BusinessMirror June 16, 2019

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TOURISTS are seen swimming at Kayangan Lake in Coron, Palawan. Despite the Mexican market’s proximity to the Caribbean region, buyers were interested in the “beaches and exotic islands. Palawan and Bohol are very attractive to them! You show them photos of El Nido and Bohol, and they are amazed,” said Sonia Lazo, managing director of Intas Destination Management Co. MAXIM TUPIKOV | DREAMSTIME.COM

OF M.I.C.E. AND MEXICANS

PHL tourism seen benefiting from Mexico ‘wall’ woes

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

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Special to the BusinessMirror

HE current border issues between Mexico and the United States are forcing many Mexicans, as well as other Latin Americans, to look to other countries for their vacation plans. One of those beneficiaries is the Philippines, judging from the influx of buyers to the Philippines booth at the recent Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings (IBTM) Americas held in Mexico.

“We received an extremely warm reception from the Mexican trade. Generally, they’re now starting to look for ‘exotic’ destinations.

Those already doing Asia are looking beyond the usual Thailand, Japan, etc. And those who aren’t still, are now looking at Asia,” said Sonia Lazo, managing director of Intas Destination Management Co., who attended the international travel trade show on May 29 and 30.

She added: “Mexicans have been traveling to the US, Canada and Europe. And given the border issues with the US, they’re slowing down on travel to the US.” Jose Clemente, president of Rajah Tours Philippines, reported the same enthusiastic reception

from Latin American buyers. He said distance didn’t even seem to be a factor against the Philippines: “Apparently, it’s the rich who are traveling in droves so they can afford to go to the Philippines. They have the disposable income to travel.”

Easy trip

LAZO averred since the market was already traveling to Japan, “they can easily travel to the Philippines.” Round-trip airfare aboard All Nippon Airways from Mexico to Manila via Tokyo, for instance, costs about $1,500. Other possible carriers servicing the route are Japan Airlines and Eva Air (via San Francisco and Taipei).

This was the first time for the Philippines private sector to participate in IBTM, and included heads of major companies such as Annset Holidays, Corporate International Travel, Intas, Rajah Tours, and Sharp Travel Service.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Tourism Attaché for the US Southwestern States and Latin America Richmond Jimenez said the Philippines’s participation for the first time was “ripe this year, as well under the leadership of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat, as the Philippines is making an aggressive approach in promoting the MICE (Meetings Incentives Conferences Exhibits) sector to renew

the country’s image and status as “the premier MICE destination in Asia.”

He added, they presented Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao as strategic MICE destinations: “[These] not only offer best tourism products, venues and services, but also have consistently growing economies, which attract investors to build more hotels and meeting facilities.”

‘Amazing’ beaches

IN the first quarter of 2019 alone, there were 6,922 arrivals from Mexico and South America, up 24.6 percent from the 5,556 arrivals in the same period last year.

Continued on A2

Tour of China shows a nation girding for protracted trade war

By Shawn Donnan

P

tion point,” said Tom Liu, chief executive officer of Shanghai-based data company ChinaScope Financial Ltd. “People are seeing an indefinite trade shock.” And they are planning for it.

Bloomberg News

RESIDENT Donald Trump is eager to crow about the economic weapon he wielded against Mexico to win concessions on immigration: “Tariffs are a great negotiating tool,” he declared on Tuesday.

Now, Trump says, it’s China’s turn to cower. Yet, to visit China these days is to encounter the limits of his punch-them-in-the-nose strategy. Even as Trump threatens to raise import duties to painful levels, 10 days of meetings with Chinese officials, academics, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists revealed a nation rewriting its relationship with the US and preparing to ride out a trade war.

Trump is seeking to increase

pressure on Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, before this month’s G-20 summit, but Trump may already have pushed too far.

Last month Xi exhorted his countrymen to a second Long March, an echo of Mao’s seminal strategy to preserve the communist revolution. What Xi didn’t say was that the new march—this time in the service of China’s own model of capitalism—is already under way.

“This is definitely an inflec-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.9230

Silent treatment

A WORKER checks on robot arms at a factory in Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province, June 6, 2019. China’s Commerce Ministry will release a list of “unreliable” foreign companies in the near future. The new list, announced last week, is widely seen as a response to a US decision to put Huawei Technologies on a blacklist for alleged theft of intellectual property and evasion of Iran sanctions. CHINATOPIX VIA AP

AT Huawei Technologies Co., the telecom giant at the center of the clash, preparations are already on.

The US last month labeled Huawei a threat to US national security and placed the company on an export blacklist, cutting it off from suppliers such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Intel Corp. Trump has since then dangled the possibility of a resolution to Huawei’s woes being part of a larger trade deal. But Huawei executives say they have had no contact with US authorities and rather than count on a settlement they are shifting supply chains and making other preparations for a prolonged fight.

“We have full confidence in our Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4791 n UK 65.8228 n HK 6.6331 n CHINA 7.5020 n SINGAPORE 37.9943 n AUSTRALIA 35.8944 n EU 58.5640 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8450

Source: BSP (June 14, 2019 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, June 16, 2019

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Tour of China shows a nation girding for protracted trade war Continued from A1

own survival,” Liang Hua, Huawei chairman, told American journalists visiting during a trip organized by the US-China Exchange Foundation, a Hong Kong nonprofit run by the territory’s former chief executive. Liang outlined more than a decade of planning to replace US suppliers.

Mistrusting Trump

INFORMING part of the decision to move on is the Chinese view of Trump as an erratic partner after four months of negotiations over a broad trade agreement broke down in May. US officials blamed China for reneging on commitments; the Chinese blamed Trump’s everchanging demands. That view has been bolstered by Trump’s retreat last week on his threat of tariffs as high as 25 percent on Mexico— even after negotiating an updated North American Free Trade Agreement that enshrined tariff-free trade.

On either side of the Pacific, there are fundamentally different conceptions of who has leverage.

Trump often touts what he sees as the US’s structural advantage. Because the US imports more from China each year than vice versa, he has more trade to target.

When he increased tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on some $200 billion in goods last month, China raised duties on $60 billion in US goods. If Trump imposes tariffs on all remaining China trade— some $300 billion in goods—Beijing won’t be able to match the raw amount.

VISITORS look at a display of smartphones from Chinese technology firm Huawei at the Consumer Electronics Show in Shanghai on June 11, 2019. Chinese tech giant Huawei said Tuesday it would have become the world’s number-one smartphone maker by year’s end if it were not for “unexpected” circumstances, a hint that pressure from the US may be hurting its sales. CHINATOPIX VIA AP

Turning inward

CHINA’S most consequential tactics are aimed at spurring innovation and shoring up its economy: state support the US is demanding it unwind.

Yi Gang, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, last week pointed to a range of tools that Beijing could use to mitigate harm to the world’s second-largest economy, from interest-rate policy to

letting the currency weaken. “The room for adjustment is tremendous,” he said.

China has already deployed a stimulus program that bolstered growth. It’s also taking administrative measures to help tech companies like Huawei.

Beijing last year announced a two-year corporate-tax holiday for software and semiconductor-design companies to help close technology gaps. Last week the government accelerated a 5G spectrum auction to foster the new technology in the world’s biggest market for it. That gave Huawei an advantage in a global race to control airwaves that will carry commands to everything from autonomous cars to data-generating wind turbines and even to fish farms.

Legal battlements

THE government has announced an “unreliable entities” list that would ban US companies that cut off Chinese firms for political reasons. It’s also establishing an export-control system like the one America is employing to target Huawei, so that it can limit technology sold to the US. In private meetings, Chinese tech investors, who continue to shuttle back and forth to Silicon Valley, talk of ordering lawyers to conjure up “sanctions-proof” corporate structures for promising start-ups.

At Cambridge Industries Group Ltd. in Shanghai, which assembles networking equipment for companies such as Nokia Oyj and

Ericsson AB, adaptation started a year ago when the company set up a Malaysian factory. It took just three months.

“Most Chinese companies are doing that if they do business with the US,” said Rose Hsu, CIG head of marketing. “It’s a dynamic situation. You don’t know what will happen, so you prepare for the worst.”

Some companies with products already shut out of the US market are simply moving on.

Missing mark

ENVISION Energy, a wind-turbine manufacturer that last year bought a controlling interest in Nissan’s battery unit and its Smyrna, Tennessee, factory is more befuddled than gutted. It doesn’t sell turbines in the US and is already focused on expanding battery capacity in China to serve the booming electricvehicle sector.

“We are building a new factory in China because China has a better supply chain than Europe or the United States,” said Zhou Jiangong, the company vice president.

Still, evidence of the trade war’s impact is easy to find, said Liu, the US-educated CEO of ChinaScope. Private companies are reporting tighter cash flow and new limits on working capital. The labor market is also softening, though that has made it easier and cheaper to retain and recruit talent.

Zha Daojiong, a Peking University political scientist and critic of how both Xi and Trump have handled the trade war, said debate

about economic reform in China has been stifled by a new nationalism. “That’s a net loss for our country,” he said.

Workerless workplace

BUT all that is also coming alongside a new push for efficiency from Chinese companies that, in the longer term, is likely to make China a more fearsome economic competitor.

At CIG’s headquarters in a sprawling industrial park around the corner from the Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, sterile assembly lines are increasingly automated. On a recent afternoon, a line that once relied on more than 60 workers was pumping out Nokia-branded switches to convert high-speed optical broadband signals for use by residential Wi-Fi routers. They arrived at a rate of almost 1,500 per 12-hour shift with just 13 humans and nine robots.

At Envision, drones have turned what was once a laborious three-day task of surveying the tops of office buildings for solar panels into a 24-minute algorithmfueled sprint. Similar software lays out wind farms. New sensors determine when electric-vehicle batteries should be retired to office buildings to store electricity bought at off-peak rates and save companies millions.

“We are a change company,” said Zhou confidently. And, even as Trump continues to try to box it in, China is looking like a change country.

Of MICE and Mexicans Continued from A1

Lazo said most of her buyers were from Mexico, while the others were from South America and the US. Despite the market’s proximity to the Caribbean region, her buyers were interested in the “beaches and exotic islands. Palawan and Bohol are very attractive to them! You show them photos of El Nido and Bohol, and they are amazed!”

Although this is the first time for the Philippines to send a private-sector delegation, Clemente was hopeful that the buyers are going beyond the exploratory talks.

“I would say about 30 percent to 35 percent are ready to send [clients] and have been sending. The rest just needed more information about the Philippines so they could better sell it [to their clients]. They also needed to meet destination

management companies that they could work with. Before, they didn’t know who to work with or how to go about making bookings…. If we have a sustained presence in Latin America, it can be that new market we are looking for.”

More forthcoming events

LAZO agrees. “Sustaining their interest is the key,” she said, adding that their leads could pan out “anywhere from three to six months, while for MICE, up to a year.”

On the part of the Department of Tourism and its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), Jimenez said, “We were able to secure three confirmed events to happen the remainder of this year and year 2020, plus over 30 other leads we met. As for the private sector, in my estimate, each of them took home about 15 active leads

that we need to follow through on.”

Although IBTM Americas is more a MICE trade event, Clemente said, “We had a lot of leisure clients also. Many incentives organizers were interested in the Philippines because they were really looking for new destinations.” For the leisure destinations, he offered Palawan and Boracay, and a number of his buyers commented that “our beaches [in the Philippines] are more beautiful.”

Aside from the travel trade event, the DOT and TPB also held organized product presentations and a news conference as peripheral events. Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Demetrio Tuason personally welcomed the Mexican buyers and media to the press event, and extended his invitation for them to come to the Philippines, and visit the Philippine booth at IBTM Americas 2019.

The World BusinessMirror

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Sunday, June 16, 2019

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HK quiet now, but prospect of new protest looms large

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ONG KONG—Hong Kong’s downtown was calm on Friday after days of protests by students and human-rights activists opposed to a bill that would allow suspects to be tried in mainland Chinese courts, although the prospect of further protests over the weekend loomed large.

Demonstrators have said they remain committed to preventing the administration of Beijingappointed Chief Executive Carrie Lam from pushing through the legal amendments they see as eroding Hong Kong’s cherished legal autonomy, which it retained after its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Traffic flowed on major thoroughfares that had been closed after a protest by hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday, posing the biggest political challenge yet to Lam’s two-year-old government.

Protesters had kept up a presence through Thursday night, singing hymns and holding up signs criticizing the police for their handling of the demonstrations.

Police said they have arrested 11 people on charges such as assaulting police officers and unlawful assembly. Police Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung said 22 officers had been injured in the fracas and hospital administrators said they treated 81 people for protestrelated injuries.

Several hundred young protesters gathered on Thursday

on a pedestrian bridge across from the government complex, standing for hours and singing “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord,” while holding signs with messages such as “Don’t Shoot” and “End the Violence.” Signs were posted on the walls of the bridge Friday, including photocopies of the famed Associated Press “Tank Man” picture that became a symbol of resistance to China’s bloody suppression of studentled pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Other signs criticized the police for their use of force in fighting back against protesters, including firing tear gas and rubber bullets and striking out with steel batons.

The debris-strewn area around government headquarters was blocked off by police while sanitation workers gathered rubbish and police officers checked the identity cards of pedestrians before letting them into the area.

The standoff between police and protesters is Hong Kong’s most severe political crisis since t he C om mu n i s t Pa r t y - r u le d

China’s father of electric cars says hydrogen is the future

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is vision to make China an electric-vehicle (EV) powerhouse revolutionized the global auto industry, cementing a move away from the combustion engine. Now, Wan Gang says get ready for the next game-changing moment.

