Businessmirror March 09, 2019

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Multinational coffee maker rolling out mobile payment system to help farmers get paid faster, and in a more convenient and secure way.

THE Bukidnon coffee buying station. JASPER ARCALAS

M

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

form incorporated to their coffeebuying system.

“We are shifting to a mobile platform—getting farmers paid anywhere and anytime,” Ella said in an interview with reporters at Nestlé’s buying station here last Wednesday.

“It’s high time that farmers be equipped with new technology,” Ella added, while giving Manilabased reporters a tour of the multinational’s buying station.

ARAMAG, BUKIDNON— Multinational Nestlé Philippines Inc. (Nestlé) is banking on a mobile payment system to digitize its present coffee-buying scheme to make the process more convenient and provide farmers with more monetary options.

After two years of development, Nestlé is now venturing into a digital platform to turn its payment system for farmers into a cashless and more convenient one.

Nestlé Assistant Manager Benedict A. Ella said they will roll out in the next crop calendar, running from October until June of next year, a mobile payment plat-

Globe as partner

THE coffee beans up close prior to the three tests done on them. JASPER ARCALAS

NESTLÉ partnered with Globe Telecoms Inc. to utilize the latter’s G-Cash mobile payment platform.

“The physical presence required for farmers to go to a buying station and then to wait—they won’t be doing that anymore.”

This is one of the benefits that

coffee farmers will experience with the adoption of a mobile payment system in Nestlé’s buying process, according to Ella.

“Once they deliver [their produce], they can go home and they will get a notice through text or message that they have already received their payments in their GCash accounts,” he explained.

With the use of a mobile payment system, farmers can withdraw their money from any G-Cash partners such as banks’ ATMs, pawnshops and other merchant stores, Ella said.

One other reason for adopting a mobile payment system, Ella added, is the security of the farmers, especially when they are receiving cash or payment.

For example, farmers can now Continued on A2

Banks can’t ignore emerging $23-T market for doing good

By Jacqueline Poh | Bloomberg News

W

HEN British housing association London & Quadrant needed a £100-million, or $132 million, loan last year, its bank offered something unusually generous: A discount on interest if L&Q met an annual target of helping 600 unemployed residents find work.

Eight months later, L&Q, which builds and rents out affordable housing in London, is already more than 75 percent of the way there, putting it on course to unlock savings from its lender, BNP Paribas SA.

While it’s hard to imagine the

world’s profit-driven banks offering incentives for doing good, corporate lending tied to some measurable sustainability metric—like cutting emissions or reducing food waste—surged eight-fold in 2018 to $36.4 billion, according to Bloomberg NEF.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.1600

“If this catches on, it is going to be the next big investment opportunity.

Banks need to adapt to this new suite of opportunities this shift creates.”—Czyż

There always seems to be a catch in finance, and while this time is no different, it may be more palatable. The fact is that people are now investing more than $23 trillion in socially responsible ways, according to the Global Sustainability Investment Alliance, and lenders can’t ignore them if they want to stay relevant.

Shift

L&Q builds and rents out affordable housing in London and surrounding areas. SIMON DAWSON/BLOOMBERG

“IF this catches on, it is going to be the next big investment opportunity,” said Kajetan Czyż, the program director for sustainable finance at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership. “Banks need to adapt to this new suite of opportunities this shift creates.”

In a few years, banks that fill their loan books with so-called positive-incentive deals could be better placed to not only attract clients, like sustainability conscious millennials, but also lower funding costs.

See “Doing Good,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4674 n UK 68.2044 n HK 6.6447 n CHINA 7.7696 n SINGAPORE 38.3248 n AUSTRALIA 36.5537 n EU 58.3305 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9097

Source: BSP (March 8, 2019 )

News

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A2 Saturday, March 9, 2019

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THIS is the “probing” part of the process, when a Nestlé staff inspects the sacks and gets samples from every bag brought to the buying station. JASPER ARCALAS Continued from a1

just transfer money to their loved ones or relatives through the GCash app instead of physically going to money-sending companies.

“Safety is very important for Nestlé. The system would be cashless now and these farmers, especially those traveling on longer routes, would have reduced risks in carrying their money,” he said.

Embrace

ELLA admits that considering the average age of coffee farmers, rolling out the new payment system will take time before it is fully accepted by them.

“We had our trials in Bukidnon, and there’s always a learning curve in technology. [But from

what we have seen] there is openness [from the farmers],” he said.

“Most of our farmers are 4Ps [Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program] beneficiaries, so they know how to use the ATM already. But little by little, we will have a transition as technology is something we need to embrace,” he added.

The adoption of the mobile payment system by Nestlé is also complementary to its recently established new coffee-buying scheme, Ella said.

Nestlé has started to buy green coffee beans (GCB) in areas without the physical presence of the multinational by providing trucks to interested farmer-sellers.

“We have deliveries in Iloilo.

Nestlé is not there physically but we provide the farmers with

vans—for free—so that they could put their stocks in there and get paid through mobile phones,” he said.

Ella said they plan to extend the use of the mobile payment system to other crops or commodities they procure.

They will conduct training for farmers on the company’s new payment process from the second until the third quarter.

And at the center of Nestlé’s GCB procurement is its Farmer Connect program, a direct-buying scheme that encourages small-scale coffee farmers to sell directly to the company for an assured market.

