The Standard - 2015 October 18 - Sunday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 248  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : OCTOBER 18, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘LANDO’ NO ORDINARY STORM, SAYS PAMA

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DUTERTE BLASTS LP SMEAR DRIVE

By Joel E. Zurbano

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II should not win in the May 9, 2016 elections because of the “dirty politics” that Roxas practiced as shown by the black propaganda that the mayor is suffering from throat cancer.

“Maghintay lang kayo ng panahon na sabihin ko sa buong Pilipinas kung bakit itong tao na ito, hindi ito pwedeng maging presidente [Just you wait for the time when I will tell the whole Philippines why this man should not be President,]” Duterte said in a radio interview Friday.

While Duterte admitted that he had Buerger’s disease due to smoking and a spinal problem as a result of a motorcycle accident but he insisted that he is not suffering from cancer and allegations that he did deeply hurt him and his family.

“My wife and my children were hurt. They don’t realize how deeply,” Duterte said. “It never crossed my mind that I will be attacked. It was very dirty indeed.”

The 70-year-old mayor said the matter was personal for their family because his ex-wife Elizabeth has cancer and recently went abroad for a bypass.

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JUST YOU WAIT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte accuses Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II of practicing ‘dirty politics’ and vows to expose him (Mar) in due time.

FIRST PC VENDOR IN PH GETS TOP JOB AT PHILIPS

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CHINA ‘WON’T USE FORCE’ IN SEA ROW BEIJING—Beijing sought to soothe tensions over its South China Sea claims Saturday, saying it will avoid the use of force in the region as the US ponders sending warships close to territory claimed by the Asian giant.

Speaking at the Xiangshan regional defense forum in Beijing,

Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, pledged that the country would “never recklessly resort to the use of force, even on issues bearing on sovereignty.”

“We have done our utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts,” he added.

The US says that China’s transformation of South China Sea reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities presents a threat to freedom of navigation, and defense officials have hinted they may soon use naval forces to test Chinese claims.

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But Fan said that the projects were mainly intended for civilian use and “will not affect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” “Instead, they will enable us to provide better public services to aid navigation and production in the South China Sea.” The argument is one Beijing has made many times before, but satellite images of the islands published by the US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies have shown as many as three runways on the islands that could accommodate fighter jets, raising concerns about China’s true intentions.

Speaking in Washington this week, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said the US will continue to sail wherever international law allowed.

While no American officials spoke at the event, the country’s retired Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead used his time on a morning panel to take China to task for its behavior.

“The rapid expansion of land features in the vital sea lanes of the South China Sea heightens suspicion and presents the potential for miscalculation,” he said.

The construction, he added, “raises legitimate questions regarding militarization.”

“I do not see an influx of tourists clamoring to visit these remote islands,” he said.

The dispute between the two goliaths, the region’s largest military and economic powers, has unnerved members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who are caught in the middle of the standoff.

Speaking to reporters after Fan’s remarks, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that the US has briefed him on its plans, but “counterreaction by major powers in the region sometimes is beyond the control of small nations.”

“My concern is unintended, accidental, unintentional incidents in the high sea, especially between two major powers,” he said.

Hussein was one of several cabinet-level participants attending the event from the 10-member Asean bloc, which includes Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which have rival South China Sea claims.

Taiwan, a non-Asean member, is also a claimant.

Fan’s “statement was reassuring to us all,” Hussein said in remarks during a morning session, but cautioned that the best way to address concerns was the establishment of a code of conduct for claimants in the region.

ASEAN has for years called on China to negotiate such an agreement, which would put into place a binding set of rules aimed at preventing actions that lead to conflict.

The Xiangshan forum is a security dialogue China has recently pushed as part of a broader effort to increase its global influence.

Vietnam’s Defense Minister will address maritime security issues during a panel Sunday. An official from the Philippines will also appear during the conference.

Hanoi has repeatedly accused China of ramming its fishing boats as they ply local waters, while Manila has infuriated Beijing by taking their dispute to a United Nations tribunal. AFP

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‘LANDO’ NO ORDINARY STORM, OFFICIALS WARN “This is no ordinary storm,” said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Alexander Pama, who warned that Aurora was placed under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 4 with six adjacent areas under Signal No. 3.

Pama said Lando is expected to hit land at the Aurora area

by Sunday morning and possible storm surges may reach a maximum of three meters along the coast of Aurora and neighboring provinces while wave height in the open sea may reach up to 14 meters or higher.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration said Lando, spotted 230 km east of Baler, Aurora at 4 p.m. Saturday, may even bring heavy rain in almost all areas of Luzon for more than 24 hours.

“Our latest models show the possibility of heavy rain for more than 24 hours,” said Pagasa’s officer-in-charge Esperanza Cayanan. “It may last until Tuesday.”

Cayanan said Lando may linger within the Philippine area of responsibility because it was interacting with a highpressure area north of the country and Typhoon Champi which was hovering over the Pacific Ocean in the west.

“While Champi is not inten-

sifying, Lando cannot move,” Cayanan said, noting that the weather condition was similar to that of Typhoon Pepeng [international name: Parma] that devastated northern Luzon in September 2009.

But the government is still hoping for “zero casualties” and has readied P18 million to respond to possible devastation, a Palace official said.

In a radio interview, Presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said the P18-million fund is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“As of yesterday afternoon, the DSWD has made available a total of P18,461,984.69 in standby funds, 196,737 family food packs, and P158,164,761.76 worth of food and non-food items,” Valte said in an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Valte said the DSWD now is stockpiling relief goods while the Department of Public Works and Highways has

DUTERTE...

Gutierrez said, referring to the man who broke the rumor that Duterte had cancer on his Facebook account.

But even presidential candidate Grace Poe blamed the Roxas camp of spreading rumors that she was abusive and was an alcoholic who underwent rehabilitation.

Poe complained in public in August that while the Liberal Party was trying to woo her, but was spreading black propaganda against her.

“I told [Roxas], you know Mr. Secretary, we can talk directly you and I, but you really have people who are really stabbing me in the back,” she said.

Last month, local newspaper Mindanao Examiner quoted Duterte as saying that in a “previous articles wrote (by the PR man), he has labelled Vice President Jejomar Binay a thief, Senator Grace Poe an upstart, and called me the Philippines’ version of Cambodian monster Pol Pot and made fun of my thick Visayan accent when I speak Tagalog.”

Duterte branded the report as “unfounded and malicious.” He said the article is a glaring proof of how corrupt the nation has become.

“Corruption is no longer a monopoly of politicians and those who are in government service; it has already permeated almost every fabric of the Philippine society.

Greed for material gains has corrupted religious groups, the police and military, the judiciary, the prisons, and the private sector,” said Duterte in the news article.

“Worse, the press and media, supposed to be the conscience of our society and mirrors of who we are, have allowed themselves to be instruments in distorting the truth, all for the love of the scent of money. Painting others black in order to look white is now the name of the

game in the social media, including mainstream media with pseudojournalists writing and broadcasting lies to advance the interests of their political patrons,” Duterte further said.

“It is not fair to paint Binay, Poe and Duterte black just so Mar Roxas would appear white. Mar Roxas, should he really want to be President, must stand on what he has done, his record of government service, his competence and his plans for the country.”

Duterte stood by his decision not to run for President, saying he is a man of his word.

He also dismissed reports that he is planning a dramatic lastminute comeback in December and become a substitute candidate for Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption chairman Martin Dino who filed his CoC to run for President as a member of Duterte’s PDP-Laban party.

“That is not my game,” Duterte said. “I do not fool city, especially as a public official. There is no truth to that substitute angle, I am an original,” he said.

But his supporters remained hopeful Duterte will change his mind and run for President.

“Don’t lose your hope. He will not abandon us and God will find a way to save the Philippines,” said Desiree Masagca, a follower of Duterte, on social media.

But for Buddy Cordero of Cabuyao City, Laguna “Too many dramas, too many rumors. Nakakainis na. Duterte sounds like maarte.”

“Rumors circulates everywhere.

There he was in Intramuros, there he was in Manila Hotel. Then he came late because of traffic, and because of a delayed flight. In fairness, I followed this Duterteserye.

Too many get disapointed but some are hopeful, mala Aldub in the works,” said Allison Lopez of

By Francisco Tuyay and Sara D. Fabunan

TYPHOON Lando [international name: Koppu] intensified to 175-kph winds and increased its diameter to 650 kms on Saturday even as weather forecasters warned that it may linger in the country until Tuesday with its heavy to intense rain.

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“Maybe [Roxas’] camp really believed I will run [so] they started to hit me very early in a very, very dirty way,” Duterte said, adding that he did not expect the personal attack because he and Roxas were both congressmen during the 11th Congress.

“I am mad at them. I will reveal why he should not be President,” Duterte repeated, explaining that he entertained the idea of running because there are very few choices.

“The vote may be wasted with Grace [Poe] because she may get disqualified while [Vice President Jejomar] Binay may be sent to jail and he won’t be able to campaign,” the mayor said.

“This Mar Roxas may realize that he needs to discipline his people, but it will be very costly,” Duterte said, declining to elaborate.

But Roxas swore Saturday he had nothing to do with rumors that Duterte had cancer.

“Peksman [Cross my heart], I had nothing to do with it... To my friend Mayor Digong [Duterte’s nickname] I can look at you in the eye and say that I have nothing to do with the black propaganda against you,” Roxas told repoters in Koronadal City.

Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez, spokesman of Roxas’ slate, also denied Roxas had anything to do with the rumors.

“It is not in the character of Secretary Mar to spread this kind of stories, especially against one of his old friends. If you recall, his own father and brother both died of cancer so he is very sensitive to this issue,” Gutierrez said.

“Even [journalist] Philip Lustre himself said he is not connected to the camp of Secretary Roxas,”

readied heavy equipment for the expected road clearing operations.

She also assured that the Health department has sufficient supply of medicines and first aid equipment if needed.

The Department of Energy and the National Electrification Administration on the other hand said it is ready to response in case of power outages.

She said that the DILG, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection has already implemented Oplan Listo while the Armed Forces and Coast Guards are also standby.

“The government is prepared for this and has undertaken all the necessary measures to ensure that we reach our zero-casualty target,” she said.

“For their part, the public is advised to stay tuned to government websites like the Official Gazette and Pagasa to keep updated on the latest weather updates.”

Makati City.

Election officials said Duterte may still run for President since he is a member of PDP-Laban and has until Dec. 10 to decide.

They said under the Commission on Elections rules, only party-mates or those from same coalitions may substitute for one another.

But Duterte said “when I have already spoken, that wil be it. The people know it already, they just refuse to accept it. They should just forget me,” Duterte said.

Youth organization Anakbayan on Saturday asked Duterte to continue his advocacies even as he announced his final decision not to run for President.

The group also acknowledged Duterte’s commitment pushing for the resumption of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and address the root causes of rebellion in the country.

“His commitment to pursuing just and lasting peace by addressing the root causes of the armed revolution should be picked up by other presidential candidates and should be a major agenda in the 2016 elections,” said Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan chairman.

Crisostomo expressed admiration for Duterte’s audacious leadership style and noted his support to the progressive mass movement especially in Davao.

“Mayor Duterte is not someone who settles for empty rhetoric but has matched his talk with action,” said Crisostomo.

He cited the mayor’s repeated calls for the resumption of the peace talks, his condemnation of military harassment and killing of lumad leaders as well as his role in the release of various prisoners of wars in Mindanao.

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NEWS

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‘LANDO’ TO HIKE WATER SUPPLY WHILE Luzon is facing threats of storm surges and landslides, state hydrologists are also expecting Typhoon “Lando” to increase the water level at Metro Manila’s rain-fed water source Angat Dam closer to the 210 meters target flood season high water level.

STILL HUNGRY. A young resident of Payatas, Quezon City approaches representatives of non-government organizations who conducted a feeding activity on World Food Day. JANSEN ROMERO

‘BE SAFE,’ BINAY, POE WARN FILIPINOS

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan PRESIDENTIAL hopefuls Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe made special calls on Saturday for people to follow the directions of local officials to keep them safe during the onslaught of Typhoon ‘‘Lando.’’

“I am calling on all our countrymen in Isabela and North Luzon to be safe. This is a strong typhoon,” Binay warned. “Let us follow the order of our local officials and disaster council. If they say evacuate, please do so.”

Binay, whose mother hailed from Cabagan, Isabela, also urged residents in municipalities along the typhoon’s path

to prepare emergency and first aid kits.

He also instructed his office to bring immediately relief items for families that would be affected by the typhoon.

Poe also appealed to residents of areas in Typhoon Lando’s path to heed the call of local disaster management councils for evacuation to safer places if needed.

Poe issued the call in the wake of an advisory issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that Lando may bring heavy to intense rains to the provinces of Isabela and Aurora starting Saturday.

“Let us not ignore the warnings from our Provincial Dis-

aster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Let us be prepared and heed the warnings from the authorities for our own safety,” Poe said.

“Let us not forget the lessons from the past disasters when both the public and government agencies were unable to respond immediately despite the preparations,” she said.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, also appealed to the public to help the government spread helpful information on the typhoon in the absence of a mobile disaster alert system.

Poe was referring to the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts’ Act, which has yet to be implemented more than a year after it was

signed into a law by President Benigno Aquino.

“Retweeting a tweet or sharing a reminder from our disaster management agencies, or even just sending helpful text messages to our friends living in the typhoon’s path would be a big help to the government’s preparations,” Poe said.

Signed into a law on June 20, 2014 by President Aquino, Republic Act No. 10639 requires telecommunication companies to send alerts at regular intervals in the event of an impending tropical storm, typhoon, tsunami or other calamities.

The alerts, which are free of cost to both the government and subscribers, will be sent to mobile subscribers near and within the affected areas.

“Our calculations show a downpour can result in a four- to eight-meter rise in Angat’s water level which was at 194.16 meters only as of 6 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 17),” said Richard Orendain, senior hydrologist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

He noted such an increase might be possible if Lando dumps heavy to intense rain while remaining stationary for several hours after making landfall in Aurora province but before heading northward to extreme Northern Luzon.

“If such scenario happens, it’ll be good news for Angat,” Orendain said, adding that Angat Dam’s water level should at least reach the FSHWL by yearend to ensure availability of water for the following year.

But official data showed on Saturday that Angat still needs 570 millimeters of rain so its water level can reach the FSHWL. Authorities said lack of precipitation due to the prevailing strong El Niño phenomenon is hampering rise in Angat’s water level, affecting availability of reserve water.

In its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin released Saturday, Pagasa warned of heavy to intense rainfall within the 600-kilometer diameter of ‘Lando.’

“The typhoon covers a wide area so we expect Angat watershed to still receive rain from ‘Lando’ even if this typhoon will likely landfall in Aurora,” Orendain said.

“More rain there will mean more water for Angat Dam.” He noted Angat hasn’t received much rainfall in previous days, resulting in no significant water level rise there. “Rain there then was mostly from thunderstorms only,” he said.

In mid-2015, government stopped supplying Angat water for irrigation to help ensure availability of this commodity for Metro Manila.

Government then also began reducing allocation of Angat water for Metro Manila as Pagasa expects El Niño to last until mid-2016.

Earlier, Pagasa forecast El Niño to intensify further—possibly to a new record high. PNA

LUZON GDP GROWTH SEEN AT 8%

THE economies of Northern and Central Luzon will likely grow by 6 to 8 percent every year for the next 20 years with the transportation sector reporting a noticeable boom in passengers traffic because of increased economic activities.

“Due to the renewed confidence of investors in the Philippine economy, [there is] a boom not just in consumer [spending] but also in investor confidence,” said Yvonne Gantioqui, finance and administrative manager of Victory Liner, one of the country’s biggest bus companies.

Gantioqui noted that business has been picking up in San Fernando City in Pampanga, Baguio City in Benguet, Dagupan City in

Pangasinan and also the free ports of Clark and Subic.

“We see huge numbers of foreigners and locals flocking to these cities and towns in Central and Northern Luzon not just for leisure, but more so, for business,” Gantioqui said during the 70th anniversary celebration of Victory Liner.

Gantioqui and Victory Liner operations manager Ronald Sarmiento said they expect Luzon’s gross domestic product to grow by 6 to 8 percent per year over the next 20 years.

Gantioqui said more businesses are shifting their operations from jampacked Metro Manila to more spacious areas in Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan

and Zambales.

Over the past five years, Gantioqui said their company has seen a big spike in the number of people traveling by provincial buses and Victory Liner alone is facing overcapacity, something which they try to resolve every single day.

“We observe that there is a lack of public transport because current providers cannot accommodate everyone.

Demand far exceeds supply,” she said. “[But] the bus industry cannot expand due to government regulations. We buy new buses to replace the old ones. This is our annual refleeting program. We modernize about 10 percent of our fleet annually,” Gantioqui added.

RUSHING TO REGISTER. Quezon City residents trooped to the office of the

Commission on Elections at city hall to have their biometrics taken as part of voter registration process for the May 2016 elections. MANNY PALMERO

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

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OPINION

PUTIN’S NAVY SENDS A SHOT ACROSS OBAMA’S BOW

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A CERTAIN KIND OF CRAZY

By Tobin Harshaw

ONE hundred thirty people filed their certificates of candidacy for the presidency last week.

