easier.

REAL SUPERWOMEN SAVE

CHILDREN

ONE does not need superpowers to be able to help others. These four women utilize their strengths and capabilities to advocate for the betterment of those in need, particularly children.

Nongovernment organization Save the Children Philippines trains the spotlight on superwomen who have made it their mission to save the young ones.

Breastfeeding advocate Bianca Araneta-Elizalde

TIANA TO THE TOP

By Ayunan G. Gunting

E

ARLY into her career as an independent singer-songwriter, Tiana Kocher (pronounced Coker) has accomplished a lot.

She debuted as a solo artist at the 2018 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, an organization that acknowledges original music in multimedia. For two consecutive years, Kocher has been center stage at The Soirée, pre-Grammy awards show held during Grammy weekend. The evening is a networking event for celebrities, influencers, and music industry professionals.

Moreover, Kocher’s three singles “Just My Type,” “Paint the Town,” and “U Tried It” have climbed the top 40 Indie Charts. “Swing Batter,” her second single, was used in the Cîroc commercial for the movie What Men Want starring Taraji Henson and Tracy Morgan.

The Los Angeles-based Fil-Am artist has worked with some big names in the entertainment industry. Comedians Rob Schneider and

Marlon Wayans have had cameo roles in the music video of “Just My Type.” Four-time Grammynominated record producer Leon “Roccstar” Youngblood, who created hits for Chris Brown, Usher, and Fergie, produced one of her recent records “U Tried It,” which was released October 2019.

On March 26, Kocher will launch an EP that features collaborations with various Grammy-winners including popular girl group TLC, Faith Evans, and Sage the Gemini.

The 21-year-old singer describes her style as contemporary RnB—a blend of dance beats, rhythm and blues injected with synthesizers, and hip-hop. The upcoming EP will show her range in mainstream pop and classic RnB, written by multiawarded record producers.

Turn to D2

Tiana describes her style as contemporary RnB—a blend of dance beats, rhythm and blues injected with synthesizers, and hip-hop.

Bianca Araneta-Elizalde

The former commercial model and breastfeeding advocate keeps a list of “thank you” letters from mothers whose babies benefited from her breastmilk.

As a breastfeeding advocate, she has been donating breastmilk to the Philippine General Hospital for more than 10 years, thus, saving the lives of about a hundred babies.

As a mother of four girls, she empathizes with mothers who can’t breastfeed. “To be able to do something about it is heartwarming.”

The organization advocates for the full implementation of laws promoting breastfeeding such as the Milk Code or Executive Order 51, Republic Act 7600 or the Rooming-in for infant and mothers, and Republic Act 11148 known as the Kalusugan ng Mag Nanay Act. These laws mandate exclusive breastfeeding for babies from the first hour after birth and up to six months, and encourages continuous breastfeeding up to two years.

"Women need to know that they are enough and that they are in no competition with anyone."

PR director Marcie Linao Because She Watched on Netflix is a curated lineup of TV series, documentaries, and films chosen by 55 women working behind and in front of the camera.

NETFLIX AND CHILL: WOMEN’S DAY EDITION

FIFTY five women who work in front and behind available all year, was organized through the partthe camera curated a special collection of TV se- nership between Netflix and UN Women.

Curators include Sophia Loren, Janet Mock, ries, documentaries, and films on Netflix to celSalma Hayek, Yalitza Aparicio, Millie Bobby Brown, ebrate International Women’s Day. The special lineup dubbed “Because She Watched,” Turn to D2

Marcie Linao

The lucrative world of public relations has taught this PR director to be tough.

“You can’t be a weakling,” said Linao.

When appropriate, she uses her charisma to relate easily with clients, but shows toughness when it comes to the male-dominated industries.

Her advice to girls who want to prosper in the industry: “Make sure that your tank is full and you are contented of who you are.”

“Women need to know that they are enough and that they are in no Turn to D2

Destinations

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

REAL...

From D1

competition with anyone.”

As a Changemaker of Save the Children Philippines, Linao vows to use her expertise and influence to help the organization advocate for the rights of children to grow up as productive members of the society.

NIGHT GOLF IN THE CITY The Club Intramuros golf course now offers night golf, allowing golfers to play until midnight.

Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez

Katarina Rodriguez

The Miss World Philippines 2018 sees the life of a beauty queen as a struggle to fit into a world full of rules and to break boundaries and barriers. “I am always expected to act in a certain way. They constantly criticize me for my appearance,” she lamented.

