The Standard - 2015 November 29 - Sunday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 290  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : NOVEMBER 29, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

TURNAROUND SPECIALIST

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FIRST FIVE NAMED IN DUTERTE SLATE

By Christine F. Herrera

DAVAO CITY—Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday named five of 12 senatorial candidates of other camps that he wants to adopt as guests.

PACQUIAO

ROMUALDEZ

ROMULO

LACSON

These were Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, world boxing champion Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao, former Senator Panfilo Lacson Jr., ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo.

Duterte said he will complete his slate on or before Dec. 10, the last day of filing of COCs for substitution.

Duterte also endorsed the reelection of Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexie Nograles, who is running unopposed in the first district of this city.

Duterte did not field an opponent for Nograles, whom he describes as his nephew. Nograles’ mother Beth and Duterte are cousins.

Duterte, who filed his Certificate of Candidacy for president on Friday, told reporters in an ambush interview at the Matina Hotel Enclave here that Romualdez’s pledge of bringing “malasakit” to government should be a major factor for people to elect him to the Senate.

“Martin is my candidate to the Senate,” Duterte responded to a query of a Manila-based journalist.

He said Romualdez, who is also a guest candidate of presidential aspirant and Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance, is one of the most qualified senatorial candidates.

Romualdez, a lawyer, is the president of the Philippine Constitution Association and leader of the House Independent Bloc.

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‘FOREIGN JIHADISTS NO THREAT TO PH’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

PAGDILAO

THERE is no need to raise the terror alert level in the country because there is no “credible threat” linked to the Islamic State despite the presence of foreign jihadists in the country, a Palace official said Saturday.

Citing assurances from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma said the intelligence community is monitoring threats to

ensure proper response by security forces.

“There just many reports of possible threats from the group they called ISIS, but based on what the AFP and PNP have monitored so far, there are no basis to confirm such speculation,” Coloma said in an interview over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

But the military on Saturday confirmed that one of the eight fatalities in Sultan Kudarat clash on Thursday was an Indonesian terrorist who had been training Filipinos in bomb making.

Next page

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ACTIVISTS RALLY FOR CLIMATE

THOUSANDS turned out for climate change marches in Manila and Brisbane Saturday, part of a weekend of action across the globe to demand results from next week’s historic Paris summit.

CAlling For justiCe. Thousands of Filipinos, representing climate-impacted communities, religious groups, youth, labor unions and anti-coal energy campaigners, gathered at the Quezon Memorial Circle ahead of the Paris talks on climate change. jAnsen roMero

‘Foreign...

From A1

Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, confirmed the Indonesian was Sucipto Ibrahim Ali, who had earlier been arrested for gun possession but was eventually released.

Sucipto was a senior member of the Mujahideen Indonesian Timur and has been training lawless elements in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on bomb making, Pangilinan said.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, commander of the First Marine Brigade, said Sucipto was killed in a four-hour battle with 6th Marine Battalion Landing Team Thursday in Barangay Butril in Palimbang town.

According to Salamat, the Marine forces and members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and local police

First...

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Earlier, Duterte said he may include in his senatorial lineup the following: Senator Sergio Osmeña III, Susan “Toots” Ople, former Senator Miguel Zubiri and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino.

Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr., a bar topnotcher who retired from politics and now managing his Royale House Travel Inn and Dormitel here,

were to serve warrants of arrest for Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid, alias Commander Tokboy, in Sitio Sinapingan, Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

While approaching the village, the armed men led by Commander Tokboy opened fire on the government forces, triggering a running gun battle.

After the encounter, eight dead bodies were found scattered in the lawless elements encampment, including the Indonesian national but Commander Tokboy was not among them. He was believed to have fled at the height of the firefight.

He said Sucipto was monitored to have been with Commander Tokboy after his release, teaching bomb making.

Pangilinan identified the other fatalities as Abdul Halil, Tatuh Sumail and Kira Sabiwang, all residents of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

Marine forces recovered one cal.

announced his support for the presidential bid of Duterte, stressing “we have one and solid Davao City for him.”

“For the record, Boy Nograles who was [Duterte’s political] enemy for 30 years is publicly supporting him and I will campaign for him in every which way I can,” Nograles told reporters in his short speech at the Oh Boy Beach Resort at Times Beach here.

Nograles’ sons, Karlo Alexei is running unopposed on his third and last term as congressman in the first district of Davao City and Jerico or Koko is the second

50 sniper rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition for cal. 50, an M-16 Armalite rifle, a cal. 45 pistol, bomb making materials, ATM cards, PhilHealth cards and six ISIS flags.

Pangilinan said Commander Tokboy has four standing warrants of arrest and was involved in a series of atrocities and violence in the South Cotabato area since August 2008.

He was previously apprehended in 2009 by the security forces at Maasim, Sarangani, but managed to escape from the Bulantay Jail in Alabel, Sarangani after seven months of imprisonment.

He had been a fugitive for half a decade and was engaged in various crimes, including cattle rustling, extortion, highway robbery and murders.

Salamat said about 50 families have fled the village of Butril but the local governments and the Philippine Marines are attending to their needs.

nominee of Pambansang Bayaning Atleta party-list led by its first nominee, former Rep. Mark Sambar.

Presidential candidate and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a lawyer and running mate of Duterte, expressed confidence that the Comelec will allow the mayor to run and replace Martin Diño as the official standard bearer of Partido Demokratiko Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan in next year’s elections.

“Mayor Duterte will hurdle the legal question hounding his presidential bid because Martin Diño’s

Religious clergy, students and activists marched through the Philippine capital calling for curbs on emissions to mute the impact of climate change, which is blamed for a spike in typhoons and extreme weather that has wreaked havoc on the nation.

The march, attended by more than 2,500 people according to police and expected to build throughout the day, was one of a number of events scheduled in different parts of the country.

The Philippines has been identified as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

“Protect our common home,” and “climate justice,” were written on the placards held aloft by the surging crowd.

“We want to send a message to the rest of the world, especially the world leaders at the climate talks, to say that our survival is not negotiable,” said Denise Fontanilla, spokeswoman for the Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development.

Under heightened security two weeks after France’s worst terror attack, some 150 heads of state and government will launch on Monday a highly anticipated UN conference tasked with inking a post-2020 195-nation climate rescue pact.

In Australia, where Melbourne on Friday kicked off the weekend rallies, some 5,000 people gathered in the northeastern city of Brisbane for a march led by Aboriginal and Pacific islander representatives and youth groups.

“We are walking together because we know what it’s like to protect our country,” said Larissa Baldwin, from an indigenous climate youth network.

Pacific islands are particularly at risk from the fallout of climate change, especially rising sea levels.

“These are people that are calling for a just transition to

intention was to run for president,” Cayetano told reporters in a separate ambush interview here, referring to the questionable document of Diño who used CoC for president, but signed it as candidate for Pasay City mayor.

Karlo Nograles, also a lawyer, echoed Cayetano’s position, explaining the Comelec “already recognized Diño as presidential candidate after it asked why he should not be declared a nuisance candidate.”

Pacquiao reiterated Friday that he will not abandon Binay despite Duterte’s latest move filing the

renewable energy,” Baldwin told AFP. Senator Larissa Waters from the Greens party said the turnout, after tens of thousands marched in Melbourne, showed the strength of opposition to plans to develop more of Australia’s vast coal deposits.

“They don’t want new coal mines, they don’t want massive land clearing, they actually want the environmental protection and job opportunities that comes from embracing clean energy,” Waters told national television.

Organizers in Paris expect hundreds of thousands to take to the streets Saturday in Asian cities as well as Johannesburg and Edinburgh, with similar events set for Sunday in Seoul, Rio de Janeiro, New York and Mexico City.

In Paris, French authorities cancelled two rallies following the onslaught by gunmen and suicide bombers which killed 130 people at restaurant terraces, a concert hall and the national stadium on Nov. 13.

Activists now plan to create a two-kilometer human chain along the original march route on Sunday.

They will break the chain as they pass the Bataclan concert hall, where the worst violence claimed 90 lives, as a mark of respect to the victims.

The goal of the Paris talks is to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels by curbing fossil fuel emissions blamed for climate change.

This week, the UN’s weather body said the average global temperature for the year 2015 is set to touch the halfway mark at 1 C. The Paris conference will gather some 40,000 people, including 10,000 delegates from 195 countries, plus journalists, observers, scientists, exhibitors and visitors.

AFP

other day his CoC for president in the 2016 elections with the law department of the Commission on Elections in Manila through a representative, lawyer Salvador Medialdea, shortly after withdrawing his CoC for reelection.

Duterte’s CoC was filed along with a certificate of nomination and acceptance from the PDPLaban signed by Duterte and the party’s vice president, engineer Salvador Ty. In withdrawing his CoC, Duterte named his daughter, former mayor Sara Duterte, as his substitute.

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DUTERTE REJECTS CALL TO REDUCE INCOME TAX RATES By christine f. herrera DAVAO CITY—Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday rejected calls for tax rate cuts, saying his administration needs the money to revive the “ailing and bankrupt economy” to be left behind by the Aquino administration.

Duterte vowed to embark on massive infrastructure projects and high-speed mass transport system that could make the delivery of goods “cheaper, faster, more efficient and safer.”

“People are complaining about being taxed to death because the services that they deserve are hard to come by and are not seen and felt,” said Duterte, who filed his Certificate of Candidacy on Friday after a much-dillydallying.

“No [I am not in favor]. I need money for my programs to create jobs, invest in infrastructure, solve criminality, hunger and restore peace and order. I need money to run this country,” Duterte told reporters.

He stressed progress will come and relief to taxpayers will be had as soon as the infrastructure is in place and vowed to make all these programs happen within six years.

Duterte rejected the proposed cuts in income taxes because economic growth has yet to be felt outside of Metro Manila—something that would eventually hamper progress because Manila has become so congested.

“To boost our economy, we have to move the goods at a low cost at the shortest possible time. For one, we have to decongest Metro Manila. As it is, I cannot solve the problem of Metro Manila because it is overloaded with people, vehicles and factories,” Duterte pointed out.

“What I cannot understand is that while we have spent billions of pesos for Clark International Airport, we did not provide any high-speed train to get you there. So, those coming from the provinces and who are

traveling by air would opt to use only the Naia,” said Duterte.

In solving Metro Manila’s traffic woes, Duterte said he would be needing so much funds he could even resort to borrowing.

“I have to borrow money to improve, I cannot solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila. Manila is simply overloaded. So, I have to decongest Metro Manila,” he said.

“Here in the Philippines, you go to Metro Manila, you can only use one airport, the Naia,” said Duterte.

He lamented the air traffic congestion has delayed many flights and delivery of goods.

He added the congested seaport also hampers the import-export business.

“And that is why your flights are delayed. There are so many foreign airlines using the Naia. There is no infrastructure,” he added.

“Even the service roads are lacking. We have only one port servicing the import and export needs. You know the law of supply and demand, that’s the economy. What we don’t have here, we import.

What they don’t have, we export,” he said.

Duterte almost echoed President BenignoAquino III’s reason in rejecting the lower income tax proposal, claiming it was mere pa-pogi moves, Duterte said politicians especially those seeking the presidency should stop playing heroes, raising false hopes for the people.

“I’m sorry but let’s not play heroes here. If we need to build more infrastructure, trains, I will borrow money.

And if you trust me fine. If not, then it’s fine with me,” Duterte said.

“I need the money because I need to raise the salary of the state workers,” said Duterte, apparently alluding to the Palace-proposed Salary Standardization Law bill that was already approved by the House on second reading.

“So I cannot reduce the taxes. I need the money to fix the economy,” he said.

on the hustings. Presidential candidate and Vice President Jejomar Binay and senatorial candidate Rep. Manny Pacquiao greet more than a thousand well-wishers at the General Santos Public Market on Saturday.

BINAY VOWS TO FIX ELECTRICITY CRISIS

By Vito Barcelo

VICE President Jejomar Binay vowed to ensure cheap access to electricity and longterm supply to the country, particularly in Mindanao where power problems remain unsolved.

If he is elected, Binay said his administration will move decisively on the Mindanao power crisis and avoid the government’s vacillation that has prevented its resolution.

He also said that steps will be taken to ensure that the Mindanao power issue is not politicized, particularly in assessing the real state of power supply in the region.

Binay deplored the fact that President Benigno Aquino III asked for emergency powers and P5 billion purportedly for supply shortage in Luzon, while Mindanao was seemingly left out in the cold although it has been suffering from power outages since 2010.

“Mindanao has been suffering from power problem since 2010 and yet there no emergency powers have been requested from Congress,” Binay said, adding that he will also pursue legislation to address energy needs, including a decision on whether the AgusPulangi power plant complexes should be privatized.

“Of course, before proceeding with any decision we will have to consult with all energy stakeholders. Our decision will hinge on one objective—to strike a balance between reasonably priced electricity in Mindanao and electricity supply availability,” Binay said.

Vice President Binay also said he will overhaul appointments in energy agencies.

“Overstaying and inept heads and deputies should be removed. Appointments should be based on merit and competence in the field of energy and management,” said Binay.

Binay also outlined his energy plan based on “five pillars.”

“First, we have to assess and determine the real story on the demand and supply situation. The Department of Energy and Mindanao Development Authority must work together to ensure that we

obtain reliable data and inputs that we can use in formulating and implementing policies,” said the Vice President.

The second pillar, meanwhile, is focused on achieving energy self-sufficiency by utilizing own energy resources: oil, gas, renewable energy, coal—through multiple credible contracting rounds.

The third pillar focuses on creating investment opportunities by implementing Master Plan for Natural Gas for longterm supply viability and recalibrating feed-in tariff renewable energy policy to allow for more investments at more competitive pricing.

The fourth pillar aims to revisit the statutory and policy framework on power and electricity.

“We will reassess sectors in electric power industry: generation, distribution, transmission, and supply, and seek to improve the power market through responsive policies, rules, and regulations,” said Binay.

Finally, the fifth pillar is aimed at institutionalizing mitigating measures to minimize the effects of volatile oil prices on the public transport sector, as well as expanding the use of alternative fuels for transport and power sectors to provide the public with choices.

POE PLEDGES MORE TAX REFORMS

Agriculture plAtform. Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, accompanied by Sarangani Gov. Steve Solon, answers questions from journalists on agriculture policies that he pledged to pursue if he is elected vice president.

IF THE current administration continues to ignore the tax reforms being pushed by lawmakers, traders and workers, the next set of leaders will take up the cause to ease the tax burden on Filipinos, presidential candidate and Senator Grace Poe said Saturday.

Poe, an independent presidential candidate and the frontrunner in presidential preference surveys, said lowering income taxes would be among her priorities in office, should she win in 2016.

“I stand on a vision of genuine inclusive growth, and this is one of the most significant reforms a government can undertake to show its compassion for the millions of wage and salary workers who lose up to

a third of their hard-earned income to unreasonably high taxes,” she said.

Under the Philippines’ current income tax bracket system, a Teacher 1 who makes roughly P18,000 per month pays over P14,000 in annual taxes if she is single and has no dependents.

“Almost a whole month’s pay goes to taxes. We should realize how big a thing it is for us to return that money to our countrymen through the lowering of taxes,” she said.

According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, 85 percent of the total taxes on compensation and business come from wage and salary workers, who comprise more than half of the coun-

try’s labor force.

The increase in the annual take-home pay of a Teacher 1 due to lower taxes can buy more food for the family or provide an elderly with medicines or even serve as allowance for kids in school, Poe noted.

Since 1997, when the Tax Reform Act was passed, tax brackets in the Philippines have not changed. Salaries, however, have been adjusted to inflation, pushing more wage and salary workers into higher brackets, which compel them to pay higher taxes.

The 32-percent individual income tax rate in the Philippines for income over P500,000 is among the highest tax rates in Asia.

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

MEMO TO PUTIN: SYRIA IS TURKEY’S UKRAINE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WE ARE PARIS

By Marc Champion RUSSIAN leaders have evidently been shocked by Turkey’s deliberate decision to shoot down one of their planes, which they say was motivated by Turkey’s alleged support for Islamic State and greed for the proceeds of smuggled terrorist oil. A simpler explanation is that Russia would have done the same.

Here is the hypothetical: What would President Vladimir Putin do if civil war broke out in a neighboring country, which had been part of the Russian empire for centuries before breaking away under circumstances, and with borders, that Russians still found difficult to accept? What would he do if, in that war, some of the rebels were ethnic Russians at risk of being brutally crushed by the armed forces of the neighboring state?

Actually, that’s not so hypothetical; it pretty much describes eastern Ukraine. And we know what Russia did—it became heavily involved in a poorly concealed invasion.

Syria was under Ottoman control from 1516 until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The Russian Empire took over the Donbass region in the mid-1700s. The “Turkmen” rebels that Russia’s Su-24 aircraft was bombing at the time it was shot down are ethnic Turks.

