Manila Standard - 2018 August 5 - Sunday

OPINION/ B4

DANCING TO FORGET THE QUAKES

VOL. XXXII • NO. 171 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

NAPOLES' KID BACK IN PH AS CASES PILE UP REPORTED departure from the Philippines and physical on the same day the departure was being talked about—which apparently got some officials in panic mode on Friday.

But Jeane Catherine Napoles, daughter of alleged pork barrel scam brain Janet Lim-Napoles, who has been iindicted in the United States on charges of money laundering, returned to the Philippines on the same day her departure was being played up in some media outlets.

Even Justice Secretary Menardo uevarra, citing Immigration records, said the younger Napoles left the country, five days before her US indictment was announced.

Ian Encarnacion, lawyer for Napoles, confirmed the younger Napoles indeed left the country but returned Friday to face the pending criminal case she was facing in the country.

Encarnacion said Napoles arrived back at 3:35 am Friday.

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PACQUIAO BATTING FOR DEATH PENALTY KOREAN DANCE. The Seoul-based Traditional Performing Arts-Asian Center for Intercultural Studies visits this week Makilala National High School in Cotabato, performing dances which have roots in shamanistic early rituals 5,000 years ago and now ranges from folk dance to newly created and adopted contemporary dance.

Geonarri Solmerano

P1-M BOUNTY PUT UP ON EX-SOLONS' HEADS

SENATOR Emmanuel Pacquiao is helping push for the Senate approval to reimpose the death penalty, suspended since 2006, before the end of 2018.

“We will rush its approval in the chamber this year,” the born-again Pacquiao said in Tagalog in an interview with dwIZ. Pacquiao made the remarks after the Catholic Church’s update on its catechism declaring death penalty as “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

Pacquiao, who leads discussions on the death penalty at the Senate justice committee, maintained that capital punishment was acceptable, being in the Bible, according to him.

Capital punishment in this largely Catholic nation of 106 million people has a varied history and was legal after independence and increased in use under President Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1986.

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BLAST KEEPS MM COPS ON HIGH ALERT

By Maricel V. Cruz

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HE group Citizens Crime Watch is offering P1-million bounty for any information that will lead to the arrest of Anti-Poverty Commissioner Liza Maza, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, and two former party-list lawmakers.

CCW national president Diego Magpantay said on Saturday concerned citizens raised the reward money and coursed it to the group.

“They wanted to remain anonymous that’s why they channeled their money through Citizens Crime Watch,” Magpantay said.

Anyone who can give information shall receive P250,000 each for Maza, Mariano, former Bayan Muna representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño, according to the CCW president.

But lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, a member of the CCW, discouraged the public from engaging in a “citizens’ arrest” of the wanted persons.

Topacio said anyone who could

give information on their whereabouts should coordinate with the Philippine National Police.

In related developments: • In the House of Representatives, a militant lawmaker denounced the offer of P1-million bounty for the four for the alleged double-murder case.

Arrest warrants were issued by a court in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija against Maza, Mariano, Ocampo, and Casiño, who are facing double-murder charges that were filed in 2006.

Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao assailed what he described as harassment against his fellow militants.

Casilao was reacting to the

By Joel E. Zurbano

REWARD MONEY. At a weekend forum at the UP in Diliman, Quezon City, Citizens Crime Watch president Diego Magpantay (left) and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio show the wads of bills totalling what they said was P1 million as bounty for any informant/s who could give direction to the whereabouts of former party-list Reps. Teddy Casiño, Liza Maza, Satur Ocampo and Rafael Mariano.

Manny Palmero

statement of CCW group, with one of its members, Topacio, that “concerned citizens” had raised the reward money and coursed it through the group.

“He is a lawyer and if he cared to

ABDUCTION IN LIBYA BOLSTERS LABOR BAN

DREDGING SYSTEM. Through

the assistance of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (center), the local government of Calumpit, Bulacan receives from the Department of Public Works and Highways a brand new WaterMaster dredging machine which also doubles as a backhoe, which is intended to prevent severe flooding during the rainy season.

By Francisco Tuyay

THE abduction of three Filipino technicians in Libya is bound to reinforce the Philippines’ existing ban on the deployment of its workers to the strife-torn North African country, ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III said Saturday.

“There is a ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Libya, which still has an ongoing civil Turn to A2 twitter.com/ MlaStandard

have read the affidavits against the Makabayan Four, he would have realized that their contents were straight out from a Robert Ludlum double-spy fiction,” Casilao said.

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METRO Manila, where nearly 13 million of the country’s 106 million population live, remains under high alert—even in the absence of imminient security threat, police officials said.

National Capital Region Police director Guillermo Eleazar said the metropolis could not be complacent, only days after the explosion in Lamitan, Basilan last Tuesday that killed at least 10 people.

“It’s better to be prepared even though we haven’t received any imminent threat here [in Metro Manila] but [with] what happened in Basilan, we can’t ignore that,” said Eleazar over radio station dzBB. Eleazar ordered all police units be on their toes 24/7, while reiterating to district commanders his directive on stepping up police operations and double security measures to ensure the safety of the region against criminality, bombing and other terrorist activities.

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PRIMER ON DRAFT CHARTER

By Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino Con-Com 2018 Member

(15TH OF A SERIES) Q: Under the draft Constitution, is the general power of the President as Chief Executive modified?

A: It is. The draft vests executive power “of the Federal Republic”

on the President. Because of the federal structure of government, federated regions are genuine loci of state and foci of sovereign power, therefore Regional Governors are also repositories of executive power for their regions.

In other words, the very federal structure of our government under the draft Constitution constitutes a limit to the powers of the President.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ARROYO SEES NEW ROLE TWOFOLD FOR House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she sees her new role two fold— to help President Rodrigo Duterte and to help members of the House of Representatives serve their constituents, especially during times of emergencies.

“I see my role as a speaker, mainly twofold. One to carry out the legislative agenda of President Duterte and second is to help our congressmen serve their constituents especially their most immediate needs,” Arroyo said in an interview after the turnover of a brand new MasterWater dredging equipment in Calumpit, Bulacan Friday.

This is the reason, she said, why she has chosen not to engage in politics because by doing so, the Lower House has been able to do more.

“I’m concerned in moving the legislation forward and as you can see, by staying away from all of those matters, we were able to get the bicameral on the coco levy and close the debate on tariffication. We were able to move forward and we were able to settle the issue on the congressmen who are getting zero.

They will not get zero,” she said.

On her second function as House Speaker, Arroyo said she wants to make sure that her colleagues are able to give help to their districts, especially during times of calamities and other emergencies.

Arroyo attended the turnover by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the dredging and backhoe equipment to the local government of Calumpit, Bulacan, which is aimed at alleviating the siltation of the Iba Este River in the province. The heavily silted Iba Este River is one of the primary causes of the flooding in Calumpit and nearby towns.

The turnover was through the assistance of Arroyo stemming from a request from Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Alvarado.

“Remember we had a briefing regarding the flood control with the NDCC and one of the causes that re-surfaced and has been the explanation since I was a senator is the problem with the Pampanga River and the most immediate solution there is backhoe. You saw what happened when they were bringing out the siltation material, it was full of plastic.

The dredger cannot work. The dredger, as what Jonathan said before, will work for two days and then they have to repair it for three months because the plastic destroys the machine. So now the DPWH sent WaterMaster which is a dredger and backhoe,” she explained.

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After the fall of Marcos, there was a moratorium on capital punishment from 1987 to 1999, followed by a resumption in executions from 1999 to 2006, and followed—in turn—by a law ending the practice.

Asked what heinous crimes should be meted with the death penalty, Pacquiao said drug trafficking, rape with murder, kidnap-for-ransom, and robbery with murder.

But he clarified he was open to limiting capital punishment to drug-related offenses to get the support of other senators.

Filipinos have mixed opinions about the death penalty, with many opposing it on religious and humanitarian grounds, while advocates see it as a way of deterring crimes.

President Fidel Ramos promised during his campaign for the presidency in 1992 that he would support the reintroduction of the death penalty in response to increasing crime rates.

The new law, which restored capital punishment, provided the use of the electric chair until the gas chamber (chosen by the government to replace electrocution) could be used.

NAPOLES'...

ASEAN SEEKS TALKS ON FREE TRADE AMID US-CHINA ROW

By Martin Abbugao

bers to comply with a high level of regulatory standards in areas like labor law and environmental protection.

RCEP also aims to cut tariffs but has far less regulatory standards attached than TPP. Nonetheless, Washington’s abandonment of TPP has given the RCEP negotiations a fresh shot in the arm.

“Given the current global situation where protectionism is on the rise, Japan would like to achieve a swift conclusion of our RCEP negotiations,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said he hoped the RCEP pact would be complete by the end of the year, while Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan urged countries facing “headwinds against free trade” to rally together.

The US imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods in early July, sparking retaliatory measures from China.

Days later, Washington unveiled a list of another $200 billion in Chinese goods from electrical machinery to seafood that would be hit with 10 percent import duties. AFP

Casilao described as ''cheap stunt'' Topacio and his CCW “as :part of the military and police game of demonizing non-stop the Makabayan Four using the 12-yearold trumped up double murder case in Palayan, Nueva Ecija.”

“Anakpawis strongly urges the public not to fall for this lowlife group pretending to be anti-crime advocates who are actually playing the part of Gestapo to Duterte’s campaign to silence its critics,” he said.

He added the advocacy of Topacio’s group “is to eliminate the opposition to clear the way for Duterte’s ascendancy to tyranny.”

“We will hold them accountable if something happened to Ka Paeng, Ka Satur, Teddy and Liza. By offering a bounty to former house members, they are endangering the lives of the Makabayan Four,” Casilao said.

“The Duterte government is weaponizing such wannabe anticrime group led by Topacio who

was a former Arroyo legal counsel [PNP chopper deal] and known Marcos and Duterte supporter and is now using Gestapo methods to run after Duterte critics,” Casilao ended.

He added those who raised the funds for the reward money were also the same persons behind the P1 million reward for the arrest of Senator Leila de Lima’s driver Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused in a drug case before a Muntinlupa court.

President.

Q: Have the terms of President and Vice-President changed?

A: Yes. Under the 1987 Constitution, they were entitled to a single term of six years that did not allow for reelection. Under the ConCom’s draft both are given a term of four years, with the possibility of one reelection. And it will be noted that this reckoning of terms has been made uniform for holders of national elective office.

Q: What role do the federated regions have in the election of the President and the Vice President?

A: The returns for President and Vice President are certified by the Federated Regions and transmitted to Congress. Congress shall therefore canvass regional returns.

Q: Does the Supreme Court remain the Presidential Electoral Tribunal?

A: Not anymore. It is the Federal Electoral Court to which all contests relating to the election, returns and qualifications must be referred.

The doctrine enunciated in Forneir v. COMELEC (2004) is still good jurisprudence: The Federal Electoral Court will pass on qualifications only AFTER the election of a President or a Vice President, but when qualifications amount to misrepresentation in the certificate of candidacy it will not be for the Federal Electoral Court to pass upon the matter, but the

Federal Commission on Elections.

Q: May a President decide that he will resident where he wants to—with his family?

A: Since residence may be multiple, the direct answer to the question is “yes”, although the Constitution requires that the President have an official residence. While he may factually be absent from such a residence for protracted periods of time and may, in fact, seldom stay there, the presumption of law is that he is there.

Q: If a President should fall ill due to AIDS, can the public claim the right to be informed of his sickness, under the terms of the Constitution?

A: All that drat Section 12 of Article VIII requires is that the public be “informed of the state of health” of the President, in case of illness. There is no requirement of disclosure of diagnosis and prognosis. It will therefore be sufficient to announce that the President is seriously ill, that his illness may be life-threatening but that he is still lucid and able, for his sick-bed, to direct the affairs of State.

Q: If a first cousin of the President, who is an outstanding trial court judge, is appointed by the Constitutional Court to the Supreme Court, will any infirmity attend such an appointment, considering that it was not the President who appointed his cousin?

A: The appointment would still be infirm. The prohibition is absolute: No relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity shall be appointed to the Supreme Court during the President’s tenure.

And this applies to all other offices enumerated in draft Section 13.

Q: Considering the desirability of curtailing the vast powers of the presidency, why was “lawless violence” introduced as an added ground for the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or the declaration of martial law?

A: In the first place, it is not selfevident that curtailing the powers of the president is a good thing for the country. In the second place, “lawless violence” was introduced in the realization that there are some forms of national chaos—triggered by human malice or even natural disasters—that can bring about a state of lawlessness that can only effectively be dealt with by martial law. A spontaneous attack by terrorists, either home-grown, partly “imported” or wholly “imported” would neither be rebellion nor invasion, but may require the resolute action of State to save the life of the Republic. In such cases, the ConCom believed, it would be proper to give the President the latitude of power needed to cope with the emergency.

S

INGAPORE—Asian countries have voiced concern about the potentially devastating impact of a US-China trade war, with ministers calling for the acceleration of talks for a gigantic Beijing-backed free-trade deal that excludes the United States.

Fear that a simmering trade spat between the world’s top two economies could spiral into a full-blown trade war—with painful consequences for China’s neighbors—was among topics dominating discussion at a regional summit in Singapore on Saturday.

Tit-for-tat tariffs have fueled months of tensions that were notched up Friday as Beijing threatened to impose levies on $60 billion of American goods, from beef to condoms.

The measures, which the White House ridiculed as “weak” but China said were “fully justified”, came after Washington said it would increase the rate of additional tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.

P1-M...

From A1 He was referring to the American author of 27 novels between 1971 and 2006.

Casilao said Topacio “should have been concerned with the injustice of it all and restrained himself from doing publicity-seeking stunt like offering P1 million for the arrest of innocent people.”

PRIMER...

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Q: Will the doctrine of “qualified political agency” still be operative under the draft Constitution?

A: Yes, as long as it is understood that cabinet secretaries who are department heads are the “qualified political agents” of the President in respect only to his executive powers over the federal republic. The general principle of the law on agency applies: the agent cannot enjoy any more power than the principal wields.

Q: Why the decision to vote the President and the Vice-President as a team?

A: The closest ally of the President ideally is his or her Vice-President who should not only stand by and wait until the President is incapacitated or dies but who should as, as political successor, be constantly available for advice or to proffer advice. Philippine history is replete with incidences of antipathy between a President and the Vice President, a situation that has never been helpful to the country. The argument that separate parties should be allowed to provide for checks and balances simply does not make sense because the Vice President is in no way capable of checking the

BLAST...

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“I personally fetched her at the [Ninoy Aquino International Airport],” the lawyer said, without saying where she came from and nobody had asked such follo-through question.

Encarnacion gave assurances his client was ready to face the cases lodged not only in the Philippines but also those in the US for money laundering by supposedly funneling some $20 million in Philippine public funds in and out of the US through a “multi-year bribery and fraud scheme.”

“She is here in the Philippines and she will face all the cases against her, both here and abroad. We maintain our client’s innocence and we look forward to having these cases dismissed,” Encarnacion said.

The prospect of a trade war is a “real threat” to Asian countries, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah told reporters Saturday on the sidelines of the summit.

“The threat is making many countries very concerned and... is becoming more complex,” he said.

Other top Asian diplomats at Saturday’s forum, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations spoke out against protectionism, warning that it places the region’s development in jeopardy.

“Rising anti-globalization and trade protectionism among major countries is fueling tensions and threatening our aspirations for sustained economic growth,” said South Korean Foreign Minister Kang

Kyung-wha.

Countries in the region must “explore creative ways to further deepen and broaden our cooperation,” in the face of such challenges, she said.

Some ministers have called for the early conclusion of talks for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a 16-nation pact poised to become the world’s largest freetrade agreement, covering about half the global population.

The planned RCEP deal would group the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

‘Protectionism on the rise’ But it would not include the United States, which had been leading another regional trade pact—the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)— until US President Donald Trump abruptly abandoned it last year.

Even with the lure to access to the world’s largest economy withdrawn, the 11 remaining TPP countries, who make up 13.5 percent of the global economy, signed a slimmed-down version of the pact in March.

It cuts tariffs and requires mem-

He also directed his men to continuously conduct inspection in air and sea ports, bus terminals, commercial establishments, shopping malls, vital installations, and other places of convergence.

Eleazar also wanted to ensure that all police and augmented security personnel were in their assigned posts.

“This is to guarantee the public of immediate response to any incident that may occur.”

The NCRPO chief assured the public that the police were on top of the situation but he asked the people that any information, any observation must be reported immediately to the nearest police station so they could respond correctly and appropriately.

Eleazar is not ruling out speculation coming from the military that the blast

in Basilan might be a case of suicide bombing.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal said he also already instructed airport personnel to enhance security measures at four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We appeal to public to cooperate as their safety is paramount at all times,” Monreal said.

The MIAA is adopting 100 percent deployment of organic airport police and contracted security forces.

Monreal ordered for full manning complement of all shifts.

He said there would be increased frequency of vehicle checks with random inspections to be conducted using MIAA’s recently procured hybrid explosive detection equipment.

Airline officials also urged passengers to arrive early at the airport to give them lead time to go through the heightened security being enforced by MIAA.

