The Standard - 2016 April 24 - Sunday

VOL. XXX NO. 71 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 SUNDAY : APRIL 24, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘DUTERTE TO COST PINOYS JOBS’

A2

PALACE PROBES ‘MAIL FORGERY’

Stolen Comelec data lands on Malacañang server

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

MALACAÑANG denied on Saturday that it abetted the violation of the privacy of 55 million Filipino voters when an unidentified person used the Palace’s mail server in seeding a torrent file of the database that was stolen from the Commission on Elections.

Presidential Communication Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said a preliminary investigation

of the Management Information Service of the Office of the President suggested that an unidentified

culprit may have forged the identification of his host server to make it appear that the Palace mail server was used to seed the torrent.

“According to the MIS, no unusual activity has been detected which only suggests at this point the possibility of a malicious forgery,” Quezon said in a radio interview over state-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

But Quezon maintained that it has a huge chance of possibilities that a certain user change his or her settings to make it appear that the

Malacañang mail server was the one seeding the sensitive database.

“The person who downloaded the torrent tinkered with his settings so they could make it appear that the server was ‘mail.malacañang.gov. ph.’ You can do that easily,” he said.

Quezon said the subdomain mail.malacanang.gov.ph has been delegated to a specific mail server under the OP-MIS department since May of 2011.

He said the OP-MIS is now reviewing its firewall and server

logs and trying to determine if the server was used to download and seed the torrent or the server was compromised or if a remote client was using the mail server to access the internet or if the culprit intentionally forged his host name with malicious intention to make it appear as mail.malacanang.gov.ph.

If the investigation team determines that someone in the Palace used to download and seed the torrent, Quezon said that person will be identified and held accountable.

Next page

SECURITY CHECK. A designated election inspector checks on the transmission of votes during a mock election held at the Hermenigildo J. Atienza Elementary School in Tondo, Manila on Saturday. DANNY PATA

FOR THE LOVE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL

B8

Farmers fear cover-up on ‘Kidapawan’

By Maricel V. Cruz WITH at least 10,000 farmers staging protests in five key cities in Mindanao, farmers groups denounced President Benigno Aquino III’s supposed cover-up of the government’s neglect of farmers’ demands and demanded that he stop campaigning and start working on the problem.

“It is the height of callousness and incompetence that Aquino continues to campaign for the Liberal Party while farmers in the countryside go hungry,” said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

Aquino “has not shown even the slightest concern for the drought-affected farmers. He even blamed farm-

er protesters for the April 1 violence in Kidapawan,” Reyes said a day after Aquino blamed organizers for the deadly dispersal of a farmers’ protest in Kidapawan City on April 1.

“There is an upsurge of protests in the countryside because of long-running government neglect in this difficult time of the prolonged El Niño,” Reyes noted.

Next page

A2

S U N D AY : A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘DUTERTE TO COST PINOYS JOBS’ Palace...

From A1

Meanwhile, Quezon advised the public to take basic precautions, like changing their passwords among others, to avoid possible identity theft.

“In terms of accountability, it will be the Executive Secretary who will determine the accountability if it is proven that someone indeed used the mail server to download the Comelec data,” Quezon said.

Quezon revealed the Palace investigation after internet users accused the Palace on Friday of helping spread the hacked Comelec data containing the personal information of millions of registered voters.

The Comelec said on Friday that the United States Department of Justice was able to take down the server in Russia hosting the hacked database.

But several downloaders have already managed to convert the database into a torrent file that can be distributed via peer-to-peer sharing platforms.

However, internet security experts said it would now be impossible to recover the stolen information, including the voters’ fingerprints.

“Once this information is out, it’s impossible to recover,” FireEye Asia Pacific chief technical officer Bryce Boland said in an interview with Bloomberg.

“There’s no way for 55-million Filipinos can change their fingerprints.

This data is never gonna be recovered and this is the fundamental problem that we are facing but not just in the Philippines but everywhere,” Boland said.

Farmers...

From A1

On Saturday, there were at least 3,000 farmers protesting in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, 2,000 in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, 5,000 in Valencia City, Bukidnon plus hundreds more in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. There were also hundreds of farmers camped outside of the regional office of the Department of Agriculture in Davao City, according to Anakpawis party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap.

Hicap denounced Aquino’s attempt to cover-up the accountability of police and local government officials for the violent dispersal of the Kidapawan rally last April 1 and his administration’s “continuing lie” that the government has attended to the effects of El Niño or extreme drought.

“Thousands of farmers from Mindanao, as well as in Luzon are now holding Aquino responsible for the Kidapawan violent dispersal, and primarily for the criminal negligence on the effects of drought,” Hicap said.

“They are presently demanding relief from the government and we challenge him heed the people’s demand, instead of approving their mass murder,” he added.

“Before Aquino kills another hungry farmer demanding food aid and blame again whoever organized them, we are announcing that they are organized under the flag of [Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas], crying for land, food and justice,’’ Hicap said.

“They are members of Anakpawis Party-list and we warn Aquino not to

He said that through this cyber attack, it is clearly showed that “all government organizations are not doing enough to protect these data.”

“I think it is very serious, we are talking about the personal details of at least 55-million Filipinos, it is not just the name and the address, it’s information of their email address, their passport information, their height, their weight, their parents’ name, even their fingerprint details, this is very significant,” he said.

“Not only is this by far the largest data breach of government information since the breach in Turkey where the details of 49 million people were stolen,” Boland said.

“This information was not just stolen by single intelligence agency, this information is up in the internet for anyone to access,” Boland said, adding that other Asian countries are also very vulnerable to a major data breach.

“Many organizations simply don’t have the defenses to even detect or prevent things from happening,” Boland added, noting that the hacking is twice as high around the world.

Boland advised investigators to determine what else the hackers did aside from stealing the database because they could have created a “backdoor” to give them an access in case they will come back and rig the result of the elections.

“Often the investigator will just remove the malware and assume that everything is okay,” Boland said.

“But what needs to happen is a thorough investigation to understand what else did the attackers do when they broke in and stole that data. Did they make a backdoor to give them

access later and potentially move literally with the Comelec network and potentially change the outcome of the vote in a few weeks’ time,” he added.

He also feared that the database might be used by criminal organizations who wanted to conduct fraud and make money against high-profile people.

“Often we find that there are people trading these information on underground sites where you can collect information about bank account details, card information, and converted data to build a really comprehensive portfolio information to conduct fraud,” he said.

“We’ve seen most of the intelligence gathering has moved towards using cyber espionage because it’s much safer. It’s cost effective and meets all information you want with very good plausible deniability,” he said.

“So we mostly see this attacks happening at the national level and they don’t make it public in most cases,” he added.

Even Boland said that government organizations are not doing enough to protect these data.

Quezon, on the other hand, advised all public offices to move all their servers into the government servers to unify all data.

“Now, the government has been pushing a policy of encouraging government offices their servers to a government server in order to protect, supervise and make their protocols more secure,” Quezon said.

This may take time, but Quezon believes that it is better if government agencies move toward consolidation of database.

add to his long list of crimes against the people and immediately heed their legitimate demand for relief,” he added.

Citing government data, Hicap said the Department of Agriculture has yet to concretely and effectively serve the tens of thousands of farmers gravely affected by El Niño although they have billions of public funds at their disposal.

The DA has access to about P3 billion from 2011 to 2013 of so-called quick reaction funds (QRF) or funds to be used to mitigate the effects of climate-related calamities, P1.8 billion drought mitigation fund in 2014, and another P2 billion for this year.

In February, the DA North Cotabato provincial office announced that drought damaged P172 million worth of agricultural crops, P55 million to rice and corn crops, the group said.

“Based on government data, the rural population of the province is pegged at 930,000. The provincial government declared a state of calamity on Jan. 19. Almost the entire Mindanao is affected by drought, including Butuan, Zamboanga, General Santos, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Maguindanao, and Guimaras,” Hicap said.

Also in Negros, sugar workers under the National Federation of Sugar Workers and the Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura are demanding immediate relief with the onset of the “tiempo muerto,” or dead season when lands planted only to sugarcane lie idle and affecting about 5 million people in the island.

Farmers in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan also lambasted the Aquino presidency for pushing with the MRT7 project that threatens more than 300 hectares of land that are sources of their livelihood.

Moreover, Hacienda Luisita farm workers are condemning the destruction of their crops committed by the president’s Cojuangco-Aquino family.

“We have long been publicizing that the farmers are gravely affected by Aquino’s programs and policies. He is an absolute nemesis of genuine land reform and worsened landlessness that engulfs the peasant sector to poverty and hunger, as well as his sponsorship of mass killings of those who demand,” Hicap said.

Anakpawis urged the public to support the nationwide movement of the farmers for land, food and justice, as well as holding the Aquino presidency answerable for his anti-people governance and criminal negligence that jeopardize the welfare of tens of millions of Filipinos.

In South Cotabato alone, the KMP said the provincial government said 1,900 hectares of corn and 1,300 planted to palay have been damaged by the drought, affecting more than 1,300 farmers.

“Other crops like fruit trees, banana, bamboo, cut flowers and vegetable farms in Koronadal, Tantangan, Polomolok, T’boli, Surallah and Tampakan were also greatly affected by drought” while households are suffering water shortages, the KMP said.

In Sarangani, it said, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported damage to 938 hectares of corn, 768 hectares of banana, 439 hectares of coconut, 152 hectares of palay and 112 hectares of oil palm.

As the drought persists, the KMP said, rivers and irrigation systems are drying up and even “backyard gardens are also dying.”

By Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo

DAGUPAN CITY—Vice President Jejomar Binay and his daughter Senator Nancy Binay on Saturday expressed concern over reports that Filipino workers in Australia are facing loss of their jobs because of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s joke about the rape of an Australian lay missionary in 1989.

The Binays urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to look into the reports as Australian media continued to criticize Duterte with one news anchorman calling the Davao mayor an “evil bastard.”

Popular news presenter Paul Murray was the latest Australian celebrity to criticize Duterte for his now infamous joke about the rape and murder of Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill in 1989.

“That evil bastard,” Murray exclaimed after running the video of Duterte’s comments during an April 12 campaign rally.

“I don’t know what’s worse: him saying it or other people actually laughing along with it,” Murray said.

“It’s disgusting.”

“If he [Duterte] becomes president, tear up your tickets and don’t go to the Philippines,” Murray urged his viewers.

Murray also posted in his Facebook account describing Duterte as a “vile man” after similar criticism from international media organizations like the Australian Broadcasting Corp., British Broadcasting Corp., Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.

“I am asking the DFA to immediately look into reports that Filipino workers in Australia have been terminated by their employer because of the irresponsible and vulgar remarks made by Mister Duterte about wanting to rape a dead Australian missionary,” Binay said.

“It is unfortunate that dangerous statements are being said at the time when the Philippines is trying to be globally competitive. It is most unfortunate that women were at the receiving end of such a brutal joke,” Senator Binay told a news conference.

A message from a Filipino working in Australia has recently gone viral after it revealed that around 10 to 50 OFWs from Mindanao have been laid off.

The message stated that the Australian company decided it would no longer renew the contracts of all Filipino workers under its employ after Duterte poked fun at the rape and murder of Hamill.

“The owner of the company we’re working for is a very devout Christian and she felt insulted by Duterte’s comments against her fellow Aussie, our supervisor already told us today that the contracts of all of us 50 Filipino workers will no longer be renewed, that we will be replaced by Pacific Islanders,” said one of the workers who did not want to be identified.

“There are only 10 Duterte fans in our group but all of us are affected by the obscenity of their idol,” the worker said.

Some 2.4 million Filipinos are depending on their jobs abroad to provide for their families, according to the 2015 survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, he said.

“I was bothered because the mere thought that he was looking at the dead woman yet he was thinking of touching her. It is indescribable. I cannot find a word for it,” the vice president’s daughter, Senator Binay, said.

“Because he saw how the Australian lay minister was brutally killed yet he had the urge to do it with that person,” she said.

“As a senator, it became my concern those he said about Australia and the United States. He wanted to sever ties with these allied nations. In one event that the Mexican ambassador was present, he also said offensive things against Mexico. Then apparently, it turned out Mexico has huge investments in the Philippines,” the senator said.

“We want to be globally competitive. We are not isolated from the rest of the world. We cannot afford that the words coming from someone who is running for President, technically, the words he uttered reflect his foreign policies that he would carry out,” Senator Binay said. “His pronouncements were somewhat dangerous.”

S U N D AY : A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

BPO GROUP AGAIN HITS ROXAS, LP

By John Paolo Bencito A GROUP of call center workers again lashed at Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas’ claim that the country’s business process outsourcing industry owes him their employment and said the growth of the industry was due mainly to the talent of Filipino workers.

“To let you know, despite the competitive global environment, the Philippines has established itself as the best destination for BPO operations not because of Mar Roxas but due to the exceptional and first-class service that the Filipino BPO workers provide to its clients,” an open letter of the BPO Industry Employees Network Philippines read.

“Let us remind you that it is the government’s obligation to generate employment to the Filipino people. It is something that the government must do because it is the responsibility of the state to provide employment opportunities to its people… We owe nothing to Roxas, Aquino and the entire Liberal Party,” the group added.

The group issued the statement after Roxas supporter Carlos Celdran severely criticized a BPO worker on Facebook after he disputed the claim of Roxas that BPO workers owe all their benefits to Roxas and the ruling Liberal Party.

“Dear Millennial BPO in the skinny Uniqlo jeans frantically typing on your glittery iPhone6, bitching about Mar, the Liberal Party and desperately needing change in your life as you SIT there with a Starbucks Latte in hand: Yes. Your new car’s plates took a while to get and you hate EDSA’s hideous traffic. But chew on this and eat it: Without Mar and the Liberal Party, you WOULDN’T have that car NOR the job which paid for your freaking oversized Starbucks,” Celdran’s post read.

But the group disputed Celdran’s claims and said BPO workers themselves who should take credit for the Philippines’ strong showing as the world’s BPO capital.

“Let us stress that we give credits if the credit is due. Justifiably on this issue, we give credits to the hardworking BPO workers who made significant contribution to the Philippine economy through tax revenues on wages, and not to Roxas.”

“You must understand that with or without Mar Roxas, the BPO companies are strategically targeting the Asia-Pacific region, specifically the Philippines, as its destination for capital investments,” the group said.

SEEKING SUPPORT. Presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay speaks with Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo during a courtesy call at the INC headquarters in Quezon City. AFP/EAGLE NEWS

5 CANDIDATES GEAR UP FOR DAGUPAN DEBATE

By Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo

DAGUPAN CITY—There will be no cheering, no jeering and heckling during the final presidential debate Sunday, when warring candidates would be facing-off after weeks of hurling brickbats at one another.

On the eve of the final presidential debate, all candidates took a break from sorties and restrained themselves from further engaging in an intense word war Not a word of name-calling came from all camps on Saturday as they prepared for the final face-off in the Comelec-sponsored debate here Sunday.

All five presidential candidates —Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Senator Grace Poe of the Partido

Galing at Puso, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, Manuel Roxas II of the ruling Liberal Party and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People’s Reform Party—confirmed attendance.

Binay was the first to arrive in the province last Friday and did campaign sorties while the advance parties of the other camps started arriving Saturday, rendering most hotels and resorts fully-booked.

Organizers of the PiliPinas Debate 2016 promised no physical harm would befall the candidates and their supporters as marshals would be deployed to prevent such eventuality.