The spokesman of the Commission on Elections had only good words for what transpired.

“This is a symbol of a vibrant democracy...more people feel empowered to put themselves forward as candidates,” said James Jimenez.

Despite the exhortation of some sectors for candidates and their supporters to keep the weeklong filing a sober event, the past few days still saw gimmickry and other attempts to call attention to the candidates—the whole spectrum of them.

Aside from the 130 who said they wished to seek the highest post in the land, there were also 19 who wanted to run for vice president and 172 who wanted to “offer themselves up” as senators.

Of course, these numbers include the names of those who are deemed serious about their decision. These are the ones who are supported by legitimate political organizations and who have had some experience in public service. These are the faces we look forward to see engaged in debate about substantive issues concerning the country, generally, and communities, specifically. They are the few about whom surveys have been commissioned. They will also be among those who would engage in the dirty-tricks department—if they have not begun already.

We can only surmise what is going on in the minds of the rest of the presidential hopefuls.

Amid cheering crowds and costumed participants, some of the most unlikely individuals have gathered up the courage to apply for what is arguably the most difficult job in the land.

It is easy to brand them as loonies, or crazies, or the more acceptable term—nuisances.

There was a man who named himself angel and devil combined. Another wanted to legalize four seasons in the Philippines to replace the two we are used to. Yet another proposed opening of convenience stores at every turn.

There were those, however, who knew they were a hopeless case yet decided to file anyway.

A farmer, for instance, wanted to call attention to the plight of his sector.

Perhaps some people simply crave the satisfaction from the knowledge that they tried.

Some perhaps truly believe they stand a chance. Whatever the reasons are, isn’t vying for the presidency an indication of craziness, to a point? After all, why disrupt your quiet life for a six-year political stint that would most likely be thankless? Why sacrifice time with your family and for your personal pursuits for a job whose troubles never end? Why risk going to jail afterwards even as everything you do is presumably for the good of the country and not your own?

Look what the presidency has done to our current chief executive, who has often complained of his lack of a social life and of the loss of his hair.

It is now the Comelec’s job to sift through these applications. It’s been an interesting week, indeed. The coming campaign season promises to be an interesting period, too. We just have to remind ourselves that the actual presidency is not as prone to fanfare or excitement; in fact, if one took it seriously, it is dreary and difficult and boring—just as, in an ideal world, real governance shuns fanfare and soundbytes.

We hope we are not too crazy in hoping the hopefuls could tell the difference.

A SURPLUS OF PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS

ON THE first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy for national positions last Monday, a total of 22 individuals trooped to the national headquarters of the Commission on Elections to manifest their supposed earnest desire to offer their lives in the service of country and the Filipino people as President. As of Thursday evening, there were close to a hundred presidential hopefuls!

The number was astonishing because for a while back there, most of us were actually bewailing the utter lack of choices for the 2016 presidential contest.

Of course, we all know that the number of hopefuls would be decimated in a few weeks’ time when Comelec declares some, if not most of them, as nuisance candidates. Nevertheless, there are a lot of things that can be said about the surge in the number of people who actually believe in their heart of hearts that they could and should be President of the Republic of the Philippines.

We can all take an optimistic view of this development and convince ourselves that this is

When we come to think about it, it’s not farfetched to imagine that in a country of 100 million people, there are more choices other than Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

reflective of the very wide, deep, and fertile pool of talent that we have in this country. When we come to think about it, it’s not far-

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fetched to imagine that in a country of 100 million people, there are more choices other than Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe,

and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

This view, however, is shot down —and rather fatally, at that—by the fact that a sizable number of those who filed their certificates of candidacy seemed like people who desperately need to have multiple sessions with a shrink.

How else does one explain the fact that we have someone claiming to be an intergalactic ambassador who said he was urged to run by aliens among the bunch?

I like the humor theory submitted by some people. This theory says that what we witnessed this week was really yet another expression of our innate sense of humor. We’re just the kind of people who allows moments of

levity even in the most tragic or saddest circumstances. We have been known to crack jokes, or even stage practical jokes, to break the tension out of very stressful situations. Unfortunately, this theory presupposes that those who filed their candidacies had higher thinking skills to grasp the concept of irony or satire, something that seems unlikely given the rambling and often nonsensical gibberish they spewed after they filed their certificates of candidacy.

Someone I know insisted that those who filed their candidacies for president

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deserve, at the very least, our empathy.

She said she still believed deep in her heart that despite the seeming absurdity of the situation, those people were still driven by the overwhelming desire to contribute to making this country great again. An extension of this belief was about how those people were really activists taking matters into their own hands; presumably, they’ve had enough of the the inability of government to make things work in this country so they were rising to the occasion. I would have gone to Comelec to applaud those people if we

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saw indications that altruism was truly behind their behavior.

This leaves us with just two more theories. First, people’s perceptions of the qualification requirements for the presidency have reached an abysmally low level—it seems many actually think anyone can step up to the job.

It’s difficult to disprove this perception because we did have a President who was an undergraduate and we have people like Emmanuel Pacquiao who keeps on making public statements about Continued on A6

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RUSSIA’S attack on Syrian territory last week, using cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, led to a fair amount of chuckling in the West, after US reports that four of the missiles crashed in Iran. But this is no laughing matter. Arguing over the attack’s effectiveness misses the point.

If Moscow had only wanted to hit Bashar al-Assad’s enemies in Syria, it has plenty of ships nearby in the Mediterranean to do the job. Rather, the Russians launched the 26 missiles from the Caspian simply to show they were capable of doing so. The US and its allies should be warned: Vladimir Putin notched another success.

Western militaries were already well aware that Russia had capable cruise missiles, which are self-propelled weapons that can fly great distances at supersonic speed and below radar detection. The West also knew that Moscow had deployed four armed corvette warships in the Caspian, where it has maintained a naval presence for centuries.

The revelation was that Russia had combined the two: giving the relatively small ships—the Buyan-M class displaces just 950 tons—firepower comparable to much larger US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers. By using the corvettes and the Kalibr NK cruise missile system, the Kremlin sent a shot across America’s bow, and in two ways.

The first was showing off its increasing capability in what military analysts call distributed lethality warfare. The strategy here is to avoid giving the enemy one big target, by spreading out the weaponry of war and the related technology, including guidance systems and sensors, to a host of smaller units. This creates two sets of problems for an adversary: Smaller targets are harder to find, and hitting just one does little to undermine the enemy’s offensive capability.

Think of Hercules’ Hydra on a regional or global scale.

This ability to threaten the US from a host of locations makes a good counterstrategy to the Navy’s emphasis on denying hostile powers access to vital areas and ensuring free passage in air and sea trade routes. While the US builds its gigantic new Ford-class aircraft carriers, sitting ducks at $10 billion a pop, China in particular is investing heavily in anti-ship missiles, submarines and surveillance craft, as well as creating islands in the South China Sea. As for Russia, the Buyans aren’t the only tiny threat under development: It is reportedly renovating and adding to its fleet of Cold War-era Piranya mini-subs that can lay underwater mines, fire torpedoes and dispatch small underwater combat teams.

With a minuscule displacement of 390 tons and a titanium-alloy hull, they run virtually silent. Last fall, the Swedish military accused the Russians of testing covert subs in Swedish territory in the Baltic Sea, leading to a brief but tense standoff. (Some peace activists took a decidedly non-traditional approach to deterring Russian incursions.)

Above the Baltic surface, Russia has made a Continued on A6

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

PUTIN’S NAVY SENDS A SHOT ACROSS OBAMA’S BOW

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A CERTAIN KIND OF CRAZY

By Tobin Harshaw

ONE hundred thirty people filed their certificates of candidacy for the presidency last week.

The spokesman of the Commission on Elections had only good words for what transpired.

“This is a symbol of a vibrant democracy...more people feel empowered to put themselves forward as candidates,” said James Jimenez.

Despite the exhortation of some sectors for candidates and their supporters to keep the weeklong filing a sober event, the past few days still saw gimmickry and other attempts to call attention to the candidates—the whole spectrum of them.

Aside from the 130 who said they wished to seek the highest post in the land, there were also 19 who wanted to run for vice president and 172 who wanted to “offer themselves up” as senators.

Of course, these numbers include the names of those who are deemed serious about their decision. These are the ones who are supported by legitimate political organizations and who have had some experience in public service. These are the faces we look forward to see engaged in debate about substantive issues concerning the country, generally, and communities, specifically. They are the few about whom surveys have been commissioned. They will also be among those who would engage in the dirty-tricks department—if they have not begun already.

We can only surmise what is going on in the minds of the rest of the presidential hopefuls.

Amid cheering crowds and costumed participants, some of the most unlikely individuals have gathered up the courage to apply for what is arguably the most difficult job in the land.

It is easy to brand them as loonies, or crazies, or the more acceptable term—nuisances.

There was a man who named himself angel and devil combined. Another wanted to legalize four seasons in the Philippines to replace the two we are used to. Yet another proposed opening of convenience stores at every turn.

There were those, however, who knew they were a hopeless case yet decided to file anyway.

A farmer, for instance, wanted to call attention to the plight of his sector.

Perhaps some people simply crave the satisfaction from the knowledge that they tried.

Some perhaps truly believe they stand a chance. Whatever the reasons are, isn’t vying for the presidency an indication of craziness, to a point? After all, why disrupt your quiet life for a six-year political stint that would most likely be thankless? Why sacrifice time with your family and for your personal pursuits for a job whose troubles never end? Why risk going to jail afterwards even as everything you do is presumably for the good of the country and not your own?

Look what the presidency has done to our current chief executive, who has often complained of his lack of a social life and of the loss of his hair.

It is now the Comelec’s job to sift through these applications. It’s been an interesting week, indeed. The coming campaign season promises to be an interesting period, too. We just have to remind ourselves that the actual presidency is not as prone to fanfare or excitement; in fact, if one took it seriously, it is dreary and difficult and boring—just as, in an ideal world, real governance shuns fanfare and soundbytes.

We hope we are not too crazy in hoping the hopefuls could tell the difference.

A SURPLUS OF PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS

ON THE first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy for national positions last Monday, a total of 22 individuals trooped to the national headquarters of the Commission on Elections to manifest their supposed earnest desire to offer their lives in the service of country and the Filipino people as President. As of Thursday evening, there were close to a hundred presidential hopefuls!

The number was astonishing because for a while back there, most of us were actually bewailing the utter lack of choices for the 2016 presidential contest.

Of course, we all know that the number of hopefuls would be decimated in a few weeks’ time when Comelec declares some, if not most of them, as nuisance candidates. Nevertheless, there are a lot of things that can be said about the surge in the number of people who actually believe in their heart of hearts that they could and should be President of the Republic of the Philippines.

We can all take an optimistic view of this development and convince ourselves that this is

When we come to think about it, it’s not farfetched to imagine that in a country of 100 million people, there are more choices other than Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

reflective of the very wide, deep, and fertile pool of talent that we have in this country. When we come to think about it, it’s not far-

A5

fetched to imagine that in a country of 100 million people, there are more choices other than Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe,

and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

This view, however, is shot down —and rather fatally, at that—by the fact that a sizable number of those who filed their certificates of candidacy seemed like people who desperately need to have multiple sessions with a shrink.

How else does one explain the fact that we have someone claiming to be an intergalactic ambassador who said he was urged to run by aliens among the bunch?

I like the humor theory submitted by some people. This theory says that what we witnessed this week was really yet another expression of our innate sense of humor. We’re just the kind of people who allows moments of

levity even in the most tragic or saddest circumstances. We have been known to crack jokes, or even stage practical jokes, to break the tension out of very stressful situations. Unfortunately, this theory presupposes that those who filed their candidacies had higher thinking skills to grasp the concept of irony or satire, something that seems unlikely given the rambling and often nonsensical gibberish they spewed after they filed their certificates of candidacy.

Someone I know insisted that those who filed their candidacies for president

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deserve, at the very least, our empathy.

She said she still believed deep in her heart that despite the seeming absurdity of the situation, those people were still driven by the overwhelming desire to contribute to making this country great again. An extension of this belief was about how those people were really activists taking matters into their own hands; presumably, they’ve had enough of the the inability of government to make things work in this country so they were rising to the occasion. I would have gone to Comelec to applaud those people if we

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saw indications that altruism was truly behind their behavior.

This leaves us with just two more theories. First, people’s perceptions of the qualification requirements for the presidency have reached an abysmally low level—it seems many actually think anyone can step up to the job.

It’s difficult to disprove this perception because we did have a President who was an undergraduate and we have people like Emmanuel Pacquiao who keeps on making public statements about Continued on A6

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RUSSIA’S attack on Syrian territory last week, using cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, led to a fair amount of chuckling in the West, after US reports that four of the missiles crashed in Iran. But this is no laughing matter. Arguing over the attack’s effectiveness misses the point.

If Moscow had only wanted to hit Bashar al-Assad’s enemies in Syria, it has plenty of ships nearby in the Mediterranean to do the job. Rather, the Russians launched the 26 missiles from the Caspian simply to show they were capable of doing so. The US and its allies should be warned: Vladimir Putin notched another success.

Western militaries were already well aware that Russia had capable cruise missiles, which are self-propelled weapons that can fly great distances at supersonic speed and below radar detection. The West also knew that Moscow had deployed four armed corvette warships in the Caspian, where it has maintained a naval presence for centuries.

The revelation was that Russia had combined the two: giving the relatively small ships—the Buyan-M class displaces just 950 tons—firepower comparable to much larger US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers. By using the corvettes and the Kalibr NK cruise missile system, the Kremlin sent a shot across America’s bow, and in two ways.

The first was showing off its increasing capability in what military analysts call distributed lethality warfare. The strategy here is to avoid giving the enemy one big target, by spreading out the weaponry of war and the related technology, including guidance systems and sensors, to a host of smaller units. This creates two sets of problems for an adversary: Smaller targets are harder to find, and hitting just one does little to undermine the enemy’s offensive capability.

Think of Hercules’ Hydra on a regional or global scale.

This ability to threaten the US from a host of locations makes a good counterstrategy to the Navy’s emphasis on denying hostile powers access to vital areas and ensuring free passage in air and sea trade routes. While the US builds its gigantic new Ford-class aircraft carriers, sitting ducks at $10 billion a pop, China in particular is investing heavily in anti-ship missiles, submarines and surveillance craft, as well as creating islands in the South China Sea. As for Russia, the Buyans aren’t the only tiny threat under development: It is reportedly renovating and adding to its fleet of Cold War-era Piranya mini-subs that can lay underwater mines, fire torpedoes and dispatch small underwater combat teams.

With a minuscule displacement of 390 tons and a titanium-alloy hull, they run virtually silent. Last fall, the Swedish military accused the Russians of testing covert subs in Swedish territory in the Baltic Sea, leading to a brief but tense standoff. (Some peace activists took a decidedly non-traditional approach to deterring Russian incursions.)

Above the Baltic surface, Russia has made a Continued on A6

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S U N D AY, O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

A6

OPINION

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GOOD NEWS IS BAD NEWS FOR CHINA

By Michael Schuman ON MONDAY, the Chinese government will once again try to convince the world its troubled economy is not that bad off after all. Third-quarter GDP data will be released, and whether the growth rate beats or misses consensus estimates, it’s likely to be touted by the government as proof of the economy’s continued resilience.

No doubt that’ll help further calm investors, whose worst fears about China have ebbed recently.

Overly bearish perceptions of China’s economy have become “thoroughly divorced from facts on the ground,” proclaims the latest China Beige Book study. In a survey conducted in October by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, only 39 percent of fund managers queried considered China the biggest “tail risk,” down significantly from 54 percent a month earlier.

Those investors shouldn’t get too comfortable. The panic that roiled global stock and currency markets over the summer may well have been overblown. But the real risks to China’s economic well-being are long term, and they haven’t diminished. In fact, the strong growth rates could be setting the stage for a harder landing later.

Even the regime agrees that China’s economy is seriously flawed. Excess capacity is rampant in steel, cement and other industries. Debt has risen to astronomical levels. The growth model China used during its hyper-charged decades—unleashing productivity by tossing its 1.3 billion poor workers into the global supply chain—has lost steam as costs rise and the workforce ages.

How well is China tackling these problems? Not very. Debt continues to rise even as growth slows. IHS Global Insight estimates debt will increase to 254 percent of GDP in 2015, up from 248 percent last year. In all too many sick industries, zombie companies are being kept afloat by creditors and the government.

Deeper free-market reform is needed to spur entrepreneurship and innovation and better allocate financial resources to the most efficient companies. Yet despite much talk from President Xi Jinping and his Communist Party comrades, progress has been gla-

PUTIN’S... From A5 bigger show of its increased capabilities, this week publicizing a search-and-destroy simulation in which three corvettes tracked a new Varshavyanka-class stealth sub.

The other likely reason the Russians carried out the Syria attack was an old-fashioned sales pitch. With its fossil-fuel economy faltering and expensive new foreign entanglements in Ukraine and the Middle East, Russia needs cash. No surprise that exports of major weapons increased 37 percent between 2005 and 2014.

The offerings include the Klub-K cruise missile system, a version of the Kalibr that fits into a few shipping containers and retails for up to $20 million.