“In order to meet demand caused by continuously increasing local coffee consumption, Nestlé buys coffee beans directly from farmers, cooperatives or consolidators at world market prices provided the beans meet Nestlé quality standards (moisture, triage and cup taste),” the firm said.

Nestlé established two satellite buying stations to facilitate its Farmer Connect program: one in Marbel, South Cotabato, and another here. The buying stations base their rates on the prevailing global market prices and even add a premium based on quality, Nestlé said.

During the reporters’ visit to the buying station here, Grade 1 GCB was bought at P85 per kilogram, while Grades 2 and 3 were purchased at P83 per kilogram and P77 per kilogram, respectively.

“Nestlé observes price transparency and farmers can obtain information about price through

text messaging, or those who have access to the Internet can check global pricing,” the company said.

“The system also enables farmers to be paid within eight banking hours, so they benefit within a convenient period from the sale of their produce to Nestlé,” it added.

Transparency

THE process at Nestlé’s buying station takes less than an hour to be completed.

Farmers’ produce is brought to the buying station through consolidators or by the farmers themselves, according to Ella. During a busy day, Nestlé would be receiving about 30 jeeploads of produce.

GCB is brought into the buying station packed in food-grade jute sacks, which keep the produce aerated to avoid spoilage.

The produce would then undergo probing—Nestlé staff would inspect and get samples from every bag brought to the buying station.

About five samples are recovered in each bag, which weighs an average of 60 kilograms.

All bags brought in by a farmer or consolidator comprise a “lot,” which would undergo the

System

NESTLÉ purchases about 65 percent of the total Robusta GCB production in the country, according to documents provided by the company.

At least 30 percent of the multinational’s total GCB requirement is being sourced locally, it added.

FOOD-GRADE jute sacks of coffee beans are stacked at the buying station. JASPER ARCALAS

Doing good…

That’s because loans tied to what the industry refers to as ESG—environmental, social and governance—usually go to companies that have track records of profitability and debt repayment.

L&Q, for one, has an A3 rating at Moody’s Investors Service and other borrowers like Belgian chemicals giant Solvay SA, French food company Danone SA, hotel operator Accor SA and Thames Water Ltd. are all investment grade.

“Sustainability topics are increasingly included in conversations with clients,” said Cecile Moitry, the Paris-based sustainable finance director at BNP Paribas, which was involved in at least 10 such deals last year according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Symbolic

UP until now, banks have dabbled in “responsible banking” only symbolically. For more than a decade, they’ve arranged green bonds and green loans, used by companies to raise cash for environmental projects. But even last year’s $182 billion of green debt sales paled in comparison to over $6 trillion in global bond issuance.

That said, the new style of ESG lending that took off in 2018 could be a game changer, according to Dan Shurey, who leads Bloomberg NEF’s green and sustainable finance research. In just one year, these loans led the 26-percent increase in sustainable debt fundraising to a record $247 billion.

By allowing companies to use the cash raised for anything they want, ESG lending resolves one of the key issues preventing broader adoption of green bonds and greens loans. It’s the pricing of the facility, not the money itself, that’s tied to a socially responsible objective.

Continued from a1

“An explicit price advantage was always the missing piece for green bonds,” said Shurey, who predicts volumes of ESG loans in 2019 will “vastly surpass” 2018. “Incentives for corporate borrowers are key for scaling the market.”

Incentives

next steps.

The samples, around 300 grams, would be put in a splitting machine to make a homogenous sample from all the probes.

The samples are then roasted for less than five minutes until the GCB becomes medium-roasted or turns golden brown.

The roasted GCB would then be grounded and undergo Nestlé’s three-point quality test: moisture content, triage and cup test.

For a produce to be accepted by Nestlé, its moisture content should be 12 percent and below. Nestlé also provides an additional P1 per kilogram if the GCB’s moisture content is 11 percent and below.

The multinational utilizes a rapid testing equipment to determine the beans’ moisture content.

As for triage, Nestlé conducts a manual procedure. The GCB are manually sorted to determine their defects—immaturity, insect damages, brokenness, among others.

Nestlé grades the beans based on the extent of defects and would grade them accordingly to determine their buying price.

Grade 1 GCB should have a score of 0 to 8, while those that scored 8.01 to 12 would be tagged Grade 2; and lastly, Grade 3 would be 12.01 to 16.

The last part of the test is the cup tasting. Using a matrix, a Nestlé qualified taste tester would score the GCB. Hot water is poured into a bowl of ground sample coffee and left for two minutes to allow caffeine extraction. After such, the taste test begins.

First, the smell. Next, the taste.

If the GCB lot passes the three tests, then it would be accepted by Nestlé and the farmers would be paid accordingly.

At present, Nestlé provides farmers a receiving check which they exchange with BPI banks for cash.

AT the start, the interest rates on ESG loans look a lot like standard ones might. Then the rate changes depending on how well the company performs against its annual sustainability target. Meet the goal, interest rates drop. But miss the target, and they go up. Pricing details of these loans aren’t usually disclosed so it’s hard to gauge how big of an incentive they offer to companies.

Still, Xylem Inc., a US maker of water equipment, said March 5 that it got an incentive of as much as 5 basis points on a $800-million revolving facility tied to a sustainability rating from Sustainalytics.

