The Standard - 2015 September 06 - Sunday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 206  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : SEPTEMBER 6, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘PROBE HOT CARS IN BATANGAS’

A8

PETER QUITS 2016 BID CAYETANO OPTS FOR VICE-PRESIDENTIAL RUN

By Vito Barcelo

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has given up his plan to seek the highest office in the land and will instead run for vice president, but he has still not decided under which party.

Speaking in Bacolod City on Friday, Cayetano said he really wants to run under the Nacionalista Party, but three other NP members are entertaining the possibility of running for vice president and voter preference surveys reveal a poor showing in the presidential race.

In the recent Pulse Asia survey, for

instance, Cayetano said he was only seventh among eight possible presidential candidates, garnering only 2 percent from 1,200 respondents nationwide.

Senator Grace Poe led the survey with 30 percent followed by the 22 percent of Vice President Jejomar Binay,

whom Cayetano has severely criticized.

However, Cayetano said he is talking with other political parties about his bid to run for vice president and a political partnership based on programs and vision where he will not treated only as a “trophy.”

Next page

NEW SEASON. Representatives of the member-institutions of the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines perform during the opening ceremonies of the league’s 78th season at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. EY ACASIO

THE FUTURE OF TELEPHONY

B1

BINAY BACKS MARCOS’ BBL VERSION

By Vito Barcelo

VICE President Jejomar Binay defended on Saturday the alternative Bangsamoro bill being proposed by Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., bolstering speculations that the two of them had already come to an agreement for the 2016 elections.

“Marcos is not against the [Bangsamoro Basic Law proposed by the Palace],” Binay said in a radio interview, adding that the BBL being proposed by the Palace violates the Constitution and will likely be stricken down by the Supreme Court.

“All he wants is peace for the Filipino people,” the Vice President said,

explaining that Marcos’ alternative Basic Law on Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR) had better chances of establishing a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.

The defense of Marcos led to questions on whether he had already reached an agreement with the senator Next page

S U N d ay : S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

A2 PETER From A1...

Cayetano has spoken favorably about the possible candidacy of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, but Duterte is also speaking with Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., another NP member who is also considering a higher office.

Recently, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., a co-vice chairman of the Liberal Party, suggested that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas should get Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as his running mate.

But Roxas remained noncommittal on Saturday and simply said “what will be, will be” when asked who he was planning to tap as running mate.

“Our role is to present a strong ticket that will continue the straight path. And that will be expected by our countrymen,” Roxas said, a day after LP co-vice chairman and Senate President Franklin Drilon said the party should start trying to persuade Poe to run with Roxas.

Once again, Roxas tried to evade journalists at a gathering of supporters of Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas after he was asked about public criticism of his role in the relief efforts for victims of super typhoon “Yolanda” in Iloilo City on Thursday.

Sought for his comment on the problems with regards to the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) to Yolanda victims, Roxas told a television reporter, “Well, whose agency is supposed to...”

When the reporter replied it is the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Roxas asked the reporter to recall what his agency is and abruptly left the reporters.

BINAY From A1...

on the possibility of running together in next year’s election, but Binay declined to give a definitive answer.

“Only a few are being considered, but we’re still deciding until now,” Binay said, admitting that he is indeed maintaining talks with the senator, whom he described as being very strong in Northern Luzon and among the young.

“The negative perception of Bongbong is that he was the son of the late President Marcos,” the 72-year-old Vice President said of the 57-year-old senator.

“But the Marcos era is over.

It no longer exists. What we have fought before had already been won. It’s no longer an issue,” Binay said. “We are 102 million in population. I will

news

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BOC CENTRALIZING INFO, NO GAG ORDER VS MEDIA

By Vito Barcelo

The Bureau of Customs said it is centralizing the process of releasing information to the media days after it drew flak over its plan to open balikbayan boxes of overseas Filipino workers in a bid to prevent smuggled goods from entering the country.

The BOC, however, quickly clarified that it was not trying to curtail press freedom even as a media group criticized what they described as a “gag order” on Customs officials.

“There’s no such thing as gag order. Measures are being undertaken to centralize processes, not curtail press freedom,”

the bureau said in a statement issued on Saturday.

Commissioner Alberto Lina also appointed Belle Maestro as the bureau’s new public information chief, replacing Jay Crisostomo.

The National Press Club, however, insisted that Lina’s new policy ran counter to the Aquino administration’s “open

data initiative” and transparency efforts.

“It is, by any measure, an attempt to muzzle, limit and restrict access by the media to report on matters of public concern especially in an agency that has always been perceived as the ‘most corrupt’ among all government agencies,” NPC president Joel Egco said.

“The new policy comes at the height of the many controversies that are hounding the bureau since Commissioner Lina became Customs chief last April such as the alleged rise in smuggling incidents and the brouhaha attending his mishandling of the balik-

bayan box issue that is now the subject of a Senate probe.

The media can only view with suspicion his intention to limit media’s coverage of the bureau’s affairs,” he added.

Egco said the new policy smacks of an attempt to divert the attention of the public from the issues hounding the bureau.

“This new policy of Commissioner Lina should be seen as another threat to curtail media’s role as vanguards of our democracy. We therefore call on our colleagues covering the Customs beat to resist this latest assault on our right to report on matters of public interest,” he said.

HONOR YOUR TEACHERS. Education Secretary Armin Luistro (center) lead the launching of the National Teachers’ Month at the University

of Sto. Tomas High School where a new stamp collection featuring former President Elpidio Quirino was also unveiled. Luistro was accompanied by (from left) Metrobank Foundation chairman Aniceto Sobrepeña, Senator Sonny Angara, Quirino granddaughter Cory Quirino and Postmaster General Josephine dela Cruz. JOHN PAOLO BENCITO

be hypocrite if I claimed that the uneasiness and discomfort of the victims of Martial Law have gone. But that is over.”

“The atrocities committed by the Japanese during Second World War were horrible. But now, our relationship with Japan is excellent. That chapter has ended. We have to move on,” Binay said.

“All I want is a unifying and healing administration,” added the Vice President.

Marcos himself was the keynote speaker at an assembly of barangay chairmen in Cebu City where he lamented that the country’s economic expansion has not trickled down to ordinary Filipinos.

The senator was warmly welcomed by barangay officials, particularly Tandag City Barangay Captain Vicente H.

Pimentel III, former Surigao del Sur congressman Prospero Pichay Jr. and Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel.

Marcos said the Philippines posted a 5.3-percent increase in its Gross Domestic Product growth in the first half of 2015 following a 5.6 percent GDP growth in the second quarter.

Despite this, the Second Quarter 2015 Social Weather Survey, conducted from June 5-8, 2015, found that 12.7 percent or an estimated 2.8 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, he said.

“That for me is a very clear indication that such economic gains are not felt at the grassroots level at all,” Marcos said.

A change in the policy of the national government is needed to change the situation, ac-

cording to Marcos.

One measure, Marcos suggested, is that the LGUs should be given a larger share in the Internal Revenue Allotment so that the gains of economic growth can trickle down faster to people. Marcos told the barangay officials of his efforts to pass a bill to increase the IRA sharing scheme from the current 40-60 percent in favor of the national government to a 50-50 split.

Likewise, Marcos said he believes the IRA share of the LGUs should be based on all the internal revenue collections of the government instead of being based solely on collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The senator backed a petition before the Supreme Court to question the current basis

of computing the IRA share of LGUs. If the SC upholds the petition, it would provide an estimated P92 billion annually to the total share of LGUs in the IRA. Likewise, Marcos reiterated his call to give LGUs more voice with respect to national projects to ensure the proper identification and efficient implementation of projects at the local level.

Marcos said the barangay officials should work to ensure that the next administration would give LGUs the importance that they deserve.

Meanwhile, Marcos reported to the barangay officials that he has sponsored his bill to provide them with retirement benefits, which he hoped would be approved before the 16th Congress adjourns.

S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

P107B TRAIN PLANS OKAYED

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

THE biggest projects approved by the National Economic and Development Authority during its last board meeting are two train projects, costing some P107.5 billion, that will be implemented in partnership with the private sector, the Palace confirmed on Saturday.

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. made the confirmation in a statement, a day after Vice President Jejomar Binay criticized the Aquino administration’s public-private partnerships (PPP) as being mere “PowerPoint presentations” that are usually “paralyzed by analysis.”

Binay made the remark after the July 24 opening of the Muntinlupa-Cavite expressway, a four-lane, four-kilometer toll road that took three years to build because of rightof-way obstacles. The MCX was the first PPP project to be completed by the government and the Ayala Corp.

Ironically, the Ayala group is also part of the consortium involved in the Light Rail Transit-1 extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite, which is also part of the LRT-6 project that Neda approved on Friday.

The LRT-6 project is actually the second phase of the Baclaran-to-Bacoor extension and will be a 19-kilometer elevated rail line from the LRT-1 terminal station in Bacoor down south through Imus to Dasmariñas along the Aguinaldo Highway.

The project is expected to cost P64.7 billion.

Coloma did not say whether the Ayala group will also be involved in the LRT-6 project, but Ayala Land Inc. announced last week that will be spending P70 billion in a 700-hectare property development project in Imus and Dasmariñas towns.

However, even the LRT-1 extension to Bacoor is not even certain because of a suit before the Supreme Court seeking a stop to the LRT-1 extension project purportedly because it is overpriced and will result in “public debt of unfathomable magnitude.”

According to petitioner Salvador Belaro, dean of St. Dominic Savio College of Law in Caloocan City, the contract project violated the Constitution and the Build-Operate Transfer (BOT) Law, and would result in “public debt of

unfathomable magnitude.”

Aside from the LRT-6 project, Coloma said the Neda also approved the Line 4 from Edsa Ortigas to Taytay City.

Ayala Corp. and its consortium partner Metro Pacific Investments Corp. have also expressed interest in the P42.8billion project.

LRT-4 will be 11 kilometers and will consist of six stations along Ortigas Avenue and Taytay Diversion Road. It will run from an interchange with Ortigas Station at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Quezon City to SM City Taytay in Dolores, Taytay through Pasig City and Cainta.

Aside from the two train lines, Coloma said the Neda board also approved the new passenger terminal building at the Clark International Airport, which will cost P15.3 billion and will be funded by the government.

The Neda board also approved the Naga airport development project at a cost of P3.5 billion in Camarines Sur which will also be funded by the government.

The airfield will be reoriented to enable dual-approach landing and takeoff and new airside and landside facilities will be established to meet the growing tourism demand.

The Department of Energy’s Access to Sustainable Energy Program was also approved by the Neda board on Friday.

The P4.8-billion energy program, provides grant assistance for solar home systems and rural power generation facilities, as well as technical assistance to the National Electrification Administration and the Energy Regulatory Commission, and electric cooperatives.

Focal point for capacity building is the development of propoor, disaster-resilient solutions.

The program will be partially funded by the official development assistance from the European Union amounting P2.82 billion. The balance will be sourced from the national budget.

SELLING HOUSES. Entrepreneur Cecille Villaroca attends to the wooden coin banks, made in the image of houses, she is selling on Taft Avenue in Manila. DANNY PATA

POE EYES IT INDUSTRY INFRA REVIEW SENATOR Grace Poe has filed a resolution calling for a review of existing government infrastructure and investments in information and communications technology in a bid to boost the industry’s full potential, address the problem of slow Internet speed and help sustain the country’s economic growth.

“Such review is necessary so we may know exactly how the government can improve Internet connectivity throughout the country, and help boost and support the growth of the ICT industry,” Poe said.

Poe said the government may need to “upgrade and invest more in network infrastructure and services if it wants a greater number of Filipinos to have access to faster and cheaper Internet in the coming years.”

She noted that the government spent P1.6 billion last year and earmarked P3.18 billion this year to develop the ICT sector.

“Now, the government is moving to increase the budget for the ICT development next year with a proposed allocation of P4.37 billion in 2016,” Poe said in Senate Resolution No. 1562 that she filed on Sept. 2.

In her resolution, the senator also acknowledged how the Internet opened up new possibilities for the fulfillment of the right to freedom of expression that is guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution and the international law.

The lawmaker said that even the Unit-

ed Nations recognizes Internet access as a human right, citing a 2011 report by the UN Human Rights Council emphasizing the “unique and transformative” nature of the Internet, which allows individuals to exercise a range of human rights and promote the progress of society as a whole.

Citing the UN report, Poe said the “Internet has become a key means by which individuals can exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

In fact, she said, the same UN report encourages governments to include Internet literacy skills in school curricula and support similar learning modules outside of schools.

According to the New York-based social media agency We Are Social, the Internet penetration in the Philippines stood at 36 percent in January 2014, with 38 million Internet users.

The study indicated that 32 percent of the country’s population is engaged in social media. Of the estimated 105 million Filipinos, 34 million were active Facebook users while there were 106 million active mobile subscriptions.

However, Poe said the problem of slow Internet connection in the country prevents Filipinos from “maximizing the benefits of the global information superhighway.”

“The Philippines has been lagging in terms of average Internet download speed globally and in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region,” she pointed out.

Global Internet metrics provider Ookla ranked the Philippines as the second lowest average download speed among 22 Asian countries, with a speed of 3.64 Megabytes per second (Mbps), just well above war-torn Afghanistan with 2.52 Mbps.

The country also ranked 176th out of 202 nations worldwide in the Ookla household download index, which compares global download speeds over a period of 30 days (between April 18-May 17, 2015).

“The Philippines also has some of the most expensive Internet connections in the world. The study showed that Philippine Internet users spend $18.19 per Mbps, compared with an average of $5.21 per Mbps worldwide, placing the Philippines at 161th out of 202 countries in terms of Internet spending per Mbps,” Poe said.

The government, through the National Telecommunications Commission, recently set the minimum speed at 256 kilobits per second (Kbps), the standard rate of an Internet connection in the 1990s.

Despite this, Poe said the National Economic Development Authority claimed that “the current state of the Internet in the Philippines is what keeps the economy from growing further.”

DOST: FREE WI-FI READY BY DEC.

By Maricel V. Cruz

HOPING FOR A SOLUTION. Metro Manila Development Authority general manager Corazon Jimenez confers with officials of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group on the deployment of units for Monday when the HPG starts managing traffic in Metro Manila. DANNY PATA

THE government’s free public wi-fi program will be fully operational nationwide by December, according to an official of the Department of Science and Technology.

At a budget hearing in the House of Representatives, DOST-Information and Communications Technology Office Undersecretary Louis Casambre, said the agency has already covered 25 percent of its target cities and municipalities.

Casambre said the 25 percent covers the 14 cities and at least 100 municipalities.

Casambre attended the

hearing conducted by the House committee on appropriations Thursday to defend the agency’s proposed P17.

9-billion budget for 2016.

Of the total budget, he said P1.6 billion will be allotted the Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places program of the government for next year.

“There are 7,118 sites. About two-thirds are in the municipalities. The other third are in the cities covered,” Casambre said as he was being asked by lawmakers led by Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, the principal author of the proposed “Free Public Wi-Fi Act” in the House of Representatives, on the issue.

“We will branch out to 967 municipalities outside Metro Manila including Class 4, 5, and 6 municipalities,” he added.

Casambre also said that of the 43 cities eyed to be covered by the project, 23 cities have now Free Wi-Fi Internet Access including Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao, Dagupan and Cagayan de Oro. Originally, Casambre said the project was designed to cover only town plazas but the DOST decided to include transport terminals like train, seaport and airport; school yards, hospital lobbies, national government agencies, public parks and local government unit offices.

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A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A5

OPINION SUITCASE STORIES (2)

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WASHED ASHORE

(Concluded from Monday)

WHO would not be moved by a photograph of a three-year-old boy lying dead, facedown on a shore in Turkey?

The family of Aylan Kurdi was desperate to get out of their native Syria. They had applied for asylum in Canada, where some of their relatives were already living. Their application was denied. In the meantime, there was no improvement in the situation in their country. The fighting between the Islamic State and Kurdish fighters intensified. The parents decided to try their luck and flee to Greece—anything to start over.

Aylan, his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother Rehan never made it to Greek island of Kos. The small boat they were on, overloaded with 17 passengers, overturned even as it was sailing in calm waters. Some bodies like Aylan’s were washed ashore.

The picture, while powerful, is not just about Aylan. It is about the crisis faced by refugees in all parts of the world and the more fortunate countries and people around them who face the dilemma of taking them in—or refusing to do anything at all.

In Hungary, hundreds of migrants have camped out in trains they believed were bound for Austria and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had earlier said her country would accept 800,000 migrants. But authorities tried to put them in refugee camps instead. The stalemate is ongoing.

The festering migrant issue has been hounding the European Union for a time.

European leaders try to balance the interests of their people with the need to take in migrants as is morally and legally required. Merkel has been urging her fellow leaders to do their part with quotas and rules.

Various Asian countries this year faced the same moral question as the Rohingya —“boat people” from Myanmar and Bangladesh—arrived aboard boats in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. Bodies of dead boat people have also been found near shores across Indonesia and Thailand.

The boat people face circumstances different from those fleeing Syria and neighboring countries. Deemed stateless entities because the Myanmar government would not recognize them as an ethnic minority group, they are treated with hostility and discriminated against in Myanmar. In their desire to escape, they were taken by human traffickers who eventually abandoned them at sea.