“After weeks of intense namecalling, this is the first time the presidential candidates would be facing one another. I don’t think the final debate will get physical because they are all expected to be civil at one another despite the brickbats,” Senator Nancy Binay said.

She said the organizers assured all camps the debate would center on “platform-based exchange” after the debate was designed after a Townhall format.

Binay spent his day off by visiting the Our Lady of Manaoag and appeared calm and confident after hearing the mass. He also inspected the debate hall at the University of Pangasinan.

Even Miriam Defensor-Santiago,

who has been absent from the campaign trail for almost a month due to cancer treatment, said she would be attending the debate.

“I’m perfectly normal,” Santiago said, she would attend today’s presidential debate in Pangasinan.

“As you can see and hear my voice and from the way I speak that perfectly okay,” she said.

Santiago has earlier said after her speech in a commencement exercise at the Bulacan State University in Malolos, that she would definitely attend the last Comelec debate.

Santiago, who skipped the second presidential debate in Cebu last March, said she would return and plans to raise the debate to a higher level to stop the mudslinging among fellow candidates.

She said she wants the debate to focus on local and foreign issues concerning the nation to determine the competency of the presidential bets.

BINAY LEADS NEW POLL

BIRTHDAY GIRL. Vice presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leonor Robredo blows a candle on a birthday cake that was presented to her in Caloocan City. She turned 52 on Saturday. MANNY PALMERO

VICE President Jejomar C. Binay again led with 31 percent on the second platform-based presidential survey conducted by the Philcoman Research Institute Inc. between March 31 and April 15.

Remarkably trailing behind him is Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 25 percent while former Interior secretary Mar Roxas with 19, Senator Grace Poe with 16 and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago with seven percent.

Dr. Ernie Gonzales, a fellow of the London School of Economics and Political Science and PCMRII director for research, said their field researchers asked 1,200 random respondents whom they would vote for president if elections were held on schedule on four important issues: social (poverty and criminality), political (parliamentary or presidential), economics (nationalist economics, export-oriented, regulated, etc.) and national security (BBL, CPP-NPA and other threats).

Differing from the usual popularity survey conducted by other research organizations, the PCMRII survey is a policy-oriented research study where respondents are asked who of the can-

didates they think have concrete plans for the country based on the four interrelated important issues.

The previous survey results that were released during the last week of March had Binay on top of the list with 27 percent; behind him was Poe with 21 percent; Santiago, 18 percent; Roxas, 16 percent; Duterte, 15 percent; and with 3 percent of the 1,200 participants were undecided.

Two percent out of the respondents still remained undecided. The sampling errors for national percentages is three percent, plus or minus; six for regionals; and the same for Metropolitan Manila.

Each percentage point is equivalent to 440,000 votes, assuming 44 million of the 54 million registered voters cast their ballot on May 9 as ordained by the Constitution, Gonzales said.

Of the presidential candidates, Binay is the only one with clearly defined platforms on the issues asked of the respondents by PMCRII researchers, who found that the graft and corruption issue has not really affected the standing of the Vice President, he added.

A4

S U N D AY, A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

SHOW BUSINESS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

EVERY day gives us reason to believe that the much-vaunted Daang Matuwid is a hollow slogan foisted on us by a family that thinks it has the monopoly of righteousness.

This week, for instance, President Benigno Aquino III defended his sister who was photographed using the presidential helicopter to campaign for the Liberal Party’s candidate, Manuel Roxas II, in Dalaguete, Cebu.

Mr. Aquino said his sister, a show business personality, was one of the country’s biggest taxpayers anyway so she has as much a right to board the official helicopter as the other businessmen whom he handpicks to ride with him.

On board the official helicopter, the President reportedly showed his sister “the result of meaningful democracy that our parents had fought for.”

The defense is just bizarre, if it can be called

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

ADELLE CHUA

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

a defense at all. Mr. Aquino does not seem to realize the hypocrisy of using the aircraft bearing the presidential seal in campaigning for a candidate he says will continue the righteous reforms he had initiated.

A president can certainly take anybody he pleases on these taxpayer-funded rides, but in the matter of elections, some discretion is in order. And now the sister who once promised she would stay away from the cameras is all over media crying foul over the beating she has been getting on social media. Poor thing.

Also last week, during the commencement exercises at Manuel L. Quezon University, the President declared he was openly campaigning for Roxas and his running mate, Rep. Leni Robredo, despite election rules and the general disdain for “guests of honor” who use the precious minutes given them to boost their

candidates’ stock.

Why, then, should other government employees hold their tongues despite prohibition on them when their own chief executive wantonly violates this rule in his desperation to get his bets elected?

Of course, the President can invent some excuse for doing what he did and turn the situation around so that it would look as though he were the victim of villains. The same sister has made a fortune out of playing various victims’ roles—whether she was convincing is not for us to say.

In real life, though, the Aquino family has mastered the art of creating the illusion that they are underdogs and do-gooders being targeted by evil forces.

Thankfully, the mask is peeling, the show is about to end, and we now see them for what they are.

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

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

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S U N D AY, A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

A6

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

BEING ‘HAMPASLUPA’ SO you’ve just sat down at your table—at home, in a restaurant, on your desk at work—with some glorious food in front of you.

Pause, but don’t whip out your smartphone to take a picture of what you are about to eat. Just stop to think about the nameless faces who somehow had a hand in making that meal possible: be led to the person who planted, nurtured and harvested it.

Think of all of the farmers of this country, and know that their average age is 57.

Imagine these same people having nothing to eat, because their income is so low, because they don’t even own the land they toil on, because El Niño is bearing down hard on their fields, and because their government is not doing enough to make life better or at least bearable for them even as they feed more than a hundred million people with their bare hands.

Remember the heart-wrenching tragedy of Kidapawan, on the first day of this month, and the irony that those who produce food were asking for some rice to arrest their families’ hunger. Feel rage at how they were dispersed because they

were blocking the road, and how a number of them were killed even as they were on their knees, begging for their life.

••• In elementary school, we were taught that “farmer” and “fisherman” were among two of the most common jobs of Filipinos. As we grew older, we were bombarded with the message that we should all strive to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, businessmen and some other prestigious career. How many children actually say “I want to be a farmer!” or “I want to be a fisherman!” when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up?

“My father was a farmer and he did not want me to follow his footsteps,” said Mark Penalver from Davao. The same attitude is shared by numerous farmers who dream of a “better life” for their children, whom they hope would go to the city or go abroad, take on white-collar jobs and earn more money.

“We have observed many farmers in the course of our focus group discussions around the country,” added 26-year-

old Paolo Martin Saberon, who is a grassroots development worker based in Cebu. “They are the ones who are quiet and passive. They tend to not be assertive.”

How many young people say ‘I want to be a farmer when I grow up’?

Mark and Paolo are just two or more than 2,000 #IAmHampaslupa volunteers for Greenpeace, advocating nutrition and food security through ecological agriculture.

Ecological agriculture, explains Ryan Bestre, another volunteer, is different from traditional farming that yields a single crop type, uses pesticides. It is taking into consideration the soil, the

environment, and the long-term consequences of one’s farming methods. It is giving farmers their due, paying them—not the middlemen who take advantage of their position—their due.

Mostly, however, the volunteers want to focus on changing people’s mindset—how we regard farmers, how farmers regard themselves.

Farmers’ plight is an election issue, because the Philippines is an agricultural country and bulk of the workforce is in agriculture or related sectors. Unfortunately, according to 27-year-old Marvin Almonte, none of the candidates have yet to express a meaningful and substantive plan except to stress the need for food security— something we all already quite know.

Even their statements in the aftermath of Kidapawan have been calculated, and meant to just ride on the emotional issue without being concrete or committal.

The last presidential debate scheduled for today has been planned around certain topics, and given the recent controversies and the actual proximity of the polls, the plight of the farmers may

be relegated to the background.

Again. As always.

Then again, the issues will fester long after the votes have been cast and the winners proclaimed. What is being done for the farmers so that they get the life they deserve, so that they and their children take pride in their work? The four young men swear they will remain watchful and engage with whomever will win.

The volunteers remember the day they were registering their campaign with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “Are you sure this is what you want to call yourselves?” the frontliner asked.

“It’s inappropriate.”

They assured her they have thought the matter over, and that “hampaslupa” is the exactly the term they want to be known for.

The term of course is not to be construed in the teleserye sense, where a haciendera mother looks down on her daughter’s farmersuitor.

Hampaslupa means, literally, beating the earth for food to feed the rest of us—and what is to be ashamed about in that backbreaking, noble work? adellechua@gmail.com

LOSING THEIR MINDS

By Bülent Kiliç IDOMENI, Greece—The striking thing about these refugees, the ones stuck for months on the Greece-Macedonia border, is that you can actually feel them slowly losing their minds.

I’ve covered this refugee crisis for years and in all sorts of places —the refugees fleeing the war inside Syria, getting out of the war zone through barbed wire at the Turkish border, reaching European shores after dangerous journeys at sea on the Greek island of Lesbos. And now here in the Greek village of Idomeni, near the border with Macedonia.

There are around 11,000 people stuck here. This is the bottleneck that’s developed after a bunch of countries closed their borders in an effort to shut down the Balkan migrant route, through which thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in places like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have reached European countries over the past year or so.

What you have to understand about this place is the utter despair. These people have left war-torn countries, made dangerous journeys with their children in tow. And now they find themselves in the middle of Europe, living in conditions similar to what they left behind, with the gate to Europe shut and no idea of what will happen to them next.

Some of them have been

A child stands amidst rolls of razor wire close to the gate at the Greece-Macedonia border. AFP here for two, three months. Just waiting. And not knowing what will happen next. Will they be able to get into Europe, like the thousands before them? Are they going to be sent back to Turkey?

Are they going to have to go back to their countries?

So they’re losing their minds.

What do you expect? You’d do the same in their situation. Day by day their behavior changes.

Even me. I’m just doing my job, I’m used to these situations,

having covered so many of them.

During the two weeks I was there, I knew I was only going to be there temporarily, and then I would return to my home and family. And even me, day by day I became more depressed, more aggressive.

As a journalist, it’s also difficult because people look at you as some kind of savior. Every day people ask me, “When are they going to open the gate?” “What will happen to us?” I have no

idea what to tell them. I just don’t know.

You want to know what life is like inside? I have a friend, a Kurdish woman from Syria whose husband went to Europe six months ago. He’s in Germany now and he has sent for her and their two children. She traveled through Syria and she has been at the border for two months, waiting to go to Germany and join her husband.

She goes to the food lines and

people there, they start hitting each other and pushing each other to get the food. She tells me “I have never hit anyone in my life to get food, I just can’t do it. Even here, I just can’t do it.

How can I push another person to get food?” So there have been days when she just couldn’t get any food. This is how people live in the camps.

The atmosphere of the camp, it doesn’t just hang over you, it weighs you down. It’s heavy. AFP

s u n D AY : A p r i l 24 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Marcos’ Mindanao caravan gains bared

By Joel Zurbano

EndorsEmEnts continue to pour in for vice presidential candidate senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” r. marcos Jr. since he embarked on his Unity Caravan on Wednesday in mindanao.

In Cagayan de Oro, Rep. Rolando Uy defied the ruling Liberal Party and supported Marcos.

In Misami Oriental, Gov. Yevgeny Vicente “Bambi” Emano, scion of the influential Emano clan which dominated politics in the province for over three decades, also threw his support behind the candidacy of Marcos.

During a meeting with hundreds of leaders and supporters at the Pearlmont Hotel in Cagayan De Oro City, Uy said he has been

a good friend of Marcos since he was still the barangay chairman of Carmen.

He said he had also worked closely with Marcos in the House of Representatives when he was first elected as Cagayan de Oro’s 1st district representative which gave him a first-hand account of Marcos’ work ethics and strong commitment to public service.

“We share a strong bond of friendship, we should make him

our candidate. Let us support Senator Bongbong Marcos and vote for him,” Uy urged his local leaders and supporters who roared their agreement.

In turn, Marcos thanked Uy for his endorsement, saying his leadership is evident with the huge turnout of the people who attended the event and the warm and enthusiastic reception he received from them.

“Maybe a lot of people were surprised because he has not come out openly before as to the candidate he would endorse. But now we all know,” Marcos said.

The senator said he is ready to take on the duties of a Vice President because of his 27 years of experience in both the Executive and Legislative departments of govern-

ment, having served as vice governor, governor and representative of Ilocos Norte up to his current position as senator.

But Marcos emphasized that he is not only campaigning for his vice presidential bid. More importantly, he stressed, he is spreading his message for national unity, which, according to him, is essential to achieve the dream of a more progressive future for all Filipinos.

Since Wednesday, Marcos’ Unity Caravan has been going around Mindanao, starting in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental and the municipalities of Initao and Tubod in the same province, where he invariably received warm receptions from political leaders and local residents.

dance the Blues away.

filipina drug convict and death row prisoner mary jane veloso (right), clad in traditional indonesian attire, dances with fellow inmates during a program celebrating kartini day in honor of indonesian national heroine and women’s rights activist raden kartini at yogyakarta prison on april 23, 2016. veloso was arrested in 2009 with 2.6 kilograms of heroin sewn into the lining of her suitcase and was sentenced to death. aFP

Climate Change program launChed in albay LEGAZPI CITY—Albay, declared recently by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world biosphere reserve, has launched a sustainable ecosystems management program with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change in the province.

The Albay-DENR partnership agreement signed last week provides for the establishment of the Sustainable Coral Reef Ecosystem Management Program, initially covering three municipalities and one city in the West Coast area in the third district of the province.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said SCREMP aims to promote sustainable management of coastal and marine resources, including biodiversity, through habitat protection, conservation and rehabilitation as well as IEC to promote public awareness and social and environmental consciousness on the value of coral reefs, and associated coastal and marine ecosystems on mitigating the impacts of climate change.

SCREMP includes a livelihood component, managed by a legitimate people’s organization, which is seemed critical to sustainability by providing alternative cashflows to slow down, among others, overfishing, said Salceda.

Unesco declared Albay as a world Biosphere Reserve Albay during a recent conference in Lima, Peru. With some 257,000 hectares of diverse terrestrial and marine ecology supported by the local government’s pioneering sustainable development strategy, the province now is a special protected site for learning the management of social and ecological systems.

The Unesco’s declaration puts Albay among its 20 new sites of protected World Network of biospheres under the international coordinating council of its Man and the Biosphere program. Biosphere reserves are places for learning about sustainable development to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with the sustainable use of natural resources.

ChurCh-baCked projeCt seeks reforms in govt

By Melandrew t. Velasco SINCE leaders of the Catholic Church embraced Project Serendipity as their positive action to uplift the poor, the idea of radically reforming government and society to empower the people has assumed a life of its own and evolved into a movement, even a crusade.

Project Serendipity is a novel step—a revolutionary one— meant to benefit the poor in ways previous administrations failed to do. Bishop Arturo M. Bastes, S.V.D. of the Diocese of Sorsogon, who advocated the institution of Project Serendipity has emphatically stated “to focus attention to the poor means to do something concrete for the poor."

The Philippine economy has recorded positive growths the

past years but it has excluded the poor—majority of whom are fishermen, farmers and children in the rural areas. With economic development, social security must not be far behind.