“This is a new world for most financiers and treasury teams”

Sustainable lending is still tiny in the grand scheme of finance, accounting for only 7 percent of the $507 billion of company loans in Europe last year. Its share is even smaller in $1.2-trillion US corporate loan market, although some big deals—like the $3.5-billion ESG financing San Francisco-based warehouse developer Prologis Inc. signed in January—are putting ESG on the map.

There are hurdles to more mainstream adoption, such as the lack of agreement on how to objectively gauge a company’s social responsibility. While some loans are tied to a measurable metric, or key performance indicator (like CO2 emissions), others rely on ratings from one of more than a dozen

agencies, including MSCI, Sustainalytics, RepRisk and the ISS Environmental & Social QualityScore.

Problem is, the scoring methods aren’t consistent. In July, US think tank American Council for Capital Formation released a critical report after finding a correlation of 0.32 between the sustainability ratings of MSCI and Sustainalytics on companies in the S&P Global 1200 Index. By comparison, credit ratings of Moody’s and S&P Global Ratings are 0.90 aligned, it said.

Indicators

“THIS is a new world for most financiers and treasury teams,” said Peter Elleman, the managing director for loan markets at ABN Amro NV in London, which is now lending in this space. He said having proof of a company’s social responsibility is a “a good indicator of good governance, and hence likely lower credit risk.”

Whether ESG lending ends up being a breakthrough in sustainable finance or a temporary fad, companies like the idea of extra cash. London utility Thames Water raised a 1.4 billion pound five-year loan in December tied to its Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark rating. Any interest savings will go to its charitable fund, which donates to causes related to water and the environment.

While L&Q wouldn’t say how much it expects to save when its fiveyear loan is repriced, its director of treasury, Martin Watts, called the discount “significant.” It needs to get at least 600 unemployed residents back into work in the first financial year, starting April, to unlock savings, with the goal rising by 25 in each subsequent year.

“It will make a material difference to our funding costs,” Watts said.

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PHL TROPICAL FOOD TAKES CENTER STAGE IN FOODEX JAPAN

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IXTEEN local companies showcased the best of Philippine food products in the 44th edition of International Food and Beverage Exhibition, popularly known as Foodex Japan. The event was held from March 5 to 8, 2019, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Led by the Department of Trade and IndustryCenter for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-Citem), the Philippine delegation showcased the country’s premier fruit selections and tropical products, as well as its processed derivatives and by-products.

“Japan is one of our leading importers of Philippine fruits and other tropical products. We brought 16 Philippine companies to showcase these finest selections in Japan’s biggest food show,” DTI-Citem Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said.

In 2018 Japan was the Philippines’s largest export destination for fresh food and the second-largest market for processed food next to the United States.

The tropical fruits showcased in Japan included banana, coconut, durian, papaya, pineapple and mango.

The Philippine delegation also highlighted organic food, cakes and confectionary, tuna, shrimp and crabs, as well as powdered juice drinks of other herbs.

Joining the delegation were Agrinurture Inc., Amley Food Corp., Avante Agri-Products Philippines Inc., Celebes Coconut Corp., Century Pacific Food Inc., Citra Mina Canning Corp., CJ Uniworld Corp., Coconut Cures Inc.,/Mindanao Pacific Coconut Coop, Grand Asia Integrated Natural Coco Products Corp., GSL Premium Food Export Corp., Leonie Agri Corp.,

Phil-Union Frozen Foods Inc., Prime Fruits International Inc., Profood International Corp., Seabest Food and Beverage Corp, and See’s International Food Mfg. Corp.

“With these 16 big companies, Citem is confident this country participation would deliver our sales target and maintain the Philippines’s strong market presence in Japan,” Suaco-Juan said.

In 2018, 18 local firms under the FoodPhilippines pavilion bagged $17.1 million worth of export orders. For

this year’s participation, Citem sought to exceed last year’s sales and generate at least $17.9 million export sales.

Foodex Japan is known as a major gateway to the Japanese market. Last year, the four-day event welcomed over 3,000 local and international exhibitors, as well as more than 82,000 buyers from the food manufacturing, service, distribution and trading sectors across the global food industry.

DTI-Citem’s participation in Foodex Japan 2019 under the FoodPhilippines country brand for

the sector was organized in partnership with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Tokyo as one of the DTI’s major efforts to intensify the promotion of Philippine specialty food products in overseas trade shows.

Citem is committed to developing, nurturing and promoting globally competitive small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by implementing an integrated approach to export marketing in partnership with other government and private entities.

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

Saturday, March 9, 2019

WORLD No. 1 Sung-hyun Park is cheered on all week by her “Park’s Army.” STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

BAYANI GARCIA churns in an even par 72 for 36 points. ROY DOMINGO

OFF to Singapore are (from left) Abigail Sinogbuhan, Jack Danielle Animan, Islay Erika Bomogao, Katrina Gargoles, Jamaila Ramos, Eumir Felix Marcial and Honer de Vera.

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BusinessMi

Saturday, March 9, 2019 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

AS NEW FRANCE’S Julien Absalon is a five-time cross-country International Cycling Union World Champion and double XCO Olympic champion.

E-MOUNTAIN BIKE DEBUTS IN CANADA

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HE first ever International Cycling Union (UCI) World Champions for E-Mountain Bike (E-MTB) will be crowned this year during the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes Benz.