The Philippine government expressed its intention to take in at most 3,000 of the boat people, but nothing more has been heard on the issue since. More pressing global issues have emerged.

The refugee concern cuts across religion, politics, class and status. It poses moral, even existential, questions. It is easy to sympathize with the plight of others when they are distant and when their struggles remain remote and even foreign to us.

When they turn up at our shores, living or dead, we are forced to do something, or at least think: What if it had been us?

It’s a haunting image and a constantly disturbing question. But that is good. Only the genuinely haunted and disturbed are compelled to seek solutions, however long it takes to find it.

POST MORTEM ON THE INC ADVENTURISM

IT’S been a full week since the Iglesia Ni Cristo took over a major part of Edsa and most have moved on to more pressing and seemingly more important concerns, such as the horrible traffic jams that seem to become more monstrous with each passing day.

But I do have a number of friends who are INC members and I have exchanged views with them on

what happened. Most of them, unfortunately, have remained adamant about the rightness of the cause they were fighting for (although unable to articulate exactly what the cause was and therefore hid behind sweeping generalizations such as “separation of church and state,” “harassment,” “interference on an internal matter,” and “undue haste.”

But one or two have kept an open mind and seemed receptive to the feedback I gave on what I thought caused the animosity towards the INC. First, the resentment didn’t actually happen overnight. It had

On such a critical hour, visible, palpable, and inspiring leadership was badly needed; a clear explanation of the issues straight from the mouth of INC’s Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo would have spelled the difference.

been building up for sometime now. It got more pronounced when the INC staged a series of

mass actions designed to rally support for then Chief Justice Renato Corona. And then there

were the series of major INC events that created bedlam such as the centennial celebration and the inauguration of the Philippine Arena, among others. In all of these, the INC has expected the Filipino people to accept and understand without question. We tried, but the continuing INC demands started to take its toll.

Second, the INC was unwilling to assume accountability for its political decisions, particularly on the critical role their bloc vote plays in selecting the country’s leaders. Many of the politicians the INC have enthroned in power are to blame for the mess the

country found itself in, but the INC has refused to assume some measure of accountability. The INC has likewise interfered in the appointment of people to key positions and in many instances, this has resulted in a snafu. And yet the INC has refused to own up to its actions.

Third, the relationship between the INC and the Filipino people has not been built on mutual trust and consideration.

It’s never been a two-way relationship.

The rest of Philippine society accommodates the practices the INC imposes

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upon its members as part of its so-called doctrine. When INC members refuse to cooperate or join corporate activities, citing their “doctrine,” everyone else is more than willing to look the other way. Religious and civic leaders pay their respects to the INC during critical times, but the gesture has never been returned. In fact, even on occasions such as when the Pope was here, INC members gleefully bashed Catholics in their media stations.

Fourth, the INC has consistently flaunted their so-called influence. For a

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religious group that is supposed to champion moral and ethical practices, they have not been reticent about collecting political debts. If the INC truly endorses candidates on the basis of qualifications, then the political debt should be considered paid through exemplary programs and services rendered to the people.

Fifth, the INC has consistently maintained exclusivity—even claiming that when judgment day comes, only their members will be saved.

Continued on A6

Continued on A6

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IN BIAO, Sultan Kudarat, a primary school is helped run by a parent-teacher organization that is in turn aided by a tribal council.

The project took three months to implement there. The community agreed to contribute five pesos a day, per household, for the solar lights because they were spending so much more on kerosene anyway.

The measure was a success and soon, the community had some additional income.

There was high efficiency in collection.

Alas, the collector encountered some personal emergency and dipped his hands into the money.

The community set in motion a mechanism to get the money back from the collector, consistent with their culture, that enabled the people to trust the system again.

In a high school in Antipolo, Rizal, the teachers and parent-teacher officers could not seem to commit to undertaking the maintenance of the solar suitcases. They were also rotating functions and had other more pressing responsibilities.

The children, however, recognized their great need for light. As a result, the student council of the school, called the Supreme Student Government, took it upon itself to take care of the suitcase.

“We are still seeing how the youth can take on this challenge. It’s an implementation issue,” according to Stiftung Solarenergie (Solar Energy Foundation) executive director Bambi Reyes.

Other end of the spectrum Donors range from the corporate to the individual. Some of them indicate that they want to focus on a particular region or even a community. Some entrust the choosing to Solarenergie.

One such donor is Les, born and raised in the United States by Filipino parents who had migrated to the US before he was born.

“This is my way of connecting to my roots,” he said.

According to Les, he has tried sharing with other projects for several causes in the Philippines but he was not able to see whether his help made any difference at all.

“Here, the impact is immediate.” During his prior visits to the Philippines, Les—friend and roommate of Solarenergie chairman Jim Ayala when they were studying in the US—would join the installation teams that went to the communities.

He was then able to physically see the difference that his donated suitcases made on the communities that received them.

Other international donors gain cultural understanding of the Philippines. They learn, for instance, that just as not all places in the Philippines are populous or

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A5

OPINION SUITCASE STORIES (2)

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WASHED ASHORE

(Concluded from Monday)

WHO would not be moved by a photograph of a three-year-old boy lying dead, facedown on a shore in Turkey?

The family of Aylan Kurdi was desperate to get out of their native Syria. They had applied for asylum in Canada, where some of their relatives were already living. Their application was denied. In the meantime, there was no improvement in the situation in their country. The fighting between the Islamic State and Kurdish fighters intensified. The parents decided to try their luck and flee to Greece—anything to start over.

Aylan, his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother Rehan never made it to Greek island of Kos. The small boat they were on, overloaded with 17 passengers, overturned even as it was sailing in calm waters. Some bodies like Aylan’s were washed ashore.

The picture, while powerful, is not just about Aylan. It is about the crisis faced by refugees in all parts of the world and the more fortunate countries and people around them who face the dilemma of taking them in—or refusing to do anything at all.

In Hungary, hundreds of migrants have camped out in trains they believed were bound for Austria and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had earlier said her country would accept 800,000 migrants. But authorities tried to put them in refugee camps instead. The stalemate is ongoing.

The festering migrant issue has been hounding the European Union for a time.

European leaders try to balance the interests of their people with the need to take in migrants as is morally and legally required. Merkel has been urging her fellow leaders to do their part with quotas and rules.

Various Asian countries this year faced the same moral question as the Rohingya —“boat people” from Myanmar and Bangladesh—arrived aboard boats in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. Bodies of dead boat people have also been found near shores across Indonesia and Thailand.

The boat people face circumstances different from those fleeing Syria and neighboring countries. Deemed stateless entities because the Myanmar government would not recognize them as an ethnic minority group, they are treated with hostility and discriminated against in Myanmar. In their desire to escape, they were taken by human traffickers who eventually abandoned them at sea.

The Philippine government expressed its intention to take in at most 3,000 of the boat people, but nothing more has been heard on the issue since. More pressing global issues have emerged.

The refugee concern cuts across religion, politics, class and status. It poses moral, even existential, questions. It is easy to sympathize with the plight of others when they are distant and when their struggles remain remote and even foreign to us.

When they turn up at our shores, living or dead, we are forced to do something, or at least think: What if it had been us?

It’s a haunting image and a constantly disturbing question. But that is good. Only the genuinely haunted and disturbed are compelled to seek solutions, however long it takes to find it.

POST MORTEM ON THE INC ADVENTURISM

IT’S been a full week since the Iglesia Ni Cristo took over a major part of Edsa and most have moved on to more pressing and seemingly more important concerns, such as the horrible traffic jams that seem to become more monstrous with each passing day.

But I do have a number of friends who are INC members and I have exchanged views with them on

what happened. Most of them, unfortunately, have remained adamant about the rightness of the cause they were fighting for (although unable to articulate exactly what the cause was and therefore hid behind sweeping generalizations such as “separation of church and state,” “harassment,” “interference on an internal matter,” and “undue haste.”

But one or two have kept an open mind and seemed receptive to the feedback I gave on what I thought caused the animosity towards the INC. First, the resentment didn’t actually happen overnight. It had

On such a critical hour, visible, palpable, and inspiring leadership was badly needed; a clear explanation of the issues straight from the mouth of INC’s Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo would have spelled the difference.

been building up for sometime now. It got more pronounced when the INC staged a series of

mass actions designed to rally support for then Chief Justice Renato Corona. And then there

were the series of major INC events that created bedlam such as the centennial celebration and the inauguration of the Philippine Arena, among others. In all of these, the INC has expected the Filipino people to accept and understand without question. We tried, but the continuing INC demands started to take its toll.

Second, the INC was unwilling to assume accountability for its political decisions, particularly on the critical role their bloc vote plays in selecting the country’s leaders. Many of the politicians the INC have enthroned in power are to blame for the mess the

country found itself in, but the INC has refused to assume some measure of accountability. The INC has likewise interfered in the appointment of people to key positions and in many instances, this has resulted in a snafu. And yet the INC has refused to own up to its actions.

Third, the relationship between the INC and the Filipino people has not been built on mutual trust and consideration.

It’s never been a two-way relationship.

The rest of Philippine society accommodates the practices the INC imposes

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upon its members as part of its so-called doctrine. When INC members refuse to cooperate or join corporate activities, citing their “doctrine,” everyone else is more than willing to look the other way. Religious and civic leaders pay their respects to the INC during critical times, but the gesture has never been returned. In fact, even on occasions such as when the Pope was here, INC members gleefully bashed Catholics in their media stations.

Fourth, the INC has consistently flaunted their so-called influence. For a

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religious group that is supposed to champion moral and ethical practices, they have not been reticent about collecting political debts. If the INC truly endorses candidates on the basis of qualifications, then the political debt should be considered paid through exemplary programs and services rendered to the people.

Fifth, the INC has consistently maintained exclusivity—even claiming that when judgment day comes, only their members will be saved.

Continued on A6

Continued on A6

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IN BIAO, Sultan Kudarat, a primary school is helped run by a parent-teacher organization that is in turn aided by a tribal council.

The project took three months to implement there. The community agreed to contribute five pesos a day, per household, for the solar lights because they were spending so much more on kerosene anyway.

The measure was a success and soon, the community had some additional income.

There was high efficiency in collection.

Alas, the collector encountered some personal emergency and dipped his hands into the money.

The community set in motion a mechanism to get the money back from the collector, consistent with their culture, that enabled the people to trust the system again.

In a high school in Antipolo, Rizal, the teachers and parent-teacher officers could not seem to commit to undertaking the maintenance of the solar suitcases. They were also rotating functions and had other more pressing responsibilities.

The children, however, recognized their great need for light. As a result, the student council of the school, called the Supreme Student Government, took it upon itself to take care of the suitcase.

“We are still seeing how the youth can take on this challenge. It’s an implementation issue,” according to Stiftung Solarenergie (Solar Energy Foundation) executive director Bambi Reyes.

Other end of the spectrum Donors range from the corporate to the individual. Some of them indicate that they want to focus on a particular region or even a community. Some entrust the choosing to Solarenergie.

One such donor is Les, born and raised in the United States by Filipino parents who had migrated to the US before he was born.

“This is my way of connecting to my roots,” he said.

According to Les, he has tried sharing with other projects for several causes in the Philippines but he was not able to see whether his help made any difference at all.

“Here, the impact is immediate.” During his prior visits to the Philippines, Les—friend and roommate of Solarenergie chairman Jim Ayala when they were studying in the US—would join the installation teams that went to the communities.

He was then able to physically see the difference that his donated suitcases made on the communities that received them.

Other international donors gain cultural understanding of the Philippines. They learn, for instance, that just as not all places in the Philippines are populous or

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S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

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OPINION

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WHY DON’T GULF STATES ACCEPT MORE REFUGEES? are helping to bomb. Islamic State is hostile to the Saudi CALLS are getting louder regime, and it’s important to for the oil-rich Gulf states to them whether the refugees take in more Syrian refugees. are fleeing Islamic State or In the Arab world itself, the the bombings.

Sectarian difficulties have opinion that they are not doing enough is widespread. already surfaced in Muslim Those countries, however, countries that have been may not really be suitable open to displaced Syrians, destinations for the asylum upsetting often fragile ethseekers—precisely because nic and religious balances. of their often deceptive cul- In Turkey, Syrians initially tural closeness to most of the settled in the province of Hatay, which has a sizable Arab Syrians fleeing the conflict.

The widely held opinion Alawite minority. The local that Saudi Arabia, the big- Alawites weren’t welcoming gest of the Gulf nations, and the Turkish government hasn’t taken in a single refu- made an effort to resettle the gee may well be incorrect.

Nabil Othman, acting regional representative to the Gulf region at the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, told Bloomberg there were 500,000 Syrians in that country. Saudi Arabia, like all of the Gulf states, is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention, so these displaced people are not officially designated as refugees.

One could still argue, however, that even Othman’s figure isn’t enough relative to the Saudi population of almost 31 million, especially given its role in funding and refugees. Elsewhere, it bearming one side in the con- came clear that local Chrisflict. Lebanon has accepted tian minorities were scared 1.3 million refugees—more of the newcomers, too. Kurdthan a quarter of its popula- ish refugees, though Sunni like most Turks, were best tion.

There are reasons, howev- directed to areas with bigger er, why Saudi Arabia doesn’t Kurdish populations. In genlet in more people and why eral, the longer the refugees the United Arab Emirates stayed, the more the locals prefer to pay to equip and resented them and perceived maintain refugee camps in them as a threat.

In Lebanon, where the other countries, close to SyrSunni-Shia balance is espeian borders.

An overwhelming ma- cially fine, the authorities are jority of the displaced Syr- afraid of further tipping it ians are Sunni Muslims. Of in favor of Sunnis, given the the paltry 1,519 Syrians the tendency of the Shia HezbolUS has taken in since 2011, lah militias to react violently 1,415 were Sunnis. The Saudi to any provocation. There are population is also predomi- now visa restrictions in place nantly Sunni. There’s a catch, for new arrivals and renewhowever: Many Sunni areas ing residency has been made of Syria have served as a base more difficult for those alfor the Islamic State, which ready in Lebanon.

In Egypt, which initially the Saudi and UAE air forces

welcomed Syrians, the regime of president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi suspects the refugees of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Sisi has vowed to eradicate, so entry has become more difficult and there have been deportations.

In the Gulf states, potential problems are complicated by the already large expatriate populations: In some of them, locals are outnumbered by workers from neighboring Arab states, India and Southeast Asia.

To these countries, letting in more foreigners

countries where their presence could turn an unsteady equilibrium into chaos.

In Europe, many opponents of immigration say Muslims should be kept out because they bring their wars and feuds with them.

But even several million immigrants distributed across the European Union would account for less than one percent of the general population, and very few locals would take part in such imported conflicts. Jihadists posing as migrants might, of course, conduct terrorist attacks, but that

doesn’t just mean sharing the (shrinking) oil wealth, but increasing the potential for political, ethnic and sectarian tension.

The fine distinctions of politics and faith, which are often invisible to Westerners, matter in the Middle East.

They produce wars that are as devastating as they are difficult for outsiders to comprehend.

It’s not important that Syrians don’t feel welcome in Saudi Arabia and the other petro-states, and therefore don’t want to go there. If Europe devises a workable quota system for refugees, many will end up in countries where they had never contemplated living, like Bulgaria or Lithuania. It does, however, make sense that they don’t end up in

risk exists without refugees.

Besides, the political and humanitarian practices in Western societies, as well as a more even distribution of wealth, have a calming effect. Research has shown that first-generation immigrants in the US commit fewer crimes than locals.

It would be nice if the Gulf states opened their doors wider to Syria’s refugees.

Yet Europeans and Americans shouldn’t try to shift attention to the petro-states’ perceived indifference, so that they can do less themselves. The West is much better equipped for the task of handling this human fallout from the catastrophe under way in the Middle East, and Europe needs the people who are coming in.

Bloomberg

POST... From A5

two Edsa revolutions, they unwittingly ignited outrage. Edsa is hallowed ground to Filipinos and for it to be used for dubious political purposes was sacrilege.

Eight, what happened was a clas-

sic lesson on leadership and public relations crisis. On such a critical hour, visible, palpable, and inspiring leadership was badly needed; a clear explanation of the issues straight from the mouth of INC’s Executive Minister

By Leonid Bershidsky

Sixth, the issue of corruption within the INC resonates with the Filipino people because, darn it, we want corruption in all its forms to be addressed.

Seventh, by going to Edsa, the INC members did not factor in the fact that mass assembly in that area holds a special meaning to Filipinos. By making parallelisms between their struggle and the

SUITCASE... From A5 prosperous, not all of them are lit.

“There’s still energy poverty in the Philippines,” according to Ayala. Unless this is addressed, we cannot say that there is real equality and development so long as many places remain in the dark.

Lessons learned In the years that Solarenergie has been seeking to light up schools and clinics in remote places in the country, Ayala and Reyes have learned a few lessons which they hope would help them do their jobs better in the future.

They learned, for instance, that civil society organizations play a crucial role in their operations.

Solarenergie has a lean office and they cannot do all the validation, training and capacity building by themselves. CSOs, for their part, have extensive knowledge of the actual situations of the communities and the people in them.