This is not the case in the country. Budgetary allocations for social services that directly benefit individual citizens have been increased in the 2016 budget. Allocation for the Conditional Cash Transfer program or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the flagship poverty alleviation program of the Aquino Administration amounted to P64 billion. Recently, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) second round of assessment

showed a total of 1,511,320 beneficiaries improving their status to “non-poor,” representing 36 percent of the total 4.2 million active program beneficiaries.

Yet, poverty persists. There must be something terribly wrong with the system when the same problem worsens from one president to the next. We agonized over this phenomenon and arrived at the conclusion that a self-serving government is incapable of serving the real master—the sovereign people of the Philippines.

For as long as Malacañang prepares the yearly budget for itself and the agencies under it, the House and Senate review and add their own budgets for themselves, and the Budget Management chief controls the gate valves for the release and actual use of such a

yearly budget, there will be little that trickle down to the people in terms of actual benefits.

This systemic misallocation of funds to those who are at the center of political power, is what Project Serendipity seeks to overhaul.

By automatically setting aside one- fifth of the government’s total resources to social security and welfare the way the governments of Norway and Singapore do it, we will have a social welfare system for every Filipino, insulated from politics.

The People Power Revolution and along with the aspiration for real empowerment of the Filipinos motivated the establishment of Project Serendipity.

The underlying dream behind Project Serendipity could only be translated to reality if the next set

of national leaders will likewise embrace it.

It may have been providential that Senator Grace Poe, daughter of FPJ, and Senator Chiz Escudero, her running mate, have both embraced Project Serendipity when they signed the Covenant of Support last April 9 at the Bacon Parish in Sorsogon City.

Project Serendipity seeks to provide universal social security welfare fund to cover all Filipinos and address the need for housing, education, livelihood & recovery assistance needs, and pension, retirement and social security-- advocacies summed up as H.E.L.P.S. H for health & nutrition; E for education; L for livelihood and economic relief; P for pension advocacy for retirees; and S for shelter advocacy for decent housing.

A8

SUNDAY: APRIL 24, 2016

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ROMUALDEZ MAKES STRONG PITCH FOR FOI

By Maricel V. Cruz

SENATORIAL candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Saturday renewed his call for the passage of the proposed Freedom of Information Bill to promote transparency in government transactions and boost tax collections as well.

Romualdez’s push for the FoI passage came as he reiterated his commitment to oppose any new tax measures should he win a Senate seat.

Romualdez said the FoI bill will empower the public to scrutinize public funds aimed at sustaining government’s financial requirements, including the implementation of his proposed institutionalization of expanded conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

He said passing new tax measures is not an option to his ad-

vocacy as “malasakit” (compassion) to the poorest of the poor, explaining the people should instead rally behind all measures that would address corruption.

“The government needs more resources, but sustaining the increasing expenditures should not burden the poorest of the poor.

Instead of passing tax measures, we should strengthen financial transactions through the passage of FoI measure to address tax leakage and all forms of corruption. We have to show malasakit

to the people,” Romualdez pointed out.

“To afford the ordinary Juan and his family a decent standard of living, we need tax reform— adjust exemptions and deductions so people have more money to take home and spend for their families. Adjusting tax rates for the earning but still poor or struggling by taking inflation into consideration in the outdated Tax Code. Inflation of currencies and high prices of basic commodities and utility services,” Romualdez stressed.

Romualdez authored President Benigno Aquino III’s recently signed Republic Act 10754 exempting more than 1.5 million persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value added tax on certain goods and services.

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte adopted Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc and a three-term congress-

man who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, as one of his guest senatorial candidates for sharing similar platforms of government in ensuring peace and order, curbing graft and corruption, giving free college education, improving health services, institutionalizing and expanding the CCT, and among others.

Romualdez finished his undergraduate studies with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1985 and obtained in 1988 a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from the Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, ran unopposed in the last polls and a former chairman of the House committee on ethics and privileges.

ON PWD LAW. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) discusses with Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder and leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy regarding his new PWD Law during their lunch meeting at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City. Quiboloy thanks Romualdez for his compassion (malasakit) to persons with disabilities. VER NOVENO

ALBAY GOV DROPS ROXAS, ROBREDO FOR GRACE POE

By John Paolo Bencito A CLASSMATE of President Benigno Aquino III, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda officially junked administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II on Friday night in favor of presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe. Announcing his decision on Facebook despite being a member of the Liberal Party over the past six years, Salceda said that he would support Poe to prevent Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte from winning the presidency.

“I am Governor Salceda and my President is Grace Poe. She shares our values of authentic humanism, shares our goals of countryside development and national competitiveness and certainly her compassion will ensure that the impacts will be shared by all,” Salceda said.

“For the good of Albay, for the good of all Albayanos, and for the future of my country, it is my duty to join ang Gobyernong may Puso,” he added.

A former stalwart of the LakasCMD who supported the candidacy of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s “anointed one,” Salceda turncoated and supported the candidacy of his “classmate” in the Ateneo de Manila University, then Senator Benigno Aquino III and running mate Manuel Roxas II during the 2010 elections.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, spokesman of Poe’s Partido Galing at Puso, said that the female solon was elated when she learned of this development.

“Senator Poe is thankful to the good governor for his support of her candidacy,” Gatchalian said.

“She is steadfast in fighting for those who have been left behind, those that have not felt the growth of our economy.”

In the coming days, Gatchalian added, they would expect more public servants with the same vision to join the “Gobyernong May Puso” bandwagon.

“Senator Poe is extremely excited to be working with Governor Salceda who brings to the table a wealth of economic expertise,” he said.

POLL OFFICIAL JUSTIFIES MALL VOTING

By Sara D. Fabunan COMMISSION on Elections spokesman James Jimenez says the March 10, 2016 minutes of meeting can be considered as having the effect of a resolution to set mall voting in force.

Jimenez partly admitted that “technically” there is no resolution of mall voting but the March 10 resolution “noting” the finding of the Election and Barangay Affairs Department about mall voting can be considered as a resolution.

Thus, the several documents which Comelec chief Andres Bautista showed before the media gave him an authority to enter into a memorandum of agreement with 86 shopping mall owners.

But former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal argued that in the absence of a formal resolution and the fact that rules about mall voting are not included in general instruction mean that Bautista’s project is illegal.

“Sixteen days before the election, there is no Comelec Resolution approving mall voting and no general instruction for it. So what now?,” Larrazabal said, adding that the en banc has yet to respond from his letter of clarification.

On Wednesday, Larrazabal questioned the approval of voting in shopping malls, despite the absence of a resolution approving the transfer of 352 clustered precincts to the commercial centers.

He said it was illegal for Bautista to issue a memo dated April 14 without copy furnishing the six other commissioners, and ordering selected regional election directors and provincial election supervisors to start coordinating the transfer or clustered precinct to malls.

“There are two issues which we raised to the Comelec. The first is, is the memo is genuine because we just got the copy; and second is it appears not to be not in conformity with the

law on transfer of polling places,” Larrazabal said.

Larrazabal said it was illegal to transfer the polling precincts since the Comelec failed to meet the three requirements needed.

“If you transfer the polling places now, it’s illegal,” he said.

“When you transfer polling places or clustered precincts from one polling place to another, there are basically three requirements. First, you have to have notice to all parties and voters affected. Second, you have to have a Comelec en banc resolution moving the clustered precincts to the new polling places. And you have to specify the clustered precincts that will be moved.

And third, it has to be done not later than 45 days before elections,” Larrazabal said.

Two commissioners who declined to be named said they have not signed any resolution approving the transfer of precincts to shopping malls.

BOOK DAY. Bookworms pore over 4,000 book titles showcased by top

bookstores and publishing houses during the opening of the ‘Dia del Libro’ or International Book Day at the Ayala Triangle of Makati City. EY ACASIO

SUNDAY: APRIL 24, 2016

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

BUSINESS

B1

400 TACLOBAN FAMILIES

FIND HOPE IN NEW VILLAGE

FOR 64-year old pedicab driver Rogelio Palma Consalida, Nov. 8, 2013 is one date he will never forget for the rest of his life. It was when super typhoon Yolanda made land fall in his hometown of Tacloban City in Leyte. In just an hour, he had lost all his possessions which took him several decades to build.

“Nawala sa amin ang lahat [We lost everything],” he said.

For the next two years, he and his wife, Lolita, also 64, had to live in a cramped government housing site.

Life seems to smile on them once more as the couple are among the 400 family-beneficiaries of SM Supermalls’ biggest SM Cares Village for survivors of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

SM and its donors awarded 400 new houses in Tacloban to families who were hardest hit by the super typhoon in 2013. The village will be called “Pope Francis-CFC ANCOP Canada Community – SM Cares Village.” It is the biggest of all the four SM Cares housing project as the other villages only have 200 houses each.

The first village in Bogo, Cebu was turned over to beneficiaries in November 2014 while the second village in Iloilo City was inaugurated in October 2015. The fourth and last village in Ormoc City is undergoing construction and will be turned over in July this year.

The SM Cares Village in Barangay New Kawayan in Tacloban is the third batch in the 1,000-house SM Cares Vil-

Four hundred houses were awarded to chosen beneficiaries for free. Aside from the houses, the SM Cares Village also has amenities such a basketball court, street lamps, sewage treatment plant, materials recovery facility, rain-catchment system and provisions for water and electricity.

SM has always been supporting communities and as a responsible member of the community, this project exemplifies our commitment to nation-building. lage housing project which was launched in the aftermath of Haiyan in 2013.

SM Prime officials headed by president Hans Sy led the turnover ceremony accompanied by Tacloban City officials led by mayor Alfred Romualdez.

Guests who attended the event included Leyte Archbishop John Du, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder, Yedda Romualdez (representing Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez), Ricky Cuenca and Jimmy Ilagan of Couples For Christ-ANCOP, Mikee Romero of Global Port and Julian Payne of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation and the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., launched the housing project shortly after the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 to give permanent and disaster-resilient houses to survivors of the typhoon in the Visayas.

Through its tenants, business partners, service providers, employees and local communities, SM was able to raise the money needed to build the 1,000 houses, a moving proof of the people’s accord in times of emergency. Some of the donors for the SM Cares Village in

Tacloban include Zonta Club, Duty Free Philippines, Forever 21, Ancop, New Golden City Builders & Development and Philippine Daily Inquirer. Global Port and Sultan 900 donated the basketball court.

All the houses in the SM Cares Housing Village are disaster-resilient and have roofs made of concrete slab. Vetiver grass, with leaves that can be used for handicrafts, were used in the village to control soil erosion and for better slope protection. Its roots reach up to 3 meters long.

To ensure sustainability of the project, community development programs have been put in place to make the change work for all beneficiaries.

For the Tacloban housing project, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo and Couples For Christ-ANCOP were the partners in charge of selecting the beneficiaries, training, livelihood and values formation to enable the new residents start a new life in their community.

SM said the SM Cares Housing Village is a testament to the solidarity that Filipinos and people all over the world have shown to help the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda. It is also personifies SM’s commitment to nation-building.

“SM has always been supporting communities and as a responsible member of the community, this project exemplifies our commitment to nation-building,” SM Supermalls said in a statement.

SUNDAY: APRIL 24, 2016

B2

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

US FIRM: FILIPINO HOMES NEED FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

A US industrial giant that produces fire protection and security products sees more opportunities in the Philippines, as more Filipinos achieve higher income and demand better protection from flames.

The growing Philippine economy, driven by the rise of business process outsourcing sector that requires highquality office space, has created a $100-million market for fire protection and fire safety products, according to Harish Vellat, vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific of Honeywell Security and Fire, a division of industrial giant Honeywell International Inc. “We have been in the Philippines since 1995. In terms of the opportunity, there is tremendous opportunity here. In our best estimate, the market is in excess of $100 million to $120 million in terms of opportunity to serve from the product point of view and it is growing roughly 10 to 20 percent,” Vellat said in a news briefing at Makati Shangri La Hotel in Makati City.

“If you think of the GDP of the Philippines and you apply that this industry is growing 10 to 20 percent, it is obviously a very attractive destination for any company in the safety industry,” he said.

Data from the Bureau of Fire Protection show that the Philippines had 17,000 fire incidents in 2015, causing more than P3 billion worth of damage on properties.

A survey conducted by French market research company Ispsos and commissioned by Honeywell shows that 84 percent of Filipinos consider fire as the second top threat to physical safety, next to earthquakes at 91 percent. Other potential physical threats include building collapses (69 percent), terrorism (64 percent) and floods (33 percent).

The survey also shows that only 17 percent of Filipino homes have fire alarm systems, compared to 97 percent of commercial buildings.

Honeywell Security and Fire in collaboration with AmCham lead a discussion on the improvement of safety and security in the Philippines. Shown in the panel are (from left) Philippine National Police deputy director for community relations Gilbert Cruz, Omnipay chief compliance officer and American Chamber’s overseas security advisory council chairman Steve Cutler, Bureau of Fire Protection regional director Leonardo Banago, Yek Yeu Merchandizing Inc. group manager Albert Chuabio and Honeywell vice president and general manager for Asia-Pacific Harish Vellat.

The survey was conducted among 500 people who were in malls, corporate offices, hotels, hospitals and airports.

“The low adoption of fire safety systems in Filipino homes is alarming,” said Vellat. “Fire is one of the top threats people face, yet their homes are largely unprotected and there are no existing regulations to drive change.”

He said 3 percent of commercial buildings in the country were still without the required fire alarm systems, highlighting opportunity for better enforcement. “Building owners need to protect workers and consumers by complying with government regulation,” he said.

The survey reveals that 92 percent of the commercial buildings regularly test their fire systems to ensure the safety of their occupants and 83 percent conduct regular fire safety training. About 77 percent of respondents are aware of fire exit locations in their work place, and more than half had experience testing fire safety equipment.

Harte Hanks opens BPO site. Harte Hanks, a Texas-based

marketing company, opens a new BPO-call center at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. The facility at Five E-Com Center consolidates both Harte Hanks Philippines’ former primary and secondary locations and creates seats for hundreds of additional new employees. It currently employs about 2,000 ITBPO workers, majority of whom are assigned at its primary location in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. “Filipinos possess a very strong work ethic and a culture of customer service,” said Benjamin Chacko, Harte Hanks’ head of BPO operations. Shown during the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) Ray Glenn Agranzamendez, representing Pasay City mayor Antonino Calixto; Acie Arroyo-Cruz of IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines; Nikki Gilladoga, assistant vice president of SM Prime; Butch Valenzuela of Call Center Association of the Philippines; Chacko; and Jonathan Bondoc, site director of Harte Hanks Philippines.

Most respondents, however, cited the need for stronger regulations, better enforcement and the importance of increasing public awareness about safety.

Three in four respondents identified technology as the best way to reduce physical security risks.

Honeywell conducted the survey to determine public perceptions on fire hazards and security, and the adoption and efficacy of fire safety and security systems and technology.

Vellat, an Indian national based in Kuala Lumpur, said Honeywell was willing to share the results of the survey with the government.

“If there is an opportunity for us to work closely with government agencies, in a way that we pass on the findings, we will certainly do that,” he said.

“The intention is not to try to counsel government agencies on what they should do. Our intention is only to try and make this subject of how people understand it,” he said.

The survey findings were

presented at a luncheon forum titled ‘Towards a Safe and Secure Philippines,’ co-organized by Honeywell and the American Chamber of Commerce on April 12.

The forum featured a panel discussion among representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Philippine National Police.

Honeywell, a Fortune 500 company that employs more than 127,000 people around the world with annual revenues of more than $40 billion, produces aerospace systems, automation and control solutions and performance materials and technologies.