They ended up on the wrong side of the border when it was imposed by a1921 treaty (shortly before the Donbass region was incorporated into Soviet Ukraine).

Even the strange psychology of how former empires feel they still have a special right, even responsibility, to intervene in long-since amputated parts is similar. When pro-democracy protests began in Syria in 2011, Erdogan said Turkey had to view the turmoil in Syria as a domestic issue. He was affronted when President Bashar al-Assad refused to do as he was told.

Since the shoot-down earlier this week, Turkey’s President has all but admitted that his country deliberately targeted the Sukhoi because of what Russia was doing to the Turkmen rebels. “We have no intention to escalate this incident. We are just defending our security and the rights of our brothers,” Erdogan said. As aggressive as the Turkish decision to down a Russian jet over a technical, 17-second airspace infringement was, Erdogan has not gone as far as Putin to assert his right to intervene militarily to protect ethnic kin, anytime, anywhere.

Now consider how Putin would react if the US or North Atlantic Treaty Organization decided to get involved militarily in eastern Ukraine, placing an airbase and Patriot missile batteries 50 miles from the Russian border. Picture Nato

THOSE headed to Paris this week, including our own President Benigno Aquino III, may find themselves overwhelmed by the significance of their destination.

Just a little over two weeks ago, Paris was the site of the attacks that killed 130 people and injured scores of others. International terror group IS has claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks, and France has retaliated by bombing several areas in Syria where the group is known to be living.

Online, social media users have draped the three-colored flag of France over their profile pictures, fueling a debate on why an attack on France merited such response and support while those on less prominent countries continue to be met with silence, passive acceptance, or indifference.

Paris was also where a roomful of cartoonists and satirists were killed early this year.

Again, after that event, people were moved to declare that they were Charlie, referring to the magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and all it represented. Again, the killings prompted exchanges on whether press freedom had no bounds, and whether religious freedom allowed one to go through extreme measures in defense of their faith.

Today, it’s Paris once again, as world leaders, scientists, advocates, diplomats and people’s groups converge in the French capital for the 21st Conference of Parties. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change calls for the meeting of nations to agree on cutting emissions of greenhouse gases that in turn warm the globe and cause climate change.

The 20 previous meetings have, at best, allowed countries to agree at some later point how the cuts will be achieved and who will set the example of doing so at the expense of growth.

That final agreement, much less a way to ensure every country complies with its verbal commitments, has never been worked out.

The Philippine President will be in Paris to speak as the leader of one of the countries most affected by climate-induced disasters. Filipinos are all too familiar with the effects of climate change on our weather patterns: stronger, more frequent storms, erratic paths, drought and dry spells. Couple this with our innate vulnerability—lack of education and information, and disparate levels of local government preparedness—the result is a people frequently battered not by the weather but by the lack of resilience to meet the inevitable effects of climate change.

Many have expressed doubts that aside from the high-level meetings and prestigious personalities, nothing substantial and enforceable will be agreed upon, and the world will continue to plummet into the tipping point for accelerated global warming.

Countries which can afford to do so will protect their citizens by enabling them to be resilient; others will not be able to do anything but watch people die or get displaced.

Despite the trappings, what will happen in Paris is not a red-carpet event that would be graced by the “who’s who” in the world. In reality, the “who’s who” are the vulnerable people who may not even know what UNFCCC stands for, what the difference between mitigation and adaptation is, and who may not be aware that the objective is to prevent global temperatures to rise by 2-degrees Celsius or more to save ourselves, yet for whom every day is a confrontation with the dangers that await them.

The world’s eyes will be trained on Paris once again, but it won’t be the lot just of the French. It will be what will happen to the world. Or won’t.

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ALL YOU REALLY NEED

IN THE West, Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is much awaited by shoppers. It is usually marked by outrageous discounts in retail stores. People take advantage of Black Friday to get great deals ahead of their Christmas shopping, just before the stores replenish their stocks for the holidays. On Black Friday, it is common for people to get things they do not need, just because they are

ridiculously cheap.

Black Friday has been described as an anarchy, which favors big stores that can afford to have competitive prices for one day. It creates “a brand of shoppers who will trample and fight each other...”

This year, however, there was a campaign called “Buy Nothing” which challenges people to “switch off from shopping and tune into life.”

It was a 24-hour moratorium on consuming, and could be seen as either “a personal experiment or a public statement.” The global campaign, the website www. buynothingday.co.uk claims, was in 60 countries. The site offered simple advice to those who are

By decluttering, we try to make room in our life for the things that matter.

tempted to go shopping: Just. Do. Nothing. #Shoplesslivemore was the campaign’s hashtag. Another website, Quartz (qz.com), added

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that the only clothes people need this season are the only ones already in their closets.

I have no idea how the campaign fared in the just-concluded Black Friday in the West. To us here, the idea behind the challenge to conspicuous consumption is timely now that December is just two days away. Beginning this week, most people will shed all pretenses of restraint to get on full holiday mode.

Christmas season in the Philippines is associated with acquiring things. Malls going on sale are a testament to this. We get for ourselves and our family members new clothes, shoes, accessories, things for the house, gadgets or anything we hold dear. After

all, this is also the time we get a boost to our monthly income because of the 13th month pay and, for the fortunate ones, Christmas bonus to the tune of x number of months.

We buy Christmas gifts for family, friends and acquaintances, and we receive them as well. Of course, we don’t give presents on the basis of need. What we usually receive—clothes, planners, accessories and others—are not something we would buy for ourselves. We acquire these, too, and they add to the pile of Christmas presents we probably store somewhere. We intend to use them sometime, but we can still do without them now. In the meantime, the objective of gift giving

—telling that person you thought of them enough to get them something, anything—has been accomplished. Thank yous have been exchanged. The thought, indeed, counts.

New Year won’t be far behind.

Again, many traditions and common practices define how we celebrate this occasion. For example, some households buy 12 kinds of round fruits supposedly to invite prosperity. Often, however, fruits are not consumed by family members. Some are given

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away after the festivities, but most remain on the tabletop, or shoved into the refrigerator, rotting away with time.

When the New Year comes, we may be tempted to take the newness literally. We promise to junk old habits and old things and acquire new ones. Unfortunately, we are better at acquiring than letting go. As a result, the old and the rotting pile up, and as new things are acquired, more stuff is accumulated. Homes are occupied, not so much by people but by their pos-

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sessions. There is less space for air to freely flow in and out.

One of this year’s bestsellers is Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Kondo is a professional organizer, and her consultancy flourishes from the number of people who want to declutter their homes but do not know how to do it. The book is pricey and is frowned upon by perhaps as many people as those who live by it.

Kondo’s method is based on

the thinking that tidying up is a process that transforms the person doing it as much as it does the place that is being organized.

Tidying up forces a person to evaluate what is truly important to him, and eliminate what is not.

By evaluating each and every item and asking himself one and only one question—Does this spark joy?—the person looks into the deepest recesses of himself and discovers what make him happy, and what does not.

Do you really need a book to

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tell you the best way to tidy up?

Perhaps, perhaps not. You can choose to focus on logical ways to keep your personal space in order, or you can focus on what your belongings, and your attachment to them, tell you about yourself. You can figure out how best to declutter so that there is more room in your life for the things that matter, preferably intangible ones.

You can call it housekeeping.

Or you can say it’s introspection. adellechua@gmail.com

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

MEMO TO PUTIN: SYRIA IS TURKEY’S UKRAINE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WE ARE PARIS

By Marc Champion RUSSIAN leaders have evidently been shocked by Turkey’s deliberate decision to shoot down one of their planes, which they say was motivated by Turkey’s alleged support for Islamic State and greed for the proceeds of smuggled terrorist oil. A simpler explanation is that Russia would have done the same.

Here is the hypothetical: What would President Vladimir Putin do if civil war broke out in a neighboring country, which had been part of the Russian empire for centuries before breaking away under circumstances, and with borders, that Russians still found difficult to accept? What would he do if, in that war, some of the rebels were ethnic Russians at risk of being brutally crushed by the armed forces of the neighboring state?

Actually, that’s not so hypothetical; it pretty much describes eastern Ukraine. And we know what Russia did—it became heavily involved in a poorly concealed invasion.

Syria was under Ottoman control from 1516 until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The Russian Empire took over the Donbass region in the mid-1700s. The “Turkmen” rebels that Russia’s Su-24 aircraft was bombing at the time it was shot down are ethnic Turks.

They ended up on the wrong side of the border when it was imposed by a1921 treaty (shortly before the Donbass region was incorporated into Soviet Ukraine).

Even the strange psychology of how former empires feel they still have a special right, even responsibility, to intervene in long-since amputated parts is similar. When pro-democracy protests began in Syria in 2011, Erdogan said Turkey had to view the turmoil in Syria as a domestic issue. He was affronted when President Bashar al-Assad refused to do as he was told.

Since the shoot-down earlier this week, Turkey’s President has all but admitted that his country deliberately targeted the Sukhoi because of what Russia was doing to the Turkmen rebels. “We have no intention to escalate this incident. We are just defending our security and the rights of our brothers,” Erdogan said. As aggressive as the Turkish decision to down a Russian jet over a technical, 17-second airspace infringement was, Erdogan has not gone as far as Putin to assert his right to intervene militarily to protect ethnic kin, anytime, anywhere.

Now consider how Putin would react if the US or North Atlantic Treaty Organization decided to get involved militarily in eastern Ukraine, placing an airbase and Patriot missile batteries 50 miles from the Russian border. Picture Nato

THOSE headed to Paris this week, including our own President Benigno Aquino III, may find themselves overwhelmed by the significance of their destination.

Just a little over two weeks ago, Paris was the site of the attacks that killed 130 people and injured scores of others. International terror group IS has claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks, and France has retaliated by bombing several areas in Syria where the group is known to be living.

Online, social media users have draped the three-colored flag of France over their profile pictures, fueling a debate on why an attack on France merited such response and support while those on less prominent countries continue to be met with silence, passive acceptance, or indifference.

Paris was also where a roomful of cartoonists and satirists were killed early this year.

Again, after that event, people were moved to declare that they were Charlie, referring to the magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and all it represented. Again, the killings prompted exchanges on whether press freedom had no bounds, and whether religious freedom allowed one to go through extreme measures in defense of their faith.

Today, it’s Paris once again, as world leaders, scientists, advocates, diplomats and people’s groups converge in the French capital for the 21st Conference of Parties. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change calls for the meeting of nations to agree on cutting emissions of greenhouse gases that in turn warm the globe and cause climate change.

The 20 previous meetings have, at best, allowed countries to agree at some later point how the cuts will be achieved and who will set the example of doing so at the expense of growth.

That final agreement, much less a way to ensure every country complies with its verbal commitments, has never been worked out.

The Philippine President will be in Paris to speak as the leader of one of the countries most affected by climate-induced disasters. Filipinos are all too familiar with the effects of climate change on our weather patterns: stronger, more frequent storms, erratic paths, drought and dry spells. Couple this with our innate vulnerability—lack of education and information, and disparate levels of local government preparedness—the result is a people frequently battered not by the weather but by the lack of resilience to meet the inevitable effects of climate change.

Many have expressed doubts that aside from the high-level meetings and prestigious personalities, nothing substantial and enforceable will be agreed upon, and the world will continue to plummet into the tipping point for accelerated global warming.

Countries which can afford to do so will protect their citizens by enabling them to be resilient; others will not be able to do anything but watch people die or get displaced.

Despite the trappings, what will happen in Paris is not a red-carpet event that would be graced by the “who’s who” in the world. In reality, the “who’s who” are the vulnerable people who may not even know what UNFCCC stands for, what the difference between mitigation and adaptation is, and who may not be aware that the objective is to prevent global temperatures to rise by 2-degrees Celsius or more to save ourselves, yet for whom every day is a confrontation with the dangers that await them.

The world’s eyes will be trained on Paris once again, but it won’t be the lot just of the French. It will be what will happen to the world. Or won’t.

Continued on A6

ALL YOU REALLY NEED

IN THE West, Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is much awaited by shoppers. It is usually marked by outrageous discounts in retail stores. People take advantage of Black Friday to get great deals ahead of their Christmas shopping, just before the stores replenish their stocks for the holidays. On Black Friday, it is common for people to get things they do not need, just because they are

ridiculously cheap.

Black Friday has been described as an anarchy, which favors big stores that can afford to have competitive prices for one day. It creates “a brand of shoppers who will trample and fight each other...”

This year, however, there was a campaign called “Buy Nothing” which challenges people to “switch off from shopping and tune into life.”

It was a 24-hour moratorium on consuming, and could be seen as either “a personal experiment or a public statement.” The global campaign, the website www. buynothingday.co.uk claims, was in 60 countries. The site offered simple advice to those who are

By decluttering, we try to make room in our life for the things that matter.

tempted to go shopping: Just. Do. Nothing. #Shoplesslivemore was the campaign’s hashtag. Another website, Quartz (qz.com), added

A5

that the only clothes people need this season are the only ones already in their closets.

I have no idea how the campaign fared in the just-concluded Black Friday in the West. To us here, the idea behind the challenge to conspicuous consumption is timely now that December is just two days away. Beginning this week, most people will shed all pretenses of restraint to get on full holiday mode.

Christmas season in the Philippines is associated with acquiring things. Malls going on sale are a testament to this. We get for ourselves and our family members new clothes, shoes, accessories, things for the house, gadgets or anything we hold dear. After

all, this is also the time we get a boost to our monthly income because of the 13th month pay and, for the fortunate ones, Christmas bonus to the tune of x number of months.

We buy Christmas gifts for family, friends and acquaintances, and we receive them as well. Of course, we don’t give presents on the basis of need. What we usually receive—clothes, planners, accessories and others—are not something we would buy for ourselves. We acquire these, too, and they add to the pile of Christmas presents we probably store somewhere. We intend to use them sometime, but we can still do without them now. In the meantime, the objective of gift giving

—telling that person you thought of them enough to get them something, anything—has been accomplished. Thank yous have been exchanged. The thought, indeed, counts.

New Year won’t be far behind.

Again, many traditions and common practices define how we celebrate this occasion. For example, some households buy 12 kinds of round fruits supposedly to invite prosperity. Often, however, fruits are not consumed by family members. Some are given

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away after the festivities, but most remain on the tabletop, or shoved into the refrigerator, rotting away with time.

When the New Year comes, we may be tempted to take the newness literally. We promise to junk old habits and old things and acquire new ones. Unfortunately, we are better at acquiring than letting go. As a result, the old and the rotting pile up, and as new things are acquired, more stuff is accumulated. Homes are occupied, not so much by people but by their pos-

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sessions. There is less space for air to freely flow in and out.

One of this year’s bestsellers is Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Kondo is a professional organizer, and her consultancy flourishes from the number of people who want to declutter their homes but do not know how to do it. The book is pricey and is frowned upon by perhaps as many people as those who live by it.

Kondo’s method is based on

the thinking that tidying up is a process that transforms the person doing it as much as it does the place that is being organized.

Tidying up forces a person to evaluate what is truly important to him, and eliminate what is not.

By evaluating each and every item and asking himself one and only one question—Does this spark joy?—the person looks into the deepest recesses of himself and discovers what make him happy, and what does not.

Do you really need a book to

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tell you the best way to tidy up?

Perhaps, perhaps not. You can choose to focus on logical ways to keep your personal space in order, or you can focus on what your belongings, and your attachment to them, tell you about yourself. You can figure out how best to declutter so that there is more room in your life for the things that matter, preferably intangible ones.

You can call it housekeeping.

Or you can say it’s introspection. adellechua@gmail.com

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S U N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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OPINION

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A VOTE AND A SMILE

By Hla Hla Htay YANGON, Myanmar—The smiling faces and the surprising willingness to talk— that’s how I’ll remember the recent election in Myanmar, the historic vote that saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s party win a landslide, ending more than 50 years of military rule.

I have covered elections in my home country before, and people smiling as they leave polling stations was not a feature in any of them.

one dared to reveal his political affiliation outside the voting booth.

And what a difference with the last general election in 2010, when the country was still under full military rule.

Back then, local reporters couldn’t go to polling stations to cover the election and talk with the voters. The authorities organized convoys to take the media around, so I spent the poll working surrounded by government minders.

So much has changed in the five years since.

A woman smiles as she casts her ballot in the Nov. 8 poll. AFP

But on Nov. 8, the voters grinned in their hundreds after casting their ballots.

The lines outside the polling stations formed as early as 5 a.m., with women and men of all ages, many of them having come with family members or friends, queuing on the streets. They seemed determined, and almost anxious, as if they were afraid that at the last minute they would be prevented from voting.

And once slipping their ballots in the box, most happily shared with reporters their choice—“Amay Suu” (“Mama Suu”) as Suu Kyi is known affectionately in her homeland.

Even if some were reticent to talk to the media that descended on the country for the poll, I was struck by just how many said openly how they voted. Nearly everyone with whom I spoke cast ballots for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, which in the end received two-thirds of seats, winning control of both houses of parliament and the ability to choose the next president.