Thrust should be in training partners because in the end, this is about enabling and empowering people to take care of themselves in the long term. Repairs? Troubleshooting? It’s best they know how to deal with these on their own.

Another learning that Ayala and Reyes mentioned is to never assume that you know what people need, better than they know it themselves.

Even when you think you have the perfect solution, in the end, you are still an outsider. “These people, they know their community, they know what would work, they know what the potential problems would be.”

It is easy to imagine how the project can prevent someone from taking for granted the benefits of electricity. “Development is difficult without electricity,” Ayala says. “In the islands we’ve gone to, those which have never known electricity, it is like how it was 50 years ago.”

Despite one’s good intentions, one also needs to be focused and strategic. “We want to help, so we have to figure out the best way to help. We can’t be too scattered,” Ayala, perhaps applying his executive expertise, says.

He ends with citing the invaluable role of community-based civil society organizations. “They have been very helpful to us. They know the people, and they are in the best position to help shape their mindsets.”

In the end, it’s not just about giving light. It’s about changing how people see help. “We don’t just get things for free, much less feel entitled to them. We have to do our share.” adellechua@gmail.com Eduardo Manalo would have spelled the difference.

Unfortunately, the masses who assembled were hardly articulate and quite frankly, prone to making acrobatic logical deductions.

s u n d ay : s E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

more women-PoLL BeTS SoughT

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

ElEctions commissioner Rowena Guanzon has called on all political parties to consider nominating more females in their roster of candidates.

In a recent forum, Guanzon batted for a 30-percent increase in women being elected to government posts.

“The first step is to get women in the ballots. That is the first step. But to get there, we have to convince our political parties to commit to have more women [on the list],” Guanzon said.

Guanzon, together with her co-chairman of Gender

and Development (GAD) committee commissioner Sheriff Abas, vowed to facilitate discussions with key representatives from major political parties, party-list groups, relevant government agencies, and civil society groups on ways to promote a gender-equitable and inclusive elections.

She stressed that majority of the political parties

do not realize the quality of governance and service that women can bring to the country.

Guanzon said, aside from advocating gender equality, political parties are being asked to have more women in the group that they represent.

Guanzon also urged eligible women in the country to run for elective office in the upcoming 2016 national and local polls.

“This is just the first of many more forum... [We see] that there is a lack of women access participation in the country,” she said.

Both the Association

of the Southeast Asian Nation Women’s Rights C om m it te e -Ph i l ippi ne Representative professor Aurora Javate de Dios and journalist Malou Mangahas noted the important contribution of women in the government, one is the ability to mediate and negotiate and to deal with hard issues such as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Peace Agreement, and handling violence on women.

Senator Pia Cayetano, one of the panelists, said that women are also important part of the process in crafting the law

to have a bill with gender perspective.

She added that the government must do something for women to realize that they can lead, fight for what is right, through capacity building.

Guanzon and commissioner Sheriff Abas, head of gender development committee, will start conducting various training to have quality opportunities for women.

Part of the seminar calls for teaching women how to fill up their Certificate of Candidacy correctly, hold leadership skills training, and promote women par-

ticipation in the coming barangay elections.

Data from the Comelec showed that in the 2010 elections, there were a total of 41,741 (83 percent) male candidates and 8,340 (16.6 percent) females.

Of the candidates, 14,498 (81 percent) males and 3,305 (18.5 percent) females were elected to public office in 2010.

In the 2013 polls, there were a total of 36,401 (81.9 percent) male candidates and 7,925 (17.9 percent) were females.

Elected to public office in the last elections were 14,331 (79.8 percent) males and 3,580 (19.9 percent) females.

Book on iriga’s first fiscal launchEd

RESERVE FORCE. reservists of the armed forces of the Philippines take part in a rescue mission as part of an earthquake drill in camp aguinaldo, quezon city, marking the 36th national reservists’ week celebration that showcases their skills in handling disasters. EY ACASIO

Minority twits Majority: EnsurE quoruM

By Maricel V. Cruz A SENIOR member of the House Minority Bloc on Saturday expressed hopes that the quorum in the House of Representatives will improve in the coming weeks to enable the House leadership to hasten the approval of several priority measures on the legislative table.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III urged his fellow lawmakers to cooperate with the House leadership in addressing the quorum problem to ensure that vital measures are passed on time.

“We are the representatives of the people and we have to show our constituents that we fulfill religiously our con-

stitutional duties by diligently attending plenary sessions and committee hearings of the House of Representatives,” Albano, House contingent head for the Minority Bloc of the Commission on Appointments, said.

Albano lamented the quorum problem plaguing the House leadership in the past weeks which prevented lawmakers from transacting official business in the plenary, thus resulting in the delay of pending measures like the Bangsamoro Basic Law, among others.

Albano said he is hopeful that the idea broached by Speaker feliciano Belmonte Jr. and House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep.

Neptali Gonzales II to hold sessions from Monday to friday starting next week would effectively fast-track and secure the approval of priority bills identified as urgent by Senate and House leaders in a meeting recently.

Congress will go on recess from Oct. 10 to Nov. 2.

This period of recess is the filing of certificates of candidacy (on Oct. 12 to 16) for all those running for elective posts—local, regional and national—in the nationwide synchronized elections scheduled on May 9, 2016.

Earlier, Belmonte said the House will hold a five-week marathon session beginning Sept. 6 in a bid to hasten the approval of the 2016

national budget and other key legislation.

Belmonte stressed the need for the House to attend to the proposed P3.002-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB), in particular, before lawmakers get busy during the election campaign season come October.

But he said the House leadership will not give up on its effort to pass the freedom of Information (fOI), economic Charter change and anti-dynasty bills up to the last session day left for the 16th Congress which will end on June 30, 2016. “for as long as there is a window of opportunity to do it—to pass these bills, we will do it,” Belmonte said.

If ONE is to have a more perceptive, a more complete, and therefore, a much more genuine love of the Philippine nation, historian Marcelino A. foronda Jr. noted, it is inescapable that he should first of all love his own town, province, or region. One complements the other.

“At the Birth of a City” is a modest account of the public deeds and private joys and tribulations of Angel S. Malaya, the first city prosecutor of Iriga in the Bicol region and the city’s chief legal officer during its formative years.

The book was launched at the Iriga Convention Center, on Sept. 4, 2015, 3 p.m. Ronald felix y Alfelor, city mayor and former mayor Madel Alfelor Gazmen of Iriga City, Rotarians, other city and DepEd officials were among the guests at the occasion.

Together with other pioneer officials, Prosecutor (later RTC Judge) Malaya nurtured the peace, tranquility, and development of the city and its people, and he did so with vision, devotion, and compassion. He worked tirelessly to build up the community, notably the codification of the city ordinances, the first-ever comprehensive street-naming and house-numbering project, and the adoption of the hymn ‘Iriga sa Sumagang’ under the auspices of the Iriga Rotary Club. Ever supportive of his public schools endeavor, teacher-wife Zony, who later became Schools Division Superintendent, he assisted in the city’s various schools.

Countless promising young men and women leave the countryside each year for higher studies in Manila and never come back. Malaya went home to and stayed put in his beloved Iriga and Camarines Sur province, and having done so, left a profound imprint as one of Bicol’s foremost sons.

The book is co-published by Angel S. Malaya foundation and Media Touchstone Ventures Inc., headed by Melandrew T. Velasco, veteran author and family biographer of former President fidel V. Ramos supported by his creative and editorial team.

The book is dedicated to the government employees, teachers, Rotarians, barangay leaders, and all those who toil anonymously in the country to help build a progressive Philippines, and most especially to the good people of Iriga City and Camarines Sur province.

front coVEr of thE Book

A8

SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

NOTICE TO AIRMEN. Workers apply sealant to the newly repaired taxiway near runway 06 that will remain closed to air traffic until Sept. 13, 2015. RUDY SANTOS

HOT CARS IN BATANGAS: PROBE EYED

By Maricel V. Cruz

AN ADMINISTRATION ally has sought a congressional probe into the alleged smuggling of 14 luxury cars from the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Hong Kong at the Batangas port.

In House Resolution 2269, Valenzuela Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo asked the committee on ways and means to look into the modus operandi of some importers to undervalue luxury cars by declaring them as vehicles of lower-priced models or variants.

Gunigundo, a House deputy majority leader, said he wants Congress to take necessary legal actions to hold liable for the smuggling of the vehicles as this entails huge revenue losses for the government.

The filing of the resolution came after the Bureau of Customs seized

a shipment of luxury cars at the Asian Terminal Container Port in Batangas last July 24.

Gunigundo alleged that the consignee could have conspired with certain BOC officials. The vehicles were consigned to Monacat Trading in Biñan, Laguna.

“There are car importers who misdeclare or undervalue their importations because of the costly duties and taxes attached to cars being imported,” Gunigundo said.

Gunigundo said the importer of these luxury vehicles was trying to cheat the government. “The modus operandi is undervalue the cars by declaring lower-model or lowervariant names,” he said.

“We cannot afford to lose millions of taxes due to technical smuggling due to these unscrupulous smugglers and corrupt Customs officials despite the intensified drive against the illegal importation of vehicles,” he added.

Earlier, the Customs Enforcement Group had previously issued alert orders against the shipment for alleged gross undervaluation, a violation of Section 2503 of the Tariff Customs and Customs Code of the Philippines.

The smuggled cars include one unit of McLaren 450C, one unit of Land Rover LR2, two units of Land Rover Defender 90, two units of

Mercedes Benz C200, two units of Mercedes Benz GLK350, one unit of Toyota Prado, one unit of Ferrari California, and four units of Toyota Landcruiser GX. Gunigundo said the House body ought to investigate the incident to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

“Unless and until these furtive activities are addressed and the smugglers and BOC officials are not exposed, charged and punished accordingly, the much-ballyhooed ‘Tuwid na Daan’ government campaign to eradicate smuggling will not just be a shot in the wilderness but worse, a laughing stock,” Gunigundo said.

MMDA MAKES WAY FOR HPG TAKEOVER

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday asked the public to cooperate and support the government’s new policy aimed at easing the worsening traffic problem in the National Capital Region that, studies showed, has caused the loss of billions of pesos in foregone workers’ productivity or lost manhours.

“We at the MMDA have been trying our best to manage traffic on Edsa especially during rush hours through various schemes. The cooperation of the public is most welcome in this endeavor,” said MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino.

Beginning Monday, 150 members of the Philippine National Police– Highway Patrol Group will take the lead in managing traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue replacing MMDA personnel who will be transferred to areas not covered by the police enforcers.

“I certainly welcome HPG to take the lead in managing Edsa. It’s all about cooperation among government agencies to better supervise vehicular flow on the busiest route in Metro Manila,” Tolentino said.

On the order of President Benigno Aquino, the HPG will prioritize efforts to clear six choke points on Edsa, namely Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue.

Tolentino said the MMDA will be on hand to assist HPG in vehicular accidents or cases of stalled vehicles. He added with different government agencies working together, he is hoping that managing traffic on Edsa will be efficiently done.

Also on Monday, southbound provincial buses coming from Cubao, Kamias and Kamuning terminals will not allow to use Edsa from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. during weekdays, and instead left P. Tuazon Boulevard and take Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road) going to their destinations.

Tolentino said MMDA personnel will handle the traffic management from Tuazon to C-5 Road. “The provincial buses will use the lane used by trucks along C-5 Road. Single file and there are no trucks at that time.”

Land Transportation Office personnel will man bus stops to secure the smooth flow of traffic.

Alex Yague, president of the Provincial Operators Association of the Philippines, said his group supported the new scheme. He added among the provincial bus firms to be affected by the new scheme are JAM Transit, Superlines, Jac Liner, Raymund Bus, ALPS and DLTB plying Bicol, Laguna and Batangas.

“Hopefully there will be no traffic on C-5 since trucks are not allowed there from 6 to 9 a.m. on weekdays,” said Yague, adding that bus operators agreed to police their ranks and help the government in its effort to solve the traffic problem.

The government will also impose strict implementation of its policy against out-of-line and colorum public utility vehicles and buses, and those lack of proper franchise.

In this undated file photo, a Customs officer inspects a shipment of smuggled cars.

BALER SLAY SUSPECT ELUDES COPS

By Ferdie G. Domingo CAMP RAVINA, Aurora—Policemen have fanned out to Nueva Ecija where the gunman in the Sept. 1 killing of Baler Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 91 Judge Jude Erwin Alaba is allegedly hiding.

Senior Supt. Danny Florentino, provincial police director, said their asset had informed them that a man living in Nueva Ecija fits the description in the sketch of the suspect.

“According to our asset, the man in the sketch may be the same man in Nueva Ecija. So our men have

gone there to check. They have not returned yet,” Florentino said.

The gunman was earlier described to be around 5’6” tall, of medium build, fair-complexioned and between 32 to 38 years old.

Alaba was gunned down by the lone gunman right in the compound of the RTC in Barangay Suklayin. He died from a single bullet wound in the chest.

His wife Margarita sustained a gunshot wound in her left arm. The widow told Florentino that she is not aware of any death threats being received by her husband prior to his killing.

Tolentino said it’s still too early

to conclude that Alaba has been killed due to his work, or due to drugs or land dispute cases.

Earlier, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said initial review of the cases showed that Alaba was handling sensitive drug cases and some land disputes.

“We have to establish the facts first because there are many angles that are coming out. He has also handled murder cases, theft and robbery,” Florentino said of Alaba.

The PNP is eyeing to tap two witnesses to help establish the identity of the lone gunman in the coldblooded broad daylight killing.

SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Roderick T. dela Cruz EDITOR business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1

THE FUTURE OF TELEPHONY CLOUD is the future, says a 31-yearold Indian engineer in an interview at a coffee shop in the tourist section of Makati City.

Vikas Kakkar, vice president and head of international business strategy of Knowlarity Communications Pvt. Ltd., is referring to the Internet, where everything is shared. His company uses the Internet to handle, manage, track and distribute telephone calls for small and medium businesses.

Cloud, often used as a metaphor for the Internet, has been changing the way businesses are conducted and has opened opportunities for startup companies such as Knowlarity, an Indian company considered a pioneer in cloud telephony products, to expand to other markets such as the Philippines.

Small businesses in the Philippines are beginning to embrace cloud telephony, the new technology in voice communication that is replacing the conventional telephone system, says Kakkar.

“Cloud is the future of the world telephony, definitely.

Sharing resources is what everybody wanted to do. Cloud will be the future,” he says.

Knowlarity, which has headquarters in Singapore, is expanding in the Philippines, where cloud telephony begins to blossom.

“Cloud telephony is a combination of telephony servers and web servers,” says Kakkar.

Knowlarity, he says, came from the words knowledge and singularity. Together, it means one resource, he adds.

Knowlarity is India’s largest provider of unified communication solutions that replace the traditional private branch exchange or PBX. The ubiquitous cloud solutions are less costly and more functional, says Kakkar.

“Our logic is designed in the cloud. We can manage 1 million calls an hour,” he says.

Knowlarity’s main product, SuperReceptionist, offers small companies a big-company image in terms of handling calls, he says. Nearly 200 companies in the Philippines already use SuperReceptionist and Kakkar expects to win 300 more deals next year.

SuperReceptionist, which started as Superfax six years ago, is an IVR (interactive voice response) system based in the cloud. “What we do is all webbased,” says Kakkar.

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan

Knowlarity Communications vice president and head of international business Vikas Kakkar “SuperReceptionist is a system which automatically takes inbound calls. It is a tool to track the efficiency and productivity of your employee. With SuperReceptionist, there is a call log. You can track every call of employees. It is also a tool that gives you insights on call distribution management to know what is happening,” he says.

“In the days to come, I feel that cloud telephony solutions like SuperReceptionist will be ahead of traditional PBX (private branch exchange) system, which will disappear in the years to come,” says Kakkar.

Kakkar says with SuperReceptionist, a small company can monitor all calls so that they cannot lose business leads.

“What happens is that you lose leads, because you are busy managing a customer call and you have limited resources. In

order to manage all these calls, it is important to have a technology or a system, so we provide SuperReceptionist to all these enterprises,” he says.

“We prefer calling it a business call solution for SMEs. It actually shows a big company image, which you otherwise get by buying a PBX system. It is very cheap,” says Kakkar.

Knowlarity does not provide hardware, but only cloud solutions to connect existing phones and mobile phones to their system. “Our system is designed in such a way that your mobile phone can become your tele-

phone. We give you a phone or local number,” he says.

Kakkar says a small travel agency with two employees can handle multiple customer inquiries simultaneously. “With SuperReceptionist, they can show a big company image, even with two employees. Even when you change your office, you don’t have to change your phone number. You can track everything on your mobile. There is no need to be in your office.

You can take your call even outside your office,” he says.

“There are many advantages.

It is a cost-effective solution that gives you a big company image.

All your call management system is taken care by mobile app.

Wherever you are, SuperReceptionist is always with you,” says Kakkar.

Kakkar has been travelling to the Philippines on a monthly

basis for a year now, basically to explore the market. “I am very optimistic in the Philippines.

People welcome you here and they like to listen to you. If you have something new, they would like to try and adopt that and they are very open-minded in terms of technology,” says Kakkar.