ABDUCTION...

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war. The seized technicians may have entered Libya with working visas obtained from a third country,” Bertiz said in a press statement.

“It is also possible the three Filipinos were already in Libya a long time ago, and that they shunned repatriation when the Philippine government brought home some 14,000 workers in 2011 and 2014,” Bertiz added.

In a related development: • The Philippine Navy will be sending a naval contingent to Libya to try to secure the release of three Filipino engineers kidnapped by unidentified armed group at a water facility in southeastern part of Libya on July 6.

Navy Commander Jonathan Zata, director of the Philippine Public Affairs Office, said a Fleet-Marine Component

was planning an appropriate naval force that would be deployed in Libya in response to the kidnapping of three Filipinos along with a South Korean national held by suspected Islamic militants.

“Initially, the Philippine Navy has directed its Liaison Officer, Captain Donn Miraflor, who is attached to the Combined Maritime Forces based in Bahrain, to coordinate with Boy Melicor, the Philippines’ Charge d’ Affaires in Tripoli, Libya,” Zata said in a statement.

At present, the Navy could not ascertain the type of vessel that would be sent to Libya.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday vowed to send two Philippine Navy warships to Libya to help in the eventual freedom of the three Filipinos and a South Korean.

The South Korean government has deployed its own warship, the 4,000-tonner Munmu the Great, to Libya. With PNA

News

BE VIGILANT, TAGUIG CITY RESIDENTS URGED

SOTTO BIDS FOR OWN VERSION OF TRAIN 2 A WATERED-DOWN version of TRAIN 2?

In a bid to make it more acceptable to his fellow senators, Senate President Vicente Sotto III has created a version that took out the provision that removes the incentives being enjoyed by locators at the country’s economic zones.

“Sa version ko, inalis ko ang probisyon na tinatanggal ang tax incentives sa mga economic zones kasi hindi maganda feedback tungkol dun,” Sotto said in a radio interview.

The TRAIN 2 seeks to lower the corporate income tax from the current 30 percent to 25 percent, while rationalizing fiscal incentives to plug revenue leakages, including tax incentives on economic zones.

The Department of Finance version of TRAIN 2, which it submitted to Congress last January, proposed to plug leakages such as tax holidays and incentives with no time limits which costs the government over P300 billion yearly in foregone revenues.

The DOF also wanted to remove the 5-percent tax on gross income currently being enjoyed by economic zone investors.

Sotto said the tax incentives should be retained as it might discourage investors and push them to invest in other countries instead.

“The important thing is we discuss it in the committee level ng mga senador ilagay pag-usapan ang mga nasa isip nila kesa naman ‘di namin pag-usapan at makinig na lang kami sa mga sinasabi ng mga nagbabasa nito. Maganda na rin na mapag-usapan ang nilalaman ni Tito,” the Senate President said.

Despite opposition from some senators, Sotto filed a bill on Thursday pushing for the second package of tax reforms proposed by the DOF. Only a week earlier, Sotto and the majority of senators were not inclined to support TRAIN 2, after the country’s economic managers failed to fulfill the promises they vowed to do during the deliberations for TRAIN 1.

By Joel E. Zurbano

MINISTERIAL MEETING. (From left): Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan attend the 8th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, along with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in the 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2018. AFP

2019 BUDGET ALLOTS P122-B GOV’T PAY HIKE

By Maricel V. Cruz

N

ATIONAL employees, including military and police personnel, are the beneficiaries of P121.7billion allocation in the proposed 2019 national budget, a House official said on Saturday.

House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep Rolando Andaya Jr. said P51. 7 billion is earmarked for the fourth and final tranche of the Salary Standardization Law IV which covers civilian employees.

Started in 2016, the SSL IV is a fouryear program to raise public sector pay pursuant to Executive Order 201

signed by President Benigno Aquino in February 2016.

The pay hike prior to that, SSL III, ran from 2009 to 2012, through E.O. 811 of President Arroyo and HouseSenate Joint Resolution 4.

For uniformed personnel, P70 billion has also been included in next year’s budget to fund the second installment of the law raising the base pay of soldiers, policemen, jail and fire officers, and coast guards.

The law, Joint Resolution 1 of Congress, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in January this year.

“The P121. 7 billion for next year’s pay hike for civil servants and uniformed personnel accounts for almost a tenth of the P1.185 trillion budget for personnel services for 2019,” Andaya said.

Personnel services or PS, in turn, makes up for almost 32 percent of the Palace-submitted P3.757-trillion government spending request for

next year, he said.

But the P1.185-trillion PS allocation, he explained, funds the first-year compensation for the 10,000 Teacher 1; 10,000 Police Officer 1; 3,000 Fire Officer 1; 2,000 Jail Officer 1 and other positions to be created in the bureaucracy next year.

“The increase in the number of government employees and retired uniformed personnel, triggers a corresponding hike in the payroll and pension cost of the government,” Andaya said.

Based on a DBM document, authorized civilian positions in the national government was 1.1 million in 2015. This year it is pegged at 1.32 million and is programmed to reach 1.41 million next year.

Also to benefit from the pay hike for uniformed personnel are selected employees of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, said Andaya.

LAWMAKERS QUESTION P2-B CUT ON DAR ALLOCATION LAWMAKERS on Saturday assailed the P2-billion cut in the 2019 proposed budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform, which they said could adversely affect the implementation of the agrarian reform program.

During the budget deliberations conducted by the House committee on appropriations, DAR Secretary John Castriciones disclosed that the DAR budget was slashed by P2 billion or 20 percent of its original proposal which was submitted to the Budget department The DAR’s proposed budget for 2019 amounts to P8.202 billion.

“Actually we made a proposal to DBM for a higher budget. There was a considerable amount of budget that was cut because some of the foreign-assisted projects [FAPS]

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

have already closed down,” Castriciones told the panel presided by Reps. Michael John Duavit of Rizal and Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay, vice chairpersons of the House appropriations committee.

Castriciones’ disclosure worries Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin.

“If Agrarian Reform is still the centerpiece program of this administration, perhaps the budget should not have been cut,” Villarin said.

He added that government needs to continue the agrarian reform program because millions of hectares of land have yet to be transferred to the farmers.

Salceda was also dismayed over the agency’s budget.

“What you need for the agency should be given. All you need to do is ask,” said Salceda on the budget

cut.

Salceda said DAR has the highest credibility in terms of FAPs. “Lahat ng magagandang projects at napaka-governance compliant po,” he added.

“I cannot imagine why your budget is like the budget of a funeral home,” he added in jest.

To date, there are already 4.8 million lands distributed of which 1.8 million are compensable by the Land Bank of the Philippines. The rest are non-compensable, government-identified lands, and settlements.

Villarin also asked Castriciones on his thoughts about the extension of the notice of coverage. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform or CARPER provided a sunset provision for non-

extension of NOC. “It was the President himself who encouraged the second phase of Agrarian Reform Program,” said Castriciones.

According to Castriciones, DAR has prepared and submitted to the President for review a proposed bill.

Thereafter, the measure will be forwarded to the House of Representatives for evaluation.

The DAR-proposed bill will cover the following: (1) continuous service of NOC to lands which will be seized

by DAR for distribution to farmers; (2) inclusion of vast coverage of government-owned lands as suggested by the President; (3) free distribution of lands so that the farmers will no longer pay for the parcels of lands that will be distributed to them.

Maricel V. Cruz

FOREIGN PLACEMENT AGENCIES TOLD TO PAY ESCROW FOR HWS

By Vito Barcelo

MORE CHECKPOINTS. PNP Chief Police Director General Oscar David Albayalde and PNP Director Police Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar ordered the deployment of more checkpoints following a heightened alert declared in Metro Manila due to a recent explosion in Lamitan City in Basilan. Norman Cruz

FOREIGN placement agencies recruiting Filipino domestic workers for Kuwait are now required to deposit US$10,000 or equivalent to P530,000 in a reputable bank as guarantee for money claims of household workers who would breach a contract.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said it has issued POEA Memo Circular 10-A requiring foreign placement agencies hiring domestic workers for Kuwait to deposit a minimum $10,000 as escrow deposit in a bank authorized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in the country.

Under the memorandum circular, all FPA hiring domestic workers to Kuwait requesting for accreditation with the Philippine Recruitment Agency (PRA) including those renewing their accreditation shall comply with the es-

crow requirement, the POEA said.

“If the FPA is accredited or to be accredited to more than one PRA, it needs to put up only one escrow deposit. The escrow deposit shall answer for all valid and legal claims arising from the violation of the employment contracts with the workers,” the agency said.

“The escrow deposit of FPA and the escrow of the PRA shall be equally applied to answer for the awards to the workers,” the POEA said.

However, if the FPA has a pending disciplinary action during the renewal of its accreditation, the FPA shall be required to put up an additional escrow deposit which shall not exceed US$50,000.

The POEA issued the new order after a three-month suspension of the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait on the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte due to abuses committed against OFWs.

RESIDENTS of Taguig City were urged to remain vigilant and cooperative with the city government in its fight against illegal activities, especially if the crime involves police scalawags and erring public officials.

The city government made the appeal following the arrest of three Taguig City policemen and the death of their fellow police officer allegedly involved in kidnap-for-ransom and extortion activities.

“The coordination among the citizens, the Philippine National Police, and local government unit proves, once again, that crime prevention and eradication depend on a collective community effort,” said Taguig City Mayor Laarni Cayetano.

“It is with mixed feelings of frustration and elation that, with the vigilance of our citizens and the timely action of Taguig police in coordination with the PNP’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, the kidnapfor-ransom activities of a group of law enforcers including some members assigned in Taguig City were busted,” she added.

Last Tuesday, three members of Taguig Police Community Precinct 1 —Police Officer 1 (PO1) Bryan Amir Bajoof, PO1 Paolo Ocampo and PO2 Joey Maru—were arrested during an entrapment and rescue operation along Tandem Street in Arca South, Western Bicutan.

The three policemen along with PO1 Gerrardo Ancheta, who was killed during the said operation, were allegedly members of Maru kidnapfor-ransom group led by PO2 Maru.

The authorities conducted the entrapment operation following a complaint of a kidnap and extortion victim identified as Ronielyn Caraecle.

Caraecle said after taking their money and valuables inside their house, the four policemen abducted her and her boyfriend, and told them that they will only be released in exchange for P50,000.

Caraecle’s relative was able to produce only P20,000. The abductors released her to get the remaining P30,000 while Samuel remained in their custody.

HOUSE OKS BILL VS PRIVATIZING PUBLIC HOSPITALS TO ENSURE affordability of health services to the people, the House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading the proposed “Anti-Privatization of Public Hospitals, Health Facilities and Health Services Act.” House Bill 7437, supported by all 218 House members present during the plenary voting, seeks to prohibit the privatization and corporatization of public hospitals, health facilities, and health services, and provides penalties for violations thereof.

Principally authored by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, the bill highlights the policy of the State to ensure the protection and promotion of the people’s right to health and instill health consciousness among them.

The bill advances the State policy to make essential goods, health and other services available to all people at affordable cost.

Public hospitals are defined as all Department of Health-retained as well as national, provincial and regional hospitals under the local government units.

Public health facilities refer to health centers, lying-in clinics, and barangay health stations under the national or local government. Meanwhile, public health services refer to all diagnostic, laboratory, medical, surgical and health-related services provided by public hospitals and public health facilities to indigent, service or poor patients.

At least 90 percent of the total bed capacity of all public hospitals shall be allotted for indigent, service or poor patients pursuant to Republic Act 1939, otherwise known as “An Act Prescribing the Appropriate Share of the National, Provincial, City, and Municipal Governments in the Financial Contributions for the Operation and Maintenance of Free Beds in Government Hospitals and/or the Establishment of Additional Wards or Hospitals in the Philippines.” Maricel V. Cruz

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018

Reira U Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

BORJA, EREDIANO RULE IRONKIDS

By Reuel Vidal

M

ACTAN, Cebu— Zedrick Borja and Moira Erediano reaffirmed their dominance to rule the 13-14 Boys and Girls categories of the 2018 Alaska IRONKIDS Cebu here at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa yesterday, Aug. 4.

Borja and Erediano also won the Alaska IRONKIDS Davao last March to post back-to-back victories this year.

Borja, who took the lead after the swim, had to do it the hard way beating back the strong challenge of Clifford Pusing. Both had identical times in the swim and bike. They sprinted to the finish line side-by-side with Borja (38 minutes, 24 seconds) prevailing by one tenth of a second over Pusing (38:24.1).

Borja and Pusing also placed first and second in Davao.

Earol Belonquil (39:49.5) at third and Gian Taylor (39:49.8) were also neckand-neck at the finish line.

Erediano (41:12.7) climbed all the way from fifth place after the swim to take the lead after the first 400 meters of the run to win comfortably ahead of Nicole Del Rosario (42:01).

Erediano also posted back-to-back victories last year in Subic and Cebu although she was in the 11-12 Girls category.

Jeanna Canete (43:11.38) placed third after sprinting past Gene Heart Quiambao (43:11.95).

Despite landing just a fraction of a second out of a podium finish Quiambao was a revelation. The tall (5’9”), 13-year-old La Salle Zobel student competed in just her first triathlon. She finished the swim 10 seconds faster than the fastest swimmer in the boys category (Borja).

Zedrick Borja ( left) and Clifford Pusing cross the finish line in a dead heat during the 2018Alaska IRONKIDS in Mactan, Cebu.

The 2018 Alaska IRONKIDS Triathlon Cebu is the culmination of a yearlong calendar of triathlon activities for young boys and girls who are six to 14 years old.

Participants in the Girls’ Category of the 2018 Alaska IRONKIDS Cebu emerge from the water in front of the beach at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, yesterday.

Alaska Associate Brand Manager Diane Guerta said Alaska is proud of how the event has continued to grow over the years.

“We are very happy to see new participants. For example in the Play category younger and younger kids are trying the sport. More kids are trying the sport. We are really introducing triathlon to Filipinos. We’re really proud.

To be honest triathlon was not really a popular sport in the Philippines. Since Alaska IRONKIDS introduced triathlon in the Philippines for kids it has really grown as a sport,” said Guerta.

Other winners include Justin Hermosa, Jacob Kennedy Lipura and Jacob Clint Lipura in the Boys 11-12 category. Kira Ellis, Kelly Yin Wern Long and Arianna Danielle Lim won in the Girls 11-12 category.

Carron Paulter Cañas, Wincy Pagnanawon and Connor Hodges were the winners in the 9-10 years old for boys.

Zuerielle Kenzie Galo, Caitriona Danelle

Bacus and Raiannelle Bacus won in the 9-10 years old category for girls.

More than just a race, Alaska IRONKIDS has become a venue for families to bond with parents showing their children that being physically fit and healthy is more fun.

“I think it started with kids who like swimming biking and running. They got to see their parents who competed in the triathlon. Because these parents were triathletes, they encouraged their kids to try the sport. The children start with the play category. When they grow up, they then try to race,” said Guerta.

“Alaska has an important role. It is not just to provide nutrition but also really to encourage children to have an active lifestyle and develop important values like sportsmanship, proper attitude and respect for others.”

For more information visit www.

Ironkidsphil.com and playph.com.

Follow @AlaskaMilkPhilippines and @ playPH in Facebook for live updates.

BEST, BRIGHTEST DISPUTE 70.3 ASPAC CROWN LAPU-LAPU City—The cream of the crop slug it out in a furious battle for triathlon supremacy in the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships which fires off today (Sunday) at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa here with Aussie Tim Reed gunning for his third regional crown and compatriot Melissa Hauschildth seeking back-to-back titles.

Reed, the 70.3 AsPac champ in 2015 and 2016, goes for No. 3 against a powerhouse cast of men’s pros headed by reigning Ironman AspPac king Braden Currie of New Zealand, three-time full distance IM winner Tim Van Berkel, recent Davao Ironman 70.3 champ Mauricio Mendez of Mexico, 2017 IM AsPac boss Josh Amberger of Australia, and five-time world titlist Craig Alexander, also of Australia.

“My training hasn’t been quite what I have wanted but I’ll come out there to fight for whatever finish, you know.

If it’s 10th place, third or first, I’m just happy to race and really looking forward (to compete against a world-class

The elite pros get together one last time before clashing for the coveted Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific plums.

field),’ said Reed on the eve of the Sunrise Events, Inc.-organized race dubbed “The Crown Jewel of Asia” and awarding pearl-studded “Perlas ng Silanganan” medals created by renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

A total of 19 elite tri warriors dispute

the men’s crown in the most star-studded race in the $75,000 event put up by title sponsor Aguila Energy Drink and Regent Food Corp., to ever participate in an Ironman 70.3 event in the country.