Among its household products are fire alarm systems and smoke detection devices.

Leonardo Banago, regional director of Bureau of Fire Protection, said the government was strictly enforcing the Fire Code to provide the safety requirements.

“Every year, we are conducting inspection of establishments if they are equipped by fire safety

equipment like sprinklers,” he said.

The Philippines follows the American standards on fire safety and prevention, but compliance in residential areas is low. Data from BFP show that 70 percent of fire incidents last year occurred at homes.

While commercial buildings have fire exits, smoke detectors, sprinklers and CCTVs, houses do not follow the same standards and protocols.

However, the rise of high-rise condominium buildings is making people aware of the need for fire protection and prevention, as developers are required to follow the Fire Code of the Philippines or Presidential Decree 1185, as amended by Republic Act No. 9514.

Vellat said the Philippines could also learn some lessons from its neighbors. “If you look at Thailand, it is currently demanding that every condominium have a smoke or heat detector inside the apartment and that’s a good thing,” he said. “Maybe there is something to learn there.”

Vellat said more people were now demanding a better quality of office environment. “The moment you demand for it, everything else will follow,” he said.

“As we see more people demand better qualify of office environment...to be more secure and safer, there is an opportunity for more technologies such as these to be adopted,” he said.

Vellat said while multinational companies introduced these technologies, local companies subsequently followed, incorporating the quality fire standards and demanding a higher level of safety.

Steve Cutler, chief compliance officer of Omnipay and chairman of overseas security advisory council of American Chamber of Commerce said the chamber was regularly convening meetings to make people aware about the need for safety.

“We cannot change the world, but we can change the people around us,” Cutler said.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: APRIL 24, 2016

B3

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

TAGAYTAY SHOWS OFF WORLD-CLASS GOLF COURSE

PhilSeven Foundation Inc. and Philippine Seven Corp. officials join 7-Eleven volunteers and the beneficiaries at the newly constructed community playground in Barangay Langkaan 2, Dasmariñas City in Cavite.

CONVENIENCE STORE CHAIN BUILDS CAVITE PLAYGROUND

PHILSEVEN Foundation Inc., the corporate social arm of Philippine Seven Corp., the exclusive local licensor of 7-Eleven convenience store chain, brings the gift of active play to preschool kids through a newly constructed community playground in Barangay Langkaan 2, Dasmariñas City in Cavite.

The community playground, located adjacent to a day care center, is the inaugural donation under PFI’s “Everyday Play” project, which supports and promotes child-friendly and healthy communities by building accessible playground parks. The playground offers a comfortable space filled with colorful and exciting play equipment for young children.

Parallel to PFI’s belief in the importance of education in creating a better future for today’s generation of Filipino kids, the foundation’s latest project seeks to impart the joy and benefits of fun learning and wholistic child development through safe

outdoor play.

“Outdoor play is not just about having fun. It is a vital part of childhood that helps children develop physical strength, coordination and balance.

It can also provide opportunities for children to learn and develop social skills, a healthier sense of self, sense of connection and self care skills,” says Philippine Seven Foundation head Israelita FerrerLequin.

The value of play is increasingly recognized in various research studies, as mounting evidence show that kids who engage in physical activities like play and sports grow up happier, fitter, smarter, creative and more socially adept adults.

“These days, Metro Manila appears to be in a relentless pursuit to build more buildings and malls.

And residential areas are becoming more congested.

Progress is good, but the huge appetite for urban space seems to overlook the need to develop more parks,

particularly playground parks for children or even conserve more open green spaces. Which could be depressing when you consider how studies have long shown that parks and open spaces provide both health and economic benefits to a city and its people,” says Ferrer-Lequin.

Inspired to bring out the best in every Filipino kid through safe, active play, Ferrer-Lequin says the playground donation comes at a perfect timing to underscore the role of play in fostering a healthier generation of children.

“With all the modern gadgets and very few accessible play spaces, children nowadays are engaging in less physical activity thus they are often unhealthy, they are prone to obesity.

Add to this the dilemma of underdeveloped skills like empathy, collaboration, problem-solving and creativity,” she says.

PFI envisions working together with various sectors, volunteers and local

officials to have convenient playground structures across metro locations and in nearby provinces so that more kids and their families will get to enjoy more quality play time together.

“Everyone has a shared responsibility and moral obligation to prioritize and uphold the universal right of a child to safe, healthy play. With this ongoing effort, it is PFI’s goal to reach more suitable play locations and hopefully, successfully build more structures with the support of more people and groups. It’s high time that we shape better communities, and we can only do so by empowering the young through interactive recreational play,” says Ferrer-Lequin.

PFI plans to build more playground projects in Caloocan City, Quezon City and Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

The “Everyday Play” project is one of core focus advocacies launched under PSC’s corporate philanthropy arm, PFI, which began in December 2007.

Tagaytay Highlands shows its newest world-class golf course during the first Willy O’s Women Only Golf Tournament.

TAGAYTAY Highlands has recently showed off its newest world-class golf course when it hosted a “women only” golf tournament. “[The new course] is exciting. Every hole is a surprise—very tricky and interesting, but the course is really beautiful,” says Anna Haurie, who finished fifth with 75 points alongside her partner in the first Willy O’s Women Only Golf Tournament. “Actually, we are recommending that this course be used for the Ladies Cup and Highland’s Ladies Cup.” The residential community, known for its luxury homes, has emerged as a self-contained leisure destination where homeowners and guests enjoy worldclass amenities, including twenty F&B outlets and variety of sports and recreational activities.

Eleven pairs or 22 strong women slugged it out in the fun and friendly tournament. The duo of Marissa Vergara and Minerva Castillo snagged the champi-

onship of the golf tournament after combining to score 80.

The duo of Rizalina Oposa and Lorna Tabuena scored 42 and 37 points, respectively, to grab the second prize with 79 points.

“We take pride in hosting events such as this that celebrate women’s excellence in sports,” says Willy Ocier, Tagaytay Highlands founder. “We witnessed 22 women battle it out in a very friendly and competitive golf tournament and we are very happy that it was a success.”

“The nippy weather is just perfect and our courses are very exciting. They’ll surely love it here,” he says.

Tagaytay Highlands is a leisure development of the SM Group. Nestled on the highest elevations of Tagaytay, the leisure destination offers stunning views and breezy, cool climate complemented by world-class amenities, golf and country clubs, a selection of restaurants and premium residential communities.

NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD PRIORITIZE INFRASTRUCTURE WHOEVER becomes the next president should focus on drastically upgrading the country’s rickety infrastructure that is causing great inconvenience and millions of pesos in lost man-hours every day, a civilian organization said.

“Infrastructure is now a key political issue. It is not just the productivity that is affected when one has to endure an hour and half to two hours just to travel five to six kilometers to work and another two hours to get back home. The serious situation in our transportation and power supply is the re-

sult of years of government inaction,” said Citizenwatch secretary general Wilford Wong.

With less than a month before the 2016 elections, an international think tank also called on the next administration not only to pour massive investment in infrastructure but also ensure that they are “high-quality and extensive” projects, specifically in transport, energy and information and communications technology.

ADR Institute president Dindo Manhit said spending on infrastructure wopuld kick-start the country’s “long overdue economic

rebalancing,” away from the current consumption-driven growth to a more inclusive investmentdriven growth.

“With an investment-led economy led by world-class infrastructure, the expansion of the country’s services sector will be complemented by the revitalization of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors,” according to the institute’s recently published book Thinking Beyond Politics.

The Aquino administration has substantially increased infrastructure spending over the past five years – from P165 billion in

2010 to P760 billion this year – and has laid out a multibillionpeso infrastructure blueprint for its successor from 2017 to 2019, according to the Budget Department.

Aquino’s successor faces serious hurdles in the implementation of projects, mainly in the arena of governance and politics, according to the book.

“The next administration [has] to overcome inter-departmental and inter-party politicking, eliminate perennial bureaucratic hurdles, and ensure efficient and effective systems and mechanisms

of development and implementation of transport-related projects,” it said.

ADR Institute, in a March 2016 paper, said the government’s Public-Private Partnership Center should be transformed from a “mere coordinating agency” to a one-stop shop for infrastructure development, which will manage conceptualization, evaluation and approval of projects.

Pending bills on the BuildOperate-Transfer law and key reforms in taxation, permits and contracts should also be prioritized, the paper said.

B4

world

‘trUMp MaGiC’ GaininG GrOUnD

The “magic of Trump” will help the Republican Party to expand wins on the general election map, his campaign strategists said Saturday as the GOP candidate tries to draw a fine line between being a political outsider and political insider to claw his way to the Republican presidential nomination.

“What he’s totally committed to, as the nominee of the Republican Party, is carrying the brand of the Republican Party into more than the traditional states,” Trump’s chief strategist Paul Manafort said as they begin to work Trump’s strategy to link in the establishment institutions.

“We have the leverage,” he said. “There will be a lot of help needed to win the presidency.

That leverage goes both ways.”

Taking one of the biggest takeaways from a 3-day gathering of Republican National Committee members —Trump’s willingness to play an insider game in the GOP works to reset his political brand in a final push for his party’s crown and a potential general election ahead.

While the billionaire kept his distance from the conclave, several of his top operatives aggressively worked the hallways, meeting rooms, bars and beach-front lounge chairs to convince the party elite that the businessman isn’t such a risky bet.

Few uncommitted attendees seemed ready to jump into the Trump fold, but they appreciated the promises Team Trump dangled—fundraising, help winning Democraticleaning states and down-ballot races in November, plus a new and improved front-runner who’s more like his backstage presence.

Kathy hayden, the GOP’s national committeewoman for Virginia, said that while it’s encouraging to hear assurances about unity and a moderated tone, “I am somewhat skeptical. They’ve been saying that now for some time and we haven’t seen it.” Bloomberg

RECOVERY. soldiers, with the help of villagers, start putting up a shelter in the town of Jama on saturday as new aftershocks rattled ecuador, a week after a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 600 people. The official toll from Saturday’s quake now stands at 588 dead and 130 missing. Another 8,340 people were injured and more than 25,000 left homeless. AFP

SYRIA GROUPS AGREE tO tEMPORARY tRUCE GENEVA—Kurdish fighters and Syrian government representatives agreed to an indefinite ceasefire after three days of clashes in the northeastern city of Qamishli, Kurdish security forces said Saturday.

But US President Barack Obama and the UN’s special envoy warned however that Syria’s fragile ceasefire is in grave peril as violence continue to surge in the already war-ravaged country.

Government officials and Kurdish security forces met in Qamishli’s airport to negotiate an end to the fighting, agreeing for an indefinite truce as talks continue to find a per-

manent settlement to the dispute, according to a statement by the Kurdish police force, known as the Asayish.

A landmark partial ceasefire—not including the Islamic state group—which was negotiated by the United States and Russia and took effect on February 27, had dramatically curtailed violence across much of Syria and raised hopes that a lasting deal could

be struck in Geneva to end the bloodshed.

“We will be committed to the truce until an appropriate solution is found and the regime stops its terrorist practices,” the statement said.

In the aftermath of the three days clash, more than 17 civilians, 10 Kurdish fighters, and 31 regime forces had been killed.

“I received orders to stop firing, but not to leave my position,” one Kurdish fighter in Qamishli told AFP. United Nations’ top envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura said that while the truce “is still in effect,” much of the country is still “in great trou-

ble if we don’t act quickly.”

De Mistura said Friday’s violence in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city was “very worrisome,” adding that a high-level meeting of the countries backing peace efforts in Syria is “urgently” needed as violence surged on the ground.

“We do need certainly a new ISSG at the ministerial level, because the level of danger ... (means such a meeting) is urgently required,” Staffan de Mistura told reporters, referring to the 17-country International Syria Support Group co-chaired by Washington and Moscow.

Frustrated by the surging

violence, the lack of access for desperately needed aid and the failure to secure the release of detainees, Syria’s main opposition high Negotiations Committee (hNC) halted its formal participation this week in the Geneva talks.

But de Mistura said Friday that members of his team had continued to hold “very, very productive” meetings at a technical level with remaining hNC members at their Geneva hotel.

“We need to try until Wednesday to get as deep as possible... and we can do that both formally, informally, technically, practically,” he said. AFP

palestine hits israel anew

COmPAssiOn. Japanese prime Minister shinzo abe (r) talks with evacuees at a shelter in Minami-aso, Kumamoto prefecture saturday. while the death toll from the quakes stands at 48, 11 other people are suspected to have died due to health issues triggered by stress and fatigue suffered while evacuated from their homes. AFP

NeW YORK—Israel must stop “destroying” the climate in the Palestinian territories, President Mahmud Abbas told world leaders at a UN ceremony Friday.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon hit back at Abbas’ statements, saying that the Palestinian chief is using the UN stage to rail against his country.

“The Israeli occupation is destroying the climate in Palestine and the Israeli settlements are destroying nature in Palestine,” Abbas told the gathering of 175 countries signing a landmark climate deal.

“Please help us in putting an end to occupation and

to putting an end to settlements,” said Abbas after signing the agreement.

The Palestinian territories were among a group of 15 countries and parties that immediately presented their already-completed ratification of the accord aimed at tackling global warming.

Abbas signed on behalf of the observer state of Palestine, a status the Palestinians obtained in 2012 at the United Nations and which allows them to join international conventions and agreements.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, hit back, accusing Abbas of using the UN stage to rail against his country.

“This climate summit is supposed to be a demonstration of global unity for the sake of the future of our planet. Unfortunately, president Abbas chose to exploit thais international stage to mislead the international community,” he said.

The sharp exchange at the United Nations comes as France is pushing for an international conference to re-launch peace talks later this year.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Thursday that a push for a UN resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement expansion will be put on hold to focus instead on the French initiative. AFP

S U N D AY : A p r i l 24 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B5

ARGENTINA ENDS DEBT SAGA BUENOS AIRES—Argentina repaid the so-called “vulture funds” Friday that sued it over billions of dollars in defaulted bonds, ending a 15-year saga and restoring its good standing on international credit markets.

The payment ends a decade-long battle in the US federal courts and should enable the South American country to finally lay to rest the ghost of its 2001 default, the largest in history at the time—nearly $100 billion.

“The republic has made full payment in accordance with the specific terms of each such agreement” with holdout creditors who had successfully sued the country, Argentina’s lawyer said in a statement to the court.

The conflict dates back to Argentina’s devastating economic crisis in 2001, when the collapse of its dollarized economic model forced the country to default on its debt.

Nearly all its creditors eventually agreed to take losses of up to 70 percent on their bonds in a restructuring that was meant to allow the country to get back on its feet.

But seven percent of the creditors, the so-called holdouts, refused. NML and Aurelius, which have pioneered the business of buying up cheap defaulted sovereign bonds and suing for full payment, led the campaign to take the country to court.

Judge Thomas Griesa then gave his official blessing, lifting an in-

junction he had slapped on the country that effectively blocked its deals to restructure its debt until it settled with the holdouts.

Argentina forked over $6.2 billion to settle disputes with 20 creditors. It is due to pay another $3.1 billion in the coming days to settle lingering claims.

The move comes after Buenos Aires raised $16.5 billion in a momentous return to international credit markets, with most of the proceeds going toward repaying the holdouts.

“The payments made today to the funds in litigation totaled $9.3 billion. The total of all payments is estimated to reach $10.5 billion, accounting for 44 percent of all legal claims,” the finance ministry explained in a statement.