Save the Children opened Rodriguez’ eyes to the situation of the most deprived and marginalized children.

A year after she was named ambassador of Save the Children Philippines, she has traveled to Mindanao as part of the team providing humanitarian support to children who were displaced by the Marawi conflict and the series of earthquakes in 2019.

“Every activity that I do for Save the Children, I always learn something new about the organization, the world, children and more importantly myself,” said Rodriguez. “Save The Children, above all, gives me purpose.”

MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

C

LUB Intramuros is among the oldest golf courses in the Philippines. It used to be a moat surrounding The Walled City and was later converted into a sunken garden.

During the American Era, it was made into a golf course, and this was in the early 1930s, originally known as the Manila Municipal Golf Links. The Manila City government later The Switching-On Ceremony was led by (from left) Tourism Undersecretary Edwin Enrile, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso and assumed management of the course and exSportscaster Anthony Suntay TIEZA chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas. panded it into a full 18-hole golf course.

In the 1950s, a driving range was put up on the golf course, and in the 1960s, the venue among locals and foreigners who do not want Suntay, many golf enthusiasts expressed their was further expanded. Later, the management to waste hours of travel just to play golf, Club desire to use the course immediately to play and control of Club Intramuros was transferred Intramuros has become the best time-saving nighttime golf. The occasion highlighted the to the Philippine Tourism Authority, which has option. This inspired TIEZA to come up with Switching-On Ceremony which was spearnow evolved into the Tourism Infrastructure the idea of Night Golf, after making further up- headed by Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoand Enterprise Zone grades and enhance- so, TIEZA chief operating officer Pocholo ParaAuthority (TIEZA), in ments on the venue. gas, and Tourism Undersecretary Edwin Enrile.

When I was asked to represent tourism’s pri1981 during the MarClub Intramuros cos Administration. now prides itself on vate sector on stage, I said this event came in YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE During the Ramos being the only course timely as the industry would benefit from having My grandfather takes long walks, an Administration, golf in the country that of- something new to offer to domestic and foreign hour a day. It’s been two years, we still architect David Dye fers Night Golf, from guests in the face of the drastic slump we are curdon’t know where he is. was commissioned to 3:00 p.m. to midnight. rently experiencing due to the COVID-19 scare.

It is always good to have a new product rehabilitate and furWith this move, the ther beautify the golf Club expects a signifi- to sell, and playing nighttime golf right in course. The upgraded full 18-hole, par 66, golf cant increase in the number of patrons as corpo- history’s ground zero, with the cool breeze course lines the periphery of the walls of Intra- rate executives will now find it convenient to do blowing from all directions, further validates why It’s More Fun In The Philippines. muros, further enhancing the historical value of the 18 holes right after office. the location.

During the launch the other day, which was With the popularity of the golf course emceed by popular sportscaster Anthony For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Singer-songwriter Lara Maigue

Lara Maigue

Exposure to music from early childhood onwards is critical to a child’s development, according to the Nurturing Care Framework of the World Health Organization. The report says early childhood exposure to music help them speak more clearly, develop a larger vocabulary, and "We have to strengthen social do our part and emotional skills.

As a classical in providing singer, Maigue is an enabling willing to give a environment part of herself to for women. encourage girls We have to and boys to develop their craft in learn to listen music. Her dream and value their is to inspire girls voice." to dream big and take on challenges as stepping stones to success. She also wants to be an inspiration to women with different singing styles to get into the industry.

She said teaching classical music including kundiman to children is a powerful tool to instill love for country. Save the Children Philippines provides a platform for children to speak for themselves and be listened to by the government, schools, and parents.

“Sometimes it’s easier for everyone to just tell women and girls to speak up but we have to do our part in providing an enabling environment for women. We have to learn to listen and value their voice.”

NETFLIX...

From D1 Laurie Nunn, Lana Condor, Petra Costa, and Ava DuVernay, among others.

“This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity,” said UN Women deputy executive director Anita Bhatia.

Created for International Wom-

en’s Day, whose official theme this year is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights,” the collection celebrates the stories that have inspired the women who inspire us.

Some of the titles include Unbelievable, Luna Nera, Followers, Orange Is the New Black, Lionheart, and Sex Education.

“Orange Is the New Black is the

TIANA...