The world’s biggest car market is set to embrace hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles the way it did EVs, Wan, who’s been called the father of China’s electric-car movement, said in a rare interview in Beijing on June 9.

A former Audi executive who went on to become China’s science and technology minister, Wan convinced leaders two decades ago to bet on the then-untested technology of vehicle electrification, selling it not only as a way to boost economic growth but also to tackle China’s dependence on oil imports and its mounting levels of pollution.

His strategy—using government subsidies to bring carmakers and drivers onboard—made China home to one of every two EVs sold globally today.

And now it’s hydrogen’s turn, Wan said.

“We should look into establishing a hydrogen society,” said Wan, 66, who’s now a vice chairman of China’s national advisory body for policy-making, a role that ranks higher than a minister and gives him a voice in the nation’s future planning. “We need to move further toward fuel cells.”

That means the government will commit resources to developing such vehicles, he said. While China plans to phase out the longtime subsidy program for the maturing EV industry next year, government funding for fuel-cell vehicles may stay in place to some extent, Wan said.

Shares of some hydrogen-related companies rose. Jiangsu Huachang Chemical Co., which develops hydrogen pumping stations, advanced by the 10 percent daily limit on Thursday in Shenzhen. Shanghai Tongji Science & Technology Industrial Co. and Lanzhou Great Wall Electrical Co., which are both invested in the fuel-cell vehicle industry, also rose in Shanghai.

Despite the backing of industry giants such as Toyota Motor Corp. and the benefits of fuel-cell vehicles—they refuel faster and are more suitable for driving long distances than all-electric vehicles—the technology hasn’t caught on amid expensive prices.

But China has the muscle to change all that should it make hydrogen-powered vehicles a national priority—the type of turning point the industry has been waiting decades for.

For Wan—a mechanical engineer trained in Germany—the shift toward hydrogen is a natural step in realizing a vision of having electric cars dominate inner-city traffic, while buses and trucks filled with hydrogen tanks roam the nation’s highways for long-distance travel.

The adoption of fuel-cell vehicles has been slow in spite of China having an abundant supply of hydrogen, Wan said. There are only about 1,500 such vehicles in use there today, compared with more than 2 million purely electric vehicles, he said.

It’s not just China. Hydrogen fuel cells have struggled to gain traction worldwide not just because of high costs—one of the key components is platinum—but also because of the lack of infrastructure and the complexity of storing hydrogen.

Then there’s the matter of hydrogen’s flammability, as evidenced by the recent fire at a refueling station in Norway.

“We will sort out the factors that have been hindering the development of fuel-cell vehicles,” Wan said.

Efforts are under way in Japan, which plans to increase the number of fuel-cell vehicles on its roads to 40,000 by 2020—though BloombergNEF estimates sales so far aren’t close to that target. Bloomberg News

Hong Kong police officers pass by words formed with tape that read “Protect our city, against extradition to China” near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Friday, June 14, 2019. Calm appeared to have returned to Hong Kong after days of protests by students and human-rights activists opposed to a bill that would allow suspects to be tried in mainland Chinese courts. AP

mainland took control in 1997 with a promise not to interfere with the city’s civil liberties and courts. It poses a profound challenge both to the local leadership and to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the country’s strongest leader in decades who has demanded that Hong Kong follow Beijing’s dictates.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam declared that Wednesday’s violence was “rioting” that was “intolerable in any civilized society that respects the rule of law.” That designation could raise potential legal penalties for those arrested for taking part.

“Intense confrontation is surely not the solution to ease disputes and

resolve controversies,” Lam said, according to an official news release.

It’s unclear how Lam, as chief executive, might defuse the crisis, given Beijing’s strong support for the extradition bill and its distaste for dissent.

Beijing has condemned the protests but so far has not indicated whether it is planning harsher measures. In past cases of unrest, the authorities have waited months or years before rounding up protest leaders.

Nearly two years ago, Xi issued a stern address in the city stating that Beijing would not tolerate Hong Kong becoming a base for what the Communist Party considers a foreign-inspired campaign to undermine its rule over the vast nation of 1.4 billion people.

Not all in Hong Kong support the protesters. About a dozen older people staged a demonstration in a downtown garden in support of the extradition bill. But others expressed sympathy.

Though never a bastion of democracy, Hong Kong enjoys freedoms of speech and protest denied to Chinese living in the mainland.

Opposition to the proposed extradition legislation brought what organizers said was 1 million people into the streets on Sunday.

The clashes Wednesday drew tens of thousands of mostly young residents and forced the legislature to postpone debate on the bill.

That came days after Hong Kong held one of the biggest June

4 candlelight vigils in recent years to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1989 protests in mainland China, a reminder of the uneasy relationship citizens of the region maintain with the authoritarian regime in Beijing.

Those in Hong Kong who anger China’s central government have come under greater pressure since Xi came to power in 2012.

The detention of several Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015 intensified worries about the erosion of the territory’s rule of law. The booksellers vanished before resurfacing in police custody in mainland China. Among them, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai is under investigation for allegedly leaking state secrets after he sold gossipy books about Chinese leaders.

In April, nine leaders of a 2014 pro-democracy protest movement known as the “Umbrella Revolution” were convicted on public nuisance and other charges.

Hong Kong’s protests have draw n inter nationa l concer n and support from human-rights groups and foreign capitals.

On Thursday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Hong Kong’s situation shows the “one country, two systems” framework devised for Hong Kong when Britain handed the colony back to China cannot work. Beijing says it wants to unite with Taiwan under the same formula, despite overwhelming opposition among citizens of the self-governing island democracy that China claims as its own territory.

The Hong Kong government should listen to its people and not rush to pass the legislation that sparked the protests, Tsai told reporters. AP

Science

BusinessMirror

A4 Sunday, June 16, 2019

Sunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Procurement law needs a revisit to aid PHL research

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By Stephanie Tumampos

CIENCE researches involve equipment and supplies. While scientists can choose what they need, Filipino researchers are still struggling to maximize their efforts in bringing quality research on time because of difficulties in the procurement process under the Philippine law.

A nd since most researches a re publ ic ly f u nded , cer t a i n procedures must be taken into consideration.

The 2016 Revised implementing rules and regulations of the Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, aims to provide the necessary steps for the “modernization, standardization and regulation of the procurement activities of the government of the Philippines.”

Despite the revisions, it has not come any closer to the practical needs of the researchers and scientists in the country.

Dr. Fernando Siringan of the Marine Science Institute (MSI) of the University of the Philippines expressed his dismay toward procurement of needed equipment and immediate goods for their research.

During the Technology Media

Conference on Marine Biodiversity held at the Philippine International Convention Center early this month, Siringan told the media that they are happy with the government efforts, especially the generous funding provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), toward science research, especially in their field of marine environment in the country.

Ho we ve r, t he y h ave b e e n struggling in making their projects because of the stringent procurement procedures.

“It takes more than a year for us

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STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

to procure equipment and it costs the government twice the cost of that equipment if you are able to buy it outside,” Siringan said.

He explained: “It’s the procurement law that is preventing the Filipinos from doing much more from the resources that is available to us.”

Siringan blamed the slow process brought by the procurement law for the inefficiency of manpower and slow completion of a project.

He said a year of waiting for equipment could have been used for research time for the scientists if only the procurement was fast.

It’s the procurement law that is preventing Filipinos from doing much more from the resources that is available to us.”—Siringan

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“You pay a year of manpower waiting for equipment and when it arrives, the price has already doubled,”Siringan said, asking, “For whom [was] the procurement law [formulated]?”

He cited as example the procurement of fuel for the MSI ship for marine research.

“We were able to get a ship recently but we can’t sail on time because there is no fuel. Why? It’s because of the procurement law,” he said.

Siringan explained that funds was already available, but when the procurement process was finished, fuel pump prices have doubled from P45 to P90.

Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña told the BusinessMirror at the sidelines of the conference that everyone is affected by the procurement law.

“It’s [procurement law] already in the talks within the Cabinet but there is stil l no change. From the ver y beginning, the President [Duterte] was saying that a review of the procurement law must be done because many are complaining,” de la Peña said.

The science executive added that in the field of science, the problem is that most of the equipment for research are not available in the country, “so we still need to import. And besides the distance of the equipment’s origin, there is a process to be followed, which adds to the time before an equipment arrives.”

In the Philippines, procurement starts with bidding, with the lowest bid that is approved. It should be noted that apart from those in the science field, other government institutions are having difficulty in their procurement process even under the same law.

De la Peña noted that it would be of great help if the procurement law were improved for it to be consistent with the Ease of Doing Business Act. He explained “there is a reason behind such strict process because corruption practices have been prevalent in the past.”

De la Peña said, “In our department [DOST], we are looking for ways on how to finish the processing of project proposals in just 40 days, unlike before when they had to wait for six months.”

Siringan is hoping that the process is shortened, especially with foreign companies that don’t have local partner agencies.

“I hope the procurement process will be more fluid such as, for example, in a failed bidding process, we won’t need to wait another two or three weeks before another bidding,” he said.

Siringan said the situation it only adds more stress to researchers who wait and could not proceed with their researches because their equipment is not yet available.

“The law [procurement law] should be checked if it is facilitating or helping Filipinos or not, because, to me, it’s not helping,” Siringan told the BusinessMirror.

RE you or do you know of Grade 12 students in Academic Year 2019-2020 who would like to have a scholarship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses?

The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) is now accepting applications for the 2020 Undergraduate Scholarships Program. Grade 12 students in school year 2019-2020 are encouraged to apply and pursue careers in science and technology.

Applicants must be naturalborn Filipinos with good moral character and in good health. Application is open to students in the STEM strand but non-STEM students may also apply provided they belong to the top 5 percent of their graduating class.

Students who belong to families whose socioeconomic information meet the cut-off values for certain socioeconomic indicators may apply as Republic Act 7687 scholars, while those who belong to families whose socioeconomic information are above the cut-off values may apply as Merit scholars. R A 7687 scholarship applicants must also be residents of the municipality for the last four years.

Scholars will receive financial assistance of P40,000 per academic year to cover tuition and other school fees, living allowance of P7,000 a month, book allowance of P10,000 per academic

year, transportation allowance for those who will be studying outside their home region (on a reimbursement basis), group accident insurance and graduation clothing allowance.

To be able to enjoy the scholarship, applicants should pass the 2020 S&T Undergraduate Scholarships Examination and pursue a four- or five-year Bachelor of Science degree program in any of the priority fields of study at a state university or college, or any private higher education institution that is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Center of Excellence or Center of Development, or with Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines Level III accreditation for the BS program that they intend to enroll in.

Students may submit the documentary requirements and accomplished application form to DOST-SEI Science and Technology Scholarship Division office at the DOST Compound, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City, or at any DOST Regional Office or Provincial Science and Technology Center.

The deadline for submission of application is on September 6.

Date of nationwide examination is on October 20.

To download the application form and see the complete list of requirements, priority programs and study placements, visit www. sei.dost.gov.ph. S&T News Service

GREEN BUILDING ADDED TO MAKATI SKYLINE

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

A

NOTHER green building has been added to Makati skyline when the Nova group recently inaugurated the NEX Tower on Ayala Avenue.

Architec t R icardo Cuer va, managing director of the Nova group, said the design of the building combines the features of home and office as clients demand a more casual and more relaxing atmosphere to make the staff settled in doing their tasks. “The integration of home and office designs is the current trend in the new corporate setup,” Cuerva said.

With the daily traffic jams becoming a normal burden to workers, Cuerva said more and more people prefer to stay in the office beyond their working hours to lessen their stress on daily commuting. Moreover, he said the company made it sure people would like to have something to admire from every angles both inside and outside the building.

“People spend about one-third of their lives at work. Being in a well-designed and healthy work environment helps motivate employees to do their best work. Much like how homes define one’s identity, the workspaces you occupy are also seen as places that define you, the company you are working for, and the values it upholds, he added.

Cuerva said the Nova group developed the NEX Tower not only to be an architectural landmark but to be a standard for wellness and sustainability.

Moreover, the Nova group commissioned the prominent Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the Chicago-based architectural firm that designed Burj Khalifa, the tallest building

in the world, and the iconic One World Trade Center in New York City.

He said the Nova group wants to position NEX Tower as a game changer in terms of introducing innovative and sustainable architec ture practices in the streetscape of Makati.

Cuerva said NEX Tower has been designed to be appreciated from the external and internal.

From a distance, he said people would marvel at the futuristic design that promotes wellness for its occupants and promote sustainability of the environment.

Upon entering NEX Tower’s lobby, a massive 11-meter living green wall proudly greets one. The green wall provides fresh air, natural elements and grand scale to a city that has become detached from nature.

He said NEX Tower practices energy efficiency by using the highest efficiency air-conditioning equipment available in the market, and a lowemissivity, double-pane curtain wall throughout the building.

He said NEX Tower is targeting to save at least 50 percent in water consumption through rainwater collection and low-flow water fixtures.

The building is pre certified at Gold level LEED certification by the US Green Building Council.

Beyond LEED certification, the building offers multiple landscaped areas for occupants to commune with nature. In addition to the living green wall, there are three other landscaped outdoor spaces within the tower, where building tenants can be around plants, including the top floor roof garden.

NEX Tower will cater to multinational corporations, financial institutions and leading local firms to ser ve its occupants, their businesses and the community around it.

Faith

Sunday

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY: ‘JOHN 16:12-15’

What the Trinity means for you MSGR. JOSEFINO S. RAMIREZ SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

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HE sign of the Christian is the sign of the cross. When we extend our hand to the four directions of our body, we are reminded of the cross and the mystery of our salvation through the suffering of Christ.

While we make that gesture, we are also reminded of another reality through the words,“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”These words refer to the sublime mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity.