Even during the by-elections of 2012, which saw Suu Kyi enter parliament, no

EVERYMAN

By Luis T. Arriola KAZAKHSTAN President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called on world leaders and the United Nations to take concrete measures to put an end to the brutal and violent rampage of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists who senselessly massacred 129 innocent people in Paris and many others in Mali and other areas recently.

Addressing the UN General Assembly lately, the Kazakh President said the world must “radically change the rules of the global behavior and unite against a common threat—terrorism,” which has now taken a global scale.

Nazarbayev said “no matter how impossible it may seem at first glance,” world leaders must take action, “unite and create a unified global network to counter and put an end to extremism and rampant terrorism in the world.”

Under Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan, a part of the now defunct Soviet Union and which shares common borders with volatile Afghanistan, prides itself in having

On Nov. 8, a huge media scrum representing news organizations from around the world crowded around “The Lady” as she cast her ballot in a small school in the center of Yangon. The world’s cameras recorded every move of the woman who today still incarnates the democratic aspirations of a country that has lived for years under military rule.

Suu Kyi elicits immense respect both within and outside her country for her non-violent resistance to the junta and the sacrifices she made for her ideals, leaving her two young sons behind in Britain to return to Myanmar in 1989. Every time I see her free I think about the day she was finally released from house arrest under which she had spent nearly 15 of the 20 years since returning to the country to lead its democracy movement.

In September 2010, as the junta readied to hold elections considered a farce by the international community, I realized that Suu Kyi’s house arrest was due to end shortly after the poll.

I contacted some of my sources, two

of whom confirmed that she was going to be released and that I could announce her upcoming release at the end of the month.

On Nov. 13, 2010, at the hour given to me by a source, I put myself in position near her house. I don’t approach too closely at first, as I don’t want to be arrested before I can cover her release.

I have two telephones, one in each hand. On one line is my source, who will give me the step by step of what’s happening inside the house; on the other line is my bureau chief, who will send the alerts on the wire. I dare not hang up and in the end spend about two hours on the phone. By 4 p.m., I’m in front of the barricades leading up to her house.

Shortly after 5 p.m. she is free. All of the sudden, the barricades around the house are lifted and the gathered crowd of her supporters, drunk with happiness, runs toward the house. Caught up in the tide, I run as well—I have to be in the front to see her and hear what she says.

When she finally appears, it’s dusk but I record a short video nonetheless. The images turn out to be dark and I am shaking, but I still manage to get the first images of her behind the fence surrounding her house.

Smiling and laughing, she salutes the crowd and raises herself above the fence.

She catches a bouquet of flowers that one of her supporters gives her.

“I’m glad that you are welcoming me and supporting me. I want to say that there will be a time to come out. Do not stay silent when that time comes,” she said. “We must work together in unison.”

Five years pass, to the day, between that moment and the announcement of her party’s crushing victory in the Nov. 8th poll. She has traveled a long way in those five years, but despite her victory, still has a long way to go before parliament elects a president—a post for which she is ineligible under the current constitution, which prohibits someone who married a foreign national or has children with foreign passports from holding the post. Suu Kyi’s late husband was British, as are her two sons.

Suu Kyi has said that she has a “plan” to rule despite these barriers. The whole country will be watching the woman who incarnates such hope inside her homeland.

“We hope for the best but are ready for the worst,” the Burmese often say. The upcoming months look to be as exciting to cover as the election that made the voters smile. AFP

MEMO... From A5

aircraft providing airpower for an all-out Ukrainian ground assault against the Russian-backed rebels, aided by troops from Poland and Chechnya (in Syria’s case, that’s Iran and Hezbollah).

Imagine Turkish and American jets flying into Russian airspace as they try to optimize their bombing runs.

Just a wild guess here, but it would not take Putin three months before he shot down one of the Nato aircraft. Nor would he take seriously any comment from the President of the United States that it was obvious the Nato pilots and bombers had “in no way threatened” the Russian Federation, the words Putin used as he raged that: “We received a stab in the back from accomplices of terrorism.”

Nor would Putin have been impressed by Nato claims that the Russian-backed rebels it was bombing in the Donbass were terrorists.

Putin says he is bombing Islamic State in the Turkmen mountains, yet there are no recorded Islamic State forces in that area or for some distance beyond. These are rebels fighting Assad.

Of course, there are as many differences as similarities between the situations in Northern Syria and Ukraine, past and current—it is the attitudes of Russia and Turkey that are similar, not the conflicts. And both Russia’s leadership and Turkey’s are using the cover of popular concern for the fate of fellow Russians and Turks to pursue more strategic, less noble goals.

Among those goals for Erdogan is one that will be all too familiar to the Kremlin: A determination to show not just Russia, but also the US, France and others looking to agree a common strategy with Putin that no solution for Syria can be reached unless Turkish interests are fully taken into account. These do not allow for an alliance with Assad to crush fellow Sunnis, whether Turkmen or Arab.

The smart thing for Russia to do now would be to recognize that it misjudged Turkish sensitivities, and adjust accordingly. Surely Putin has enough hostile neighbors and former friends already. But it will be tempting to go further, because Erdogan has also miscalculated: He has a far weaker hand in Syria than Putin has in Ukraine.

To state the obvious, Turkey is not a nuclear power. In addition, despite huge errors of judgment in supporting Islamist extremists once they arrived in Syria one to two years after the conflict began, Turkey did not manufacture Syria’s civil war, as Russia manufactured the one in Ukraine. Nor have the Turks put large numbers of “volunteer” troops and heavy equipment into the Syrian battlefield.

So Turkey’s ability to influence or respond to events in Syria is extremely limited. In the Donbass region, Putin has been able to turn the conflict on and off, more or less at will.

For the moment, Russian retaliation is shaping up as economic sanctions, deploying additional anti-aircraft missile systems in Northern Syria and, according to some reports, redoubling its bombing campaign in the Turkmen mountains. Erdogan will be powerless to respond effectively, unless he takes even more reckless risks in a fight he cannot win. Bloomberg

KAZAKHSTAN TO WORLD LEADERS: UNITE AND END TERRORISM effectively united its more that 40 ethnic groups, most of which are Islams, and gained significant strides towards modernization and prosperity under a regime of sustained peace and stability. The Kazakh President believes economic problems provoke “negative phenomena in the world, including terrorism.”

The Kazakh leader stressed that the crises of the past years demonstrate the futility of the policy of isolationism, “new rules of life, new and more effective treatment for existing crisis to prevent future ones.”

He suggested also that the world “needs a common currency and a valid supranational global financial regulator, and wider representation in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.” This measure, he added, will help address the main danger of “endless wars that generate uncontrolled migration, terrorism and chaos.”

Observers said Kazakhstan itself could

serve as a model of these suggested reforms having demonstrated its stability despite its circumstances, including its geographical proximity to Afghanistan, one of the key sources of instability in Central Asia, the destructive impact of which is not always easy to curb.

The same observers said Kazakhstan is a miniature world, which has done away with nuclear weapons, pointing that “it is the first country in history that decided to close its nuclear test sites and voluntarily renounced the fourth largest nuclear arsenal.”

Kazakhstan today is now a showcase of economic development. Its “100 concrete steps” revolutionary approach, formulated under Nazarbayev’s guidance, now propels the country on an unprecedented economic surge.

Former Russian Minister of Economic Development, German Gref, a world re-

nowned economist who now heads one of the world’s largest banks, has called the plan as “one of the best documents” he had ever seen, noting that “after the implementation of even just 50 of the steps Kazakhstan has become fundamentally a different state.”

Indeed. Kazakhstan is now a very different state from what it was two decades ago. It is now the lead state among the CIS countries in terms of prosperity and competitiveness as may be judged by how its capital, Astana, has risen to higher world ranking. Kazakh leaders have vowed not to rest on their laurels and have expressed determination to strive further to scale new heights and enter the circle if the world’s top 30 most developed countries by 2050.

• Luis T. Arriola is the publisher of Asean Times and has followed Kazakhstan’s progress in the last eight years.

S U N D AY : N O V E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MILITARY LOSES 2 MEN, P2M TO NPA

By Mel Caspe

TWO soldiers were killed while three others were wounded when they were ambushed by suspected Communist rebels last night along Maharlika Highway between Barangays Socorro and Lagundi in Catbalogan, Samar.

An estimated P2 million in cash intended for the subsistence allowance of the 41st infantry battallion was taken away by the armed men, who also fired several rounds at the soldiers. The money was placed inside a military sling bag, sources said.

An officer, 1st Lt. Cher-

win B. Lapura, led the soldiers on board a KM450 Humvee-type vehicle which hit a landmine on their way from Camp Lukban in Maulong, Catbalogan City to their base in Eastern Samar.

Joint AFP and PNP troops from the Division Headquarters composed

of armored vehicles, a platoon of soldiers, Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, together with members of the Samar Police Provincial Office were immediately sent to the area to reinforce the beleaguered troops. They recovered assorted empty shells of different calibers, including an AK-47 rifle, and fragments of landmines made of PVC pipe and steelbar cuttings.

The military condemned the “treacherous acts of the NPAs which are in gross violation of the Comprehensive Agree-

ment on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law” by the CPP-NPA to which the communist group is a signatory.

CARHRIHL states that parties involved in the agreement should affirm and apply the principles of international humanitarian law in order to protect the civilian population and individual civilians, as well as persons deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the armed conflict and also guarantees the right against economic and food blockades and indiscrimi-

nate bombings, shelling, strafing, gunfire and the use of landmines.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Jet B. Velarmino of the 8th infantry division said “I would like to express my condolences to the families of the slain soldiers. They died a hero’s death in pursuit of peace and development in the region. Their sacrifices and bravery will not be forgotten.”

Despite this setback, the Army in Eastern Visayas will remain focused on carrying out the mission to safeguard the people

against the NPA rebels and in the quest for a lasting peace and progressive communities in this part of the country, Velarmino added.

Velarmino called on the peace-loving people of Samar to help in convincing those who were deceived by the CPP-NPA, to follow the path of peace and condemn those who advocate violence and use of arms against the government.

The wounded soldiers were now recuperating at Camp Lukban Station Hospital and in stable condition.

20 MORE PEOPLE NABBED IN WAKE OF ‘BALA’

By Joel E. Zurbano

KIDS’ MOVEMENT. Children representing presidential hopefuls (from left) Grace Poe, Rodrigo Duterte, Mar Roxas, Miriam Defensor-Santiago

and Jejomar Binay spice up the launching of Bata Movement in Quezon City on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. The Bata Movement, along with the Children Talk to Children and Child Rights Network, embarked on the campaign in a bid to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections in favor of Filipino children. JANSEN ROMERO

PAGCOR SPREADS YULETIDE CHEER THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is once again spreading holiday cheer to thousands of less privileged Filipinos through its traditional Pamaskong Handog gift-giving project this year. Pagcor allocated P21 million for the project.

The state-run agency’s 12 days of gift-giving will run from Nov. 27 to Dec. 17. It will benefit 10,000 less fortunate Filipinos under the care of 33 charitable institutions nationwide.

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Cristino Naguiat Jr. said reaching out to the less privileged sectors of society has always been one of the core commitments of Pagcor as it is doing its share in building a better nation.

“The main objective of the Pamaskong Handog project is to give help to those who need it most. It is also a great oppor-

tunity for Pagcor to partake in spreading love to the neglected sectors of society during the Yuletide season,” he said.

Pagcor’s assistant vice president for Corporate Communications Maricar Bautista, who graced the kick-off ceremony for this year’s gift-giving project, said the Pamaskong Handog is one of the state-owned gaming agency’s creative ways of giving back to society. “This event which started in December 2010 is one of Pagcor’s important Corporate Social Responsibility programs under its current management.”

During the first day of its giftgiving project, close to 500 Special Education students of Pasay City Special Education Center housed in the P. Villanueva Elementary School in Pasay City were chosen as beneficiaries of the project.

Pagcor AVP for Corporate Communications and Services Maricar Bautista leads the kick-off ceremony for the state-run gaming agency’s Pamaskong Handog Project 2015 at the Pasay City Special Education Center. Some 500 Special Education students and their teachers received gift packs containing noche buena goodies from Pagcor.

AT LEAST 20 more passengers were caught carrying bullets in their bags since the plantingbullet scandal broke out, thus prompting authorities to assign ballisticians to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to speed up the investigation process and avoid flight delays.

Senior Supt. Adolfo Samala, head of the Aviation Security Group-National Capital Region, said the designation of ballisticians at the airports would hasten the verification process whether the confiscated bullets were live or not.

Since Monday, airport authorities apprehended at least 20 passengers carrying bullets in their bags at Naia terminals 1, 2 and 3 amid the growing controversy over the alleged bullet-planting extortion scheme.

Most of the passengers, according to Avsegroup public information officer Chief Insp. Samuel Hojilla, were at Terminal 3.

Hojilla said a person would be apprehended for carrying bullets despite the installation of disposal booths or cubicles that serve as passengers’ luggage checking station before entering security screening checkpoints.

He added the cubicle dubbed as the “Last Look Booth” would help passengers dispose of items the airport authorities prohibit such as bullets, knife and other deadly weapons.

Some of those apprehended were released from detention after lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office intervened following confession from the passengers that they used the bullets as amulets or souvenirs.

Criminal charges in relation to the Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) were filed against the other passengers.

Last Thursday, Avsegroup personnel found a caliber .38 bullet inside the backpack of 20-yearold Chinese national Yueqiang Xu at the Naia Terminal 1. The foreigner was placed under police custody but was released later after ballistics test showed that the bullet found in his posession was not live and unfired.

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SUNDAY: NOVEMBER 29, 2015

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PAF REJOINS SUPERSONIC ERA THE Philippine Air Force took delivery of two South Korean-made FA-50 aircraft on Saturday, marking the country’s return to supersonic fighter jet status after almost a decade, amid growing tensions with China.

The two new aircraft are the first of an order of 12 and signal a new readiness by Manila to assert itself militarily.

The two fighters, flown from Seoul by South Korean pilots, were met in Philippine airspace by two S211 jets which escorted them to the former US airbase of Clark where they were received by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

“We’re glad. We are finally back to the supersonic age,” he told reporters as he inspected the “Golden Eagle” jets.

Gazmin has said the aircraft could serve as both trainers and fighters, and that among the ar-

eas they would be posted will be the western island of Palawan, the country’s closest point to the South China Sea where the Philippines has a territorial dispute with China.

China claims most of the South China Sea even up to the coastline of its neighbors. Other countries have conflicting claims and the Philippines has been the most vocal in opposing China despite its overwhelming military superiority.

The cash-strapped Philippines, which is also battling internal communist and Muslim insurgencies, has long neglected external defense, relying on age-

ing ships and aircraft to patrol the disputed waters.

It retired the last of its supersonic fighter jets, US-made F-5 Freedom Fighters, in 2005 due to their age and since then has relied on propeller-driven planes and the Italian-made S211.

The S211s are intended for training new pilots and are not capable of supersonic flight. But the military has been forced to use them for other roles such as patrolling territory and conducting bombing missions on insurgents.

However, as the country’s economy improved, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has been upgrading the military, acquiring two surplus frigates from the United States and new aircraft from different sources.

Meanwhile, AFP’s modernization efforts gained momentum with President Aquino approving Gazmin’s request to enter into a “multi-year contract” for seven

acquisition projects.

This was disclosed by DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, material and modernization Fernando Manalo during the sidelights of FA-50PHs welcoming ceremony in Clark Air Base, Pampanga Saturday.

“The approval will pave the way for the acquisition of two frigates for the Philippine Navy; anti-submarine helicopters and amphibious assault vehicle for PN; long-range patrol aircraft, close-air support aircraft, munitions for FA-50 and air surveillance for the Philippine Air Force,” Manalo added.

Manalo said payment for the seven projects will run from 2015 to 2018.

The multi-year contract will allow the military to pursue modernization program beyond Aquino’s term.

Total value of the seven projects is about P44 billion. AFP, PNA

GOLDEN EAGLES. Air Force ladies offer garlands to welcome the Korean pilots during the delivery of two FA-50PH trainer jets dubbed as ‘Golden Eagles’ from Seoul upon their arrival at the Clark Airbase in Pampanga on Saturday. MANNY PALMERO

WOMAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER A FIRST IN ARAB WORLD GENEVA—The election of Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi as the first woman Speaker of the United Arab Emirates’ Parliament has been warmly welcomed by the InterParliamentary Union as a breakthrough not only for the Gulf State but also for the Arab world, which also hosts hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers.

Dr. Al Qubaisi, a former deputy speaker of the Federal National Council and government minister, is a trailblazer for the region as well as she is the first-ever woman Speaker of an Arab national parliament.