The Buyan corvette, made at the privately owned Zelanodolsk

Customers browse goods in a supermarket in Fuyang, east China’s Anhui province on Oct. 14, 2015. China’s consumer inflation fell in September, underlining sagging sentiment as growth slows in the world’s second-largest economy and adding to calls for further stimulus. AFP

cial. The government’s new plan to improve the performance of bloated state enterprises is underwhelming. Authorities have done little to make the banking sector more commercially oriented or to open the economy to greater foreign competition or capital flows. The government’s heavyhanded intervention to quell a mid-summer stock market swoon was rightly seen a step backwards.

Above all, the economy needs to “rebalance” away from its unhealthy reliance on investment —which according to Goldman Sachs’ Ha Jiming, totaled 46 percent of GDP last year, more than during Mao’s disastrous Great Leap Forward. Government officials and some economists use top-line GDP data to claim consumption is playing a bigger role in the country’s recent growth.

Since investment has dropped off somewhat, that’s probably true.

But that hardly means Chinese consumers have gone on a shopping binge. According to research

outfit LMC Automotive, sales of passenger vehicles in China dropped by 1 percent in August from a year earlier, while consulting firm IDC recently forecast only 1.2 percent growth in 2015 for shipments of smartphones in China, down from nearly 20 percent in 2014. Nor is the government exactly helping matters: A long-awaited liberalization of interest rates on bank deposits remains incomplete, even though it

could swiftly put more cash in the pockets of the average family.

Economist Christopher Balding has done some crack research pointing out that the service sector isn’t expanding as quickly as the bulls believe. His figures also show that the “new economy”— IT, retail, accommodation—is making little headway against the “old economy” sectors such as construction, manufacturing and property. “The China rebalancing

Shipyard in the Russian republic of Tatarstan, is also available to the highest bidder. Russia plans to take delivery of two more by the end of this year as part of an eventual fleet of 12, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

So, how does the US counter this threat of dispersed offensive firepower? In part by copying our rivals’ playbook. At sea, this means becoming less dependent on huge, expensive watercraft such as the Ford carriers, Burke cruisers and new Zumwaltclass destroyers, and emphasizing smaller, more flexible ships.

(An analyst from Jane’s Defense Weekly said of the Klub-K: “It’s a carrier-killer.”)

More generally, the decentralizing of offensive capability has to part of the thinking behind Pentagon’s far-reaching “third offset” initiative, the largest shift of mili-

tary priorities since the waning days of the Cold War. The Pentagon has not entirely ignored distributed lethality, recently carrying out war games under its tenets, and the independent US Naval Institute published an influential study of the concept in January. Yet one new piece of technology that should be central to distributed lethality is the littoral combat ship, an acquisition that has been shockingly mishandled even by Pentagon standards—years behind schedule, far over budget and riddled with design flaws. The 400-foot craft is envisioned with interchangeable hardware for missions like mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare. Even if either of the two versions of the ship ever takes to the seas, there are no plans to outfit it with heavy firepower like a cruise missile.

(One option to extend the littoral ships’ lethal range is adding the Norwegian-made Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile, a stealthy piece of technology that performed well in US Navy tests last fall.)

President Barack Obama can insist all he wants that Putin’s intervention in Syria is a sign of weakness, but the cruise missile launch showed rising strength, even if a few missed their targets. It’s a reminder that the US is a long way from the goal of having a fleet in which nearly every ship presents some offensive threat. To get there, as with all major shifts in military priorities, this means convincing not only the uniformed brass but also the civilian leadership and Congress, and their friends in the private sector.

They all must realize that when it comes to taking on major powers such as Russia and China, smaller may be better. Bloomberg

Despite much talk from President Xi Jinping and his Communist Party comrades, progress has been glacial. The government’s new plan to improve the performance of bloated state enterprises is underwhelming.

story still has many large hurdles of facts and strategy to overcome,” he concludes.

Meanwhile, the government continues to find ways to bolster that old economy. Yet another round of debt-financed infrastructure spending is in the works. Beijing’s ambitious Silk Road initiative to build roads, ports and railways throughout Asia and beyond is meant to be a bonanza for Chinese construction firms. All this may tamp down joblessness today, but at the cost of greater productivity and efficiency in the economy.

A reckoning could be unavoidable. The Conference Board figures that unless China presses ahead more aggressively with pro-market reforms, GDP growth could sink to 4 percent from 2020. That sharp a slowdown would spur widespread unemployment and destabilize debt-laden companies. So don’t worry so much about the data out of China today. Worry about what those numbers may look like five years from now. Bloomberg

A SURPLUS... From A5 how the presidency can be part of his destiny. And besides, it really is true: the qualification for the Presidency and the Vice Presidency as written in the Constitution is ridiculously low —we ask more from production workers and utility people.

Am sure the framers of the Constitution had good intentions; making the Presidency a possible career path for anyone with grit and gumption can be inspiring to any growing child. But I am certain they did not foresee the circus that is happening at the Comelec offices, either.

The last theory is what most people believe in, which is that we just have too many people in this country with too much time in their hands, who apparently have nothing better to do with their lives.

S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MARIJUANA BILL GETS NEW BOOST THE main author of the proposed measure to legalize cannabis or marijuana for medical purposes on Saturday appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives to give his bill a chance to be debated in the plenary during the remaining session months of the 16th Congress.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, principal author of House Bill 4477 or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis, said he is hopeful that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. would keep an open mind to his proposal.

“Let us give this bill a chance, at least to be debated in Congress.

This bill, if passed into law, will help many Filipinos, especially patients who are terminally ill and suffering excruciating pain,” Albano said.

Albano made the statement as the House committee on health, chaired

by La Union Rep. Eufranio Eriguel, has created a technical working group to draft a final version of the measure that would be subject for plenary debates and approval.

Eriguel had earlier said the TWG would consolidate all inputs from the authors, resource persons from the medical profession and government agencies and concerned nongovernment organizations.

The 16th Congress has practically five to eight months to go before it adjourned sine die on July 10, 2016.

Albano pointed out that the bill does not and will not promote the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.

“The bill’s main intent is to help terminally ill patients and with debilitating disease or medical condition for pain management considerations,” Albano said.

HB 4477, which was co-authored by 69 House lawmakers, seeks to legalize the use of medical cannabis as an alternative treatment to help qualified patients suffering from chronic or debilitating disease, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures or severe and persistent muscle spasms.

Filed last year on May, 2014, the bill has generated a lively debate between those who believe on the therapeutic and palliative effects of cannabis and those who argue that there is a lack of scientific evidence, likelihood of abuse, and danger of proliferation. Maricel V. Cruz

SC TRANSFER TO GLOBAL CITY GETS P1-B BACKING

By Maricel V. Cruz

A HOUSE leader on Saturday rallied behind the transfer of the Supreme Court to the Global City in Taguig City, saying that the P1.2-billion fund that has been earmarked in the House-approved 2016 national budget for that purpose was proper.

“The Supreme Court deserves its own grounds and its own building. We understand the funding will be used to acquire the new land at The Fort,” Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said.

Romulo said the transfer would help decongest down-

town Manila.

At present, he said, the Supreme Court, which has more than 3,000 employees, holds offices in a building and lot owned by the University of the Philippines at the corner of Padre Faura Street and Taft Avenue in Ermita, Manila.

tectural and engineering design of the new building is included in the 2016 budget, according to Romulo.

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno said in July that the high court hopes to move to The Fort by 2019.

Meanwhile, Romulo said the entire Judiciary is getting an aggregate new funding of P26.7 billion next year, or 22 percent greater than its allocation this year.

Romulo said the amount includes P2.3 billion to pay for the operations of lower courts, some of which have become dependent on local governments for facilities.

Plastics for pesos. A man scavenges for reusable waste at the Payatas dump in Quezon City. Collected plastics are sold for P5 per kilo and P100 per bundle. JANSEN ROMERO

CEBU STUDENTS AT FOREFRONT OF HANDWASHING CAMPAIGN BANTAYAN—Almost 300 pupils from selected schools across the Bantayan municipality in northern Cebu participated in this year’s Global Handwashing Day campaign spearheaded by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene advocates from Islamic Relief Worldwide.

With the theme “Raise a Hand for Hygiene,” the team organized an interactive activity where students were taught about the need for proper handwashing. With a short video presentation and a little bit of dancing, the children also learned the critical times to wash their hands which includes before and after meals, after using the toilet and after playing.

Philippines Approach to To-

“The money for the construction of the new Supreme Court building is also already there.

It is covered by a P3.29-billion multi-year obligational authority,” Romulo said.

An obligational authority is the necessary approval that precedes budget spending by a government agency or department, granted by Congress through appropriations.

“This means the funding requirements of the transfer from 2016 to 2019 is assured,” Romulo said.

The initial P122.7 million needed for the project management as well as the detailed archi-

tal Sanitation promoter Marvi Maglipong emphasized the need for children to be front and center in such campaigns. “Children are very active. It is important that they are reminded not just proper handwashing, but also the critical times when they need to wash their hands,” she said.

“We hope that these children will become WASH advocates themselves in schools, at home, and in their own respective communities,” she added.

Eighty percent of communicable diseases are transferred by touch alone. Unicef reports diarrhea as the second most cause of deaths among children below five across the globe. The chances of contracting such diseases are

significantly reduced by about 50 percent when you wash your hands properly.

“I’m really happy that the campaign was done here in Atop-Atop Elementary School.

The best thing about this is that they will go home and practice proper handwashing and also teach their family about it,” said Jessica Quizon, teacher in charge of the school.

IRW, in partnership with Unicef, is implementing WASH program in 15 barangays in northern Cebu which includes WASH in schools or WINS, where campaigns for proper hygiene and sanitation practices in schools are also being conducted.

Students from Atop Atop Elementary School raise their hands during the Global Handwashing Day.

A8

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 18, 2015

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NEW CENTRAL BANK LAW OKAYED

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has welcomed the House of Representatives’ approval on third and final reading of House Bill 5875, which he principally authored, seeking to amend Republic Act 7653, also known as “The New Central Bank Act.”

SURFING IN SJ. Tourists enjoy riding on the big waves spawned by strong winds in Barangay Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union as Typhoon ‘Lando’ approaches. CHRISTINE JUNIO

FOR ANGARA CLAN, BATTLE ROYALE SHIFTS TO CONGRESS

By Ferdie G. Domingo BALER, Aurora—With Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo seeking reelection instead of challenging the candidacy of incumbent Gov. Gerardo Noveras, the battle royale for “Auroramageddon” has shifted to Congress where she will be squaring off with an ally-turned-political rival.

Angara-Castillo, who is undefeated in seven elections spanning 21 years, is being challenged by outgoing three-term San Luis Mayor Annabelle Tangson, her running mate in the 2004 elections when she first won as governor.

Tangson is the national president of the Lady Mayors Association of the Philippines.

The political alliance between the Angaras and the Tangsons soured after the 2007 elections when Angara-Castillo’s nephew, now Vice Gov. Rommel Rico Teh Angara, lost to Noveras in their vice gubernatorial race.

The Angaras had accused Tangson of junking Rommel in their hometown, a claim which the latter denied.

In 2010, Tangson’s younger brother, now Board Member Mariano Tangson, challenged Angara-Castillo’s bid for a third and last term but lost.

When Angara-Castillo celebrated her birthday in September 2011, she extended her hands of reconciliation to the Tangsons, even inviting the latter to at-

tend her thanksgiving dinner in a move seen to ease political tensions between their respective camps.

Angara-Castillo said she invited the Tangsons not only to reconcile with them but also to forgive those who she felt had done her wrong.

She said after making her move, she felt so light-hearted.

“I found out that that’s the feeling you get when you have no emotional baggage and you harbor no ill will against anyone,” she said.

Tangson said that while they were no longer allies, she and the governor had always been cordial when they bumped into each other on a number of occasions.

“I am at peace with everybody,” she said.

The showdown between the two would have been averted if Angara-Castillo yielded to pressures from her own allies to seek the governorship against Noveras, a known supporter although not a partymate of Tangson.

Angara-Castillo said she expected Tangson to contest the congressional seat with her.

“That’s her right to file her CoC,” she said.

The 56-year-old Tangson, who is 20 years Angara-Castillo’s junior, was quoted as saying the time is ripe for the young blood to take over the House seat in the lone congressional district of Aurora.

CANDIDATES WARNED: SOME BALLER BANDS TOXIC

By Joel E. Zurbano ENVIRONMENTAL group Ecowaste Coalition urged all candidates in the May 9, 2016 polls to consider the health of voters and stop distributing baller bands as giveaways for the upcoming elections.

The group issued the warning after finding lead, a toxic chemical, in mostly polyvinyl chloride rubber baller wristbands.

Using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence analyzer, the group detected lead in 27 out of 30 samples of baller bands in the range of 1,325 to 8,465 parts per million (ppm) of which 15 had lead content above 4,000 ppm. Lead was not detected in the other 3 nonPVC baller bands.

“Made-to-order baller bands are popular campaign giveaways.

Sadly, not all baller bands are equal as there are types that contain harmful chemicals,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the Ecowaste Project Protect.

Dizon zeroed in on PVC baller bands laden with lead, a heavy metal, which according to the World Health Organization, is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children.”

“While not originally intended for kids, these wrist accessories may end up in children’s hands and mouths and directly expose them to lead, a hazardous substance that attacks the brain and the central nervous system,” he said.

WHO has warned that there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe.

BUZZER BEATER. Former Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, with his wife Kate, holds a copy of his certificate of candidacy which he filed at the Comelec main office in Manila on Friday, the last day of filing of CoCs. Gordon says he will run for senator under his own political party Bagong Bayan Volunteer for a New Philippines. LINO SANTOS

Belmonte said that 23 years since “The New Central Bank Act” was enacted, the economic milieu in the country has changed, globalization has increased the integration of financial markets, and the scope of operations of financial institutions has evolved.

“In light of this realities and developments, there is undoubtedly a need to respond to contemporary challenges by amending RA 7653 so the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas remains effective in its conduct of monetary policy and supervision of entities within the financial system,” Belmonte said.

He said the House approval of HB 5875 last Oct. 7 was a big step toward fulfilling the desired amendments to RA 7653 in order to strengthen the BSP’s Monetary Stability Fund, Financial Stability Function, and Corporate and Financial Viability.

“Once these amendments are enacted into law, they will empower the BSP to effectively respond to challenges and innovations of a globalized economy, and more significantly, in performing its constitutional mandates. Indeed an empowered BSP is indispensable in ensuring a competitive, robust and inclusive economy, and a financial system that delivers a high quality of life for Filipinos,” said Belmonte.

Belmonte said the bill seeks to: strengthen the tools which the BSP uses in performing its mandates; supplement the mechanisms in protecting savings of depositors and in ensuring the smooth flow of transactions in the financial system; and enhance the corporate viability of the BSP. The approved HB 5875 provides the capital of the BSP shall be P200 billion, to be fully subscribed by the government. The unpaid subscription shall be fully paid for the government in cash and/or government securities upon effectivity of the Act. The capitalization shall be subject to review every five years upon joint recommendation by the secretary of Finance, secretary of Budget and Management and the Monetary Board. The payment of any unpaid subscription and/or increase in capitalization shall be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act.

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 18, 2015

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

BUSINESS

B1

FIRST PC VENDOR IN PH GETS TOP JOB AT PHILIPS

THE woman who sold the first personal computers in the Philippines in the mid-1980s is now the country head of a multinational company illuminating most Filipino homes and buildings.

“This one is really something new and exciting for me. I am excited for the new challenges ahead,” Chestnut Andaya says in an interview in Makati City, referring to her new job as the country head of Philips Electronics and Lighting Inc., a Dutch technology company considered as a leader in lighting, consumer electronics and healthcare.

Andaya, a 54-year-old sales and marketing expert in the IT sector, is concurrently the general manager for lighting of Philips Philippines. She replaced Brazilian executive Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno, who was reassigned to a different role within Philips.

Andaya is now in charge of overseeing the growth of the lighting sector, particularly the new, innovative LED products that redefine the color, mood and temperature of lights. LED or light emitting diode is a semiconductor or chip that produces light when an electrical current is applied.

Andaya, who holds a degree in Economics from the De La Salle University, worked for IBM for 30 years and is married to an IBM executive. They have four children and live in Paranaque City.

She saw the transformation of information technology and started with IBM selling electric typewriters, before computers changed the way businesses ran.

“I have seen the transformation of IT. Given that I have learned a lot, with experience in different roles,” she says.

Andaya says the fact that she stayed with IBM for three decades means that joining Philips as the country head is “my real second job ever.”

“I sold the first PCs to the Asian Development Bank in 1985. Before that, I sold electric typewriters,” she says. IBM then became a leader in computer hardware, mainframe, servers and network technologies, which required Andaya to deal with the biggest companies in the country.

She handled various senior leadership roles with IBM such

Philips Philippines general manager for lighting Chestnut Andaya

as country manager for marketing and country manager for general business sales. “My last role was country leader for integrated channels,” she says.

She retired from IBM in July this year, but an opportunity to head Philips Philippines quickly came. A headhunter or professional recruitment agency asked her if she was interested in a country leadership role for lighting. Excited for new challenges, she said yes.

“It was my first time to go to the consumer world. I was with IBM for 30 years. I retired in July and started this new job in July,” she says.