Knowlarity, which was established in 2009, views the Philippines as “a virgin market.”

Asked to explain further, Kakkar says: “Cloud telephone is kind of new in the Philippines.

I have never come across with a company selling the same solution.”

“It took us the first two months to get a few clients. But in the last three months, we got 100 customers. If we take that speed and I am sure we will increase that speed, we will definitely achieve the 500-customer mark next year,” he says.

Knowlarity, which has been in the Philippines for one year, employs seven people and operates a data center in the country. ‘”The Philippines is one country that is performing well and where there is huge opportunity.

There is a great number of SMEs here and we have great acceptance in the market,” says Kakkar.

“People are buying our product. Currently, we have close to 200 clients in the Philippines.

We have about five partners,” he says.

Knowlarity targets startups in the Philippines, who welcome new innovation. “We can customize solutions based on their requirements. I see huge potential in small and medium enterprises by selling them SuperReceptionist. At the same time, I see huge potential for customizing solutions for medium and large enterprises,” he says.

“In the days to come, I don’t see any competition coming in.

So the opportunity is huge. And we will be able to target large enterprises. Once we covered Manila, we will move out to other provinces like Cebu,” he says.

Knowlarity is also expanding globally. “We have presence in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Middle East, Turkey, South Africa, South America, Brazil. We are about to start operation in China and the Netherlands,” says Kakkar.

Kakkar says among these markets, the Philippines offers one of the most exciting opportunities for the company. “The Philippines is doing pretty good.

I think we will definitely cross 500 customers next year. There is a huge potential, and we have exponential growth. I feel that this market is really great,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

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BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

OPPO AIMS TO BOOST SELFIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBAL electronics and technology service provider Oppo is in talks with the country’s two mobile phone providers to distribute its new smartphone.

“Our sales team is still in discussion with the two telcos. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully we can sign a contract soon,” Garrick Hung, operations manager of Oppo said, referring to Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. Oppo Electronics Corp., a Chinese electronics manufacturer based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, recently launched its new smartphone called Mirror 5 with unique diamond-like mirrored surface.

Mirror 5 comes equipped with a 5-megapixel front camera with selfie features and an 8-MP rear camera, making for stunning selfies and landscape photos.

Mirror 5 offers 3G with superhigh speeds, dual SIMs slots and SD card support up to 128GB, helping users balance their workload and personal needs.

“We at Oppo Philippines are very happy to finally launch the Oppo Mirror 5 in the Philip-

pines,” James Ma of Oppo Philippines said.

“Filipino users demand nothing less than the best kind of mobile experience, and this is precisely what the Mirror 5 delivers -- great performance combined with great aesthetics,” he said.

Hung said Oppo is targeting the 20 to 30 year age bracket for Mirror 5 smartphone, which is locally priced at P9,900.

“We are targeting them mainly on the fact that these are the people who are starting their career,” Hung said, adding that its sales in the Philippines are increasing since its launch last year.

“It’s a good sign for us. The people start to appreciate our brand,” he said.

“There’s a great potential here in terms of converting people from using standard cellular phone to using a smartphone,” Hung said.

Oppo tapped pop singer Sarah Geronimo as its local brand ambassador.

“I’m excited to work with Oppo.

Celebrity endorser Sarah Geronimo (left) attends the media launching of Oppo Mirror 5.

They’re the type of company I want to be with,” Geronimo said.

OPPO’s Ma said the company chose Geronimo as its first ambassador because she’s an ideal fit for OPPO.

“She brings an unmatched combination of freshness and elegance to the table and that’s what we want in an endorser,” Ma said.

OPPO delivers the latest and most exquisite mobile electronic

devices in over 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia and many countries throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

FUJITSU PH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF INNOVATION WHEN Fujitsu Philippines Inc. was established in the country in 1975, the company was aiming to go beyond its mission to promote, sell and support its computer hardware line. Now, FPI is counting the decades of helping organizations utilize these technologies to help them stay abreast of the evolving digital landscape.

What transpired throughout FPI’s 40-year innovation is a testament to its commitment to provide unparalleled designing, building, implementing and maintaining information and communication technology to different industries.

Raul “Cricket” Santiago III, president of Fujitsu Philippines, says FPI will do no less than “help improve people’s lives by giving a better understanding of the human centric innovation.”

“The roadmap to the future starts in empowering people through end-to-end digital information and physical infrastructure,” Santiago says.

“This is the human centric innovation, the new approach to realizing business and social value through solutions that bring together people, information and technology.”

Through years of research and innovation, Fujitsu saw how connec-

tions were formed between people, businesses, information and processes regardless of where they are coming from. Now, through a better understanding of the hyperconnected world, “it will be easier to connect solutions that are vital in realizing businesses and lifestyles for tomorrow,” Santiago says.

What happened before When the Philippines was starting to gain ground in the Asian economic standing, there was a need to re-think the way businesses are being run. This is why Michio Naruto, then managing director of Fujitsu’s international operations, helped bring the operations of Fujitsu Limited of Japan to the country to provide an optimum support service on April 23, 1975.

Since computers play important roles in the country’s expanding economy, many companies tapped the potential of Fujitsu in helping them run their business. This includes the National Computer Center, a government arm created in 1971 to harness computer resources in the public sector and improve management and control through maximum application of information technology.

In totality, the clients Fujitsu worked with during this time were able to integrate an end-to-

end solution that leverages their company’s growth. As the digital economy continues to evolve, Fujitsu will pursue new grounds to shape the future through meaningful collaborations with its customers.

After 40 years, we are proud to introduce more innovations, changing not only the way computers work but how it can be integrated into our daily lives.

“After 40 years, we are proud to introduce more innovations, changing not only the way computers work but how it can be integrated into our daily lives. In the hyperconnected world, we have the opportunity to combine the benefits of craftsmanship and industrialization in ways that deliver value,” Santiago says.

“The hyper connected generation will change the way businesses are created. Excitingly, this will bring positive impact to the lives of people and transform their business,” he says.

Empowering individuals Giving every individual an access to digital technology will create a platform where creativity is encouraged. In fact, Fujitsu teamed up with one of the trailblazers in building an engaging platform for entrepreneurs, designers, hobbyists and students where they can brainstorm new and innovative ideas.

Furthermore, Fujitsu organized a global communications platform for all its 160,000 employees in 2012 to realize real-time communications and knowledgesharing, use of integrated voice, e-mail, web and video meetings, and social networking.

Innovating the business Through the human centric approach, organizations can execute their most effective strategies, carrying with them the three priorities—operational excellence, product leadership and customer intimacy.

Through the human centric innovation, people working in an organization may gain full control of their business by connecting physical infrastructure

and harnessing information.

This will help them enhance the value of products and services, and streamline their operations through end-to-end platforms.

Trusted partner for decades Throughout its 80-year history in a global scale, Fujitsu has challenged the capabilities of telecommunications equipment and IT services. For its part, the company will continue to design its services according to the needs of a company to help them ride with the emerging digitalization.

Santiago says: “One size does not fit all, meaning, every customer has its very own unique demands. But while our expertise latches on our global operations, our local and regional processes are programmed to address their most immediate needs.”

Tracing from its rich heritage, Santiago says the company offers nothing but “a journey where Fujitsu and our customers can arrive at a common goal—to transform the business while transforming lives.”

“When it comes to innovating people’s lives, we will count the decades, not the years. We will help you further your business in preparation for a safer, more prosperous and sustainable world— for us, that’s the human centric intelligent society,” he says.

SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

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BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

A STORY OF JOY

Ranzelle Ann Sombrero was a quiet girl, raised by her grandmother. She hardly participated in school activities and was always absent due to various illnesses. Like thousands of children affected by typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, Ranzelle was traumatized by the storm surges caused by the world’s strongest storm that hit land. Thankfully, there was someone looking out for her, someone who thought she deserved to experience joy in her young life.

That someone was her teacher, Villa Nacilla, at the Panalaron Central Elementary School in Tacloban. Ranzelle was just one

of hundreds of thousands of malnourished Filipino schoolchildren. The National Nutrition Council’s Operation Tim-

bang showed that 574,519 out of 8,808,792 children under 6 years old were undernourished.

Studies have shown that healthrelated factors such as malnutrition can lead to poor school performance of children. Social development and welfare workers have called on increased interventions, such as school feeding programs to address the problem.

In June 2014, Ranzelle’s school became one of the adopted Joy Schools of Mondelēz Philippines.

Seeing Ranzelle’s undernourished condition, teacher Villa made sure that Ranzelle would be part of the Joy Schools’ daily feeding program. Turns out, those daily meals helped do wonders for Ranzelle. The daily rice, viand,

fruit and snack she received for nine months helped make up for what she lacked at home. Slowly, she became more active in class— always reciting, raising her hand to answer teachers’ questions.

Two years later, Ranzelle not only passed the 4th Grade, but was also awarded first honor—a far cry from the timid, listless girl she used to be. Ranzelle is a living proof of how with a little joy, great things can happen for the future leaders of the country.

Launched in 2013, the Joy Schools program aims to help create joyful centers of learning through interventions for nutrition, teacher training and facilities improvement. Unique in its own right, the Joy Schools aims

to help turn sadness into joy for three of the most pressing problems of public elementary schools today.

Now celebrating its 52nd anniversary, the company formerly named Kraft Foods, through its strong partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress, has seen more than a thousand stories of joy created with the help of its nine-month daily feeding program for undernourished students, urban gardening seminar for schools and parents, teacher values formation and skills training, as well as facilities improvement to create a conducive and joyful learning environment.

As of March 2015, 85 percent of its 1,064 feeding beneficiaries achieved normal nutritional status, from being undernourished.

Feeding programs were found to be great motivators for attendance with 90 percent of students attaining perfect attendance last school year. Their constant attendance ensured they achieved and maintained above passing grades for the whole year.

Teachers in the adopted Joy Schools received exclusive training from the Ateneo Center for Educational Development and the Learning Library, while parents received training from the East West Seed Foundation and supplies to grow their own vegetables. All Joy Schools received books and sports and play equipment for their students’ enjoyment. Truly, joy was felt by everyone.

“Two years into our Joy Schools program we have seen that the true joy comes from the passion and dedication of our partners, teachers, principals and parents,” says Maria Cindy Lim, head of corporate affairs of Mondelēz Philippines.

“Together, we are able to help the students create joy for themselves, to write and weave these stories of joy that hopefully they will remember forever. We’ve helped create more than a thousand stories so far, and we’re eager to help write a thousand more as we continue our program this year,” she says.

CHILI QUADRUPLES FARMER’S INCOME SHOFAN Manzor, 35, was among the beneficiaries of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or Pamana, a development project of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, in Barangay Pagasinan, Simunul town, Tawitawi province.

Simunul is a fourth-class municipality and one of the 11 towns of Tawi-Tawi province. It has 15 barangays and most of its residents are farmers and fisher folks.

Shofan lived with his wife and four children in a small hut where they kept a small backyard planted with some vegetables like squash, eggplant and tomatoes.

It yielded earnings up to P100 a day, but sometimes none. To supplement this meager income, Shofan sometimes braves the seas to go fishing.

Still, his family’s income from

their backyard and from his fishing remained insufficient for their daily needs.

Oftentimes, Shofan could only utter, “Oh Tuhan ku, angey beteh iti kaulluman ku, tabangun ako.” [Oh God, why do I have to live this way. Please help me.]”

Through the Pamana program, Shofan was given a chance to engage in chili farming project because the soil in Tawi-tawi is ideal for chili planting.

Upon release of the farming tools and seedlings from CLA, Shofan extended his backyard area and planted two varieties of chili seeds: native and hybrid pinatubo seeds.

A few months later, Shofan started harvesting his chili; the native chili 9small kind) costing P350/kilo is sold to the market of Bongao municipality, while the hybrid Pinatubo chili is sold to the municipal processing

center.

He can harvest a minimum of five kilos two to three times a week and earn as much as P1,750 to P3, 000 per harvest or almost P14,000 every month— four times better than his earnings in the past.

A processing center has been erected within the vicinity of the municipal office, called the Hot Moro Processing Center, where the chili harvested by Shofan and other members of the Pagasinan Cooperative are processed into bottled red chili powder.

The processed bottled red chili powder is now sold in the in the Bongao municipal public market or exported to nearby Malaysia and Indonesia through an export agreement signed by the Simunul municipal government with the Pagasinan Cooperative.

Shofan said his difficulties in life had somehow eased as he

can now provide the basic needs of their family as well as save for the education of his children.

Today, his family enjoys three complete meals every day and is now starting to repair their hut into a more convenient place to live in. He also shared seedlings of chili to other families who cannot afford to buy.

With teary eyes and a smile on his face, he ended his sharing by saying, “Magsukul toongan ako ni Tuhan ma ridjikih pamuwan na beteh na Pamana program, lai na hap kaulluman ko.” He thanked God for giving him Pamana program as blessings; he has now a better living condition.

When the government implemented the Pamana program in Taw-Tawi province at the resumption of the peace process, the town of Simunul was identified as a primary beneficiary community.

Shofan qualified as a participant after a house-to-house validation program conducted by the Pamana project development officer, community facilitator, municipal facilitator of Pantawid Pamilya Program, municipal social welfare officer and officials of barangay local government unit.

This validation activity took place after the community assembly and orientation on Pamana program were conducted.

Under the supervision of the Pamana Project Development Office, Shofan and his other neighbors organized the Pagasinan Producers Cooperative.

As part of the process of social preparation, the members were assisted by the community facilitator in identifying their individual projects to undertake and in preparing a project proposal.

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world

Obama and Saudi king StreSS warm tieS US PreSIdenT Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman held a longdelayed first White House summit Friday marked by warm public words, despite differing views on Middle eastern crises.

Obama made the rare move of greeting the 79-year-old monarch at the doors of the White House, as he hailed the “longstanding friendship” between the two countries.

Salman’s inaugural visit as king—originally scheduled for May and canceled by riyadh—had been billed as a way of putting relations back on a more stable footing.

In the Oval Office, Obama was effusive, saying he wanted to “once again reaffirm not only our personal friendship, but the deep and abiding friendship between our two people.”

For his part Salman said his visit was a “symbol of the deep and strong relationship that we have with the United States.”

After the meeting, the allies released a joint statement, published by the White House and later read out at a news conference by Saudi foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir.

In it, they outlined their joint determination to defeat the Islamic State group and to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria that would see Bashar AlAssad step down.

Meanwhile, Al-Jubeir said King Salman accepted Obama’s assurances that the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

These meetings normally end in “some kind of public statement that puts as positive a spin as possible on the meeting,” said Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. AFP

migrants wait to be registered by the police at the Lesbos Port on September 5, 2015. more than 230,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in greece by sea this year, a huge rise from 17,500 in the same period in 2014, deputy shipping minister nikos Zois said. AFP

Lebanese protesters clash with riot police following a demonstration, organized by “you Stink” campaign, to protest against the ongoing country’s trash crisis on august 23, 2015 in the capital beirut. at least 20 people were injured Sunday in beirut during a second day of clashes between police and protesters angry about the Lebanese government’s failure to remove rubbish from streets, medics said. AFP

LEBANESE ACTIVISTS AIR DEMAND FOR NEW LEADER Thousands of people converged on Beirut’s Martyrs square Friday as part of a demonstration called by one of Lebanon’s leading Christian parties to demand that parliament elect a new president for the country.

The gathering came ahead of more nationwide protests Saturday by the non-partisan “You Stink” group, which has organised a series of growing protests in recent weeks against Lebanon’s political class.

Supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement descended on Martyr’s Square, carrying their party’s trademark orange flags, as well the flags of allied Shiite

movement Hezbollah.

FPM head Michel Aoun had urged supporters to demonstrate to demand parliamentary elections and a new electoral law that would see the public elect the president.

In Lebanon, the parliament elects the president— but political divisions have prevented it from choosing a successor to Michel Suleiman since his mandate ex-

pired in May 2014.

“The people want the election of the president!” the demonstrators chanted.

Artists, political figures, and activists took to a makeshift stage to express support for Aoun and Hezbollah head Hassan nasrallah.

“The future is for us, not for others,” said Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, a leading FPM figure.

“We want electricity and water, oil and gas. We want an electoral law that represents us and we want to elect a president!” Bassil called out.

Aoun made a brief appearance by way of a video linkup from an undisclosed location to tell protesters he was “proud of them.”

‘Outrage’ at corruption The FPM demonstration came as “You Stink” called for a nationwide mobilisation against a government they say is too corrupt to function.

“The people’s outrage at this corrupt system continues... The protests will go on today and tomorrow in all Lebanese regions,” the group wrote on its Facebook page.

The collective had called for demonstrations Friday in the coastal city of Tyre and in Zrariyeh, both in southern Lebanon, but an AFP correspondent in the area there said there were none.

For Saturday, activists have urged supporters to take to the streets in the eastern city of Chtaura, the historic town

of Beiteddine and nabatiyeh and Marjayoun in the south.

The protest movement began over a rubbish crisis that left pungent garbage piling up in Beirut and its outskirts, but it has evolved into a broad-based movement against government impotence and corruption. demonstrations organised by “You Stink” have escalated over the past two weeks, peaking Saturday when tens of thousands flooded Martyrs Square in a rare display of non-partisan mobilisation.