The gospel of today’s Mass shows us the presence of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus Christ, who is God the Son and the second person of the Trinity, talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, who is the “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13), who is the third person of the Trinity.

Jesus also talked about His Father, the first person of the Trinity, to whom Christ and the Holy Spirit are perfectly united.

The mystery of the Trinity means there is only one God, yet there are three distinct persons in the one God. Each person is God, yet there are not three Gods, but only one. Each person is distinct from the other two, yet they are perfectly united.

It is not a mathematical puzzle or a mere question of semantics. This truth has something to tell us.

While Saint Augustine said: “I am putting the whole sea into this hole,” the saint advised the boy, “Don’t you realize that you can’t fit the whole sea into that little hole?”

And the boy, who must have been a messenger of God, retorted to Augustine, “Well, why then are

you trying to fit the vast mystery of God into your limited mind?”

So the first lesson we can derive from this mystery is that of intellectual humility—to realize them the more they act in unison.

In God, knowledge and love are perfect, and the unity is also perfect. Thus, the mystery of the Blessed Trinity reveals to us a rich and fathomless inner activity of God. God is not like a cold piece of stone on an impersonal force. He is not just a “Master Architect” or“Designer,”as the 18th-century Deists (from which Masonry derives its principles) thought.

God is personal. God is warm. God is full of love and tenderness, not of a sentimental kind but of a realistic and strong kind. This God, who knows and loves Himself through His triple personality, is completely happy in Himself.

Yet, God is so good and His love so great that He has decided to share His happiness with His creatures.

This is where we can understand the great importance of the mystery of Blessed Trinity for our own lives. God has decided to invite each man—you and I—to share that intimate happiness that He has.

That is why we say that we are called to be “children of God”or, as Saint Peter says, we are called to be “sharers in the Divine nature.”

To be Christian is not just a matter of following a set of rules or of observing some external practices.

Above all, it means having a certain “life” within us,

the very life of God, which is the principle of our actions and convictions as Christians.

This life in us is what Christian doctrine calls “sanctifying grace.”We receive it in baptism (and so we say that through baptism we become children of God and heirs to heaven), and it grows with us through the sacraments and the practice of the Christian life. We lose it through mortal sin, but we can receive it once more through the Sacrament of Penance.

To live a truly Christian life, we must keep within the sphere of the intimate life of God; we must not step out of God’s household.

In other words, we must strive to preserve the state of grace in our souls, so that we become in the Divine Life of the Most Blessed Trinity. That there are realities that are beyond our limited understanding and that we have to accept through Faith.

Yet, Saint Augustine continued to ponder, to seek understanding, without putting his own mind above the faith.

The mystery of the Blessed Trinity also tells us that God is not a distant and impersonal force. God is personal. In God, there is a life of knowledge and love that we can perhaps equate to a very closelyknit family.

God is a father, He has the love and concern of a father. God is a son, He has the piety and respect of a son. God is the spirit of truth and love. And as Saint Peter says, we have been called to participate, to be sharers, in the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity.

It is like an invitation to form part of the “family intimacy” of God. And this takes place through our union and identification with Jesus Christ, who is our brother.

Here we see why the redeeming cross is united to the invocation of the Blessed Trinity, when we make the sign of the cross. It was through the sacrifice of the cross, in which we should all share, that our intimacy with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, became possible.

The Holy Trinity

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

G

OD, through the centuries, revealed Himself to holy people to inspire them in their works for His kingdom. Although Jesus, while on earth, alluded to the Holy Spirit in some events in His discourses and teachings, never was it fully revealed.

The Holy Spirit was given by God the Father in answer to Jesus’ prayer (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 729). It was poured out in abundance to the followers of Jesus Christ who were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, a Christian holiday, on the seventh Sunday after Easter.

Tongues of fire descended from the sky and rested on everyone. Filled with the Holy Spirit they began to talk in different languages. (Acts 2:1-13) The Holy Spirit is the last person in the Holy Trinity that was revealed (CCC 684) and it is through the Holy Spirit that faith is awakened and nourished.

The nature of God will forever remain a mystery. As Saint Augustine emphasized, “If you understand Him, He would not be God.”

Self-sacredness ADHERENTS to the New Age believe there is a complimentary relationship between God and His creation. In Monism, there is unity between everything and everyone. Because “all is one,” everything too is part of a divine essence.

Thus, there is a persistent and increasing belief that the person is “the standard of truth” with “selfsacredness.”

So in man’s continuous search for selfhood and good life, meaning of one’s existence, prestige, fame, power and wealth are the benchmarks of selffulfillment in a secular world, and are self-determined.

Belief in an all-knowing, all powerful, all-loving and ever-present God is challenged by many people. Pope John Paul II lamented, “human progress planned as alternatives to God’s plan introduces injustice, evil and violence rising against the divine plan of justice and salvation.”

Three divine persons in one God THINK, envision and reflect of having three persons as one God. It is apparently incomprehensible, improbable, impossible and illogical. This inseparable oneness in theology is called circumincession.

The dogma of the Holy Trinity is the most basic and essential in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, yet it is beyond human understanding. Three divine persons in one God. No divine person does anything by Himself. They are inseparable, in their glory, nature, power and majesty from all eternity—a life of love and unity. Thus, every time one makes the sign of the cross, the Holy Trinity is acknowledged.

Pope Francis’s homily on his April 30 morning Mass enjoined everyone to “listen to and understand God’s will

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through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Man is a “pagan dressed as a Christian if he does not leave space for the Holy Spirit” in life.

He emphasized, “We cannot be Christians without walking with the Holy Spirit, without acting with the Holy Spirit, without letting the Holy Spirit be the protagonist in our lives.”

Faith, a divine gift WITHOUT God’s grace of faith, man with his finite knowledge can never believe that the Three Persons in One God is present in all places, all things at all times and possesses infinite knowledge, insight, awareness and understanding.

The intellectual, who insists that to see is to believe or demands proofs of God’s ineffable attributes, will never be convinced.

For faith is needed to open all the doors and windows of the mind so man’s spirit can believe. And faith is a divine gift, a grace that enlightens the mind to will and believe on Three Persons in One God. The Council of Trent underscored “faith as the basis and root of all justification.”

On faith and disbelief, Saint Thomas Aquinas said, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

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Journ

Business

Editor: Tet Andolong

FREEDOM, FOOD & FUN O

By Bernard L. Supetran

NCE the capital of the First Philippine Republic, Angeles City teems with the unique blend of libertarian ideals, culinary tradition and a whole lot of fun. Just an hour north of the metropolis, this urban center at the heart of Pampanga hosted the pompous first anniversary celebration of Philippine Independence in 1899 presided by then-President Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.

GREEN Canyon Leisure Farms in Clark

YAMI Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbop

Held at the stately Pamintuan Mansion, which served as his temporary headquarters, Aguinaldo viewed some 2,000 Republican troops led by his most trusted general, Gregorio del Pilar, as they paraded around the town.

Over a century later, Angeles would be heralded as Pampanga’s “heritage city” because of the Spanish-era homes that have withstood the ravages of time. With the Pamintuan house, now the Museum of Philippine Social History, at its core, Santo Rosario’s heritage district takes you back in time to its genteel days as you walk along its hallowed streets.

Long associated with the nocturnal red-light lifestyle as a remnant of Clark Air Base’s heydays, the city government and community stakeholders—led by the Hotel and Restaurant Association in Pampanga—have been reimaging Angeles to be a center for cultural and culinary tourism.

Among the must-see historic

PUNING Hot Spring

landmarks in the area are Holy Rosary Church, Bale Matua or Founders’ Residence, the grain storehouse-turned-restaurant Camalig, the Bale Herencia ancestral house and Museo Ning Angeles, all of which have an intriguing story to tell.

The more interesting part of the city’s heritage is its food, being part of the country’s recognized “culinary capital” because of its flair for good cuisine for generations. Much have been said about its vibrant food scenario that Angeles has become more than just the vaunted sizzling sisig, which lured the late famed celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Because of its being a retirement place for former American Air Force servicemen and other expats, it has become a melting pot of foreign cuisines. And if you put in the Capampangan’s penchant for cooking and eating, you will find just about all sorts of major food here—from fusion, to American,

KANDI Tower pool

Australian, Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese, Thai, and Korean, and everything in between.

Due to the influx of Koreans in recent years, it has become the dominant Asian cuisine that punctuated almost every corner of the city, especially in the Anunas district, which has earned the moniker Korean Town.

But the one that seems to have tickled the Pinoy’s taste buds is Yami Bulgogi Korean BBQ Restaurant at SM City Clark because of its relaxed family-oriented ambiance and reasonably priced dishes. Rid-

ing on the local’s penchant for individual and group combo meals, it offers grilled and shabu-shabu, and unlimited side dishes, samgyupsal and rice, and occasional promos, thus edging the older and more orthodox Korean dining outlets.

Small children who are yet to get acquainted with Korean taste can settle with fried chicken, pasta and sandwiches, and play at the Yami Kiddie Corner.

Owned by a Filipina-Japanese entrepreneur married to a Korean, it prides itself of serving authentic dishes that originated from the cities of Incheon of Seoul.

INDEPENDENCE Day rites at Pamintuan Mansion

On the local front, 25 Seeds and Café Fleur of noted Chef Sau del Rosario are the hands-down choices for their rendition of Capampangan classics set dramatically at the restored Dycaico Ancestral House.

And when you’re about to hit the sack, explore the unconventional accommodation of Kandi Towers and Villas, which are beyond the typical hotels that we know. Developed by Kandi Realty, it boasts of seven elegant residential apartment complexes at the Malabanias area, four of which are high-rise towers laden with modern amenities.

With 321 well-appointed and fully-furnished residential apartments, the spacious units are ideal for long-staying foreign guests and those with an eye for flashy interior designs. It is also tops for balikbayan families who want a relaxing and luxurious staycation away from the madding crowd, but near enough to the usual mountain, beach and adventure spots.

Located adjacent the Clark Freeport, the white-washed towers are equipped with recreational facilities such as swimming pools, fitness gyms, billiards area and roofdeck bars, which are carefully laid out as entertainment areas. Its elegant lobby lounges adorned by

freestanding sculptures also double up as a cocktail bar and restaurant serving international gourmet dishes.

With coffee shops, resto-bars, convenience stores and laundry shops as concessionaires, the 11-story towers are like self-contained executive villages, which have all of your immediate needs.

Meanwhile, its villas are worldclass one-off design with opulent features that are too overwhelming to enumerate.

And if you cross over to just on the other side of the fence, the options for recreation can easily double.

For a dash of outdoor-based fun, you can bask in two exciting natural getaways situated at the city’s fringes—Green Canyon Leisure Farms, an Instagrammable resort known for its advocacy on eco-consciousness, environmental sustainability and healthy living, and the sought-after Puning Hot Spring and Sand Spa that takes you to a rough ride aboard a 4x4 jeep en route to a rejuvenating lahar and spring treatment.

With a checkered history, living side by side with a vibrant food scene, Angeles is undoubtedly the consummate destination for freedom, food and fun.

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Of fireflies night and quaint vibe in Mararison Island, Antique Story & photos by Marky Ramone Go

M

EMORIES of my first visit to Mararison Island played vividly on my mind as we approach it aboard a motorized boat from the port of Culasi. I could still perceive the angelic voice of the Mararison Children’s choir belting out a harmonious “Kinaray”—a traditional welcoming song.

MARARISON Hilltop

MARARISON Childen’s choir

Known all over Antique province where they perform frequently in numerous revelries, its members whose age ranges from six to 13 years old has become the island’s cultural ambassadors.

It was more than a year ago when I first heard them croon. Oneand-a-half-lap around the sun later, I find myself en route back to Mararison—not only to listen again to the youngsters’ divine voices but also to embrace the enthralling setting of Mararison.

Home sweet stay

ARRESTING my attention as we cruise over the calm waters are the island’s emerald-colored rolling hills facing east and the sandbar that is shaped like a head of a sickle. The moment our boat docked, I immediately planted my feet on the soft sands under the knee-deep sea water. Instantly, I sensed the urge to dip my whole body. I would have done so if not for the setting sun glistening the sky with fiery colors and is about to bite into the remaining daylight.

“Let’s head to our lodgings on the other side of the island, we can visit the sandbar tomorrow,” our guide told us. We boarded our boat again and cruised to the part of the island facing west and the waters of Sulu Sea. Living up to the

island’s rustic sense are the absence of high-end resorts. To retain its authentic feel, 41 of the more than 140 households in Mararison were accredited and trained for homestay accommodation.

We stayed at Enrique de Mararison—the island’s lone resort which appear as a commonplace abode that blends flawlessly with the island atmosphere. We also met its owner Mr. Enrique, who left a high paying job in the airline industry in order to come back to his island of birth. “I wanted to plant my root permanently here and also to help the community in advocating for sustainable tourism in the island,” he tells us.

Night of the fireflies

MINUS a mobile signal which turned out to be a blessing as we felt the quaint aura of Mararison more. Erica, Karla and I laid over a mat under this peculiar tree which the locals refer to as the “firefly tree.” Every night hundreds of fireflies gather around it. The dark evening sky illuminated only by scattered stars provided a surreal setting, as we stared at the fireflies hovering above us—their hasty movements leaving magnificent trails of radiance.

That first nightfall we had on the island of Mararison comprising of animated conversations and unper-

MARARISON Island, Antique

turbed existence is now categorized in my memory vault as the “night of the fireflies.”