Andaya says while it was a totally different industry, from IT to consumer lighting, actual discussions for the job got her really interested in the lighting sector.

“It got me pretty interested in

terms of the challenges that lie ahead, plus dealing with a new set of clients. The reason I also joined the company is that it is a big global brand, ranking high globally. For lighting, it is the leader. Globally as a brand, it is among the top 50. When you say quality lights, Philips comes top of the mind,” she says.

Andaya says over the past three months, she has learned a lot about lighting technologies and changed the way she now looks at buildings, in terms of how they are lit up.

Philips has lighting products for both households and establishments or the professional sector. The growth of the economy, especially the real estate sector with the emergence of business process outsourcing companies as employers of a more than a million people, translated into a

growing demand for lighting in the country.

Philips products, for example, light up the stretch of North Luzon Expressway, the People Power Monument along Edsa, the facade of Manila Hotel and Cebu Capitol Building.

The lighting industry, Andaya says, covers residential, commercial and industrial sectors and has different categories, ranging from household fixtures to decorative lightings that can be found indoor and outdoor, including gardens, facade of buildings, parks, open spaces and streets.

The big switch from traditional bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs to LED bulbs is also driving the growth of the lighting industry, she says. Andaya is particularly interested in the growth of the LED market.

Philips, she says, still sells CFLs.

“We have a growing market for LEDs but there is still demand for CFLs,” she says. Andaya says LEDs now account for about half of the lighting market.

“LEDs can last up to 10 to 15 years. They are environmentfriendly because they have no mercury content. LEDs can do a lot more. They can change color.

You can dim it. You can do motion detection. That’s a big transformation happening in the lighting industry,” she says.

Andaya says LEDs are energy efficient and safe to use. “In terms of electric consumption, you gain up to 85 percent in energy savings. In terms of functions, our new products can change color with a press of a button, from warm white to daylight for example,” she says.

LEDs can change to different hues or color temperature such as warm white, soft white, bright white, day light, yellowish white or bluish white.

She says LEDs have also become more affordable for ordinary consumers. “For the same light output, you probably consume less than half of electricity, compared to traditional bulbs,” she says.

The problem, she says, is the proliferation of substandard LED lights in the market. Andaya says Philips is in discussion with the Department of Trade and Industry to set the standards for the lighting products, amid the proliferation of LED lightings in the local market today.

“There are now many substandard LED lighting products. We have been working closely with DTI to make sure that standards are followed. If not used properly and consumers use the wrong type, there is a risk of electrocution. That is our biggest concern right now,” she says.

Andaya says while DTI has released standards on product safety, the industry is still waiting for the implementing rules and regulations.

Philips is celebrating its 60th year in the Philippines this year and 126th year in the Netherlands, its home country.

Andaya says she is optimistic about the growth of the lighting industry, as Philips comes up with innovative products and clients shift to LED. “Most especially, as the economy grows, so is the need for more lights, for more innovative products. Now, consumers want more from lighting products. They now have more demands. There are a lot of exciting things ahead,” she says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 18, 2015

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

EXPENSIVE legal services and protracted litigation seem to be accepted realities in the community.

Instead of bemoaning the problem, Dexter Feliciano, the young lawyer entrepreneur behind MyLegalWhiz, moves to make a difference.

In 2013, Dexter launched MyLegalWhiz, a cloud-based subscription platform that combines a dynamic legal knowledge database with a research assistance and document drafting service.

Their slogan “Legal Intelligence. On Demand” has captured the interest of the market. Within two years, MyLegalWhiz has accumulated a commendable roster of clients ranging from law firms, law schools, government agencies, corporations and a substantial number of individual subscribers, encompassing lawyers and nonlawyers.

“Our platform was initially developed for those in the legal field, but we discovered that even non-lawyers are seeking our services and giving us great feedback about how our platform has helped them. It is exciting to know that what my company is doing is helping so many people,” he says.

The company’s website (www. mylegalwhiz.com) vaunts of testimonials from its clientele. “It provides real time help and responds quickly to all my queries,” one user has posted. Another has commented, “the market potential of MyLegalWhiz is huge. Imagine that even those who can’t afford a lawyer before but needs quality legal assistance or just basic legal knowledge to help him on a legal predicament can now be guided by just using his smartphone.”

Dexter says: “Seventy five percent of Filipinos now use smartphones and other mobile devices to access the internet, according to a United Nations Study. The use of smartphones to deliver our services can reach a lot of people in the country. Our partnership with a telecom company with more than 40million subscribers in its network will definitely help in achieving our vision of helping millions of Filipinos” “The company has not only invented a new way of accessing legal knowledge and basic legal services, it has also created a new industry. This is the legal intelli-

MyLegalWhiz founder Dexter Feliciano

YOUNG FILIPINO LAWYER REINVENTS LEGAL RESEARCH gence industry that encompasses legal education, practice and services,” says Dexter.

MyLegalWhiz has evolved from just a knowledge database into a fundamentally important scientific innovation in legal research and services.

Dexter emphasizes the significance of applying science, specifically artificial intelligence and big data, in transforming traditional industries like legal services.

“This has an enormous potential in helping people who need quality legal services that were previously inaccessible to them, and in helping decision and policy makers in business, national and local government in getting valuable insights from their constituents’ legal issues and concerns,” he says.

The founder Dexter , who holds both a Juris Doctor in law and a Masters in Business Administration degree, is not a typical lawyer and businessman. “I have a great appreciation

for the law, what it stands for, and its purpose in society. However, I knew early on that traditional legal practice is not for me. My fulfillment comes from using science and technology in tackling the challenge of building something that solves problems with huge impact to people,” Dexter says.

In 2011, Dexter was among one of five candidates who successfully hurdled one of the toughest national exams. Instead of doing the expected and pursuing a law career, he decided to continue with the project he started as a student and turn in into a business. “Filipinos put too much emphasis on rankings in national exams. I say, we focus on what really matters, building new businesses that has great impact and provide new employment opportunities,” Dexter says.

He was born and raised in Angeles City, Pampanga, He grew up as the eldest of five children in a working class family raised by an

engineer father and a housewife mother. “Both my parents were simple, hardworking individuals who imparted me with a strong sense of discipline, resourcefulness, and perseverance,” he says.

These traits proved to be valuable as Dexter navigated the many challenges of building and growing a company from the ground up. When he started, he used his own savings from his allowances.

He knew from the beginning that any success he would achieve, would come from his own grit and gumption.

He also admires entrepreneurs who are unconventional optimists, embrace great challenges and are not defined by the status quo. “Entrepreneurs and businessmen are different. The former focuses on something new, most of the time, very risky yet valuable endeavor, while the latter settles on a proven business model,” says Dexter. “We need more entrepreneurs in the country to push our country’s standard of living forward.”

One of the books that most influenced him as an entrepreneur is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and her philosophy of independent achievement from unborrowed vision. “Ayn Rand’s Philosophy should be taught on every higher educational institution in the country to fight dogmatic and conformist thinking,” Dexter says.

Personal mission “My personal mission is to encourage and inspire young people to embrace science,” he says.

He agrees with Carl Sagan, a science author, “that science is not just a body of knowledge, but a way of thinking.” He said, “It’s about disciplining the mind to operate in a certain way that allows critical thinking to govern over personal biases and internalized dogma.”

“If we want progress in our country, we have to start raising a generation of original and independent thinkers. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math are crucial subjects for our students. These subjects/courses should be mixed up with leadership and business training. When you’re able to think of these disciplines together, you mold young minds to think differently and dream of innovative, unorthodox solutions to the world’s most pressing issues,” he says.

MyLegalWhiz vision MyLegalWhiz is just three years old but Dexter has great dreams for his young company. “MyLegalWhiz vision is to be omnipresent in not only a lawyer’s mobile device but on every ordinary person’s smartphone. We want people to be empowered by having a virtual legal companion that can help them when they want to be informed about their rights or solve a certain legal issue,” says Dexter.

Prodded on how he sees his company for the next 10 years, he says: “we’re building a global company that can reach a century. We want to establish and maintain longterm competitive strengths so we can weather storms in our business journey. Our company will definitely evolve as we move along.”

He also underscored the importance of getting the best in his company. “We can achieve great things by attracting the very best people,” he says. “Hiring smart and creative people who could outthink and outwork competitors and third party service suppliers is an absolute must for us.”

“Great ideas don’t make great businesses. It’s hiring outstanding people who are better than you in a meaningful way, that will turn an idea into a sustainable business,” he says. Alena Mae S. Flores

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 18, 2015

B3

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

NEW ROAD MAKES LIFE EASIER FOR T’BOLI MOUNTAIN FARMERS FOR ages, the T’boli tribe people and settlers in the town of T’boli in the province of South Cotabato had to walk for hours under the sun or through rains in the rocky and muddy mountain trails while carrying heavy loads down to the town market. Farmers in the communities of Lam Buling, Lam Salome, and Maan had to sacrifice sweat and blood to earn their living.

But 40 years since the establishment of the municipality of T’Boli in 1974, the farmers of the town would finally benefit from a farm-tomarket road that would connect their farms to the market, a significant change in life that raises their incomes and improves their mobility as well as the members of their families.

The Department of Agriculture, the Department of Interior and the T’Boli municipal government oversee the construction of a 13-kilometer concrete road network that by the end of the year would be completed. The P108-million road project is part of the national government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or Pamana program, which is overseen and monitored by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process or OPAPP. Another P21 million has been allocated to finance livelihood programs in Barangays Lambuling, Salome, and Maan, bringing the total Pamana allocation for T’boli to P124.5 million.

Tam Salambat, a former rebel who is now a village elder in Lam Salome, said he and his neighbors never imagined they would see a road built within their community within their life time.

“I thought death would come sooner than [the time would come we would see] these roads,” he said. “I am grateful to the government for giving us farmers this project because it is now easier to transport our produce to the town.”

Bapa (Uncle) Tam said the farmers no longer have to walk for five hours while carrying their heavy load of produce on muddy paths in the mountain during the rainy days while it takes three hours of walk under the heat of the sun during summer to traverse the mountain trail. He said the road now makes it easier to shepherd their cows to the fields.

Today, it takes local farmers only 45 minutes to transport their produce to the market downtown.

OPAPP assistant secretary Howard Cafugauan, head of the Pamana National Program Monitoring Office, acknowledged the effort of the local government to see through the implementation of the programs.

“We are heartened by the enthusiasm of the local government of T’boli in implementing this project because their active participation helped speed up the roll-out of the programs,” Cafugauan said.

Meanwhile, municipal agriculturist Olivia Miramon said the Pamana project was the most relevant for the farmers in the province among the programs implemented in the town of T’boli.

“The farmers were really grateful because it lifted such heavy burden from their shoulders. The transportation cost is now much cheaper because the roads have improved,” she said.

T’boli Mayor Dibu Tuan said it was the first time T’Bolis (a tribe in South Cotabato) received a major government project since the town was founded 40 years ago.

“We never thought that we will have a 13-kilometer road finished in just one year. Forty years, and this is the first time we have received a program of this magnitude from the government,” he said.

The funds disbursed in the project are chargeable against the budget of the Department of Agriculture and was implemented through the local government office of T’Boli.

Yolanda survivors learn basic carpentry skills

JAMES HARDIE OPENS DOORS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOLANDA SURVIVORS WHEN typhoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, particularly the provinces of Samar and Leyte, the world saw a super typhoon could easily wipe out towns and cities from the map and leave behind scores of casualties.

Almost two years after the catastrophic event, a lot of residents from the typhoon stricken provinces are now almost back on their feet especially those who were eager to kickstart their lives by learning new things during the rehabilitation efforts from different organizations.

James Hardie, the world leader in fiber cement building products, teamed up with De La Salle Philippines to create a lasting and effective change on some of the most-badly hit communities.

In rebuilding the communities, James Hardie organized a successful basic carpentry workshop earlier this year wherein survivors were taught how to install HardieFlex building products and eventually make a living out of their newly acquired skills.

“We wanted to extend help that will have lasting effects for the survivors—something that will be beneficial to them for the rest

of their lives,” said James Hardie country manager Mark Sergio.

“By holding carpentry workshops, we are teaching them how to be self-sufficient in rebuilding their communities.”

Few months after the workshop, James Hardie and DLSP went back to the community and asked how the carpenters are doing.

“The workshops were really a big help for all of us, especially for people who did not know where to start after their traumatic experiences,” said Danilo Galos, a Yolanda survivor from one of the partner communities. “The workshops and all the assistance gave us a fresh start. After the training, I landed a job within a week, which was a great help for my family. Learning how to install HardieFlex is also an advantage because a lot of customers would prefer to use it.”

Arturo Moramion shared the same sentiments, saying that learning the right way of installing HardieFlex on timber and metal furring did him some good after it made him a better carpenter. “The training was a big help on my work and I was able to share this new knowledge to my

co-carpenters. I also learned how to install and handle HardieFlex products, which are all durable, resistant to fire and termites and does not contain asbestos,” he said.

Meanwhile, for Cesar Moralida and Ricardo Cabiao, the workshop opened doors of opportunities for them after they both landed new jobs, which helped them rebuild what was destroyed during the typhoon. “I landed a new job in just a week which helped me provide for my family,” Cabiao said.

“I’m not a full-time carpenter.

However, because of the training given by James Hardie, I am now confident that I have the skills to work as a full time carpenter,” Moralida said.

Almost two years after the devastation, the communities that benefited from James Hardie and DLSP’s efforts have shown dramatic change. With the participants showing that they are now on the right track, the two institutions are successful in inspiring people to rise above their situation. Indeed, through collective effort, nothing is impossible, as what James Hardie and DLSP have shown.

CYBERSECURITY FIRM WARNS HACKERS CAN CONTROL WEBCAM

Kaspersky Lab corporate communications manager for Southeast Asia Sanjeev Nair

COMPUTER experts, armed with hacking skills and malicious intent, can manipulate the webcams of other people to spy on families or capture their private moments.

Sanjeev Nair, corporate communications manager of Kaspersky Lab, a cybersecurity company, says a laptop on the bed can take videos or pictures of the owner while taking a shower.

“Or if you are in the office, the webcam of your computer can take photos of documents hanging on your wall,” says Nair, during the media launching of Kaspersky Lab’s updated security solutions in Makati City.

This is possible through spyware or malware used by hackers to remotely control the functions of someone else’s personal computer or laptop and even mobile devices.

Spyware is a software used by hackers to gather computer users’ personal data, including videos, without their consent. Through spyware, hackers can also steal personal

information and even financial data such as bank accounts.

The Consumer IT Security Risks Survey 2015 commissioned by Kaspersky Lab, a cybersecurity company, found that 49 percent of respondents do not trust their own webcams for fear that they may be used to spy on device owners.

Nair says 60 percent of respondents fear being spied over by own devices, including being looked at through webcam.

He says around 14 percent of Internet users had their online accounts hacked. About 43 percent also faced various online threats that aimed to access the users’ money.

In fact, he says about 21 percent of adults lost data or money online.

Children are also vulnerable. Nair says for a 12-month period, 22 percent of Internet users faced some kind of cyber threat on the web.

Nair says Kaspersky Lab, a vendor of IT security solutions, blocked nearly 3.7 million attempts to infect computers over the years.

He says the latest versions of Kaspersky Internet Security, Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security-Multi-Device aredesigned to protect Filipino home users’ privacy, data, identity, money and the device itself.

“We protect the privacy, we protect the money, we protect your kids,” he says.

He says the new solutions include updated technologies ensuring that users are protected whatever they do on their devices online and whichever platforms they choose, whether Windows, OS X or Android.

Nair says Kaspersky Lab’s security product suites have updated privacy features that include private browsing, change control, privacy cleaner and webcam protection.

He says the webcam protection feature prevents the interception of images from the webcam, notifies users when it is accessed by legitimate applications and gives the opportunity to block access to the camera. Roderick T. dela Cruz

B4

world

Palestinian students cover their faces with the trademark chequerred keffiyeh and hold up axes as a fellow protester waves a national flag (R) during an anti-Israel protest in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah following a wave of stabbings that has hit Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank along with violent protests in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, leading to warnings that a full-scale Palestinian uprising, or third intifada, could erupt. AFP

Israel-PalestInIan vIolence flares

DeaDly violence between Israel and the Palestinians flared Friday as a Jewish holy site was torched in the West Bank, prompting a “very concerned” US President Barack Obama to call for calm.

More than two weeks of violence have sparked concerns of a full-scale uprising and Obama called on both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to tamp down inflammatory rhetoric.

The arson attack on Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus came as Palestinians called for a “Friday of revolution” against Israel and as clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip saw Israeli fire kill two Palestinians and wound 98.

Another Palestinian died in clashes in Beit Furik near Nablus, while a Palestinian disguised as a

news photographer stabbed and wounded a soldier before being shot dead outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Seven Israelis have been killed and dozens wounded in the violence so far, while 37 Palestinians have died and hundreds more been wounded in clashes.

In the Palestinian uprisings of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, thousands were killed and many more wounded in near-daily violence.

Israeli security forces have de-

ployed massively in Jerusalem after two weeks of attacks in the city and across Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, under pressure over recent comments that some have labelled incitement, quickly condemned the fire at Joseph’s Tomb, which many Jews believe to be the final resting place of the biblical patriarch Joseph.