A parliamentarian since 2006, Dr. Al Qubaisi has long been active within IPU and has achieved international prominence. She has been particularly active on gender and youth issues. Her en-

Amal Al Qubaisi

gagement in youth participation at IPU contributed to the creation of IPU’s Forum of Young Parliamentarians, a body that provides

youth perspectives in international political decision making.

“I am personally delighted by Dr. Al Qubaisi’s election, having

known and worked with her for several years,” said IPU secretary general Martin Chungong.

“Breaking the parliamentary glass ceiling in the UAE marks a particularly important milestone that can only resonate across the region and inspire other countries and other women MPs,” he added.

The election of Dr. Al Qubaisi brings the number of women Speakers in the world to 48. They account for 17.2 percent of the 273 Speakers of Parliament globally, according to IPU data.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the global organization of national parliaments. It works to safeguard peace and drives positive democratic change through political dialogue and concrete action.

BILATERAL DEALS MAY SPUR JOB CREATION —LABOR

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Labor and Employment expects more job opportunities in the coming months because of the signing of bilateral agreements between the Philippines and countries that attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in Manila recently.

“The bilateral meetings of the Philippines with Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Russia, and the United States of America, resulted in identification of potential investment areas and employment opportunities, as well as continued stronger trade relations, as well as export opportunities for Philippine products and services with these Apec member-economies,” Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

Baldoz cited Australia as a potential investors that intends to open in food processing, agribusiness, IT-BPM, engineering services, infrastructure and other private-public partnership projects, auto parts exports, and manufacturing.

“We see the Philippines exhibiting healthy export trade relations with Australia for its paper and paperboard products, semi-manufactured forms of gold, lead acid for starting piston engines, heat exchange units, and static converters, ” she said.

The Philippines inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Australia covering exchange of information on Technical Vocational Education and Training systems, joint implementation of collaborative projects, and facilitation of links between governments, industry organizations, and TVET bodies.

Japan will invest more in the country’s copper mining industry and manufacturing sector, specifically for auto parts, printer, and printing parts, and medical devices, as well as investments in the services sector, particularly on ITBPM and gaming development.

With Korea, the established trade agreement covers investment opportunities for shipbuilding, automotive manufacturing, electronics manufacturing (printers, integrated circuits, LED modules, agribusiness, food processing, renewable energy, banking and finance, tourism, hotel, retirement village, infrastructure and PPP, including the other labor-intensive industries migrating out of China, such as shoes, jewelry, and garments.

SUNDAY: NOVEMBER 29, 2015

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

BUSINESS

B1

ASEAN HOUSE CLEANERS NOW USE MOBILE APP

CLORETA Hipolito, a digital media expert from Pasig City, believes that information technology can generate more income for small entrepreneurs, including house cleaners and airconditioning unit technicians.

She says that in the same way that taxi drivers can fetch passengers via mobile app, house cleaners, air-con technicians and other service providers can now tap the Web to transact with customers and get job orders.

Hipolito, who has an 18-year experience in managing online media companies, currently heads the Philippine unit of a Malaysian startup that facilitates job requests from customers and job offers from service providers.

She says by linking customers and service providers through the digital platforms such as website or mobile application, her company contributes to the growth of the services sector.

“We would like to help businesses grow and our aim is to make them become better marketers.

For the customers, we’d like to empower them with the best purchase decision by choosing the best service providers that can match their job requests,” says Hipolito, the UP-educated country manager of Gawin Inc., the local subsidiary of Malaysia’s Kaodim Group.

Kaodim Group, established

by Malaysian lawyers Fui Yu Choong and Jeffri Cheong, is the company behind kaodim.

com, which is changing the way customers hire service providers and contractors in Malaysia and Singapore.

Kaodim Group established gawin.ph on July 24, 2015 as its platform for the Philippines and appointed Hipolito as the country manager the following month. Gawin.ph, which was launched in 17 cities in Metro Manila, connects people to electricians, plumbers, renovation contractors, cleaners and other home-related service professionals. Gawin means “do it” in Tagalog, while “kaodim” means “done” in Cantonese.

Gawin pro app is available for service providers in Metro Manila, allowing them to manage requests for their services, their profiles and correspondence with customers. Hipolito says kaodim.com and gawin. ph match customers with verified service providers, making it convenient to compare custom price estimates, profiles and customer reviews before deciding which professional to hire.

Kaodim, which began operation in November 2014, has grown to a team of 35 professionals in Malaysia, including several Filipino staff. Hipolito says the group is also set to establish its Philippine office in

Kaodim and Gawin co-founders Jeffri Cheong and Fui Yu Choong

Gawin Inc. country manager Cloreta Hipolito Ortigas next month.

“Kaodim was founded by two lawyers—Fui Yu Choong and Jeffri Cheong who quit their jobs to form this startup. They have been passionate about disruptive businesses and they wanted to use technology to find more meaningful way to help people,” Hipolito says in an interview in Makati City.

She says the business concept arose from an actual need of one of the founders. “During that time, Fui Yu was building his home and he was having a hard time looking for service providers. So kaodim.com, which is the web and mobile platform in Malaysia, was launched in November 2014. They got a good response from the Malaysian community. From then on and after a year, they have served more than 50,000 customers in Malaysia,” she says.

Encouraged by the success of the Malaysian platform, gawin. ph was launched in the Philip-

pines in July. “Localization was very important. Gawin was drawn from the word ‘do it’.

They are also planning to launch a version of the platform in Indonesia, which will be called a different name. The tag line is get it done,” she says.

“I saw the potential in the Philippines for this kind of service and platform. I think the market is ready for it. There is a fundamental need because here in the Philippines, we only have a few sources of finding service providers. It is either through referrals, directories or classifieds,” she says.

She says gawin.ph takes a step further, by verifying the job offers and requests and connecting the parties. “The difference with gawin.ph is that the service providers are verified. It is also a faster and easier way to find service providers... You easily get custom quotes when CONTINUED ON B3

SUNDAY: NOVEMBER 29, 2015

B2

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

TONY FERNANDES:

AIRASIA IS AN

AirAsia Bhd. chief executive Tony Fernandes speaks at the Apec CEO Summit in Manila.

Bloomberg

ASEAN COMPANY

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

TONY Fernandes describes AirAsia Bhd., the budget carrier he established 14 years ago, as an Asean company.

Fernandes, the 51-year-old chief executive of AirAsia who is listed by Forbes magazine as the 33rd richest man in Malaysia with a net worth of $530 million in 2015, met his success in Asean, the regional bloc of 10 countries which now opens their national borders for free trade.

“This is the Asean market and we have created an Asean company,” Fernandes says at the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Manila.

Asean stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Fernandes, who completed a degree in accounting at the London School of Economics in 1987, had worked for Virgin Records and Warner Music Group (Malaysia), before venturing into the aviation industry.

He bought AirAsia, a failing commercial airline and assumed 40 million ringgit of debt in December 2001. The airline had two old aircraft when Fernandes took charge.

Fernandes promoted AirAsia as Asia’s leading low-fare, nofrills airline, flying to destinations

across the region.

Within a year after his takeover, AirAsia broke even and cleared all its debts. It conducted an initial public offering in November 2004, which was oversubscribed by 130 percent.

Over the past decade, AirAsia has revolutionized the aviation industry in Asean. Now, the budget carrier has more than 200 planes with operations spanning Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, China and Japan.

Fernandes launched AirAsia asean based in Jakarta in August 2012. AirAsia Group now flies more than 150 routes to 89 destinations, 57 of which are in Asean and the rest in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Australia. AirAsia Group employs 10,000 people.

In 2007, Fernandes also established hotel chain Tune Group, which is also based on the nofrills concept. It has quickly spread across Asean.

Fernandes acknowledges that most AirAsia innovations, both products and processes, were suggested by his employees.

He recalls that he initially re-

sisted the ground crew’s suggestions to buy the machine that brings the luggage up into and down out of the plane, but as he himself did some of the heavy work, he became convinced that the expensive equipment was a necessity.

This active listening is a strategy that has worked for AirAsia, he says.

To match the strategy, Fernandes said he also dresses more

casually to get AirAsia staff to talk to him.

Having his ear on the ground allows him to improve operations, he says. And these are just some of the ways he elicits points for improvement from his employees.

Fernandes says AirAsia’s success can also be attributed to the Asean market. He says more than having great workers, Asean has a potential market of 600 million people, slightly more than Eu-

rope’s combined population.

He says AirAsia as a budget airline was conceptualized to cater to this vast market. “We see enormous potential in Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia going forward, creating the Asean market,” he says.

Fernandes says Asean’s biggest strength is its people—as a market and as human resource for companies. “If we put people first, everyone wins,” he says.

WHY RED RIBBON REDESIGNED ITS STORES RED Ribbon, one of the country’s leading bakeshops, has recently redesigned its stores in Market!

Market! and TriNoma shopping malls. Red Ribbon general manager Zinnia Rivera says the company designed the two new stores with Filipino families in mind, creating in-store warmth that brings memories and feelings of home.

“We conceptualized our stores based on a Filipino family’s happy moments. Once our customers visit these stores, they’ll feel the warmth of home,” Rivera says.

“This is why we’d like all Filipino families to come to our stores: we want them to experience this kind of warmth that comes from our delightful and delicious products and more homey store concept.”

These two new stores highlight designs that reflect happy bondings shared with the family. Its use of wood elements create a warm interior finish, evoking comfort that’s unmistakably home.

“While the new Red Ribbon stores create a trademark of being warm and homey, we would like our customers to feel that they are part of a much bigger family that

makes every day a special celebration,” Rivera says. “With Red Ribbon, they are always welcome.”

She says this is evident through the new designs painted on the walls. “We visually translated the sweet family bonds, remind-

ing every Filipino family of their own kulitan and lambingan that are made more special and unforgettable with Red Ribbon’s sweet delights.We want to give them an exciting and delightful experience that stays with the customer from

the moment they enter our store and long after they leave.”

Its spacious interior design give customers a sense of personal space in choosing their favorite Red Ribbon products. A special Dedication Cake counter

is mounted “so they can see how their very heartwarming dedications are inscribed on their cakes.”

“This exceptional customer experience is further complemented by our hospitable crew members who gladly welcome the customers every time they enter the store,” Rivera says “Such friendliness and warmth give the customers more reason to come back.”

Red Ribbon started as a small bakeshop in Timog Avenue in Quezon City, which further expanded into a proudly Filipinoowned business that has taken part in every Filipino family’s special moments.

To date, the bakeshop has more than 300 branches nationwide.

For Red Ribbon, it’s always about “bringing home the experience of warmth and love found in every bite of its cakes, breads and pastries,” Rivera says.

“Home is where the heart is, that’s why Red Ribbon continues to innovate not only its products but also the concept of its stores.

At Red Ribbon, Filipino families can make their everyday moments even sweeter,” she says.

SUNDAY: NOVEMBER 29, 2015

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

ASEAN...

FROM B1

you send the job requests,” she says. “That’s our unique services. We are able to send quotes for free to customers.”

“I got really interested to bring it here in the Philippines and I think it would help a lot of service providers, specially the small businesses to grow and look for more clients,” she says.

Prior to joining Kaodim, Hipolito was with an Australian digital company. She was interviewed

by Kaodim founders via Skype in July. “We had a series of interviews and then when I was hired, I went to Malaysia for training. I stayed there for a month to learn more about the operation. I have been appointed country manager for the Philippines. My task is to form the team, to build the company here in the Philippines. I am in charge of sales, marketing and operations,” she says.

“At this stage, we are building the team and at the same time, we are starting to market gawin.ph.

Our focus right now is digital. We are looking on having on board more vendors and service providers who can serve more customers,” she says.

She says the website is already running and operational and now has hundreds of service providers in Metro Manila. “We have three verticals or service types. The home services include cleaning; movers; and handyman and contractors [plumbers and electricians]. We also have interior designers,” she says.

“Our long-term plan is to encompass a wider range of services such as events and fitness lessons,” says Hipolito.

The websites are being run from Malaysia, where a team of telemarketers talk to potential clients and invite them to join the list of qualified service providers. “We are very conscious about the quality of service providers that we get on board. They follow a code of conduct. They have to comply with that because of course it really matters to us,” she says.

“They know from the start that it will be helpful to their businesses. We have been getting testimonials from them that there are some vendors or service providers whose businesses grew up to 60 percent. They get a lot of leads and clients from the platform,” says Hipolito.

Hipolito says in the first 18 days since launching gawin.ph in Metro Manila on July 24, “we got about 500 job requests. The market has been very receptive. These are job requests from customers,” she says.

“Four months later, the number has grown significantly. We have a customer care team who makes sure that customers receive their quotes.

How it works is once a customer sends a job request, the service providers receive alerts via email and via mobile and they are invited to quote on the job. It is like a bidding process. We normally give customers 24 hours to respond. Normally, the customers would get quotations from up to five service providers. The customers would then get notifications via text and via email,” she says.

Hipolito says at present, gawin.ph has hundreds of service providers focusing on three service types. “Of course, we want to get on board as many service providers as possible. In the future, we intend to go nationwide,” she says.

Kaodim Group, headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Damansara Utama, Malaysia, is backed by regional and international investors such as 500 Startups of the US, East Ventures of Japan and recently Venturra Capital of Indonesia.

Since it launched the service in November 2014, Kaodim has received over 50,000 requests on its platform with thousands of Malaysians confidently hiring its trusted cleaners, contractors and other service professionals to clean their homes or repair their air conditioners. Kaodim now has a financial model, charging its service providers for the connections it provides them.

“In Kaodim, they have already started with the monetization, but here in the Philippines, we are still offering it for free to build the client base and grow the gawin.ph community. We have already served thousands. Surprisingly, the top requests are for cleaning and air-con services,” says Hipolito.

Hipolito says both service providers and customers can benefit from the technology made available by gawin.ph. “The advantage is they can choose the service provider they would like to hire. We are giving them the best purchase decision. I am also using the technology myself,” she says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

B3

THAI E-COMMERCE FIRM EXPANDS TO METRO MANILA ASCEND GROUP, Thailand’s leading ecommerce retailer, has launched iTrueMart. ph e-commerce website to serve the Philippine market as it sees a huge potential in the country, with the onset of the Asean Economic Community. iTrueMart.ph aims to become the dominant e-commerce player in the Philippines by 2017, says Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa, chief executive of Ascend Group, the company behind

“At present, iTrueMart has already been tapping into the AEC market with over $150 million Uinvestment planned for 2016. The investment will be used for e-commerce optimized fulfillment centers, logistic hubs, expansion of our own fleet, marketing, and ramping up assortment and inventory. We are debuting our operations in the Philippines and that will be followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore later in 2016.

We are committed for long-term success in the Philippines and everywhere else that we go to,” he says.

Seubsakol Sakolsatayadorn, general manager of the iTrueMart division at Ascend Commerce, says iTrueMart.ph is not a newcomer to the market as the team is backed by

for partners to sell their products online, which we see as a great advantage that will help us speed up our market entry. We are confident of our success in the Philippines because we have a strong team with extensive experience in both online and offline retail,” says Krstevski.

Under the slogan “Great Value, Everyday,” iTrueMart.ph works only with authorized distributors of international brands and act as authorized dealer of local brands so customers can be guaranteed that all products on the website are genuine. The current focus of the site is on smartphones and gadgets and it will expand into consumer electronics, computers and laptops, health and beauty and moms and kids in the future. iTrueMart.ph offers free delivery

iTrueMart.

Following its success in Thailand, iTrueMart is now looking to expand into the Asean Economic Community with the Philippines as its next destination, he says. iTrueMart.ph hopes to bring an unrivaled shopping experience with access to a variety of products, various payment channels, and competitive pricing that are currently only available for metropolitan shoppers to customers in all provinces in the Philippines.

“E-commerce will have huge potential when the AEC fully materializes,” says Vichitkulwongsa.

According to a study by Ystats SE Asia eCommerce, the volume of Asean’s mobile Internet users rose 56 percent in 2015. Up to 56 percent of the Thai and Vietnamese populations are now accessing the Internet via their smartphones, a figure close to the Philippines’ 50 percent rate.

“Recognizing the growing number of mobile-Internet users, we are confident that online shopping in the region will also grow. The AEC is an emerging and interesting market for e-commerce through which entrepreneurs can expand their businesses,” says Vichitkulwongsa.

the strong success of iTrueMart in Thailand. “During the past year, the number of visits to iTrueMart.com has increased by as much as 424 percent. Since October 2014, the average number of visits recorded was 4.6 million per month. iTrueMart. com receives 7,000 orders per day on average, with the highest volume of daily orders at 10,000. This marks the highest record in Thailand’s online retail industry,which puts iTrueMart. com at the forefront of Thailand’s e-commerce sector.

Moreover, iTrueMart.com’s delivery averages at two days throughout Thailand and it enjoys the lowest e-commerce return rate in the country which confirms the trust and shows the high quality of the products offered on the website,” says Sakolsatayadorn.