From D1

The 21-year-old singersongwriter stands out in her bright 1990s edgy style.

first project where I felt genuinely empowered as a woman thanks to the woman at the helm of the show, Jenji Kohan, and the many women directors, writers, producers, and crew members as well as the stories that centered diverse women in an unprecedented way,” said one of the show’s stars, Laverne Cox. Cox continued, “This show created a space and platform for me

part of the creative process. My recent music is more of me from the heart,” she shares.

She continues, “When I perform my own songs, that I have been part of the writing process, I can express the storyline to the audience so much easier.

It has made a huge difference to me.

Needless to say, it’s important for me as an artist to be part of the song from start to finish.”

Her fondness for the RnB scene is echoed in her fashion style—meaningful tattoos, bright 1990s edgy clothing, often bold makeup, and the unique styling of her hair for her music videos. Kocher prefers to style her own music videos, and has fun going through more urban/street lit stores and thrift shops for unusual finds.

“If I’m in a black top my bottom has to be a neon sharpie, and vice versa,” she says.

This year, Kocher plans to release and create more music as well as perform around the US and here in the Philippines.

However, Kocher doesn’t stop there.

Her forthcoming single, “Por Tiempo,” is a collab with Puerto Rican singer J. Alvarez, who is famous for reggaeton—Latin music with hip-hop.

Tiana (from Cristiana) Kocher was born and raised in the Philippines and studied at the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts in the UK. An education established a strong foundation for her career.

“I was trained in musical theater in the UK, but it was the music my parents listened to that got me into RnB,” she relates. “I’d come home from school and my mom (Katrina Ponce Enrile) would play Aliyah and Brandy while my dad (James Kocher) played jazz. I absorbed their music, but I also have an appreciation for classical music because the rest of my family loved it.”

Unlike other entertainers who have ghostwriters, Kocher has a huge input in her songs. Most of her themes are about relationships, and loosely her Check out www.tianakocher.com or @tiown experiences or those close to her. anakocher on social media for updates.

“Working on my new music has Photos from been so uplifting. Starting from @tianakocher/Instagram ‘U Tried It’ onwards I have been

as a black openly trans woman that created space for other openly trans women of all races to be truly seen in the depth of our humanity.”

“We’re encouraged that last year, 20 percent of the directors of Netflix original films were women and we are excited to celebrate these female creators on International Women’s Day,” said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Ini-

tiative.

“There’s still more to do to reach equality, but by recognizing female talent from around the world, we hope more women will feel encouraged to tell their stories, pushing that number even higher.”

The collection is available at Netflix.com/BecauseSheWatched or by searching “Because She Watched.”

Entertainment

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

D3

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

MIGUEL ODRON’S ‘CHEVY CRUZE’ CHARMS LISTENERS IN 16 COUNTRIES

M

IGUEL Odron’s self-penned single “Chevy Cruze” is finally out, landing on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hongkong, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as in countries on the Gulf region such as Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

‘Idol Philippines’ finalist and rising recording artist Miguel Odron

The new track—Miguel’s debut offering—was also featured on Apple Music’s “New Music Daily” & “Hot Tracks” and on Anghami’s “New Pinoy” playlist.

“Chevy Cruze” is produced by ABS-CBN Music International, ABSCBN’s record label that seeks to introduce the exceptional artistry of Filipinos to global audiences. The track is also co-produced by Tarsier’s Records’ Devin Lopez a.k.a. Subzylla.

“I produced and wrote this from a very personal place so I hope fans will be able to sense the authenticity in it,” Miguel shared. “It’s about having so much resentment, but you keep coming back, you keep getting in that car when it rolls up because you hope that things get better, you hope that things change but they never do.”

Fans were definitely thrilled when the song dropped last Friday.

They congratulated the rising recording artist for the song’s unique sound and vocal arrangement.

The fans’ reactions thrilled the former Idol Philippines contestant.

“I try to always write selfishly and purely from my own experiences and for my own tastes, so for the song to have resonated with complete strangers with totally different experiences is really such a strange but beautiful moment of connection,” he said.

Stream Miguel’s “Chevy Cruze” on various digital platforms and watch out for its music video coming out on Apple Music, MYX and ABS-CBN Star Music’s YouTube channel.

FIVE SEXY SUMMER ROMANCES ON IFLIX SUMMER is just around the corner, and the temperature outside is on the rise. Why not get a head start on the season with a binge-watching party with the barkada, and stream these sexy summer romance flicks on iflix.