Pitcher (plant) perfect hills

MARARISON Island spread out like a shape of a hook covering an expanse of 55 hectares. A great part of it is composed of rolling hills that rises to Lantawan, a peak of a few hundred feet—where one stands to a jaw-dropping view of the Sulu Sea, Panay mainland and Mararison’s sibling islands: Batbatan and Maniguin. The three islands according to a local legend, are the children

of Mount Kanlaon in Negros and Mount Madjaas in Panay.

The short trail to the waving hilltops is endowed with a lush grassy knoll hiding an abundance of pitcher plants commonly found in the deep forest of Antique. This carnivorous plant species feasting on insects is characterized by its long elongated leaves shaped like a water pitcher. It has a round opening on top functioning as pitfall traps that nabs insects deep into the leaf’s cavity filled with digestive fluid.

From a night of fireflies to a

morning of magnificent sun rising, our second day at Mararison Island already gifted me with yet another reason to go back. Afterward, as we were enjoying a short swim at the island’s western shore facing Sulu Sea and nearby Nablag Islet, we witnessed a few local fishermen doing spear fishing. “C’mon, try it,” one of them said to us in Tagalog.

As Karla and Erica took turns, I floated with my back on the water staring at the sky. One of the fishermen pulled me and told me in Tagalog “look at the coral, it’s starting to become alive again.” He explained

to me how illegal fishing practices like the use dynamite damaged the coral reef a long time ago. But now, he tells me “i-ingatan na namin ito” [we will now take care of this].”

I couldn’t be gladder at what I heard from him. Knowing how the locals are now committed to taking care of their island home, I can only make a plea to future visitors of the island of Mararison to do the same.

For a no-hassle tour to Mararison Island, please contact Katahum Tours to ensure proper correspondence with the local community.

apps that give point credits when users refer a friend to book, as well. These points can be converted into discounts or even actual currency.

OYO’s mobile app enables customers to search for the nearest OYO hotel, book with ease and be notified immediately of any ongoing discounts. It sends out push notifications to users.

From guest houses to executive airport hotels, OYO lets guests find the best deals through its mobile app. Photos of the accommodations and their list of facilities are also displayed so that travelers will be sure to book a room that’s exactly to their liking. More important, it offers great deals at an affordable price.

Tips on how to book the best hotel deals online

W

ITH the scorching summer heat now at its peak, hotel bookings are increasing along with the various summer escapades leisure brands are offering. More people are searching for—and grabbing—the best deals, and while out-oftown summer outings are usually preferred by Filipino families, staycations are increasingly becoming a popular option.

Today, online booking sites and apps offer users a more convenient way to find their ideal hotels. Because of the current high demand among local and foreign travelers alike, however, securing the best deals can be a challenge.

Since establishing its footing in the Philippines in 2018, OYO, Southeast Asia’s largest tech-driven hotel chain, has been providing travelers with great experience through affordable yet quality accommodation. Here are a few tips and reminders to score the best hotel deals:

Create a list of options and set a budget

A VACATION experience depends to a certain extent on the accommodation and one’s budget.

No one wants to reach their bucket-list destination only to find out they have an insanely priced accommodation or have booked a place far from being the most ideal hotel.

Creating a list of hotel options allows vacationers to filter better the hotels that suit their needs and preferences. This means vacationers must do their homework and start looking early enough to get the best possible deals. Check out potential accommodations in the destination. Select hotels based on location, price and amenities. This helps spot the best deals to give you and your companions a smooth-sailing vacation.

Check reviews

A DEAL may seem great at first glance but it is

always best to check. If it’s too good to be true, it might not be true.

Verify information before clicking the book button. Some hotels may offer what seem to be hot deals at first but are really packages with hidden extra charges.

Do not rely solely on data and pictures posted on the hotel’s web site. One great way to find out if a hotel is the right one for you is to read the customer reviews. Make sure to visit the review section of a hotel both on its web site and social-media accounts. What better way to verify hotel amenities and services than from previous guests.

Contact the hotel and check on hidden charges

AVOID unwanted surprises at your destination by getting more information about what to expect. Before hitting the book button, contact the hotel directly and discuss the details posted

online. Some hotels include only the base accommodation cost on their online quote and then add additional fees upon check-out. Contacting the hotel directly would be the best way to avoid hidden charges. Doing so also allows direct negotiation with the hotel staff to customize the booking to your requirements.

Get notified through an app

BROWSING sites one by one to check what they offer can be time-consuming. The best way to secure a good deal is to get immediate notifications from a site or an app. This saves you from the long and hassling process of looking up hotels by getting the job done faster while notching you bigger discounts.

Earn points by referring a friend

WHILE booking for yourself and your loved ones, you may refer your friends to the same hotel and earn points for discounts. Some hotels have

Journey

»life on the go

A8 Sunday, June 16, 2019

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

MYSTERY GIFTS FOR FATHER’S DAY

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CCOR’S luxury hotels in Asia Pacific have ended the perpetual quest for a perfect Father’s Day gift. Through its groundbreaking initiative called Man Caves, Accor presents a collection of distinctive sanctuaries designed with five paternal personalities in mind.

age is priced at $370++ and is valid from May 2 to June 30, 2019.

The Couch Coachers Man Cave

THE Couch Coachers are dads who love their me-time watching sports telecast with beer and snacks for company. Shouting instructions at the television is the only vocal engagement. However, indulgence in their hobby is limited due to work commitments and presence of nonsports fans within the family. At Pullman Nanchang, The Couch Coachers are free to coach the television in the most luxurious environment along with free-flowing, Tsingtao beer or local beer and a snack, available for the entire day at $10++.

Sofitel Ningbo in China also offers three variations of Drink Freely packages for Couch Coachers, each comprising of a six pack beer and dad’s choice of favorite snacks.

The Workaholic Dad Man Cave

FAIRMONT Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi aerial shot

FAIRMONT Peace Hotel - Cathay Balcony

Dads around the world can now celebrate Father’s Day on their own terms in doing the things they love with a total peace of mind. Based on five of the most dominant daddy traits, Accor’s Man Cave collection allows the most important man in our life to retreat into their personal space. Everyone looking for a gift can identify with these caves, The Luxe Dad, Foodie Dad, Sensitive New Age Guy (SNAG) Dad, Couch Coachers and Workaholic Dad.

The Luxe Dad Man Cave

AT Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, dads who love the finer things in life will experience the

greatest weekend of all time. In addition to a three-night stay in a luxury villa with a private pool, fathers can enjoy a variety of dining and sports activities specially planned for them. From a floating breakfast with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean to a four-course gourmet dinner including wine pairing at Azure Seafood restaurant preceded by a private beach cabana sunset predinner wine and cheese tasting at Onu Onu, Luxe Dads will appreciate this lavish treat. For active Luxe Dads, they can go on a twohour private snorkeling trip with the resident marine biologist in the house reef, private tennis lessons,

one-hour fly board or private jetski lesson. After an action packed day, Luxe Dads will be pampered at a tented jungle villa with the Safari spa package. The Luxe Dad Man Cave Retreat is available until June 30, 2019, at $900+ per villa.

Hotel des Arts, MGallery by Sofitel in Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam also offers The Luxe Dad Man Cave for $167++ per room. The experience includes limousine pickup service with complimentary champagne on arrival, four-course personalized dinner, a spa treatment and a gift voucher for bespoke local tailoring service. To enhance the celebration, Luxe Dads will have a chance to partake in the Gentlemen Night at Social Club, where lifestyle-oriented dads can exchange their perspectives on car or bespoke tailormade fashion trends over premium spirits and savory bar bites.

The Foodie Dad Man Cave

PERFECT for the epicurean Dad,

Sofitel Saigon Plaza’s Gourmet Package ($499+) offers a tantalizing four-course set menu dinner at the intimate L’Olivier restaurant and a special cocktail at Boudoir Lounge. For stays from June 14 to 17, 2019, Foodie Dads can enjoy a lovely one-night staycation in the oSuperior Room with a welcome wine and cheese basket in the room and an exclusive Father’s Day Gift.

During the day, Foodie Dads will be whisked away on a Vespa city food tour adventure and return to luxurious Club Lounge access with canapés and a wine tasting in the evening.

Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, offers The Foodie Dad’s Man Cave with inclusions, such as cocktail making classes, cigarette-shaped chocolate, exquisite brunches and more.

The SNAG (Sensitive New Age Guy) Dad Man Cave MODERN-DAY

fathers

have

evolved above and beyond the traditional breadwinner and disciplinarian in the family. The newage sensitive dad is now involved in household chores, emotional counseling and also partakes in beauty regimes. On this special day, SNAG Dads are rewarded with a deluxe room night stay with pampering treats at China’s Fairmont Yangcheng Lake that includes manicure and pedicure services followed by a 45 minutes spa treatment at Willow Stream and a therapeutic swim at its mineral pool at $335++ per room night. For those looking to take their dads for a weekend getaway, the historic city of Hoi An is an ideal choice with its grand architecture and beguiling riverside setting that befits its heritage. Enjoy a two night deluxe room stay with daily breakfast and pamper dad with a rejuvenating 90-minute massage treatment at Woosah Spa followed by a lunch or dinner at the signature Faifo Restaurant. Pack-

THE Workaholic Dad package is perfect for fathers who desperately need a digital detox. He is always on his phone or laptop and working round the clock, to the detriment of family time. Since he is too busy to check himself into a Silent Retreat, Sofitel Zhengzhou will bring it to him on Father’s Day. To start the experience, all work-related devices will be locked away in a safe so that Workaholic Dads can indulge in from assorted board games to a picnic lunch to be enjoyed by the family in the great outdoors. Dads and their families will also receive complimentary passes to the swimming pools and Zhengzhou Zijingshan Park where they can spend some much-needed quality family time. The package is available from at $101++ per night.

With more than 1,100 hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific, Accor’s Man Cave retreats inject a creative twist to a typically uninspiring Father’s Day celebration while giving them the gift of time to indulge according to their personality, hobby and interests.

For more information and bookings, please visit: www.accor.com.

TPB intensifies efforts to increase Chinese tourist arrivals EL NIDO’S FISHERFOLK SHARE SECRETS OF THE SEA

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HE Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, recently joined ITB China which took place in Shanghai as part of its initiative to capture a bigger chunk of 129 million Chinese tourists traveling abroad in the past two years.

In 2017, about 960,000 Chinese tourists visited the country and more than 1.2 million in 2018. TPB hopes to increase Chinese tourist arrivals through its active and consistent participation in ITB China, the largest and fastest-growing source market in the travel industry. For 2019, the event had an estimated 15,000 attendees, and approximately 800 exhibitors from 84 countries and 850 buyers from the biggest Chinese travel companies.

This year, the Philippines targets hitting 1.5 million Chinese traveler arrivals and an additional increase of 19.5 percent by 2022 upon completion of all tourism development plans, which will highlight all the natural wonders of the country.

The travel and tourism sector remains to be one of the important

C

drivers in the country’s economic growth. It continues to create jobs and boost real estate with the influx of foreign and domestic travelers increasing demand for new properties, specifically hotels and resorts.

Through the ITB China, TPB amplified awareness on the country’s beautiful destinations and many offerings with booth activities that

put spotlight on why “It’s more fun in the Philippines!”

A country made up of more than 7,000 islands consisting of beautiful pristine beaches, home to some of the most expansive shopping centers in the world, and offering a dozen of adventure-laden activities, the Philippines is, without a doubt, more than ready to open its doors for more foreign visitors.

Modern Kusina at Café Eight

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ILINVEST CITY, MUNTINLUPA CITY—In line with the Philippine Independence Day celebration, Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila, takes a sassy twist of your favorite Filipino dishes from June 7 to 16, 2019.

This special buffet promotion is available at the Crimson Hotel’s main restaurant—Café Eight. Their culinary team headed by Crimson

Hotel’s first-ever Filipino Executive Chef—Chef Del Adora expertly prepares and showcases a fusion of Filipino, Western and Asian cuisines such as Kamote Croquette with Kesong Puti Dip, Bopis Springroll, Stuffed Crispy Pata, Seafood Kare Kare, Dinuguan Paella, Pork Lechon Pizza and Maja Pandan Panna Cotta.

In addition, guests who are

named after a Filipino hero eat for free if accompanied by at least one full paying guest. This Modern Kusina special buffet promotion is available for lunch and dinner. Excited to indulge? The rate per person starts at P1,470++.

For more information or for dining reservations, please call 8632222 or 998 595 3769 or e-mail dining@crimsonhotel.com.

ATCHING snapper and bream with local fishermen is now a popular guest activity in Northern Palawan’s El Nido Resorts.

In the four island resorts of Miniloc, Lagen, Pangulasian and Apulit that carry the El Nido brand, guests book to experience bottom fishing for at least half a day with locals. “In line with sustainable tourism trends that emphasize authentic community experiences, a number of visitors opt for this activity as a means to meaningfully interact with residents of the community,” according to Mariglo Laririt, sustainability director of Ten Knots Development Corp. (TKDC), owner of the resorts.

Joey Bernardino, TKDC group director of sales and marketing, explains that bottom fishing—which is highly environment friendly— makes use only of a nylon line with a hook—to which bait is attached—and a weight at another end. No reels are used and the lines, which are initially wrapped around wooden makeshift spools, are simply flung into the sea.

He relates that the activity was offered outside of the usual menu of activities around 2016 just as responsible tourism, which aims to uphold the environment and the community, was gaining momentum. It was initially launched to give fishermen a way to earn more in line with the thrust of TKDC, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary of sustainable tourism this year. Bottom fishing eventually caught on, particularly among guests of Chinese descent who consider fish a symbol of good luck and fortune.

Today, guests in each of the four resorts book to go bottom fishing

on the average five times a month and help augment the income of those who live off the sea.