“You always have your work cut out in races of this caliber because you have

to beat the best athletes, but I feel okay,” said the legendary Alexander, also eyeing a strong finish in the event backed by venue hosts Province of Cebu, City of Lapu Lapu, Mandaue City and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. Hauschildt, meanwhile, looks to keep her women’s tiara versus 14 equally talented challengers, including Davao IM 70.3 queen Radka Kahlefeldt of the Czech Republic, four-time IM 70.3 Phl conqueror Caroline Steffen of Switzerland, Dimity Lee Duke and Beth McKenzie along with Anna Eberhardt, Lauren Goss, Bruna Mahn, Sabrina Stadelmann, Lisa Tyack, Lauren Brandon, Grace Thek, Simone Maier, Holly Khan and Manami Iijima.

“I’ve had a great season so far (and I want to sustain it),” said Hauschildt, the two-time halfdistance IM world champ who is fresh from her triumph in the 70.3 European and North American championships.

BLU GIRLS CRUSH AFRICANS IN OPENER THE Philippine Blu Girls kicked off their campaign in the XVI WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship in smashing fashion, crushing the South African side, 10-0, at the Akitsu Stadium in Chiba, Japan late Friday.

The Blu Girls needed just four innings to wrap up the victory through mercy ruling, giving the team a much-needed boost in their bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the event serves as the first of five qualifiers for the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo.

Hurler Sierra Lange gave up only two hits in steering the Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Filipinas to the shutout victory with Arianne Vallestero blasting a homerun at the bottom of the second inning before Garie Blando, Cristy Joy Roa, Cheska Altomonte, Chelsea Suitos and Sky Eleazar combined for five runs.

Angelie Ursabia, Janet Rusia, Vallestero and Blando scored four more runs in the fourth to annex the lopsided triumph over the South Africans, who earlier bowed to the fancied Chinese Taipei in the first match of the week-long championship.

“It’s a great start for the Blu Girls. We have high hopes for them though I know tougher games are ahead,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL). “But I’m confident they will pull off surprises against the top teams in the fold.”

The 15th-ranked Blu Girls, meanwhile, were battling seventh seeded Mexico in the morning and No. 6 Puerto Rico in afternoon play in a tough doubleheader at presstime.

3 TEEN PROS COMPLETE PRU LIFE LONDON RIDE LONDON—Three teenage professional Filipino cyclists recently completed the Prudential RideLondon Surrey 46 in London, United Kingdom.

Philippine National Road Race Under-23 Champion Ismael Grospe, Jr. (19 years old,) with Aidan James Mendoza (19 years old,) and Genesis Maraña (17 years old,) clocked in 03:05:44 as they cycled the route that started at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finished at The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

Together with almost 4,500 riders from around the world, the Pinoy cyclists took on 46 miles of traffic-free roads. The Prudential RideLondon Surrey 46 is an intermediate category open to cyclists not younger than 16 years old who are yet to conquer a 100-mile challenge. This is the third year that the category was featured

F2 LOGISTICS WANTS VOLLEY GRAND SLAM

By Lito Cinco F2 Logistics, recent winner of the Pilipinas Super Liga Invitational Conference after beating rival Petron in the finals, is eyeing a new goal.

“It is a dream for us to win a Grand Slam in the future. Definitely, it will be tough to achieve this, but one can always dream big.

For the past three years since we joined the PSL, we have won three titles already, the AllFilipino in 2016, the Grand Prix in 2017, and this year’s Invitational. I believe that the key to our success is the fact that we have maintained our core group of players with only minor changes in our line-up,” said F2 Logistics President Efren Uy.

He described the emerging A big but pleasant surprise rivalry between his team and for the team was the return Petron as something good for from injury of Ara Galang, who the PSL. even emerged as the MVP. “In the four finals we have “I am very happy for Ara, there played against one another, we was a time she already wanted are tied at two all, so the Grand to quit because she was injured Prix this October will break this for a long time, but we kept our tie. Both teams are very comfaith with her and maintained petitive with equal skills and with her on the team,” said Uy. national players on both sides,” What a lot of people are not added Uy, who is lending six of aware of was that when Game Efren Uy his players to the national team 1 of the finals was played, it was bound for the Asian Games in Indonesia. also the wake of Uy’s mother, 85-year-old These are Abby Marano, Kim Fajardo, Betty Uy, also a volleyball fan together with Cha Cruz, Majoy Baron, Keanna Dy, and the rest of the family.

Dawn Macandili.

“We decided to watch the live streaming

of the game that night right there at the wake, I am sure my mother was watching too. That is why we dedicate that championship to her,” said Uy. Looking back at his team’s past championships, Uy said each one is different.

“The very first one was sweet because it was the first title for us. The second time, we came back from a 0-9 deficit in the fourth set and still won in the end. This last title, it felt good because we lost to Petron in the first round, but it was also sad because of the timing that my mother passed away.”

One thing for sure, that was not the last championship for F2 Logistics.

“We are in the sport for the long haul,” Uy concluded.

Aidan James Mendoza, Genesis Maraña, and Ismael Grospe, Jr. celebrate their completion of the Prudential RideLondon Surrey 46 race.

in Prudential RideLondon, dubbed as the world’s greatest festival of cycling.

Other cyclists who represented the Philippines in Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 category are Philippine National Road Race Champion Jermyn Prado, John Kenneth Cruz, Ryan Lamayo, Tetsuya “Jun” Minagawa, and Bertrand Dominique Teplitxky.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

FROM WHERE I STAND ERIC JURADO

TWO DRUGS THAT SHAPED THE WORLD

AN UNNECESSARY WAR

T

HE exchange of words between former President Benigno Aquino III and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is hardly inspiring.

Aquino had thought it prudent to criticize the Duterte administration’s foreign policy, specifically on the dispute over the South China Sea, saying that Cayetano should be as transparent as his hairstyle.

Cayetano said Aquino’s reference to their hair was regrettable, but referred to it anyway as he emphasized that just as the both of them had lost some hair, the latter lost an opportunity to expand tourism, infrastructure and agriculture.

The Foreign Affairs Secretary blamed Aquino as well as his own predecessor, Albert del Rosario, plus Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, for a bungled approach to the dispute.

“We note that there seems to be a denial all around of any negotiated joint withdrawal of both Chinese and Philippine vessels from the shoal. Was there an agreement? Brokered by who?” Cayetano said.

Aquino, in turn, said Cayetano need not ask questions because the answers were readily available. The former president reminded Cayetano of the Philippines’ victory in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague,

saying “we, a small nation, were able to clarify and assert the rights of all before a superpower.”

This decision held that China’s so-called ninedash line, which would allow it to claim a large part of the South China Sea, had no legal basis. China, and predictably so, has refused to recognize, much less abide by, the ruling, claiming the PCA had no jurisdiction over it and that the matter is best settled bilaterally.

This is the same decision that the Duterte administration has failed to uphold, creating the perception that its China policy is one of appeasement or acquiescence and that it is allowing our giant neighbor to bully us in exchange for loans, investments and aid.

While we expect the government to take a firmer stance with regard to China, we also hope Aquino and Cayetano would stop their bickering.

It turns them into petty, comical caricatures who should not be taken seriously.

Think of what this will do to the already-low regard China appears to have for us. Imagine how laughable this will sound—a former chief executive and the current top diplomat talking about hairlines and blaming each other for the sorry situation we seem to be in.

If Aquino and Cayetano want to give each other a piece of their minds, they should meet up and thresh their issues out in person. Dragging the rest of us in their ugly word war simply diminishes our stock.

ALCOHOL is a depressant drug. This means that alcohol slows the function of the central nervous system when it enters the body. That’s why people’s perceptions, emotions, movements, vision, and hearing can be altered when they drink.

Caffeine is defined as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system, causing increased alertness. Caffeine gives most people a temporary energy boost and elevates mood. Caffeine is in tea, coffee, chocolate, many soft drinks, pain relievers, and other over-thecounter medications.

However, no two drugs have arguably defined human civilization the way alcohol and caffeine have.

Nature created both to kill creatures much smaller than us —caffeine evolved from plants to poison insect predators, and yeasts produce ethanol to destroy competing microbes.

True to its toxic origins, alcohol kills 3.3 million people each year, accounting for six percent of all deaths and 25 percent of deaths among people aged 20 to 39. Alcohol also causes liver disease, many cancers, and other devastating health and social problems.

On the other hand, research suggests that alcohol may have helped create civilization itself.

Alcohol consumption could have given early homo sapiens a survival edge. Before we could properly purify water or prepare food, the risk of ingesting hazardous microbes was so great that the antiseptic qualities of alcohol made it safer to consume than non-alcoholic alternatives— despite alcohol’s own risks.

Even our primate ancestors may have consumed ethanol in decomposing fruit. Robert Dudley, who created the “drunken monkey” hypothesis, believes that modern alcohol abuse “arises from a mismatch between prehistoric and contemporary environments.”

At first, humans obtained alcohol from wild plants. Palm wine, still popular in parts of Africa and Asia today, may have originated in 16,000 BC. A Chilean alcoholic drink made from wild potatoes may date to 13,000 BC. Researchers now believe the desire for a stable supply of alcohol could have motivated the beginnings of agriculture and non-nomadic civilization. Residue on pottery at an archeological site in Jiahu, China, strongly suggests that humanity has drunk rice wine since at least 7,000 BC. Rice was domesticated in 8,000 BC, but the people of Jiahu made the transition to farming later, around the time we know that they drank rice wine.

“The domestication of plants [was] driven by the desire to have greater quantities of alcoholic beverages,” claims archeologist Patrick McGovern.

It used to be thought that humanity domesticated wheat for bread, and beer was a byproduct. Today, some researchers, like McGovern, think it might be the other way around.

Alcohol has been with us since the early days, but caffeine use is more recent. Chinese consumption of Turn to B4

IN LEBANON, VOLUNTEERS SPEAK UP TO BATTLE SUICIDE

By Alice Hackman BEIRUT—Her trainers beating down on the pavement along Beirut’s seafront, Nour Safieddine, 24, cuts past strollers ambling in the evening sun. In her bright pink t-shirt, she is running to survive.

“I run to carry on, so life can smile at me even if it made me cry—or in fact, not to die after the thought of suicide crept into my head,” the journalist and graduate student wrote recently.

In Lebanon, mental health and sui-

cide have long been deeply taboo subjects, with both major religions in the tiny country—Islam and Christianity —condemning the taking of one’s own life.

But one in three adults in Lebanon will develop a mental disorder by the

age of 75, a 2008 study found.

The small Mediterranean country has been rocked by decades of war, and weathered endless political crises in recent years as it fights to stave off an economic meltdown.

To shake the mould and help save

lives, Lebanese like Safieddine are speaking up.

The sudden deaths of her sister and father around one year ago sent her into crippling depression, but running has helped pull her out.

In May, she bravely shared her own Turn to B4

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B2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TRUMP HITS BACK AT LEBRON JAMES OVER RACIAL TALK WASHINGTON—United States President Donald Trump sniped back at NBA great LeBron James late Friday, days after the basketball player and philanthropist accused him of fueling racial divides in the United States.

“Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, (CNN presenter) Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do,” the president tweeted of the Los Angeles Lakers player.

In an interview on Tuesday—also broadcast late Friday—James told CNN he believed Trump “is kind of trying to divide us.”

“He’s kind of used sport to... divide us and that’s something I can’t relate to, because I know that sport was the first time I ever was around someone white.

You know?” said James, who on Monday opened an elementary school for at-risk youth in his native Akron, Ohio.

Trump’s comment sparked huge reaction on Twitter from James’ backers.

“We got your back @KingJames Someone sure sound like they wish they was you.”, tweeted linebacker Bobby Wagner of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

James, who ranks seventh in career National Basketball Association scoring, also told CNN Tuesday he would “never sit across” from Trump, whom he accuses of emboldening racists. AFP

JAPAN LDP CHIDED AS MP CALLS LGBT ‘UNPRODUCTIVE’ TOKYO—Japan’s ruling party has come under fire over remarks by one of its lawmakers who said gay and lesbian couples were “unproductive” because they cannot have children.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) politician Mio Sugita, an ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, sparked protests over an article she wrote in July questioning spending taxpayers’ money on LGBT couples.

“Can we obtain approval of spending taxpayers’ money for LGBT couples?

They don’t make children. In other words, they lack productivity,” she wrote.

Some 5,000 people protested outside the LDP headquarters in Tokyo last week over her remarks and similar demonstrations are planned in Osaka and other cities over the weekend, organizers said.

Abe attempted to calm the furor, saying Sugita’s remarks contradicted the party’s policy towards sexual minorities.

“It is natural to aim at a society where human rights and diversity should be respected,” he said Thursday.

The LDP also separately warned her to pay more attention to her remarks, saying in a statement: “Lawmaker Sugita’s article ... includes phrases reflecting her lack of understanding of (LGBT) issues and consideration for the feelings of people involved.”

But the party stopped short of reprimanding her despite growing calls for her resignation. AFP

BANGLADESH TEENS BLOCK ROADS ANEW OVER ROAD SAFETY DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Parts of the Bangladeshi capital ground to a halt for the seventh day running Saturday, as thousands of students staged protests calling for improvements to road safety after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus.

Authorities have pleaded with demonstrators to call off protests that have nearly paralyzed Dhaka and prompted foreign embassies to issue travel alerts.

Thousands of students wearing school uniforms defied rain to block major intersections in the capital from Saturday morning.

Teens as young as 13 were seen on Dhaka’s notoriously clogged roadways checking whether cars and buses had valid licenses and were in a roadworthy condition.

“We want justice,” the students chanted as they gathered in some of Dhaka’s main public squares.

“We won’t leave the roads until our demands are met. We want safe roads and safe drivers,” said protester Al Miran.

Anger has simmered since a speeding bus killed a boy and girl last weekend.

Bangladesh’s transport sector is widely seen as corrupt, unregulated and dangerous, and as news of the teenagers’ deaths became a catalyst for public anger after spreading rapidly on social media. AFP

N

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

UN: NOKOR HAS NOT STOPPED NUKE WORK

EW YORK—North Korea has pressed ahead with its nuclear and missile programs and continues to evade United Nations sanctions through increased illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea, a UN report said Friday.

In a 62-page report sent to the Security Council, the UN panel of experts also listed violations of a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, seafood and other products that generate millions of dollars in revenue for Kim Jong Un’s regime.

Pyongyang “has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018,” said the report, seen by AFP. The transfer of petroleum products to North Korean tankers at sea remains “a primary method of sanctions evasion” involving 40 vessels and 130 associated companies, it added.

The violations have rendered the

latest batch of sanctions “ineffective” by flouting the cap on oil, fuel and coal imposed in a raft of UN resolutions adopted last year, it added.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, North Korea’s foreign minister Saturday criticized the US for urging that sanctions be maintained against Pyongyang, after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked the international community to keep up pressure against the reclusive regime.

Despite “goodwill measures” taken by the North, Washington was “raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK,” the North’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a security forum in Singapore, according to a statement. DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name.

He criticized “insistent moves

manifested within the US to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention”.

“Impatience is not helpful at all for building confidence. Especially, advancing unilateral demands will further deepen mistrust, instead of reviving trust,” said the statement.

“As long as the US does not show in practice its strong will to remove our concerns, there will be no case whereby we will move forward first unilaterally,” Ri added.

At a historic June summit with US President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague commitment of “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” in the hope of getting UN and US sanctions relief.

Trump however has repeatedly warned Pyongyang that the sanctions must remain in place and could even be tightened as long as there is no progress on ending its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

North Korea also “attempted to supply small arms and light weapons (SALW) and other military equipment via foreign intermediaries” to

Libya, Yemen and Sudan, said the report.

It named Syrian arms trafficker Hussein Al-Ali who offered “a range of conventional arms, and in some cases ballistic missiles to armed groups in Yemen and Libya” that were produced in North Korea.

With Ali acting as a go-between, a “protocol of cooperation” between Yemen’s Huthi rebels and North Korea was negotiated in 2016 in Damascus that provided for a “vast array of military equipment.”

The panel continues to investigate such military cooperation that would be in violation of an arms embargo on North Korea.

North Korea continued to receive revenue from exports of banned commodities, for instance deliveries of iron and steel to China, India and other countries that generated nearly $14 million from October to March.

“Financial sanctions remain some of the most poorly implemented and actively evaded measures of the sanctions regime,” said the panel. AFP

MELTED ICE. This photograph shows a glacial lake at the end of the Rhone Glacier, near Gletsch in Switzerland on Friday, as a heatwave sweeps across northern Europe. AFP

CHINA: TARIFF THREAT AGAINST US ‘JUSTIFIED’ SINGAPORE—China’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country’s threat to impose retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion of American goods in an escalating trade spat was “fully justified”.

Beijing threatened Friday to bring in the levies on products ranging from beef to condoms, after United States President Donald Trump’s administration upped the ante in its plans for additional tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.

Washington suggested the rate on

MEDITATION

A member of the Thai ‘Wild Boars’ football team sitting with an embroidered bag of a boar playing football prays during a ceremony to mark the end of the players’ retreat as novice Buddhist monks at the Wat Phra That Doi Tung temple in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on Saturday.

The Thai boys -- freed from a flooded cave in a rescue bid that gripped the world -- left the Buddhist monastery 11 days after ordaining as novice monks to honor a diver who died in the mission to save them. AFP

the proposed extra tariffs could be increased from 10 to 25 percent.