The E-MTB races will take place from August 28 to September 1 in MontSaint-Anne, Canada. It will be raced after the cross-country team relay, which traditionally opens the UCI’s leading mountain bike event of the year.

The UCI announced last year that E-MTB

had been integrated into the UCI Regulations.

The new format joins the Worlds program for the first time this year alongside cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill (DHI).

For its first year as part of the UCI World Championships, E-MTB will have two races on the program—Men Elite and Women Elite.

The races are open to athletes aged 19 and over who are registered with, and selected by, their national federations.

In Mont-Saint-Anne, the riders will tackle a 7.3-km cross-country course for a duration of

one hour and 30 minutes to two hours.

Under the UCI Regulations, an E-MTB is a bike operated by two energy sources— human pedal power and an electric engine.

The engine must only provide assistance while the rider is pedaling, except for start-up assistance when a speed not exceeding 6 kph is permitted.

The bike’s engine must produce a maximum of 250 watts, providing assistance of no more than 25 kph. Additional batteries may not be carried during competition.

As in XCO races, riders may receive assistance in the dedicated feed and technical assistance zone on the course. However, bike and battery changes are not permitted.

Men and women on the E-MTB podium will receive identical prize money and a UCI jersey especially designed for E-MTB, which will be revealed at a later date by the UCI. The 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz will take place from After the cross-country team relay and E-MTB on opening day, racing will continue with individual XCO and DHI racing. A total of 13 world titles will be awarded over the five days of racing. UCI News

NEW PURSUIT RECORD

A

USTRALIA can already be proud of their achievements at the 2019 International Cycling Union Track World Championships after winning the world title in men’s Team Pursuit and setting a new world record in Pruszkow, Poland.

The men’s team of Samuel Welsford, Kelland O’Brien, Leigh Howard and Alexander Porter, along with Cameron Scott, broke the nation’s previous would record with a new time of three minutes and 48.012 seconds.

The Australian team had previously set the world record in the men’s Team Pursuit at 3:49.804 at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, which

had topped the previous world record set by Great Britain in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In the gold-medal round at the World Championships on Thursday, Australia powered to the victory over Great Britain’s team of Ethan Hayter, Edward Clancy, Kian Emadi and Charlie Tanfield, while Oliver Wood was the fifth rider. Australia was fastest in every stretch of the 4,000-meter event.

All signs pointed to Australia having a successful Team Pursuit when they secured the fastest time in the qualifying round on Wednesday. They also set the fastest time in the first round. Cyclingnews

PORTS director Matteo Tosatto told Spanish press that Team Sky will apparently have an agreement in place with a new main sponsor ahead of May’s Giro d’Italia.

Talking to marca.com, the Italian—who has been a sports director at Sky since 2017, having retired as a pro rider with Saxo Bank the previous year—said that he thought that an announcement might have been made ahead of the Tour de France, but it could now come sooner.

Speaking at the UAE Tour, Tosatto told Marca that Team Sky’s management team has worked hard to allay any fears the riders may have had about their futures.

“Before the Giro, we should have an agreement [with a new sponsor] that will ensure the safety of the team,” he said. “It was only going to be finalized ahead of the Tour, but we are likely to announce it before the Corsa Rosa.

“It will be European, from home—de casa,” Tosatto added, suggesting—and subsequently confirming—that the possible scenario of Colombian backing was not going to happen, but perhaps suggesting that the new backer could be Italian.

In early February, it was thought that a consortium of Colombian sponsors, led by statecontrolled oil and gas company Ecopetro, could be in the running to back the WorldTour team in place of Sky, with the current main sponsor stepping away at the end of the 2019 season.

However, while attending the Tour Colombia 2.1, Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford moved a few days later to say that such a scenario was “very unlikely,” despite his enthusiasm for the country and its love of cycling—and despite a meeting with Colombia’s President Ivan Duque Marquez and the sports ministry.

“Colombian cycling has enormous potential— everybody knows that—but what we talked about with the government was a private matter,” Brailsford said at the time. “However, I have no doubt that Colombian cycling will continue to grow. Colombia has a real possibility to become one of the world’s leading cycling nations.”

It was a sentiment echoed this week in Dubai

by Tosatto, who confirmed that the possibility of a Colombian sponsor taking over was now no longer the case.

“It’s true that it was a possible avenue, but it hasn’t happened,” the 44-year-old said. “Although the country has some great riders and a lot of passion for cycling, we weren’t able to come to an agreement.”

Team Sky, meanwhile, has partnered with Garmin for 2019. Brailsford said the team is always looking for new ways to improve training and in-race experience.

The GPS technology company offers a range of different on-bike computer devices providing data fields such as watts, speed, cadence, navigation and an array of other features. The company also manufactures power meters and other electronic cycling accessories.

The news comes soon after the team announced a separate partnership with Swiss Side as the “aerodynamics and performance strategy partners,” again just for the 2019 season, as the team continue their search for a headline sponsor for 2020 onwards.

“Technology is key to successful performance, and at Team Sky we are always looking for new ways to improve our training and in race experience with the best products,” Brailsford said.

“Our coaches and riders know that in Garmin we have a best-in-class partner for our many different needs. We trust their products. They are reliable, intuitive and state-of the-art. But importantly, we look for partners that will innovate to develop new tools and methods for the future,” Brailsford added. “We think the potential is huge and that this exciting partnership opens up a new world of possibility for us to explore together.”