Muslims believe an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yussef (Joseph) Dawiqat was buried there two centuries ago.

The shrine is under Palestinian control and off-limits to Israelis except on escorted trips organised by the army. video showed what looked like an extensive blaze, and the Israeli

army called it “a despicable act” of desecration.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Obama said “we are very concerned about the outbreak of violence.”

“It’s important for both (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu... and President Abbas and other people in positions of power, to try to tamp down rhetoric that may feed violence or anger or misunderstanding,” Obama said.

“Over time, the only way that Israel is going to be truly secure, and the only way the Palestinians will be able to meet the aspirations of their people, is if they are two states living side by side in peace and security.” AFP

12 Migrants drown as boat sinks off turkey TWelve migrants drowned Saturday when their boat sank off the Turkish coast as they were seeking to reach Greece, while around 25 others were rescued, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The Turkish coastguard recovered the bodies from the wooden boat, which had sailed from northwest Turkey’s seaside town of Ayvalik headed for the Greek island of lesbos, the Turkish news agency said.

The rescuers managed to save about two dozen others on board the sinking boat who had called for help on their cellphones, Turkish media reported.

Anatolia did not indicate the migrants’ nationalities.

Turkey has been swamped with an influx of refugees due mainly to

the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

More than 3,000 migrants and refugees have died while trying to get to europe this year, most of them drowning in the Mediterranean.

With many refugees currently failing to lodge asylum requests upon arriving in Greece, fearing they will be trapped in the recession-hit country, the european union’s top migration official warned that a recent deal to share out refugees in the bloc could flounder.

On Friday the eu’s much-hyped deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants looked shaky after Ankara said Brussels had offered too little money to cope with the two and half million Syrians who have sought refugee on Turkish soil. AFP

a group of migrants cross the border before Hungarian soldiers closed the border between Hungary and croatia in zakany on october 16, 2015. the border between Hungary and croatia has been closed to “illegal” migrants, the Hungarian government said. AFP

Mexico drug lord guzMan eludes capture

FuGITIve drug kingpin Joaquin “el Chapo” Guzman eluded an operation to recapture him in northwestern Mexico in recent days, injuring his leg and face, authorities said, as the manhunt heats up.

Authorities said Friday that efforts to nab Guzman, who embarrassed President enrique Pena Nieto with his brazen July jailbreak, have focused on the northwest region in the past few weeks after foreign governments shared intelligence.

“Due to these actions and to avoid his arrest, the fugitive escaped in a hurry (in recent days), which according to the information that was collected, caused him injuries to his leg and face,” the government said in a statement.

“It is important to specify that these injuries were not the product of a direct clash,” it said, without specifying the extent of the injuries or how authorities know he was hurt.

Authorities also did not say exactly where and when the operation took place, but raids have reportedly occurred in the neighboring states of Durango and Sinaloa.

The government said it was continuing operations to capture the Sinaloa drug cartel boss, who has been captured and escaped prison twice, most recently on July 11 by crawling down a hole in his cell’s shower that led to a huge tunnel.

The governor of Sinaloa said Wednesday that special forces had conducted raids in Tamazula, Durango. AFP

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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

US to give aid, intel in fight vS boko haram THe imminent deployment of 300 US soldiers in Cameroon is intended to provide nations around Lake Chad with what they most lack in the battle against Boko Haram: reliable intelligence.

On Thursday and Friday, suicide bombers from the Islamist sect slew dozens of people in attacks on Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria, where the radical movement first emerged. The insurgency has claimed at least 17,000 lives since 2009.

Cameroon, Chad and Niger, which all have borders with Nigeria in the Lake Chad region, have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

Nigeria’s neighbours have each been hit by bombers, often women or adolescent girls, who detonate their devices in crowded places such as open markets. Bans on concealing clothes, searches and close scrutiny have prevented some attacks, but others come without warning.

National intelligence services are historically best known for monitoring the activities of the domestic opposition, rather than tackling threats from the likes of Boko Haram, whose violence has uprooted about 2.5 million people.

Heads of state in the Lake Chad region have several times pleaded for international assistance to the multinational task force created this year to take the war to the enemy.

France already provides some forms of intelligence. Paris has deployed a strong military presence on the ground, including Operation Barkhane, with its headquarters in the Chadian capital N’Djamena, set up to fight jihadists in the Sahel. AFP

Syrian army beginS offenSive near aleppo Syrian troops backed by russian air power and allied militias opened a new front Friday against rebels around the second city of aleppo, where Washington said up to 2,000 iran-backed forces were deployed.

The offensive came as Turkey said it had downed a drone of unknown origin that violated its airspace close to the Syrian border, and a monitor said the death toll in the conflict had risen to more than 250,000.

The Aleppo offensive is the fourth that President Bashar alAssad’s regime has launched since Moscow began an air campaign on September 30.

Control of Aleppo city, once the country’s economic hub, has been divided between the regime and rebels since mid-2012.

The front lines there and in the surrounding countryside have long been static.

A security source said the operation in southern Aleppo province was backed by Russian strikes and fighters from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia.

A US official said as many as 2,000 Iranian and Iran-backed forces were aiding the offensive.

The joint command for the Aleppo operation said the army had begun operations on the western and southern outskirts of Aleppo “to liberate you from the armed terrorist groups.”

‘Dozens’ of Russian strikes The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the regime had taken control of two villages so far, and that Russian

warplanes were pounding two others.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said Russia had carried out dozens of strikes on the area, which is controlled by a patchwork of rebel groups, including moderates, Islamists and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

A US-designated “terrorist”, a member of Al-Nusra, Saudi national Sanafi al-Nasr was killed in an air strike in Aleppo province along with two other senior Al-Nusra members, the Observatory said.

However, it was not clear if the strike was carried out by Russian or US-led warplanes, it said.

The Aleppo fighting comes a day after government forces began an operation north of Homs city, which lies in the centre of the country and is largely under government control.

The Observatory said all but 17 of the 60 people killed in the fighting Thursday were civilians.

Since Syrian forces began ground operations in tandem with Russian air strikes on October 7, their focus has appeared to be a stretch of highway between Aleppo and Homs.

Syrian forces have also sought to reinforce the coastal province of Latakia, a regime stronghold, fighting rebels in the north of the province.

Moscow says its strikes have targeted the Islamic State group and other “terrorists” but rebels and their backers accuse Russia of targeting moderate and Islamist opposition forces rather than IS. US President Barack Obama warned Russia Friday they could not “bomb their way” to a peaceful solution in Syria. AFP

A video grab made on October 14, 2015, shows an image taken from a footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry’s official website, purporting to show explosions after airstrikes carried out by Russian air force on what Russia says was an Islamic State facility in the vicinity of the city of Aleppo. Russian jets hit 40 Islamic State targets in new strikes in Syria over the past 24 hours, destroying several ammunition depots and training camps, the defence ministry said on October 14. AFP

Japan pm offerS gift to tokyo war Shrine

Shinto priests stand in a line before entering to the main shrine as they administer a Shinto rite “Kiyoharai” on the first day of the three-day autumn festival at the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine seen by neighbouring countries as a symbol of Tokyo’s militarist past. AFP

JAPAN’S Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Saturday made a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine seen by neighbouring countries as a symbol of Tokyo’s militarist past.

Abe donated a sacred “masakaki” tree bearing his name as prime minister to coincide with the start of the four-day autumn festival at the shrine in central Tokyo, a shrine official said.

But he will likely stop short of visiting in person, local media said, ahead of his planned visit to Seoul for a trilateral summit scheduled on November 1 with South Korea and China.

Abe is also expected to

hold his first official bilateral meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on the sidelines of the summit, Kyodo News and other reports said.

His visit to the war shrine would infuriate neighbouring countries, especially China and South Korea, where the site is seen as a potent symbol of Japan’s lack of penitence over its aggression during the first half of the 20th century.

The Yasukuni shrine honours Japan’s war dead, including some senior military and political figures convicted of serious crimes in the wake of the country’s World War II defeat.

The accompanying museum also paints Japan as a frustrated liberator of Asia and victim of the war.

Abe and other nationalists say the Yasukuni shrine is merely a place to remember fallen soldiers and compare it with Arlington National Cemetery in the United States.

But Abe’s pilgrimage to the shrine in December 2013 sparked fury in Asia and earned him a diplomatic slap on the wrist from the United States, which said it was “disappointed”.

Scores of conservative lawmakers, possibly including cabinet ministers, are expected to go to the shrine to mark the autumn festival on Tuesday. AFP

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S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

FIL-JORDANIAN GIVES RED CUBS ADDED BITE

By Peter Atencio

Fil-Jordanian Sam Abuhijle (16) of the San Beda Red Cubs battles Arellano University Braves counterpart Lars Sunga (4) for the rebound. The 17-year-old center has emerged as one of the more important players of the dominant San Beda Red Cubs this season. PETER ATENCIO

SEASON 91 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association could be a great year for Fil-Jordanian Sam Abuhijle, who has emerged as one of the more important players of the dominant San Beda Red Cubs.

PHILIPPINES SOON TO EXPORT BASKETBALL DREAMS TO BRUNEI

With Abuhijle submitting team high numbers in points and rebounds, the reigning six-peat champion San Beda clinched the first finals berth with an 18-game elimination round sweep and awaits the challenger to their NCAA throne.

This is Abuhijle’s first year playing for the Red Cubs after he spent time in Team B in the previous years. He showed how ready he was to play in the NCAA last summer when San Beda-Taytay made it to the semifinals of the Palarong Pambansa secondary boys basketball action while representing the Calabarzon region.

Abuhijle has come a long

By Reuel Vidal

Fil-Jordanian Sam Abuhijle (16) of the San Beda Red Cubs leads teammates and school officials as they sing the San Beda College Hymn after another victory in the National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors basketball tournament. PETER ATENCIO

way from where he started six years ago. He joined organized sports as a 10-yearold playing football while in school at 7 Pillars Catholic School in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

Friends took notice of his height and introduced him to the game of basketball.

He started playing pick-up games and immediately got hooked.

“Mga barkada ko sa school ang nagyaya, Laru-laro lang.

Larong kalye. Doon nagsimula,” he said.

He joined the tryouts, became part of the grade school team and found himself playing for the elementary boys

Coach Ali Temmar of Jerudong International School of Brunei (center) talks to coach Beaujing Acot (right) and The Standard Assistant Sports Editor Reuel Vidal about having Pinoy Youth Dreamers help Brunei children become better basketball players.

team of Calabarzon in the Palarong Pambansa.

In high school, he was accepted to the San Beda-Taytay’s varsity team. He suited up for Team B in his first two years.

When the Red Cubs defeated the Arellano Braves, 80-76, last Oct. 1, Abuhijle celebrated his 17th birthday with a bang.

He played his best game in this season, drilling 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Last Oct. 5, Abuhijle led the Red Cubs to the NCAA finals where they have a chance to seek their seventh consecutive crown in the

junior division again.

He laid low in that game, gave way to another big man Germy Mahinay.

Abuhijle had only four points and four rebounds as the Red Cubs completed an 18-game sweep of their elimination assignment at the expense of the Letran Squires, 76-67, at the Arena in San Juan.

Abuhijle though remains one of the team’s top candidates for the Mythical Five as well as Most Valuable Player.

For 18 games, Abuhijle averaged 11.94 points and 9.28 rebounds.

“Sam has been steady the whole season,” said Red Cubs coach JB Sison.

Abuhijle played his best game this season against the Arellano University Braves. But the hero of that game was Eduardo “Addie” Velasquez who was in foul trouble going into the fourth quarter of their game against the Braves last Oct. 1 won by San Beda, 80-76.

Abuhijle dominated the scoring and rebounding battle but it was Velasquez who scored the pivotal basket. Abuhijle grabbed the rebound and fed Velasquez the basketball for the important shot.

Arellano’s Lars Sunga missed his attempt and

Abuhuijle collected the rebound and rifled a long pass to teammate Velasquez who popped a quick three from the top of the key in the last 30.4 seconds.

Velasquez scored only five points during the 19 minutes he played and had only three rebounds. But his basket broke a 76-all deadlock and sent the Red Cubs on their way for their 17th consecutive victory.

The Braves had a chance to tie the game but Sunga committed a travelling error while getting hounded by Velasquez in the ensuing play.

Sunga then committed an unsportsmanlike foul as he tried to stop John Lagumen, who split his charity before time expired.

Meanwhile, Arellano University leaned on Guillmer dela Torre’s free throws and its key defensive stops in the stretch as it downed La Salle-Greenhills, 75-74, to stay in the title hunt.

Dela Torre drained two free throws with 41.7 seconds to go and then the Braves shut down the Junior Blazers the rest of the way to arrange another knockout showdown, this time against the second-seeded Mapua Red Robins on Tuesday for the right to play the San Beda Cubs in the finals.

COACH Beaujing Acot established Pinoy Youth Dreamers (PYD) as a non-profit foundation with the goal to teach the youth the proper way to play basketball which can be a means to a better future.

Because the Philippine is held in such high esteem in Southeast Asia, coach Ali Temmar of Jerudong International School (JIS) of Brunei flew to the Philippines to undergo a three-day immersion program in basketball coaching with the foundation.

Jerudong International School is a well-respected boarding and day school in Brunei for children aged three to 18 years.

Coach Temmar is in charge of setting up a comprehensive program for the sport of basketball in the school. He came to the Philippines to learn as much as he could about the sport.

He spent Day One brainstorming with coach Acot and his staff about the PYD coaching system and philosophy.

Coach Temmar then visited the tune up game between the GlobalPort Batang Pier and Barako Bull Energy in Green Meadows gym morning of Day Two. He had lunch with the coaching staff of GlobalPort and exchanged ideas with head coach Pido Jarencio and assistant coach Bonnie Tan. After lunch coach he visited the training of Meralco Bolts, met Hall of Fame coach Norman Black and watched the Meralco coaching staff prepare for the game. Coach Temmar was amazed with the level of detail during the preparation of the Meralco Bolts for their tune up game the next day against the Alaska Aces.

Coach Temmar watched the practice game between the Bolts and the Aces at the Gatorade Hoops Center on Day Three. He was able to see different systems of coach Black and Alaska Aces head coach Alex Compton. During the course of the game coach Temmar and coach Acot exchanged ideas and discussed the game adjustments of both coaches.

PYD has been helping the youth with extensive training and outreach programs. One of the highlights of the program is a chance for the players to represent the country and play in international competition. PYD program is under the wings of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and also supported by the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines.

Filipinos just love basketball and only need a chance in order to excel. It just takes a good program to help them develop the skills of good basketball players.

Coach Acot noted that children from private schools like Xavier School or La Salle, who have good basketball programs, have an advantage over children who could not afford to go to these schools.

That is what PYD will give the less fortunate children.

It will give them the proper foundation in the basics of the sport as well as the proper attitude that will help them become the best basketball players they can be.

Pinoy Youth Dreamers has an existing partnership with the MVP Basketball Academy of Malaysia. And now a partnership with Brunei will soon be worked out.

Coach Temmar wants coach Acot as team consultant for JIS. One of the initiatives they could do is to bring players from Brunei here in Manila to train under PYD coaches and watch PBA games live. He also wants coach Acot to bring PBA coaches to conduct basketball camps in Brunei.

Pinoy Youth Dreamers was established to teach the youth the proper way to play basketball which can be a means to a better future. A validation of how well it has been doing its job is that it will soon be going to Brunei to help children there as well.

S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

B7

PBA GREATS PAY TRIBUTE TO

THE MAESTRO

By Eddie Alinea

BRILLIANT, a disciplinarian, a leader of men, a great coach and yet so humble.

That’s how former PBA commisioneer Chito Salud, present-day coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black. former coaching arch-rival Dante Silverio and former players describe legendary caoch Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan, who will celebrate his 92nd birthday on Monday.

“How can someone be so self effacing yet loom so large in the consciousness and esteem of the Philippine basketball community?

How can someone who seemingly operated largely on the basis of feel, touch diskarte and intuition be so successful in such a highly competitive sport?” Salud, now the president and CEO of the country’s only professional league said in a text message.

“The answer is because he is Baby Dalupan,” Salud added. “His understated ways, his uncanny feel for the sport and for the players as well as his enduring humility will always serve as a reminder and lesson to all of us that the sport of basketball need not be complicated. Thank you, coach Baby.”

Barangay Ginebra coach Cone, who broke Dalupan’s 15-title reign in the PBA, believes the man they call “The Maestro” could have been a great coach in any era “because he is just a great leader of man. What a great man ... what great daughters he raised. such loving family. “ Cone, who spent his first 20 yeras on the bench with Alaska Milk and the only coach, so far, to capture two Grandslams, was referring to Baby’s and Nenang’s angels Louie, Binky, Ebing, Tina, Ann, Joe and Cecille who pooled their efforts and resources to publish a book in honor of their father,

to be launched in a meaningful ceremony on Oct. 19, which will be the highlight of Dalupan’s 92d birthday.

“Nenang,” of course, is Baby’s wife Lourdes (nee Gaston) sister of former Ateneo teammate Jose Maria (Pepet).

“Rarely a day goes by that I don’t think about him. I’m excited for his book and for his legacy being revisited by a younger generation,” Cone said of the man he idolizes.