The two countries have been embroiled for months in a trade conflict that has threatened to hurt consumers in both countries.

Washington claims that China’s export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies, as well as theft of American technological know-how.

Speaking on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore, Foreign

Minister Wang Yi said China’s threat of retaliatory tariffs was “fully justified and necessary”.

“These are measures taken out of the consideration for upholding the interests of the Chinese people,” he said, speaking through a translator.

He said the move was also aimed at upholding the “global free trade regime” that was underpinned by the World Trade Organization.

Wang also hit back at comments by top White House economic advi-

sor Larry Kudlow, who ridiculed China’s tariff threat as “weak” and said the world’s second-largest economy was in significant “trouble”.

“As to whether China’s economy is doing well or not, I think it is all too clear to the whole international community,” Wang said, adding that China contributed a huge amount to global economic growth.

“I don’t see why he would come to the conclusion that China’s economy is not doing well.” AFP

THAI CAVE BOYS LEAVE BUDDHIST MONASTERY MAE SAI, Thailand—The Thai boys freed from a flooded cave in a rescue bid that gripped the world left a Buddhist monastery Saturday, 11 days after ordaining as novice monks to honor a diver who died during the mission to save them.

The ordeal of the “Wild Boars” football team dominated global headlines as divers worked round the clock to extract the group from the flooded chambers and twisted, narrow passages of the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand.

In a dangerous and unprecedented rescue, the 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach were sedated and carried through the waterlogged chambers by divers, ending a nearly three-week saga.

But joy at the rescue was tempered by grief at the death of former Thai Navy SEAL diver Saman Kunan, who died while

installing oxygen tanks along the rescue route.

Eleven of the boys and their coach ordained to “make merit” according to Buddhist ritual for “Sergeant Sam”, as the diver is now affectionately known across Thailand.

One player, Adul Sam-on, was not ordained as he is a Christian.

On Saturday the boys, heads shaven and dressed in white to mark Buddhist Lent, left the Pha That Doi Wao temple in northern Thailand’s Mae Sai district.

They received a Buddhist blessing from monks as they asked in unison to leave the temple, each adding “I am now a layman”.

Their coach Ekkapol Chantawong remained in the temple, where he has become a full monk as he is an adult. AFP

LGUs

IN BRIEF

CALABARZON STARTS LISTING DENGVAXIA CASES—DOH

BAYOMBONG PLANTS 1,000 BAMBOO SEEDLINGS

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Health in Calabarzon has started profiling Dengvaxia cases in different provinces of the region to be able to locate recipients of the controversial dengue vaccine and establish a postvaccination baseline database, which will be used in the monitoring of their health status.

DoH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said the profile of the recipients and their scheduled physical examination will generate evidence-based intervention needed for their evaluation.

An individual’s health profile is important to manage the health information that will include a comprehensive summary of their medical or health history, Janairo said. This must include personal health history, medical conditions, medications and emergency contact information.

“It will help health workers to clearly organize critical information of every Dengvaxia vaccinee,” he said.

Without proper action, Janairo said the Dengvaxia confusion in the country will continue to bring “scare and panic” not only to affected individuals and their families but also to the rest of the country.

“Not only that, it will cause lower vaccination coverage and distrust but will also affect the psychological behavior of the children who were vaccinated,” he emphasized.

The regional office has been monitoring Dengvaxia recipients closely and providing necessary medical support every time a need arises.

Janairo said parent leaders of various provinces were also tapped to provide additional support in the reporting and monitoring of vaccinees in their respective areas.

According to the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit, a total of 16,694 Adverse Event Following Dengvaxia Immunization were recorded from Dec.1, 2017 to July 27, 2018, leading to 52 deaths. Over half of the 8,553 vaccinees, aged 2 to 46 years old, were female.

Laguna province had the highest number of reported AEFDI cases with 4,998 (30 percent of the total) followed by Batangas with 4,476 (27 percent), Cavite at 3,336 (20 percent), Quezon at 2,399 (14 percent) and Rizal at 1,486 (9 percent).

B3

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HOP TO IT. Boys enjoy playing the traditional game called ‘Chinese garter’ at the park along Roxas Boulevard in front of the Museo Pambata in Manila on Friday. Lino Santos

4 MAKATI VILLAGES CLEARED OF DRUGS

By Joel E. Zurbano

F

OUR villages in the City of Makati have been declared cleared and free of illegal drugs.

The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program declared barangays Urdaneta and San Lorenzo as drug-free, while Forbes Park and Magallanes were named drug-cleared barangays.

Urdaneta was the first barangay in Makati to be declared as drugcleared and eventually drug-free as of February this year. The other three villages were formally recognized during the 3rd Quarter Meeting of the city Peace and Order Council held at I’M Hotel in Makati last Wednesday.

Mayor Abigail Binay commended the respective barangay captains of the four villages for their exemplary commitment and support for the city government’s efforts to eradi-

cate the drug menace in every community toward a drug-free Makati.

“I salute the leaders of the first four Makati barangays that have been declared drug-cleared. It is a difficult task that calls for genuine commitment to duty and strong leadership, and I hope the barangay chiefs of the remaining barangays will be motivated to replicate their achievement,” she said.

The barangays are led by chairmen Leonard Alandy-Dy (Urdaneta), Ernesto Moya (San Lorenzo) and Evangeline Manotok (Forbes Park), and Councilor Armando Padilla (Magallanes), president of the Liga ng mga Barangay.

Chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Director, the Regional Oversight Committee is composed of Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Director as vice chairman, with Philippine National Police, Department of Health, the mayor or local chief executive or a representative appointed by the LCE, and Treatment and Rehabilita-

tion Center DoH as members.

The oversight committee, together with the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs issued the certifications to the three barangays on April 24, 2018.

Meanwhile, Barangay Urdaneta received its drug-free certification on Feb. 13, 2018.

The certificates, signed by Mayor Binay, DILG-Makati Director Cherry Canda-Melodias, Dr. Bernard Sese, City Health Officer, and city police chief Senior Supt. Rogelio Simon, were formally presented by Intelligence officer Rhea Valenzuela of PDEA-NCR on Wednesday.

Other officials present at the meeting included Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and City Administrator Claro Certeza.

The DILG-Makati explained that barangays which are initially validated by the PDEA as “drugcleared barangays” will receive a “drug-free” certification once they consistently show zero illegal drug incidents on record.

NAVOTAS ADOPTS PROACTIVE POLICING

By Jun David

INTERNS. Mayor John Rey Tiangco joins 18 Navoteño youth who completed their three-month internship under the Navotas City Council for Youth Development. Tiangco congratulated and advised them to maintain a strong work ethic. Jun David

NAVOTAS has boosted its peace and order campaign following the signing of a memorandum of agreement for the adoption of the Community and ServiceOriented Policing System.

Mayor John Rey Tiangco signed the MoA with officers from the National Police Commission, Association of Barangay Captains–Navotas, and the Philippine National Police–Navotas.

The agreement bolsters coordination and cooperation among Navoteños, the local executives, and the integrated law enforcement and public safety agencies in the city.

It also creates an Integrated Area/Community Public Safety Plan and a Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan to promote security and protection, as well as enhance delivery and access to justice.

Tiangco expressed full support to the CSOP

and vowed the city government will do its part to ensure the success of the program.

“Peace and order and public safety has always been one of our top priorities. Through this agreement, we hope to encourage community participation in safeguarding each Navoteño and upholding justice,” he said.

Navotas has a Text JRT program where constituents can reach the city government 24/7 and air their concerns, including those that involve drug-related crimes and other illegal activities.

As part of its anti-drug campaign, the city has Bidahan, a community-based treatment and rehabilitation program led by the Navotas Anti-Drug Abuse Council.

Likewise, PNP-Navotas has Navotas NEST (Nurture and Educate Surrenderers Towards Transformation) and faith-based groups in the city have SIPAG and Salubong, which intend to give drug users a chance to change and become responsible and productive citizens.

BAYOMBONG—The local government here recently planted 1,000 bamboo seedlings to strengthen its natural defense to flooding.

Mayor Ralph Lantion said the bamboo planting which was focused along the creeks and rivers including within the Materials Recovery Facilities is part of the 2nd Bayongyong Festival celebration of the municipality.

“Bayongyong” is a term of the Gaddang tribe for a bamboo pole traditionally used by their members in collecting potable water from various sources.

Lantion said this year’s festival also features the Agri-Trade Fair, which showcases their various local products such as vegetables, fruits and native animals such as chickens and pigs.

“We are also encouraging other local government units to plant bamboos along their creeks and rivers so that we have a natural protection on flooding especially during the rainy season,” he said.

Lantion added the town is contemplating on applying for a loan for the massive implementation of the bamboo planting project in the municipality.

He said their Agri-Trade Fair was participated by 35 barangays which were clustered into five to simplify their exhibits and save space for smoother traffic flow of commuters within the town center. Ben Moses Ebreo

NV GETS NUTRI HONOR AWARD BAYOMBONG—The National Nutrition Council has awarded the province the Nutrition Honor Award for its consistent and improved performance on the implementation of nutrition program.

The NHA is the highest and most prestigious award given to local government units who have shown exceptional performance in nutrition program implementation for six consecutive years.

Luzviminda Ragpa, chief of the Provincial Nutrition Office, said the recent evaluation made by the NNC puts major weight on the strong support of local government units of the province that paved the way for the sustained implementation of various nutrition programs, projects and activities.

“There are also other factors like sustained interventions in the barangays, among others which reduced the number of malnutrition cases in the province,” she said.

Ragpa also attributed the NHA of the province on the strong support, commitment and dedication of nutrition workers and various stakeholders in the province.

The province has been a recipient of the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition and CROWN Maintenance Awards.

To date, 60 LGUs have been conferred the NHA. This year’s awardees will receive a cash prize of P1 million and a trophy in the awarding program at the Philippine International Convention Center. Ben Moses Ebreo

BATAAN LIONS SUPPORTS BLOOD DONOR MONTH BALANGA CITY—The Bataan Peninsula Lions Club and other local sponsors supported the observance of Blood Donor Month in the province organized by the Philippine Red Cross Bataan.

Vice Governor Cris Garcia, past president of the club, and other officers and members joined the blood-letting activity held at Vista Mall on Friday.

PRC Bataan Chapter Administrator Charlie Gatbunton said 187 bags of blood were collected from sponsors and volunteers in the activity.

The vice governor through the Bataan Peninsula Lions Club, in partnership with PRC Bataan, has been conducting bloodletting activity every February since 2015 as way of celebrating her birthday.

“By donating blood, we become saviors to others,” she said.

Aside from Garcia, Mariveles Mayor AJ Concepion, Orion Acting Mayor Virgilio Isidro, and Board Members Peping Villapando and Noel Valdecanas graced the activity.

Gatbunton thanked sponsors and volunteers for continuously supporting their activities. Butch Gunio

FORUM WARNS VS FOREIGN RESOURCE OWNERSHIP

By Rex Arcadio R. San Diego II

Leon Dulce of Kalikasan People’s Network.

Dulce noted that under Article XII on FILIPINOS should be more careful and National Economy and Patrimony of the cautious concerning environmental proposed Federal constitution, foreigners conservation contained in the pro- are given opportunities to own properties in the Philippines 100 percent, a big posed Federalism constitution.

Participants to the recent Kamayan difference from the 60/40 setup allowed para sa Kalikasan Forum at the Kamayan under the 1987 Constitution.

“Even coastal areas are now open for Edsa came to this conclusion after a discussion on how the proposed Federal foreign, private ownership. And 100 pergovernment affect the Philippines’ cent foreign ownership is detrimental to society” Dulce warned. natural resources.

According to Dulce, most public As lawyer Galahad Pe-Benito of Green Research noted that the Writ of Kalikasan lands—including timberlands, mineral is reinforced in the Federalism Constitution, lands, reclaimed lands, national parks the audience agreed that it would be to and even mangroves—are open tarbenefit of society to be wary of the “Trojan gets for reclassification to allow private ownership, which makes critical horses embedded in the proposed shift.”

“Under the proposed Federalism con- ecosystems “vulnerable” to exploitation.

Leasing of lands also exposes restitution, Congress has absolute power to sources to overuse and overcapacity as change any law—particularly those concerning the environment—they wish. In businesses prioritize profits over resource effect, this proposed charter change is a conservation.

Citing the case of Boracay, Dulce also war against the environment,” cautioned

raised concerns about proper and independent monitoring.

“Instead of deploying hundreds of scientists, researchers and environmental experts to monitor developments in Boracay, government sent 800 policemen. So, it is more difficult, even impossible to verify actions that are detrimental to the environment these days,” he pointed out.

Why the hurry to shift? Dr. Angelina P. Galang pointed out that modifying certain provisions in the 1987 Constitution would have the same, if not a better impact than the rushed shift.

“Perhaps there is little need to engage in a constitutional commission or charter change to address social, economic and environmental issues since the solutions are already available in the 1987 Constitution.

What is lacking is proper implementation of the provisions,” explained Galang, Green Convergence convenor. “The 1987 Constitution can be improved, not necessarily changed to address environmental issues.

SKAL ACHIEVERS. Five leaders of Skal Makati are on the list of ‘Men Who Matter’ awardees who supported and promoted tourism development. Shown in photo (from left) are Bruce Winton, Marriott general manager, Philippine Airlines president Jimmy Bautista, NITAS president and Consul General Bobby Joseph, and New World Hotel Makati general manager Farid Schoucair. Not in photo is Resorts World president Kingson Sian. They were honored during the 5th Skal Makati monthly networking and GMM hosted by Sian at the Passion bar of Resorts World.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DANCING TO FORGET THE EARTHQUAKES

By Sylvain Estibal OAXACA—After the earthquake that devastated Juchitan in southern Mexico in September last year, Jorge Jimenez and his dance troupe sprang into action.

The 8.2-magnitude quake— the most powerful ever recorded in the country—killed at least 96 people in the area.

Entire families were buried, and the town hall was split in two. Streets were left strewn with debris, and residents had no water or electricity.

“We helped to find survivors and distributed food,” recalls Jimenez, the director of Juchitan de Zaragoza, a traditional dance troupe. “Then after a while, we decided to dance because the population needed some distraction to overcome the shock.”

But the many festivities that

TWO... From B1 caffeinated tea dates back to at least 3,000 BC. But the discovery of coffee, with its generally far stronger caffeine content, seems to have occurred in 15th century Yemen.

Before the Enlightenment, Europeans drank alcohol throughout the day. Then, through trade with the Arab world, a transformation occurred: coffee, rich with caffeine, a stimulant, swept across the continent and replaced alcohol, a depressant.

As writer Tom Standage put it: “The impact of the introduction of coffee into Europe during the seventeenth century was particularly noticeable since the most common beverages of

are a usual part of life in the community were all canceled in the wake of the earthquake.

“We are still in mourning,” says the 33-year-old Jimenez.

The dancers nevertheless decided to go to Oaxaca, the capital of the state of the same name, to take part in Guelaguetza, the biggest traditional Mexican festival.

“We want to thank the country for its support and proclaim to the world that ‘Juchitan lives, and long live Juchitan!’” Jimenez says.

‘Deep cultural traditions’ The large Guelaguetza gathering, which means “offering” in the native Zapotec language, was itself founded after an earthquake that devastated Oaxaca in 1931.

Following the quake, locals decided to create a celebration bringing together the many local cultures “to pray to the Virgin

the time, even at breakfast, were weak ‘small beer’ and wine. Both were far safer than water, which was liable to be contaminated… Coffee… provided a new and safe alternative to alcoholic drinks. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol began the day alert and stimulated, rather than relaxed and mildly inebriated, and the quality and quantity of their work improved…

Western Europe began to emerge from an alcoholic haze that had lasted for centuries.”

Coffeehouses quickly became important social hubs, where patrons debated politics and philosophy.

Adam Smith, the father of economics, frequented a coffeehouse called Cockspur Street and another called the Turk’s Head, while working on The Wealth of Nations.

and express solidarity,” said Alfonso Martinez, the spokesman for Oaxaca state.

Much more than just a festival, Guelaguetza has been a must on the region’s social calendar for 86

years, and showcases the variety and richness of what Martinez calls the country’s “deep cultural traditions.”

Every year, 30 troupes present their unique culture in a parade and performance before 12,000 spectators, dancing in colorful costumes—some with a pineapple or even a vase in hand, others wearing demon masks and cracking a whip.

The event, broadcast on local television, has achieved great success, attracting more than 110,000 visitors to Oaxaca for the annual festivities.

For the capital of the second-poorest Mexican state, the economic benefits are significant, estimated at over $16 million, according to local authorities.

Traditional culture still alive Participating in Guelaguetza is time-honored for the many communities of this region of four million inhabitants.

The selection committee is made up of 10 former dancers whose average age is 75—but whose judgment is sharp.

“We traveled 29,000 kilometers last year,” says Margarita, the 82-year-old chairman of the selection committee, which is also known as the “authenticity committee.”

The committee members roam remote villages and select the very best troupes.

“We evaluate the quality of the dance, the clothing, the hairstyle, the chemistry between the couples,” she says.

Here, each costume tells a story.