The press release adds that the team will be provided with the Garmin Edge range of GPS computers and the Garmin Varia RTL510 rearview radar for use during training, and the team will also be involved with various new test products throughout the season.

AUSTRALIA sets a new world record in team pursuit.

Tour du Rwanda: A race to behold T

HE bright African sun took a day off on the first stage of the Tour du Rwanda. But spectators paid no heed to the grey and menacing sky as they jumped over puddles to see their heroes line up for the 11th edition of the Tour.

They turned out in mass for their love of the Tour and for the joy of the change they perceive after the genocide exactly 25 years ago. The Rwandan riders of this year’s Tour share that joy.

“In our team we live together as brothers,” Valens Ndayisenga said. The 25-year-old Rwandan, winner of the Tour in 2014 and 2016, relished riding for the Rwandan national team.

The Rwandan cycling family was nevertheless aware that their riders were unlikely to dominate this year’s race. Therefore, they were not shocked by the success of Merhawi Kudus, who kept his grip on the yellow jersey from the second stage. With six grand tour starts, the Eritrean, member of the Astana Team, was one of the most experienced riders in the field.

LONGER AND TOUGHER

THIS year was the first time the Tour du Rwanda was raced as a Class 2.1 event.

And although over the years it has become more and more challenging, it has not lost its colorful charm. The smell of tea, the joyful spectators in the villages and the rolling hills all have their part to play in the Tour du Rwanda. The relentless uphill downhill sequences have become a tradition that the riders love and fear at the same time. You cannot defeat the hills. You can just climb them.

The Federation Rwandaise de Cyclisme (Ferwacy) was unable to make the well-paved roads steeper, but they could make the stages longer and harder.

And that is exactly what they did to pep up the race. Stage three was the obvious example: the riders faced a gruesome 213.1-km ride from Huye to Rubavu, the longest stage in the history of the event.

But it was not just the distance that made it tough. The stage included three category one climbs and another two of the second category. In total, the riders had to master an altitude of 8792 meters. Kudus was unperturbed, winning the stage and extending his lead.

Unlike in previous years, when Rwanda was represented by three teams, the hosts fielded only two teams in 2019; the Rwandan national team and International Cycling Union Continental Team Benediction Cycling Club, from Rubavu.

The organizers welcomed this development: “The upgrade is a good challenge not only for the organizers, but also for Rwandan cyclists,” explained Ferwacy President Aimable Bayingana. “It will motivate us to stay out of the comfort zone.”

SPECTATORS climb a hill to catch a glimpse of the riders.

RISE FROM REGIONAL RACE

UNTIL 2008, the Tour du Rwanda was a regional cycling race, bringing together Rwandans and riders from neighboring countries such as Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. Since obtaining UCI status in 2009, it has become increasingly international. This year, 83 cyclists from 14 nations contested the victory.

“I’m very excited about the upgrade,” Aimable Bayingana said. “It fills me with pride.”

Thanks to his success in developing cycling in the East African country the 48-year-old was recently elected president of the Cycling Union of French-speaking nations. “There are people willing to learn from us,” he says with a smile.

And the Federation aims high. Rwanda and Morocco are the two African nations bidding to host the UCI Road World Championship in 2025.

KUDUS UNDER PRESSURE

MERHAWI KUDUS was good, but it was not an easy road to victory. Before the last stage, his lead dwindled

to just seven seconds over his immediate pursuer Rein Taaramäe from the French team Direct Energie.

Sometimes just a few seconds are crucial. After eight stages, 953.6 km and 24 hours, 12 minutes and 37 seconds, Kudus came off victor with a mere 10-second advantage over his fellow Grand Tour cyclist.

The best Rwandan was Joseph Areruya from the French team Delko Marseille, in ninth place.

Valens Ndayisenga finished 13th and was content with his performance.

“It’s my first race in 2019 and I like to compete with strong riders,” Ndayisenga said.

Watching the race at the side of a cobblestone road Pacifiques Niyonshuti wraps it up.

“The upgrade is not bad. You have to compete with the strongest. Then you figure out how strong you really are,” he said.

One thing is certain for the hotel employee.

He will again be on the roadside to cheer the international peloton during the 12th edition of the Tour du Rwanda in 2020. UCI News

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, March 9, 2019

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SPONSOR FOR SKY? In early February, it was thought that a consortium of Colombian sponsors, led by state-controlled oil and gas company Ecopetro, could be in the running to back the WorldTour team in place of Sky, with the current main sponsor stepping away at the end of the 2019 season.

“Team Sky is known for being an ambitious and successful team full of talented riders, and we are excited to welcome them to our network of sponsored professional cycling teams,” Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Marketing Susan Lyman said.

“As a world leader in cycling technology, we are pleased to supply Team Sky with top-of-the-line products for use in some of the most demanding races in the world, and we look forward to working closely with them in the development and testing of future cycling products,” Lyman added. Cyclingnews

UCI provisionally suspends Preidler, Denifl after blood doping confessions

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TEAM Sky could unveil its new main sponsor ahead of this May’s Giro d’Italia.

Riders crash into race director’s car

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HE edition of the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne on Sunday had to be stopped for 20 minutes soon after the start following a crash caused by the race director’s car braking suddenly.

Several riders hit the ground during the race’s neutral start when the car stopped, but they were all able to remount, and the race went on its way again after the short break.