Once out in the open in a motorized banca, a visitor is handed a line with bait to fling into the water and to manage. As he patiently waits for fish to tug at the line, the fishermen are likely to share observations. When you see little fish close to the surface of the water, this may mean there are bigger ones to catch below them.

When you don’t have a compass with you, the currents will tell you in which direction you are heading.

Guests get to bring their catch back to the resort and to instruct the kitchen staff on how they would like to eat the fish. But even when they return empty-handed, they are usually full of smiles and grateful to have been at sea with those who know it intimately.

For the fishermen, a half day with guests means a chance to realize what they would have from a whole night and day of toil, accord-

ing to Laririt. More important, encounters with El Nido Resorts’ clients help them better appreciate tourism as an industry and its benefits to their community as a whole. Those interactions propel them to keep sharing the beauty of their surroundings and to preserve this for generations to come.

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Editor: Tet Andolong

Sunday, June 16, 2019

A9

SECRET HAPPY PLACES FOR SUMMER

ROCHE VANDENBERGHE

YONG NIEVA

DON PAULINO

CORAZON P. GUIDOTE

THE TOURISM ADVOCATE Part Two Ubud, Bali Roche Vandenberghe Head of Marketing, FWD Life Insurance

IN our fast-paced lives, we get caught up with all the trappings of the city life and overwhelmed by our bursting-to-theseams calendar of activities.

I’d like to pause from time to time.

Disconnect to reconnect with myself and with people who truly matters to me.

The view alone in Bambu Indah’s eco lifestyle retreat in Ubud, Bali, recharges you and serves as a happy pill as you continue to power on to make a difference in people’s lives.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland Jean Jacquelyn Nathania A. de Castro CEO,Esca Inc.

ONE of the most memorable destinations I

have visited is Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

This valley in the Swiss Alps is home to 72 waterfalls including one of the highest freefalling waterfalls in Europe, the Staubbach Falls. It is said that this was the inspiration of J.R.R. Tolkien for Rivendell, the Elven town in Lord of the Rings.

My husband and I went there during spring of 2017 and just walking along the valley floor, we saw waterfalls every few minutes and so much greenery where cows and horses graze. We even saw BASE jumpers safely land on the field, as well as a helicopter rescuing some from the cliff side.

Apparently, Lauterbrunnen is popular for BASE jumping because of its high cliffs.

We also got to experience different climates. We rode a cable car up to Murren where it started to snow! We hid in one of the chalets for some warm drinks, veal and Rösti. We continued on and hiked up the

“Royal Walk” up Mannlichen Summit where we got a 360-degree view of the spectacular Swiss mountains. Not getting enough of the mountains, we took the cableway to Birg, which was 2,677 meters above sea level. We did the Thrill Walk along the ledge of the mountain on a 200-meter-long glass bridge.

At this point, we were already surrounded by clouds and I was shivering more from fear than the cold! Then, when I was about to give up and turn back, I see a young boy playfully and repeatedly crossing the steel wire mesh in the ledge beside me. No fear at all! We continued further to the peak of the Schilthorn at 2,971 meters above sea level, where the James Bond 007 movie On Her majesty’s Secret Service was filmed. We saw the other mountains peaks from there including the Matterhorn, or the inspiration behind the famous Toblerone shape!

The sheer natural beauty of the place is what made it memorable for me. To fully experience it, I had to let go of my fears and just surrender to its beauty. It reminded me of how both beautiful and powerful nature truly is from the powerful waterfalls, the beautiful scenery both on the valley floor and high up in the mountain peaks as well as the breathtaking view.”

Lake Baikal, Siberia Corazon P. Guidote Institute of Corporate Directors, Fellow

“LAKE Baikal Siberia is hardly on the radar screen of most travelers; more so, Lake Baikal. Frankly, I always had this impression about Siberia of being remote, desolate and most of the time covered in ice.

But then, almost three years ago when I first went to Moscow, I met a renowned Russian healer who was born and raised in Siberia and made me realize how ignorant and totally misinformed I was about his birthplace. I soon read up about Siberia and came to realize that the place is rich with natural resources, its southern

JEAN JACQUELYN NATHANIA A. DE CASTRO

regions transformed into agricultural havens during its warm summers melting the snow and ice on its mountain ranges and massive lakes and rivers.

I have been to Lake Baikal twice; the place seemed oddly familiar. Each trip became a magical journey recalling distant memories, well beyond this lifetime.

Regardless of its personal mystical significance, Lake Baikal is considered sacred ground by Siberians and serves an important role in Mother Earth’s evolution.”

Mangpupungko Beach, Siargao Yong (Guilliermo) Nieva Restauranteur

“SIARGAO was not on the top of my list for travel destinations in our country, simply because I frequent the island of Marinduque where my family is from, so I do have my fill of green mountains, oceans and hills! I do not surf and I am not a strong swimmer to boot. The first time we went to Siargao, my wife and I stared at the view from our airplane window and marvelled at the acres and acres of mangroves!

The entire island throbbed with nature's life and bounty! In Siargao, my favorite is Bgy. Pacifico in the town of San Isidro for its Maui-like quality of life. Laid-back and with a slow leisurely pace, I saw foreign residents harmoniously connecting with townsfolk! Oftentimes, you see them engaged in small-town talk, anytime along the solo main road. Also the waves in these parts are gentle and rolling. It’s the side of the island perfect for those like me, who do not surf but enjoy the ocean. I promised myself to be back in Siargao because of Pacifico in San Isidro.”

Mountains, Oceans, Skies Don Paulino Managing Director and General Manager Shell Philippines Exploration BV

“OUR family travel revolves around

three themes—mountains, oceans and skies. The sight of mountains [and being on mountains] energizes us, oceans and beaches relax and skies remind us that there is somebody out there that makes the universe work. We are grateful for the opportunity to travel as a family in places that are outside the tourist track, whether it is going through the munroes of Scotland to the not easily-accessible beaches of Western Australia.

One of the memorable trips that we have as a family is driving to the outback of Western Australia on our Toyota Prado and camping near the banks of Murchison River. It was a 700-km drive from Perth and on numerous occasions, our drive involved being on our lonesome with only wildlife around. The phone signals are patchy and we have to rely on our trusty satellite phone in the event we need help. A number of our friends ask us why we do these things and we always say that remoteness has its rewards. Being in the middle of nothing is a great place to quiet the mind and appreciate the natural beauty of life. In the middle of the outback, we have to rely on ourselves and enjoy the entertainment nature brings us—from a magnificent sunset, the sometimes exciting sounds of the wild life around us to the awe-inspiring view of the Milkyway. As a family, this is an opportunity for us to be present to one another and be grateful for all the things that happen around us. This is family bonding at its finest!

After being out of the country for almost 12 years, we are now in the process of getting ourselves more acquainted to our beautiful and resourcerich country. We know our mountains, oceans and skies have a lot to offer and this is something we need to start exploring!”

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

A10 Sunday, June 16, 2019

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Free city tours for South Korea layovers sans visa

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By Gelyka Ruth R. Dumaraos

AYOVERS at Incheon International Airport are never dull and boring.

NAMDAEMUN Market is the largest traditional market in Korea with streets filled with stores selling glasses, clothes, kitchen utensils, and many more IMAGINE YOUR KOREA WEBSITE

Travelers have everything inside the massive, modern airport while waiting for their connecting flights—napping and shower facilities available at the transfer lounge, gaming and entertainment centers, and shopping and dining hubs that walk one through Korea’s culture and tradition.

But while the airport is an attraction in itself, passengers are given the option to take a glimpse of South Korea without thinking of visa requirements.

“With all the facilities offered at Incheon International Airport, sometimes people would think ‘I don’t even need to go out and more.

I don’t really need to see Korea anymore,’” Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) Assistant Manager John Bonifacio said. “But the good thing about Incheon International Airport is that they offer a free transit tour program for people who would like to also experience seeing Korea.”

Travelers who have maximum 24 hours layover at the airport can now avail themselves of the visa-free transit tours, provided that they have connecting flights to and from other countries such as Canada,

Australia and New Zealand.

Complete with shuttle buses and tour guides, passengers are presented with a myriad of courses of different durations.

ONLY minutes away from Incheon International Airport, Paradise City is a must-visit entertainment hub PARADISE CITY

Transit tour courses

TOURISTS can choose from any of the program’s various courses, depending on their available time before their next flight.

The longest transit tour covers a five-hour tour in Seoul’s shopping districts Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market. If a quick immersion in the city’s culture and tradition is preferred, the traditional tour covering Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insa-dong in Jongno is a great option.

Passengers who have four hours to spend outside the airport can choose from transit tours to Gwangmyeong Cave, Jeondeungsa Temple and Deokjinjin, and Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jogyesa Temple.

“For those who have lesser time to spend, we recommend them to check out one to two-hour courses of entertainment tours,” Bonifacio added.

A one-hour entertainment tour at Paradise City Art-Tainment is

INCLUDED in the top 20 largest airports in the world, Incheon International Airport is equipped with entertainment centers, shopping and food hubs, and modern facilities for thousands of passengers IMAGINE YOUR KOREA WEBSITE

GWANGMYEONG Cave is a tour destination that features the only mining area in the capital IMAGINE YOUR KOREA WEBSITE

just enough to explore its fun-filled activities and offerings. The Paradise City is the very first Koreanstyle resort complex in Northeast Asia, which offers year-round accommodation, entertainment and cultural experiences such as casino, clubs, art gallery and retail amenities.

Other one to two-hour courses include sea and shopping tours to Incheon Airport Maglev, discount store and hypermarket Lotte Mart, Eurwangni Beach, Incheon City

concourse registration desk at terminals 1 and 2 by using the shuttle train at the basement. The Transit Tour Information Desks are both located at the airport’s terminals 1 and 2. The Incheon International Airport has partnered with leading carriers Asiana Airlines and Korean Air to incorporate into their system the free transit tour program for their travel agency partners.

Both airlines provide promotions and discounts to their passengers as support for the program. The two

tours covering the mixed traditional and modern living at the Songdo Hanok Village, Central Park Songdo and Triple Street. Within the vicinity are the Hyundai Premium Outlet, and local Korean cafés and restaurants.

The tours booked must end at least two hours before boarding the connecting flight, Bonifacio cleared. He added that transit tours are for first come, first served basis, and can be modified without prior notice.

The passenger must arrive at the

carriers welcome the free transit tour as a way to engage and include layover travelers to get a sneak peak on what Korea has to offer even in a short period of time.

For KTO Director Joon Kil Jo, the free transit tour program is their way of exploring opportunities to encourage more people to see South Korea.

“We are here to share with you all that we care about the various ways to enjoy a one of a kind of travel experience to Korea,” he said.

ICATS LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAMS AND SCHOLARS ON ITS 9TH YEAR

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ITH more than 60 batches of enrollees, leading flight attendant school International Cabin Attendant Training School (ICATS) continues to fly high in its mission of helping young dreamers pursue a fulfilling career in the airline service industry.

ICATS—which was recently accredited by the TESDA—was also cited as the “Premier Flight Attendant Training Center (National Awards) by the Elite Business and Leadership Awards 2019 for its exemplary training programs and helping develop professionals in other related industries.

Innovative programs

“When ICATS started, we only envisioned to set up a flight attendant school. Over the years, we saw the potential of expanding to the corporate arena,” shared ICATS Founder And Chief Executive Joy Garcia.

“We want to help not just aspiring flight attendants but also fresh graduates who do not know where to start in their chosen fields,” added Arthuro de Leon, ICATS cofounder and Program and Training head. De Leon is a certified Corporate Image consultant who trained at the Sterling Style Academy in New York and has conducted personality development seminars for various top companies like Victory Liner, PNB Savings, Megaworld, Chinabank Savings,

ICATS celebrates nine years in the airline service industry

Goldilocks and Unipharma.

For 2019, ICATS is launching two new subprograms under its Corporate Program: the Corporate Image Enhancement Program, which tackles dressing for success and cultivating a positive corporate image; and W.A.V.E. (Work Attitude Values Enhancement), a program designed to help a company’s HR team articulate its vision, mission and core values to employees to build a strong organizational culture. It is also conducting a “Me After College” which seeks to help fresh graduates prepare for their professional life through image enhancement and job interview essentials.

Reaching greater heights “THROUGH our campus program, international students have come to know us and have signed up for training. We also worked with two international schools this year and other schools will soon follow,” revealed de Leon.

The campus program has three subprograms: Flight 101 (Introducing the Life of a Flight Attendant); Flight 102 (Improving Personal Skills to Becoming an Airline Professional); and Flight 103 (Transforming Flight Attendant Dreams to Reality).

Meanwhile, the “Cabin Crew Program” remains to be the school’s flagship program with in-depth courses: Direct Flight Program,

Red-Eye Flight Program (for working professionals who want to shift to a flight attendant career) and Connecting Flight Program (for aspirants living outside of Metro Manila).

ICAT’s holistic training approach coupled with a job assistance program has been vital to the success of its graduates.

“We do not just train flight attendants to make it to the industry. The end goal is to help these young people excel,” shared Naze Mortell, ICATS trainer for Personality Development, Airbus On-Board Services and Interview Essentials. “We train them not just on academics but, more importantly, character-building.

We always reiterate that a flight attendant should have certain qualities—someone who does not just work for money but knows what their purpose is for flying, someone who is loyal and will not jump from one airline to another.”

Mortell was a cabin crew at Asiana Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines for eight years.

ICATS has more than 1,100 graduates and most of them hold vital positions in prestigious local and international commercial airlines.

Making nine dreams a reality

As a way of giving back, ICATS is granting nine full scholarships to bright and deserving individuals. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, these nine scholars come from different

backgrounds and various parts of the country.