Griesa’s decision also “allows payments owed to bondholders from the 2005 and 2010 debt swaps, and this will be implemented within the next three weeks,” it added.

Paying off disgruntled creditors —especially New York hedge funds NML Capital, a unit of multi-billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management, and Aurelius Capital Management, which led the lawsuits against the country—will draw the curtain on a long drama that had hurt the Argentine economy. AFP

LIGHT UP. Demonstrators hold flares at Place de la Republique during the Nuit Debout (“Up All Night”) movement in Paris. The protests that began March in opposition to the government’s proposed labour reforms are now increasingly being marred by violence. AFP

S U N D AY : A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

B6

SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

LA SALLE LADY SPIKERS

De La Salle University Lady Spiker Kim Fajardo plays with the volleyball as she prepares to serve against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws.

PETER ATENCIO

MAKE IT BACK TO FINALS

By Peter Atencio

FOR De La Salle University Lady Spikers skipper Kim Fajardo, another championship appearance has a surreal feeling to it.

She said they never expected to go this far.

That is, until the Lady Spikers reached the women’s championship for an eighth straight

N OTICE TO TH E PU B LIC

N ot i c e i s h e r e by g i ve n to t h e p u b l i c t h at M r. Ro m m e l L .

A m u r a o, f o r m e r S e n i o r C o r p o r ate S a l e s , i s n o l o n g e r au t h o r i ze d to a c t a n d r e p r e s e nt U n i - O r i e nt Tr ave l, I n c . ef f e c t i ve A p r i l 0 5 , 2 016 .

A l l t r a n s a c t i o n s h a n d l e d by M r. Ro m m e l A m u r a o p r i o r to A p r i l 0 5 , 2 016 m u st b e r ef e r r e d to U n i - O r i e nt f o r c o nf i r m at i o n a n d va l i d at i o n at Te l. N o. (0 2) 70 5 -2 2 2 2 o r at C P # 0 917- 8 9 019 9 0 o r at e m a i l a d d r e s s: info@uniorient.net ( T S - A P R . 12 / 2 4 , 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City Office Address: Website:

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

Tel. No. (053) 323-6210 TIN 000-916-415

INVITATION TO BID No. 14-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item/Description 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

PIP Contract #01-2016– Construction of CLMC & Service Road, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar PIP Contract #02-2016– Construction of Canal and Structures, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar PIP Contract #03-2016– Construction of CLMC Lat. 2 & Structures, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar PIP Contract #04-2016– Construction of CLMC Lat. 3 & Structures, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar PIP Contract #05-2016– Construction of CLMC Lat. 3 Irrig. On-Farm Facilities, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar PIP Contract #06-2016– Construction of CLMC Main Turn Out Upstream Irrigation On-Farm Facilities, Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar

terpart Alyssa Valdez.

Yesterday Saturday, the Lady Spikers faced bitter rival and twotime defending champion Ateneo de Manila University in Game 1 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Their best-of-three finals series, which is taking place for a fifth straight year, is considered one of the biggest grudge matches of Season 78.

The Lady Eagles had

almost a week to get rest, to rest and get their acts together.

The Lady Archers, took a tougher route.

They played four games in the last 11 days, having won two matches including their suddendeath duel against the Lady Tamaraws.

“I reminded them of this opportunity na hindi dapat palampasin,” said Lady Spikers coach Ramil de Jesus.

44,583.866.42

300 cd

COACHES HOPE TO MAKE A MARK

48,248,220.94

300 cd

By Reuel Vidal

26,957,604.88

300 cd

30,633,635.69

300 cd

16,902,756.22

260 cd

17,632,695.75

260 cd

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows:

Schedule Starting April 19, 2016 April 25, 2016 May 6, 2016

Time 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

10:00a.m.

2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P25,000.00 for PIP #1-4 & P20,000.00 for PIP #5-6to the Cashier.

The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(SGD.) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman (SGD.) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

Spikers took command of the set early.

Scoring 10 points with Ara Galang, Reyes was dominant at the frontline while Kim Dy pushed La Salle way in front, 11-3.

“We’re back. This is my fifth year. Five years na rin kaming nagkakaharap. Magkakaalam ito sa unang game,” said Reyes of her much-awaited duel against Atene De Manila University coun-

Duration

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their ongoing contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

Noted:

De La Salle University Lady Spiker Mika Reyes (3) tries to hammer a spike through the blocking hands of Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraw counterpart Remy Palma (9) while DLSU’s setter Kim Fajardo (9) looks on. PETER ATENCIO

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”.

BAC Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

year, with their 25-15, 27-25, 25-21 beating of the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws last Wednesday.

The victory once again put them in a best-of-three finals affair with the defending champion Ateneo De Manila University Lady Eagles in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s basketball tournament.

“Hindi ko iniisip na makakarating kami sa finals. Pero, sabi ko, malapit na kami sa goal,” said Fajardo.

The La Salle setter said she felt quite dejected following a shocking, 2515, 25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 14-16, loss to the Lady Tams on Sunday. But the team got back on their feet to win the deciding second match.

The turning point of the game was the second set. That was when Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo scored points which propelled La Salle to its fifth finals showdown with the Lady Eagles since 2012.

Hits by Fajardo and Demecillo enabled La Salle to overcome 25-all tie.

In the third set, from Mika Reyes scored the winning points from her serve as the Lady

(TS-APR. 24, 2016)

JRNBA/JRWNBA Presented by Alaska does not open doors for the players alone. It also opens door for coaches hoping to better their craft at teaching the sport.

The one dozen men and women aspiring to become the coaches for the boys and girls teams are all hoping for opportunities to share their knowledge about the sport they love, basketball.

The JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska, held April 21 to 24 at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, in Makati will select the 10 boys and the five girls for the all-star squads as well the boys and girls coaches for the two squads.

Like the other coaches, national basketball player Merenciana “Ewon” Arayi, hopes to follow in the footsteps of Aldin Ayo, the most successful JrNBA All-Star coach.

After being chosen JrN-

BA All-Star coach Ayo was appointed head coach of the Letran Knights. After two years at the helm Ayo and the Knights won the men’s basketball title in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Ayo is presently the head coach of the La Salle University Green Archers who compete in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

The 30-year-old Arayi has been a national team member since 2007. She helped the Philippines win the gold medal in the 2010 Southeast Asia Basketball Championship.

She is still a member of the national team which is hoping to win the Southeast Asia Games women’s basketball diadem.

Arayi finished her high school in Pangasinan and took up Banking and Finance at Adamson University where she played for the Lady Falcons.

She is a member of the international Christian ministry group Athletes

Ewon Arayi, left, aspiring to become the female coach of the JrWNBA Presented by Alaska coach All-Star squad barks instructions even as JrWNBA aspirant Nicky Tan from Antipolo dribbles past.

In Action, which regularly holds outreach programs not just to train players in the sport of basketball but also to touch and improve lives through their ministry.

Arayi’s biggest disappointment is that Filipina athletes from the collegiate ranks have nowhere to play after their stints in school. This is why she

formed the Pinoy Ballers League which she hopes to grow into a sustainable basketball league for women in the Philippines.

She is hoping that success at the JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska search for the all-star coach will help also her achieve her own goals to improve the sport in the country.

CYAN MAGENTA YELL

S U N D AY : A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

LEBRON James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for 66 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-0 stranglehold lead over the Detroit Pistons with a 10191 playoff win on Friday.

Kyrie Irving scored a team high 26 points as all three of the Cavaliers stars reached double figures by halftime in the road victory.

It was the fourth time this season Cleveland’s marquee trio have scored at least 20 points each.

James finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists and extended his first round win streak to 16 straight games. He is aiming for a fourth consecutive first round playoff sweep.

The top-seeded Cavaliers can close out the Eastern Conference series in game four in Detroit against the Pistons on Sunday night.

Tristan Thompson finished with eight points and 10 rebounds and Matthew Dellavedova added 12 points for Cleveland, which made 12 of 29 three-pointers after tying the league playoff record with 20 threes in game two.

Kentavious CaldwellPope had 18 points and Marcus Morris scored 16 for the Pistons. Andre Drummond added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Reggie Jackson was held to 13 points.

Detroit scored seven straight points in the third quarter to take a

B7

CAVS TAKE HUGE 3-0 LEAD, CELTICS STAY ALIVE

Kyrie Irving (No. 2) of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates his late fourth quarter three pointer with LeBron James (No. 23) while playing the Detroit Pistons in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. AFP

three-point lead. Cleveland responded with a 6-0 burst, then stretched its lead to six late in the quarter.

J.R. Smith and Love made three-pointers to give Cleveland a 73-69

edge. Thompson scored the Cavs’ next four points on an easy tip-in and a dunk.

Cleveland took a 7973 lead into the fourth quarter. James scored six points in the open-

ing minute of the final quarter on a three-point play and another from beyond the arc to make it 85-76.

The Boston Celtics breathed life into their playoff hopes by holding

on to defeat the host Atlanta Hawks 111-103.

Boston won despite blowing a 19-point third quarter lead, giving coach Brad Stevens his first career NBA postseason victory.

Isaiah Thomas scored a career high 42 points for the Celtics who cut the Hawks best-of-seven series lead to 2-1.

Game four is set for Sunday at the Boston Garden.

ATENEO DRAWS FIRST BLOOD

By Peter Atencio

Ateneo’s Karl Baysa (no. 2) goes for a save while teammates Manuel Sumanguid (no. 13) and Rex Intal (11) prepare to step in. Kim Malabunga of NU (no.. 17) looks on. PETER ATENCIO

THE Ateneo Blue Eagles leaned on their rock-solid defense to keep the National University Bulldogs at bay yesterday en route to a 2325, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18 victory in Game 1 and 1-0 edge in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s volleyball finals at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The defending champions played listlessly at the start and surrendered the first set, 23-25, before recovering both in offense and defense to take the next three sets in the 1 hour, 44 minutematch and move closer to their second straight championship.

Marck Espejo led the Blue Eagles’ with 21 points, including two aces, while Rex Intal and Ysay Marasigan tallied 13 and 12.

Ribem Baysac and Kim Malabunga, who scored 13 points

each, led the Bulldogs to a flying start, leading the team to a 23-22 edge in the first set.

The 6’3 Espejo tried to bail the Eagles out of trouble with a perfectly-aimed shot to tie the score, but Bulldogs spiker James Natividad hits from the right flank and Marasigan’s error at the other end gave NU the first set.

It proved to be the Bulldogs last stand, as the Blue Eagles played a better team effort in the next three sets.

“NU is a powerful team. They will use their height and their power to try to win this one,” said Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro.

With NU rallying and staying close, 11-12 in the second, Ateneo played a patient, waiting game.

Intal, who is now on his senior year, struck for three points during a 4-0 spurt to give Ateneo a 16-12 edge.

Villanueva’s block off Baysac

then had NU taking a five-point lead, 21-16.

“Kailangang tiyagaan namin ang next sets. Nag-payoff siya,” added Almadro.

Stepping up with their frontline defense in the third set, the Blue Eagles came off with a 9-4, with Dan Angelo Posadas giving the Loyola spikers a four-point lead with his kill shot to the right side.

A block from Joshua Villanueva followed by Espejo’s placement shot then put Ateneo up by six, 13-7.

“They were attacking with their combinations in the first set. Nainip lang kami,” added Almadro on their second finals showdown with NU in two years.

The Bulldogs tried to step up their attacks in the final set, but a service error stopped NU’s efforts as Ateneo went on to nurse a six-point lead, 17-11.

B8

S U N D AY : A P R I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS FOR THE LOVE OF BEACH VALLEYBALL Ateneo Blue Eagle All-Stars hug it out after battling against each other. They are (from left) Bea Tan, Dennise Lazaro, Ella De Jesus and Dzi Gervacio

By Randy Caluag

TO SOME, beach volleyball is a pastime, a hobby. To others, it’s a game, sport, a career. Yet to others still, it’s a way of life, a lifestyle, a culture.

When people who share the same passion for sand, sun and volleyball get their act together to lay the foundation for the sport, it’s more than just a game, it’s called love of the game.

From the hearts of volleyball stars Bea Tan, Fille Cainglet- Cayetano, Dzi Gervacio, Gretchen Ho, Charo Soriano, and Alexa Micek, the Beach Volleyball Republic came to life.

They formed the BVR with a strong belief that Beach Volleyball can become a healthy lifestyle for millions of Filipinos connected by 1,001 islands. Their vision is for BVR to provide an avenue for athletes to train, develop their skills, build a community, and compete in high-level exhibition tournaments all over the country.

“We believe that our love for Beach

Volleyball unites us and helps bring forth a strong community of athletes, working towards a shared dream, looking towards the same path of growth and development,” said Ho. For Cayetano, the BVR will become a family bound by trust and true friendship. Tan said it’s the culture of belongingness and the nurturing of excellence.

Gervacio said she was deeply touched by the group’s sense of sacrifice, describing how her BVR stood beside here during her most recent ACL injury.

“The failures that we experienced as a player were in fact the greatest trophies that we have even gotten as a person. And we want others to have trophies of their own,” Soriano said.

And most of all, Micek believes

After the Clark leg, three more will be held at Pearl of The Pacific, Boracay Island, Aklan, on April 26 and 27, Siquijor Island on May 21 and 22, and the final leg at the -- BVR On Tour Finals—at Sands, SM MOA By The Bay on May 25-28.

that beach volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world that’s needed to be nurtured. BVR is a showcase of the Filipinas’ beauty and brawn under the sun.

“The combination of these elements will only continue to captivate the athletes and spectators of the world. Considering the enthusiasm and zeal of the volleyball community in the Philippines as well as the vast amount of pristine beaches, this country is the perfect place to become the beach volleyball hotbed of Asia,” added Micek.

At the moment, the BVR’s most effective tool to realize their vision, is the ongoing Beach Volley Tour, and currently, the best showcase the tour can have are the founders themselves.

They do the planning, talk to sponsors, organize and lead the events and play at the sandcourt against players from collegiate teams and foreign clubs.

Provincial tours Eight legs are mapped for this year. The 1st leg took place in Ilocos Sur last January, in partnership with Sun Soaked Festival 2016.

The second leg was held in La Union on Valentine’s Day, then in Anguib Beach, Sta. Ana, Cagayan Valley in the same month.

In partnership with Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and Cagayan Adventure and Leisure, the leg coincided with other international events at Anguib Beach - Kite & Windsurf 2016.

From the northern tip of Luzon, they flew to the beautiful island of Lakawon, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental for the Lakawon Beachfest 2016. And the most recent leg was held at the Global Clark in Pampanga.

The venue was the world-class The Villages International Sports Complex, which is being developed to become one of Southeast Asia’s sporting destination. Aside from newly built beach volley sandlot, the Villages boasts of a huge field that

When people who share the same passion for sand, sun and volleyball get their act together to lay the foundation for the sport, it’s more than just a game, it’s called love of the game.

can be used for outdoor sports like football, rugby, Frisbee and the like.

Aside from the BVR mainstays, collegiate players from UP and UST, Air Force clubs and the Hawaiian pair of Tatiana Sablan and Canadian Chloe Reimer saw action.

After the Clark leg, three more will be held at Pearl of The Pacific, Boracay Island, Aklan, on April 26 and 27, Siquijor Island on May 21 and 22, and the final leg at the -BVR On Tour Finals—at Sands, SM MOA By The Bay on May 25-28.