The speaker of parliament, nabih Berri, has called for a national dialogue to discuss the paralysis plaguing Lebanon’s institutions. AFP

3k migrantS entered auStria frOm Hungary—POLiCe SOMe 2,500-3,000 migrants have entered Austria from Hungary in the past few hours, Austrian police said early Saturday after Hungary began taking people in buses from Budapest to the border.

“I am standing right at the border to Hungary and am looking down. The streams (of people) keep coming,” Hans Peter doskozil, chief of police in Burgenland state,

told the Austria Press Agency.

“We are waiting for 17 or 18 double-decker buses to be able to take people to Vienna, maybe also towards Germany,” he said.

One train carrying around 400 migrants westwards has already left the Austrian town of nickelsdorf on the border with Hungary and a second one with around the same number is due to leave soon,

doskozil said.

The first 400 trudged from a concert hall that is now a makeshift shelter in nickelsdorf to the train station at around 4:30-5:30 am (02300330 GMT).

“The second 400 are on their way their now. At times the rain has been really heavy, now it’s drizzling a bit. The people are all soaked,” doskozil said. AFP

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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PoPe Francis readies ‘Political’ triP7 col POPe Francis is gearing up for potentially his most politically charged trip yet, an eight-day whirlwind visit which will take him from Havana’s Revolution Square in Cuba to the headquarters of the United Nations.

The Argentine, who will become the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress in Washington, has taken advantage of a summer lull at the Vatican to fine-tune his hotly awaited speeches, sources at the Holy See say.

For his three-day visit to Cuba, beginning on September 19, Francis can expect a warm reception from the Castro regime following recognition of the key role he played in Havana’s reconciliation with the United States this year.

But anticipation ahead of the US leg of the trip, which will kick off in Washington on September 22, has already sparked conflicting reactions -- as well as a boom in Francis-themed souvenirs and trinkets.

The welcome from some American politicians is expected to be chilly. The 78-year-old’s decision to visit Havana before Washington has not gone down well, particularly as Congress has yet to lift the embargo against Cuba.

His environmental encyclical and recent impassioned speeches in Latin America against the free market system, blind capitalism and rabid exploitation by multinationals of natural resources, have seen him accused of Marxism.

Asked in July how it felt to have been termed by one American television presenter “the most dangerous man on the planet”, Francis merely replied that “every criticism must be received, studied, and then dialogue must ensue”. AFP

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A fighter from the Kurdish People Protection Unit (YPG) uses binoculars on the front line in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on September 4, 2015. Since it announced its “caliphate” in June 2014, the Islamic State (IS) group has swept across Syria, seizing swathes of land in central Hama and Homs provinces, Deir Ezzor and Hasakeh, and the north’s Raqa and Aleppo. AFP

47 dead as rebels battle Is In north www.thestandard.com.ph

A bAttle between Islamic State group jihadists and rebels for control of an opposition stronghold in northern Syria has killed at least 47 fighters, a monitor said Saturday.

Twenty Islamist and other rebel fighters were killed in the clashes in Aleppo province throughout Friday, along with 27 IS jihadists, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The fighting centred on the town of Marea, a key rebel bastion

Protesters rally vs guatemala’s ex-President PROTeSTeRS railed against Guatemala’s disgraced ex-president Otto Perez outside his court hearing on corruption allegations Friday, two days before elections that have been upended by his resignation and jailing.

Hundreds of protesters outraged over a torrent of scandals that engulfed Perez’s administration gathered outside the Supreme Court as prosecutors continued detailing their case against the fallen president.

Many demonstrators called for Sunday’s elections to be postponed until sweeping reforms can be implemented, even as candidates wrapped up their final day of campaigning.

Perez, who spent the night in a military prison after submitting his resignation to Congress late Wednesday, will spend the weekend in jail, after the hearing adjourned until Tuesday.

Perez said he was «saddened» as he left the court in police custody.

As a criminal suspect in custody pending prosecution, he will not be allowed to vote Sunday. earlier, he took the stand to deny involvement in the multimillion-dollar fraud scheme he is accused of masterminding.

Prosecutors say the 64-year-old retired general ran a network of corrupt officials that took bribes from businesses to clear their imports through customs at a fraction of the actual tax rate. AFP

that IS has been trying to capture for months.

The Observatory said fighting was ongoing around the town, which rebel forces still control, as well in villages in the surrounding area.

Marea is one of the most significant rebel-held towns in northern

Aleppo and lies on a key supply route running to the Turkish border.

IS has targeted the town for months, seeking to expand westwards from territory it already holds in Aleppo province.

Last week, IS advanced in the area, seizing five villages from rebel forces around Marea after allegations it had used a chemical agent, possibly mustard gas, in its attacks.

The IS advances came despite an agreement between Turkey and the United States to work on the establishment of an IS-free zone in

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northern Aleppo.

In recent days, the US-led air campaign fighting IS in Syria has carried out strikes against the group near Marea, according to the Pentagon.

More than 240,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with peaceful anti-government protests.

It has evolved into a complex multi-front war, with regime and rebel forces as well as Kurds and jihadists involved in the fighting. AFP

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S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

BEWARE OF THE STING OF CEU SCORPIONS

By Reuel Vidal

CENTRO Escolar University has never been known for its athletic program.

CEU is a fine university but the most famous contemporary athlete produced

by CEU is probably Azkals striker Misagh Bahadoran who earned renown as an outstanding futsal player.

But that will soon change with the way the CEU Scorpions men’s basketball team, under coach Ed Macaraya, has been dominating their opponents and racking up win after win after win.

The latest victory for CEU is winning the championship of the 4th National Collegiate Basketball League when they beat host Technological Institute of the Philippines, 75-65, at the TIPManila Gym last Tuesday.

This was a fitting followup to their victory at the Philippine Basketball Association D-League where Cafe France, composed of the CEU varsity basketball team, beat Hapee to win the Foundations Cup. The Scorpions completed a 12-game sweep of the six-team tournament to rule the NCBL. CEU was led by big man Alfred Batino who scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half to power his team to victory and earn Freego Best Player of the Finals award.

The game was close until CEU’s late game breakaway.

TIP’s Roldan Pinas converted two free throws, off a foul

by JK Casino, to tie the score for the last time, 61-all, with 6:40 to go. CEU, led by the long-limbed defensive terror Rodrigue Ebondo, then clamped down on defense as they held the Engineers

Lt. Col. Dennis Bumanglag (left) of Guerilla Race joins, from left: Jennifer Chua of Ayala Land; Stephen Comia, ARCA South Project Manager; Michelle Chan of HERO Foundation and Mike Yu of Go Go Hunt as they give the thumbs up during the press launch of SyncRUNize.

JONNAH LYNNE R. PANTE

to a solitary free throw while making their own winning run.

Batino, Ebondo, Samboy De Leon and Jason Opiso, who drilled a booming triple at the 1:05 mark, scored the crucial points to push the Scorpions to a decisive 73-62 advantage.

Ebondo and De Leon finished with 11 and 10 points respectively. The two were later named to the tournament’s Freego Mythical Five along with Kim Medina of TIP, Dennis Santos of Manuel L. Quezon University and Von Tambeling of Philippine Christian University.

Ebondo, an exchange student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who regularly put up double-figures in both points and rebounds, was selected the Freego Most Valuable Player.

The Scorpions, who carried the colors of Cafe France, also won the 2015 PBA D-League Foundations Cup title after a scrambling victory over the Hapee CEU Scorpions’ long-limbed foreign player Rodrigue Ebondo Fresh Fighters.

Ebondo scored on a (8), here trying to block TIP’s Kimley Medina (center), is a layup with 1.8 seconds dominant presence both on offense and on defense. remaining to power his team to a 56-55 victory in CEU Scorpions big man Alfred Batino (17) drives strong game 3 of the D-League fito the hoop against a pair of TIP Engineers. nals a few months ago.

Other players who stood out for Cafe France were De Leon and Maverick Ahanmisi who, incidentally, was selected the third overall pick in the past PBA Draft.

Hapee missed the services of their San Beda Red Lion players—Ola Adeogun, Baser Amer and Art Dela Cruz—in the deciding game. Hapee was no pushover and got 12 points and 9 rebounds from Nico Elorde. Chris Newsome added 8 points and 7 boards.

Troy Rosario had 8 points and 16 rebounds.

Other members of the NCBL title winning CEU team are Art Patrick Aquino, O’Neal Arim, Kenneth Kurt de Leon, Alvin Abundo, Aaron Jeruta, Joseph Celso, JM Vargas, Jhan Anunciacion, Joseph Manlangit, Jeremy Gallemit, Rey Telen, JR Aranas and Sonny Boy Saber.

Jun Tiongco, Oscar Torres, Yong Garcia, Jay Cambarihan and Timothy Taclas were the assistant coaches of Macaraya. The trainers include Philip Go, Rachel Santos and Alex Almonte.

The next challenge for CEU is the ongoing National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and University. CEU will be the favored team. Expect the Scorpions to win their third consecutive basketball title in as many tournaments they’ve joined so far this year.

HAVE FUN AND ADVENTURE WITH NEW MOBILE APP HERE’S another way to enjoy your cellphone.

Ayala Land’s City in Sync, a 74-hectare estate, will host a different kind of run that will challenge participants’ abilities with physical obstacles and mental skills with instructions from a downloadable mobile application available at the Google Play Store for android users and App Store for iOS users.

This adventure is made possible after ARCA South teamed up with Go Go Hunt, Guerilla Race and HERO Foundation

to bring SyncRUNize, the first-ever mobile appintegrated adventure run, to ARCA South Grounds Taguig on Sept. 19.

“SyncRUNize is the kind of event that embodies the principle behind ARCA South as a City in Sync,” said Stephen Comia, ARCA South Project Development Manager.

“The development is envisioned to be the newest CBD in Taguig where all the elements that make a city are present and in sync.

In addition, the efficient management of the road network, traffic, commu-

nications, environment, security and other systems in ARCA South are primary,” Comia added.

Race and fitness enthusiasts as well as interested participants can register through the ARCA South website –www. arcasouth.ph or through Chris Sports branches nationwide from July 19 – Sept. 18. Registration fee is P1,100.00 per head for the individual category and P990.00 per head for groups of four for the group category inclusive of participants’ race kits.

Racers with the fast-

est finishing time will receive up to P15,000.00 worth of cash and prizes.

Proceeds of the event will be donated to HERO Foundation to help children of soldiers that were killed and incapacitated during the line of duty.

The SycnRUNize app is now available for download at the Google Play Store and App Store and the activation code will be availabe upon the start of the adventure run on Sept. 19.

For more details visit www.syncrunize.com.

Jonnah Lynne R. Pante and Joedilyn M. Bellen

S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

US OPEN SHOCKER

NADAL FALLS IN FIVE SETS

DEFIANT Rafael Nadal vowed to fight on and restore his status as the game’s most feared player after crashing to his earliest US Open exit in 10 years.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner was knocked out by Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who pulled off a sensational 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 third-round victory.

The stunning result confirmed the sad, sudden decline of the 2010 and 2013 champion, who until Friday had won 151 Grand Slam matches when he had taken the first two sets.

Nadal will also finish the season without at least one Grand Slam title for the first time since 2004.

It was the 15th defeat of his miserable year, which has seen him beat just two top-10 players and where his best performances at the majors were quarterfinal runs at the Australian and French Opens.

“The only thing this means is I played worse than the last 10 years,” said Nadal, who lost for just the second time in his career at the French Open and endured a second-round exit at Wimbledon.

“That’s the real thing. By the way, for me it was amazing to win 10 years in a row a Grand Slam.

“You can imagine how difficult it is to make that happen. I have to accept that it was not my year and keep fighting till the end of the season to finish in a positive way for me.”

Nadal refused to elaborate on the areas he needs to improve and insisted in his post-match media conference that he was joking when he said he was

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point while playing Fabio Fognini of Italy during their 2015 US Open third round men’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2015 in New York. Nadal lost in five sets, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. AFP

getting slower.

“I improved something from the beginning of the season.

That’s something that I think I am doing. I think I have a good base now,” added the 29-year-old, who missed last year’s US Open with a wrist injury before his recovery was further stalled by an appendix operation.

“I am not playing terrible like

I was at the start of the season.

When I am losing, I am losing because the opponents beat me, not because I lose the match, as I did a lot of times at the beginning of the season.

“That’s an improvement for me, so I have a base now. That is a start. I know what I have to do and I going to work on it.”

Fognini, the 32nd seed, be-

AMBER ACOSTA YOUNG JIN NAMED MVP IN MILO LITTLE OLYMPICS YOUNG taekwondo sensation Amber Emilia Acosta has just added another jewel this early in her career.

The pride of Diliman Preparatory School was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player in the recent Milo Little Olympics South Luzon-NCR leg held in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Amber ruled the bantamweight division of taekwondo in the event presented

by Nestle Philippines.,Incmaker of MILO brand en-

ergy drink and organized

by Prof Robert Milton Calo of Mc Robertz Sports Academy, beating France Galon of Good Shepperd School by submission.

She swept all her opponents via stoppages for the gold medal which earned for her a qualifying spot in the national finals which will also be held in Laguna where qualifiers from Mindanao,Visayas and North Luzon legs will showcase their skills not

only in taekwondo but also in athletics, badminton, basketball,chess, gymnastics, football, scrabble, sepak takraw, table tannis, arnis karatedo,tennis and volleyball.

The young Acosta, who also happens to be the reigning titlist in Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa and a silver medalist in the recent Asian Taekwondo Federation Championship in Vietnam and teammates Ravmundo ‘Jay

comes the first Italian in the last 16 at the US Open since Davide Sanguinetti in 2005 and will face Spain’s Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals.

“It’s not easy. When he starts running at the beginning and you finish at the end of the week,” said Fognini, who smashed 70 winners, made 57 unforced errors and saved 11-

-Ar”Alombro III, a Milo Little Olympics gold medalist and silver medalist in the Asian taekwondo and a bronze medalist in the Korean Open; Beatriz Gaerlan (gold medalist in both the Korean Open and theMilo Little Olympics, and Genica De Laza, silver medalist in Asian taekwondo and silver medalist in Milo Little Olympics, will vie for the grand title in their event with the full backing of DPS top brass Sen. Nikki Coseteng.

Amber, who is also a poomsae athlete, swimmer and wall climber, acknowledges the full support of her parents Jerald and Michelle Acosta, her mentor Napoleon Dagdagan, and Senator Coseteng, vows to train harder to improve her

B7

of-19 break points in his all-ornothing assault.

By contrast, Nadal had a more modest 30 winners and dropped serve on nine occasions.

“It was an incredible match to come from two sets down against Rafa, who is one of the best players in the world,” added the Italian, who had never previously beaten a top 10 opponent on hard courts in 17 attempts.

Fognini has now defeated Nadal three times this year but his earlier wins were on clay in Rio and Barcelona.

“After the first two sets, I said ‘OK, just concentrate, keep trying and anything can happen.’

The fifth set was really difficult for both of us.”

Nadal had raced into a routine two sets to love lead.

He was also a break up in both the third and fourth sets.

But the colourful, sometimes controversial 28-year-old Italian rallied with some superb shotmaking as the Arthur Ashe Stadium duel ticked towards and past 1 a.m.

By the end of the fourth set, the statistics were telling.

Fognini had unleashed 50 winners to Nadal’s 24 while the Spaniard had converted just five of 14 break points.

Fognini broke for 2-1 in the decider with Nadal looking increasingly punch-drunk, an appearance with which the watching Tiger Woods—who was in the Spaniard’s box— would have painfully sympathised.

Nadal, stretched to a five-setter at the US Open for only the second time in his career, came off the ropes to hit back for 2-2 with a breathtaking running forehand winner which had the crowd on its feet.

Fognini pounced again, breaking for 3-2, then cracked as the 14-time major winner clawed his way back for 3-3.

In a nail-biting finale, breaks were exchanged again with Fognini surrendering a 40-0 lead at 4-3.

The non-holding pattern continued as a seventh successive break, sealed with a backhand winner crosscourt, put Fognini back in the driving seat and serving for the match at 5-4.

This time he did not falter, claiming victory when Nadal hit a weary backhand wide. AFP

skills in her quest for more honors in future local and international tournaments.

The young jin, a member of the national junior taekwondo team, is fully aware that aside from boxing, taekwondo has a good chance of delivering the country’s first gold medal in the Olympics. This is why she is now setting her sights in 2020 where she will be ripe for tougher international competitions, such as the Southeast Asian Games, and Asian Games, and possibly the Olympics.

Acosta

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S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

RIERA U. MALLARI EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Stephen Kamphuis serves as umpire in one of the matches of the National Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships at the SM Sucat in Paranaque City.

BRAZILIAN

JIU JITSU ON THE RISE

By Randy Caluag

GIVE or take a few years, the Philippines will emerge as not only as the strongest practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in Southeast Asia, but also in the entire Asian region, next to Japan.

And credit should go to the BJJ and judo blackbelt and professor Stephen Kamphuis, who has painstakingly developed and promoted the sport since arriving in the Philippines in 2004.