A pattern on a dress “symbolizes the mountains that overlook the village,” while embroidery can represent a river that crosses the hamlet, or even the underworld.

From an early age, children are immersed in their local culture.

Some young people listen to hip-hop, but they never get away from their cultural roots, says Graciela, 31, a dancer from Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec.

“We learn music before we even know how to write,” she says. “These cheerful rhythms define us—it’s our culture.” AFP

After the Boston Tea Party, many Americans opted for coffee over tea, raising their caffeine intake. Thomas Jefferson called coffee, “the favorite drink of the civilized world.” Even today, Americans consume three times more coffee than tea. In the words of historian Mark Pendergrast, “The French Revolution and the American Revolution were planned in coffeehouses.”

Filipinos are also fifth-biggest consumers of coffee behind the EU, the US, Brazil, and Japan. Similarly, the Philippines is the top importer of soluble coffee and fourth total importer in the world.

The Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution saw an explosion of innovation and new ideas. Living standards skyrocketed. New forms of government

arose. More recently, globalization took the classical liberal ideal of peaceful exchange to new heights and reduced worldwide inequality.

Today, despite population growth, fewer people live in poverty than ever before. People live longer lives, are better educated, and many more enjoy the blessings of liberal democracy than was the case decades ago.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug worldwide. Alcohol gave civilization its start, and it certainly helped the species drown its sorrows during the grinding poverty of much of human history. But it was caffeine that gave us the Enlightenment and helped us achieve prosperity. eric.jurado@gmail.com

IN LEBANON,... From B1 struggle with depression in a public social media post.

“I decided I had to give positive energy to these people and remind them that life is worth living and that they deserve to live,” the tall, lean athlete told AFP. She was surprised by the positive response.

“I felt like my experience was the experience of many people who hadn’t dared to speak up about what they were going through,” she said.

The issue has been getting a wave of attention in Lebanon in recent weeks amid concern over rising suicides.

‘He fell’ The first seven months of this year alone have seen 89 suicides in Lebanon, compared with 143 for all of 2017, according to Lebanon’s security forces.

This year’s rate amounts to roughly one suicide every two and a half days, but social norms in Lebanon may mean suicides are underreported.

“You have families who said, because of stigma, that he fell,” said Nour Kik, of the health ministry’s mental health program.

To fight rising numbers, a group of mental health professionals and volunteers launched Lebanon’s first suicide prevention hotline in late 2017.

The Embrace Lifeline has received around 600 calls since November, said Omar Ghosn, a psychiatrist and board member of the Embrace association behind it.

In a small, bright office in downtown Beirut, around 45 volunteers work in shifts to receive phone calls from people in distress, but also worried relatives or friends.

“Callers are women and men of all ages,” but teenagers especially rely on the service, said Sally, who like other hotline volunteers did not give her second name.

“I’ve had a lot of calls from elderly men,” said the 22-year-old psychology student.

Without work or a pension, “most call upset because they’re struggling to provide themselves with food, drink —or even a home.”

But vulnerable groups in Lebanon also include around one million Syrian refugeeswho fled the seven-year war in their neighboring homeland.

A 2014 World Health Organization report found that 41 percent of Syrian youth in Lebanon have sometimes or often contemplated suicide.

‘Listen to them cry’ Fadi, a 37-year-old Syrian volunteer at the hotline, said he often feels callers have never had anyone empathise with them.

He talks them through their problems, trying to highlight their achievements, he said. Though “sometimes, they just need someone to listen to them cry.”

Fadi is determined to speak out, especially after witnessing a crowd egg on a suicidal Syrian man threatening to throw himself off a Beirut cliff in April.

“They were eating sunflower seeds and watching the scene as if they were watching a movie at the cinema,” he said.

Fadi gained the man’s trust by throwing him his coat, and managed to coax him off the edge.

He is also trying to raise awareness individually. His gym coach, who initially did not want to talk about the taboo topic, is now helping spread the word.

“Now he’s the one telling everybody: By the way, there’s a suicide hotline in Lebanon. The number is 1564,” said Fadi.

Authorities say they are working on preventing suicides, including through better access to mental healthcare.

“Ninety percent of persons who attempt suicide have a mental disorder that can be treated,” said Kik, of the health ministry’s mental health program launched in 2014.

“We are working on making services more available, accessible and affordable,” she said.

But Safieddine’s coping mechanism is still running. She has completed a half-marathon and is working on improving her time.

“I run for freedom, I run for life, I run for myself, I run for my pain, and I run for those like me,” she said. AFP

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018

Business

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

CODE OF HONOR GUIDES EXPANSION OF FRUITAS

By Othel V. Campos

From left: Holcim Philippines president John Stull, head of communications Cara Ramirez and environment manager Steph Fogoso

F

ROM the start, food and beverage conglomerate Fruitas Holdings Inc. has observed a code of honor—a tradition that instills integrity in the workplace and keeps deals honest with customers and suppliers.

This code of honor was patterned after the Philippine Military Academy’s decorum of refraining from cheating, thieving and lying.

This was the mindset when banker and entrepreneur Lester Yu established Fruitas as a simple cart business in 2002. After more than a decade, Fruitas has matured into one of the most outstanding food and beverage firms in the Philippines with 18 brands to its label and almost 900 stores across all brands.

Acquisition of more brands is Yu’s current addiction. Yu, who studied in De La Salle University and University of the Philippines, serves as the chief executive of the company.

“My addiction is accumulation of business, to become bigger and bigger. You gain power and you used that power to help other people. There is a higher purpose than this,” he said, adding that becoming a bigger business also has social cost.

“Honesty, integrity and hard work are the most fundamental foundation of any business. I believe this is the reason why we have managed to grow and expand. We do not cheat, lie, steal or tolerate among us those who do so. That has been our guidance in our expansion and acquisition program. We want to acquire more brands to be at the top of the game,” said Yu, quoting the adage borrowed from the PMA. Its flagship brand Fruitas remains the company’s top business with over 200 stores nationwide.

In an effort to understand the nuances of the market and better respond to market demand, the company classified the brands in three categories—the leader brands, challenger brands and the niche brands.

Fruitas, Buco Loco, Buko ni Fruitas, John Lemon and The Original Jamaican Patty Shop are considered leader brands on their own, while challenger brands such as Black Pearl and Friends Fries provide other brands of similar products a run for their money.

Catering to small, select markets are homegrown brands Magnifico Pizzeria and Shou La Mien, among many other brands.

The company also ventured into food parks and now manages three in Quezon City. Expansion to the south is being considered.

Yu said the incessant growth is key to surviving competition.

“We want to be the number one company in the Philippines for some of our brands. We’re not in a hurry to get there, but we certainly do what it takes to get our brands to the top of competition,” he said.

Yu’s previous business ventures did not become as successful. What little he saved from working in a bank, he put it a cart called Fruitas.

The secret, he said, is not a secret at all, as many businessmen and investors knew this all along.

“One only needs to believe in their products and the virtue of working hands on. In growing the business, most of the time I lose sleep. There was no time for night life. My social circle is limited to my family and co-workers,” Yu said.

The growth of Fruitas Holdings is not something that happened overnight. A number

HOLCIM PH COMMITS TO CUT CARBON FOOTPRINT

By Julianne Edon Gabis

Fruitas Holdings Inc. founder and CEO Lester Yu

of influences left an indelible mark on Fruitas.

Success stories of small businesses continue to inspire Fruitas.

Of the most successful business models Yu looked up to, the Jollibee Group and Mercury Drug topped the list.

He cited how Jollibee created a huge network of successful stores and how it managed to acquire companies that were even bigger than it was years ago.

For Yu, the story of how Mercury Drug was able to succeed without resorting to franchising had the biggest impact to him as an entrepreneur.

This path, he said, is where Fruitas would like to position itself as a growing small food and fresh beverage conglomerate.

Yu said he is a not big fan of franchising, although he respects and acknowledges the concept as an effective tool to expand a brand with less capital within a short period.

In fact, a handful of brands within the Fruitas Group of Companies experimented on franchising, but the bigger chunk or about 80 percent to 85 percent of the store network still company-owned.

Yu said he wants all his brands and stores to be all company-owned. From carts or kiosks, the company expanded to having in-line stores inside the malls.

Over the past 16 years, the local market has been kind to homegrown SMEs like Fruitas Holdings such that revenues in 2016 hit half a billion pesos. It doubled in 2017 to P1.2 billion, with a net income of P142 million after tax.

“Among the food and beverage companies, we have, if not one of the healthiest, the healthiest financial statements. Payback is guaranteed within three years. We can even do that in 18 months. We have presence in all the regions except Marawi, but we’re building there,” Yu said.

Fruitas is hoping that the uphill trend of high double-digit growth will continue as the store network expands.

To sustain this growth, the company plans to raise as much as P2 billion by going public, given the healthier, more robust market outlook in the first quarter of 2019.

“We want to offer a good price, maybe less than P5 apiece. Our underwriters—First Metro Investment and BDO Capital are working out the fine prints,” Yu said.

Proceeds from the offering, he said, will be used to modernize all four commissaries, expand the store network and acquire more brands. Beyond the commissaries, a research and development facility will be added to the capital assets.

A small portion will be allocated for debt payment, which is very minimal, he said.

“With the new funding, we’re looking at opening 150 to 200 stores yearly. If not the only one, we are the most active among small companies when it comes to acquiring brands.

Because of the strength of our store network and the sheer number of brands we have, we consider ourselves not small anymore. We’re an SME, but still an underdog. We’re a small company who likes to think big,” said Yu.

CEMENT maker Holcim Philippines Inc. pledges to increase its operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions and water and fuel consumption under the company’s Sustainability Plan 2030.

Holcim Philippines made the commitment during the launch of the “Holcim Helps” campaign in Makati City which standardizes the communication programs of its various sites for social and environmental initiatives.

Holcim said that by using more qualified wastes as alternative resources and raw materials, it would under take various programs for sustainability along with efficiency upgrades to reduce carbon emissions by 2030.

“We’re pushing for sustainable products and solutions which require less energy or resources to use that will deliver similar or even superior performance specifically for road construction,” said Holcim Philippines environment manager Steph Fogoso.

Last year, the company coprocessed 160,000 metric tons of qualified wastes to replace traditional fuels. A part of that volume is from the 120 million packs of cigarettes confiscated by the government.

“Currently we are engaging with public stakeholders and the key builders on road infrastructure so that they will be aware that we have these sustainable solutions or options for them,” said Fogoso.

The company said that in terms of water consumption, plants are equipped with water recycling facilities to reduce fresh water use by 40 percent and 30 percent versus 1990 and 2015 levels, respectively.

Holcim Philippines president and chief executive John Stull said such initiatives would enable the company to be a bigger contributor to the nation’s progress while also improving its performance.

FREENET APP OPENS NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES JOBSEEKERS who are Smart, Sun and TNT subscribers can now search and apply for jobs, access apps and sites inside the freenet app free of data charges.

Th e i n i t i at i ve to m a k e wo r k opportunities more accessible to Filipinos with the freenet app was made possible through a collaboration between FindWork and Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart Communications.

“We are continually improving FindWork in the best ways possible. This partnership with Voyager Innovations and it’s freenet app makes the FindWork app accessible to everyone, especially

workers in the blue collar and service industry whom may not subscribe to data plans. Hopefully, we will help millions of jobseekers find the best match for their career goals. FindWork Philippines is truly delighted to partner with Voyager Innovations,” said Kevin Williams, co-founder of FindWork.

FindWork country manager Rommel Torres said: “My personal and FindWork’s visions are the same. Opening up work opportunities to deserving Filipino talents whom may be in need.”

Heidi Garayblas, the head of integrated marketing of freenet expressed her excitement on the partnership. “We are happy to make more job opportunities

within reach of our users by making FindWork available on freenet. This is one way for us to give the best and most rewarding mobile internet experience to our users and we’re looking forward to offering them access to more useful apps like FindWork, and rewards that will make their experience worthwhile,” she said.

The partnership with Voyager Innovations’ freenet makes FindWork m o re a cce s s i b l e a n d e a s i e r to download for Filipinos nationwide. This collaboration is also expected to kickstart FindWork usage in the Philippines.

The FindWork and freenet apps are both available on the Google Play Store.

FindWork co-founder Kevin Williams, country manager Rommel Torres, sales manager Katy Torres and senior sales manager Bryan Alzona

Business

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

BELGIANS BRING ORIGINAL FRIES TO PH TOP CHEFS SET TO SHOWCASE BEST EUROPEAN FOOD IN PH

By Nathalie Grace Adalid and Rhosedel Grace Gabac AWARD-WINNING European and Filipino chefs will gather and share their expertise in the celebration of the first European Culinary Week at Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig City and at Crimson Hotel & Resort in Lapu Lapu City in Mactan, Cebu on Sept.

10 to 16.

“It’s going to be tasty. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be interesting,” said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen, as he described the upcoming culinary week.

The European Culinary Week is organized by the EU-Philippines Business Network and co-funded by the European Union with the aim of sparking the interest of Filipinos in European cuisine and beverage in representing the authentic European gastronomy.

It will also serve as an opportunity for culinary students to work and learn from European chefs and encourage European and Philippine companies to import European food and beverage products.

“We have a unique way of trying to protect well-known products,” said Jessen.

Jessen highlight the importance of European Geographical Indication or GI products through the celebration of the culinary week.

“Here in the Philippines, we’ve been trying to identify products that are wellknown in the Philippines and to allocate what we call Geographical Indication to them, so that the value of the production increases,” Jessen said.

The EU ambassador said the European

Culinary Week aimed to bolster the relationship between Europe and the Philippines. “I feel it will strengthen because, it’s a very human way of bringing Europe to the Philippines. We all eat food every day. We want to get good food. We want to have healthy food and we want to have tasty food. And this is something where you are clearly adding something to contribute, something to bring to the Philippines. So, for me, it’s very much people-to-people contact,” Jessen said.

The European Culinary week will feature 14 Filipino and European chefs including some Michelin star chefs with different authentic European food and beverage.

It is a five series events prepared for the ambassadors, food aficionados, chefs and culinary students and personalities and businessmen who are interested to join the celebration.

“It is through the European Culinary Week that we seek to provide the perfect mix of business and pleasure, to promote European food culture in the Philippines while showcasing opportunities for Philippine food and produce around the world,” said Grand Hyatt Manila general manager Gottfried Bogensperger.

040608 (Bank Code)

METRO SOUTH COOPERATIVE BANK

IDC Centre, Zapote Street cor. Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Makati City

BALANCE SHEET As of JUNE 30, 2018 ASSETS Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures-Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Non-Current Assets Held for Sale Other Assets-Net Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitute d) Others Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Soubordlnated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Shares Special Time Deposrt Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies/(Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL LIABILITIES STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings Assigned Caprtal TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Guarantees Issued Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commttments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securities Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts c) Advlsory/Consull Derivatives Others TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR (%) b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/ Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instruments Received

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amount 51,062,305.11 65,787,910.61 779,876,513.77 0.00 0.00 15,000,000.00 2,120,714,123.03 0.00 0.00 2,150,445,723.81 0.00 29,731,600.78 15,281,709.91 0.00 32,554,935.66 183,702,004.71 0.00 4,082,594.29 0.00 3,288,062,097.09

Previous Quarter 1,542,099.95 66,340,031.45 694,018,144.82 0.00 0.00 10,000,000,00 2,084,952,573.08 0.00 0.00 2,125,584,315.86 0.00 40,631,742.78 17,390,928.58 0.00 33,657,795.07 183,933,184.74 0.00 3,788,131.86 0.00 3,095,822,889.66

0.00 1,913,240,493.69 0.00 582,000,000.00 0.00 582,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10,006,013.00 37,597,363.07 0.00 2,542,843,869.76

0.00 1,576,901,834.92 0.00 799,000,000.00 0.00 799,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 9,291,354.97 41,557,162.63 0.00 2,426,750,352.52

638,312,403.21 8,776,346.33 78,129,477.79 0.00 725,218,227.33 3,268,062,097.09

576,861,597.79 3,659,805.12 88,351,134.12 0.00 668,872,537.03 3,095,622,889.55

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,727,933.47 2,727,933.47

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,727,824.47 2,727,824.47

2,289,061 ,822.34 138,616,098.53

2,234,872,729.52 109,288,413.66

211,749,097.44 9.25% 73,132,998.91 3.19% 79.50% 65.46% 45.00 550,090,864.29 24.03% 0.00 0.00%

343,858,760.17 15.39% 234,570,346.51 10.50% 43.60% 31 .78% 45.00 301,530,916.78 13.49% 0.00 0.00%

11 .60% 33.54% 3.00%

14.93% 32.57% 2.00%

22.14 621.59 0.00 0.00 0.00

19.68 587.48 0.00 0.00 0.00

Current Quarter

FR. ANTONIO CECELIO T. PASCUAL Chairman ATTY. MICKEL M. BORIGAS Vice-Chairman DIRECTORS ROBERT V. AREVALO PATRIA T. CHIONG ROMEO A. DE JESUS DORIS R.DORIGO NORMA G. GUHITING EDITA S. LAURON GARIBALDI O. LEONARDO ROBERTO C. MASCARINA SERAFIN F. PERALTA PEDRO A. PLAZA DIVINA C. QUEMI PEDRO E. RIEZA, JR. NICOLAS H. VERONILLA

Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City) s.s.