At the MOA finals, 16 teams comprised of the leg champions and other invited topnotch teams will battle it out for trophies and cash prizes courtesy of sponsors led by PLDT Home Ultera C500 Juice Drink as well as supporters ARG Lumiere, New Era, Delimondo, Royce Hotel and Casino, Midori Hotel-Casino and Foton Motors Philippines.

Milestone From a small beginning last year,

the young league set another milestone when it forged a TV partnership with one of the biggest networks in the country, ABS-CBN, to cover its games, beginning with the Boracay leg slated April 27 and 28.

Soriano said the TV coverage is one of the rewarding segments of their hard work.

“This is a humbling experience for us,” Soriano said when they signed the contract with the network. “We love the sport, we share the same passion. I didn’t think this will happen so quickly.”

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena said beach volleyball may not be considered as a major sporting event right now, but it attracts the same interest as say, indoor volleyball and basketball.

“Fans deserve to witness how beach volley is played by our best players in the country. That’s why we’re bringing it to them through our sports channel,”

S U N D AY : A p r i l 24 , 2 0 1 6

C1

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BiNG pArEl

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

BErNADETTE lUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@lifEatStandard

S U NDAY l if E

LIFE

Club Mwah in Mandaluyong offers Las Vegas- and Broadway-style light and fun bachelorette parties where boys and boys prettier than women are sure to entertain the bride-to-be and her maids

Aside from the bride-to-be, sometimes the center of funny and kinky games are the singletons!

VIBRATORS, BRIDAl ShOWERS AnD GO-GO BOyS Carotid artery

By TATum AnChETA

Y

es, you read it right – vibrators. The things you hear, see, and sometimes feel when you are in a bachelorette party is one for the books. Since it’s the wedding season and for some reason most of my friends are walking down the aisle and bidding adieu (to me mostly because I’m probably the last single specie in my group #Shudders), let’s talk about the most fun part of wedding plans. Well, for me at least, it’s the bride’s despedida de soltera and the most eventful night – the bachelorette party.

A bachelorette party is not to be confused with a bridal shower, as these two celebrations can go from PG 13 to Rated PG. A bridal shower can sometimes be just a celebration with the bride’s close friends, a dinner, a small gathering, or any activity that celebrates the bride-to-be’s last days of singlehood. Bridal showers may be “crafty” and sometimes it’s up to the maids of honor and bridesmaids to decide how they would like to put it together. From a spa party, pampering activities or just an afternoon tea party, the celebration depends on the kind of friends and the kind of bride who is celebrating.

I recently attended bride-tobe model and host Rima Otswani’s #BeautyBeforeIDo bridal bash that Facial Care Centre held for her, and it was a very relaxing event. Her friends got to try Rima’s Bridal Beauty Essentials from the center, which included treatments like RevLite which makes skin more

Kinky-shaped concoctions are not to be missed during the hen party Rima Otswani’s #BeautyBeforeIDo bridal bash at Facial Care Centre, The Fort

vibrant, facial treatment, and LaserLight Hair Removal. An afternoon of cotton candies and bubbly champagne filled the center with guests laughing at Rima’s old TV series scenes. The center offers these bridal beauty essentials for soon-to-be brides and if you are a bride-to-be who wants to celebrate her despedida de soltera this way and share these treatments with your special friends, then Facial Care Centre would be more than willing to celebrate with you.

Now let’s turn the page to a night of debauchery. The bachelorette party, also known as “hen” party, has become a soiree of naughty and kinky stuff (sometimes innocent and mostly rated PG) that is mostly looked at as a rite of passage for the bride celebrating the end of her single life. For some, it can become an evening of fun for the wildlings called women and the bridesmaids and maids of honor, but

not as bad as the “stag party” that has been known to break up soon-to-wed couples and even some newlyweds than actually making it a celebration.

They say that bachelorette parties originated back in the ‘60s but it was still a little stiff and formal until the dawn of the ‘80s where stronger gender equality began emerging and the events have become a little more out of the box. Today – well, vibrators, kinky toys, pink penis-shaped cakes and cupcakes are everywhere in the party, and racy games are played the whole night, capped off with a special appearance of go-go boys.

In the Philippines, most of the time, bridal showers are no longer celebrated but instead are cut straight to the bachelorette party. Like I mentioned about bridal showers, it usually depends on the kind of maids of honor and bridesmaids the bride has which will dictate how the party will

turn out. So brides, you have to choose your friends wisely.

“Oh my God, I will make sure you guys do not plan my bachelorette party!” said one of my friends after a series of bridal showers where we brought out half-naked midgets to dance with the blindfolded bride-to-be. I have attended some of the funniest bachelorette parties with my friends that will forever be etched in our book of memories.

Drinks and sweets are very imaginative as some will make you want to puke or laugh – condom-filled cocktails, pink or black penis-shaped cakes, butt- and genitalshaped lollipops served on a buffet, or men wearing only bow ties and black trousers or extremely tight shorts. We usually surprise the bride-to-be to make it memorable for her. We surprised one of our friends with a made-up bridal white car where we pasted Continued on C2

S U N D AY : A p r I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

C2

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Brides must choose their friends carefully as the latter will be the ones responsible for whatever debauchery or embarrassment will be experienced during a bachelorette party

Midget performers at a bachelorette party usually perk up the event

Facial Care Centre, The Fort offers bridal essentials for soon-to-be brides

vIbrAtorS, brIDAL ShowErS...

wedding jitters. We thought the joke was on our soon-to-be-bride as half-naked midgets gave her drinks and lapdanced while she was blindfolded. Well, it turns out the joke was on us. While she couldn’t hide the shock on her face when she took out her blindfold, she started to grind, and danced with the midgets with her not-soinnocent dance moves – leaving all of us speechless and, well, just speechless.

Single ones during bachelorette parties are usually the victims of kinky games and jokes, and of course, become the fancy of

From C1

colored crepe paper and flowers and parked it in front of her condo building. And while she was walking outside, we played “We Run the World” by Beyoncé and all of us danced our not-so-choreographed dance moves, while passers-by and cars watched our award-winning moves! The night went from parading and dancing in the street to watching performances in Club Mwah,

and we ended up bringing our soon-to-be bride in a not-so-innocent bar somewhere outside of Makati where our mothers will not want us to be seen. Bleep bleep bleep.

One of the most memorable parties I went to was when we brought a bride-to-be in the boxing ring of Ringside Bar in Burgos after she cried buckets of tears during the dinner party, because she was having some

MEMorIES ArE ForEvEr Marco Polo ortigas Manila turns weddings into once-in-a-lifetiMe MoMents

Couples can start a beautiful life together with Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Felicity wedding package that will help make their wedding day memorable. From the guests’ pre-wedding preparations up to the after-wedding gifts, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila can make the event seamless in a most elegant way.

Soon-to-weds can say goodbye to being single and welcome married life with an unobstructed view at Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge. Friends will certainly enjoy the Bachelor’s or Bachelorette’s Night with exclusive party package rates at Vu’s. Plus, stress will not be factor when it comes to reception details because the hotel will take charge, with beautiful options to make that fairytale dream wedding come true. For instance, newlyweds can arrive in style with a choice of a luxurious Mini Cooper Countryman or a Trans Abi vehicle. Set the mood right with Complete lights and sounds featuring a String Trio to serenade the guests for an enchanting experience will set the mood right, with floral arrangements that add to the dreamy quality of the occasion. A complimentary 3-layer wedding cake, followed by a toast of Moët & Chandon will be provided as a gift in celebration of the couples’ new life as husband and wife.

The new couple will definitely enjoy the Marco Polo Way with the complimentary

2-night accommodation in a Superior Suite with breakfast for two at Cucina, and a signature treatment for two at FLOW Spa, plus a 20 percent discount on food at any F&B outlet of the hotel during their stay. What’s more, the same privileges will also be available on the couple’s first wedding anniversary.

The Marco Polo Grand Ballroom is located at the 7th level of the hotel tower and can accommodate up to 300 persons for banquets and 500 persons for a cocktail reception. The 714-sqm. ballroom with its elegant ceiling chandeliers is divisible into two sections and has a pre-function area for events. The sizeable layout graced with natural daylight and five-meter floor-to-ceiling glass windows from both ends of the venue provide the perfect backdrop not only for weddings but also conventions, meetings, seminars, parties and social affairs.

The above special wedding packages start at P237,000++. For inquiries and bookings, call (+632) 720 7777. Special event packages catering to various occasions are also available. For more information, visit www.marcopolohotels. com. Follow the Hotel on Facebook at MarcoPoloOrtigasManila or @MarcoPoloManila on Twitter or Instagram.

half-naked boys. I have unearthed some of the funniest and not-so-safe-for-work photos from the bachelorette parties I’ve attended and l much as I would love to share them with our readers, I think it’s best to keep it in the book of never-showthis-to-my-kid-ever!

For comments, and topic suggestions, you may email me at tatum@thestandard.com.ph.

For my crazy life’s adventures follow me at @tatumancheta on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

S U N D AY : A p r I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

CoLLAborAtIoN IS thE kEY to FIght vIoLENCE AgAINSt womEN

By Bernadette Lunas Photos By star saBroso

O

ne in five Filipino women aged 15 to 49 has experienced physical abuse, according the National Statistics Office’s National Demographic and Health Survey in 2008.

Within the comforts of home, 23 percent of “ever-married women” (or those who have been married at least once) have suffered emotional, physical or sexual violence from their husbands, and eight percent of these women have experienced domestic violence within the first two years of their marriage.

And yet we don’t always hear about these cases because they have become unfortunately common.

“The Philippines is a very family-centric society, but unfortunately, domestic violence also occurs here,” laments Avon Philippines head for Channels and Enablement Christine Eugenio.

The United States Department of Justice defines domestic violence as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” It can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological abuse.

According to Vital Voices Global Partnership vice president of human rights Cindy Dyer, domestic violence is the most common form of violence committed against women in every part of the world.

Vital Voices is a non-governmental organization whose human rights work is focused on combatting violence against women (VAW) in its worst forms. the ProBLem It is recognized that domestic violence is a major barrier to the social and economic empowerment of women – the very thing that direct-selling company Avon is striving to achieve for everyone – yet it remains a prevailing problem worldwide.

“Through our experiences, we have learned that no matter how sound the financial opportunity is, women cannot truly be empowered unless their health and safety are guaranteed,” shares Avon Products, Inc. chief executive officer Sheri McCoy. In the Philippines, as in other countries across the globe, the common obstacle that hinders the fight for its reduction and eventual eradication is that existing laws are not understood or not consistently implemented.

“There are laws passed, but frequently, what happens is that people just stand back and admire it,” posits Dyer. She continues, “We need to do more than just admire the law. We need to implement the law and make these laws work for victims and hold defendants accountable.” the soLution In March 2010, the Avon Foundation for Women, Vital Voices and the US Department of State forged a public-private partnership to create Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women.

Through the awareness education and prevention programs conducted, the partners were able to determine the common barrier in stopping gender violence.

“We’ve learned that although each country faces different challenges, the delegations have reported that existing laws are not understood, often leaving women unprotected and their abusers unaccountable,” shares Avon Foundation for Women program director Christine Jaworsky.

To address this common challenge across countries, the Global Partnership then launched The Justice Institute for Gender-Based Violence in 2014.

From left: Avon Foundation for Women program director for Speak Out Against Domestic Violence Christine Jaworsky, Avon Philippines' Speak Out Against Domestic Violence ambassador Richard Yap, Avon Products, Inc. chief executive officer Sheri McCoy, Vital Voices Global Partnership vice president of Human Rights Cindy Dyer and Avon Philippines Channels and Enablement head Christine Eugenio stand up together to fight gender-based violence

Cindy Dyer

Christine Jaworksy

Sheri McCoy

The Justice Institute is an innovative and interactive multidisciplinary training and technical assistance collaboration that brings together judges, court officers, public prosecutors, police officers, representatives of government agencies and non-governmental service providers.

It is designed to establish collaboration among the aforementioned allied professionals with the goal of improving victim protection efforts and criminal justice response to domestic violence. “[The Justice Institute] focuses on talent collaboration, because we believe that multi-sectoral approach is essential to reduce violence against women in the world,” says Jaworsky.

Since its inception, Avon Foundation has helped launch and fund Justice Institutes in Brazil, India, Mexico, Nepal and South Africa.

As Avon celebrates its 130th anniversary this year, it is committing $500,000 for funding of new Justice Institutes in Colombia, Turkey and in the Philippines, as well as re-convening Institutes in South Africa and India.

A three-day training, which brought together 60 of the finest judges, prosecutors, police officers, and government and NGO representatives in the country, was recently held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila. The interactive training sessions taught the participants to better understand how to implement the existing laws that protect gender-based violence victims in the Philippines.

They worked in collaboration to create strategies and community coordinated action plans to overcome challenges facing the prosecution of domestic and sexual violence here in the country.

According to Dyer, the training will be followed by a 6-month evaluation and

follow-up reports with the participants.

“We really want this to be something that is ongoing,” she says.

Domestic violence is present in many nations, but the Avon Foundation and Vital Voices, together with their partners, are helping fight this together – one Justice Institute at a time.

“We chose to launch this here in the Philippines because you already have good laws and have dedicated individuals on the ground who really want to make your laws work,” explains Dyer.

“No one working alone can make these laws work but when we work together as part of a coordinated community response, we absolutely can be successful in helping victims prevent violence,” she adds.

Because when a woman is abused, the whole community needs to stand with her and behind her.

S U N D AY : A p r I L 24 , 2 0 1 6

C4

r

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Trends and inspiraTions for brides and grooms

omantic, feminine, princess-like and goddesslike are only some of the adjectives that bridesto-be would want themselves to be described in their wedding dresses. Others however would opt for something more unique, more “them.” Whatever the brides may wish, they always need a reliable and talented designer to make their dream wedding dresses

come to life. Bridal trends this season have been showing a lot of floral lace appliqué, interesting threedimensional embellishments, experimental silhouettes, and sensual details like deep-plunging necklines and thigh-high slits.

Any man in a suit looks great on his wedding day, but the modern groom is also becoming more open

francis Libiran “This season calls for a modern and more experimental take on wedding gowns. Most of my newest creations for weddings include Francis Libiran gown worn by Jewel Mische Kurzer. Photo courtesy of @mischejewel What are your inspirations from this gowns with detachable skirts. It looks like one ball gown which season’s bridal collection?

Unparalleled luxury, art deco and the bride can use for the ceremony and transforms to a long gown which geometric patterns.

What are the usual style requests from they usually use during the reception.

Embroidery and embellishments will your clients?

They want to look really special on their never fade away but this time, it will be more of a tone-on-tone game. Textures wedding day and they want their gowns to matter more than the sparkly shine of be the most beautiful, intricately detailed and fit perfectly. the details.”

Left: ‘This bridal ball gown is a grand new take on a classic silhouette. The elaborate fabrication on silk tulle is highlighted by a bodice that is hand embroidered with silk thread, French pailettes, ceramiques and crystals.’

Right: ‘A neo-modern inspiration on a full-sheer silhouette. This mermaid bridal gown is embellished with embossed thread works and crystal ceramiques.’

VaL Taguba “The season is truly abuzz with romance. I see ultra feminine brides walking the aisle in Spanish-inspired gowns to fullysheer silhouettes. Anything and everything is fair game as long as it spells romantic. I see boudoir and lingerie-inspired looks, 3D florals and heavy beadings that hark back to the opulence of a distant past. In white to blush pink, in a long train, on a longer cathedral veil that oozes romance.”