“Coach Dalupan is a good, decent person,” Robert Jaworski, Dalupan’s pupil while playing for the UE Warriors in the 60s, for his part, said. “He’s someone worth playing for, because of his passion to win was always on high mode.”

“Moreover, he was also humble.

May God Bless him wih great love from whose relations he treasures.

I wish him peace of mind and heart and better health on his birthday onward to many more birthdays,” Jaworski, “the Big-J,” or “Jawo” to his fans and local basketball’s living legend, said.

“Baby was always a gentleman and is deserving of everyone’s respect, considering his unparalelled skill and record as a basketball coach, “ said Domeng Cepeda, a one-time assistant manager of Crispa’s arch-rival Toyota during the PBA’s infant years, even as he, likewise, relayed Silverio’s birthday greetings.

Legendary coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan: The Maestro turns 92.

Silverio, on the opposite bench of Dalupan in their many battles for PBA supremacy in the early years of he pro-league, incidentally, celebrated his 78th birthday last Oct. 17.

Other former players such as William “Bogs” Adornado, Atoy Co, Ramon Fernandez, Jimmy Mariano and Alvin Parimonio also paid tribute to Dalupan’s greatness.

“Like many other players who played under Coach Baby, I consider him very brilliant in all aspects of basketball,” said Adonado, who won three of his PBA

MVP awards under Dalupan, “Ang galing bumasa ng situwasyon at dumiskarte lalo sa pagpaasok at pagpalit ng tao.”

“We at Crispa then, didn’t have a regular starting five. Pipili na lang si coach ng starters nya pag nakita ang first five ng kalaban,” he attested. “For several times nga, he started me as a point-guard and I couldn’t do anything but to play well in that position.”

Black agreed, saying Coach Baby is a master of players’ substitution.

“His high standard of coaching is what all he present coaches like

myself are trying to achieve.”

“I played for coach Baby in 1983 and he, not only was so good of motivating players, but was also solid with the X and Os as well.”added Black, who coaches the Meralco Bolts.

Co, Patrimonio, Mariano and Patrimonio, a Purefoods mainstay in Baby’s last year in coaching, on the other hand, swore to have been witnesses to their Dalupan’s strict disciplines.

“Coach Baby is no. 1 on my list (as coach),” Fernandez, Jaworski’slongime teammate at Toyota, said.

ODOM REGAINS CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER BROTHEL BINGE LAMAR Odom, the two-time NBA champion and reality TV star fighting for his life after a brothel binge, regained consciousness in a Las Vegas hospital and was speaking Friday, his aunt’s spokeswoman said.

Odom gave a “thumbsup” to doctors and said a few words to them, Alvina Alston, publicist for Odom’s aunt JaNean Mercer, told AFP. The 35-year-old Odom was hospitalized and had been on a life-supporting ventilator since Tuesday, when he was found unconscious at the Love Ranch brothel outside Las Vegas.

Daniel Artest, a longtime friend of Odom and brother of Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace—formerly Ron Artest—tweeted that Odom “did a little talking (and) breathing on his own,” after being taken off the ventilator.

LAS VEGAS (second from left) Former NBA player Lamar Odom’s aunt JaNean Mercer, son Lamar Odom Jr. and Liza Morales exit through a back door after visiting Lamar Odom at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

“Prayer really works!!!!!” tweeted Artest, shortly after describing Odom’s condition as

“still critical but stable.”

Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly has said officers who re-

sponded to an emergency call were told Odom had used cocaine and sexual performance enhancer supplements.

An employee who called 911 said Odom was unresponsive with blood and “white stuff” dripping from his nose and mouth.

Amid an outpouring of support from former NBA teammates and with his estranged wife Khloe Kardashian at his side, Odom was reported to be making little progress on Wednesday and Thursday.

Some media cited sources as saying he had suffered at least one stroke and possible brain damage or other organ failure.

Kardashian, her sister Kim Kardashian and others in their celebrity clan posted matching statements on their websites saying they would take a break from publishing content on their various media platforms as they focus

on Odom’s recovery.

“As a family, we’ve decided to hold off on publishing content across our apps while we continue to support and pray for Lamar,” the statement said.

“Thank you for you kindness and understanding during this difficult time.”

Odom married Khloe Kardashian in 2009 in a splashy televised wedding. She filed for divorce in 2013, but the split wasn’t immediately finalized and she reportedly remains his next of kin, able to make medical decisions on his behalf.

Odom’s Kardashian connection gained him even wider fame than the two NBA titles he won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

Odom, who earned Olympic bronze with the USA at the Athens Games, last played in the NBA in 2013.

B8

S U N D AY : O c t O b e r 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

rierA U. MAllAri EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

sports

Motivation fuels by ronnie Nathanielsz

Donaire

FIVE-DIVISION world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is training very hard for his scheduled fight on Dec. 12, although the contract hasn’t been finalized.

Dodong Donaire, the father/trainer of Nonito, told The Standard/boxingmirror. com, that they are currently training in Las Vegas.

“He (Nonito) told me the fight will push through,” the elder Donaire said.

The opponent of Donaire, who is ranked No. 2 by the World Boxing Organization, is set to face No. 1-ranked Cesar Juarez of Mexico, the reigning WBO International

champion, who won the title against Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. Juarez has a record 17-3 with 13 knockouts and is 24 years old, compared to Donaire, who is 33 and has a record of 35-3 with 23 knockouts.

Donaire is coming off back-to-back TKO victories, winning the North American Boxing Federation title with a second-round TKO over

7 col x 10 cm

William Prado of Brazil on March 28, before overcoming Frenchman Anthony Settoul, the former European champion, also in two rounds in Macau on July 18.

“Nonito is doing good.

He’s motivated and when I see him train, I notice he is more motivated than before.

He is dedicated and working hard,” said Dodong.

The elder Donaire said they have been going eight rounds on the punch mitts, but they haven’t begin sparring yet because it’s too early.

Meanwhile, Dodong said the only fighter he is worried about now is Jason Pagara in the ALA Promotions-ABSCBN’s inaugural venture in the US at a fight card in

How do you want your news served today? www.thestandard.com.ph

StubHub Center in Carson City, California on Sunday.

Jason (36-2, 22 KOs), who is ranked No. 2 light welterweight by the World Boxing Organization, faces Nicaragua’s Santos Benavides, who has a record of 19 knockouts in 25 wins with 7 losses and 2 draws, but Donaire indicated the Nicaraguan is a heavyhanded fighter and the Filipino will need to be careful.

However, the elder Pagara has sparred with undefeated Maurice “Might Mo” Hooker (18-0-2, 14 KOs) and done well, according to ALA Gym head trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor.

Donaire said that WBO light flyweight champion

NoNito DoNaire is eyeiNg a thirD straight wiN iN December.

Donnie Nietes’ eighth title defense against Mexican champion Juan Alejo “is going to be a good fight, but Donnie is a a very experienced fighter and should win.”

He said IBF Youth featherweight champion Mark Magsayo (13-0, 8 KOs) is a good fighter, but he faces a knockout artist in Yardley Suarez (13-0, 8 KOs) of Mexico and expressed the hope that Magsayo “won’t get careless and leave himself wide open.”

Donaire said unbeaten IBF Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Prince Albert Pagara is one of his favorite fighters.

“But his problem is he’s too eager and wants to go for an early knockout,” Donaire said.

He expressed confidence that should ALA Promotions get him a title fight, he can beat any of the 122-pound

champions including IBF champion Carl Frampton.

He said Prince Albert has almost the same style as Frampton, but like Magsayo, is “sometimes too eager and wants to go in and get an early knockout.”

Prince Albert (24-0, 17 KOs) faces Nicaragua’s talented southpaw William Gonzalez (27-5-0, 23 KOs), who is quick, throws solid 1-2 combinations and likes to come forward in what many believe will be the toughest fight of the evening for the Ala boxers.

Donaire expressed disappointment that his FilAmerican prospect, super featherweight Adam Fiel (60, 2 KOs) had to be pulled out of the card because all three of his opponents including the latest Edgar Valero had withdrawn, leaving Fiel for whom he has been trying hard to get a fight, out in the cold.

S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 8 : 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

C1

IS EDUCATION BETTER AT HOME? CAROTID ARTERY

BY TATUM ANCHETA “Do you have kids?” is the usual dreaded question I get during toddler birthdays and christenings.

My usual robotic answer is “Hell NO,” and then a laugh.

I think for now I’m okay having my nieces and nephews. When they start to scream, be all gooey and say the words “Ninang poo-poo,” I can just call my brothers to get their kids. I’m content with having a dog; he eats, sleeps, poops, chews on every furniture I have at home, and the easiest part is I can just leave him with a bowl of food and water and he’s okay. With kids you have a whole new breathing soul to think of – will they turn out okay, who will his friends be, is he/she going to be safe, what will his education be like.

Parents are kids’ first teachers and they play a big role in their child’s education from their formative years until they reach adulthood. These days, there is much debate on how and where to get your kids’ education – public schools, private schools, international schools and so on.

In a recent launch event, I sat beside Mafae Belasco (former Miss Philippines beauty queen, now CEO of Belasco Unlimited Skills Academy). She’s currently in her second trimester and we started to chat about kids and she talked about their home school education.

“Home School,” coming from a traditional education, I have no clue how homeschooling works.

All of a sudden pictures of Jaden and Willow Smith invaded my thoughts. I wondered if her kids also whip their hair back and forth and talk like they are aliens in their own planet.

“There’s my son Nico,” pointing at a tall teenage boy holding a DSLR and interviewing one of the event’s brand spokespersons, “he’s 15, and he’s my photographer for my blog, he’s currently taking

“So far, my kids have been complimented on their respectful manner, maturity of behavior, athletic skills as advanced for their age group. All positive,” shares Mafae. She and her husband (veteran PBA basketball player Nic Belasco) both came from a traditional education system, but decided to start homeschooling for their daughter when their lifestyle required a lot of traveling. “We saw the positive development in her that was different from her three older brothers. She was

levels is set. This is our favorite time because they are all able to discuss together what they have learned. Communication skills is also mastered in this activity,” she shares. According to Mafae, her younger children are expected to have four hours of school work per day and the older get at least six hours. “My older children are independent enough to organize their work within those hour, whereas with my younger children I spend more time attending to their work.” She says that with

A normal day in home school

Mafae’s son Moses working on his daily home school summary. Photo by Nico Belasco

videos for my vlog,” says Mafae.

“What? 15? Imagine what he can be as he grows older!” I said in awe.

I had so many questions then. Our little chit chat started to become an interview. “Is education better at home?” “Won’t kids have a problem socializing?” “How about when they start to work?” “How exactly does it work?” According to Mafae, some even ask, “Do you have a bell you ring at home to notify your kids’ next subject?”

Mafae and daughter Nicci sharing a creative activity outside of homeschooling

more independent, responsible at a young age and curious in learning about everything.”

Mafae has four children, 15, 13, 10 and seven. “Typical day for all would be reading their novel or story book, writing a summary of the chapter, looking for words that they are not familiar with and searching for definitions.

Science and History can be a group work activity and different assignments for the different

home school, everyday schedule varies. “You have the luxury to attend to your child’s emotions if he or she does not want to do a certain subject but is eager to pay attention to another.” So if her kids want to focus on science all day, she lets them.

I feel like she’s opening to me a whole new world, a very interesting one. I always hear about homeschooling especially with kids who have special needs, actors and

athletes whose lifestyles get so busy that they can’t go to a conventional school, but I never really knew how it worked. Throughout history “homeschooling” has been a known practice. Famous personalities who were homeschooled while growing up are author Agatha Christie, tennis star athletes Serena and Venus Williams, Olympic ice skater Michelle Kwan, and inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, just to name a few.

In 2013, Logan Laplante, a 13-year-old boy mesmerized the social media when he talked at a TedxTalk convention about his homeschooling and how “hacking” his education is helping him to achieve happiness in life. He talked about a term he coined as the “hacker mindset.”

He explained that “hackers” are innovators and that they are people who challenge the system to make them more different. “Hacker mindset,” “hack schooling” – I was torn.

He kind of freaked me out a little bit but at the same time I was in awe. Are all homeschooled kids this way?

In 2011, the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science gathered data showing that structured homeschooled children achieved higher standardized scores compared with children attending public school. In other parts of the world, home school has been a growing practice. In the US according to the National Center for Education Statistics, “approximately three percent of the school-age population was homeschooled in (the) 2011-2012 school year.”

Continued on C2

SUNDAY : OCTOB ER 18 : 2015

C2

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PORTRAIT

World Aids Day talk at the US Embassy

An interview during the #protectthegoal campaign with Philippine Azkals and UNAids

At the opening of Loveyourself hub

LOVEYOURSELF

How tragedy has shaped Ronivin Pagtakhan’s advocacy

BY BING PAREL

“I

’m a princess (you know what I mean),” says Ronivin “Vinn” Garcia Pagtakhan, who describes himself as a nurse educator and entrepreneur.

Yes, we certainly get his drift, but Vinn’s lighthearted replies do not in any way diminish his commitment to LoveYourself, a foundation that seeks to spread awareness about HIV and help the community of MSMs (males having sex with males) in preventing the spread of the disease.

Born and raised in Taguig, Vinn grew up in a family that had “a very accepting environment.” As a young man, he was very active in academic and extra curricular activities – the “bibo” boy next door who early on was exposed to a lot of medical missions and outreach activities in their area that his mother and grandfather were involved in.

Intelligent and confident, Vinn obtained his Bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of the Philippines Manila when he was just 18, and his career in the nursing profession got jumpstarted when he did very well in the nursing board exams. “I was invited to teach at Centro Escolar University while taking my masters in nursing at the UP Open University, finishing it at the Philippine Women’s University while preparing for my US license,” he discloses.

A young man in a hurry, Vinn did all that while he worked on the side as a national (nursing) board exam reviewer.

“I had no time to lose, so when I was about to turn 21, I went to the United States and practiced nursing while doing some volunteer work on the side. I stayed there for a while, but I guess there’s really no place like home,” he admits, deciding to come back home

to Manila where he pursued an academic career as a “nurse educator, reviewer, writer, entrepreneur on the side and continued my personal advocacy – helping and sharing in my own little way. Oh, yeah, and I enrolled in medical school and plan to finish indefinitely,” he laughs.

One could say that his life was pretty much complete. “I had a home, a partner, a career; I was giving back to the community, I was happy.”

All this changed in 2009 when his partner for five years passed away due to complications brought about by juvenile diabetes.

“He was my home and my partner in crime since we have the same passion, spending our free time organizing outreach activities in boys town, hospice homes, home for the golden gays.”

Devastated – Vinn certainly was.

But instead of wallowing in misery, he channeled all his energy into working, eventually finding meaning and solace in the new blooming social media platform that was Twitter. “It was so engaging and I felt like I was reaching a lot of people, (so) I created the hashtag #twitternurse with my user handle @twitrnurse,” he says, adding that Twitter and hashtags were not as ubiquitous as they have become in the Philippines today. One could say that Vinn bloomed in adversity because pretty soon, he was able to gather around 500,000 followers, surpassing physical limitations as he was able to reach out to more people to talk to them about health, nursing and wellness utilizing social media platforms.

Many were quick to notice his online advocacy. In 2011, his #twitternurse

Vinn received the award for Loveyourself for Top Advocacy Meg Magazine Awards 2013

advocacy saw him receiving the “nurse of the year” award from the Shorty Awards (a yearly event considered as the social media Oscars that gives recognition to people and groups who produce the best content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Vine, and the rest of the social Web) which gained for him several thousands more as followers.

More questions from followers soon poured in, with the inquiries starting to change from healthcare and nursing to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted illnesses. “Then, a few of my friends started sero-converting (becoming people living with HIV). This ignited the fire; I felt that I could do more and that started my personal advocacy to fight HIV/AIDS. I planned and prepared for something bigger because my gut tells me there are a lot of people who, just like me, want to help the community but don’t have the venue to do so,” he shares.

“So one hopeful day, I met with some friends and friends of friends and presented them my idea of creating a foundation and my hopes of one day building a community

Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Foundation awardee

center to help other MSMs and the youth.”

And that, he says, was how LoveYourself was born.

While chastity is the surefire way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, Vinn is practical enough to know the virtual impossibility of imposing that to the young generation, and so groups like LoveYourself advocate safe sex and focus on spreading awareness of HIV especially among the youth.

“My advocacy is very close to my heart. I may not be a person living with HIV but I am affected by it. It’s in my circle and there’s this fire inside telling me that I need to do something about it,” he avers. But while it may take a bit more time before Vinn gets to finish his medical degree (“I think I’ll forever be in med school since I am juggling my career, advocacies and studies”), this young man who displays such infectious optimism and verve is hopeful that in three years, he will be able to build the community center he’s been dreaming about – with a lot of help from friends and supporters who believe in his advocacy.

IS EDUCATION BETTER AT HOME? From C1

In the Philippines, its educational outcomes still remain unclear.

“There’s still no solid research on this in the Philippines as the home school movement is still fairly young,” explains Edric Mendoza, president of The Master’s Academy (TMA). TMA is a Christian organization focused on providing comprehensive home school services to over a thousand students across 24 different countries, from pre-school through high school. This is also the institution where Mafae gets her support for her kids’ homeschooling.