I/We, RODA L. CRUZ and RENELIA V. ESTIOKO of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

RENELIA V. ESTIOKO President

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 17th day of July 2018 at Makati City, affiant exhibiting his/her/their Passport No.P1057056A, issued at DFA NCR EAST on December 01, 2016 and Passport No. P1747134A, issued at Manila City on January 25, 2017.

Doc. No. 280 Book No. 317 Page No. 57 Series of 2018

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

family-owned businesses in the industry in Belgium that offer a wide range of potato products and specialties that are exported to over 100 countries ATING fries can sometimes be worldwide. confusing. What we call fries “We are pleased to bring Belgian fries to the here are called chips in the west, Philippines as part of our plan to increase our presence in the Southeast Asian region. There is an existing while the chips that we know are market in this region for our products, but we see called crisps. There’s the American an even bigger opportunity to expand exports and shoestring that we are so used to as heighten appreciation for our national delicacy,” said Belgapom representative Romain Cools. side dish to burgers. And there’s the The Philippines is the last stop for the Belgian generic name French fries that is not companies, all halal-certified, following their promotional exhibits in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, really of French origin.

And then there are the original Belgian fries – Singapore and Vietnam.

“Southeast or frites, as they call these deep fried,MAGENTA French-cutYELLOW CYAN BLACKAsia is one of the largest fast-growing (julienned) potatoes – which have been around since regions of the world, with a rising middle class, rapid urbanization and an overall young population. These the 17th century.

“It is sad that our main product, Belgian fries, have trends, together with Belgium’s high food standards become more popularly known as French fries because and innovation, will continue to drive demand in the they are cut the French way,” said Belgian Ambassador region and beyond, and our industry is ready to reply to this in an original way, since our Belgian fries are to the Philippines Michel Goffin.

“We are trying to change that and tell the world truly different from those from other countries,” Cools that Belgian fries are part of our cultural heritage,” said.

Belgium is the largest exporter of frozen fries in the Goffin said.

Fries in Belgium are the thick cut variety and served world, with 90 percent of its production supplying the with mayonnaise on the side. They are eaten as a main global market. In 2016, Belgian fries exports rose 14.3 meal on their own or can be paired with meat, unlike percent to 1.68 million tons from a year earlier, with an here in the Philippines where they are usually served increasing share going to countries outside EU. Over the years, the Philippines’ import volume of as sides to other dishes.

As part of the concerted effort to correct the Belgian potato products has likewise increased, from branding problem of Belgian fries, Belgapom, an 12,192 tons in 2014 to 28,076 tons last year.

“The Philippines is well-known as a food-lover’s association for the Belgian potato trade and processing industry, and VLAM (Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing paradise, and Filipino consumers really know and love Board), have brought five companies to the Philippines good food. Belgian fries are still relatively unknown in the Philippines, so we are excited about this to participate in the World Food Expo Manila.

The five companies represent the five biggest opportunity,” Cools said.

E

EXECUTIVE OFFICER Renelia V. Estioko President

1/ Common Equity Tier 1 is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

RODA L. CRUZ Finance Head

Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines Michel Goffin (left) and Romain Cools of Belgapom show Belgian Fries in a news conference at Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.

From left: Former commissioner Damian Mapa of the National Privacy Commission, Enderun Colleges senior vice president Daniel Perez, Evident Communications Paul Bograd and Enderun College digital transformation director Colin Christie

THE RISE OF DATA PROTECTION OFFICERS

By Nathalie Grace Adalid and Rhosedel Grace Gabac ENDERUN Colleges is teaming up with Evident Communications to hold a summit on data privacy this month amid the rising demand for data protection officers.

A DPO is in charge of overseeing and implementing the data protection strategies of businesses and organizations.

The Data Privacy Summit 2018 will gather top DPOs in the country led by former commissioner Damian Mapa of the National Privacy Commission on Aug. 24.

“I see a lot of summits where there are experts talking, and people who know the law, and that’s well and good, but I think the differentiator of this summit is that there are DPOs who have actually done the work that are going to be on stage talking,” said Mapa.

The country’s data privacy landscape has significantly improved with landmark laws implemented locally and globally. The challenge for companies, however, is to hire qualified DPOs to implement their privacy measures.

“Often, the biggest challenge for firms is finding a qualified DPO. The International Association of Privacy Professionals estimated that we’ll need about 75,000 DPOs globally just right after GDPR took effect,” said Mapa, referring to the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union.

In the Philippines, an organization that handles personal data is required to appoint a DPO, conduct a privacy impact assessment, implement a privacy management system, deploy data protection policies

and exercise breach reporting procedures. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines, loss of revenue, loss of reputation and even imprisonment. “On top of that, it is crucial for companies to arm their DPOs with progressive training and the right technologies. If they get this right, the competitiveness of their companies increases significantly, and they have better chances attracting customers and increasing their revenues. In today’s data-driven economy, privacy has become the proxy for trust,” said Mapa.

“The Philippines processes a massive amount of data because of the many BPOs, global in-house centers and technology companies servicing almost every continent, including countries covered by GDPR. Complying with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 is signal to other countries that they can trust us with their data; that they will receive adequate protection similar to what they are receiving in their home countries,” Mapa said.

The upcoming summit aims to bring first degree advisory, analyses and insights by seasoned data privacy professionals who have designed laws, overseen rules and regulations and implemented compliance locally, regionally and internationally. The speakers will come from data-intensive sectors such as education, healthcare and business process outsourcing.

“This summit is the first step of a larger offer of certification, of managed services, of consulting, and we hope that being a pioneer in it will set our partnership up as real knowledge leader and we want to take responsibility for making sure that this part of the Philippine economy is protected,” said Paul Bograd, chairman of Evident Communications.

Tech & Gadgets

BUILDING A CRYPTO NATION

By Carmela Martinez

T

HE science of cryptocurrency is considered revolutionary with its blockchain technology that assures not only security but also anonymity.

It is a completely new idea that can be compared to other mind-blowing technologies that became widespread like automobiles, mobile phones and the World Wide Web. Cryptocurrency is a virtual currency created by Satoshi Nakamoto. It was later developed and adopted by other cryptocurrency companies that operate much like Bitcoin. A person can buy products and services using it and it can also be traded in the stock market. What’s really interesting here is the way it can make its users secure by the use of cryptography or the art of making codes to conceal a message. It’s why its’ called cryptocurrency.

Blockchain is the technology under cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Etherium and many others.

The system is completely decentralized which was thought to be impossible in the past years. It uses the peer-to-peer network of people that keeps it on track and updated. While the cryptocurrencies themselves cannot be centralized to one bank or several banks, the blockchain, on the other hand, can be regulated by country.

Governments have different approaches to the blockchain technology. There are some that have chosen to wait and see what will happen in the future, deciding not to regulate it as it is not seen as a financial threat yet. There are some that banned cryptocurrency entirely. Others have embraced it and made detailed rules and recommendations to regulate it.

The situation in the Philippines is working to pave its way for the information to be circulated.

The Blockchain Association of the Philippines was formed to spread understanding and eventual adoption of the blockchain technology among the Filipino entrepreneurs, fintech professionals, and the Filipino community. It is also registered in countries like Singapore and a handful of Philippinebased companies such as Salarium and Loyalcoin rolled out ICOs or Initial Coin Offerings.

To fully understand blockchain, Justo Aboitiz Ortiz (left), the President of the Blockchain Association of the Philippines and the chairman of Unionbank, invited Cecilia Mueller-Chen (right), a member of Crypto Valley Association’s Regulatory and Policy working group.

The Circular no. 944 or more commonly known as (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) BSP’s Guidelines for Virtual Currency Exchange, which serves as the rules and regulations that govern operations of VC exchanges in the Philippines. The BSP has received 30 applicants that seek approval to operate as a virtual currency exchange in the country. Only two have been granted licenses as of 2018, Betru.Inc that operates Coins.ph and Rebittance Inc. of SCI Ventures which operates Rebit.ph.

The Philippines is treading in the dark with cryptocurrency but one major concept that Philippine regulators should look into is Switzerland, a country that is among the pioneers in finance.

Switzerland ranked first in a list of Top 10 European countries for starting a blockchain company according to a study released by the blockchain conference, Blockshow Europe 2018. 48 countries related to ICOs, cryptocurrency as a payment service, and taxation framework for cryptocurrencies were examined in the study.

The country has been revered for its strength in financial services, global network and community, talent, and flexible and competitive taxation program for blockchain. This advancement allowed the cryptocurrency industry to thrive in the said country. The Crypto Valley in Zug has attracted blockchain-based companies because of the low

corporate tax and business and blockchain-friendly policies. It is now the home for these companies.

To fully understand this industry, a speaker from Switzerland was invited by Justo Aboitiz Ortiz, the President of the Blockchain Association of the Philippines and the chairman of Unionbank to give a talk.

Cecilia Mueller-Chen is a member of Crypto Valley Association’s Regulatory and Policy working group and the Lead Author of the Crypto Valley Association’s Code of Conduct. Her current responsibilities include assessing regulations governing ICOs around the world. She’s one of the global forerunners in compliance and regulation when it comes to blockchain and the crypto economy.

There, she talked about how the regulations involving cryptocurrency in Switzerland are liberal and principle-based where the regulations are more like boundaries rather than pathways.

The blockchain technology is moving faster than governments can make and enforce regulations.

Mueller-Chen believes that there should be a distinction between what is acceptable and what is not but the growth of this industry should not be hindered. The government or regulators and the industry should not oppose each other but rather they much be partners in order to achieve harmony and progress.

AXA PH ROLLS OUT INNOVATIVE E-POLICY

MMDA employees and other participants duck, cover, and hold during the #MMShakeDrill held at the MMDA headquarters.

SMART BOOSTS MMDA QUAKE DRILL WHILE the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that the exact date of its latest earthquake drill will not be publicized in advance, it is no surprise that Smart Communications has again provided support to the agency’s annual disaster preparedness and response activity.

Just like in previous years, the PLDT wireless unit deployed emergency communications support for the MMDA Shake Drill, which simulated the “Big One,” or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake situation in the event of a movement from the West Valley Fault.

“We are doing this to prepare everyone to minimize damage that earthquake may cause. When the Big One happens, we must be prepared,” MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo “Jojo” Garcia Jr. said in a statement released by the agency.

“Our participation in the drill is part of our commitment to use technology to enhance disaster preparedness and response,” said PLDT and Smart public affairs head Ramon R. Isberto. “Our various communication

tools, including the cellular and data services themselves, are part of our #SafePH advocacy, which aims to help build more resilient communities and reduce disaster risk,” he said.

Smart positioned multi-equipment on wheels (MEOW) portable cell sites, satellite communications services, and libreng tawag (free calls) stations; and provided Wi-Fi support for incident commanders at the MMDA quadrants. The MMDA has divided Metro Manila into quadrants to better manage response and rescue operations when the Big One strikes.

The quadrants, with their respective evacuation areas, are as follows: the northern quadrant (Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, San Juan), Veterans Memorial Medical Center Golf Course and Quezon Memorial Circle; eastern quadrant, (Marikina and Pasig), LRT 2 Santolan depot; western quadrant (Navotas, Malabon, Manila), Intramuros Golf Course; and southern quadrant (Pasay, Makati, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Pateros, and Taguig), Villamor Golf Course.

AXA Philippines, one of the leading insurance companies in the country, rolls out its innovative paperless e-Policy system to make policy issuance and delivery easier and more convenient for customers.

With the e-Policy, customers can view their policies easily and in real time, even when they are on the go. They can also save the e-Policy on their digital gadgets, send them to their beneficiaries, or print a copy only when they need it.

Customers can get a copy of their AXA e-policy through these simple steps: Register an account on MyAXA, then log in to that account. Go to “My Policies” to view the policy and other documents.

The proprietary digital platform MyAXA is an online portal accessible on desktop and tablet. There is also an app available for download, but the e-Policy is currently only available on the web portal.

The e-Policy is generated and available through MyAXA web after a policy is issued.

The e-Policy becomes the digital version of the hard copy of a new insurance policy. The electronic document is legal, valid, and approved by the Insurance Commission.

“The introduction of the e-Policy is our way of elevating the overall AXA customer experience,” says Rahul Hora, AXA Philippines president and chief executive officer. “Our new customers will now be able to get a copy of their policies right away, all through MyAXA.” For more information, visit https://www.axa. com.ph/myaxa/ or contact an AXA Philippines agent today.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

ALLIANZ, HSBC CELEBRATE PARTNERSHIP TWO of the world’s largest financial services companies Allianz PNB Life and HSBC Insurance Brokers Inc. have entered a second year of strengthened strategic partnership in the country.

Equipped with well-resourced teams and a global research network, Allianz brings deep knowledge on financial protection investment and risk management to help Filipinos make betterinformed choices.

According to Dr. Olaf Kliesow, chief executive officer and president of Allianz PNB Life, “Our primary mission is to provide sound financial advice to empower Filipinos in their decision-making. We are embarking on an exciting second year journey as we seize market opportunities for our growing clientele in HSBC.” Focused on providing financial solutions and catering to all client needs, HSBC is banking on the prospects of tapping the large, young Filipino population seeking professional advice and an established network of clients always on the lookout for exceptional investment opportunities.

“We’ve received very encouraging results with the performance of our first year of partnership with Allianz. This year, we are looking forward to offering new investment opportunities to ensure the quality of life for generations to come. The partnership will continue to allow Filipino investors to benefit from HSBC’s deep understanding of the Filipino market and from Allianz’s experience with supporting investors in Asia’s fast-growing markets,” said Wick Veloso, President and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Philippines.

On its second year, Allianz is offering another exclusive product to HSBC clients, the AZpire Plus Series, which is a collection of regular-pay unitlinked life insurance products created to deliver the fastest fund accumulation in the market. The three product innovations under AZpire include: AZpire Growth Plus for clients seeking to grow wealth and future-proof their finances; AZpire Wiz Plus for parents to plan ahead their children’s education, helping them fulfill their potential, and limit the strain on family finances; and AZpire Peak Plus for investors wanting to maintain their quality of life after retirement as well as protect the wealth they have accumulated over the years.

Allianz, one of the world’s largest investors, handles over €650 billion on behalf of its insurance customers, while its asset managers Allianz Global Investors and PIMCO manage an additional €1.4 trillion of thirdparty assets.

HSBC, on the other hand, is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations, with assets amounting to US$2,652 billion as at 31 March 2018.

HOME CREDIT WELCOMES 3-MILLIONTH CUSTOMER

HCPH Sales Associate Mayeth Valencia (left) and HCPH CEO Annica Witschard (second from left) are joined by 3-millionth customer Virginia Dela Torre and husband Almer, HCPH Chief Marketing and Product Officer Franchette Chingcuanco-Cardona.

HOME Credit, the Prague-based consumer finance company that has captured the attention of mallgoers and gadget lovers alike with its affordable in-store loans, has a very good reason to celebrate after it recently signed its three millionth customer.

Lucky winner Virginia and her husband Almer were in the process of applying for an in-store loan for a flat screen TV when HCPH surprised them on the spot. Home Credit Philippines’ Chief Executive Officer Annica Witschard and Chief Marketing and Product Officer Franchette Cardona were personally there to reveal the surprise and congratulate the “winning” customers who got 5,000php worth of GCs and the perk of having the rest of their loan waived.

HCPH has come a long way since its establishment in Manila in 2013. From starting with less than 30,000 customers in its first year, the company quickly grew in the next few years, hitting the one million

customer mark in 2017 before finishing the year with two million customers. A few more months later, HCPH’s customer base now stands at three million.

“We credit our success to the thriving market here in the Philippines. There is a strong demand for financially-inclusive products, and we are more than happy to cater to this demand by offering loans even to first-time borrowers and those without formal accounts,” Annica shared when asked about the company’s growth.

According to the latest data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, 77 percent of adults have no formal accounts such as savings accounts with banks. HCPH taps this group of consumers by making applying for an instore loan easy even if they have no credit history. The cuastomer simply needs to approach a Home Credit Sales Associate, provide two IDs, and wait for 10 minutes to process their application.

In addition, the company has also

been rapidly expanding in terms of stores and the range of products it finances. It now has more than 4,000 stores and has a presence in more than 50 provinces and Metro Manila. In terms of product portfolio, Home Credit Philippines has also been actively expanding its lineup. In addition to mobile devices and gadgets, its roster also includes home appliances, hardware tools, e-bikes, musical instruments, and sporting goods.

When asked about their reaction for being named the three millionth first-time customers, Almer shared his happiness by saying, “Napaka-ganda ng Home Credit dahil napapaluwagan nila yung mga tao na hindi usually na-aafford na bumili ng ganitong mga bagay.” Virginia added, “Napakadali ng proseso. Biyaya talaga ito.”

[Home Credit has a good program because it helps people who can’t usually afford to buy these things. The process is very easy.

This is really a blessing.]