It was Kamphuis, who introduced and later established the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation of the Philippines and had it recognized by no less than the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation.

The activity center of the SM City Sucat recently hosted hundreds of spectators and local and foreign competitors for the Philippine Jiu Jitsu Gi/No Gi National Championships.

“The growth of BJJ here is amazing,” said Kamphuis, who was in charge of the two–day tournament, participated in by elite players and age-groupers. “We are the biggest practitioner of the sport now in Asia, after Japan and Australia in the Pacific. Filipinos truly have indomitable warrior’s spirit,” said Kamphuis, a native of New Zealand.

Kamphuis, who owns the popular KMA Martial Arts and Fitness Gym in Makati, also credits the sport’s friendly atmosphere, saying “BJJ can be practiced by all players of all ages, men and women.”

Among the men who saw action

More action at the center mat

on Saturday was actor-martial arts enthusiast Rocco Nacino, who narrowly lost his under-70kg. elimination fight in his first bout as a blue belt.

In BJJ, the blue belt is the second of the ranking system after the white belt.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self-defense system that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. It was developed to allow a smaller, weaker person to protect him or herself from a bigger, stronger opponent by using proper technique and leverage.

After rounds of intense combat and strategic moves, the more skilled players emerged victorious.

Among the gold winners of the two-day event were Wilander Ordinado of Team Deftac Riberio in the male adults, white belt division, and Vanessa Lu of Team Fabricio in the female adults’ white belt division.

Fighters warm up at the practice mat.

S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 : 2 0 1 5

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

S U NDAY L IF E

LIFE

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A precious moment captured in this image of Consul Mellie Ablaza during the banquet.

Diplomatic ties: Madame Margareth Ledoux of the European Union and Madame Gracita Tolentino-Sieber of the Swiss Federation with gracious hosts, Zambia Consul Luis Ablaza and Guatemala Consul Mellie Ablaza at the main dining hall of Hacienda Amelia.

The main dining hall was adorned with African-themed touches during the “boodle fight.”

THE FIGHT CLUB Photos by PHILDIZ Photo Gallery (www.phildiz.com)

Waiters on parade to prep the “boodle fight” banana leaves.

Getting ready for the “boodle fight” were (seated) Paqui Campos, Glecy Mojares, Lilibeth Campos and Alice Samson.

#INTHEMOMENT

BY FRANCIS DE LEON

“Are you ready for the Fight Club?”

Just to be clear, nothing violent happened in my recent attempt to de-stress nor have I any inclination to play (in real life) the alter ego of Brad Pitt in the cult movie – Fight Club. At my age, I have made the conscious decision to be in the moment and appreciate life’s blessings, as it should not matter how difficult the challenges it may bring. I would rather channel my energy to experiences that will enrich my life and good stories worth sharing in this column.

Therefore, I am proud to violate (pun intended) the primary and secondary rule of the Fight Club. I would be more that happy to talk about my recent experience at the Ablaza estate named Hacienda Amelia in Alfonso, Cavite, where the ever gracious Consul Amelia “Mellie” Ablaza hosted a “boodle fight.”

The Honorary Consul of Guatemala in the Philippines, Mellie personally invited this columnist along with other members of the lifestyle media, the diplomatic community, family and friends to their sprawling estate named

Philippine Tatler’s Chit Lijauco with Angola Consul Helen Ong.

Belles of Hacienda Amelia – Lipa City Colleges’ Glecy Mojares, Nympha Javier Valencia, Tina Jacinto and Alice Samson.

The personal touch of Chef Jessie is always a welcome treat as she presented the first course of Fresh Paco Salad to the delight of the host.

Enjoying her (swing time) moment at the main house of Hacienda Amelia was Consul Helen Ong of Angola.

The Ablaza siblings (Marc, Czarina and Jun Jun) with the kids enjoying their family bonding.

Consul Mellie Ablaza flanked by (from left), Rupert Jacinto, Nympha Javier Valencia and Tina Jacinto.

The King of Hacienda Amelia – Consul Luis Ablaza Jr.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Serge Ortiz Luis with wife Marge before the “boodle feast.”

Consul Mellie Ablaza with Bulgari’s Mario Katigbak and Nympha Javier Valencia as they prep for the “boodle fight.”

after the beloved family matriarch.

Nearly 40 people gathered over a thanksgiving luncheon in honor of Madame Gracita Tolentino-Sieber of the Swiss Federation and Madame Margaret Ledoux of the European Union and the Quadrille-Waltz dancers who participated during the much talked about Ablaza Golden Wedding Anniversary.

True to the Ablazas’ flair for organizing exquisite parties, they have elevated the thematic concept of the boodle fight into a feast for all

Fan moment for Star Chef Jessie Sincioco (2nd from left) with Dala Pia, Alice Samson and Greggy Vera Cruz.

the senses. We first gathered over Filipino-themed cocktails at the main house (a castle-like fortress at the highest point of the estate) where Consuls Luis and Mellie, along with their children and grandchildren, welcomed our group. Designer par excellence, Jun Jun Ablaza, was more than glad to show us around the main house, and I ran out of superlatives to describe how intricate and wellappointed each corner of the home was that he master planned. “It was decorated with love,” he revealed.

Design and creative genius Jun Jun Ablaza toured us around their palatial rest house.

After the welcome cocktails, we were directed to the main dining pavilion of the estate (a custombuilt dining hall dedicated to entertaining a larger group of guests).

This particular milieu was adorned with African-themed decorations complete with gigantic tribal masks, flora and fauna as well as life-sized feline sculptures beautifully styled by Jun Jun no less. Two long banquet tables were covered with animal printed tablecloths ready for the sensory indulgence that awaited us.

This was my first “boodle fight” and they made it a sensory experience unlike any other. The waiters paraded (with long banana leaves in tow) on cue with the music as they (in a synchronized fashion) placed each banana leaf on the table with the right amount of poetry in motion.

This made me gush with heightened anticipation for the gastronomic feast prepared by Chef Jessie Sincioco.

Chef Jessie, along with her battalion of chefs, presented each dish by way of creating a beautiful smorgasbord centerpiece of Filipino heirloom recipes. I was literally ready to “fight” (while, concurrently, being mindful of my table manners) versus comfort food!

My favorites? The perfectly roasted Cochinillo (the skin of the suckling pig was crisp, the meat tender and succulent (Ahh, I was ready to go to heaven!) that I paired with ensaladang mangga and fresh paco salad and some (okay, heaps of it!) steamed jumbo Tiger Prawns! And since it was a “boodle fight,” I had the perfect excuse to use my hands to eat and savor each flavor and texture of the hefty spread of traditional Filipino fare in all its abundance (more rice, por favor, it was hard to resist!).

This “boodle fight” was executed in style and was a hearty feast made more sensuous with the use of the hands.

“Kamay kainan” was the theme and it celebrates this Filipino ritual and tradition. It was an intimate meal free from formal dining etiquette. After all, we were in a private country residence of Amelia.

Definitely, it was a delicious and exciting “fight” and all the invited guests of the Club were proclaimed (by unanimous decision) winners!

I am ready for the next “Boodle Club” anytime. Fight!

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.

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SUNDAY : SEPTEM B ER 6 : 2015

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

A LAND OF FOLLOW-UPS Part 2 of 2

CAROTID ARTERY

BY TATUM ANCHETA

S

o last week I was talking about how horrible Ford BGC’s service is, and this is the second part of my half-a-year headache with their incompetent workers and service. It didn’t get the cut last week as the word count was just so long. You may read the first part on www.manilastandardtoday. com/2015/08/29/a-land-offollow-ups/ So, they scratched my car January 10, and 10 days after, still no resolution. January 20, Dominic said Jun would call me finally. I even asked for a specific time because I had meetings to attend to; he said 1:00 p.m. Past 2:00 p.m., there was no call or message from any of them. I followed up again.

January 22, I was already irritated; I followed it up with Dominic again and still no resolution. January 26, I already consulted my lawyer on how to proceed, and was getting irritated every day that I finally decided that, “let’s just fix it when I bumped my car.” I told Quincy that I will just have the rear bumper replaced in case I got involved in an accident so at least there would be a reserve bumper already. They refused and said they want to fix it as soon as possible. So fine, then February came. They had an available loaner car but they gave me a Ford Focus that is manual.

My car is automatic and I have not driven manual since I was in high school, so I told them that since my car is an automatic to give me an automatic transmission vehicle as well.

February 3, I got a text that the loaner car will be available on the second week of February. Every day of following up became every week, then next thing I know it was already March. By this time, LTFRB had released something about cars with no official LTO plate will be stopped on the road. By this time, Dominic should have given me my car plate already as January was the last letter invoice they gave for driving without a registered plate.

But again, no update from them. I asked him to send me a new invoice, and only then did he check about my plate, and apparently, they are delayed in deliveries. I asked him to send me an invoice letter for the second time so I could drive my car to the province for the Holy

week. That was March 24. I would send him messages following up the invoice but I’d get no response.

March 27, I messaged again. Only then did he reply that my OR-CR is still not available so he will just send an invoice. Duh – I’ve been already asking for it three days prior. I needed to leave town the next day, so I messaged him again at night. I was really pissed already by then. I mean, how hard can it be to just change a date from a letter?!

He then said that he was on leave for a month but that the next day he would personally go to their office to fix the letter. Hello? He was on leave and I have been requesting for days for something that they should have already fixed to begin with. Someone could have taken

and I can swap it for my vehicle so they can process the paperwork for repairs. April 14, I went to Ford BGC to swap my car and I didn’t even want to ride the Ford Lynx they wanted to lend me as it looked more beaten up than my Blue Lancer. Saturday, April 18, I went back to pick up the car. Guess what again – they only repainted the paint scratch but there was a problem with the rear bumper.

They claimed that the bumper delivered to them was defective and they couldn’t use it, so they would need to reschedule again for the replacement. By this time, I had no energy to fight or get angry anymore; I was getting sucked into their incompetence and it was making me jaded already. We came

Again, same scratch, on the paint and on the newly replaced rear bumper. I am insured so I didn’t worry much, I was more worried about the process as I have to go through the most incompetent people in Ford BGC. I called Dominic Rosales to assist me for the insurance and whatever process we needed to go through.

We scheduled that the car would be sent for estimation. So I sent my driver there; Dominic didn’t give much information on what to bring or how to go about it but simply instructed to bring it and go to 5F to Rommel. When my driver got there, he called me complaining that Dominic is nowhere to be found and no one is assisting him, but he got the repair quote nevertheless.

that I never want to liaise with him and that I want to speak with his supervisor, a request I did already few months back but no response.

He said, once again, that he was on leave. This guy, my God! If you’re on leave provide that information and call someone else to do the job.

He gave the name Simon Sedigo, whom according to him was his supervisor. I called their customer service and asked for his supervisor and they just said – say it with me – “We’ll get back to you, ma’am.”

Then all they did was ask Dominic to call me when I don’t even want to speak with him ever again. I called their office, went through the trunk line and looked for Simon, and finally I got to speak with him.

He promised that they would fix

A few days after, I kept messaging Dominic to tell me how to go about the repair and what the next steps are. He just said to go back again to Rommel and bring the copy of the insurance. So my driver went back again. I called Rommel from the insurance company and he wanted to know who my sales dealer is and that the latter should be assisting with what I needed especially since it’s a new car (wow, thank you, I’m touched). So we needed an affidavit for the car accident, a copy of the license of the person who drove it, my ID, etc., etc. They could have asked me to bring that before I sent my driver all the way to the shop.

Dominic said just bring a copy of the insurance. They wasted time, and gas money to ask me to go back and forth. I told Dominic

all the aggravation and give the kind of service that should be due a customer. But then, he handed me over to Rachel Torres, his assistant, to attend to what I needed. She was helpful in the beginning, she got me copies of the papers that were missing, etc. Then came the repair.

August, I scheduled the car for repair as they said it would take five days to fix it. They all just said one week. I repeatedly asked Rachel to give me a specific date for a “one week,” because that may mean five or seven days. I had a very tight schedule, I need specifics. I called her, and she said that she has some more important things to attend to. The next day I called again; she rejected my call.

I messaged for three consecutive days and no response.

Conversation with Dominic Rosales regarding the LTO plate

over the moment it was requested and send it to me rather than wait for Dominic. Servicing doesn’t stop just because one person is on leave.

There has to be a protocol about these things. I told him to hand over my request to someone else because I can’t wait for him. I told him how disappointed I am with the way Ford BGC’s servicing is.

I didn’t just buy a candy, I bought a car from them, so they should at least give the right service I deserve.

That and the rear bumper is still not fixed.

Then came April. It has been four months, my car has not been repaired, they have not given any loaner car. Everyday for the past months a Ford BGC text would ruin my day. Finally, on April 13, they said a car is available already

to an agreement just so I do not get pissed at following up everyday. I would just schedule the repairs in time for my 6th month servicing, which should give them enough time to order and make sure the rear bumper is okay. I didn’t ask for a loaner car anymore as it may take a century before it gets processed.

June 17, 6th month since they ruined my car and it’s still not fixed.

Finally they called in for repair and servicing. June 25, after five days I got my car back and in order.

Hallelujah! I was so thankful and relieved that I never have to deal with any of them.

Then July came, I don’t know why but for some reason there seems to be bad luck on the rear end of my car as while parking, my friend bumped it on the driveway.

Continued on C4

SUNDAY : SEPTEM B ER 6 : 2015

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

NEW BATCH OF PALANCA WINNERS HONORED

T

he Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) is synonymous with literary excellence.

Named in honor of businessman and philanthropist Don Carlos Palanca, the awards aims to develop and propagate Philippine Literature by providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works, and serve as a treasury of Philippine literary gems.

Now on its 65th year, the country’s most prestigious and longest-running literary contest accepted 895 entries in 22 categories, with the bi-annual Novel and Nobela categories open this year. A select panel of judges especially chosen for their contributions and excellence in their respective fields of literature evaluated the entries, with 57 literary artists presented to the public during the awarding ceremony held at The Peninsula Manila last September 1.

Many first-time winners coming from different localities within the Philippines and abroad made literary history as they were honored alongside veteran authors such as Edgardo Maranan and Peter Solis Nery who

National Artist F. Sionil Jose delivers an inspirational talk

Novel category grand prize winner Victorette Joy Campilan (center)

Guest of honor Dr. Gemino Abad (center)

have already earned their place at the Hall of Fame. Two young women fictionists also copped the Grand Prizes in the Novel and Nobela categories.

The sponsors also bestowed the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi on Dr. Gemino H. Abad, also this year’s guest of honor and speaker. A professor emeritus of literature at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Dr. Abad has established himself as an eminent poet, essayist, fictionist and editor of several literary anthologies, helping shape the larger corpus of contemporary Philippine literature by contributing his own body of work and mentoring many students of literature.

The winners of the Palanca Awards are as follows:

FILIPINO DIVISION NOBELA Grand Prize Charmaine Mercader Lasar

ENGLISH DIVISION NOVEL Grand Prize Victorette Joy Z. Campilan

All My Lonely Islands

FULL-LENGTH PLAY 1st Prize

no winner

2nd Prize

Jose Maria Manalo

Obando

3rd Prize

Jorshinelle Taleon-Sonza

Haiyan

ONE-ACT PLAY 1st Prize

Layeta P. Bucoy

The Adopted Healthy Baby

2nd Prize

Jose Elvin Bueno

Looking for Ulysses

3rd Prize

Jonathan R. Guillermo

The Hawk and the Viper

1st Prize

Charisse-Fuschia A. Paderna

An Abundance of Selves

2nd Prize

Arkaye Kierulf

There Are No Monsters

3rd Prize

Rodrigo V. Dela Peña Jr.

Aria and Trumpet Flourish

POETRY

Toto O.