Dean Krstevski, chief operating Officer E-Commerce of Ascend Group, says the decision to launch in the Philippines stemmed from the fact that competition in the e-commerce sector in the Philippines is still considered low. “With the market still in its infancy, there are still plenty of opportunities for new players. Now that the e-commerce market is being developed, brands are increasingly looking

and free returns with cash on delivery payment as an option for customers.

To deliver the best possible end-toend customer experience, iTrueMart. ph is starting off delivery in the Luzon area and will further expand from the beginning of next year. iTrueMart.ph is targeting to have 100 vehicles in its delivery fleet by the year-end, operating out of its own fulfillment center in Pasig.

With 45 percent of the traffic coming from mobile devices, iTrueMart.ph has a mobile version while a mobile application will be rolled out by the first quarter of 2016. “iTrueMart.ph is determined to become the dominant e-commerce player by 2017 and the second largest e-commerce player by the end of this year through partnerships with key local brands and authorized distributors, as well as attractive Christmas campaigns, where customers are offered great value and guaranteed delivery before Christmas Eve. Our goals are to be the top-of-mind e-commerce brand, to have great assortment at best prices, to provide the best end-to-end customer experience and to become the most trusted online shopping platform,” says Krstevski.

B4

world

s. korea police ban planned anti-Govt rallies

french president francois hollande delivers a speech during a solemn ceremony on november 27, 2015 at the hotel des invalides, for the national tribute to the 130 people killed in the november 13 paris attacks. families of those killed in france’s worst-ever terror attack, claimed by the islamic state (is) group, will join some of the wounded at ceremonies at the invalides. AFP

hollande urges British mps to Back syria air strikes

Francois Hollande on Friday urged British MPs to back air strikes on islamic state targets in syria “in solidarity with France”, in a tight vote expected early next week.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday argued his case to members of parliament for Britain to join air strikes on the jihadist group in Syria, amid signs that opposition was weakening after the Paris attacks two weeks ago.

“David Cameron told me that he would consult parliament to take part in strikes in Syria. And win over the House of Commons,” French President Hollande told AFP at the Commonwealth summit in Malta.

“I can only call on all British members of parliament, in solidarity with

France but, above all, conscious of the fight against terrorism, to approve this intervention.”

Cameron told the lower house that Britain should not “wait until an attack takes place here” before acting, adding it was “morally” unacceptable to be “content with outsourcing our security to our allies”.

A vote is expected to be held early next week.

While the numbers are tight, MPs look set to approve the move, meaning the first British air strikes on Syr-

ia could come within days.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Germany offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refuelling and satellite images to back the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged “very soon” to decide how to help its closest Eu ally battle the IS group in Syria.

“In solidarity with France and in a communal spirit of fighting against terrorism, I can only approve what the British prime minister and the German chancellor have proposed,” Hollande said.

“I hope that these two countries will go down this path, taking account of the ties of friendship, taking account of what is at stake in

the fight against terrorism.

“There is a Franco-British friendship, there is a Franco-German friendship.

“However, there is also an issue which goes beyond us, because if we have been attacked in France, it’s the whole of Europe which has been attacked and it’s all the countries which want to preserve liberty which have in fact been attacked.”

Before heading to Malta, Hollande attended a solemn ceremony in remembrance of the 130 people killed in the Paris attacks, which were claimed by IS. Having vowed to crush IS for their role in the attacks, Hollande has spent the week in a whirlwind diplomatic bid to build a broad military coalition. AFP

SouTH Korean police on Saturday banned a antigovernment demonstration planned in Seoul next week, citing concerns the protest could turn violent, a spokesman said.

But activists vowed to push ahead with the rally next Saturday outside City Hall.

Police acted under a law allowing them to ban street protests if there is a risk of them turning violent, the spokesman for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told AFP. Police warned leaders of activist groups who defy the ban would be arrested, as would participants who refused to disperse.

Critics say the conservative government of President Park Geun-Hye, a daughter of the late heavyhanded ruler Park ChungHee, is slipping back into past authoritarian rule.

The ban was in line with a government warning on Friday of zero violence in street protests.

Justice Minister Kim Hyun-Woong said in a televised address that the government was determined to “eradicate” any public disorder and stressed that violators would “pay the price”.

Kim had issued a similar warning before a huge antigovernment rally in Seoul on November 14 that drew around 60,000 people and spawned numerous clashes between protestors and police who used pepper spray and water cannon.

The focus of the protests is quite wide, incorporating opposition to labour reforms, the opening of the agricultural market and plans to impose government-issued history textbooks on schools. AFP

Gunman kills three at us family planninG center

colorado sprinGs— hostages are escorted to safety during an active shooter situation outside a planned parenthood facility where an active shooter reportedly injured up to eleven people, including at least five police officers, on Nov. 27, 2015 in Colorado Springs, colorado. police are working to clear the scene and are searching the buiding for possible explosive devices. AFP

A GuNMAN opened fire at a prominent family planning center in Colorado, killing three people and wounding several in a standoff that dragged on for five hours before he surrendered Friday.

An usually busy area of snow-covered Colorado Springs was placed on lockdown into the early evening, just one day after millions of Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, in the latest incident to shine a spotlight on gun violence in the united States.

Mayor John Suthers paid tribute to police for hauling in the gunman without further bloodshed at the Planned Parenthood build-

ing, where people scrambled into a “safe room” for cover.

A police officer was among the dead, he said, while nine others—among them five police—were wounded, though none seriously.

“While this was a terrible, terrible tragedy, it could have been much worse if not for the reactions of first responders,” Sutter told reporters.

The dead policeman was identified as Garrett Swasey, 44, a campus officer at the university of Colorado at Colorado Springs who had raced to the scene of the shooting. officials later identified the suspect as 57-year old Robert Lewis Dear of South Carolina, local media including The

Denver Post reported.

It was unclear whether Planned Parenthood—a major women’s health and family planning group—was the shooter’s target.

Abortion is one of the services Planned Parenthood provides for women, and the association has become a lightning rod for criticism by social conservatives.

Those critics, many of whom seek to outlaw abortion in the united States, have falsely accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal organs and body parts for profit, and encouraging women to have abortions in order to expand such operations. AFP

S U N D AY : N o v e m B e R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

B5

WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

suicide attack targeted shia muslim procession

Death toll rises to 22 in nigeria

The death toll in a suicide bombing on a Shia Muslim procession near the northern Nigerian city of Kano has risen to 22 after one more person was confirmed dead, one of the organisers said Saturday.

shiite muslims march on the highway during a symbolic procession commemorating the 40th anniversary of the ashura religious ceremony on nov. 27, 2015 in the village of dakasoye, northern nigeria, following a suicide bombing attack. at least 21 people were killed on november 27 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowds at a shia muslim procession near the north nigerian city of kano, in the latest violence to hit the troubled region. an aFp reporter in dakasoye said the road was splattered with bloodstains but the followers had continued their march. AFP

“For now, we have 22 deaths following the death of one more person yesterday. Thirty-eight people have also been injured, two of whom have been discharged from the hospital,” Ali Kakaki told AFP. Kakaki said that, despite the attack on Friday, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria members had continued their march from Kano to Zaria in neighbouring Kaduna state, where their leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky is based.

The march is to mark Ashura, which commemorates the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

“Following the attack, many more of our members have joined the procession,” Kakaki said, adding that they aimed to arrive at their destination next week.

Friday’s attack took place in the village of Dakasoye, some 20 kilometres (13 miles) south of the city of Kano.

VISIONARIES 2 015

Passion. Purpose. Insight. Creativity. Compassion. Innovation. Dedication. Inspiration.

And the resolution to take a stand, and match it with hard work.

It’s not just about doing good. It’s about changing the world, and ourselves, into something better.

The men and women we are honoring in The Standard 2015 Visionaries are just a few; they are only the first. There will be more.

Because there are more out there, all working silently, some unobtrusively, to take this country where it needs to go.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

One of the procession’s organisers said a bomber clad in black ran into the crowd and detonated his explosives.

Boko Haram, the radical Sunni jihadists who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has previously been blamed for attacks on Shia Muslims in the region.

Boko Haram, whose sixyear insurgency has left at least 17,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless, condemns Shias as heretics who should be killed.

The group has increasingly used suicide bombers against “soft” civilian targets since the start of a military offensive earlier this year that pushed them out of territory they controlled.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until next month to end the conflict but there are fears that suicide and bomb attacks may persist. AFP

B6

S U N D AY : N O V E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

RAIN OR SHINE’S

UNHERALDED PLAYERS OUTSHINE PBA STARS

Yeng Guiao

By Reuel Vidal

FROM as early as the pre-season of the Philippine Basketball Association experts have been predicting the star-studded teams: San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and Talk N Text Tropang Texters to dominate this Philippine Cup. Why not when these teams boast of the league’s biggest stars in June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos for SMB; Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar for Ginebra as well as fancied rookies Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario for TNT. But while the surprise leader this conference are the Alaska Aces another unheralded team in the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters have stolen the thunder from the fancied squads.

Rain Or Shine relied on its deadly outside shooters to beat the surprisingly resilient Barako Bull Energy, 110-104, as they try to advance to the playoffs of the 20152016 PBA Philippine Cup. With a 5-1 win-loss card, the Elasto Painters are mathematically assured of at least a tie for a quarterfinal berth which we could safely cede to them considering that it’s unlikely they’ll lose all the remaining five games in their schedule.

The Elasto Painters are after bigger game, though, as they chase a Top Two finish for an outright place in the Final Four semifinals.

“We’re trying to keep our momentum going to give ourselves a chance at the Top Two. We want to keep that alive,” said head coach Yeng Guiao.

Rain Or Shine bruisers Jewel Ponferrada and Beau Belga—labelled by most experts as too short and too fat to be an effective PBA big man—led the way early before shooters Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Maverick Ahanmisi and Jericho Cruz took over late in the game.

The Elasto Painters led by as much as 18 points at 96-78 before allowing the Energy to cut the gap to a respectable margin at the finish.

Cruz led his team with 19 points. Ponferrada—who was never given any playing time by his previous teams in the league— played a career game with a career-high 18 points on top of team-high 13 rebounds.

Chan had 18 points. Gabe Norwood added 13, with three triples, while Ahanmisi chipped in 11 markers.

“It’s a game where we were able to give guys confidence, just like Jewel, who’s played well, and our rookies,” said Guiao whose biggest strength as a coach is his ability to draw out the best from unheralded players.

Cruz, a sophomore out of Adamson University who many thought would not even land a spot in a PBA team, tallied a careerhigh 23 points on top of three assists and two rebounds to lead the Elasto Painters to a 103-81 rout of Blackwater.

Guiao recognized Cruz’s potential when

Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters center Beau Belga, underestimated by most experts as too short and too fat, fires a hook shot over Jay Washington.

Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters sophomore guard Jericho Cruz (right) tries to dribble past Blackwater Elite big man JP Erram (7).

he became the surprise first round pick by the Elasto Painters in last year’s PBA Draft.

“He’s blended well and I think he picked up his game. He learned his role very quickly. Mabilis yung transition nya from being a rookie to being a sophomore, on being able to find his proper place with the team. It’s just a question of matching a player’s personality and ability with the kind of system that the team has. He jelled well with the big men,” said Guiao.

Oh, in case you need to be reminded the Elasto Painters actually tagged the San Miguel Beermen their only defeat this conference in a game that was surprisingly lopsided.

The Elasto Painters mauled the defend-

ing Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer, 99-84.

Rain Or Shine trailed in the first half but gunners Norwood, Chan, Chris Tiu, Beau Belga and Cruz shredded the net with their outside shooting while Belga, JR Quinahan and Raymond Almazan manhandled San Miguel big man Fajardo with their relentless double-teaming.

“We just put up an effort to help each other out. No team can stop San Miguel defending June Mar (Fajardo) one on one. We were able to disrupt the rhythm of San Miguel.

I’m not sure if our effort is going to work the next time. But at least, we’ve got past them in the first round. Tignan natin kung sweswertehin kami na makaharap namin sila in future rounds,” Guiao said.

It was rookie Ahanmisi, another surprise first round pick by the Elasto Painters, who stood out for Rain Or Shine against the Beermen.

He finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal.

“A lot of people were doubting Ahanmisi. He showed today he can play in this league,” said Guiao.

With a hard-working core of unappreciated, unheralded players eager to prove themselves these Elasto Painters are surprise contenders for the Philippine Cup title.

Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters big man Jewel Ponferada (15) barrels past three Blackwater Elite defenders as he glides to the hoop for a layup.

S U N D AY : N O V E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

THE reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors are rolling like a well-oiled machine, extending their record setting start with a 135-116 rout of the host Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

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BUSINESS AS USUAL AS

MIGHTY WARRIORS IMPROVE TO 17-0

In what is becoming the status quo for the mighty Warriors, guard Stephen Curry scored 41 points and made nine threepointers as they stretched their unbeaten streak to start the season to an NBA-record 17 games.

The Warriors had a season-high in points and made a season-high 22 threepointers and shot 56.8 percent from the field, 57.9 on three-point attempts.

Curry said they are attracting new fans where ever they go.

“It was packed in our section,” Curry said. “Dub Nation is growing by the day.

It’s fun to see on the road. Even some ‘Let’s go Warrior’ chants during the game. And we played well to back it up.”

Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa had 21 points and made all five of his three-point attempts for Golden State, who set the NBA record for consecutive wins at the start of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Reigning league MVP Curry drained a season-high nine three-pointers and added eight assists and six rebounds at Talking Stick Resort Arena. He made nineof-16 three-point attempts.

“A lot of that is based on our ball movement,” Curry said. “We shoot a lot of threes, but we like to shoot a lot of good ones. Ball movement leads to in-rhythm shots. I knew we made a lot.”

Said Phoenix forward Markieff Morris, “They shoot threes like layups.”

Forward Draymond Green finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season, and guard Klay Thompson had 15 points for the Warriors in the win.

Reserve forward T.J. Warren had a career-high 28 points for the Suns, who lost their fourth straight and fifth in their last six.

Guard Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and seven assists and Brandon Knight had 21 points and five assists in the loss.

Warriors forward Harrison Barnes left the game with a sprained left ankle with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not return. Barnes finished with seven points and seven rebounds.

In Denver, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and Tony Parker added 13 as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets 91-80 to win their fourth game in a row.

The Spurs were without forward Tim Duncan and guard Manu Ginobili who stayed home to rest.

Leonard became the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon on December 12, 1992, to record 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, five blocked shots and four steals in a NBA game.

Denver led by as many as 11 in a first half.

Elsewhere, guard Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves continued their hot start on the road with a 101-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. AFP PHOENIX, AZ—Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors lays up a shot past Eric Bledsoe (#2) of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The Warriors defeated the Suns 135-116. AFP

REMEMBERING THE ‘MIRACLE OF ’91’

By Eddie G.Alinea

SERIES TIED. FEU Tamaraw’s Mike Tolomia, right, battleS for ball possession against UST Growling Tigers’ Ed Daquioag and Marvin Lee in Game 2 of the 78th UAAP Finals at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The Tigers won, 62-56 to tie the series. EY ACASIO

DID you know that the days covering the last week of November until the first week of December are worth remembering in the country’s quest for honors and recognition in the international amateur sports scene?

Only a few perhaps, remember that on Nov. 25 until Dec. 5, 1991, the Philippines played host to the the 16th Southeast Asian Games called the “Manila Miracle of ‘91,” and came up with its worthiest performance in the biennial conclave—a second overall finish—losing to eventual champion Indonesia in terms of silver medal harvest.

After the smoke of battle cleared, the Filipino athletes led by swimmer Eric Buhain, teammate Akilo Thompson, also a swimmer, and sprinter Lydia de Vega-Mercado, matched the Indonesians’ 91 goldmedal output, one short of Indonesia’s 92 and had to settle for a bridesmaid finish.

A month later, however, an Indonesian in weightlifting was stripped of the gold medal when was found positive of drug use, bringing the goldmedal tally between the overall champion and the host to a 91-all stalemate.

The Indonesians still went home,

however, with the overall crown on the strength of their 86 silver-medal haul to the Filipinos’ 62.

Fourteen years later, also in November, the country as host of the Games for the third time, did better with victories sweeter and more dramatic as they emerged overall champions for the first time since joining the SEA Games Federation in 1977.

The Philippines’ runner up finish in the 1991 SEA Games proved, once more, the Filipino athletes’ resiliency, show their supremacy over their counterparts from the region and honor a committment as member of the brotherhood of nations.

Being able to stage the Games as scheduled despite economic resrictions was a “miracle” in itself. Winning 91 gold medals, 62 silver and 86 bronze medals was another.

Never had the entire nation been as united by a single cause than their spontaneous support to their athletes whose quantum leap from fifth place two years earlier in Kuala Lumpur, when its basketball team lost the title for the first time, was astounding enough.