“The driver has been working on the race for several years, but something seems to have gone wrong with the car’s automatic gearbox, causing it to come to a standstill,” race organizer Maarten Clochet told HLN.be.

“I thought the race was going to have to be canceled, but fortunately none of the

riders involved were seriously injured, and we were able to restart the race after a delay of 21 minutes,” he added.

Stickybottle.com tweeted a video that was published on Facebook by the Dutch StreetjumpForte Development Team, which was taking part in the race, showing how the organization car was preparing to wave the riders on their way before the unfortunate incident.

Seventeen-year-old Dutchman Casper Van Uden won the race—won in 2018 by Remco Evenepo now with World Tour team DeceneunickQuickStep. The Belgian team topped the senior men’s event this year, thanks to Bob Jungels.

Cyclingnews

Woman rider almost catches men’s race in solo breakaway

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ICOLE HANSELMANN (Bigla pro Cycling Team) probably didn’t wake up with the intention of forcing the organizers of the women’s edition of Omloop Het Nieywsblad to neutralize the race but that’s exactly what happened when the 27-year-old almost caught the men’s race in a brave solo move.

The former national road champion of Switzerland attacked inside 7 kilometers of the women’s race and, despite a chase group of three riders forming behind her, she pressed on and steadily built up a lead of almost two minutes.

Despite the men’s and women’s races starting in the same location, the organizers appeared unprepared when Hanselmann could see the last few vehicles from the men’s race up ahead. In order to maintain a degree of organization, they asked the Bigla rider to stop by the roadside and allow for a gap to naturally form between the two races.

NICOLE HANSELMANN forces organizers to neutralize the race.

“We came too close to the men’s so we had to get a neutral time gap again, so it was a bit sad for me because I was in a good mood, and when the bunch sees you stopping, they just get a new motivation to catch you,” Hanselmann told Cyclingnews at the finish.

“The race jury just said we had to neutralize the race because we are getting too close to the men.

“We could just see the ambulances of the men’s race. I think we stopped for five or seven minutes, and then it just kills your chances.”

After a pause in proceedings, Hanselmann was allowed to start racing again, and was given a headstart on the bunch in a bid to allow her to regain the time she had built up. However, with the break in racing and the cold conditions also playing a factor, she was soon brought back by the bunch.

Cyclingnews

MARCEL KITTEL (from left) reacts to the blood doping confessions of Stefan Denifl and Georg Preidler.

KITTEL: BETTER SUPPORT FOR YOUNG ATHLETES

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ARCEL KITTEL and Matthias Brändle have reacted to the blood doping confessions of Stefan Denifl and Georg Preidler, calling for better support for young athletes to help them avoid the temptations of doping—while Brändle has said he would agree to lose all that he has earned during his 11-year professional career if he was ever caught doping.

Kittel comes from Erfurt in Germany, where Dr. Mark Schmidt was arrested and 40 blood bags were reportedly discovered in a garage. Five Nordic skiers were arrested at the World Championships in Seefeld, Austria last week as part of the inquiry, known as Operation Aderlass. Denifl confessed to blood doping after being questioned by police on Friday, while Preidler confessed over the weekend to twice extracting his blood during the final months of 2018.

Brändle revealed he had shared rooms with his fellow Austrian riders but said he was shocked to discover they had been prepared to blood dope to help their careers.

“I would have defended these two athletes in front of other people, never would have suspected or even expected. It seems I was just too naïve,” Brändle wrote in a post on Facebook.

“As a clean athlete, I feel betrayed by such people. They took away prize money and good contracts and now the reputation of our beautiful sport has been damaged massively. I just hope that the other blood bags can be identified and everyone, really anyone, who is connected to the subject of doping, is make accountable and punished hard.

“Perhaps the penalty for deliberate doping

should be drastically raised by those in charge.

It just seems to be much too tempting to get an illicit advantage. If there was a document that I could sign with which mean I’d lose everything I’ve earned in 11 years as a professional if I intentionally doped, I’d sign it straight away.”

CALL FOR BETTER SUPPORT MARCEL KITTEL recalled that he had been a teammate with Preidler during their time at Giant-Alpecin and was clearly hurt that his hometown of Erfurt and the region of Thüringen has become known as the center of an international doping ring.

Kittel helped campaign for a law against doping in Germany after the doping scandals of the past. In 2013 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the UV light treatment Kittel and other athletes underwent in 2007 and 2008 could not be considered as doping, but he saw his name splashed across German media as part of an drawn-out investigation.

“I am very happy that this now has come to an end—as painful as it is,” Kittel said in a message posted on his personal web site.

“I find it tragic that a handful of people can do so much damage to the image of German sports and my hometown. In the coming days there will surely be new names and details made public, and I find one fact especially bad: that Dr. Schmidt’s practice was also an official contact point of the LSB Thüringen for many young upand-coming athletes, who were examined and treated there and now are put in a bad light, although they did nothing wrong.

“How can it be that after the experience of the controversy of the UV light treatment by

Dr. Franke at the Olympic support centre Erfurt 2012, in which I was also involved, people here didn’t become more aware? Even if you can’t directly compare the cases, the consequences are again that it is the young athletes who suffer, because those in charge didn’t properly look at things. That makes me angry and disappointed.”