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

NOKIA PHONES BRING UPDATED SNAKE GAME H

MD Global, the home of Nokia phones, introduces an enhanced version of the classic Snake with augmented reality through Facebook’s camera feature. The new filter, the Snake Mask, and game, the Snake Real World, brings the iconic game to a new generation of fans.

The addictive premise of the game remains the same but with a fun AR twist, allowing fans to take on the role of the apple-munching Snake. The Snake Mask and Snake Real World utilize new Facebook AR technology to bring the Snake game to the widest audience possible.

Snake at the zoo? Snake at the beach? Snake on a plane? All of these are now possible with Snake on Facebook camera. With Facebook Live integration, players can broadcast their gameplay live on their Facebook news feed, allowing friends to join the action.

The all-new Snake Mask filter uses the front-facing camera of Android™ and iOS powered smartphones to let players turn themselves into the iconic Snake character while Snake Real World is activated using the rear-facing camera.

“The world-famous game snaked its way back into people’s hearts at MWC in 2017, during which we announced Snake for Facebook Messenger,” said Pekka Rantala, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of HMD Global.

He added: “The game was designed for a new social generation—fans could invite friends to play and share scores, making it more interactive than before. This was the first time in Snake’s history that it was launched on a universal channel rather than preloaded on a device. The game gained 121 mil-

lion players around the world during its peak. We at HMD Global are bringing the much-loved gaming icon to a new AR era. The enhanced Snake is an immersive experience that lets fans transform themselves into the Snake character and eat apples on Facebook camera—truly an exciting step into the world of AR gaming.”

Shannon Mead, Country Manager of HMD Global Philippines, on the other hand, said: “Filipinos will surely love this new and upgraded Snake game as it brings back the fun and nostalgic moments they had from the original version.

Now that we are in the process of writing Nokia mobile’s next chapter, we encourage our consumers to create new memories with the new Nokia phones they can rely on, now made even more exciting by the Snake Mask and Snake Real World.”

The camera filter can be accessed via the Facebook camera and is not limited to Nokia smartphones. It is available on Android™ and iOS. HMD Global encourages players to share the most unusual places they have played the game using the hashtag #imasnake2.

How to play 1. Open the Facebook app 2. Click the camera Icon top left to open Facebook Camera 3. Scroll to the Snake Mask 4. Ssstart to play!

Snake, a Nokia classic, comes to Facebook’s new camera AR platform. The iconic game is brought up-to-date on Facebook camera. The introduction of Snake Mask and Snake Real World comes with multiplayer functionality.

Through augmented reality, fans can now transform into the iconic Snake and even stream it LIVE on their Facebook news feed.

OPSYTECH, DONGGWANG SEAL P2.9-B DEAL

By MJ Blancaflor and Dexter Tilo FILIPINO tech company Opsytech Corporation and South Korean developer Donggwang Clark Corporation signed a P2.9billion business contract Saturday night in Makati City.

Opsytech’s President and CEO Carl Chao and Donggwang Clark Corporation’s Overseas Division Jungwoo Lee shared a toast during the contract signing, which includes the infrastructure that will soon rise in Clark, Pampanga.

As a tech company assembling auxiliary products, Opsytech Corporation will provide CCTV systems, building management systems, audio and video systems for world-class condominium towers and luxury hotels and casinos.

Chao thanked Donggwang for their confidence in his company during the thanksgiving celebration in Makati Shangri-La. “I thank Donggwang Clark Corporation for this wonderful opportunity and rest assured that I’ll do my 101% to achieve our goal of providing a world-class, state-of-the-art hotel

resort and casino,” Chao said.

Opsytech is contracted to assemble the auxiliary systems at the Hyatt Regency Clark Hotel and Casino, the Hilton Clark Hotel and Casino, and the Banyan Tree Clark Hotel and Casino developed by Donggwang Clark Corporation.

The hotels and casinos will rise inside the Clark Freeport Zone, one of the two areas covering Angeles City, Pampanga, and Tarlac, with the other area known as the Special Economic Zone.

Opsytech also launched the Dragon Eye CCTV system set to be distributed nationwide.

Chao, a Filipino-Chinese businessman, also gave a gold figure-8 dragon to Lee to show his appreciation to the Korean executive.

“I’m just so little to be partnering with them. I thank them for this very wonderful opportunity but it’s really not easy,” Chao said during the celebration.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, Chao’s friend, was also present at the thanksgiving party.

The party was organized by Epic Events Management led by Kae Nograles.

Donggwang Clark Corporation’s Overseas Division Representative Jungwoo Lee and Opsytech’s President and CEO Carl Chao signed a P2.9-billion business contract that includes world-class infrastructure which will rise in Clark Freeport Zone.

WESTCONCOMSTOR IS TIER 2 CLOUD SOLUTION PROVIDER WESTCON-COMSTOR Philippines, a value-added technology distributor of category-leading solutions in Security, Collaboration, Infrastructure, Cloud and Data Centre, has been appointed a Tier 2 Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider.

“The addition of the Microsoft CSP programme to the WestconComstor Cloud Solutions Practice enables our customers to own the end-to-end engagement of their clients’ Microsoft cloud solutions,” says Darryl Grauman, VP Cloud & Services Delivery at Westcon-Comstor. “By being able to directly provision, bill and support Microsoft Cloud Services, our local partners have deeper insight into the trends taking shape within their accounts.”

“We believe that the appointment as a local CSP will enable us to further our provision of a host of value-added Microsoft services to our resellers,” states Jessica Powell, Country Manager, Westcon-Comstor Philippines. “This enables us to help them accelerate the cloud journey of their customers and sets us apart from other distributors in the region.”

Through the Microsoft CSP programme Westcon-Comstor will work directly with resellers to set the prices of product, negotiate the terms of procurement and bill customers locally. Key to the success of CSP is the ability for a partner to be able to attach services to product. This translates into local resellers being able to use the Westcon-Comstor services team as their first point of contact for all customer support. Together, these critical success factors enable Westcon-Comstor customers to fasttrack their cloud service delivery.

“With their commitment to uplift customer engagement through cloud solutions and services, we are proud to partner with an organisation such as Westcon-Comstor Philippines in enabling customers to embrace an “intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge” world. We hope that this is the first of a long and successful partnership in empowering customers and partners through their digital transformation journeys,” states Eileen Ong, Small Medium Corporate and One Commercial Partner Director, Microsoft Philippines.

The CSP programme is a major component of Microsoft’s strategy to enable end-user customers to move to embrace an “intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge” world. By allowing partners to own the customer relationship, service the complete customer lifecycle and attach partner services, they are ideally positioned to help the end-user customer.

“If the cloud has taught us anything, it is that the customer wants flexibility from their partner relationships as well as their software and solutions. With CSP we will provide our customers the ability to scale solutions up or down on a monthly basis, build effective cloud subscription models as well as provide a platform for partners to leverage cloud subscription models wherever appropriate,” adds Powell.

PUSH YOUR BOUNDARIES WITH NEW MOTO E5, MOTO E5 PLUS, MOTO G6 MOTOROLA continues to offer the perfect combination of features for consumers who don’t want to compromise on quality, style or experience.

MOTO G6 PLUS

The new moto e5 plus, moto e5 and moto g6 have the innovations that matter the most to the consumers in Philippines.

They are smarter than ever and focus on display, design and power. They have the speed and power of Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors and run Android™ 8.0 Oreo™. They have great Moto Experiences that unlock AI opportunities. moto e5 plus: Big screen. Big battery.

Hello entertainment.

From dawn until dusk, the moto e5 plus is there for you. Make the most of even the longest commutes with its powerful 5000 mAh battery1 and 6” Max Vision screen. The moto e5 plus’ sleek 18:9 aspect ratio means it still fits perfectly in your hand and comes designed with a reflective wave pattern and a curved back that looks as great as it feels. Unlocking your phone has never been easier with just one touch of the fingerprint reader, located within the phone’s iconic Motorola logo on the back of the phone.

Even those crowded subway trains are no match for this home entertainment in the palm of your hands. moto e5: See more. Do more.

The new moto e5 is there to see you through your day. Even with a big 5.7” Max Vision display, the moto e5 still fits perfectly in your hand thanks to its 18:9 aspect ratio and ergonomically curved back. Do more with ease by unlocking your notifications, calls or home screen in an instant with its discreet fingerprint reader2 hidden in Motorola’s iconic logo.

A dedicated microSD3 card slot makes room for more photos, songs and videos. moto g6: Designed to impress. Built to create.

The new moto g6 is designed to impress. Its 5.7” Full HD Max Vision display delivers vivid colors and fine details, while its attention-grabbing 3D glass back creates a gorgeous shape and look that stands out among other premium smartphones.

Advanced imaging software means studio quality portraits, artistic black and white shots, and hilarious face filters come to life through the dual rear 5MP and 12MP cameras. And it keeps getting better, instantly lock or unlock your phone with the multifunctional fingerprint reader.

The device also features a powerful 1.8GHz octa-core processor for speedy downloads and a 3000mAh all-day battery that can be recharged in minutes using the in-box 15W TurboPower charger.

Availability and Pricing Both moto e5 plus and the moto e5 are already available. The moto e5 plus will be available in flash gray and fine gold and the moto e5 will be available in flash gray. Their prices start at P9,999.00 and P7,999.00 respectively. Moto g6 will be available in deep indigo starting Aug. 10, with the price starting at P14,499.00. This new generation of moto phones is available at all Motorola branded stores and kiosks

MOTO E5

and authorized resellers nationwide.

To further sweeten the deal, every purchase of moto e5 and moto e5 plus comes with an anti-theft sling bag and an antitheft backpack, respectively. The promo is open until supplies last.

Destinations D1

sunday, august 5, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

Tokyo Skytree (Wikimedia Commons)

E

VERy traveler is looking for something: sumptuous food, awe-inspiring sights, colorful culture, or the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that rejuvenates one’s weary spirit, among many others.

Our country is luckily blessed with a number of stunning destinations that draw travelers from all over the world. But aside from the popular spots, the philippines is also home to cities and municipalities whose charms are often underrated.

For instance, the quaint town of Camalig in Albay is like the silent sister of the province’s more popular destinations.

Culinary offering

Camalig is home to Bicol region’s second most popular delicacy, pinangat,, an age-old local vegetable dish. Pinangat is made of shredded gabi leaves, red gin-ger, tiny shrimps (balaw)) or a slice of salted fish or pork, and crushed pepper. Wrapped in leaves, tied in bundles, and cooked in coconut milk, this dish is a staple of many Bicolanos, and is sold internationally in select markets abroad.

At any given day, motorists and travelers make a pit stop in the town to buy pinangat, while others opt for a meal at homegrown roadside restaurants.

According to Municipal Mayor Ding Irwin Baldo, the celebrated pinangat has put Camalig in the limelight through Culinaria Albay, a culinary tourism program of the province which takes foodies to a food trip circuit around notable dining outlets.

The town recently celebrated its contribution to the region’s culi-nary treasure at the recent pinangat Festival.

The festival’s highlight was a colorful street dance parade dramatizing the harvesting and cooking process of pinangat. The townsfolk, led by Mayor Baldo, shared hundreds of servings of the popular delicacy in a boodle fight, and distributed the same to motorists passing by.

@MStandardLIFE

Japan eases visa

requirements for filipinos

Camalig Charms Tourists troop to Sumlang Lake to experience bamboo raft cruise with the picturesque Mayon Volcano in the background.

JApAn opens its doors wider for Filipinos as the Japanese embassy announced Wednesday the relaxation of visa requirements for philippine passport holders beginning this month.

The embassy said in a statement the number of applicants eligible for multiple entry visas for short-term stay with business purpose and cultural and intellectual figures will be expanded.

adorned by export-quality furnishings created by vil village chief Felipe napa Jr. Other hotspots which have Ca been drawing guests to Camalig is the Quitinday Green Hills Formation Reserve whose contour is akin to the famed Quitu Chocolate Hills, and the Quituinan Tunnels which served as a Japanese garrison and hospital during World War II.

Cultural gems

Pinangat, a local vegetable dish.

Spicing up the weeklong festiv festivity were fringe sporting and special interest activities. It concluded with the municipal patronal feast of St. John the Baptist.

Countryside attractions

In addition to the well-loved dish, visitors troop to Sumlang Lake, Camalig’s newest tourist

icon, with the picturesque Mayon Volcano in the background.

An idle nine-hectare farm swamp a few years back, the villagers, through a bayanihan system, transformed it into a man-made lagoon ideal for a bamboo raft cruise. Today, the area is a landscaped tourist zone with a souvenir shop and a cozy restaurant

Camalig is also acknowledged as a heritage town of Albay be because of the gentry’s ancestral houses, structures, and antiqui antiquities that have survived the rav ravages of time. The most notable of which is the nuyda House of the late Congressman Justino nuyda which now stands as a museum.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the town is the postcard-pretty Span Spanish-era St. John Church the Baptist, which was declared last year as an Important Cultural property by the national Museum. Its convent serves as repository of artifacts excavated from archaeological sites in the forest reserve of HoyopHoyopan Cave, one of Luzon’s prehistoric settlements.

Japan's cherry blossoms

In addition, the validity period of visas will be extended from five years to 10 years maximum.

The relaxation of visa is based on the “Tourism Vision Realization program 2018.”

A colorful street in Japan

“The abovementioned relaxation of visa requirements is expected to contribute to improvement of convenience for tourists and increase in repeat visitors, as well as further advancement of people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Republic of the philippines,” said the Japanese Embassy.

Itsukushima Shrine's torii gate (Wikimedia Commons)

Camalig celebrates pinangat Festival whose event highlight is a street dance parade dramatizing the harvesting and cooking process of pinangat.

Protecting our seas gether on strategic and directed campaigns to help make our oceans more biodiverse and abundant.

Let’s take a closer look at one portion of our marine “wealth”—the philippines Rise or more popularly known

as the Benham Rise. It spans an area of 11.4 million hectares. In addition to its 13-million-hectare Extended Continental Shelf, it totals 24.4 million hectares. It is almost as large as the total Turn to D2

mercury rising

By BoB zozoBrado

I DIDn’T know that Manila Bay is rich in sardines, and neither did I know that our country is declared by scientists as “center of the center of marine biodiversity” because of its rich marine life on a per hectare basis.

Unfortunately, this marine “wealth” is rapidly getting lost due to overfishing and illegal fishing.

These interesting facts I learned when my friends and I had a leisurely lunch with the officers of Oceana philippines, an agency that works to restore our fisheries abundance through

Branching corals serve as home to reef fishes.

sustainable management interventions. Established in 2014, it bats for the strong enforcement of fisheries laws, to fight illegal and destructive fishing, toward the protection of marine habitats.

Its mother agency, Oceana, which was founded in 2001, is a sciencebased ocean conservation group, the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation.

Its offices around the world work to-

A juvenile emperor angelfish and epaulette soldierfish taking shelter among Hallimeda.

destinations

D2

sunday, august 5, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

the best seats in the house Club Paradise Palawan offers a number of outdoor activities.

coron islanD resort

vies for luxury hotel awards tHE discovery Leisure Companymanaged Club Paradise Palawan in Coron is vying for three categories in the upcoming World Luxury Hotel awards 2018. the World Luxury Hotel awards recognizes service excellence and outstanding service delivery. It is considered the “pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry categories as voted by guests, travelers, and industry players alike.”

Club Paradise calls it loyal and satisfied guests, friends, and partners to vote for the property. Voting is ongoing until aug. 31. this year, the exclusive island resort in Palawan is vying for the following categories: Luxury Wedding destination, Luxury Family Beach Resort, and Luxury Private Island Resort.

Club Paradise banks on its pristine white sand beaches, charming accommodations, delightful international cuisine, and colorful, rich marine life. It also boasts a variety of exciting outdoor activities and calming sights.

It won two awards from WLHa in 2017, namely Continent Winner in the Luxury Private Island Resort category and Country Winner in the Luxury Family Beach Resort category.

Go to luxuryhotelawards.com to vote.

sM Mall of asia arena's Premier suites are private deluxe rooms that feature glass-paneled viewing deck and serviced lounge.

W

OuLd you like to watch dua Lipa live on sept. 14 in a spacious suite or sing-along to sam smith’s hits on his Oct. 5 concert here in the country sitting in a plush seat at a viewing deck just above the lower box section?

a great view, comfortable space, and top-notch services for sporting event fans and concert-goers. these are the perks offered at sM Mall of asia arena’s Premier suites—private deluxe rooms that offer an exclusive spot to enjoy the arena’s events. the Premier suites feature a lounge with large, comfortable couches and hanging plasma screen televisions, spacious restrooms, and fully-equipped mini bars.

Private butlers are also stationed in the suites to attend to the varied needs of guests. Meals can also be served straight to the suite from the Premier Café, the arena’s exclusive restaurant. guests may opt to stay in the suite and watch the event through

the glass-paneled viewing deck, or get a closer look at the viewing deck outside. unlike other international event venues where corporate boxes are typically on the topmost level, the Premier suites are located just above the lower box section, making it one of the most coveted seats during live events. the arena houses 31 suites for long-term partners, while 10 suites are available on a per-event basis. according to the MOa arena website, the Premium suites can go for about P9 million to P12 million and entitles suite-holders season pass for all of the arena’s entertainment and sporting events.