What are your inspirations from this season’s bridal collection?

My latest bridal collection is a hodgepodge of inspirations that cater to all

kinds of brides. She may be classic, romantic or modern and anything in between. It is my way of reestablishing myself in the local market as I have been based abroad for the past several years.

Thankfully, the Filipina brides are inspiring and worth coming back for, and I am staying for good.

What are the usual style requests from your clients?

I make it a point to have an open line with my bride-clients. They just want to look and feel the most beautiful bride on their wedding day. And I am there to make it happen and more…

and experimental in his choice of suits, tuxedos, and coats. We asked some of the most sought after designers today about their own wedding collections, what inspires them and the usual requests from their clients. If you’re a couple looking for designs and are still confused on what to wear, take inspiration from these designers.

‘The overlay is basically the sartorial hybrid of the princess-y ball gown and minimalist column. You have an extra layer of tulle, lace or organza to give the dress a ball gown feel, but with the slimming effect of a streamlined column or slinky slip silhouette underneath.’

naT maniLag “Trends for bridal gowns this season are feathers, plunging necklines, 3D florals, fully sheer silhouettes, low backs and illusion backs.”

What are your inspirations from this season’s bridal collection?

My bridal collection for this season was inspired by a modern princess. I would describe the collection as ultimate in femininity – real wedding dresses that are soft and

special to wear with delicate detailing, lots of beading, fringing and lace.

What are the usual style requests from your clients?

My clients want something traditional and timeless with a modern twist and (also) sexy.

Naked-looking illusion sleeves allow for the semblance of full coverage, while accents like lace, sparkly sequins, intricate beading and embroidery can add visual effect.

‘This is a gray tuxedo suit from my wedding collection that never leaves the trend and usually what my clients still request for their weddings because the color is very pleasing and can be worn for all different themes of the wedding, whether it is done indoor or outdoor.'

Kaye moraLes “The trends for grooms this season is all about colors. Grooms no longer just stick with black, white and gray, they now add colors into their wedding attires. The usual requests are blue, hues of brown, and burgundy. They add an accent hue – usually with their pockets, bowtie/necktie to brighten up the outfit – or a mix-and-match of colors in a three-piece suit in different colors. Accessories are also mixed in the overall suit like waistcoat, watch and pocket watch chain.”

What are your inspirations from this season’s wedding collection?

I like to mix and match earth colors or put patterns in the groom’s lining just to break the traditional color that grooms would usually wear before. I want the grooms to stand out by making them wear a different color.

What are the usual style requests from your clients?

My clients usually like gray and not black and light brown if it’s a beach wedding. Usually, I base it on the theme of their weddings – whether they want a traditional morning suit or a cutting-edge tuxedo. I base the color, style and design on their personality.

SunDAy : A pRIl 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Levi’s has tapped three global influencers, each of them unique but with one thing in common—they love Levi’s.

C5

The “Live in Levi’s” campaign encourages fans and wearers of Levi’s to engage the brand in digital conversation

YOu anD YOuR LEvI’s: TELL YOuR sTORY

M

ention the term “blue jeans” and Levi’s invariably comes to mind.

This is because the iconic brand, established in the late 19th century, has long been associated with blue jeans that ensure the highest quality in terms of fit, comfort, and originality.

The Levi’s 501 button fly jeans—the original and first-ever blue jeans—was born on May 20, 1873. Yet, at nearly 143 years of age, it’s still as young, fresh, and relevant as ever.

To celebrate 501 Jean’s birthday, Levi’s brings back the “Live in Levi’s” digital platform as part of its “We Are Original,” a global campaign that features influencers and their stories, inspiring other Levi’s fans to share their own on social media.

The “Live in Levi’s” campaign encourages fans and wearers of Levi’s to engage the brand in digital conversation. Through their posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, people can tell the world how they wear their Levi’s Jeans, tops, shirts, and even caps.

“We want everyone to share their own Levi’s stories with us—how they wear it, why they wear it, and why they love it. We want to know what makes Levi’s apparels remain relevant to the times and use the information to help us innovate in the future,” says Kaths Laudit, Levi’s Philippines marketing head.

Because fashion is a means for personal expression, the stories will be engaging to

say the least. A 30-year-old publicist might wear her 501 Jean with a tank top, Levi’s trucker jacket, and high-heeled boots while a 20-year-old university student could pair her Western Shirt with a black skirt and white canvas sneakers. Individuality would be the name of the game, with Levi’s serving as the means for self-expression.

For the global campaign, Levi’s has tapped three influencers, each of them unique but with one thing in common—they love Levi’s. Watch French music producer, writer, and model Caroline de Maigret, American DJ duo Classixx, and Chinese multimedia artist Yi Zhou share their experiences as Levi’s advocates.

Three short videos explain what Levi’s 501 Jeans and the brand personally signify for each of them. The campaign hopes to invoke a sense of community by encouraging global participants to use the #WeAreOriginal and #LiveInLevisPH hashtags on social media.

Caroline de Maigret swiped her first pair of 501 Jeans from her brother. She loves how denim—dressed up or down—fits effortlessly into her life. When she’s wearing her 501 jeans, she is exactly who she wants to be.

Michael and Tyler are the musicians behind the electronic duo Classixx. The childhood buddies grew up in Southern California where they loved wearing 501 Jeans.

Artist Yi Zhou was born in Shanghai and raised around the world. From her work to

her fashion style, Yi Zhou draws inspiration from how she feels at the time. And she loves how her 501 Jeans allow her to express each day’s mood. Denim makes her feel most like herself.

“Since 1873, the 501 Jean has been a symbol of self-expression. Because the jeans have been worn by fans of all ages and occupations, the campaign encourages everyone to make the 501 Jean and other Levi’s apparel their own,” Laudit enthuses.

You don’t have to be an influencer or a famous person to rock your Levi’s. In fact, through “Live in Levi’s,” the brand encourages everyone to share their stories.

Levi’s, to be sure, expect these stories to be riveting and fun. After all, the fit, design, and fabric of Levi’s Jeans have been tweaked so many times through the years, yet users have remained fiercely loyal through the changes.

In the Philippines, there will be a 501 Special Birthday Promo where shoppers can win exciting prizes like tickets to exciting events and Levi’s merchandise for every P3,500 purchase. Levi’s will also roll out more promos and events in connection to this new campaign in the coming months.

The Live in Levi’s Project can be viewed and experienced at levis.com/LiveInLevis. To stay updated with what’s happening, follow Levi’s on Instagram at @levis_ph or on Facebook at Levi’s PH.

The Live in Levi’s Project can be viewed and experienced at levis.com/LiveInLevis.

presidential candidates face off one last time The nation will be watching as five candidates for the highest post of the land share one stage for the last time in the final leg of the Commission on Elections’ PiliPinas 2016 presidential debate series.

Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas will respond to questions on their platforms and stand on the most urgent issues facing the nation, during the Presidential Town Hall Debate organized by the COMELEC, KBP, ABSCBN, and Manila Bulletin.

The third PiliPinas Debate is the last big opportunity for the candidates to prove they are ready, capable, and worthy to lead the country before millions of Filipinos here and abroad, as the debate will be aired live from the Phinma University of Pangasinan over multiple media platforms – ABS-CBN on

free TV, ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel ch. 27 on cable TV, DZMM TeleRadyo on digital television (ABS-CBN TVplus) and SKYcable ch. 26, DZMM 630 on AM radio, and online via livestreaming at news. abs-cbn.com, iwantv.com.ph, and mb.com. ph. ABS-CBNmobile MHP users can also watch it on their mobile phones by downloading the new iWant TV app and then choosing livestream via ABS-CBN HD or regular ABS-CBN stream, while ABS-CBNmobile prepaid users can view it by texting <IWANTV10> to 2135 for 1-day full access and then choosing livestream via ABS-CBN HD or regular ABS-CBN stream.

Overseas Filipinos, on the other hand, can watch it via TFC, the Filipino Channel and it will also be streamed live on IPTV and TFC.tv.

The town hall debate, which will be moderated by ABS-CBN’s top broadcast journalists Karen Davila and Tony Velasquez, can also be viewed in high-definition on ABS-

CBN HD Ch.167 and ANC HD (SKYcable Ch. 182 for Metro Manila; Ch.706 for SKYcable regional subscribers).

Town Hall

With a town hall format, ordinary Filipinos - representing different sectors in society - will be asking the questions to the aspiring presidents of the Philippines.

The sectoral representatives were chosen among thousands of Filipinos all over the nation and the world who sent in their queries for the presidential candidates via ABS-CBN’s “Halalan Hugot” campaign. Their questions will touch on very relevant and pressing issues such as metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanaoans in conflict areas.

Each presidential candidate will get to answer all questions, which will allow the public to compare and decide which can-

didate is truly prepared and committed to address the issues raised.

Watch the Comelec, KBP, ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin’s PiliPinas 2016 Presidential Town Hall Debate LIVE, 6 p.m. on ABSCBN, ANC, DZMM TeleRadyo, DZMM 630, and online via livestreaming at news. abs-cbn.com, iwantv.com.ph, mb.com.ph, and through ABS-CBNmobile. Overseas Filipinos, meanwhile, can watch it via TFC, the Filipino Channel and it will also be streamed live on IPTV and TFC.tv.

Also catch the Halalan 2016 Debate Special starting at 3 p.m. on DZMM TeleRadyo with Julius Babao and Jing Castaneda, at 5 p.m. on ANC with Alvin Elchico and Lynda Jumilla, and 5:45pm on ABS-CBN also with Elchico and Jumilla. Viewers of the livestreaming at news.abs-cbn.com can also catch a digital special hosted by TJ Manotoc, who will discuss the social media buzz on the on-going debate.

C6

SunDAy : A pRIl 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

‘EAt BulAgA InDonESIA’ HoSt REtuRnS to pHIlIppInES

“A

man of perseverance and dedication; a man who is willing to walk a thousand miles just to reach his destination.”

This is how actor and host Leo Consul describes himself to people meeting him for the first time.

A former host of Eat Bulaga Indonesia, Leo—who has been living abroad for almost four years—recently returned to the Philippines for a short visit.

“The show catapulted my career in Indonesia and made me a household name. It was a fun and exciting experience because I was recognized not only in Indonesia but in the Philippines as well. It was difficult for a newbie like me in so many levels but I managed to get thru it all,” he says.

He ended up leaving the show after a year for greener pastures.

Also, getting by day-to-day was a struggle.

Living alone, away from his family, friends and his comfort zone was no joke, he says.

“It’s not a walk in the park.

The struggle is real. I started as a teacher in an international school but my passion wasn’t there. I quit the profession and pursued my career in the entertainment industry,” he says.

But Leo’s Eat Bulaga Indonesia experience led to positive things.

He became known and landed jobs. “The show paved the way and opened doors for me. I was trusted by different networks to host my own show up until now. Leo hosts the morning TV show, Celeb On News in Indonesia and will soon star in his own television series. He is also dubbing a cartoon series in Indonesia titled Kiko, which will be aired internationally.

Throughout his four years in Indonesia, Leo kept alive his dream of breaking into show business in the Philippines.

“It has been my dream to break into the entertainment industry here in the Philippines,” he explains. “While I am doing great back in Indonesia as a TV host, commercial model and an actor, I still have this yearning to be seen here and entertain our kababayan, most specially my father who has been dreaming of seeing me on local TV, doing things I am passionate about, instead of watching me on DVD/CD copies of my shows back in Indonesia.”

That dream came true when he met TV host and talent manager Boy Abunda. “I asked for Direk Eric Quizon’s help for my movie and he said Boy Abunda might be of great help. He sent an email to Boy to introduce me and cc-ed me and from there, we started talking about this whole thing.

Boy Abunda and I officially met when he visited Jakarta last year.”

Boy will be managing his career in the Philippines and in other Asian countries except Indonesia.

Leo considers that a lucky break. “I am blessed and fortunate enough to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity by Boy Abunda to introduce me and explore the possibilities here in the Philippines,” says Leo. “At times, I would see myself while on the set of my shows, daydreaming and asking myself what would it be like doing the same thing that I do back there but in a different setting, audience and country, which is my home. I would still love to host shows, do commercials and act or anything that the industry could offer. I am not going to leave Indonesia, for I owe a huge chunk of my success to my fans and colleagues back there.

We’re planning to do this in both countries.”

The good-looking actor and TV host has detailed his inspiring life journey in a book, A Thousand Miles in Broken Slippers.

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe ACROSS 1 Rot (2 wds.)

6 Tenant farm 11 Energize (2 wds.)

16 — measure 20 Party nibble 21 Sighed with delight 22 Chew the scenery 23 Valhalla host 24 “Whew!” feeling 25 Green drink 27 Auction shout 28 Found a roost 29 Basket willows 31 Makes a choice 32 Nitpicks 34 Kind of van 35 Heavy fliers 36 Band together 37 Fisherman’s fly 38 Whiff 40 Adherent 41 Saddle up 42 Try to impress

46 48 49 50 51 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

Say “ugh” Candied items British sailor Atmosphere Mortarboard Helmsman’s dir.

Dallas cagers James Earl — Experienced Wearing a cowl Delight in Break off Garage jobs Used poor judgment Major conflicts Has lots of status Hindu rope-climbers Envelope abbr.

Lucy Lawless role Avian homes He made a deal with the devil 71 Ms. Shriver 72 Baja Ms.

73 74 75 78 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 102 104 105 106 110 111 112 114 115 118 119 120 121 122 125 127 128 129 130 131 132

Dictatorial Ward off Bear follower Regions Southpaw Live by one’s — Allot Crabby Long stories Amiable Stonehenge builders Recurring melody Tempus — Fast-food drink Reduces Blissful abode Get more mellow Noted groundhog Joey — Paulo PBS benefactor Gas or electric — Israel’s Golda Usher’s beat Keepsake Baez or Rivers Monastic title Lie dormant Strong — — ox Truck floors — voce Whodunit name Andre of tennis Sheltered Microscope lens Meadow rodent Search engine finds Eagle, to NASA (2 wds.)

Guide Sub — (secretly) — nous Loose garments Frisky mammals Troop truant Gave, as an RX

The book contains his life story from when he was a baby up to this point.

“In this book, people will get to know my bittersweet past back in our small town in Bolinao, Pangasinan. It tells about my struggles, pains, survival, painful memories, happy moments with my childhood friends, tears and of course my journey as an artist in Indonesia. It is a hodgepodge of everything.”

Leo thought of publishing this book not just as a means to promote himself or to boost his career as an artist but mainly to inspire people who may share the same dream and hope or those people who have different dreams but with same passion and determination to pursue in life. Among the most interesting parts of the book is how Leo worked himself up from his humble background growing up in Pangasinan.