The display of national courage by no less than President Cory Aquino, wbo insisted on staging the Games here despite calls from her some officials to cancel the

same due to economic hardship brought about by several natural and man-made calamities that struck the country the past two years.

A killer quake hit most part of Luzon July of 1990, Mt. Pinatubo erupted in June of 1991 and flash floods in Leyte killed thousands months before the Games were to commence. It looked like the Games, were, indeed, doomed.

But Tita Cory said NO to the voices asking that hosting be transferred to another country more capable of doing so. Infrastructure which remained unfinished posed another big problem was completed in time for the opening ceremony.

Equipment came in time for the competitions.

And why not? Tita Cory was about to celebrate her first SEA Games since signing Rep. Act 6847, the law creating the Philippines Sports Commission two years back in 1990.

As in 1981 during the country’s first ever hosting of the event, the Filipinos met the deadlines in scrambling fashion, dressed up their premier city and flashed the world-renowned smile of hospitality to meet their guests, who, for two years running didn’t hide their skepticisms over the hosts’ ability to come through.

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S U N D AY : N O V E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 5

RiERA U. MAllARi EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

sports NONITO DONAIRE REJUVENATED

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THERE was a time some years ago when Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire was being groomed as the heir-apparent to eight-division world champion and sporting hero MannyPacquiao.

Nonito, however, consistently shunned the accolade in fairness to him as he insisted there was only one Manny Pacquiao and he wanted to carve his own identity as Nonito Donaire,“The Filipino Flash.”

At that time, Nonito was named “Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2012 and was elevated to the prestigious Ring Magazine pound-forpound rankings at No. 5.

Donaire reached these heights and accomplished what he did, largely due to his innate talent anchored on speed, power and ring savvy.

Unlike Pacquiao, who trained relentlessly for every fight, Donaire had a tendency to take off when he didn’t feel like training and failed to watch his diet, often resulting in having to shed off an average of six pounds on the eve of the official weigh-in.

Sooner than later as knowledgeable boxing men predicted, Nonito paid the price for his refusal to train hard and to take things easy, believing that in the end, his inborn talent would prevail.

He also appeared to be totally engrossed in his wife Rachel, who was expecting their first child some time before his WBO and WBA super bantamweight title defense against two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York. He took the former amateur standout lightly and lost a 12-round unanimous decision.

Although Donaire dropped Rigondeaux with his patented left hook in Round10, he was totally outboxed by the Cuban in what was regarded as a major upset and one that saw him removed from the poundfor-pound rankings while his following dwindled.

Nonito hardly trained for the fight as his attention was focused on the birth of his first born, a cute bundle of joy named Jarel, which stood for “Jun and Rachel everlasting love”.

Donaire then figured he could redeem himself in a 10-round bout against hard-hitting southpaw Vic Darchinyan, who had been aching for a rematch after Nonito won the IBF and IBO flyweight titles from the Armenian-born Australian with a stunning 5th round knockout in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The win shocked the boxing community by the sheer devastating manner in which Nonito sent his foe staggering across the ring and crashing into the

ropes.

The rematch was an altogether different story as Donaire, comfortable in his easy-going training regimen, was losing on the scorecards of two of the three judges. But Darchinyan committed the same mistake he made in their first meeting when he leaned forward and Nonito unleashed a left hook that staggered him and ultimately forced referee Laurence Cole to call a halt at 2:06 of the 9th round, enabling Donaire to escape with a 9th-round TKO in Corpus Christi, Texas on Nov. 9, 2013 in a scheduled 10-round bout he was on the verge of losing.

Donaire had earlier breezed through a string of opponents put in front of him before moving up to super flyweight and then raced ahead in his continuing quest for redemption by winning the Interim WBA title when he out-maneuvered Panama’s Rafael Concepcion.

Along the way, Donaire ripped Volodynyr Sydorenko in four rounds on Dec. 4, 2010 to grab the Continental Americas bantamweight title and just over two months later destroyed Mexico’s highly touted Fernando Montiel in two rounds to win the WBC/WBA bantamweight titles before capping an eventful year by mauling popular Fernando Arce at the Toyota Center in Houston to take the Mexican out in three action-packed rounds.

Rather than grapple with problems of making the weight, Donaire moved up to super featherweight and faced South Africa’s WBA champion Simpiwe Vetyeka in Macau and used a well thought-out strategy to score a 5th-round technical decision and added a fifth title to his trophy room.

With his father “Dodong” Donaire working the corner with trainer Robert Garcia, Donaire, who dropped Vetyeka in the fourth round but had sustained a cut, knew it gave him a two-point cushion and the moment the fifth round started, he told referee Luis Pabon that he couldn’t continue because of the cut. And when Pabon consulted the WBA supervisor, they agreed that the cut was caused by a punch and went to the scorecards which favored Donaire, 49-46, on the tallies of all three judges.

Fighting on that same card was Jamaica’s “Axe Man” Nicholas Walters, who destroyed Darchinyan in five rounds. And when Donaire decided to take on the much bigger and stronger Walters, he was courting trouble as the menacing Jamai-

Nonito Donaire Jr.—It’s great to be able to have this opportunity again and I want to prove myself, mentally and physically in my performance.

can crushed “The Filipino Flash’ in six rounds, dropping him in the 3rd and 6th rounds and cutting short his adventure into the 130-pound division.

There were many who felt it was the end of a career that promised so much. But they didn’t reckon with the fighting spirit of Nonito.

After he had discussed his future with father/trainer “Dodong” and wife Rachel, who were prepared to support whatever decision he made, Nonito was grimly determined to regain his stature as a champion and a star in the world boxing firmament. He quietly but deliberately worked at recapturing the magic of the past.

His charisma, an ability to articulate his thoughts better than most fighters and a certain engaging flair, stood him well and soon, fight fans began to gravitate towards Nonito once again.

In his first comeback fight after being bludgeoned by Walters, Donaire, who wisely returned to the super bantamweight division where he had his most memorable moments, faced Brazil’s William

Prado for the vacant North American Boxing Federation title at the Araneta Coliseum on March 20 this year and disposed of the South American in two rounds.

His next opponent on the comeback trail was Frenchman and former European bantamweight champion Anthony Settoul, who was dropped twice in Round 1 and once in Round 2 before referee Danrex Tapdasan decided to stop the one-sided bout.

While there were those who questioned the caliber of Prado and Settoul, who were obviously picked to help Donaire regain his confidence while demonstrating his skill and power, the victories sparked a welcome change in Nonito’s entire makeup in terms of his attitude towards training anchored on a newfound motivation.

In a conversation with us in mid-November, Nonito provided a glimpse of his rejuvenation, when he said he was “ready to box and give it all I’ve got,” in what may well turn out to be a title fight after the WBO stripped Guillermo Rigondeaux of the belt for “inactivity.”

Although his appeal is pending, Rigondeaux’s boring, lackluster showing against Filipino Drian Francisco in a bout which drew resounding boos from fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center may convince the WBO hierarchy it would be better to make the decision stand.

Whatever it is, Donaire who is ranked No. 2 in the 122-pound division, will face No.1-ranked Mexican Cesar Juarez in Puerto Rico on Dec. 13, in a fight to be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN, which has a tie-up with Donaire and his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

In a wide-ranging interview with boxingscene.com, Nonito credited his wife Rachel, a national taekwondo champion in the US for his change in attitude towards boxing, conceding that in the past, he didn’t give it his best shot.

“But now, I’m going to give it all I’ve got. If it’s not safe for me, then I’m done,” he said.

Donaire added: “It’s great to be able to have this opportunity again and I want to prove myself, mentally and physically in my performance.”

He admitted that a year ago, he would have brushed it off with whatever, but “this time, I care about it and I’m going to make the best out of it and I’m going to be world champion.”

Donaire told The Standard/boxingmirror.com that he has been sparring 10 rounds with Fidel Navarette, a 24-year-old super featherweight from Highland, Indiana, and 27 year old Fred Bowen, a lightweight from Jackson, Tennessee “They keep coming at me.But I’m doing really excellently.

I feel great, my mental aspect is on a different level and helps me prepare for this fight. It’s amazing.

This is the hardest I have trained for a fight. I am more committed and have direction in my training unlike in the past” Donaire said.

“The Filipino Flash” maintained that whether the WBO strips Guillermo Rigondeaux of the title or not, “it doesn’t matter, I am fighting for victory.”

Dodong Donaire reflected the happiness he feels over the “new” Nonito.

“He is doing good. The training camp has been better than all the previous ones beginning with the first fight against Darchinyan,” said Dodong. “Nonito is 1000 percent mentally and physically fit and ready. He is very motivated.”

Amazing indeed.

That motivation and a new work ethic has given Dodong the confidence to look ahead at a possible title fight against the winner of the all-British showdown between WBA champion Scott Quigg and IBF champion Carl Frampton after his son gets Juarez out of the way.

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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

Hitachi CEO and chairman Hiroaki Nakanishi

Hiroaki Nakanishi:

Hitachi’s Turnaround Specialist

BY GRACE C. DIEZ

T

he word “Hitachi” means “sunrise” and if the company’s resurgence from the dark period is of any indication, then Hitachi is surely living up to its name.

The man behind the Japanese conglomerate’s remarkable turnaround is none other than Hitachi, Ltd. chairman and CEO Hiroaki Nakanishi.

Soft-spoken, with a gentle countenance, Nakanishi’s management style is not one for the weak. Back in 2010 when Nakanishi assumed presidency, Hitachi has been suffering from four years of losses amounting to nearly ¥1 trillion or $12.5 billion.

He made several hard, but bold decisions to restructure Hitachi: sell its profitable hard disk business, and make a game changing shift from consumerrelated business to focusing on infrastructure projects such as power plants, railway projects and water treatment facilities. The Hitachi Group also worked to expand its Social Innovation Business which includes infrastructure, water, healthcare, energy, transportation, IT and security.

As a result, the company is experiencing a tremendous growth which enabled it to revise its first-half net income forecast from ¥70 billion to ¥97 billion ($801 million).

Hitachi estimates a ¥310 billion net profit for the year to March 2016.

The Resident Insider

No one can accuse Nakanishi of making thoughtless decisions that involves Hitachi. After all, he’s been referred to as a consummate Hitachi “insider.”

He joined Hitachi as a young man in 1970 after finishing his Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Tokyo in Japan. After a break in the company, he took his Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering at Stanford University in California.

One of his first tasks at Hitachi as an engineer was to work on railway projects including the Shinkansen trains. He was promoted as a department manager in 1990 and has consistently climbed up the corporate ladder, becoming managing director of Hitachi Europe in 1998 and managing officer then general manager of the IT Systems Group in 2000 and 2003.

In 2004, Nakanishi moved to North America after he was chosen to run Hitachi’s overseas operations. He oversaw the company’s hard disk drive (HDD) business and one of his first orders was to find out why the HDD business wasn’t being profitable. Nakanishi found the

business to be poorly managed and said, “I had no choice but to do it myself.”

Nakanishi discovered that nearly 60 percent of the hard disk drives was deemed unreliable by PC manufacturers – so he recruited executives from a competitor, fixed the product lines and manufacturing sites, resulting in the business finally turning out profits in 2008.

He was named president of Hitachi, Ltd. In 2010. It was at this time that Nakanishi decided that the hard disk drive unit, then generating profit margins of over 10 percent, was no longer a core business for the company. He then made a bold move to sell the business unit to Western Digital for $4.8 billion in 2012.

In 2014, Nakanishi became Chairman and CEO of the Japanese conglomerate.

Social Innovation

Largely responsible for Hitachi’s shift from consumer-related products to big-ticket projects, Nakanishi is all about expanding the Social Innovation Business, a campaign that offers Hitachi’s technologies and cutting-edge IT as solutions and systems to global issues.

When asked what business principle he applies to the various projects and Hitachi

locations, Nakanishi offered a practical answer.

“Each region, each country has its own environment.

The Japanese infrastructure is sometimes very advanced and may be fascinating to other countries but as it is, Japanese solutions cannot cross other countries because some of our solutions are not suitable for such region or country. From that view, we extend our strategic teams and have some very strategic approach in some regions.

Currently, Asia and the US those two areas that are kind of a priority right now,” Nakanishi disclosed.

Ask which of the company’s Social Innovation projects he is most passionate about, he answers, “We don’t have specific preference. If we have an opportunity to contribute to such a nation or state, we have more reason to extend.

Whichever technology or solution is most required in that country or region, that is my passion. It’s not about our preference.”

He adds: “However, recently, there were various discussions about water issues as a social problem.

We have a big opportunity to be on these operations,” Nakanishi offered.

Continued on C3

Hitachi HQ Hitachi's headquarters is located at Central Tokyo in Japan

Nakanishi is credited for Hitachi’s shift from consumer-related products to big-ticket projects

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

WWF's Night of Champions PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWF-PHILIPPINES

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lobal warming. Climate change. Forest denudation.

Landslides. All of these issues are calling upon us to share the responsibility of taking care of the environment, and individuals, businesses and various organizations are banding together to seek solutions.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) has long banked on partnerships to promote its science-based solutions, and earlier this month, WWF gave recognition to its allies via Partners’ Night at the Raffles & Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.

During the event, WWFPhilippines honored outgoing National Advisory Council chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala for his valuable support and outgoing WWF-Philippines Board of Trustees chairman Vincent Pérez for the latter’s leadership. Pérez turned over the chairmanship to WWFPhilippines board member and Far Eastern University Chairman Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola III. “I am truly proud that here at home, WWF remains a reliable and credible environmental solutionsprovider. You’ve helped us secure greater protection for

critical areas that provide food and income for millions of Filipinos. You’ve helped us prepare more farmers and fishers for climate change.

You’ve helped us place the environment at the center of public sector policy. You’ve helped us illuminate far-f lung communities without access to electricity,” Perez said.

WWF-Philippines’ Council chairman Vincent Pérez and president Joel Palma are flanked

by National Ambassadors Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez

A highlight of the event was the recognition of Environmental Leadership Awardees Arthaland Corporation, BDO Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands and BPI Foundation, Cebu Pacific Air, Century Pacific Food, Costa Del Hamilo, Far Eastern University, Fox International Channels, Banana Peel, Philips Electronics And Lighting, Republic Cement Services Philippines, Samsung Electronics Philippines, Sun

Life Financial Philippines Foundation, Yuchengco Group of Companies, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Grieg Foundation and Pascual Laboratories.

Individuals and groups which show decisive environmental action were also given recognition as the new Heroes of the Environment. Ingemar Macarine, dubbed as the Pinoy Aquaman for having swam the open waters of the Visayas and Mindanao to raise awareness about the need to protect Philippine seas. The indigenous Taw’buid Mangyan of Mindoro were also awarded for their unrelenting efforts to help conserve the Tamaraw, the world’s rarest buffalo species.

Gerlie Menchie Alpajora, a fisheries champion, despite the danger, continues to bring illegal fishers to justice, allowing the local government to strengthen its initiatives to protect Bicol’s marine resources.

“Individually, we are but one drop. Collectively, we are an ocean. We need to work together to help transform the Philippines into a living space that our children will appreciate,” Gigi Montinola remarked.

WWF recognized the Taw’buid Mangyan tribe for helping conserve Mindoro’s tamaraw.

WWF’s Partners’ Night is an annual event to recognize the organization’s top allies

Outgoing WWF Council chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala has served with distinction on the WWF council and board for nearly two decades

“We need to work together to help transform the Philippines into a living space that our children will appreciate,” says WWF-Philippines chairman Aurelio Montinola III

Pizza Hut, Taco Bell Philippines continue to fight hunger From left: Frank Gonzalez, Pizza Hut District Manager-North and VisMin; Lorent Adrias, Taco Bell Senior Marketing Manager; Martin Bettelley, WFP Philippines Deputy Country Director; Teck Huack “TH” Lim, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell CEO; Erryl Ramos, Taco Bell vice president for Operations; and Jeanette Uy, Pizza Hut District Manager-South. (Photo by WFP/Faizza Tanggol)

Martin Bettelley, TH Lim, Erryl Ramos and Mayor Farhana Palawan of Poona Piagapo distribute loot bags filled with school supplies. (Photo by WFP/Mei Nebreja-Santos)

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very day, fast food labels Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Philippines offer the public quick and filling meals to help us get through the day. But once a year, these restaurants under Yum! Brands Inc. provide nutritious food to schoolchildren in Mindanao in a bid to end world hunger.

This year is no different, as the two popular fast food brands, together with the United Nations World Food Programme, recently visited conflict-affected communities in Lanao to observe the WFP’s ongoing feeding program for children. The school-based feeding program is part of Yum!'s annual World Hunger Relief campaign, which is touted as the world’s largest private sector hunger relief effort to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds to benefit WFP. Established in 2007, the WHR is primarily focused on engaging Yum! Brands’ associates, franchisees and consumers in over 41,000 restaurants around the globe to end world hunger by contributing money to help

feed the beneficiaries of the WFP. Here in the country, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have been supporting WFP since 2008, and have since raised over P25 million to help feed Filipino schoolchildren.