“The moment I heard about ICATS was the first time I set goals in my life,” shared 22-yearold Ferdinand Adriano from Pangasinan. “I considered becoming a policeman and a soldier—I wanted too many things and I didn’t know what to do. Being an ICATS scholar is the first step toward a good future and I can already picture myself in this industry,” he added.

Other ICATS scholars include former overseas worker Hakim Bonsalagan from Isabela, accounting graduate Franz Calbelo from Marikina, former Cebu airport intern Jessa Mae Cartagenas, Sangguniang Kabataan Councilor Kiara Celine Cruz from Bulacan, entrepreneurship graduate Diana Ruth Dones from Mandaluyong, events professional Marie Erika Grajo from Quezon City, and tourism graduate Maria Milvette Lacatan from Taguig. These scholars will undergo training under the Direct Flight Program. What makes ICATS different from other training schools or organizations is its strong family culture.

“Our relationship with our students is not confined within the four corners of the classroom. We have former students who still share with us their work and even personal experiences. We go above and beyond what our job requires us to do and I think that’s what sets us apart,” shared Mortell.

RECENTLY accredited by TESDA, ICATS is reaching for greater heights with its new core programs.

PREMIER Bayview Suite

New World Manila Bay Hotel receives 5-star rating from DOT

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EW World Manila Bay Hotel has once again been conferred with the highest rating by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for passing accreditation standards for accommodation, facilities and services. The hotel has officially renewed its five-star rating, which, according to the agency’s National Accreditation Standards, is achieved by “properties that reflect the characteristics of luxury and sophistication. The facilities are world class in every manner and the meticulous service exceeds all guest expectations.”

“This recognition not only represents luxury and sophistication or outstanding facilities,” says New World Manila Bay Hotel General Manager Mark Heywood. “It defines the people who passionately work behind the scenes to create an exceptional experience for our guests. That’s what truly makes us a five-star hotel.”

New World Manila Bay Hotel, inspired by seamless contemporary style, offers 376 well-appointed guestrooms and suites with residential features that boast a spectacular panoramic view of the magnificent Manila Bay and an inviting cityscape. It also provides six upscale dining scenes each featuring a unique taste of the world from local to international cuisines. Moreover, it has a variety of ideal venues for social, corporate and business events with impressive banquet services and event concepts. It promotes health and wellness with its modern fitness center and classes, spa services and treatments, and 25-meter outdoor pool, whirlpool and children’s pool.

Consequently, New World Manila Bay Hotel has been consistently ranked No. 1 hotel in Manila by travelers on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao • mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

TORONTO Raptors supporters celebrate in the streets after the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game Six of the National Basketball Association Finals. AP

IN this file photo released by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry on April 28, 2018, a Russian Emergencies Ministry officer attends a training session to ensure security at the World Cup during drills at the World Cup stadium in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Sunday, June 16, 2019 A11

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A12 Sunday, June 16, 2019

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Sluggish growth in foreign tourist arrivals continues in April 2019

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo | Special to the BusinessMirror

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HE Philippines continued to welcome an increasing number of foreign tourists this year, albeit at a slower pace of growth compared to 2018.

In a news statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said foreign visitor arrivals from January to April 2019 grew by 8.57 percent to some 2.87 million.

This was slower, however, than the whopping 12.35-percent increase in the first four months of 2018 to 2.64 million.

For April 2019 alone, foreign visitor arrivals grew by 12.15 percent to 662,987, from 591,137 who arrived in April 2018.

Tou r i sm Sec ret a r y B er n adette Romulo Puyat said, “With the heightened marketing initiatives w ith the private sector and travel trade counterparts in the various markets, improved connectiv ity arising from new f lights, additional frequencies and expanded capacity brought about by new and upgraded airports, we anticipate more v isitors to keep this upward trend sustained.”

The DOT has targeted an increase in foreign visitor arrivals to 8.2 million this year, up 15.5 percent from 7.1 million arrivals in 2018. The closure of Boracay Island for six months last year kept the DOT from achieving its foreign tourists target of 7.4 million then.

Romulo Puyat also attributed the higher arrivals this year “to continued efforts in developing new and existing tourism circuits all over the country in pursuit of

8.57% The increase in foreign tourist arrivals from January to April, down from 12.35 percent in the first four months of 2018 sustainable tourism.”

South Korea continued to be the top source market for tourists with 650,291 arriving in the first four months of 2019, up 9.83 percent from the same period last year. It was the only market that saw an improvement in arrivals, as the other markets showed significant slower growths.

China grew a moderate 25.3 percent in arrivals to 602,981 compared to the 52.7-percent arrivals growth in January to April 2018.

Touristsfrom the United States rose by a slower 2.96 percent to 381,491 compared to its 7.18-percent increase in the same period in 2018.

The expansion in arrivals from Japan was recorded at 2.3 percent to 235,493, much lower than the 9.04-percent rise in 2018.

A rrivals from Australia reached 101,830 in t he four

Foreign tourists line up for immigration clearance upon arrival at the Clark International Airport in this file photo taken on June 1, 2019. The Department of Tourism has reported a sluggish foreign tourism growth from January to April 2019 at 2.87 million, from 2.64 million in the same period last year. Bernard Testa

months to April 2019, up 2.53 percent, also a slowdown from the 6.5-percent growth recorded in the same period last year.

There was no data released for Taiwan, which was the fifth top market in the first quarter of 2019.

The sluggish arrivals growth this year, as well as the lower contribution of the tourism sector to the economy in 2018, has tourism leaders like Samie Lim concerned, and traces some of the problems to congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Lim, chairman of the tourism committee of the Philippine Chamber for Commerce and Industry, told the BusinessMirror: “The word is out that you will not land on time because there is traffic congestion at the airport. Then there are the long lines at immigration during peak times. Then there is the long immigration line again when you leave, and then

you won’t take off on time because of air-traffic congestion. So [the tourists] will probably miss their connecting flight when they land in their next transit destination.”

He added, while the high-end to mid-income tourists are “cash rich,” their time is very important to them; “they will not want to waste their time. So we are getting the low-end market, who has more time to spare.” He urged the government to speed up the improvement of the Naia.

He was hopeful that there would be massive improvement in arrivals and revenue growth by 2021, when investments into the tourism sector finally pan out.

“There is a frenzy of investment and ongoing development of projects in all the 5 A’s—arrivals, access, accommodation, attraction, activities—but these will be seen within two years. Thereafter, we will see a sharp spike in arrivals

and tourist revenue.”

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the total direct gross value added of the tourism sector grew 14.3 percent in 2018, the lowest increase posted by the sector since 2013, when its contribution grew 12.6 percent.

(See, Tourism’s revenue share in economy falls to 5-year low amid Boracay closure,” in the BusinessMirror, June 7, 2019.)

Meanwhile, President Duterte on Monday ordered the Department of Transportation to immediately decongest Naia by transferring domestic airport operations to Sangley Point, which currently hosts the Danilo Atienza Air Base, the home base of the Philippine Air Force 15th Strike Wing. Duterte gave Transportation Secretar y Arthur Tugade until November 2019 to have the air base up and ready for domestic flight operations.

China to punish nationals if proven vessel sank Pinoy boat, envoy says

By Butch Fernandez

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hinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said Beijing will punish those responsible for the sinking of a Filipino boat in the West Philippine Sea if proven that they were Chinese nationals.

“If it were true that it was Chinese fishing boat which did it, they would be duly educated and punished for their irresponsible behavior,” the envoy said in a text message to Presidential Spokesman and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.

“Incidents happen even in the best-regulated family. We hope this incident could be held in a proper context,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday confirmed that the Philippine government has filed a diplomatic protest to China on the boat incident near the Reed Bank.

Initial reports from the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said “a certain Chinese vessel accidentally collided with a Filipino fishing boat on June 9, 2019, at around 12 midnight” while it was anchored near the Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese vessel immediately left the scene, abandoning the 22 Filipino crewmen.

Zhao said the incident is being “thoroughly and seriously investigated,” adding that Beijing “shares [the Philippines’s] concerns” about the fishermen.

Blatant violation

ANGERED by reports that a Chinese boat “rammed” a Filipino fishing vessel anchored in the West Philippine Sea and then abandoned 22 fishermen as their boat sank, senators on Thursday prodded the Duterte administration to lodge a strong formal protest over what they deemed a blatant violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, cautioned against calls to recall Philippine embassy officials in Beijing following the incident. “Protest, yes. But remove our embassy officials and all...silly,” Sotto said on Thursday in a text message to the BusinessMirror.

“We cannot allow a bunch of stupid and heartless fishermen in a Chinese fishing vessel [to] make us remove our diplomatic relationship with more than a billion Chinese citizens who are friendly with us,” Sotto said.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon, in a separate statement, asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to file a diplomatic protest against China after noting that the Chinese vessel’s action “violated every state’s duty to rescue under the Unclos.”

“This incident demands strong and immediate action,” said Drilon. “We cannot let this incident pass.... No self-respecting nation will allow that.”

any person found at sea in danger of being lost; (b) to proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, if informed of their need of assistance, in so far as such action may reasonably be expected of him; (c) after a collision, to render assistance to the other ship, its crew and its passengers and, where possible, to inform the other ship of the name of his own ship, its port of registry and the nearest port at which it will call.”

He stressed that such failure to act on the duty to rescue “gives rise to state responsibility,” adding, “the only exception under the Unclos is that when it would endanger the rescuing vessel.”

According to the minority leader, such duty is so critical that it is even imposed during wartime.

Leaders’ meeting Zhao Jianhua

A former justice secretar y, Drilon invoked Article 98 of the Unclos, which required every State to render assistance to any person in distress or in danger of being lost at sea.

Drilon said under the Unclos, “ it is the duty of the state to oblige masters of vessels f lying their f lag to follow the provis ion ; t he re fore, b ot h st ate owned vessels and private vessels f lying the state’s f lag are

mandated to render assistance to people in distress at sea.”

“What do you call a friend who abandons a friend in times of need?” Drilon asked, noting that both China and the Philippines are signatories to the Unclos which, under Article 98 (1) states: “Every State shall require the master of a ship flying its flag, in so far as he can do so without serious danger to the ship, the crew or the passengers: (a) to render assistance to

Citing longtime ties between the Philippines and China, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said, “Nothing short of a hard and serious punitive action by the Chinese leadership against the Chinese crew responsible for the cowardly act against our fishermen could assuage the majority of our countr y men’s strong ap prehension about the sincerity of China toward us.”

He suggested a top-level meeting between senior leaders of the two countries. “This incident calls for a leader-to-leader talk,” Lacson said. With PNA

Dead court worker fined for being ‘habitually tardy’

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co u rt employee slapped with an administrative complaint for “habitual tardiness” has been ordered fined by the Supreme Cour t although he had already died.

In its five-page decision, the High Court in the administrative case against the late Rodrigo P. Jornacion, a process server at the Branch 152, Regional Trial Court, Pasig City, said “considering... that the penalty of suspension can no longer be imposed in view of Jornacion’s untimely demise, as well as the other circumstances of the case, the penalty of fine equivalent to his salary for one month is imposed upon him,” The fine is to be deduc ted from whatever monetar y benefits he may be entitled to under the law, the court ordered.

“As punctuality is a virtue, absenteeism and tardiness are impermissible. By reason of the nature and functions of their office, officials and employees must be role models in the faithful observance of the constitutional canon that public office is a public trust,” the tribunal said.

Jornacion had been habitually tardy under service rules for having been late for the three quarters of 2017.

In the first quarter of 2017, he had been late more than 10 times for each of the three consecutive months of Januar y, Februar y and March. In the second quarter, he had been late more than 10 times for the two consecutive months of April and May. In the last quarter of the same year, Jornacion incurred tardiness more than 10 times for the consecutive months of October, November and December.

H a b i t u a l t a rd i n e s s i s c l a s s i f i e d as a light offense under Section 50, paragraph F (4), Rule 10 of the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS) and is punishable by reprimand for the first offense; suspension of one to 30 days for the second offense; and dismissal from the service for the third offense.

The Cour t also noted that Sec tion 50, paragraph B (6) of the 2017 RACCS also classifies habitual tardiness as a grave offense if repor ting late for dut y has prejudiced the operations in the office.

Jornacion failed to justify his infractions, the court said. PNA

Shares mixed over concerns about oil tankers and trade war

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OKYO—Asian shares were mixed Friday as investors weighed a variety of factors, including alleged attacks on two tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and lingering worries about trade conflict between the US and China.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3 percent to 21,097.21. Australia’s S&P/ ASX 200 rose 0.2 percent to 6,553.40. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.5 percent to 2,092.73.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.6 percent to 27,132.14, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5 percent to 2,895.50.

Gains in energy and Internet companies helped drive stocks broadly higher on Wall Street overnight, snapping a two-day losing streak for the market in an otherwise choppy week of trading.

Investors have been searching for direction as they cautiously await any new developments on the global trade war between the US and China. Any continued escalations could crimp global economic growth and halt what is poised to be the longest economic expansion in US history.

The market is also looking ahead to next week’s meeting of policyholders of the US Federal Reserve. Last week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell set off a market rally after he signaled that the central bank is willing to cut interest rates to help stabilize the economy if the trade war between Washington and Beijing starts to crimp growth. AP

For these young female theater actors, all the stage’s the world

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

On her stage appearances, Coates said she takes it “audition per audition.” She thinks the “uncertainties” in theater makes it very exciting for her as they will spring some surprises.

Contributor

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HE “Rep” has a track record of developing excellent talents that the country can be proud of. Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Michael Williams and Pinky Amador are just some of the talents produced by the 52-year-old Rep, short for the Repertory Philippines Foundation Inc.