POETRY WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN 1st Prize

Peter Solis Nery

The Rainbow Collection

2nd Prize

Patricia Celina A. Ngo

Ordinary Adventures

3rd Prize

Elyrah L. Salanga-Torralba

The Cockroach’s Prayer

DULANG PAMPELIKULA 1st Prize

Eloisa Angeli Andrada Palileo

Pink o Blue

2nd Prize

Brylle B. Tabora

Sekyu

3rd Prize

Nita Eden So

Alyas FPJ

SHORT STORY 1st Prize

Exie Abola

Phallic Symbols

2nd Prize

Maria Carmen G. Aquino Sarmiento

The Backroom Angels Buggaloo

3rd Prize

Hammed Q. Bolotaolo

The Storyteller

DULANG GANAP ANG HABA 1st Prize

Kanakan Balintagos

Mga Buhay na Apoy

2nd Prize

Edgardo B. Maranan

Diwata ng Bayan

3rd Prize

George A. De Jesus III

Maniacal

DULANG MAY ISANG YUGTO 1st Prize

Allan B. Lopez

Sa Isang Hindi Natatanging Umaga, at ang mga Ulap ay Dahan-Dahang Pumaibabaw sa Nabubulok na Lungsod

2nd Prize

Vladimeir B. Gonzales

Mal

3rd Prize

Marco Antonio R. Rodas

Igba

1st Prize

Christa I. De La Cruz

Mula sa Silong

2nd Prize

Abner Dormiendo

Sa Antipolo pa rin ang Antipolo

3rd Prize

Christian Jil R. Benitez

Sapagkat Umiibig: Mga Tula

TULA

TULA PARA SA MGA BATA 1st Prize

Errol A. Merquita

Ang Iisang Paa ng Tsinelas

2nd Prize

John Romeo Leongson Venturero

Si Iking Pasaway

3rd Prize

no winner

SHORT STORY FOR CHILDREN 1st Prize

Raymond G. Falgui

Monster Rescue: A Children’s Story for Adult Readers

2nd Prize

Victoria Estrella C. Bravo

The Bear

3rd Prize

Jonathan R. Guillermo

The Three Questions of Tarongoy

1st Prize

Eli Rueda Guieb III

Symphony of Dry Winds in a Time without Rain

2nd Prize

Jennifer Dela Rosa Balboa

Violence, A Biography

3rd Prize

Miguel Antonio N. Lizada

The Bangkok Masseur

ESSAY

KABATAAN ESSAY 1st Prize

Catherine Regina Hanopol Borlaza

That Man, That Hero in Our Stories

2nd Prize

Richard C. Cornelio

A Loaded Gun in the House Next Door

3rd Prize

Annicka B. Koteh

Until Transcendence

MAIKLING KUWENTO 1st Prize

John Carlo I. Pacala

Ang Reyna ng Espada at mga Pusa

2nd Prize

Lilia Quindoza Santiago

Mag-ambahan Tayo

3rd Prize

Andrian M. Legaspi

Johnson at Putol

MAIKLING KUWENTONG PAMBATA 1st Prize

Manuelita Contreras-Cabrera

Sulat sa Birhen

2nd Prize

Salvador T. Biglaen

Ang Alamat ng Gulugod Baka

3rd Prize

Corazon L. Santos

Ang Hiling sa Punso

REGIONAL DIVISION SHORT STORY – CEBUANO 1st Prize

Lamberto G. Ceballos

Tuba

2nd Prize

Manuel M. Avenido Jr

Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa may Interseksyon

3rd Prize

Januar E. Yap

Liboa’g Usa Ka Hugon-Hugon Kabahin sa Tagulilong

SHORT STORY – HILIGAYNON

SANAYSAY 1st Prize

Adelma L. Salvador

Silat

1st Prize

Jesus C. Insilada

Amburukay

2nd Prize

Dionie Cabral Tañada

Tawag ng Pangangailangan

2nd Prize

Ritchie D. Pagunsan

Kalamay Nga Pula

3rd Prize

Jayson Bernard B. Santos

Ang Tiktik sa Kalye

3rd Prize

Gil S. Montinola

Ang Lapsag sa Taguangkan ni Belen

KABATAAN SANAYSAY

SHORT STORY – ILUKO

1st Prize

Karl Gabrielle B. De Los Santos

Hindi Ko Alam

1st Prize

no winner

2nd Prize

Lance Lauren L. Santiago

Ang Nakakikiliting Kalabit ng Bukang-Liwayway

2nd Prize

no winner

3rd Prize

Rhea Domasing Berroy

3rd Prize

Jason Renz D. Barrios

Kahimanawari: Mga

Ti Naimas a Luto ni Inangko ken Dagiti Babbai iti Biwong

S U N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 6 : 2 0 1 5

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

THE WONDERS OF BOKASHI

(or how composting brings progress to communities)

Susana Guerrero demonstrates to Senator Loren Legarda how bokashi is made

Y

ou hear the word “bokashi” and you’d think of it as Japanese. Or if you were a twenty-something who is familiar with Beki-speak, it would mean a request to open the door or something.

Bokashi, to the uninformed, refers to the technology of composting that is low-cost, mess-free, pest-free and odor-free.

This technology, which was launched

by The Cravings Group’s corporate social responsibility arm The Culinary Foundation Inc. on Earth Day last year, is now being embraced by at least 40 communities all over the country.

During the first National Integrated Waste Management Exhibition organized by the Department of Environment and Natural

Resources’ National Solid Waste Management Commission headed by director Eli Ildefonso, The Cravings Group/CEF showcased its commitment by participating in the five-day event through a series of seminars and demos that engaged visitors and audiences, mostly environmentalist groups and students.

The event also served as an occasion for the awarding of a P50,000 prize to the “Most Sustainable Bokashi Program” – which went to Barangay Magay in Tanauan, Leyte.

CEF envisions the Bokashi technology to immensely contribute to the growing demand for organic farming which is crucial to health and food security in the Philippines. TCG’s Susana P. Guerrero, concurrently the president of Zero Waste Philippines, Inc., was at the forefront in this landmark event. Senator Loren Legarda, who was also present, lauded TCG in her speech at the Green Summit sponsored by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation after watching the actual demo in the exhibit.

The event also gave CEF the opportunity to introduce to the public their one-day seminar on “Best Green Practices in Commercial Kitchens” to promote Green Chefmanship and Going Zero Waste in the hospitality industry. Another highlight of the event was the TCG’s opportunity to show how it was able to steer the company into an ISO 14001 Certification, the global standard in environmental excellence.

For more information on CEF’s seminars and activities, call Mel Adriano of CEF (4/F, CCA Bldg, 287 Katipunan Avenue, QC), with nos.

(02) 426-1338, 925-3969; e-mail: admin@ cefmanila.com or follow them on Facebook.

30&75 2015 scholars

It takes FAITH to change lives

23 students receive scholarship grants

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n 2013, Diwa Learning Systems Inc., a leading provider of print and digital educational resources, celebrated its 30th anniversary and sought to make this milestone noteworthy by establishing the 30&75 Education Scholarship Program. For the initial implementation of the program, 18 students were beneficiaries. The following school year 2014-2015, the program allotted 12 slots for students in Eastern Visayas as part of the Tulong Para sa Bayan project launched

by Bato Balani Foundation Inc., Diwa’s social development arm, to help the students in communities affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

For school year 2015-2016, the 30&75 Education Scholarship Program adds 23 more students to its roster of scholars.

Hailing from various parts of the country, the 23 students, after submitting prequalification requirements and taking an online examination, emerged among hundreds of applicants and qualified for a full four-year BS Education scholarship at the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) in Tanauan,

Batangas. On top of the scholarship, free travel expenses and dormitory lodging will also be provided to the following students: Angela Grace Ann Mercado, Angelica Alano, Kathryn Mae Doremon, Gleziel Joy Bacorayo, Sheryl Galicano, Carl Angelo Cabangan, Mila Rose de Guzman, Rose Ann Revilla, Norielyn Rodriguez, Francis James Valenton, Mark Cedrick Sihiyon, MC Marlon Suazo, Xelwean Rae Equias, Christian Marantal, Cora Mariz Olivar, Kriz Kimberlee Montante, Jonalyn Lopez, Jann Rica Grimaldo, Alvine Mikaella Perin, Daniella Maxine Alea, Myka Quijano, Rizelle Quarteros, and Germe Romualdez.

As the last batch of 30&75 scholars begin their schooling at FAITH, Diwa and the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, which that celebrates its 75th year in 2016, continue to seek more opportunities to work together and provide deserving students a better future in our society.

To learn more about Diwa and its products and services, log on to www.diwa.ph.

A LAND OF FOLLOW-UPS From C2

Conversation with Dominic regarding the car insurance

Conversation with Rachel Torres; actually it’s not a conversation as I got no response for days

I asked my friend who knows Simon Sedigo to get back to me as I am more than irate, I wanted to burn all of them alive. But still no response. I called in Rommel after a week that they got my car, and they said it will take another two days because they had a holiday. I asked Rommel nicely to get back to me on specific date as I need to schedule everything before I waste gas going back and forth again. On the day that I was scheduled to pick up the car, there was still no confirmation if it was available. I called Rommel again; he seemed like he wasn’t sure if the car is already available. I screamed on the phone, promising that all their names would be in the newspaper, and all of a sudden my car is available for pick up the same minute. After I put the phone down, I got a confirmation that my car is now available.

My former editor used to tell me that “this is a land of follow-

ups,” and that if someone didn’t get back to you, call, text, email, or find ways to message them, and again, and again. From January until August, all I did was call, message, follow up. I AM FED UP. I didn’t get the memo that I will turn into a call center when I bought that car from Ford BGC! I bought a new car to lessen my stress but the entire year, all they did was add to my face wrinkles.

Quincy was the only helpful one and it’s unfortunate that she doesn’t work there anymore. Dominic, Jun, Simon, Rachel, Rommel. They’re all red in my People Intolerant Testing, 100 percent intolerable.

From last week’s print, Simon Sedigo already messaged me asking if there are still things that they can help me with and if everything has been resolved.

Because he read the column, finally he reached out to me? Now he’s not busy? I told him I needed nothing from them as I already

got my car back, and it would be a nightmare to ask Ford BGC for anything ever again. I just needed to let people know about their lousy service, maybe it would help them on their next buy. And like how their company puts it, I told him, “Let me get back to you regarding your concern.”

As of this writing, Isa Suarez, Ford Philippines’ communications manager, has also reached out and asked about the situation. She was a breath of fresh air and it is sad that Ford as a company is getting dragged down by one dealership or actually maybe it’s not the entire Ford BGC dealership; maybe those people in question are really just bad hires? I really appreciate that Ford Philippines checked on the problem and apologized for some people below the food chain. As agreed they will help me transfer to another dealership and assess concerns on the former one.

SUNDAY : S EPT EMBER 6 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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how to pack Smart Planning a trip is always exciting, whether you’re set to go long-haul or just plan to zip around a few neighboring countries. But even as you visualize the thrill of seeing new places or revisiting old travel haunts, you know that there are mundane matters you need to deal with, including your itinerary, flight schedules and hotel accommodations, airport security checks, and a seemingly endless list of pre-travel arrangements to do.

And then there’s the major task of knowing what—and how—to pack.

Believe it or not, packing can make or break your trip. Bringing the right clothes, accessories, and other essential things ensures worry-free trekking around your destinations, leaving you free to enjoy the sights and relish the entire travel experience.

To start with, you must first organize your stuff according to your travel plan and the length of your trip. With this in mind, here are a few smart you will visit, the climate or weather conditions in your destinations, and the tips to guide you as you do your packing: • Know your itinerary. Knowing the purpose of your trip, the places duration of your journey make up the basic factors you need to consider in order to pack smart and maximize space in your luggage.

• Backpacking. When using a backpack, the lighter items go to the bottom while the heavier ones are placed on top. Doing so will make your bag feel lighter as its weight will rest on your lower back. Placing the most important items on top will also allow you to easily retrieve these when needed.

• Handy plastic bags. Using Zip Lock or other plastic storage bags is a convenient way to pack similar items together. An extra plastic bag might likewise come in handy for used clothes and toiletries later on.

• Roll technique. An old travelers’ trick is rolling—as opposed to folding—your clothes. This consumes less space in your luggage.

• Minimize toiletries. Pack only essential toiletries and consider storing these in small containers. Convenience stores are ubiquitous in most destinations, anyway, making it easy to replenish your supply.

One oft-forgotten trick when packing is bringing multi-purpose clothing that you can use for different occasions. Absolutely fitting this description is Dockers’ Alpha On-The-Go collection, which is perfect for a highly mobile lifestyle—or a life ‘on-the-go’—no matter where your journey takes you.

Dockers’ newest collection offers the practical benefits of versatility, presentability, and durability. It is a collection that promotes a laid-back, effortless style that is expected from a brand with roots in San Francisco, U.S.A. This season, the brand message is all about the product and its features—the wearability, the function, and the fit. This helps the Dockers brand make the choice of what to wear far less challenging, making it ideal when traveling. After all, the brand is all about maximizing one’s wardrobe while minimizing the need to bulk-buy.

Owning a pair of Dockers pants allows you to save space since each pair can be used for different occasions and scenarios. Whether you are visiting a museum or trolling a foreign city’s flea market, wearing a pair of pants from the Alpha On-The-Go collection eliminates the risk of being overdressed or underdressed. All you have to do is pair it with the right top and accessories to wrap up your look.

Finally, when traveling, don’t hesitate to wear the same clothes more than once or twice—especially your pants.

Make that especially when it’s a pair of Dockers from the Alpha On-The-Go collection.

It’s one time when repeating an outfit is no big deal.

The new LG G4 Stylus now out in the market

Make your Mark in style with the lG G4 stylus A few months after the celebrated homecoming of the LG G4 in the Philippines, mobile technology innovator LG Electronics introduces a new member in what seems to be an LG G4 family in the works. Bearing almost similar features as the flagship LG G4, LG Mobile Philippines introduces the LG G4 Stylus.

Dockers’ newest Alpha On-The-Go collection is perfectly made for a life ‘on-the-go’ no matter where the journey is taking you—from your office desk to your adventurous trip abroad.

Dockers’ Alpha On-The-Go collection is focused on a laid-back effortless style expected from a brand with its roots in San Francisco and is perfect for men who loves to travel.

Supreme diSplay The LG G4 Stylus inherits the arc shaped body similar to the flagship smartphone; the slim arc design allows for perfect comfortable grip of the user preventing the device to slip and drop from your hand. Take note though that the G4 Stylus is a phablet that has a relatively larger screen compared to the flagship. With a zero-gap in-cell hybrid touch technology with 5.7-inch HD IPS screen 720p display, the G4 Stylus is the perfect handset for those who value better viewing experience for games and movies or for those who take notes seriously. make your mark in Style As the name suggests, the LG G4 Stylus comes with an enhanced rubberdium stylus pen perfect for taking down notes and memos. Enjoy the 5.7-inch screen and scribble and doodle away on the built-in Quick Memo+ application on the G4 Stylus. The enhanced stylus pen works together with in-cell hybrid touch technology which makes the screen more responsive to touch contact and lets you surf the net with maximum ease, write down notes, draw, edit photos, and color with such accuracy and precision.

Both the young and the old can make the most of the stylus pen with coloring book apps like Colorfy available in Playstore becoming a trend today.

Dockers’ newest Alpha On-The-Go collection offers the emotional benefit of product versatility, presentability and durability.

inherited featureS The G4 Stylus carries staple features such as the functional rear keys, Gesture Shot, Knock Code, as well as Glance View, and Front Camera Light for better selfies. The G4 Stylus maintains its removable back plate which reveals a microSD card slot to further expand its built-in 8GB of internal memory. It also features a 13-megapixel rear camera with Laser AutoFocus and a 5-megapixel front camera, Dual SIM functionality, 1.4 GHz Octa-core processor, 1GB RAM, exceptional 3,000mAh battery life, and Android 5.0 Lollipop OS out of the box.

The G4 Stylus retails at P10,990 and comes in Titan Black and White.

SUNDAY : S EPT EMBER 6 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Anne Curtis renews endorsement ContrACt with PsBAnk Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), the thrift bank arm of the Metrobank Group, has welcomed celebrity Anne Curtis again to be its endorser for the third consecutive year. Curtis will be featured in PSBank’s digital innovation campaigns and savings products.

“It’s great that PSBank is constantly keeping up with its clients’ needs.

My favorite service is PSBank Mobile, which has proven very useful to me. Despite my hectic lifestyle, I get to check out all my accounts on my smartphone without stressing about going to the bank. It’s really a relaxing way to bank,” said Curtis.

“Ms. Anne Curtis is the perfect endorser for PSBank because she exemplifies young Filipinos who are always mobile and are hugely dependent in today’s technological innovations. As a bank, it is imperative that we follow the times and think 100 steps ahead to allow our clients to manage their finances anytime and anywhere,” said Emmanuel Tuazon, SVP and Head of Marketing and Customer Experience Group.

From left ,PSBank Senior Vice President/ Marketing and Customer Experience Group Head Emmanuel A. Tuazon, PSBank Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Alde, PSBank Ambassador Anne Curtis-Smith, PSBank Senior Vice President/CFO Perfecto Dimayuga Jr. and Viva Artists Agency President and COO Veronique Corpus.

OLivia COOkE On Dying yOUng

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his is the story of three teens...the story of Greg, Earl and Rachel , a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of highschool senior year and all the crazy journey on finally getting to know themselves fully. The film’s head-on approach to the complex issues and emotions it tackles is not typical for teen movies wehre it is not just about first love or any of the usual things. It’s about a young man realizing what kind of person he wants to be and having to consider what could happen if one loses someone just as you’re getting to know them.

Headlining the cast of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl are three young actors at the beginning of their careers: Thomas Mann as Greg, Olivia Cooke as Rachel, and RJ Cyler as Greg’s best friend Earl.

Rachel is an unusual girl even before her illness, and her trou-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Tomato jelly 6 Ode penner 11 Bete — 16 Dye process 21 Norse neighbor 22 View from Everest 23 Scallion 24 Ms. Verdugo 25 Reef maker 26 Flee to the JP 27 Physique 28 Running late 29 High dudgeon 30 Gets the picture 32 Water sources 34 Dregs 36 Estuary 37 Hammer home 39 Spiteful 40 Ground grain 41 Prominent nose 42 Web-footed bird 43 Lugged about 44 More jolly 46 Future fries

49 50 51 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

Kidded around Thinks is groovy Adult content (hyph.)

Catcher Tony — Promising rookie MD’s magazine Rhino, e.g. (2 wds.)