Kittel said he did not know Dr. Schmidt but argued that he had lost his right to a second chance because he was previously linked to serious doping accusations in 2008 when he worked with the Gerolsteiner team.

Kittel counts himself lucky but understands the importance of educating athletes so they can resist the pressure to dope.

“How can we help athletes like Georg Preidler, who apparently slipped off the narrow path and could no longer hold out against the pressure?” Kittel asked in his message.

“Some athletes aren’t as lucky to have the environment that I have, one which has supported and protected me during my whole sports career. Success in sport is not just physical but also involves mental strength. That is why I think that especially young athletes can and must be prepared for this situation with coaching and much explanation, in order to be strong later when they are faced with temptation.

“And we athletes should not be left alone with this assignment. Sport plays an important role in society, keeps people healthy and fit, and provides both entertainment and role models.

But all of that can become too much for an individual, and they break because of it, or try to find a shortcut through doping.”Cyclingnews

HE International Cycling Union (UCI) said that it has provisionally suspended Georg Preidler and Stefan Denifl in the wake of the Austrian riders’ recent confessions to blood doping offenses.

The governing body had previously requested further information on their admissions, reported in the Austrian media on Sunday and Monday, before taking action. On Sunday morning, it was reported that Denifl, formerly of Aqua Blue, had confessed to blood doping after being questioned by police as part of the “Operation Aderlass” doping inquiry, which saw five Nordic skiers arrested during last week’s World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.

Austrian police have since confirmed the news.

Preidler quit the Groupama-FDJ team later on Sunday, having confessed to Austrian police that his blood was drawn for a possible transfusion on two occasions in 2018. “I made a doping confession. I had my blood taken out but never put it back. But the thought and the fraudulent intent are already a crime,” Preidler told Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

“The UCI has now received further information regarding the admissions made by Mr. Georg Preidler and Mr. Stefan Denifl,” read a statement from the UCI on Monday.

“After review of all elements in its possession, the UCI has decided to provisionally suspend both riders with immediate effect pursuant to Article 7.9.3 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

“The UCI will assist the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency in the conduct of the disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Preidler and Mr. Denifl by Nada and will support all involved parties in the ongoing investigations. The UCI will not comment further on any of these matters.”

Operation Aderlass is centered around the activities of Dr. Mark Schmidt, who is based in Erfurt, Germany. Schmidt was previously a doctor at the Gerolsteiner and Milram teams. He was accused of facilitating doping by Bernard Kohl when the Austrian rider tested positive for EPO in 2008 but was cleared after a trial.

It has been reported that 40 blood bags were discovered in a garage in Erfurt, Germany, and that Schmidt is ready to cooperate with investigators. As was the case in the Operacion Puerto inquiry in Spain, the blood bags are labelled with simple abbreviations, or codenames. Investigators hope to secure a court order to secure the DNA of the accused athletes so that the identity of the 40 blood bags can be confirmed.

Denifl rode for Cervélo TestTeam, Leopard Trek, IAM Cycling and Aqua Blue Sport during his career, enjoying his greatest success in 2017, when he won a stage at the Vuelta a España and the general classification at the Tour of Austria.

Following the demise of the Aqua Blue team, Denifl signed a contract with CCC in October only to rescind the deal by mutual consent in late December, citing personal reasons. CCC manager Jim Ochowicz told Cyclingnews that he had not been aware of Denifl’s implication in a doping inquiry and said that the blood profile in his biological passport had not given the team cause for concern.

The 28-year-old Preidler turned professional with Argos-Shimano—now Team Sunweb—in 2013. He spent five years with the team before switching to Groupama-FDJ last year, where he won a stage of the Tour de Pologne and placed sixth overall.

Preidler was signed to be one of Thibaut Pinot’s mountain domestiques, and the Frenchman expressed his disappointment in an interview with L’Equipe on Tuesday, describing Preidler’s actions as a “betrayal.” Cyclingnews

OurTime

A8 Saturday, March 9, 2019 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

QC reserves courtesy seats for elderly

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UEZON CITY Mayor Herbert M. Bautista on Tuesday approved an ordinance that offers courtesy seats for persons with disability (PWDs), pregnant women and senior citizens in all private and public establishments.

Authored by Councilors Donato Matias and Franz Pumaren, Ordinance 2804, Series of 2018, states that courtesy seats in all estab-

lishments in Quezon City must be provided to give PWDs, pregnant women and senior citizens more comfort and safety.

“Despite the existence of national laws and other ordinances establishing special lanes and other privileges for these sectors, there is still a need to extend additional reasonable accommodation in all private and public establishments in keeping with their special needs and concerns,” the measure said.

“All establishments will also have to provide courtesy seat signage.”

When the designated seats are occupied by other persons, they are to give up their seats, the new ordinance provides.

Owners, managers and operators of private establishments who fail to implement the new policy shall

receive a notice of warning for the first offense.

A P5,000 fine and/or a six-month suspension of business permit on the second offense and a P5,000 fine and/or revocation of business permit on the third offense shall be meted out to establishments found in violation of the ordinance.