Dubbed as “the most professional English-speaking theater company in the country,” the Rep continues its tradition of developing young talents. Justine Narciso and Becca Coates are among them.

Narciso, 23, was a junior college student in Ateneo de Manila University when she joined the Ateneo Blue Rep. She got a break at the company’s staging of Urinetown: The Musical in 2015. The satirical comedy musical was directed by Missy Maramara, Narciso’s costar in Rep’s recent presentation of The Dresser. Coates, meanwhile, earned excellent reviews for her performance in Agnes of God. Narciso and Coates remain optimistic on the future of Philippine theater and their contribution to its development.

Big, small

NARCISO said she’s currently focused on her stage career. Gifted with a good singing voice, she also sets her eyes on musical theater.

“The fact that I can sing, dance and act makes me feel that it is the No. 1 thing I really want to [do],” she said.

Learning never stops for Narciso, as she plans to hone her craft for personal and professional development.

Narciso said the current scene is “lovely” for theater-loving millennials, as several theater companies are providing “lots of opportunities” for actors and actresses to develop their skills. She added she’s impressed with the camaraderie among the actors.

Although the Philippines is perceived as a market with minimal support for theater, Narciso believes small and new companies are thriving in the local scene. She said actors from bigger theater companies are the ones leading small theater companies to grow.

“The small companies are spread out to give more people as much as possible the opportunity to understand and come to the theater and appreciate for what it is,” she mused. “I think the best way is starting

Comedies, musicals

MENCHU LAUCHENGCO-YULO, Becca Coates and Pinky Amador

NARCISO with Audie Gemora small with friends and expand later. Hopefully, the same will happen to small companies.”

Not elite

NARCISO believes schools play an important role in developing appreciation for theater among young people. She notes that school-based theater companies are expanding.

“It is just getting rid of the stigma that theater is only for the elite,” she said after brushing a wayward trestle of hair.

She said the goal right now is to give people the opportunity and allow for content to arise for any and all audience to appreciate.

She cited Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton as helping promote theater among millennials with its employ of rap music in the genre and platform.

Narciso expressed elation in performing as Little Sally in Urinetown, as well as Wendy and Rosie in Real-Life Fairytales for the Daegu International Musical Festival in South Korea.

Narciso made her debut in the musical theater when she joined a Trumpets Workshop in 2012, taking on the role of Princess Winnifred from Once upon a Mattress. She considered performing Rapunzel in Repertory’s Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Tale as a baptism of fire in professional theater.

Great time

NARCISO said she had a great time dur-

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ing the production of The Dresser because of the immense talent of cast members led

by Audie Gemora, Teroy Guzman and Tami Monsod, among others.

She said Maramara has taught her a lot in honing her acting skills. During her stint with the Blue Repertory, the Ateneo de Manila University-based musical theater organization, Narciso appeared in three plays and wrote one. She helped write Shared Spaces. After finishing her creative writing course, Narciso took a break for a year; she said she wanted to figure out what she wanted to do. One day, she saw an audition for Rapunzel for Repertory Children’s Theater. It was the start of her professional theater career.

Narciso added she is open to foreign companies bringing their act to the Philippines, as this would give Filipinos the opportunity to be exposed to different forms of talents.

“The fact that we are exposed to different cultures and talents allows us to adopt and make local content,” she said. “The exposure to it becomes an inspiration to us.”

No small part

COATES believes there are no small parts but only small actors when performing on stage.

The Filipina-British actress always bears in mind such advice from Barredo.

“The role is only small if you make it small. If you decide that you are not important to the show then that’s one part of the show that becomes boring and uninteresting,” Coates told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview.

“Even if your stage role is small, you can still make a big impact. That’s what we try to do on this part. It is the same when I am backstage listening to the play,” Coates added.

Every role is challenging for Coates. She said she takes every role she plays seriously, as doing so gives her different perspectives.

JUNE 16, 2019

COATES said she had “a lovely time” performing for Father’s Day as she was able to join her sister Rachel. The siblings undertook a lot of research on how Goths act and dress. It was a bit strange, she admitted.

“I am the complete opposite of a Goth so I have to really research on how they act and how they look,” Coates said. “When we went shopping, I had no idea what to pick.

You will never see me wearing those stuff in real life.”

It was a sister act for the Coates sisters as they played the role of Christine in the comedy play that was reviewed as a “tribute to imperfect families.”

The sisters had their first professional theater appearance in Resort’s World’s production of Sound of Music. “I was 12 and she was 13 or 14 when we did that,” Coates recalled.

She enjoyed doing Father’s Day because that was the first time she did comedy for a professional production. She hopes to do more comedies and musicals in the future.

Hard work

WHEN not performing, Coates buckles down as a junior college student gunning for a degree in pre-medical speech and language pathology at the De La Salle University-Health Sciences Institute (DLSU-HIS).

She only needs one year and a semester to finish her course to reach that dream.

“I want to help people find their voice.

If people need to rehabilitate and find their voice, I would be happy to help them,” Coates said. “Everybody should have a voice and share their message in every possible way.”

At 15, Coates appeared as Alice in Rep’s presentation of Alice in Wonderland. She was also seen in the Sandbox Collective’s production of Dani Girl and played Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She also recently appeared in Rep’s production of The Secret Garden. “I am excited to sing in a musical production soon. I sing a lot [even in] car-pool karaoke,” she said grinning.

Coates took formal singing lessons to ensure she will always be on top of her game. She also credits her mother for the talent.

“My mom is really a great performer.”

Coates worked as an intern writer at the wedding blog “Bride and Breakfast.” She considers herself a passionate writer: she’s been writing and keeping track of her life and experiences since she was 12.

“When it comes to acting, it’s a lot of hard work. You have to listen to your director, learn from the people you work with and do your best. And give your all on stage,” she said.

BusinessMirror

MUSIC

PRINT

A DECADE APART

ORANGE AND LEMONS

returns with new single: ‘A song about reminiscing’

‘W

By Darwin Fernandez

E were so young back then,” Ace Del Mundo said in a smile remembering some time ago that Orange and Lemons (O&L) was so passionate in their music that their ‘creative differences’ was enough of a reason for them to part ways.

More than 10 years later, the passion is rekindled as they release a new single Pag-ibig sa Tabing Dagat with a newly formed brotherhood of frontman Clementine “Clem” Castro and brothers Ace and JM Del Mundo

as well as arrangements by keyboardist Jared Nerona.

Kundiman inspired

KNOWN for their smooth and slow Rock and almost western funk, inspired by their influences

The Beatles, the band decided that this was a time of evolving from their British icons and defining this generation of O&L. “A fusion of Kundiman, a genre of traditional Filipino love song with boss nova elements and the indie guitar pop sound the band is known for,” Castro described their new single that just came out the market but is not so new to him.

“It’s an old song. I have

this habit of writing and writing songs and we just pick songs whenever we need an album,” Castro explained that a majority of the songs in their albums were already written even before Love in the Land of Rubber Shoes and Dirty Ice Cream made its debut.

The composer further explained that it was back in 2007 when he wrote the single Continued on page 6

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Sound BusinessMirror

JUNE 16, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

MUS

BUCKLE UP WIT MUSIQUE’S 25TH W

ITH a founding vision of “music everywhere and the concert nowhere,” Maurice Fleuret, a celebrated French composer and music journalist, together with France’s then-Minister of Culture Jack Lang organized the first ever Fête de la Musique in Paris in June 1982.

Since then, Fête de la Musique has become an international phenomenon that continues to promote music through a free-forall event in more than 700 cities in 120 countries every year.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary in the Philippines, Fête de la Musique showcases the

best of the best in the local music scene, while providing a generous cross-cultural experience between the Filipino and French people, forging friendships and building a community.

“2019 is a big year for Fête de la Musique and we wanted to make sure that this year’s event will be a special one,” said JeanPierre Dumont, executive director of Alliance Française de Manille.

Fête de la Musique in Manila is organized

by Alliance Française de Manille together with B-Side Productions and the Embassy of France to the Philippines and is co-presented by Globe Telecom and San Miguel

Pale Pilsen.

For its 2019 edition, Fête de la Musique will continue its tradition of producing several main stages across Metro Manila and in six other cities all over the country, which will offer a variety of music styles. With the addition of over 50 pocket stages that will host different music genres, #FetePH25 will indeed offer music for everyone.

This year, Fête de la Musique, the most attended and most recognized French event in the country, has lined up new, exciting, and meaningful activities for everyone.

Starting a new annual tradition, Fête

de la Musique 2019 introduces Music Heals: Fête de la Musique Pop-Up, which will highlight the healing power of music. Together with nurse-rapper Fatima Palma-Loo and other artists, Fête de la Musique will be doing a pop-up show on June 8 to inspire, heal, and give hope to the children of the Virlanie Foundation in Makati City.

On June 15, three Pre-Fete de la Musique Parties will simultaneously take place to kickoff the anniversary celebrations. There will be the Sunset Collective Stage at KMC Skydeck, in Bonifacio Global City, the Rockeoke Stage at Salon de Ning in The Peninsula Manila in

Makati City, and the Fete at the Park Stage

by SX Manila at Rizal Open-Air Auditorium in Luneta Park.

This milestone year also gives Fête de la Musique fans a chance to win round-trip tickets to France through the #FeteStories social media contest by simply sharing a 25-second video of their fondest Fête de la Musique memories through the years.

Fête de la Musique-goers can also look forward to #GlobeFete Production Number, a special 25-minute performance on June 21 at the A-Venue main stage. The multigenre medley, led by Francis De Veyra, will feature artists such as Bituin Escalante Aia

d trip

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JUNE 16, 2019

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SIC ON PRINT

TH FETE DE LA H ANNIVERSARY de Leon, Vic Facultad, Cooky Chua, Bayang Barrios, Tarsius, Kat Agarrado, Jensen Gomez, Bea Lorenzo, Zsaris, Brass Pas Pas Pas Pas and many more.

June 22 will even be a bigger day for the FetePH25 anniversary celebration with the Greenbelt Main Stage and the 52 pocket stages featuring various music genres happening all in the same day.

There will also be a special All-Female French-Filipino Medley on June 28 at the Intramuros main stage, led by Pinay musician Radha, and in collaboration with Vanessa Monot, Fatima Palma-Loo and more.

Fete de la Musique is also expanding to more venues outside the Metro on June 29 with main stages in Baguio,

Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, Palawan, and Pampanga.

To cap off the anniversary festivities with a bang, DocDef

and Gabi Na Naman Productions will hold a closing party on June 29 at 20:20, La Fuerza Plaza 1 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati.

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JUNE 16, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

Sound trip BusinessMirror

MUSIC ON PRINT

SoundSampler | by Tony M. Maghirang

The Insektlife Cycle versus AOUI, Grammy Winner Daniel Caesar Plus Naga City’s Underground Scene present system really sucks.

Pilgrim: Naga City Underground is a hard U-turn to the era when the music and its concerns foist a middle finger to the powers-that-be. “The music must change,” Peter Townshend’s The Who once himself growled. It’s good to know that even out there in the boondocks, there are kids who get it and do the right thing.

earned serious honor this year, giving Caesar his first Grammy award for best R&B performance. Sex drive, after all, should trump auto-tune all the time.

Daniel Caesar was featured at the Wanderland Music and Arts Festival in 2018. After his latest Grammy coup, he is returning for a onenight stand at the New Frontier Theater on July 23.

STRUGGLE RECORD PH VA-Pilgrim: Naga City Underground

F

ORTY years after the Ramones and the Sex Pistols rebelled against the system, and 30 years after Tommy Tanchangco heralded the gospel of a Brave New World, Pinoy punk rock is thriving in strange places you can imagine. Stranger still is this fresh whiff of punk noise from Bicolandia under the guiding spirit and marketing savvy of Struggle Records PH. In a private message, the guardians of the label tell Soundstrip: “We launched in October 2016 and we can say we have live gigs almost every month since then. Different genres come together in those gigs. There’s unity in the underground scene here (in Naga City).”

A recent compilation featuring some of the better-known young bands in the region just about pays tribute to the essence of punk as a gesture of adolescent discontent.

To start with, some names stand out like Engelsbird Humpersdick and Pennies 4 Jane.

Nevertheless, Engelsbird Humpersdick’s “G.O.O.M.F” is an understated gem, with pained angry vocals tempered by speedy pop-punk telling someone to get out of one’s face. Pennies 4 Jane unspools the usual ska-punk into a festive rock and roll jam.

H.UF.U goes pop-punk garnished with screaming doses of Oi! Oi! Oi!. “Unadulterated Anarchy”

by Malicious Existence plays out as advertised— splatter rock like a chance meeting between Sonic Youth and Leatherface.

The other contributors welcome the chance to shout out “F…..n’ destroy!,” “We won’t conform” and in the case of Oi Machine, a two minutes rant on how the

Orange...

from page 3

and it wasn’t even for O&L but for acclaimed Bossa Nova artist Sitti Navaro.

Since it was never used, the original arrangements and vibe of the song was burnt to ash and was reincarnated in the bands return to the scene.

Cover art was made by

DANIEL CAESAR Freedom

THE INSEKTLIFE CYCLE Temple of the Soul

T

ORONTO, Canada’s latest contender to the male R&B crown prince made an auspicious splash in 2017 with his debut titled “Freudian.” Its overall beat and rhythm is urban contemporary R&B and then-newcomer Daniel Caesar skates on top of it all in a voice glistening with classic gospel influences minus the praise the Lord context, of course.