How To Be Yours This is a story about two people who met, fell in love, and pursued their individual dreams. Niño (Gerald Anderson) is a sales agent who’s bent on attaining career stability. Anj (Bea Alonzo) is a self-taught cook who dreams of working in a high-end restaurant someday. Their relationship gets them through their day-to-day challenges, but what happens when their goals start taking up more of their time? What if the reasons that made them fall in love are not the same reasons for them to go on anymore? How To Be Yours is directed

by Dan Villegas.

Ang Pambansang Third Wheel Trina has always been the third wheel.

Until one day, she meets the man of her dreams. Could he be the one who will change her fate? Until she learns that the guy she’s dating is a single dad to an 8-year-old boy. And the boy’s mother never too far behind. Will Trina ever break free from being a third or even fourth wheel and finally find happiness as the one and only. This romantic comedy stars Yassi Pressman and Sam Milby.

AN EYE-OPENER FOR

KRISTOFFER MARTIN

GMA Music offers a new song for the hopeless romantics via the second single of Kristoffer Martin entitled “Lagi Na Lang.”

Composed by Mark Atienza, the song describes the bittersweet feeling of moving on from a heartbreak.

According to Kristoffer, he wants the listeners to treat his new single as an “eye-opener.” Getting over someone you loved and hoped for is difficult but he believes it is important to look on the bright side and be optimistic.

“Kailangan ninyo ring mag- move on at ‘yun ang gagamitin mong inspiration para mas maging better kang tao. Lahat naman tayo kapag nadadapa, nagdedesisyon na bumangon at mag-improve.”

“Lagi Na Lang” is now available on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and on other digital platforms worldwide.

Actor and singer Kristoffer Martin

KATY PERRY REVEALS

PREGNANCY IN LATEST MV IT WAS a twofer for fans of Katy Perry: the pop star dropped a new music video— and revealed that she and her fiance, actor Orlando Bloom, are expecting a baby.

The 35-year-old Perry cradles a baby bump in the final seconds of the video for “Never Worn White,” released late Wednesday.

Shortly before it dropped, Perry had published a snippet of the clip, fueling speculation on social media that the singer—known for hits such as “I Kissed A Girl” and “Roar”—might be expecting.

“Let’s just say it’s gonna be a jam packed

summer...” Perry wrote afterwards on various social media sites.

“So glad I don’t have to suck it in anymore... or carry around a big purse,” she told her more than 108 million Twitter followers.

The songstress is engaged to Bloom, who is best known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings saga as well as his turn in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alongside Johnny Depp.

The baby will be Perry’s first and the second for Bloom, 43, who has a son with model Miranda Kerr. AFP

Katy Perry revealed she is having a baby in the video for her latest song “Never Worn White.”

Swipe Meg Imperial and Luis Alandy star in this contemporary drama about an apartment complex, the people who live in it, and the social dating app Swipe.

When CCTV cameras are installed in Sunrise Apartments, the tenants’ lives and their supposedly discreet affairs on social media dating sites, start to slowly unravel.

Things take a chilling turn when deception becomes the common thread through all their stories.

Abay Babes Starring Cristine Reyes, Kylie Versoza, Natalie Hart, and Roxanne Barcelo, the sexy flick is about high school best friends and “it” girls. Years later, they are reuniting for a wedding –and it’s of the least attractive among them.

Everyone is excited, but they can’t hide their disbelief that she is the first to walk down the aisle. They secretly joke that the bride-to-be may just be making it all up, especially since they haven’t met the groom. It doesn’t take long before their past issues reemerge and fighting ensues, At a time when friendship and love are supposed to be celebrated, will doubt and rivalry get the better of them?

Camp Sawi Five women, Gwen (Arci Muñoz), Bridgette (Bela Padilla), Jessica (Yassi Pressman), Clarisse (Andi Eigenmann) and Joanne (Kim Molina) are all brokenhearted. To get over their exes, they join Camp Sawi. During their time at the camp, the five women help one another in dealing with their ill feelings under the watchful eye of camp chef and head coach Louie (Sam Milby). iflix is Southeast Asia’s leading entertainment service with the widest and most compelling selection of TV shows, movies, hyper local originals, premium live sports and up-to-theminute news from around the world, available to stream or download, on any internet connected device… wherever, whenever.

D4

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets ADOPT, DON’T BUY

L

OSING a pet is an extremely painful and exhausting time for all members of the family.