According to Edric, In the Philippines, there are approximately 10,000 homeschooled students.

“It has been growing at

approximately 11 percent every year for the past five years.” In TMA, homeschooled students have been growing at 30 percent every year for the past five years.

“Observationally, the students turn out well, even better than most conventional school students,” adds Edric. “The key to successful homeschooling is shaping the child’s character and values whilst covering all the academic requirements. If this is done well, then their ability to adapt to any of life’s circumstances is outstanding, including corporate or institutional structure.”

Is homeschooling for everyone?

Edric points out that with homeschooling you have more

time to influence the children through a customized curriculum/ learning environment, plus it gives more flexibility for the entire family. Kids can travel and vacation anytime they want.

However, homeschooling is a commitment. “It takes up much more time of the parents as they do the teaching,” he adds. “If a parent is not modeling the right behavior or character well, all their flaws are magnified since their child is with them most of the time.” It can also be a challenge. Parents have to be resourceful and committed in a development plan for their child so they don’t fall behind in physical and social development.

Edric Mendoza, president of The Master’s Academy Homeschool

TMA’s team composed of former corporate executives and managers from various multinationals, as well as homeschool veterans and leaders

“My children and I are closer than ever,” adds Mafae. “Our home has become a safety shelter for all, it has given us the comfort to trust each other more. My children are vocal in wanting to know things at different stages in their life and it feels

comforting for a parent to be asked the questions that are crucial for their growth.” She ends, “The best teachers a child can have are their parents, so why not spend their first five,10 or 15 years of their youth together? It is not for all but it is worth a try.”

SUNDAY : OCTOB ER 18 : 2015

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Hosts of GMA 7’s Unang Hirit, Lyn Ching-Pascual, Love Añover, Susan Enriquez, Luane Dy and Tonypet charmed the Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer participants for this year, with the theme “I Share the Fight Against Breast Cancer.”

@LIFEatStandard

C3

Sharing the fight with Avon Philippines in fighting against breast cancer are (from left) Josie Gonzales, AVP for Corporate and Government Affairs, Ford Philippines; Dr. Rachel Rosario, Executive Director, Philippine Cancer Society; Dr. Gemma Crisostomo, Board of Trustee, Philippine Cancer Society; Linda and Rocco Nacino, Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer 2015 Ambassadors; Emie Aguilar-Nierves, General Manager, Avon Philippines; Jennylyn Mercado, Avon Fashions Intimate Apparel Ambassador and Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer 2015 Ambassador; Steven Tan, vice president of SM Supermalls; Jenina Borlaza, Talent Acquisition Director of UnitedHealth Group; Faith Fernandez-Mondejar, Director for Communications, Asia Pacific and Philippines, Avon; Joreen Apuyan-Trostle, GMA7

AVON WALKS THE TALK IN FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER

A

s Avon commemorated 10 years of the Avon Walk in the Philippines, over 20,000 participants joined Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer ambassadors Jennylyn Mercado, Rocco Nacino and his mother Linda in a walk and run event at the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds with the theme, “I Share the Fight Against Breast Cancer.”

Showing that it walks the talk, Avon, the company for women, sends a strong statement that there’s no greater purpose than for people to lend their strength and courage to buoy up and keep the hopes up of those affected by the disease.

As Avon Philippines’ general manager Emie Aguilar-Nierves – who has been all out in supporting this crusade – said, “Everyone can fall victim to breast cancer.

The good news, however, is that everyone can take part and be of help in this journey.”

“With early detection, sufficient awareness and the adequate support of committed parties, we are given the chance to successfully win this fight,” she added.

KGBC ambassador Jennylyn Mercado also expressed gratitude at the opportunity to do something meaningful, saying “I have found a deeper purpose in my role as an Avon Intimate Apparel ambassador.

Beyond making women feel beautiful and confident with the Avon products, we want to send a message

Cancer survivors are happy and thankful to know that thousands supported and shared the fight against breast cancer with them.

Thousands of participants from all walks of life get physical and warm up to prepare for Avon’s Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer walk event. 2015 marks a very special occasion by celebrating the 10th anniversary of the annual walk event on October 10 – 10th on the 10/10.

that we can beat breast cancer with the support of everyone.”

Jennylyn also reiterated her pledge to sell 20,000 Pink Ribbon Bras to support the cause. Proceeds of this specially designed intimate apparel will go towards maintaining the PGH Breast Care Center.

“We thank God, our friends, our families and everyone who supported us during our difficult times. It feels

51Talk honors inspiring lives of e-Educators

Participants write their pledges in the fight against breast cancer.

Representatives from Bahay Aruga also came to show their commitment in the fight against breast cancer.

great to do good to others, especially to those who are affected by breast cancer,” Rocco Nacino expressed.

Now everyone is aware that his mom Linda is a breast cancer survivor who has been cancer-free for 16 years. She recently launched her own “Piso Para sa Chemo” – a coin drive using empty water bottles, which benefits breast cancer patients at the PGH Breast Care Center.

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ilipinos are known for their facility in the English language, and many are gifted with the ability to teach the language. In fact, more Filipinos are becoming home-based teachers, utilizing technology to teach online. By teaching English, Filipinos are helping empower many citizens all over the world.

51Talk – the online English Language Teaching (ELT) platform in China and the Philippines that created thousands of jobs for home-based teachers, celebrated National Teachers’ Month through an online contest #51TalkTeacherStory featuring stories and experiences of their e-Educators.

Rocco Nacino, Avon’s Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer 2015 Ambassador, led the crowd during the 10K run at the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds to further raise breast cancer awareness in the country.

To date, Linda has been able to turn over P53,000.00 worth of cash donation to patients at the PGH Breast Care Center with the help of Rocco’s fans, their family, and friends. An additional P25,000.00 is on its way to be handed over to patients before the month ends.

“Through KGBC, I am able to empower others by sharing my own experiences. Avon has become an Some 250 entries from all over the Philippines were submitted and screened for judging.

“With their commendable communication skills, Filipinos are proven to be one of the best teachers of the English language,” shared Jen Que, vice president for Philippine operations. “It was hard picking the top three entries. We admire their patience, passion, and perseverance in making a difference in the lives of our students and providing for their families.”

Winning first place is Teacher Moyee, who helped one of her students overcome his nervousness through her lessons in English. That student eventually moved to Australia

avenue for me to motivate breast cancer patients to fight and believe they are beautiful and strong, no matter what,” said Linda.

Also joining Jennylyn, Rocco and Linda in the walk against breast cancer were representatives of other partners like the Philippine Cancer Society, Philippine General Hospital, GMA Network, SM Mall of Asia, SM Cares, Ford Philippines, and UnitedHealth Group.

GMA-7’s Lyn Ching-Pascual, Love Añover, Susan Enriquez, Luane Dy and Tonypet Gaba hosted the much-awaited annual event, highlighting Avon’s 13th year in the fight against breast cancer advocacy in the Philippines.

Since its launch in 1992, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has donated more than $815 million through 2013 to breast cancer programs in over 50 countries for research and advancing access to care, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Over six million Avon independent sales representatives around the world not only raise funds for breast cancer programs, but also provide a global army of educators, offering information and raising awareness around the world.

The Philippines has been identified as having the highest incidence rate of breast cancer in the whole of Asia, with one out of every 13 Filipino women falling victim to this disease. to pursue a master’s degree. The second placer is Teacher Lilydale, a single mother and an online English educator. Teaching online has been a fulfilling job for her as it helps provide for the family while being at home with her kid. At third place is Teacher Amorlove from Cebu, who manages to balance her time as an Architecture student and a passionate teacher through 51Talk.

Established in China in 2011, 51Talk began operations in the Philippines in 2012. To date, the company has over 4,000 online ESL teachers all over the Philippines.

To know how to be a Home-Based e-Educator, visit 51Talk.com/ph.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

BenCab’s ‘Sabel’ sculpture on display at the Met Museum.

Art collector Chris Badiola with Doris Magasaysay Ho, vice chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation 1

A dramatic moment during dinner at the Met Gala was the march of soldiers inspired by the epic movie ‘General Luna’.

Consul Mellie Ablaza of Guatemala with Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. and wife Elma

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Arlene Cu, Sheila Romero and Diplomatic connections in full support of the Patrons of Philippine art Leo Globe’s Ernest Cu were all smiles 2015 Met Gala – Tanzania Consul Betty Chua, Espinosa, Ching Cruz, Tina Cuevas after the dinner reception Angola Consul Helen Ong, Metropolitan Museum and Susan Joven of Manila Foundation, Inc. Treasurer Dr. Jaime Laya and Gambia Consul Agnes Huibonhua.

#INTHEMOMENT

BY FRANCIS DE LEON

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A larger-than-life Sabel painting greeted guests during the Met Gala

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In full support of the Met Gala were Christopher Wichlan of the InterContinental Manila, Jean Philippe-Guillot of AWC (Philippines), Inc., and Alexi Daste of Clarence Dillon Wines.

CAST IN GOLD: 50 YEARS OF BENCAB

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@LIFEatStandard

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1. Moet Hennessy’s Mylene Tobias and Olga Azarcon with Linda Ley 2. Dr. Harden Kho enjoying his moment 3. Margie Moran Floirendo supports the Met Gala 4. Fashionable ladies Jessica Tan-Gan, Grace Reyes Coronel and Lulu Tan-Gan 5. Anna Sobrepeña in a playful moment behind a BenCab sculpture 6. 2015 Met committee member Zelda Keinle and Max Keinle 7. Mia Borromeo, Wynn Wynn Ong and Lisa Periquet during the cocktail reception before the Gala dinner. 8. Marissa Concepcion 9. Dra. Vicki Belo was stunning in red 10. Mayenne Carmona, Ramon Diaz, Ruby Roa and Jojo Zabarte 11. Icon of Philippine art Betsy Westendorp. 12. Jackie Ejercito-Lopez was a vision of elegance 13. Anne Saguil during the cocktail reception 14. Fe Rodriguez, committee member of The Bencab Retrospective Met Gala

I was feeling nostalgic while I was writing this Sunday’s column. Who wouldn’t be? After my experience in attending the 2015 Met Gala with a group of art patrons and philanthropists in (full) support of The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, I left the venue (okay, with a quick detour for a “night cap” at The Pen), then went back home (on a heightened state of bliss) with a deeper appreciation on how Filipino Art elevates cultural identity.

The Met Gala, in particular, united Manila’s “who’s who” in the business, banking, publication, civic and high society circles to pay tribute to an iconic Filipino artist on the occasion celebrating his “50 Creative Years” through a gala dinner in his honor.

Just recently, this columnist was given the rare opportunity to personally witness the illustrious career of Filipino artist Benedicto Reyes Cabrera through an assembly of more than a hundred paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures loaned by various institutional and private collectors.

The BenCab Retrospective Met Gala, through the proceeds of the benefit dinner and donations in kind, will allow The

Julie Boschi

Qatar Airways Country Manager Paolo Pausini with Len Olbes

Christian Gonzales of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. with wife Jessica Keinle-Gonzales.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila to continue its work in making art available (and accessible) to all through education, exhibition and outreach programs.

And that, in my opinion, is a heroic act of patriotism of Manila’s 500. These ladies and gentlemen (whose faces you will see in this column) deserve so much credit for patronizing Philippine art through their philanthropic initiatives that transcend nation building.

Esteem regard goes to this year’s Gala committee for doing an exquisite job in transforming the museum into a banquet hall enhanced with blended hues of the Philippine flag. The milieu’s utter simplicity is complemented by the masterful works of BenCab. We were literally dining (and enjoying the superb French wine parings) amidst priceless works of art of the celebrated National Artist.

Tingting Cojuangco and Consul Fortune Ledesma of Monaco

During the main course of the five-course menu masterfully and ingeniously infused with familiar Pinoy flavors by Makati Shangri-La’s culinary team, I had an insightful conversation with an art aficionado (and avid collector) saying that we were surrounded with art collectively valued in the billions of pesos (don’t worry, I was mindful of my table etiquette and did not spill the Clarendelle Rouge 2009).

Levity aside, it was actually expected (I did the math in advance) since in a recent auction of Leon Gallery, a BenCab 2003 oil-on-canvas Sabel painting was sold at a hammer price of P40 million (that’s P46.7 million to be exact including buyer’s premium).

Nonetheless, I was there to simply savor the moment of appreciating his great work with the intent to be oblivious of the price tag. After all, the organizing committee made sure that the evening was full of

sensory delights. The highlight for me was the UP Singing Ambassadors’ awe-inspiring rendition (sang in spine-tingling a cappella) of “Ako ay Pilipino” which suffused this columnist with patriotism. And that (smile if you agree) is priceless!

The well-curated showcase of the artist’s ingenious fruits (of impassioned labor) spanning five decades is more than just a display of his works. It gives a glimpse of BenCab’s legacy and journey into becoming one of the Philippines’ most (highly) esteemed artists of the 21st century.

“We seek to inspire through art...” expressed the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation, Inc. during his welcome speech.

As such, the opening Gala Dinner was a fitting tribute to the rousing story of a man and his modest ideal to inspire the Filipino people through his opus – a mission that conferred him the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts.

“Cast in stone,” - as the vernacular expression goes. In the case of Benedicto Cabrera, the National Artist’s 50 creative years is a celebration of national pride – a milestone that will forever be etched in our history as the dawn of the golden era of Philippine art!

As BenCab proclaimed during his speech – “Here’s to another 50!”

(The retrospective exhibition is now open and can be viewed by the public until February 27, 2016 at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila.)

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.

S UNDAY : OCTOBER 18 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Viridiana

Poster of Diamantes Negros

Muerte de un ciclista

La plaga

La herida

SPanISH FIlm FeSTIval In InTramurOS

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omorrow until Oct. 25, Película-Pelikula, the Spanish Film Festival featuring the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema, will continue with a second leg at Intramuros. Presented by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain-AECID, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Intramuros Administration, and the NCCA, the second run of the Spanish Film Festival will screen 16 full-length films and five short films.

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After the first leg at Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, and as a great novelty in this year’s edition, Pelicula invites the public to enjoy more movies in the second leg of the Festival, which will be free of charge and will be held in the NCCA Building, Intramuros.

The halls of the NCCA will host the exhibition entitled “Spanish Cinema in 20 Posters”, a journey through the history of Spanish cinema by means of the posters of some of its most emblematic films, encouraging one to reflect on its

history and to be inspired by the beauty of the advertising graphics, illuminating the visual style of the different cinematic periods.

As a complement to the exhibition, the theater of the NCCA will be the venue of Iconos del cine español, a film series of six iconic films that made history in Spanish cinema --namely Bienvenido Míster Marshall (1953), Muerte de un ciclista (1955), Viridiana (1961), Cría cuervos (1973), La colmena (1982) and Blancanieves (2012).

Pelicula is not just a caucus for Spanish cinema, but also offers a look into Latin American cinema and the voices emerging from a continent that mainly expresses itself in Spanish. Colombian cinema is one of the most interesting and dynamic of its kind in Latin America. On Oct. 24, thanks to the Embassy of Colombia in Manila, the Festival will dedicate a whole day screening session of recent Colombian productions, showing Cazando luciérnagas

(2013), the documentary Gabo: la magia de lo real (2015) and the multi-awarded feature film Los hongos (2014).

The entrance to the exhibit and the screenings is free, on a firstcome, first-served basis. For the schedule, line-up of films and further information on the Festival, please visit the official website of Instituto Cervantes (www.manila. cervantes.es) or log on to their Facebook page: www.facebook. com/InstitutoCervantesManila

Bestseller award for ‘stupid is forevermore’ National Book Presented Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago with Certified Bestseller Award for her book, Stupid is Forevermore during the meet and greet session held on Oct. 13 attended by hundreds of her cheering fans.

The book, sequel to Stupid is Forever, was released on June 15 during Santiago’s 70th birthday.

Since then, it has sold over 120,000 copies nationwide and has

since been no. 1 in the Bestsellers List of National Book Store.

Stupid is Forever, meanwhile, has broken records with sales of over 450,000 copies in only eight months. Stupid is Forever and Stupid is Forevermore contain Miriam’s clever one-liners, pick-up lines, and moving speeches. Both books are published by ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc., publisher of the country’s best-selling books.

IPHOTO

From left, Linda Lahaylahay, operations manager of National Book Store, Ernie Lopez, president of ABS-CBN Publishing, Sen. Miriam Santiago, and Mark Yambot, managing editor of ABS-CBN Publishing

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PBA OPEnS ‘LigA ng mgA BiDA’

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he Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Asia’s first professional basketball league opens its 2015-2016 season today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, in Quezon City. Focusing on the theme, “Liga ng mga Bida” the sporting spectacle will feature a star-studded line-up of the country’s most outstanding basketball players and their respective team muses, before a gathering of the Philippines’ adoring fans expected to fill the Coliseum in what promises to be a must-see sporting event. Aside from the much anticipated parade of teams, fans at the Big Dome and at home will have the chance to witness live performances from Asia’s Got Talent 2015 winner El Gamma Penumbra, Asia’s Got Talent Finalist Junior New System, and a never before seen performance from hip-hop superstar Abra featuring Aya of Project Pinas.