Daniel nails it right on the first track where he exchanges aching whispery falsetto with Kali Uchis, herself now a singular sensation in the same scene, Imagine Nat King Cole getting on in today’s sexual liberation and he’ll give pretenders like R. Kelly a serious run for the most underwear thrown onstage.

We digress, sorry, because that’s how good Daniel Caesar is when his smooth instrument awakens inner longing and lust. In fact, his back-up consists of a run of the mill piano and organ bits and pieces precisely to highlight the singer’s chief asset. To paraphrase the Big Bad Wolf, the intent obviously is to “hear him even better.” Just check out these exquisite honey drippers: “Find Love,” “Hold Me Down” and “Best Part (feat H. E. R.)” That collaboration with H. E. R., “Best Part”,

AOUI Self-titled

W

ITH their mind-blowing boldness against sensible pop intelligence, they define the nature of the beasts these Pinoy instrumental bands uncage in their latest releases.

Veterans of the underground death metal scene by way of the celebrated band Barabbas, the four mates who jam as The Insektlife Cycle are probably inspired by the sounds of bugs in the

Mark Villanueva, an artist from Baliuag, Bulacan, a testimony to the band paying homage to their roots and the hopeless romantics that find themselves daydreaming at a seashore.

All-Filipino album

ASSURING those who missed these iconic OPM artists, Castro made sure that we knew their reunion

doesn’t just end with a single.

“We try not to repeat ourselves [so we wanted] to challenge ourselves with an all-Filipino album,” he affirmed.

Part of their growing, their first get together as a band after the break-up was in 2017 where they remastered the songs of Love in the Land of Rubber Shoes and Dirty Ice Cream as part of its 15th anniversary.

Castro admitted that they wanted to re-record as to “fix their accents” which had that hard British slang.

Now available for streaming, Pag-ibig sa Tabing Dagat is on its way for a Music Video shoot which will feature Alessandra De Rossi and Empoy Marquez. O&L hope to top off their year with a Canada tour in September.

natural world. Buzzes, zaps, rasps, and drones ricochet all over the group’s sophomore effort since they first unleashed their kaleidoscopic vision in Vivid Dreams Parade in 2017. They made good on their own self-promotion to fuse “the dreamlike soundscapes of instrumental rock with the luscious panorama of psychedelic/ stoner/progressive rock.”

Temple of the Soul comes from a fevered amplification of the initial fusion. The psychedelic cum prog-rock intent remains intact but the production values (or the absence of them) bring out the truer character of the band as exploratory space invaders.

They go in “Sonic Sermons” combining spindly guitar rock with jazz-rock rhythms and funky ululations while the vocals attempt a pleasing variant of death growls. The title track detunes prog-rock to the sonorous hard rock of Black Sabbath and the ‘90s grunge/blues alchemists. The Insektlife Cycle refuse to be slotted in any checkbox and by that, they continue to be a fascinating listen.

At the other end of the post-rock spectrum, Aoui takes out a more domestic breed for a spin in their debut for the eclectic Terno Recordings.

It’s something you can listen to in the park, on the road, or in a crowded MRT without distracting your attention. In Aoui’s company, everything’s fine and dandy even if the world outside is going nuts.

As an added bonus, there’s no lack of impressive melodies and choruses to guitar-laden music that harks back to the heyday of Dick Dale and The Shadows. But hey, this is far from RJ’s usual stomping ground. Aoui delivers a brandnew approach to instrumental music wherein the band’s hands, a sense of nostalgia sweeps us up because the feel of the music carries the memory of better days when we were younger, freer, more daring and unburdened by the demands of getting old. It’s there in the garage rock twists and turns of “For Now,” in the laid-back embellishments of “Recess” and the widescreen sprawl of “White Water.” Life’s good, in other words.

Get both albums to soundtrack the highs and lows of your ordinary life.

FETE DE LA MUSIQUE ROCK N’ ROLL STAGE 2019

F

ETE de la Musique—the ultimate worldwide celebration of music—is once again around the corner and one of the most anticipated is the Rock N’ Roll Stage as it features the country’s most established and well-known rock n’ roll acts. The Rock N’ Roll stage was introduced back in 2017 and was organized by Rough Stuff Entertainment and SX Manila.

This year’s edition will headlined by Razorback with Basti Artadi and Kjwan.

Supporting them are the Bastards of Rock N’ Roll Gin Rum and Truth, Hey Moonshine, The Black Wolf Gypsies, Whiskey Version together with Ojo Rojo, Bonifacio Republic, Spank Me Regor, Hoochie Coochie Mickey, Molay, Severo, Out of Order and Elijah Borromeo.

It will be held on June 22 at the Makati Sports Bar on in Poblacion, one of the most known party places today. It will start at exactly 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon. Entrance is absolutely free.

Harvard course teaches rich millennials how to do good (and make money)

CHUNG KYUNGSUN

O

DAVID WILLIAMS/BLOOMBERG

N a crisp morning last October, a few dozen students with wildly diverse backgrounds and expertise filed into the red-brick building of Harvard University’s Kennedy School. Three things united them: they were young, they wanted to do good and they were all staggeringly wealthy.

The group was attending a joint course run by Harvard and the University of Zurich, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, called “Impact Investing for the Next Generation.” In this context, that generation means the heirs to some of capitalism’s greatest fortunes. Participants had to pass an interview before paying up to $12,000 for a week of classes in the United States and Switzerland, not including airfares and board. A more intensive related course costs $58,000.

The program has barely been advertised since its founding in 2015 and word is spread through old-money networks and among European royalty. Alumni include Chung Kyungsun, grandson of Hyundai Group’s founder; and Antonis Schwarz, who came into his fortune at 16 when the drugmaker his great-grandfather helped found was sold for €4.4 billion ($5 billion).

The graduates represent a quiet insurgency among the world’s wealthy millennials. As their peers march to protest climate

change and inequality, these privileged few are arming themselves with the skills and arguments they need to convince their families—often against bankers’ advice— to make more “impact investments” that are designed to benefit society as well as turn a profit.

“It gets the scions of the world’s wealthiest families together to talk about impact investing, and I don’t know a lot of programs like that,” says Schwarz, 30, who established the Guerrilla Foundation to support activists and grassroots social movements. “People go in not knowing much about the impact space and they come out as impact champions.”

The push comes amid rising pressure on the world’s wealthiest citizens to give more back. A widening gulf between haves and have-nots is helping drive populist movements around the globe. And while politicians dither over issues like climate change, fearful of votes, and corporations make charitable contributions with one

7 BusinessMirror

eye on shareholder profits, high-net-worth individuals have the money and freedom to make rapid and influential investment decisions—they will have almost $70 trillion at their disposal by 2021, according to Ernst & Young Llp.

School bullies

ASIA is a prime example of both the potential upside and huge challenges facing young heirs trying to do good. While the region now holds one-third of global wealth, it contributes a much smaller portion of the total in impact investing, according to Abhilash Mudaliar, research director for the Global Impact Investing Network.

Family offices in the region donate about 80 percent less to philanthropy than their European and American peers, although that’s partly because many Asian families give back to communities via more informal channels.

Heirs like Chung are trying to change that. As an introverted child at an all-boys school, he was bullied for his love of books and video games and had little interest in joining the Hyundai family business. The more he read, the worse he felt about a world with a growing gap between rich and poor, where many had no access to basics such as health care. In South Korea, the blame for those inequalities was falling on the nation’s family-run conglomerates— the chaebol.

JUNE 16, 2019

“I don’t want to say that I’m responsible for that, or that my family is responsible for it, but I’m definitely someone who’s benefiting from this social structure,” Chung, 32, said. “That’s why I felt that I needed to do something about it.”

Early charity work for Chung’s family foundation gave him a taste of positive change, but that came with its own set of expectations and limitations. So despite his parents’ misgivings he backed his own ideas, took the Harvard course and later cofounded Root Impact to launch coworking spaces for social ventures, offer financial grants for affordable housing and environmental programs that benefit children, women and people living in poverty.

“In Asia especially, parents don’t allow children to do their own thing, or if they do, it’s with very limited funds,” Chung said.

“They feel very lonely because they feel like they’re the crazy ones.”

Sustainable capitalism RECRUITING people like Chung to the sector is vital because the scale of the challenge is too great for government aid or philanthropy alone, said James Gifford, head of impact investing at UBS Group AG and co-founder of the Harvard course.

“The heavy lifting of, say, pulling a billion people out of poverty has to be through sustainable capitalism,” said Gifford, an Continued on Page 8

Harvard course teaches rich millennials how to do good (and make money) How one firm sees millennials and Gen Z disrupting markets

MORGAN Stanley considers millennials and Generation Z will provide an above-average boost to the US economy in the next two to three decades. BLOOMBERG BANKS need to defend their turf as young consumers start to shape the US economy, while Apple Inc. and Google Inc. are wellpositioned to benefit, according to Morgan Stanley.

Millennials and Generation Z—children born post-2000s—will provide an above-average boost to the economy over a 20- to 30-year horizon, econo-

REBEKAH LIN JEN WEST/BLOOMBERG Continued from Page 7

Australian who worked as an environmental activist.

Because this class of financing is designed to make money, the theory is that families and institutions can put in more cash because they’ll eventually make it back. With some of Chung’s impact investments coming good, his father is now a convert and looking to contribute more of the family’s money.

Gifford said working with the new generation is important because younger people are more likely to identify with the need for social and environmental change. While the stereotype of rich kids popping champagne on family yachts is often true, many of them are also keen to fund positive change.

Almost 90 percent of heirs surveyed in 2018 by Credit Suisse Group AG and the Young Investors Organization said they were interested in making impact investments.

The Global Impact Investing Network estimates that around $502 billion is currently being managed in impact investing assets globally and networks, such as The ImPact and Nexus Global, have sprung up requiring participants to pledge investment. While more than 100 students have participated in the Harvard course, they’re only a fraction of the wealthy millennials who are attracted to the idea.

The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network expects the momentum to continue, with 35 percent of the region’s wealth set to shift to the next generation over the coming five to seven years. In June it plans to hold a conference with impact investing as a key theme.

mists including Ellen Zentner wrote in a

Persuading dad SINGAPOREAN Rebekah Lin is studying gerontology at King’s College in London after becoming interested in impact investing. Her father helped found Singaporebased private equity firm Tembusu Partners and has long supported charitable causes, but even he still needed persuading that business and social good could be combined, she said.

“Traditional Chinese and Asian families are still quite conservative—they want to take a longer time to decide what they want to give and are a lot more hands-on,” said Lin, 33. Thus she—and the growing pool of her peers who are keen to work in the space—spend much of their time “proving their mettle and making sure they have a couple of years in finance, or with an impact investing firm, to show their parents they’re serious about it.”

It’s why a key segment of the Harvard course focuses on how to change the status quo from the inside. Over the week of transoceanic classroom study and 40 hours of individual and group work, participants learn how to source deals, conduct due diligence and evaluate the social as well as financial impacts of an investment.

They’re also taught “soft skills”—how to navigate family politics to convince people to back their ideas, and find peers as well as consultants to help support programs. Graduates are encouraged to examine assets in the family business that could be used to deliver aid, such as a fishing fleet in Indonesia or an investment office in Bangkok.

“When people see there are people changing the world and earning a lot of money at the same time, I believe it will set an example for others of our generation to follow,” said Cheng Ming Zhe, an analyst at

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Singapore-based multifamily office Golden Equator Wealth, whose family made a fortune in property. Cheng met like-minded heirs through a course on social entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford last year and has a friend that did the Harvard program.

Battered durian

TO be sure, there’s no guarantee that such clubs, groups and courses aren’t little more than fashionable embellishments for the well-heeled. Good impact investments are hard to find and often come with higher risks, so enthusiasm could wane when transactions sour—just 24 percent of nextgeneration heirs surveyed by the Young Investors Organization and Credit Suisse had actually put money into this type of product.

But for now courses like the one at Harvard are helping bring like-minded investors together to create valuable bonds.

One evening in April, 10 young heirs, including a graduate of the program, stepped through a door disguised as a refrigerator and into a Singapore speakeasy called The Dragon Chamber.

Over rounds of stir-fried chicken with Sichuan pepper and battered durian desserts, they voiced their discontent about the private-banker attitudes standing in their way. Few had met before, but all expressed a sense of liberation that they were no longer alone and a belief they can bring about change.

“There are literally tens of thousands of ultra-high-net-worth people, and a lot would have multiple children,” UBS’s Gifford said. “We’ve barely scratched the surface.” Bloomberg News JUNE 16, 2019

research paper dated June 9. They asked the firm’s analysts for ideas about which stocks might gain.

Big banks may suffer as younger cus-

tomers, who are digital-banking or even mobile-banking natives, shift to financialtechnology and Big Tech firms like PayPal Holdings Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc., according to analysts led by Betsy Graseck. They see Bank of America Corp. as a winner in mobile, Capital One Financial Corp. leading the way in products tailored to those under 18, and First Republic Bank ahead on products tailored to millennials. Discover Financial Services is succeeding with its strong customer service, they said.

Young Americans tend to spend a dis-

proportionate share of money on things like cell phones, apparel and food away from home, analysts led by Kimberly Greenberger wrote. Overlaying youth trends with demographic data, they see the likes of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Starbucks Corp. and Nike Inc. as among consumer-discretionary names likely to benefit.

Apple is well-positioned to benefit given its tech-enabled health-care offerings, along with employee-mobility and work force-efficiency service providers like Salesforce.com Inc. and Adobe Inc., according to analysts led by Katy Huberty.

The changing preferences of genera-

tions won’t be good for every company, though. Analysts led by Ravi Shanker see legacy parcel companies United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. being hurt by trends toward retailer incentives for picking up items at stores and delivering online orders out of stores. Bloomberg News