Thus, this is the time to also focus on one’s physical, emotional and mental health.

“Grieving is a highly personalized, individualistic experience that is influenced by culture and social groups. The process in which you might experience the pain of losing your pet might look immensely different from even a direct family member living in the same house, “ said Adam Clark, LCSW, in “7 Self-Care Essentials While Grieving the Death of a Pet” in Psychology Today.

Clark shared tips on self-care during this time when a person is processing the loss of a beloved pet.

“Our grief is an expression of the love we have felt, the pain of loss and the process of having to reintegrate our life into what it will look like with the ‘absence’ of our pet. I place ‘absence’ in quotes as many believe it is only a physical loss, as our pets will always remain in our hearts and their influence upon our lives will last forever,” Clark said.

1. Give yourself time to grieve in your own way and release your emotions.

Despite a busy schedule and long list of things to do daily, do find time to grieve and experience your emotions fully, Clark said.

“Give yourself the time to feel, experience, and let the emotions you are experiencing release at regular intervals along your journey through grief and on a daily basis in the beginning. Otherwise, you might find yourself stuffing your emotions which can cause more pain down the road,” Clark added.

2. Allow yourself to reflect on the life you and your pet shared.

It is not easy to reflect on a life shared with a loved one. It can be very painful. It can make you cry harder.

But reflecting will help you to shift from too much sadness to a more positive state such as being grateful you had a wonderful dog or an amazing cat.

“Take time to reflect either through writing, storytelling, or whatever form of expression brings you comfort. I typically encourage my clients to start a memory journey and reflect upon the life shared. It can be easy to want to immediately write down the pain of grief, especially in the beginning. However; when you are taking the time to purposely reflect in this manner, try to focus on what positive memories were shared,” Clark said.

“This allows your body to experience a different emotion and helps bring you from pain into gratitude for the time spent together over time. Make sure to not use this method to avoid experiencing pain, we must experience both within the grief process,” Clark said.

3. Nourish yourself with good food and sufficient sleep, among others.

Never skip a meal even if you do not have an appetite.

During the first phase of grief, most humans complain of complete loss of appetite and inability to sleep or insomnia.

But Clark advised grieving humans to try their best to eat, specially nutritious food, and to maintain a sleep schedule.

Grieving is taxing on the body. Help your body by eating nutritious food.

LIFE AFTER A PET’S DEATH It is never easy to lose a pet. To many humans, believing that dogs and cats go to Heaven like humans lessens the pain, the sadness and the guilt.

The mind is active during the initial grieving phase. “Guilt plays a role in this as well, “Clark said.

To calm the mind, you can meditate, or do breathing exercises.

4. Choose a calming practice and use it frequently.

“As we said earlier, it can be incredibly frustrating and painful that the outside world doesn’t slow down. We aren’t typically allowed days off from work to grieve the death of our pet and are even only federally mandated to receive three days from our employer for direct, human, family members,” Clark noted.

“Choosing a calming practice such as meditation, active focus on breathing, mindful eating, or releasing our body tension can help as our anxieties that may increase during social obligations while we are still experiencing our grief, “ Clark stressed.

5. Continue routines with your living pets as best as you can.

Your other pets also experience the loss and absence of the dog or cat who crossed the rainbow bridge.

“Animals thrive on routines and structure.

Dogs experience grief and can search for their pack member. Cats may hide or spend more time alone, changing behavior while they process alongside you. Horses may run the fenceline for some time and whinny, trying to receive a return call from their mate. Try to maintain walking routines and feeding schedules as not to disrupt their process or your own, “ Clark said.

“Routines allow us a sense of structure and familiarity, although the first few times can be

painful, these immediate triggers can reduce over time,” Clark added.

6. Memorialize the love and memory of your pet.

“Saying ‘see you later’ to ones we love can be a crucial step in moving through the grief experience. Sometimes, we don’t get to say ‘goodbye’ before the passing of our pets. Not having a form of closure in this process can leave some feeling as though they have a hole in their hearts, “ Clark said.

By memorializing the memory of your beloved pet, you can have a sense of closure.

You can write a letter, hold a funeral service, or create shadow boxes with your dog or cat tags and collars and imprint of their paw.

Some go to a favorite space or memory from their pet’s life and spend some time there.

“There is never a wrong way to memorialize the beautiful experiences and life that was shared,” Clark said.