“We have over 5,000 employees in the Philippines, and by engaging them to be part of WHR, we can make a huge contribution in alleviating hunger especially among children, while encouraging our employees to grow into socially responsible members of their community,” shares Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chief operating officer Teck Huack “TH” Lim. For this year's WHR campaign, funds raised will be used to feed elementary school students in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. Philippine Pizza, Inc. (Pizza Hut) is currently selling tokens in exchange for donations.

“Through Yum! Brands' Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Philippines' initiative, we get to provide nutritious meals to schoolchildren in Central Mindanao who need them

From left: Martin Bettelley and TH Lim distribute food as part of their commitment to fight hunger among Filipino children. (Photo by WFP/ Faizza Tanggol)

the most. In time, we can all achieve our goal to end world hunger,” says WFP Philippines deputy country director Martin Bettelley.

Lim and Bettelley led the initial distribution of nutritious meals and loot bags to 900 children from Denaig Elementary School in Poona Piagao, Lanao Del Norte, and Pindulonan Elementary School in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur. Joining them were representatives from the Department of Education and local government units.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

When a Good God Allows Rape A story of pain, healing, and restoration

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ape. It’s so hard to talk about it. How does one begin? Do you start with the pain? During? After?

It’s so hard to comprehend the extent of what the victim had to go through, during and (worse) after. Each victim’s story may be different, but the pain and suffering thereafter is the same. According to the Philippine National Police’s Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), the statistics of rape victims grows every year (2004-2013). Imagine the number of women who had to go through Rape Trauma Syndrome which roughly parallels Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“How could a loving God allow me to be raped? What happened to His promise to watch over His children? Was God present when the nightmare was happening and if He was, then why didn’t He stop it?” These were the questions Joy Tan-Chi Mendoza echoed continuously in her mind after being a victim of rape as a teenager. She is one of the many women who experienced rape, but her ending is not as bleak as one would imagine, rather, her story should serve as an inspiration to every woman abused and oppressed.

Last September, Joy launched her first book with OMF Literature

HIROAKI NAKANISHI: HITACHI'S TURNAROUND SPECIALIST from C1

Joy is happily married to news anchor Edric Mendoza and is a parent to five wonderful children.

publishing entitled, When A Good and sisters,” recalls Joy. The God Allows Rape. The book is incident seemed like the end of a an autobiography detailing her young girl’s life. She was left with journey from pain, remarkable so many doubts and questions. healing, and wholeness – serving “Why did God allow this? How as a reminder for everyone that can He redeem this tragedy now?”

“At this point, I was standing your happiness is yours and you may choose to linger in the past at an important crossroad in my or look ahead to a brighter future. life. Would I allow this tragedy to Joy is the daughter of Peter define my faith? Or, would I allow Tan-Chi, senior Pastor of the my faith to define this tragedy?” says Joy. “I Christian megacame to God in church, Christ’s desperation. I Commission knew it could Fellowship. She not have been grew up in a an accident that Christian family He would allow and served in something the church all so terrible to through out happen to me. her youth and So my only her faith was option was to tested the night trust Him,” she of February 7, adds.

1995, while her Rape is one of parents were at the worst things a Bible study that can happen session. Joy was When A Good God Allows Rape, to a young girl, left at home with Joy Tan-Chi Mendoza's autobiography and this is a heavy her younger siblings and two friends. Several ordeal for the family that loves her. armed men broke into their But heavy as it may be, her family house, tied them up, looted their was there to support her and even belongings, and the men took turned a deeper connection with their turns raping 15-year-old Joy God. “We made a faith-decision to believe there was a purpose and a including her two friends.

“I tried not to scream because I reason for allowing something so feared they would kill my brother horrifying. Though, we couldn’t

see it back then,” says Joy. "Though I didn’t understand why things happened the way they did, my comfort was that God is loving, faithful, in control. I prayed, ‘God, you are sovereign. You love me. You are good. I don’t need to understand everything now, but I will hope in who You are’.”

All throughout her journey and through her process of healing, she knew and understood that her faith and God never left her. Her horrible experience served as “a testimony of hope and restoration.”

Twenty years have passed and she inspired and touched thousands by sharing her story, on television, in articles, speaking engagements, and women’s counseling groups.

Instead of moping, she turned her bad experience as an instrument to help others.

“We all understand human tragedy. We all know what it is like to feel sorrow, loss, disappointment, and pain. And while bad things may happen to good people, it shouldn’t define who we become. We can still choose to believe that God has a divine plan. We can still choose to love and forgive,” she explains. Today, Joy is happily married to news anchor Edric Mendoza and blessed with five children. Joy currently maintains a blog entitled “Teach

with Joy” where she writes about her life as a wife, a mother, and a homeschooling parent.

“When I look back on my life, I have been the recipient of much good. God has been good to me! I am happily married to a wonderful, Godly man. I am enjoying my children and the joys of parenting. I am now a stronger person.”

An inspiration and beacon of strength, her book serves as a testament to mending a broken past. “When we heard about Joy’s moving and compelling story of pain and restoration, we knew it had to be in a book to be able to touch more lives. OMF Literature is extremely honored to be a part in the making of this milestone,” says OMF Literature CEO Aleks Tan. “Like me, many of you have gone through personal tragedy. But I want to encourage you by saying that God purposes to write each person’s life story. The question is, will we let Him hold the pen? It is His authorship that makes a life beautiful,” Joys shares.

When a Good God Allows Rape is available at all OMF Literature bookstores, National Bookstore, and Philippine Christian Bookstore. To know more about the many inspirational book of OMF Literature visit www.omflit.com.

as the cooking process. Just like in his career, Nakanishi often impresses people with his culinary skills.

Nakanishi is also generous with life lessons. At the BBC News Series’ CEO Secrets segment, Nakanishi dispensed wise pieces of advice that one can

apply in business and in life.

“Make your dreams bigger and bigger. That’s very important for you to get energy. To dream is [the source of] the real energy,” Nakanishi said.

“In order to make a ‘global’ you, please try to frequently travel to many countries. [Visit] not only

the developed countries but also the developing countries. This will allow you a good experience of globalization,” he remarked.

With these mindsets and daring corporate acts, the world can continue to watch Hiroaki Nakanishi with fascination and admiration.

Off-work

When he’s not wearing his chairman and CEO hat, some Hitachi executives noted Nakanishi’s interests in climbing and cooking. He likened cooking to system engineering with the materials as the ingredients and the whole technical procedures

S U N D AY : N O V E M B E R 2 9 : 2 0 1 5

C4

Dra. Elsie Pascua, Madame Monthip Upatising, Consul Fortune Ledesma

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Sheree Chua, Tiffany Chua-Copok, and Flora Chua

Elaine Rojas-Villar and Nene Leonor

Diplomatic power couple, Consuls Luis and Mellie Ablaza

Dapper in his tuxedo Sherwin Hing

Faaabvlous VI Icon Awardee Mariquita Yeung, Cebu’s grand doyenne

Consul Helen Ong, Nikki Tang, Ann Ong, Virginia Lane, Mayenne Carmona, Marian Ong-Nuguid and Duday Tuason

A NIGHT WITH THE FABULOUS #INTHEMOMENT

BY FRANCIS DE LEON

H

ave you ever gazed at a large portrait? Try this: look at the subject’s eyes, keep staring then slowly move from left to right, and see how it follows your every direction.

When I was a young boy, this was a sight nightmares were made of. And as with any bizarre recollection, I reckon that portraits are really meant to be as life-like as the interesting people it represents.

After all, a portrait is an artistic statement of the subject.

To this columnist, I would like to believe that it’s simply a portrayal of the extraordinary life as seen through the eyes (or lens) of the photo artist who attempts to encapsulate the human story behind his subject through lifelike images.

Just recently, this columnist was witness to the exceptional lives of the subjects of renowned portraitist Rupert Jacinto. Dubbed as the "Photographer to the Faaabulous" by The Washington Post, the label stuck, and Rupert used “Faaabulous” as the title of his coffee table books.

Rupert Jacinto’s book, Faaabvlous VI, is the sixth of his series of coffee table books whose subjects were showcased through a photo exhibit at the Peninsula Manila.

The party started with cocktails (and flowing champagne) at The Gallery of The Pen which unveiled this year’s exhibition. Cutting the ceremonial ribbon were guests of honor former Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco, Cebu Representative Gwen Garcia, Architect Lor

Calma and Mariquita Yeung.

They were assisted by this year’s featured cover ladies (of high distinction) Anna Sia and Nonie Basilio. Displayed at the venue were Jacinto’s traditional portraits featuring eminent subjects of more than 45 portraits.

A formal black and white-themed charity gala dinner followed at the Rigodon Ballroom that featured a four-course menu with wine pairings that kept the A-list crowd luxuriously hydrated.

During dinner, the coffee-table book was unveiled to an enthusiastic crowd with “faaabvlous” ladies Anna Sia and Nonie Basilio as its double cover.

The guests were obviously energized from the sumptuous food and exquisite wine and bubbly of that fabulous evening.

This fuelled their eagerness to bid for the high-ticket auction items and participate in the raffle of prizes all in the name of charity.

The featured Faaabvlous VI ladies and gentlemen were also recognized that evening and were awarded with a glass trophy to symbolize their iconic status in their respective fields and philanthropic pursuits.

This yearly event was organized in collaboration with the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines and proceeds from the purchase of the coffee table book will benefit the advocacy programs of the Advertising Foundation and the Love-A-Parish program of Sto. Niño de Paz Chapel at Greenbelt 1.

The latter’s aim is to assist needy churches across the Philippines.

Truly, Rupert Jacinto has carved a niche in the exclusive domains of the über rich and famous. As such, to be featured in a coffee table book like his “Faaabvlous” series – then you must breathe a life lived extraordinarily.

To Rupert’s portrait subjects, cheers to being faaabulous!

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.

Ryan Ros Calmante with Malu Francisco

Stunning Lilibeth Campos

Fabulous ladies in black, Tina Cuevas and Betsy Westendorp de Brias

Faaabvlous VI cover lady Anna Sia

Nelson Yuvilla, Nikki Tang and Sheila Romero

Chris Badiola and Lynda Ley

Ladies in white and black Marissa Fenton and Len Olbes

Marian Ong-Nuguid, Consul Helen Ong and Duday Tuason

Dashing and debonair Robert Miller

Johnny Litton with the man of the night, Rupert Jacinto

Fabulous couple Brian and Virginia Lane

Manolyne Taylor

Nora Sol, Dra. Marilou Ong, Cora Arceo, Clara del Prado and Hera Geriene

Fabulous in black Hera Geriene

Dette Aquino-Tan, Nini Licaros and Roi Philips

David Lim was dapper in his tuxedo

Faaabvlous VI Icon Awardee, Cebu Representative Hon. Gwen Garcia

SUNDAY : NOV EMBER 2 9, 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

ABS-CBN Regional family with head Atty. Abigail Querubin-Aquino (center).

Bigger, Better, Bolder KApAmilyA regionAl shows

A

BS-CBN Regional’s #BiyahengPINAS trade event showed the company’s continued dedication to beef up its coverage of areas outside Metro Manila as they gave thanks to advertisers for their unwavering support in the gathering held at White Space Manila.

“ABS-CBN Regional wants to give our loyal Kapamilya viewers in the provinces what they want: bigger, better, and bolder regional shows to showcase what each locale has to offer, whether it be in wondrous food or breath-taking sights. We also would like to take this opportunity to thank our beloved partners, advertisers, who have given their all-out support in our efforts,” said ABS-CBN Regional head Atty. Abigail Querubin-Aquino.

During the #BiyahengPINAS event, the guests were treated to a surprise with various Kapamilya hunks arriving and taking photos

with them. Among the stars that gave time to make the people happy were Piolo Pascual, Pasion de Amor leading men Jake Cuenca, Ejay Falcon, and Joseph Marco.

To make things more exciting, Maja Salvador also gave an impressive dance number for the audience that left everyone cheering for an encore as an opening number.

Matteo Guidicelli on the other hand, served as the closing act as he serenaded the audience before the grand raffle draw that had joining the “Kapamilya Karavan” in one of their trips as one of the amazing prizes.

Pangako Sa’ Yo actor Joem Bascon and Banana Sundae funnyman Jason Gainza also graced the event as well as one of the network’s young love teams, Joshua Garcia and Loisa Andallo of Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita, who thanked those who supported their afternoon soap.

Among ABS-CBN Region-

al’s programs include dedicated shows for the regions outside the NCR like MagTV, Atin ‘To!, TV Patrol, Kapamilya! Mas Winner Ka, and Agri Tayo Dito are aired across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the dialect of the region.

Entertainment shows like Pasion de Amor, Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita, and Pangako Sa ‘Yo are among those dominating the airwaves in the provinces.

Apart from that, ABS-CBN Regional also sees to it that Kapamilya stars also visit their fans in different parts of the country with the Kapamilya Karavan initiative.

The Kapamilya Karavan participates in various town fiestas, barrio fiestas, and city fiestas to add spice to these events.

ABS-CBN Regional’s #BiyahengPINAS is hosted by ABSCBN hunk Enchong Dee, along with comedian Pooh, Blinky De Leon from Mag TV Cebu, and TV Patrol Negros’ Ryan Gamboa.

ABS-CBN Free TV Head Cory Vidanes with Piolo Pascual, who came to the event to the delight of the crowd

Maja opened up the event with a sizzling song and dance number

‘Exodus’ prEmiErEs on AnimAx Peace has finally returned to the island of Tatsumiyajima where the battles occurred.

However, how long will this peace last?

Amidst the uncertainly, there is the existence of two special girls, one who can understand the Festum and the other who is protected by the Festum.

When the two girls cross paths, a new world is about to unfold.

Exodus premieres on Dec. 8, p.m. and airs Mondays to Tuesdays with two episodes back to back, first and exclusive on Animax.

Animax is seen on SKYCable Channel 46, Cignal Digital TV Channel 34 and Dream Channel 7.

(From L to R) Ryan Gamboa from TV Patrol Negros, Pooh, Enchong Dee, and Blinky De Leon from MagTV Cebu

The characters in Fafner Exodus

SUNDAY : NOV EMBER 2 9, 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

MiCa JaviER: “DREaMER” Pop-R&B singer Mica Javier releases her much-awaited, maiden full-length studio album titled Dreamer, under Homeworkz.

Homeworkz is a full production independent label founded in 2007 by award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist JayR Sillona.

The company was initially a music production group with sound engineer and producer DJ Jimmy Muna.

In 2009, Homeworkz expanded into music distribution. Aside from Mica, Homeworkz boasts a roster of OPM artists such as Q-York, Salbakuta, Frencheska Farr, Glaiza de Castro, and Kley in its advocacy to provide artists with the right platform to showcase their diverse talents. Most notably, Homeworkz released JayR and Mica’s smash hit single “Tonight,” which was the no.1 single for two straight months on Wave 89.1. The label has also collaborated with top Filipino artists such as Kyla, Nina, Anne Curtis, Kris Lawrence, and Billy Crawford to name a few.

Mica gained international recognition after a licensing deal with Timbaland Productions and Extreme Music-SONY/ATV paved the way for top-rating US-based TV shows such as Fox’s Glee and Lifetime’s popular series Dance Moms to pick up her song “3000 Light Years.”

Mica has also appeared in US shows like Gossip Girl and How To Make It In America while working as an artist in New York City.

The success of “Tonight” in Manila catapulted Mica to popularity, which led to numerous TV appearances, corporate events, and live performances in the metro’s hottest entertainment venues.

Awit Awards honored Mica as Best New Female Artist of 2014 after two of her songs, “Heart Song” and “Dreamer” became certified hits right after Homeworkz released them. “Heart Song” peaked at no. 10 on Myx’s OPM Countdown while simultaneously becoming a chart topping radio hit peaking at no. 4 on RX 93.1.

Dreamer, the album, is composed of 12 tracks, which includes the hit singles “Dreamer” fea-

Newcomer Mica Javier drops her debut album

turing American rapper Shawn Chrystopher, “Heart Song,” and “Tonight” featuring JayR plus “AWOL,” “Other Side,” “Sa Iyong Mga Mata,” “Atin Lang,” “Yakap Sa Dilim,” “Paintbrush,” “Do It,” and “”Renegade,” including a special bonus track titled “Stunna.”

Mica is currently gearing for the release of her single “Yakap Sa Dilim,” which is very dear to her as she is the niece of Apo Hiking Society’s Danny Javier. The single’s video is directed by Homeworkz’ Cristhian Escolano. The song has been re-arranged by Sire of Timbaland Productions and was co-produced by Homeworkz.

Apart from her very busy schedule as a recording artist and concert performer, Mica also runs her own business being the owner and founder of the popular fragrance line MNL, which is available at Fisher Mall, Star Mall Mandaluyong, Sta. Lucia East, as well as online at www.iheartMNL.com.