To hear Leo tell his story borders on the unbelievable. “Just hearing the word Bolinao could bring thousand folds of happy and painful memories. It’s traumatizing, in a way. It was the sanctuary of my childhood years and the niche of my struggles at the same time. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. At a very young age, I learned to stretch my bones just to earn cold coins to fill up our stomachs. I was introduced to Jollibee not in a conventional way but in a very demeaning and painful way and that’s thru the trash bin. I would eat leftovers from the buses I cleaned in the middle of the night back then just to get thru the night. To be honest, every time I look back, it never fails to bring me to tears and sadness. I was one of those kids who was dressed in shabby clothes, worn-out slippers, exhausted and famished only with great determination and perseverance. I used to collect and sell

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 133 Wire nails 134 Strapped for cash DOWN 1 Druid’s tongue 2 Surfing the net 3 Enticing 4 Orangutan 5 Clear the windshield 6 Most wily 7 Least typical 8 Windy City airport 9 — (come clean) 10 Gridiron stats 11 Show-biz mag 12 Returnable bottle 13 Fixes corn 14 Western tribe 15 Cosmetic samples 16 Flung 17 Turmoils 18 Fission source 19 They may be split 20 Studies all night 26 Reserves, as a table 30 Left Bank river 33 Heavy hydrogen discoverer 36 Zeroes in on 37 Less convincing 39 At bay 41 Scream and shout 42 Poker pair 43 Refuges (2 wds.)

44 Ship from Valdez 45 Push down 47 Et, for Hans 48 Ties up the phone 49 Can’t get enough of 51 Stingy 52 Ventricle neighbor 53 Trunk 55 Red giant in Cetus 56 Wharf 57 Bering Sea birds 59 Thieves’ hangout 60 Pre-Tina Turner

61 62 64 65 66 68 69 70 72 73 74 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 98 99 100 101 103 104 105 107 108 109 111 112 113 115 116 117 118 119 123 124 126

Brash Praise to the skies Rains on Breaks Groupies Dentist’s photo (hyph.)

What Jack Sprat ate (2 wds.)

Wine and dine Medieval laborer Get going Pay-stub acronym Too-too Fresco base Curb Bock cousin Determination Ground cover?

Shaman’s quest Bronco-riding event Custodian, briefly Roulette color Awaits carving, as a turkey Get along (2 wds.)

Stubble site Part of UCLA Fixed a loose board Green veggies Lasso Clutter Internet hookup Unaffected Give a lift?

Liege’s subject Yelled insults Bumped illegally Formed a gully Fictional Queen Looks curiously Traffic-jam noise Cousteau invention Synthetic fabric Mystique Raise veggies Part of a.k.a.

Formic acid makers Olfactory input Famous numero Moon, in verse Dog days in Dijon

“Eat Bulaga Indonesia” former host and pangasinan native leo Consul

junk (bottles, metal, broken glass, newspapers, etc.) dressed in a yellowish school uniform, carrying a hanging-by-a-thread-bag, and flimsy slippers.”

Leo walked to school every day, under the scorching heat of the sun. He was the kind of kid who would never be given any attention had he not excelled at school.“I have been to Baguio City since I studied there in UP for four years before I moved to Diliman for my final year. That’s where I also landed a job as TV host in ABS-CBN Regional Network Group, which brought me to many places as we shoot for our travelogue show which was called NC Atin To which later renamed, MagTV Na Atin To. Of all the places he has been to, his favorite would have to be the Banaue Rice Terraces.

“I consider myself a traveler, not a tourist,” he says. “Every time I visit a place, I make sure I immerse myself into its culture, values and traditions. I am not a cosmo kinda guy. I enjoy the outskirts/suburbs more than the city. There, I find peace and the perfect opportunity to reflect and enjoy serenity at its finest before I get myself back to the city’s hurly-burly.”

At this point, having spent his life in both the Philippines and Indonesia, Leo says he still identifies as Filipino.

Explains Leo: “I’m still a Filipino, of course. For me, what makes a certain country appealing and more interesting is not just its beau-

tiful spots and scenery. I think what sets each country apart is its people.

We, Filipinos, are known for our warm hospitality. We are friendly and loving people and that for me, makes our country great and fun to pay visit to.”

He is excited over all the possibilities opening up to him. He is also eager for people to get to know him and discover what he has to offer.

“I am a man of many interests. I love traveling. I make sure I visit different countries each year. I also love cooking. In fact, my first show after Eat Bulaga Indonesia was a cooking show. I also play sports like Badminton and Tennis. I love singing. I actually released a single in Indonesia while I was hosting Eat Bulaga Indonesia but it didn’t work out. I am also a hiphop dancer. I was a member of UP Baguio Shadows (dance troupe).

My favorite artists would be Gina Pareño as an actress, Joel Torre (Actor), Toni Gonzaga (Host), Eugene Domingo (Comedienne) and Luis Manzano.

“Being in show business wasn’t really my dream when I was a kid, probably because I didn’t have the looks to back it all up. I was an ugly duckling. But I have always wanted to become a news anchor,” he says.

His battle cry is simple. “I have always believed that poverty is not a hindrance to success. It was ABS-CBN Baguio which sparked my interest in show business because they gave me the confidence and made me believe that I have a spot in this industry.”

SunDAy : A pRIl 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

H

Heart Evangelista during the Vice presidential debate organized by ABS-CBn

CHIz’S CHEERlEADER lOSES VOICE

eart Evangelista is evidently Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s cheerleader. The actress was caught on camera cheering for her husband at the vice-presidential debate on ABS-CBN. “Ngayon nga po medyo napaos na po ako kakasigaw kagabi pero I’m so proud of him. Natutuwa po ako dahil ang daming mga magagandang feedback po lalo na sa social media,” Heart said during a campaign sortie in Lipa recently.

Netizens bashed Chiz for his manner of speaking in Tagalog.

But, Heart was glad that the au-

Did you know FpJ wanted to be mayor of San Juan?

Had Fernando Poe, Jr. won over Joseph Estrada in the “jack n poy’ they were playing when the former was still a young actor, he would have been the politician and not the now President Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

That was what Estrada recounted to members of the media during a sortie in Manila with Senator Grace Poe. “Madalas kaming nag-uusap ni FPJ: ‘kung wala ‘yung mga mahihirap, wala rin tayo…’ Kaya sabi namin, ‘paano tayo makakaganti?’

Kaya nag-isip kami… Inisip namin kung tatakbong mayor o ano,” Erap told the crowd in Baseco in Tondo.

“Nag-unahan kami kung sino…

Nag-jack n’ poy kami, nanalo ako, kaya ako ang nauna—naging mayor ako ng San Juan,” Erap said about his political stint in 1967.

Meanwhile, Cathy Sanchez Babao’s post on her social media account defending Fernando Poe, Jr. and his legacy to the Filipinos.

Cathy recounts how close FPJ was with fellow workers in the movie industry. In fact, Da King was also some sort of a “love doctor.”

Caridad Sanchez, Cathy’s mother, talked once to FPJ when she experienced heartbreak.

“When my mother came to Manila in 1958 and her heart was

dience eventually focused on the platforms of each candidate.

“Nakaka-proud na nasasabi niya kung anong mga dapat niyang sabihin, kung ano ‘yung mga naririnig ko sa kanya kapag kaming dalawa ay nashare niya sa ibang tao at nararamdaman ng tao ‘yon,” Heart explained. “Saka si Chiz kasi ang galing niyang magsalita.

Makata, ‘di ba? So parang nakaka-bilib lalo. Doon po ako lalong bumilib sa kanya. Nu’ng nakita ko siya noong 2007 kung paano siya magsalita parang naliliwanag lahat-lahat. Kumbaga ang bawat tanong mo may sagot siya kaya nakakatuwa na

Toxins in your colon can cause various health complications -irritability, digestive problems and even weight gain. This is why you should take necessary steps in cleaning your colon such as drinking enough water, adding more fiber and vegetables in your diet. There’s also FatOut which assists in cleansing your colon the natural way.

FatOut has Sweep and Shred formula which helps in cleansing Joseph Estrada and Fernando poe, Jr. in one of the films they both starred in your colon and trimming down broken into bits and pieces, FPJ He was always a protector, and had your extra fat. FatOut sweeps rescued her. There was nothing a legacy of caring for everyone—big away toxins from your colon and romantic. They were just really or small. Ayaw talaga ni Ronnie ang shreds excess body fat. It is a comgood friends. He took her to Lu- may naaapi. And when he’s your bination of psylium husk, known neta and strolled by the sea wall. friend, he’s your friend until the as the super fiber that cleans the He listened to her rant about how very end. So please lang, I’m tired colon and sweeps away toxins badly she had been treated and he of reading all this crap about FPJ and cholesterol from dietary fats; wanted to beat up her arrogant not having a legacy. He did. It just green tea extract, known to effecboyfriend,” Cathy said on her wasn’t in the realm of the political.” tively aid weight loss as it burns “FPJ lives on in his daughter, and and shreds fats by speeding up Facebook post.

“They munched on nilagang in the hearts and minds of every- metabolism; pu’er tea extract that mani, because in 1958 it was all they one who encountered his caring, eliminates hard-to-digest fats; could afford as struggling young compassion, kindness and generos- aloe vera powder, the essential actors. Years later when they were ity. For those of us who knew him, amino acids in this ingredient both successful, it was a page in brief though our encounters may help detoxify and remove toxins their history they liked to look back have been, the imprint he left in our in the colon; alfalfa, which proon and laugh about,” added the hearts is so deep that it will never motes better digestive health; and writer. “FPJ didn’t work for govern- be forgotten for as long as we live,” oat fiber that controls the appetite ment but hell, he was a good man. Cathy concluded. and suppresses cravings Cleanse your colon the natural way. Stand out with FatOut. Want to meet and chat with celebrity endorser Kim Chiu? Now it’s

Inexpensive but pretty remote car is something collectors can only dream of.

But Chris Tiu and his bunch of I-Bilibers will show us how to have one that is faster and prettier. Let’s all watch what they call the “remote car experiment.”

In the segment “life hacks” let’s find out the secret behind borax and why it is the effective cleaner of computer keyboards.

In the “magnetic slime experiment,” are these magnets or monsters? That’s what the experiment will tell us.

And what about lemon? Can it power a car? Lets’s find out what the guys from discover science discovered.

All these only in I-Bilib , 9:30 a.m. on GMA 7 every Sunday.

nakikita siya nandoon sa entablado,” the actress related.

“The very first time I ever saw him in 2007. Crushturned-husband and yes it was the way he spoke that blew me away. Always a fan...:) #SayChiz,” Heart captioned the photo she uploaded on her Instagram account.

“Na-appreciate ko iyon na ganon siya magsalita kasi mas nalilinawan ako sa mga bagaybagay so kapag nagtatanong ako sa kanya, biglang magshishift siya ng tone. Iyon ang tono niya, oo seryoso, at ang ganda noon is madami akong natututunan,” the actress added.

Kim Chiu says FatOut for safe colon cleansing

‘I-Bilib’ experiments to watch out for

Athlete and ‘I-Bilib” host Chris Tiu

C7

FatOut is Kim Chiu’s secret to slim and slender figure

all possible with FatOut’s Royal Treatment. It’s easy to join, visit the official FB page of FatOut for the mechanics. www.facebook. com/ATCFatOut.

sunday : a pril 24, 2016

C8

isaH V. rEd EDITOR niCKiE WanG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

“single/single” cast members (from left) anna luna, Matteo Guidicelli, shaina Magdayao and Brian sy with the series’ director pepe diokno at the show’s second season press conference

‘SInglE/SInglE’ nOW On ITS SEcOnD SEaSOn ISAH V. RED

i

f you watch Tagalog movies regularly on C1 (Cinema One), the cable movie channel of ABS-CBN, most likely you are familiar with Single/Single.

Single/Single, Cinema One’s first breakthrough series starring Kapamilya stars Shaina Magdayao and Matteo Guidicelli is now on its second season and will return at 10 p.m. on May 15.

At the media launch held on April 21 at Restaurant 9501 in ABS-CBN, the cast shared that season 2 promises leveled-up entertainment and relevance that will appeal to the millennial generation, without losing the comedy and kilig vibes that fans loved in the first season.

Single/Single, Cinema One and The Philippine Star’s first project, is the cable channel’s first TV series that focuses on issues ranging from quarter-life crises to relationship dilemmas in a digital world. The series combines engaging comedy with relevant messaging targeted to the urban singles coping with the demanding lifestyle of a more complicated world.

Season 2 will continue to combine the power of cable and print media to talk to Filipino millennials about how to cope as a single individual in an entertaining format.

After each episode on Cinema One, there will be an in-depth discussion on “how to (be an) adult” in The Philippine Star’s Business Lifestyle section with wealth management expert and inspirational speaker, Francis Kong.

For this season, online media will play a vital role in sparking conversation among millenni-

als and engaging them as episodes will eventually be made available via PhilstarTV.com.

Returning to the series are veteran actress Cherie Gil who plays Matteo’s single mom, award-winning Cinema One Originals actress Anna Luna as Shaina’s careerdriven buddy, and theater actor Brian Sy as Shaina’s gay friend.

Single/Single is directed by Pepe Diokno, written by Palanca winner Lilit Reyes, and produced by Bianca Balbuena, who recently joined the prestigious Berlinale Talents panel.

The new season will air every Sunday at 10 p.m. with replays on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9 p.m.

Cinema One, the country’s number one cable channel is on Skycable channel 56, Destiny Cable Analog 37 and Digital 57. For updates, like Cinema1channel on Facebook (facebook.com/Cinema1channel). For updates on Single/Single, visit Facebook.com/ SingleSingleC1 on Facebook and @SingleSingleC1 on Twitter and Instagram.

and a graduation gift to my daughter.”

“It was a lot of fun, especially for the kids,” Gelbolingo, who hails from Davao, said.

On why they chose to subscribe to SKY, Leyague, who is from Cebu, said, “Because of HBO, which my family loves.”

The trip was SKYcable’s way of thanking its subscribers’ unending support in the 25 years it has delivered unmatched entertainment, pioneered in digital cable TV, constantly innovated to provide the best entertainment experience to its subscribers.

SKY continues to offer viewers with diverse options to enjoy TV entertainment with its value and premium service offerings.

Only SKYcable provides quality home entertainment with the widest-range of standard and high definition channels and other top-of-the-line services such as flexible subscription options via SELECT; iRECORD that records, pauses, and rewinds live TV; as well as real-time coverage of

live concerts and sporting events via FREE VIEW and PAY-PER-VIEW. To subscribe and to know more about SKYcable, log on to www.mysky.com.ph, or call the 24-hour customer service hotlines at 02 381-0000 for Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, and Rizal; 046-484-4701 for Cavite; 049-534-2814 for Calamba and Binan, Laguna; 02-520-8560 for San Pedro, Laguna and Carmona, Cavite; 044-693-5877 for Bulacan; 032-421-1818 for Cebu; 082-3055456 for Davao; 074-442-4841 for Baguio; 034-432-0051 for Bacolod; 033-300-1210 for Iloilo; 035-225-1010 for Dumaguete; and 083 301-3134 for Gen. Santos City.

Enjoy 93 channels in clear digital signal for only P550 per month with Destiny Cable. For inquiries about the services and promos of Destiny Cable call 418-0000.

You may also contact Destiny Cable via their email address, weserve@destinycable.com.ph.

Families win big in Skycable and HBO getaway

SKY delighted three of its lucky regional subscribers with an exciting Manila trip via the HBO-sponsored FUNtastic Family Getaway promo.

Edwin Bitana of Luzon, Merafe Leyague of Visayas, and Jessielou Gelbolingo of Mindanao won the raffle that included enjoying the perks of getting VIP access to SKY Alive Fair, the industry’s first ever and biggest experiential assembly that showcased SKYcable’s featured shows and characters.

They were also treated to a trip to Kidzania Manila, a “play city” built for children in Bonifacio Global City.

Bitana expressed his deep gratitude saying the trip was “a birthday gift to my son

The winning families of the Funtastic getaway promo with sKy executives at sKy alive