7. Do ask for support from understanding friends or relatives.

“Although grief is a highly individualistic experience, we grieve within communities. Entire communities can even grieve within their own way. It’s important to recognize when you need support during your grief process, “ Clark stressed.

You can ask a friend to have coffee or you can seek professional help to assist you in processing the pain and anxieties.

“There are also many online communities through social media which allows a safe space to express your grief, seek peer support, and share in the memory of your beloved pet,” Clark said. DC

BIKING MILES FOR POOR DOGS AND CATS

By Gil Bugaoisan THEY inhaled sulfur after Taal volcano erupted. They ate anything to survive. Because of these, their kidneys and liver were compromised.

Until now, the immune system of two mama dogs and two adult dogs from danger zone Lemery in Batangas are not as strong as dogs who were not exposed to the ashes after Taal volcano erupted.

The poop of eight puppies rescued in Lemery still have worms and blood. The worms, the vet said, were passed on by the mama dogs who ate anything during the time of crisis, when no one could feed them as the humans were forcibly evacuated to keep them safe.

For Taal animal victims and other dogs and cats who were neglected, abused and abandoned, endurance Taal pups cyclists from Team Harkor ( a cycling are still jargon for hardcore) who are animal being lovers will bike from Manila to Davao monitored City as part of their promise to help due to animal victims in this part of the blood in their poop. world.

Once For these 12 dogs and pups who stable, they were victims of Taal’s eruption, these will be adventurous cyclists-cum-animalput up for lovers will bike from Luzon through adoption.

Bicol, the Visayas through Samar and Leyte and Mindanao through the dreaded Buda(Bukidnon-Davao) road to raise funds for the dogs' medical treatment, vaccination, and spaying of adult dogs.

For other rescued dogs and cats of Save ALL Inc.- Save Animals of Love and Light , the members of Team medicine and food supplies for these Harkor will bike from March 12 to 18 once abandoned, abused, and neto get donations of much-needed glected animals.

On its verison 2.0 , Team Harkor

Team Harkor during one of their adventure rides from Manila to Banaue.

Adult dogs from Lemery, Batangas have been vaccinated.

These two Taal survivors-Choco and Whiteyhave become bonded.

They are playful and sweet.

Save ALL was chosen by the group as the beneficiary of the team's charity project because “the organization is one of the most active and most legitimate animal welfare and rescue groups in the country today.”

The bike enthusiasts hope to raise more awareness about rescued dogs and cats, and to encourage kindhearted persons to adopt a dog or cat.

They also hope many hoomans will donate for the rescues such as rice, dog food, cat food, LC Vit multivitamins, vegetables, dewormers for dogs and cats, heartworm prevention meds for dogs and cats, bravecto, frontline spot-on for dogs and cats, eye drops for senior dogs such as Vistalens and Hypromellose, dishwashing paste for washing bowls, among others.

For inquiries for drop-off centers for donations and for adoption of rescues, please visit the Facebook page of Team Harkor or Save ALL.

Donations can also be sent through the following: BDO account No. 006540103300 (Save ALL- Save Animals of Love and Light) BPI saving account No. 4449004634 (Roberta Nicole Benedicto) G-Cash 09175881515 Paypal through daycarlos28@yahoo.com.

May many help continue to care for dogs and cats who have been rescued but have not been adopted.

After months or even years of a hopes to do better after teaming up traumatic life as strays, they deserve with the Pinoy Road Bikers Inc. (PRBI) to be fed and cared for continuously. which is considered as one of the Let us not wait for them to be adoptcountry's biggest cycling group. ed to feel safe and loved.

LOVE

THERE are thousands of dogs and cats who have not been hugged or kissed. There are thousands who have been waiting to experience how it is to be loved.

Instead of buying a pup or kitten for P30,000 to even P100,000 plus, and making pet store owners rich, why not adopt a rescued pup or kitten?

Here are some of the rescued pups in the care of animal welfare group Save ALL Inc.- Save Animals of Love and Light.

The pups are two months and one week old. They were rescued at the Coastal Road in Paranaque a few days after their mama gave birth to them on the street.

They are ready for release dewormed and with two vaccinations starting next week. Adopters are expected to have the pup injected with the third and fourth 6-in-1 vaccine (P350-550 each depending on the clinic) and the anti-rabies shot (P150 to P300) to protect the pup from illnesses, and humans from rabies.

Please contact admin Is La or Miks Lim in Facebook or message Save ALL for online screening and home visit/personal interview.