Dreamer is available online and in leading record bars nationwide.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 75 78

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 — d’etat 5 One of the brightest stars 11 Spell 17 Fiberglass bundle 21 Kind of bean 22 Rendezvous 23 Crete’s sea 24 The Y in YSL 25 Hooded snakes 26 Catch 27 Opera immortal 28 Secret sign 29 Beatles hit 31 Hollywood walk-on 33 Buttonholes 35 Organic compound 36 Notre Dame’s city 37 Can’t stand 38 Passports, briefly 41 Capitol VIP 42 Pastel color 43 NW state 44 Just right 48 Had a siesta

50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

Backstreet Henri’s landmass Guarantee Old Italian currency Hot coffee hazard Whipped-cream helpings Fall mo.

“Iron Man ” Zatopek Tones up Amber wine Hoarfrost Mate’s comeback Cleveland exurb Pasta dish Colorful transfer Is an omen of Above, to poets — kwon do Force Nothing, in Nice Wide st.

PC key Tiberius’ garb

All-ACCess pAss to wonderful IndonesIAn flAvors

Enigmatic one Molecular biology topic 79 Put under wraps 80 Restricted, as a teen 84 Moving right — 85 Piers 87 Test a melon 88 Ms. Merkel 89 Unlikely to bite 90 Vague discomfort 91 Chimes 92 Monsieur, in Bonn 93 Navajo foe 94 Downy fruit 95 Like most attics 96 Gen. — Powell 97 Really enjoy 99 Least amt.

100 Round starters 101 Parthenon site 102 “Bye Bye Bye” band 103 Spanish hero El — 104 — nova 105 Famous Chairman 106 Towel’s place 107 Green-eyed breed of cat 109 Mountain feature 110 Where Pago Pago is 112 Falsetto singer (2 wds.)

115 A Judd 116 Type of bat (2 wds.)

120 PTA concern 121 Entice (2 wds.)

123 Book copier of old 125 Helper 126 Swit co-star 127 Quick trip 128 Eats away at 129 Major nuisance 130 Stay fresh 131 Union man 132 Process food

Asian Food Channel (AFC) is proud to announce the upcoming premiere of new commission, Wonderful Indonesia Flavours featuring Celebrity Chef Rinrin Marinka and Australian co-hosts Chefs Tobie Puttock and Darren Robertson.

The 8 x 30’ food and travel series airs Mondays, 7 p.m. on AFC. Produced in collaboration with Wonderful Indonesia, Wonderful Indonesia Flavours is truly a celebration of Indonesia’s cultural diversity and intricate culinary traditions.

The exclusive original production takes viewers on an immersive food tour across Indonesia showcasing the unique regional variations of cooking styles, dishes and traditions.

Immerse yourself in the land of varied flavors and vibrant culture with Tobie, Darren and Rinrin as they travel and explore Indonesia like never before.

Follow the trio as they embark on a culinary quest across eight incredible destinations - Tomohon, Solo, Makassar, Batam, Malang, Bandung, Banyuwangi and Raja Ampat. Dive into some of the most remote regions of Indonesia to discover the intricacies of local culture and food. From exploring organic farms and traditional markets in Tomohon through the exquisite

Celebrity chefs Darren and Rinrin in the province of Tomohon

Rinrin and Tobie in island municipality of Batam

simplicity of Minahasa cuisine, to immersing themselves with the Osing people in Banyuwangi to unraveling the intricacies of Solo’s Dutch and Javanese inspired culture to simply exploring the picture perfect beaches of Raja Ampat.

Each episode ends with a delicious cooking demonstration set against the mountainous backdrop of Indonesia featuring dishes that were inspired by the hosts’ travels.

Rinrin Marinka said, “It has been a great pleasure hosting Wonderful Indonesia Flavours with Tobie and Darren. It is always an exciting opportunity as an Indonesian to be able to introduce our culture and cuisine on a regional scale. The show really represents Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage and shows just how vast and diverse our culture and cuisine really is. I can’t wait to share our experience with the viewers and hope they enjoy the show.”

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2015

133 Active volcano DOWN 1 Modeling medium 2 Seine tributary 3 Ballpark figures 4 Glue down 5 Warned 6 Actor Hal — 7 Golden Horde member 8 Spacious 9 This — — bust!

10 Abolished 11 Strategy 12 Nurtures 13 Taj Mahal site 14 Recent, in Berlin 15 Honeydew kin 16 “— Arden” 17 Sayings 18 Rara — 19 Circus arena 20 Impatient chucks 30 Hairpin curves 32 Cavity detector (hyph.)

34 Invents a word 36 Disagreeable people 37 “Sweet” girl of song 38 Green, as trees (2 wds.)

39 Shogun’s vassal 40 More agile 42 Andes ruminant 43 Black-market 45 Maria Shriver’s mom 46 Good smells 47 Razes 49 Good buddy 50 Lots of land 51 Like table salt 52 PCB regulator 54 Femme fatale 55 “The” to Fritz 56 Mouths, in biology

59 60 61 63 64 65 67 68 70 72 73 74 75

UPS competitor Put a dent in Broadcast again Cartoon sound effect Jamie — Curtis Unearthed (2 wds.)

Pickling solution Applause Seals the fate of Tummy soother Insult, slangily Honestly!

Planet with rings

76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 90 91

Shallow dishes Plain Draw boundaries Laugh syllable Steps to the Ganges Burr or Hamilton Nobelist — Fermi Mended socks Rattle Adherent Nikola the inventor Radar-gun info A vital sign

92 94 95 96 98

100 101 103 104 105 108 109 110

Furrow maker Neck scarf Loathed Sing a ballad Variety of mushroom (2 wds.)

Sonic — Strongest-tasting Tourist’s tote Fair maiden Ifs NBA coach Pat — Lyon’s river Dive into second

111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 122 124

Slack-jawed Salad bowl wood Busy loafing Birthday suit wearer Fargo’s st.

Kermit, for one Royal decree Thor’s father TV “Warrior Princess” Aleta’s son Dernier —

SUNDAY : NOV EMBER 2 9, 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

The X FaCTor UK: 4Th ImpaCT In FInal 5

T

he all-Filipino girl group 4TH Impact brought sassiness to last week’s Performance Show in The X Factor UK. Working with “Love and Heartbreak” as the week’s theme, the girls channeled Christina Aguilera performing “Ain’t No Other Man” to the delight of the judges and audience.

They move on to the Final 5 of the singing competition.

Simon Cowell described the performance as “brilliant, professional, sassy.” He also did say that he didn’t think mentor Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has given the group a song to show their individual personalities yet. Rita Ora lauded the sisters for being “tight, professional and rehearsed.”

Judge Nick Grimshaw said, “I think sometimes you’re so sweet it’s like candy floss - a bit sweet and fluffy and airy. Tonight it felt a bit meaty, a bit nasty and I liked it.”

Cheryl paid tribute to 4TH Impact’s professionalism. She revealed that the group had only been given the track the day before the performance. “It’s sometimes really easy to overlook the fact that they’ve come from halfway across the world, all the way from the Philippines,” she said. She added that had so much respect for the girls for getting up on stage every week.

Eliminated were Mason Noise and Anton Stephans.

4TH Impact will compete with the remaining acts in The X Factor UK. These include Reggie n Bollie, Ché Chesterman, Louisa Johnson, and Lauren Murray.

The X Factor UK airs first and exclusive on RTL CBS Entertainment HD as live via satellite on

From C8

Sundays and Mondays at 10:30 a.m. with a primetime encore at 9:00 p.m. The weekly episodes repeat on Thursdays at 9 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 4:40 p.m.

RTL CBS Entertainment HD is available on SkyCable channels 53(SD) and 196(HD), Destiny Cable channel 53, Dream Satellite channel 17 and Cablelink channels 37(SD), 313 and 800(HD).

HHHHH TV5’s Barangay Challenge TV5 proudly brings to Filipino viewers Barangay Utakan - the first news quiz show on Philippine TV that features contestants representing their respective barangays or local communities to find out who’s the most “news savvy” of them all.

The Kapatid network’s newest offering promises a fun-filled hour of infotainment that the young and old alike will find very appealing as each barangay team tries to outwit or “out-think” each other in answering questions based on the current news and events from country’s leading digital influencers.

Headlining Barangay Utakan are Internet celebrity and academician Ramon Bautista; Politics for Beginners host, satirist Bayaw Jun Sabayton; and newsman and Palanca awardee Lourd de Veyra of television, radio and Internet fame.

Utakan is a quiz show. All questions are news related. Players should be aware of what’s happening on top of the news, so to speak.

There will be elimination rounds and questions increase in difficulty as the quiz show progresses; but as the program’s title suggests, the team that is more “ma-utak” (brainy) and “madiskarte” (street-mart) gets to bring home the top prize --- which

Holiday offerings at orange BlusH salon

For the coming holiday season, Orange Blush salon welcomes clients with new promos and treats designed not only to pamper, but to make sure they come out looking their best in this time of celebration.

Start your Orange Blush holiday treatments with the Brazilian Keratin treatment designed to bring life back to severely damaged hair with keratin as its main ingredient.

Keratin is the protein component of the hair, and makes it shiny, soft and healthy.

When hair is regularly colored and treated, the natural keratin in our hair tends to be lost, and that’s when hair becomes dry, frizzy, damaged and unmanageable.

Brazilian Keratin can get it looking normal and healthy again and bring your hair back to what it used to be.

“Brazilian Keratin contains the keratin needed to revive our hair’s luster and softness after all the hair chemical processes.

This is a revolutionary solution to most of our hair problems,” says Orange Blush salon owner Joby Linsangan-Moreno.

At the same time, clients can also avail

4th Impact

in this case are goods and/or services that will benefit the whole community, like basketball court refurbishing, computer units for the barangay hall, barangay medical missions and the like.

Barangay Utakan, is the first news-related game show on Philippine television in which participants play for barangay pride and esprit de corps. The winners bring home benefits for the entire community to use or enjoy.

In a sense, it represents the brotherhood that characterizes the Filipino’s “bayanihan” spirit. Experience the fun and excitement in Barangay Utakan’s pilot episode tonight on TV5 and find solidarity with our fellow-barangay mates.

To get more updates, follow them on facebook, https:// www.facebook.com/BarangayUtakan/?fref=ts.

HHHHH seasonal serenades Shangri-La Plaza gears up for the anticipated holiday season as it

Joby Linsangan

of the salon’s other popular services such as the hair re-bonding, hair coloring and foot spa services to get into a holiday mood and get ready for all the partying that is sure to come.

Or if you’re tired and frazzled after shopping and trying to beat the holiday rush, you can treat yourself to a pampering day at the salon and feel better again.

At Orange Blush salon, they focus mostly on hair services, which they consider to be their main area of expertise. They are sought out for their haircutting, hair

NXPowerLite

brings renowned vocal group the Ryan Cayabyab Singers to serenade mall guests, 5 p.m. today.

The leading lifestyle destination’s East Wing Atrium is set to be filled with the moving repertoire of this Awit-award winning vocal powerhouse group that has been captivating audiences here and abroad.

The ensemble’s members handpicked by the Maestro himself

treatments, hair rebonding, hair straightening, hair coloring, and also their manicure and pedicure, foot spa and makeup.

“We have decided to concentrate in the hair services, less the facials and massage treatments that other salons usually offer along with the hair treatments,” says Joby.

The best thing about Orange Blush salon is that it has a warranty, a virtual guarantee that when a client leaves, you will do so feeling good about the time you spent there.

“The warranty means being responsible and accountable to do your very best at work, and to give your very best for your customers. That also means caring for the welfare of your customers, and that is what our warranty is all about; that we welcome our customer’s concerns, and that it is our main purpose to exceed our customer’s expectations,” explains Joby.

To make the holiday salon experience even more awesome, this year they are also giving away free Orange Blush Salon mugs to customers (with a minimum of P2,000 worth of salon services) as their Christmas treat.

Ultimately, though—and regardless of what time or season of the year it is—the Orange Blush experience is all about providing their clients with the best possible service.

Explains Joby, “Since our services come with a warranty promise, our clients can be assured of the high quality and standards

with two albums under their belt and another one on the way have performed around Asia, North America and Australia.

Shoppers are in for a wonderful weekend experience at the Shang.

For inquiries, call 370-2500 loc.

597 or visit www.facebook.com/ shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage.

Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial.

that we offer in our salon services; that we are responsible for the work we have done; and that we certainly care about our customers’ concerns and feelings.”

One of the fastest-growing salon chains in Luzon, the Orange Blush salon (which first opened in 2003) is located in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. But Joby discloses that plans for a 2016 expansion are already in place. It’s something that they started preparing for this year, and they’re quite excited about it.

“The coming year 2016 is a very exciting and promising year for Orange Blush Salon’s expansion plans,” says Joby. “Our vision is to put up branches in Central Luzon area first, where we came from, and saturate it and become the best hair salon in the area; then move to conquer the metro, carrying with us that unique probinsiyano brand that we represent. We have laid the ground work and plans for expansion in 2015, and I can say that we shall strive to be more innovative in our processes and services, and shall continually strive to become the best in our field.”

To know more about Orange Blush and its services, visit them at the Sotto Building, Del Pilar Street, Cabanatuan City, and Nueva Ecija or call (044) 464.4114.

You can also check out their website at http://orangeblushsalon.com/index.html or look them up on Facebook.

SUNDAY : NOV EMBER 2 9, 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Alden Richards joins Kapuso Network’s Celebrity Ukay-Ukay

Celebrity Christmas bazaars begin ISAH V. RED It’s the time of the year when everyone becomes a small entrepreneur. But some people take advantage of the season to raise funds for some charitable institutions or worthwhile projects. Take for example this group that organizes Noel Bazaar every year.

This year, the group has Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana once more as the bazaar’s ambassadors for the booth Celebrity Ukay-Ukay is named after.

Now on their second year as ambassadors of the Celebrity Ukay-Ukay, the Kapuso couple graced the launch at the World Trade Center on Thursday.

Pre-owned and exclusive items of TV celebrities and news personalities are on sale for the benefit of GMA Kapuso Foundation’s various projects dedicated to underprivileged Filipino children.

“Making a difference in the lives of others takes hard work, perseverance, and a lot of heart,” shares GMAKF EVP and COO Mel Tiangco. “We are grateful for Tom and Carla’s continued generosity, as well as that of our other celebrity

donors, because their support has been instrumental in the fulfillment of the Foundation’s many projects.”

Carla, who is in Ismol Family, Del Monte Kitchenomics, Karelasyon, and the upcoming series Because of You, made time to sort out items to be sold and auctioned at the Celebrity Ukay-Ukay, while also persuading fellow stars to contribute to the project. “Always a pleasure to lend a hand. With God’s help, Tom and I will work harder this year so GMA Kapuso Foundation can build more classrooms and more schools,” she shares on her Instagram account.

Carla has actively been promoting the project on social media by giving her followers an exclusive peek on some of the items included in the Celebrity Ukay-Ukay.

Tom also expressed his gratitude to his friends in the industry who supported the project. “Napakalaking tulong ang ibinibigay ninyo sa mga kababayan nating nasalanta ng bagyong Yolanda, maging ang lahat ng mga tinutulungan ng GMA Kapuso Foundation ay nagpapasalamat din sa inyo,” says the Marimar leading man as he encourages others to support the Ukay-Ukay on his Instagram account.

Aside from Tom and Carla, among the Kapuso artists who participated and donated items to make this fundraising activity pos-

sible are Christian Bautista, Dennis Trillo, Alden Richards, Betong Sumaya, Joyce Ching, Chariz Solomon, Kevin Santos, Jessa Zaragoza, and Eugene Domingo.

GMA News and Public Affairs personalities Arnold Clavio, Rhea Santos, Susan Enriquez, Suzi Entrata-Abrera, Nelson Canlas, Lhar Santiago, Cesar Apolinario, and Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz donated as well pre-loved items.

Other personalities who also donated to the cause are Cheska Garcia-Kramer, AJ Dee, Alyanna Martinez and Cecile Zamora-Van Straten.

Tom and Carla’s Celebrity UkayUkay booth at Noel Bazaar runs until tomorrow at the World Trade Center, and opens again on Dec. 18 and runs until Dec. 20 at the SMX Convention Center. Celebrity auctions will also be held on each bazaar weekend.

This year, be a pinnacle of hope and help touch the lives of thousands of Filipino children by supporting Tom and Carla’s Celebrity Ukay-ukay. 100 percent of the proceeds will fund projects intended for school development, distribution of basic school supplies and, in line with the season of love and giving, special Christmas projects of the foundation. ➜ Continued on C7

Carla Abellana shows off a Veejay Floresca gown for auction

Carla Abellana

Tom Rodriguez

Tom Rodriguez with TomDen record shirt

Arnold Clavio

Rhea Santos

Christian Bautista