“Liga ng mga Bida”, this new basketball season’s official tagline gives emphasis to the “bida” players of PBA whose teamwork, personal dedication and perseverance enabled them and their co-players to gain the trust and loyalty of the public, a testament to our enduring reputation as a “basketball country.” But as much as the players are the “bida”, the league also recognizes the fans as “bida”, the lifeblood of the PBA and the inspiration of the players.

This season’s opening celebration promises to be a sure treat for everyone; for those who will troop to the Smart-Araneta Coliseum to partake of the celebration --- both inside and outside the venue. Giant LED screens will be mounted outside the Big Dome where fans can watch the opening ceremonies and the games that will follow. A veritable show for the fans outside the venue

will be something to remember, featuring red carpet interviews of the PBA players, coaches, team muses and PBA personalities, and even some of the fans; as a build-up to the actual opening ceremonies.

Aside from the anticipated parade of the hardcourt heroes, fans are also excited with the muses who will walk with their respective PBA teams during the opening ceremonies.

TV stars like FHM cover girl and actress Max Collins will be Blackwater’s muse; singer host and actress Karylle will walk with Globalport and TV5s very own Eula Caballero will grace for Meralco. Beauty queens like Ms. Universe Philippines MJ Lastimosa and Mutya ng Pilipinas 1st Runer Up Julee Ann Marie Bourgoin will also charm the Big Dome with their elegance for teams NLEX and Rain or Shine respectively. Joining the line-up of these beautiful muses are also the young and tough Volleybelles; Petron Blaze Spiker Alexa Micek for San Miguel Beer, Ateneo Blue Eagle’s star Alyssa Valdez for Talk ‘N Text and De La Salle’s hitter Mika Reyes for Barako Bull.

The new 2016 PBA season will be an action-filled stage featuring the likes of veteran players like James Yap, together with up-and-coming young players like Terrence Romeo whose standout performance with Gilas in the last FIBA Asia competition has inspired PBA fans, especially the younger audiences. All the games would be aired live, including the opening ceremonies on TV5, the official broadcaster of the PBA. The network’s successful Barangay Sports5 Basketball Clinic, which visited more than 40 barangays nationwide with the objective of giving the Filipino youth a first-hand experience of proper Basketball techniques, will also be continued this year.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 85 86 87 88 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 101 102 103 104 105 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Wed in haste 6 Thin clouds 11 Swab (hyph.)

15 Place of safety 20 Like the moon 21 January in Juarez 22 Swelter 24 “Thereby hangs — —” 25 Mural base 26 Series of steps 27 Decaf brand 28 Dupe 29 Joke response (3 wds.)

31 Over 33 Contended 34 Negative particle 35 Impossible!

(3 wds.)

37 Sheik’s cartel 39 Sportscaster’s shout 41 Prefix for function 42 Leave the sack 43 Firm up

44 46 50 51 52 53 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 72 73 74 75 76 79 80 84

Post-sneeze word Couples Keats opus Change Garbage container Knuckle under Ramp Squirrel hangouts Bird features Catamount Faking it Aperture Blender button Kennel sound Towers over Mental fog Mounded up Arm parts Caveman from Moo Walk-on, maybe Quite a while Wine label info Sparkles Harebrained Bit of backbone Verdi opera

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— -niner Cats’ prey Want-ad letters Nulls Too exacting Make it snappy Clear the windshield Future fish Shake hands Burlap fiber Cancel Ricci or Foch Might Yearn deeply Lake Baikal’s locale Broad-antlered deer “Daily Planet” name Sturdy lock Packing slip In full view Wrapping paper Tangy Dry run “A-Team” heavy PFC mail drop Sky predator Thespian’s desire Attention grabbers Source of linen Chipmunk snack Pedro’s wife Ms. Washington of blues Foul-smelling Fridge sticks Delights in Keep — — out Nasty laugh Eat soup impolitely Shaman’s findings Tool along Bookie’s figures Workaholic sort (2 wds.)

Vin Diesel and Elijah Wood in The Last Witch Hunter

Wood plays a cleric from a mysterious order in the film

Elijah Wood and Vin diEsEl in ‘ThE lasT WiTCh hunTEr’

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lijah Wood, whose steady rise to fame left unforgettable imprints in blockbuster action adventure franchise movies such as The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Happy Feet lends his impressive talent anew in the latest epic adventure The Last Witch Hunter in which he co-stars with Vin Diesel who takes on the titular character.

The Last Witch Hunter takes 800 years of war and wisdom in the modern day world where Kaulder (Diesel) who possesses an immortal life marches from past to present and future protecting mankind against the invincible powerful evil witches.

Where and when Kaulder is, the Dolans are there to accompany him in his journey to save mankind and protect him.

Dolan 37 played by Elijah Wood is a chronicler for an endless age and is Kaulder’s guardian, confidant and friend. The Dolans, mostly drawn from priesthood preserves

Kaulder’s memories, safe- of the Ax and Cross, which keeping all details of his life effectively is an organization written in journals while in the world that we’ve sort retreading histories of the of created that assists and sort of aids in the process ones that preceded them.

Serving the brotherhood of ridding the world of the on Kaulder’s side is one of blight of dark witchcraft. the most beloved Dolans, And their function is effecDolan the 36th played tively to sort of have the back

by Michael Caine. The of Kaulder, who is the witch Dolans, knowing the witch- hunter, of which there were es’ best kept secrets, help many back in the past and Kaulder in his quest to stop he is sort of the last, as the the witches’ horrifying plan name implies, the last of his kind. to take control of mankind.

And so, in the film we Elijah Wood’s young meet Dolan the 36th played priest adviser, Dolan Thir- by Michael Caine. That’s our ty-Seven rounds out the sort of introduction to this principal trio of protagonists notion of sort of long priestas “Dolan Thirty-Seven,” the hood that has been serving latest (and untested) man in him through time. He reThe Order of the Axe and tires and I kinda come into Cross, a sect of the priest- the fold as the new guy of the hood that aids and advises 21st century because he sort witch hunters like Kaulder. of comes from the past and Dolan Number 37 is a he’s not up to technological magic expert, devoted to advancements. And I sort of the axe and the cross, who come into that world. That’s wears scars of a witch and sort of how you are introduced to me and my funcowes Kaulder his life.

“He’s effectively a priest of tion,” further explains Wood some description. He’s part of his role.

The Last Witch Hunter of a long line of priests that are associated with an orga- opens Oct. 21 in cinemas nization called The Order from Pioneer Films.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2015

144 Author Eudora — DOWN 1 British Museum’s “— Marbles” 2 Hasta —, amigo!

3 Beginning 4 Tasty carbohydrate 5 Beethoven’s Third 6 Director — Craven 7 Strong, as feelings 8 Rap session?

9 Bwana’s sighting 10 Like some losers 11 TD passers 12 Go places 13 Column type 14 Walleyed fish 15 Badger 16 Ra’s symbol 17 Insipid 18 “Crazy Legs” Hirsch 19 Inert gases 23 Refined 30 Crowd 32 People of action 36 White House staffer 38 Wield 40 Morays and congers 43 Copacetic 44 Spoke sheepishly 45 Make soaking wet 46 Script lines 47 Nerdy 48 Ink shooters 49 Willowy 51 Caesar’s farewell 52 Dijon dads 54 Charges it 55 Go radioactive 56 Barks shrilly 58 Advantages 59 Slime 60 Cumbersome 63 Roach and Linden

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Devoutness Copperfield’s wife Trivial Wolf lead-in Wharf denizen Dublin’s loc.

Lipstick shades German sausage Ugh! Lao-Tzu’s “way” Rail securer Snooped around Carpenter’s jaws Diet-ad caption New cop

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Crete’s sea Energizes Silent Torrid, for one Worse than bad Relative standing Plant product Viking letter Chaperoned girl Big party nights Slackers (hyph.)

Leave at the altar Opponents Say please Request an encore

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Winter wear Tizzy Fishtail Taconite (2 wds.)

Serving of bacon Rolled down the runway Shredded (2 wds.)

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“—, I’m Adam” One-horned animal Doctrine Very unpopular Huge mistake

120 Troll’s cousin 121 Wretched hut 122 Helen of radio soaps 123 Smart-mouthed 125 “Hold the —!”

127 Fallon’s predecessor 129 Break-even amount 133 JAMA readers 135 Nautilus locale

S UNDAY : OCTOBER 18 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

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saM tops ‘Your faCe’ rankinGs anew from C8

After only five weeks of competition, Sam Concepcion nabbed his second win in the second season of Your Face Sounds Familiar when he was named the top scorer last week for his top-notch impersonation of rocker Dong Abay.

“I’m very humbled and really thankful. What’s really humbling is sometimes you just go out there and do your best and God blesses you when you least expect it,” he said.

Besides Sam, second placer Denise Laurel also made an impression with her spotless performance as Lea Salonga. Denise was able to copy Lea’s voice and gestures that caught the attention of the Broadway diva herself.

Lea even posted on Twitter, “I couldn’t stop smiling watching this. @D_laurel, you made me so proud!!!”

“I was so nervous because it’s Lea Salonga. Everybody knows her voice. I feel like this is the reason why I’m here – to learn and to share what I can do and for people to know that acting is not the only thing I can do,” shared Denise.

This weekend, Sam and Denise will again rock the house with their performances as Rick Astley and Mexican superstar Thalia, respectively. Also to watch out for are the performances of Myrtle Sarrosa as Mystica, Michael Pangilinan as Jay-R, Kean Cipriano as “Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae” hitmaker Silento, Eric Nicolas as Concert King Martin Nievera, Kakai as Pinoy singer Willie Garte, and KZ as Black Eyed Peas member Fergie.

Your Face Sounds Familiar airs Saturdays after MMK and Sundays after Rated K on ABS-CBN. HHHHH CoCo Martin iMpresses GraCe poe, susan roCes Actor Coco Martin impressed Susan Roces and Senator Grace

Denise Laurel impersonates Lea Salonga

Sam Concepcion impersonates Dong Abay

Poe in his performance in the TV The Seantor is glad that ABSadapatation of Fernando Poe, Jr.’s CBN has taken the initiative to Ang Probinsyano. revive the interest of the public on Said the one time Queen of the film Ang Probinsyano, now a Philippine Movies, “Coco de- very successful TV series. She said serves praise not only because he that it would have a positive effect is a good actor but also because he on the over all perception of the has remained down to earth and police force by the public. In recent humble despite being acclaimed days, many members of the police as the king of teleserye.” force have been involved in crimiRoces added that Martin has nal cases and public scandals. some similarities with her late husHHHHH band, especially in his attitude to pBB teens’ Ylona and JiM­ work and dedication to his craft. BoY’s faMilY stories Believe it or not, Roces has Ylona Garcia and Jimboy Marallowed only Martin to call her tin of the Pinoy Big Brother Teen “lola.” That’s because they have edition went to their provinces to become close to each other. meet their families and friends as Roces plays the grandmother of they fulfill another task from Big Martin’s character – Ador/Cardo – Brother while sharing their stories in the series, the same character FPJ exclusively on ABS-CBN mobile. played in the movie version in 1997.

Tagging along with them are Senator Poe also is amazed at Bailey May and Franco RodriMartin’s talent. “ He is really good guez, who make up the rest of in the series. He fits well in an ac- PBB Teen Big 4. tion film.” She also said that the They first went to Marikina, TV adaptation’s story is surpris- where Ylona’s relatives live and ingly good. where they got a better appreciSaid Poe, “I don’t miss an episode ation of the shoe industry in this of the series, at least when I am famous city. They even went to the home and if I don’t have other com- cemetery to accompany Ylona’s mitments. The film is the inspira- Lola Francine in visiting loved tion for the advocacy I have adopt- ones who passed away. ed as senator and that is to improve After a few days of spending time the image of our police force.” with Ylona’s relatives and touring

Marikina, the Teen Big 4 went to Nueva Vizcaya at Jimboy’s place.

There they got to play basketball and do household chores there.

They also visited Jimboy’s newborn baby sister at the hospital.

What did Bailey, Franco, and Jimboy say about Ylona’s family?

What was Ylona’s Lola Francine prayer for her? What promise did Jimboy fulfill for his ex when he got home? What did Jimboy do to some of his winnings?

Find out through ABS-CBNmobile by watching exclusive videos of the Teen Big 4’s homecomings on iWant TV. Just get an ABS-CBNmobile SIM, download the iWant TV app and register using the new ABS-CBNmobile

PBB teens

Dresses anD everything spiCe on tLC

Weddings are massive calamities just waiting to happen and choosing the bride’s dress just adds to the overall stress brought by the occasion. But what happens when you put 15 women with different tastes in fashion together to agree on one design for a bridesmaid dress?

Watch the drama and chaos unfold on TLC’s new series Say Yes To The Dress: Bridesmaids. From choosing what color and fabric to use to what design would suit the occasion the most, these women are sure to spice up your evening, 10 p.m. on Fridays.

Are you up for a cuisine adventure with exotic flavors?

Tune in to Shane Delia’s Spice Journey as he explores everything and anything turkey has to offer through a culinary road like no other. Indulge and let your mouth water as Chef Shane serves up dishes that date back to centuries ago using spices and techniques that have been passed on for generations. Catch him in his exploration of unique Middle Eastern flavors on Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, premieres tomorrow, 9 p.m. only on TLC.

Say Yes To The Dress

Chef Shane

number, load at least P10, and then text “iWantv10” to 2135.

By launching the app, or logging on to the iWant TV website, subscribers just have to click on the “Follow the Teen Big 4 Channel/World.”

The P10 load is already good for 1 day of unlimited access to iWant TV. A new episode will be uploaded every Saturday. Ylona’s and Jimboy’s homecomings are already available, while the Franco’s and Bailey’s will soon be up in the coming weeks. Be one of the first to see the memorable and touching homecomings of the Teen Big 4 only on ABS-CBNmobile.

For more information, please visit www.abscbnmobile.com.

S UNDAY : OCTOBER 18 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ ‘the Voice kids 2’ top 6 featured in cd ISAH V. RED After the TV-rating-record-breaking season grand finale of The Voice Kids Season 2 with Elha Nympha declared as the Grand Champion, fans may now extend their support to the Top 6 finalists with their recently released album for MCA Music.

They now have something to keep as a compilation memorabilia from the show until the next season starts rolling. The album showcases the songs of the finalists –Nympha, Reynan Dal-Anay, Esang de Torres, Sassa Dagdag, Zephanie Dimaranan, and Kyle Echarri – performed on the two week-finals of the reality talent show.

Despite the fact that Echarri and Dimaranan, mentored by Coach Sarah [Geronimo], were not able to make it to the the Top 4, songs that they should have performed – “Hero” and “Saan Darating Ang Umaga” – were included in the album. Fans can still listen to the songs that they would have performed. Also included in the album from these two kids are “Got to Believe in Magic” by Echarri and “Flashlight” by Dimaranan.

The album also includes Reynan Dal-Anay and Esang de Torres, mentees of Coach Lea [Salonga] who made it to the final four, with their songs – “Itanong Mo Sa Bata”, “Magkaisa”, “Salamat Salamat Musika”, and “Somewhere”, respectively.

Team Bamboo’s Elha Nympha and Sassa Dagdag were also successful in becoming part of the final live show. Dagdag’s “If I Were A Boy” and “Next In Line” are in the album, also the songs of The Voice Kids Season 2 Grand Champion – “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin”.

In line with the release of the album are series of tours where the kids perform for their fans and sign CDs fans bought at the venues. The upcoming mall tour for the month of October are as follows: today at– Robinsons Antipolo and Robinsons Imus, Oct. 23 – SM Sangandaan, Oct.25 – SM Angono, Oct. 30 – SM Molino The Voice Kids Season 2 The Album is now available on all Astoplus and AstroVision and avail-

able for download on iTunes.

For bookings and inquiries, please contact Sammy Samaniego at (632) 9162504 local 107, (0920) 9682991, (0917) 8565174 or email sammy.samaniego@umusic.com.

For more information about The Voice Kids Season 2 finalists, follow MCA Music on its social media accounts - www.facebook. com/mcamusic and www.twitter.com/mca_music; Instgaram: mca_music.

HHHHH Jane’s tear-Jerking scene Netizens were all praises for Jane Oineza’s impressive performance as her character Corrine cried in devastation during her son’s fight for life in the Oct. 7 episode of Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita.

Many were blown away by Jane’s portrayal and expressed how the teen star left them in awe. Some of her fans also tweeted that she deserves an acting award for her great performance.

In the episode, both Ryan (Jerome Ponce) and Corrine were devastated the moment Baby Ryco’s lifeline went flat. But a mother’s truly love conquers all as Baby Ryco miraculously showed signs of life while being caressed by her mother. With Baby Ryco’s survival, Corrine and her mother Cecilia (Vina Morales) finally patched things up as they gave their heartfelt apologies to each other. Their reconciliation marked a new chapter in their lives, especially now that Baby Ryco is with them.

Now that Corrine and Cecilia made peace, will Cecilia also give her marriage with Leandro (Christian Vasquez) another chance?

Will Leandro get the forgiveness he has long been asking for? ➜ continued on c7

Corrine cries in devastation as her son fights for life

Corrine and Cecilia patching things up

Kyle

Reynan

Elha

Zephanie

Esang

Sassa