Early U-235 regulator Bucket of song Gridiron’s end — Anagram for rats White wine aperitif More stalwart Funny Martha — Brewery tanks Crawford’s ex Shooting stars Janitors’ tools Windshield option Check a suspect Ski lodge instructor Rendered powerless

Olivia Cooke

Olivia Ccooke, Katherine Hughes, Thomas Mann in Me and Earld and the Dying Girl

76 — Scala of film 77 Pocket change 80 Lap dog, slangily 81 Charged particles 82 Lull 86 Organic compound 87 Port near Kilauea 88 Goes on the stage 89 When you’re in a jam (2 wds.)

90 Novelty 91 Sir’s companion 92 Havens 93 Bedding plant 94 Prefix for cycle 95 By — (alone) 97 Hot tub features 98 Beatnik drum 99 Bunyan’s ox 100 Zodiac twins 101 Fragrant trees 102 Fountain treats 103 Senor’s wherewithal 104 Thundering herd 106 Furry hoppers 107 Move after swerving 108 WWW addresses 111 — it the truth!

112 Ants at a picnic 113 Purse items 117 Nectar gatherer 118 Course finale 119 Silly comedy 120 Mountain passes 121 — Maria liqueur 122 Jellybean shapes 124 Consumer advocate 126 Survey findings 128 Metal eaters 130 Taxpayer’s dread 131 Theaters 132 Word on an invoice 133 Freighter hazards 134 Physicist Nikola — 135 Please greatly

bles merely accentuate her singularity. “Rachel has never been focused on being popular,” says director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.

“She is an artist and young artists are often outsiders, and now she’s maturing quickly. When you that think your life is about to be cut short why not spend it with people as genuine as Greg and Earl?”

Cooke’s innate ability to inspire compassion made her perfect for the role, says Mann.

“She just feels so right as Rachel.

You automatically care about her as a person, which is what the character needs.”

The young actress is best known to audiences for spooky thrillers, like the recent movie Ouija and the television series Bates Motel. But while she acknowledges the visibility those roles have given her, she was glad for a chance to break the mold. “This is a story about relationships and I’ve never done

that before,” she says. “Rachel has a lot of dignity. She cares about how she is perceived by other people. You see it in the way she dresses and the way she holds herself. It’s not just about looking pretty; it’s about wearing her artistic self on her sleeve.”

Rachel’s pride underscores the difficulty she has dealing with the changes forced on her by her illness. The actress chose to shave her head for scenes when Rachel is undergoing chemotherapy, rather than wear a bald cap. “Shaving my head was more personal and more real than anything I’ve ever experienced,” she says. “I felt stripped of my dignity. I did it with help from RJ and Thomas. I had my hair in a bunch of pigtails and we each took turns cutting them until it was about two inches long all over. When we started shaving it, I was laughing at how ridiculous I looked, but as we finished,

I started to sob. It made me feel very vulnerable and isolated.

Women take a lot of their identity from their hair.”

One of the most significant moments in the movie is when Greg learns to make a film for someone else, for Rachel. With this film, he’s not only matured as an artist, he has soaked up one of Rachel’s great lessons: that it’s OK to be quiet for a while. “Greg and Earl’s final film for Rachel was in flux until the day the scene it appears in was shot. It never fully came together until the day we used it on set,” says Gomez-Rejon. “When I saw the finished cut, I cried my eyes out. It was so honest, so beautiful and it expressed everything I was feeling in a five-minute short.”

Discover what it truly means to be selfless when Me and Earl and the Dying Girl opens Sept. 16 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

136 As — — (generally) 137 Not just some DOWN 1 Computer acronym 2 Avowed 3 Dijon dads 4 Wyo. neighbor 5 Temperature scale 6 Bow down 7 Lampreys 8 PFC’s mail drop 9 Plain drink (2 wds.)

10 Rained ice 11 Generously 12 Disagreeable task 13 A crowd, for Cato?

14 Waves 15 Win over 16 Poker stakes 17 Gulf st.

18 Earth, to Pierre 19 Krishna’s land 20 Type of canoe 31 Wapiti 33 Soho co.

35 Panaceas 38 Mock fanfare (hyph.)

39 Witches’ band 40 MHz part 41 Blow hard?

43 Oven accessory 44 Play charades 45 Joule fractions 46 Involuntary jerk 47 Calvin of golf 48 Full-length 49 Comic’s inventory 50 Guy like Hamlet 52 Sulu, on “Star Trek” 53 Qatar heads 54 “10” knockout 56 Egyptian capital 57 Pilots’ controls 58 Fiberglass bundle 60 Hounds’ trails

61 62 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78

Shocks somebody Astronaut’s ade Fight off Colosseum site Monsieur’s wines Visual aid Dangerous shark Large casks Dubious Steer Composts Mural base Dashboard button Absurd

79 80 82 83 84 85 87 88 89 91 92 93 96

Internet hookup France’s “Little Sparrow” Steps on a ladder Jots Race-car engine Iroquois speakers Nova Scotia city Muses’ domain Declaims violently What’s cooking Dynamic prefix Warsaw citizens Bro and sis

97 98 99 101 102 103 105 106 107 108 109 110

Forsake a lover Trading post patron Panhandles Missive to Madon na, say (2 wds.)

Lash darkener Cruise ship fare Stag honoree Any ship Nothing WWII craft (hyph.)

Ziegfeld offering Clues

112 Do Latin homework 113 Eat a little 114 Good for something 115 Fluffy quilt 116 Full of back talk 118 This, in Tijuana 119 Yard contents 120 Author — Sheehy 123 Rapper — Wayne 125 Spiral molecule 127 Grounded Aussie 129 Cleveland cager

SUNDAY : S EPT EMBER 6 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

S

grace emoTional on adopTion

enator Grace Poe couldn’t contain her emotions while delivering a speech among advocates of adoption.

She paused several times and wiped the tears in her eyes before continuing her speech at the Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services with “Adoption: A Lifelong Journey and Commitment” as the theme.

According to Grace, in the Senate, she never gets emotional when presenting or defending certain issues. But when it comes to adoption, she admits to being sensitive about it.

“Being a parent is just about giving birth to a child, it is more about loving, having the time and making all the sacrifices for the welfare of the child,” the Senator said.

She admires people who adopt babies because they can give time and love to a creature that’s not related to them by blood but needs the love and care of parents, she added.

Poe recalled her adoptive parents, the late Fernando Poe Jr.

From c8

and his wife Susan Roces, who raised her like their own daughter.

At this point, Grace paused and wiped her eyes.

“When I was adopted by my parents, there was no question they were acting out of any other motive than pure love. My advocacy of adoption is therefore a homage to them, and my love letter, returning a love that cannot even begin to equal the love that they had poured on this foundling from the start, which left no doubt in my mind that I was unquestionably, unconditionally and truly their daughter, period,” Poe continued, Poe mentioned Sayong Militar, the “Good Samaritan” who found her at Jaro church and told the parish priest who urged her to go the city hall and have it registered as a foundling.

When she was growing up, she’d ask her adoptive parents for her birth certificate, but they couldn’t because they didn’t have it. They had a foundling certificate.

In 1968, Poe said, the process for adoption of a foundling wasn’t very clear. And FPJ

would say, “Why do we even need to have to go through this process of adoption? She is our child and we love her.”

But Susan insisted on making their adoption of the foundling legal as Grace would later need documents to prove she is the Poe couple’s daughter.

“So it was a process that they undertook—from the time that they took me in that commenced many years later—at least three more years later—and so that adoption certificate became my birth certificate,” Poe said.

Now, the Senator has filed Senate Bill 2892 that can make the adoption process easier, including the registration of a foundling, faster.

HHHHH Juan Tamad goeS Job HunTing Juan D. Magbangon, played

by Sef Cadayona, surprises the entire neighborhood when he picks himself up from under the guava tree and volunteers to look for a job.

But how does a lazy boy succeed in the job market?

Grace Poe wipes her eyes during her speech at the Global Consultation for Child Welfare Services

Juan’s job application adventures make for the funniest Juan Tamad episode yet. Juan creatively combines saving his family from economic disaster with stalking his ultimate crush Marie, played by actress Max Collins.

To impress the well-spoken Marie, Juan signs up for a call center job. Juan then auditions as a gym instructor at Marie’s gym. The clients love his relaxation exercises … but the bosses are not as happy.

Juan becomes a barista at Marie’s favorite coffee shop. And the coffee manages to keep him awake … for a while.

As Marie works as a legal researcher in the Senate … Juan looks for a job in government.

He finally finds kindred spirits and like-minded slackers at the Bureau of Internal and External Affairs. Juan’s government career is an absolute riot.

Juan Tamad is GMA’s newest comedy hit, dominating the nationwide ratings in its time block.

Laugh out loud when Juan Tamad goes job hunting, at 4:45 p.m. today, only on GMA-7.

Max Collins and Sef Cadayona are Marie and Juan in Juan Tamad on GMA7

RevaMPing Rides on dMaX

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as your vehicle become an antique? Then repair and refurbish this September as DMAX takes you on a restoration trip from home garages to the vast seas. Whether it’s a rustic car or an abandoned ship, DMAX will bring you the fix you need.

Last year, custom car guru Rick Dore and ex-WWE wrestler Chuck Palumbo teamed up to start SLAM, a revolutionary new body shop specializing in the last untapped frontier of classic American automobiles – car hoards. All over the country, classics such

as Zephyrs, Mercs, T Birds and Camaros are collecting rust as their owners wait for that elusive “someday” when they’ll finally restore their dream cars.

In the new season of Extreme Car Hoarders, Chuck and Rick offer these hoarders a golden opportunity: they’ll tow away your rusting fleet, sell what they can, and use the money from the sales to turn one of your cars into a priceless, show-worthy vehicle for you to keep. But transforming cars for hoarders is a risky proposition. Finding buyers for rust buckets is never easy, and the restoration and

Scenes from Extreme Car Hoarders and Flipping Ships

customization business is full of unexpected pitfalls that can sink their partnership for good.

Chuck and Rick are all in, and it’s going to be a wild ride 8:10 p.m. every Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the new series Flipping Ships features Edwin McCain, whose passion for music took him straight to the Top 10 during the peak of his popularity. Now, he’s charting new territory with a quirky band of gear heads on a mis-

sion to save beaten-down boats left for dead. Set sail for Greenville, South Carolina, where Edwin and the Boats Have Souls restoration crew perform acts of nautical salvation. Will their passion for fixing and flipping these lovable money pits pay off, or will they go down with the ship? Don’t miss the show that brings a whole new meaning to rock the boat, premiering on Sept. 10, airing 9 p.m. Thursdays.

Hollywood actor/model Colton Haynes will be in Manila this month

Colton Haynes at aPCC Manila AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2015 (APCC Manila) has just got hotter with another Hollywood superstar adding that extra adrenaline rush to Asia’s biggest pop culture gathering on Sept. 17 to 20 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Adding to the headliners of this mega event is American actor and model Colton Haynes, best known for his role as Jackson Whittemore in MTV’s Teen Wolf and as Roy Harper/Arsenal in the TV series Arrow. Most recently, he filmed alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the action-packed film, San Andreas.

No stranger to the world of television werewolves, Colton also starred as Brett Crezski, the town’s football star and resident werewolf on ABC’s 2010 series The Gates. In his young acting career, Haynes was able to garner several notable television roles. He has appeared as one of the stars of Showtime’s controversial miniseries Look, in addition to guest starring roles on Privileged, Pushing Daisies, and Melrose Place. He has also been the face for campaigns by fashion brand, Diesel. Haynes currently resides in Los Angeles.

APCC Manila tickets are now on sale at https://asiapopcomicon. com/manila/tickets/book- tickets.

Prices are pegged at P500 (oneday pass), P800 (two-day pass), and P1,000 (three-day pass) and will give the ticketholder access to stage activities, performances and the main show floor.

In addition, there will be exclusive VIP and Experience convention passes that will offer special entitlements to its holders, such as 3-day priority entry to APCC, exclusive APCC merchandise, priority VIP seating, and photo opportunities with celebrities, among others.

For more info on ticket prices, passes, and event updates on APCC Manila 2015, please visit www. asiapopcomicon.com/manila, like APCC Manila on (www.facebook. com/apccmanila), and follow on Twitter @AsiaPOPComicon.

SUNDAY : S EPT EMBER 6 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ Eiffel Mansala

Abigail Mendoza

Erickson Malabanan

CJ Raneses

Apple Delleva

TeN ASpIRING SINGeRS IN MCJIM DReAMS GeT ReAL TALeNT SeARCh ISAH V. RED Whose dreams will get real?

After a series of eliminations at different malls across the Metro, 10 extremely talented hopefuls recently entered the semi-finals of the second season of “Dreams Get Real: The Search for the Next OPM Star” by authentic leather brand McJim Classic Leather.

Through this competition, McJim Classic Leather will again give undiscovered Filipino talents the platform to be heard and boost Original Pilipino Music (OPM) with fresh voices.

After launching the careers of three of the most promising acts today—Dreams Get Real Season 1 champions Fifth Dynamics, JBK, and Neo Domingo--McJim continues to enliven the local music by giving aspiring artists the opportunity to kick-start their own musical journey.

“The level of competition this season is mind blowing! Each one of them is very unique and has something different to offer.

During the eliminations, we really had a hard time picking the top ten,” said Chris Cahilig, Dreams Get Real project head, who was also happy to note t “the high degree of talents made this season’s

Micah Llona

event bigger, brighter, and better.”

From hundreds of entries, 20 contestants were chosen to perform in the mall eliminations. Eight mall elimination winners and two wild cards comprised the final 10, which will tape videos to be posted on the official Facebook and YouTube accounts of McJim Classic Leather. The top three most viewed videos and three promising talents to be handpicked by the organizer will face off in an epic grand finals night on Nov. 9 at the Music Museum.

“At this point, the participants shall have aptly demonstrated their talent, but we’re looking for someone who also has star quality,” Cahilig explained. “I believe that with proper guidance, a star will emerge in the group.”

The 10 finalists come from different walks of life—students, freelance singers, and professionals, among others. A lot of them acknowledged that the intensity they felt in the competition made it quite different from the competitions they had joined in the past.

The Top 10 ZSARINA CoNCepCIoN, becomes a monster performer each time she lands on stage.

This 18-year-old Tourism student from Lasalle College Antipolo has won numerous awards including the grand prizes of The Voice of Boardwalk Philippines (Monumento) and Lasalle College

Carmela Ravanilla

X-Factor and best performer for Rising Stars Philippines 2014. eIFFeL MANANSALA, a licensed civil engineer from Mapua, dreams of sharing his brand of original music to the public. This 26-year-old songwriter from Makati is a newbie in talent competitions.

CARMeLA RAVANILLA, with her moviestar looks comes with an immense talent. An 18-year-old Tourism Management student from Miriam College, she has won several talent searches including the PLDT Singing Idol where she was the grand champion. She was also runner-up in the Rizal Idol Season 2.

MICAh LLoNA, sultry lounge singer, is a natural performer. The 22-year-old from Tuguig was the grand champion of the Strepsils Singing Sensation talent search and a runner-up in the Win Big Singing Talent Search of 91.5 Win Radio.

CJ RANeSeS, 20-year-old, is a first-timer in talent competitions. He is currently taking up Nursing at Far Eastern University in Manila and aspires to be a singing nurse.

TRICIA MAY CASAUAY, vocalist and songwriterer, is a

Zsarina Concepcion

sophomore in Dreams Get Real.

At 19, this mestiza has performed in school and corporate events. She is a fourth year BS in Architecture student at National University.

eRICKSoN MALABANAN, nothing can stop him from reaching his dreams of becoming a recording artist. This 23-year-old Tourism Management graduate at Immaculate Concepcion College in Balayan, Batangas worked for an airline company as a ground attendant and as a bar singer in Macau.

KYM peNoSo. A versatile performer, 21-yearold Kym can swing between pop and rock genres. A native of Makati, she is a Computer Engineering graduate at Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and was once a runner-up in her school’s battle of the band competition and a semifinalist in the Search for the Next Dorina Penida for Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical.

ABIGAIL MeNDoZA, may look like your typical chick rocker but her preference for old school music makes her unique.

A freelance singer, she is one of the Top 5 Girls in the TV show X-Factor Philippines on ABS-CBN and has done opening acts for international artist like Air Supply.

Tricia May Casauay

AppLe DeLLeVA, A power belter, she is an 18-yearold singer from Cabuyao, Laguna and a junior AB Communications student at the University of Perpetual Help in Calamba. She represented the Philippines in the Karaoke World Championship Grand Finals in Sweden and a semifinalist in GMA 7’s Bet Ng Bayan.

The grand champion of “Dreams Get Real: The Search for the Next OPM Star” will receive a full album and music video grant; P100,000 in cash from McJim Classic Leather; artist marketing support; and a talent management contract.

Like the official McJim Classic Leather Facebook page at www. facebook.com/OfficialMcJIM to be updated on all the happenings in the competition. ➜ Continued on C7

The 10 finalists come from different walks of life—students, freelance singers, and professionals, among others. A lot of them acknowledged that the intensity they felt in the competition made it quite different from the competitions they had joined in the past.

Kym Penoso