“We believe that innovations like the Premier suites, as well as

the Premier suites are located above the lower box section.

our cutting-edge facilities, bring us closer to our goal of helping the country become one of asia’s leading entertainment destinations,” said Herman Medina-Cue, chief operations officer of sM Life-

style Entertainment, Inc. aside from a prime spot to watch live entertainment, the suites can also be a venue for corporate and private functions of partners and their stakeholders.

Lounge by the beach

Corporate boxes with spacious, plush seating. Each lounge has a fullyequipped mini bar and restroom. Private butlers are also stationed in the suites to attend to the varied needs of guests.

Club Paradise Palawan vies for the Luxury Private Island Resort award.

protecting...

From D1 land area of our country, which is 30 million hectares. during the 2016 Convention of Biological diversity in Mexico, the world’s 196 countries declared Benham Rise as an Ecologically and Biologically significant Marine area (EBsa), which means its uniqueness and rarity are of special importance to the life history stages of some species which may be threatened, endangered, or declining due to the vulnerability, fragility, or sensitivity of its habitat. a team of marine scientists found a dazzling array of soft and hard corals, fish, algae, and sponges in Benham Rise. they reported that there were terraces of corals, as far as the eye could see. this rich biodiversity could ensure our country’s food security if conserved properly.

and deprive the local villagers of their two years ago, alexandra Cousteau, tom-dwelling shrimp and prawn. although the trawl targets specific convenient source of food. granddaughter of the world-famous according to Marianne Pan-saniano of ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau, spent species, its wide, weighted net catches two weeks in the country and urged any creature in its trail. When the net Oceana Philippines, another big threat to the government to ensure that our ma- is brought up to the surface, these un- Benham Rise’s large mesophotic (water rine resources would be protected from wanted creatures are simply discarded with low light penetration) ecosystem is commercial exploitation. this, after sci- dying or dead. the heavy trawl net also the surging interest in the oil and natural entists identified more than 150 species scrapes the seafloor, and can leave gas reserves underneath it. Of course, if managed well, exploof reef fishes, and ration and conservareported that Bention can co-exist. ham Rise is the only gloria Ramos, vice known spawning YOUR weekend CHUCkLe president of Oceana area of the Pacific WOMan, WHIsPERIng tO HER HusBand WHILE MaKIng LOVE: Philippines and a Bluefin tuna, one say dirty things to me! member of the Exof the most expenHusBand: Bathroom, kitchen, living room... ecutive Committee sive fishes in the the husband will be released from the hospital in a week, after of Oceana Internaworld. his multiple fractures heal. tional, says that BenWhat has ham Rise is a unique, brought damage precious, and global to these protectnatural heritage that ed areas? Bottom trawling is one reason. this is a method deep grooves, definitely destroying we, Filipinos, not only owe to our small of fishing which uses a cone-shaped whatever corals there are in its path, fishermen and their families but also net to catch bottom-dwelling crea- aside from creating large amounts of to the rest of the world to protect. as tures and invertebrates. this is done by sediment. all these disturbances cer- far as I’m concerned, we should all be our fishermen who are after the bot- tainly destroy the area’s ecosystem, grateful for the marine “wealth” that

Oceana Philippines vice president gloria Ramos

god has blessed the seas around us with, and should always be mindful of how to conserve it for our children and for the many generations to come.

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

Entertainment

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018

D3

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

DOCU INSPIRES MILLENNIALS

TO BRING POSITIVE CHANGE A

BRAND known for its strong social campaigns on eye care awareness has launched a national movement through a short documentary featuring three celebrity millennials, each sharing inspiring stories of struggle and success.

Eye Mo Philippines introduces Norman King, 29, the first Aeta graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP), Nikko Ramos, 29, radio jock and sportscaster, and Claire Adorna, 24, one of the 29 Filipino gold medalists in the 2015 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

“I faced a lot of discrimination,” King tells his story in the documentary. “People will look at you from head to toe.

Sometimes they will call you names, like you’re a lesser individual.”

The video shows King’s story of success as an indigenous, small town boy and how he overcame all the odds to become the first Aeta graduate from the country’s most prestigious state university. King is now a part-time lecturer in UP, teaching Community Psychology at the Pampanga campus.

Also featured in the documentary are stories of Adorna, who only once dreamed of representing the Philippines and eventually conquered the SEA games despite a broken ankle, and Ramos, who uses his voice as a radio jock and sportscaster to inspire change.

“I’d like to be able to be one of many voices that bridge the gap between generations,” adds Ramos. “If you’re able to do that, you’re able to help people from both generations understand each other better.”

The documentary is an integral part of the brand’s ongoing #REDvolution banner built on heralding red as the color of love and care. With the video campaign, the brand aims to prompt millennials that believing in oneself is the key to overcoming adversity.

Claire Adorna, 24, one of the 29 Filipino gold medalists in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games

Earl Jayona, Sales and Marketing Manager for Eye Mo Philippines shares: “Change comes from within, and with this documentary, we aim to remind the youth that just like believing in oneself can inspire positive change, self-care is also a vital step to achieving good health. The eyes are the most neglected part of the body, and yet are the most important. We want to strengthen this information campaign, that taking care of your eyes is just as crucial as taking care of the rest of your body.”

The #REDvolution banner is a social statement operating under Eye Mo Philippines’ flagship campaign Eyes Mo, Care Mo. Now on its second year, Eyes Mo, Care Mo is the brand’s initiative to introduce the country’s first awareness campaign on eye care.

Joey Mead-King

JOEY MEAD-KING MEETS ‘WOMEN OF STYLE’ IN NEW TALK SHOW

INTERNATIONAL model, lifestyle host, and model-mentor and judge at the first three cycles of Asia’s Next Top Model, Joey Mead-King is ready to inspire flair in Women of Style, the newest talk show featuring stylish ladies with different stories of how their personal taste manifests in the many aspects of their lives—at home, at work, at play—set to premiere today on Metro Channel.

These “Women of Style” include furniture executive Stephanie Kienle-Gonzales, fashion designer and entrepreneur Hindy Weber-Tantoco, digital creator Kim Jones, bag designer Mai Mai Cojuangco, beauty queen Laura Lehmann, bag and accessories designer Bea Valdes, and jewelry designer Wynn Wynn Ong. Aside from getting tips and quick fixes, Joey will also ask these inspiring females to reveal their own style icons.

Meanwhile, the second and latest season of At The Table is back this August.

A half-hour program featuring various guest chefs—Miko Aspiras, Nicco Santos, Frederic Thenevet, and Margarita Fores in all new episodes—the show features their diverse culinary expertise, personal struggles in and out of the kitchen, and their journey to success.

In the fourth season of Luxe Asia, the finest experiences in the region await viewers—from the Waldorf Hotel in Shanghai, to Singapore’s multi-billion dollar luxury goods market. This is the most exquisite series yet, featuring top VIP hangouts and the most exclusive events in Asia.

Another show to watch out for in Metro Channel this month is State of the Art featuring Philippines’ art through stories of artists, their audience and impact.

Catch the Women of Style tonight at 7:00 o’clock, At The Table tomorrow, Luxe Asia beginning Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., and State of the Art special on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. on Metro Channel (SKYcable ch. 52 and ch. 174 on HD).

MAX COLLINS SPICES UP ADOBO FEST IN CALIFORNIA

Norman King, 29, the first Aeta graduate of the University of the Philippines

Nikko Ramos, 29, radio jock and sportscaster

‘SUNDAY PINASAYA’ ROLLS UP EXCITING 3RD ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCES AS IT marks its three successful years on air, Sunday PinaSaya remains unbeatable and continues to reign every week with its unique brand of humor and entertainment.

GMA First Vice President for Program Management Joey Abacan related the palpable reason behind SPS’s success is the strong bond formed among the show’s circle of hosts, management and staff.

“Believe it or not, the show that makes people laugh and entertained every Sun-

day is a product of the joy of the beautiful working relationship of the people on and off the camera. I also believe that there is commanded blessing in harmony, hence we are celebrating our third year on air,” remarked Abacan.

With the theme “Samahang Puno Ng Saya,” the country’s number one Sunday noontime habit showcases an exciting series of performances featuring the all-star cast of Sunday Pinasaya dubbed as SPS Ka-

From left: Jose Manalo, Marian Rivera, Ryza Mae, AiAi delas Alas and Wally Bayola

saya Showcase.

Members of the cast are divided into four groups led by Comedy Queen Ai Ai Delas Alas, comedians Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Marian Rivera. The performances of each group are written, choreographed, directed, and conceptualized by the cast members themselves.

“Through SPS Kasaya Showcase, we want to show to our viewers the chemistry and friendship among the cast on and off camera,” said Rams David, Supervising Producer of Sunday Pinasaya.

Ai Ai leads Barbie Forteza, Kim Last, Kyline Alcantara, Lovely Abella, and Jerald Napoles.

“They have to get ready for Team AiAi’s surprise. We have prepared an explosive production. First time naming gagawin yung mga production numbers namin dito,” AiAi affirmed.

Meanwhile, Bianca Umali, Miguel Tanfelix, Boobsie, Joey Paras, and Julie Anne San Jose perform are under Jose’s

leadership.

“We made sure that we’d present something different,” Jose noted adding that the effort of every cast member in their upcoming production numbers is commendable.

Wally’s teammates include Andre Paras, Gladys Guevarra, Taki Saito, Valeen Montenegro, and Alden Richards.

He is excited to share what his group prepared, “For sure matutuwa at masisiyahan ang mga Kapuso sa ipapakita naming production numbers. More than that, we enjoyed preparing for our prod.”

Team Marian is composed of Jak Roberto, Pekto Nacua, Justin Dimandal, Ryzza Mae Dizon and Ruru Madrid.

“They should watch out for Team Marian.

I’m confident that my members will show kung gaano sila kagaling magpatawa, kumanta at sumayaw kaya hindi nila dapat ito palampasin,” Marian invited the viewers.

Catch the exciting performances of the Sunday PinaSaya gang today at 12:00 noon on GMA.

ACTRESS Max Collins headed to the US to join in the 13th Annual Adobo Festival 2018 celebration.

What makes this visit even more special for the Filipino-American celebrity is that she is kicking off her birthday month in California, her home state, for her first GMA Pinoy TV-sponsored event today.

She headlines the culminating activities at the Adobo Festival, which is a two-day celebration of Filipino food and music.

The two-day event (Aug. 4 and 5) is known for its non-stop live entertainment, adobo cook-off contest, activity booths, a kiddie pop star contest, and big raffle prizes.

The flavorful Pinoy fiesta is held at the 101 N. Main Street in Milpitas, San Jose, California.

In a social media post, Max couldn’t contain her excitement and invited fellow Pinoys to come and celebrate with her.

“The best birthday present I could ever ask for. I’m so excited to visit my home state of California and see my family. Mga Kapuso diyan sa California, come and join us at the “13th Annual Adobo Festival.”

The 13th Annual Adobo Festival 2018 is organized by JS Camins Productions with the exclusive media sponsorships of GMA Pinoy TV and partner carrier DISH. Admission is free.

For more updates on Kapuso events abroad, follow GMA Pinoy TV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram at @gmapinoytv, or visit the GMA Pinoy TV official website at www. gmapinoytv.com.

Max Collins

D4

sunday, august 5, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets p o h s t N o d t #Adop

how to deAL

with pet eczemA or Atopic dermAtitis richie loves walking around the neighborhood.

By Dexter Mercurio, D.V.M.

Treatment:

I

s your dog always itchy?

Does he or she have recurring ear infections?

If the answer is yes, your pet may be suffering from a condition called atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis is a skin inflammatory condition triggered by mostly environmental allergens. your pet may be allergic to many different things in its environment.

When these allergens come in contact with your pet’s skin, it causes a chain of responses from your pet’s immune system which then results to hot, red, itchy flaky skin. The pet will then scratch and lick resulting to trauma and infections.

Who are at risk?

1. Mostly dogs, but cats may also be affected.

2. Certain breeds are overly represented in the Philippines---shih tzus, retriever types and bulldog types--- which suggests this condition is hereditary.

3. Dogs of all ages. usually the signs start from three (3) months to six (6) years of age

Diagnosis:

A check by your veterinarian and the history of your pet are needed. An allergen test may be performed to find out what allergens affect your pet the most.

There are numerous treatment modalities but most are immunomodulators and anti-histamines. These control the allergy but does not remove it.

Examples: 1. Corticosteroids 2. Cyclosporine 3. oclacitinib Immunotherapy is available if an allergen panel has been done. Pre-prepared allergens are regularly given to your pet to desensitize its immune system. The success of this approach varies greatly and takes time.

Editor’s Note: Richie, a senior dog, was diagnosed as suffering from atopic dermatitis last Wednesday. He is a 16-18-year-old dog rescued by the animal welfare group Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL Inc.) from the illness-ridden Cainta pound in 2014. Save ALL has been giving Richie supplements to support his immune system. He is also given nutritious food like dry dog food and boiled vegetables allowed for dogs and a little meat. He was never given table food. This kind of care seems to be working as his complete blood test showed he is healthy. But Save ALL has to deal with his atopic dermatitis. He was thus brought to Doc Dexter who is now treating him for the said condition.

richie's flaky, red skin is due to atopic dermatitis.

AnIMAl welfare groups and animal welfare advocates have been rescuing sick or hurt stray dogs and cats on the streets, dogs from pounds, and abused or neglected pets.

They spend lots of funds to have the rescued dogs and cats treated by the vet for several injuries and illnesses such as fractured bones after being hit by a car, cancer, and severe case of mange or galis, among others.

The rescued pets are then brought to a foster home or a shelter while the group or individual rescuer looks for an adopter who will care for the rescued pet for life, not just out of a whim like their previous owners.

These rescue groups and rescuers are grateful for animal lovers who have been donating for the food and supplements of the rescued dogs and cats. save Animals of love and light (save All) is one of the groups who rescue helpless, sick and abandoned or neglected dogs and cats.

Below are three puppies who are up for adoption. They are siblings, both 7.5 months old, with complete vaccines and have been spayed/neutered so that they will not reproduce.

They are cute, playful, loving puppies who are big for their age because their mother, Bela, is also a big dog.

Bela was pregnant with Ace (bigger white pup with black spots), Dathir (brown) and Feronia (smaller white pup with black eye patch) when she was rescued from a pound before she can be transferred to the pound where dogs are killed. she gave birth in the clinic.

If you can love a dog for life and treat him or her as a member of your family, please contact save All admins Maricel Mondejar, Joanne Zamora, and Julie rodriguez in Facebook.

Adoption fee is P1,000.00 which covers the cost of the pabaon for the pup that includes a 2-kilo bag of dog food and a bottle of multivitamins which the dogs have been used to. save All advises adopters to introduce a new brand of dog food and vitamins slowly so as not to compromise the immune system of the dog.

Feronia and Ace

richie, despite the discomfort of atopic dermatitis, is such a playful, sweet dog.

richie's flaky, red skin is due to atopic dermatitis.

Dathir, Ace and Feronia

By Maria Caridad Lopez sTrAy cats look for food in garbage cans or rely on humans for their daily sustenance.

To help stray cats, a music event called nine lives was held on July 27 in Quezon Quezon to gather donations of cat food and funds for those being fed and cared for by Cats of Technohub, a group of volunteers.

A benefit gig for stray cats of Technohub was made possible in cooperation with Giglab PH at The naked Turtle sports Diner in P. Tuazon square, Cubao.

Great local acts such as Monopolo, Cinnamon sundays, There's ErA, Vicente Couleur and Alfred Dalisay performed to help feed the strays.

Cat lovers also dropped by to show their support, and bought cat food to donate.

NiNe Lives

Also, the volunteers of Cats of Technohub community sold merchandise to raise funds for the stray cats such as coin purse, pouch and bag.

The proceeds from the activities will be saved for cat food and future projects for the cats such as spaying and neutering.

The volunteers were overwhelmed with delight when the sponsors of the event The Pet street, Pet Club Manila and Petonix Poultry and supplies donated sacks of cat food.

They are grateful for all the help given to the event by partners Ericka Aquino, Tricia Cuison, lance dela Torre, Mac Villanueva, sara España and niña Castro who acted as the bridge to the sponsors.

The Cats of Technohub crew were given enough time during the event to promote their advocacies with the

hashtags #AdoptDontshop and #saveThestrays.

If you are in Quezon City and want to de-stress by taking care of a pet, do adopt a cat from the list of strays up for adoption from this community. They are very active in social media and are present in all the platforms. Pictures of the cats that are up for adoption are also posted in their Facebook page, Cats of Technohub.

Anatole France quoted "until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

It is time for us to be fully awake and join the movement in saving the strays anywhere we go.

About the author: Maria Caridad Lopez is GigLab head organizer, an entrepreneur, music enthusiast and nine lives, the fundraiser for stray cats, was a success, thanks to a lot of cat lovers and artists/musicians. a fur mom.