All government institutions within the city shall also receive a warning from the Quezon City Office for Senior Citizens Affairs, Persons with Disability Affairs Office and the Social Services Development Department for the first offense and corresponding penalties for subsequent offenses. PNA

Robredo meets Bulacan civil society groups for ‘Laylayan‘

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PARSLEY QUEEN Nanay Estrella, 61, shows her newly harvested parsley at the La Trinidad, Benguet, vegetable trading post that she sells for P30 per kilo. The vegetable is in high demand by restaurants that use the vegetable to garnish their dishes. MAU VICTA

KFC dedicates China restaurant to memory of Communist hero

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EIJING—Fast-food chain K FC is memorializing a popular Chinese Communist hero with restaurant décor extolling his deeds, in a rare matching of an iconic American brand with Communist propaganda.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the company launched its first “Lei Feng Spirit” restaurant in Lei’s home province of Hunan on Sunday, ahead of Tuesday’s official remembrance day for the soldier who died in 1962 at the age of 21.

Lei’s example of selfless service to the Communist Party and his comrades was popularized in 1963 by former leader Mao Zedong and remains a rallying point for party unity and public service.

Critics question the facts surrounding his alleged good deeds, saying most were based on accounts in a diary reportedly found after his

death. They also question why so many high-quality photos exist of the deeds, which included darning his fellow soldiers’ socks, studying Mao’s works by candlelight and shoveling manure to help a commune.

The KFC restaurant in the provincial capital of Changsha is decorated with Lei’s writings and image.

KFC in China is run by Yum China, which split from its parent company Yum Brands in 2016. The company’s American roots have occasionally made it a target of nationalistic Chinese during times of tension between Beijing and Washington, although it appears unaffected by the current trade war between the two. The company did not respond to AP’s requests for comment.

“Lei Feng has been the role model for generations of Chinese. As the KFC outlet in his hometown, we will spare no effort to promote his

spirit,” He Min, general manager for KFC’s Hunan region, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

In addition to opening the themed restaurant, KFC plans to “promote the Lei Feng spirit in its over 250 outlets in the province and encourage its staff to learn from the role model,” Xinhua said.

Lei Feng day is marked annually by acts of public service, such as clearing garbage and visiting the elderly. Communist leaders revived his memory more than a decade ago to stir support for the party among the younger generation born after the abandonment of orthodox Marxism in the 1980s and the crushing of pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Recent years have seen renewed efforts to update his image, including through television specials and smartphone apps. AP

OCAUE, Bulacan—Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo on Monday met with representatives of various civil-society groups in the province for a planning session of “Ahon Laylayan Coalition” at the St. Martha Estate in Barangay Batia here.

The coalition, a brainchild of Robredo, is a platform for determining the needs of the communities, especially the poorest sector of the society.

Lt. Col. Amado Mendoza Jr., Bocaue police chief, said Robredo held a “dialogue with homeowner associations of relocation sites in Bocaue, Pandi and Balagtas, and with some sectoral representatives” from the said municipalities.

“No political discussions were made in the said dialogue,” he noted.

Kat Guerrero, Robredo’s media relations officer, said the Vice President met with Bulakenyos coming from various sectors including women, transport, labor, farmers, fisherfolk, faith-based groups, persons with disabilities, cooperatives, nongovernment organizations, youth, senior citizens, urban poor, vendors, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, academe, and professionals, for the Ahon Laylayan Coalition’s provincial planning session.

The meeting, she said, was aimed toward helping the various civilsociety organizations to formulate a “People’s Agenda” and activities for their respective sectors in preparation for the upcoming provincial launch of Laylayan Koalisyon in Bulacan.

Later in the afternoon, Robredo’s group proceeded to Bustos town where she had a dialogue with women leaders. PNA

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Life’s little incongruities

By Nick Tayag

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MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

ONSIDER this: As an old friend was on the phone receiving the news that his agency got the juicy advertising account of a big national advertiser, the TV set in his living room was flashing images of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City being hit by planes. Jubilation and tragedy happening side by side.

A local religious procession was solemnly passing by our alley while two stray dogs in heat were copulating, oblivious to the praying folks who glanced uncomfortably at them. Solemnity and crudity.

There was an old movie I once saw. I don’t remember the title nor the names of the cast. But what I remember is the plot: As the husband was enjoying an adulterous tryst with a woman in a hotel, thieves were breaking into his house, and consequently raped and killed his wife and daughter. The husband nearly killed himself out of remorse, but then he channeled his guilt into a single-minded vow to seek and kill the murdering thieves.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” is a line from one of John Lennon’s songs. But may I tweak it a little bit to “while something is happening in your life, other things are happening in parallel—sometimes tragic, sometimes sad, sometimes laughable, but always incongruous.

Meaning, they don’t jive.” As in the dictionary meaning: not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts. Dissonance and contradictions.

Someone once said, God has a sense of humor. The proof? He created life on earth. A perverse sense of humor, I might add. That’s what comes to mind when I note these observations about life.

Yet, I am led to believe that there must be a design to these contrasting things happening at the same time.

Maybe, the parallel juxtaposing of incongruous elements is meant to give life to that certain ironic ring so we don’t take it too seriously, so it doesn’t go to our head.

At the apex of the Roman empire, whenever a military commander returned from a successful campaign, he was feted with a triumphal march around the forum. At such moments, it would be so easy to get drunk with feelings of grandeur and power. So a slave was placed at the back of the triumphant general and amid the clamor and the din, he

would whisper from time to time a wise reminder into the victor’s ear: “Memento mori,” which, in English, would mean: “Remember you are merely a mortal.”

Even the inexorable sweep of history showed the incongruities.

As one thing was happening in one part of the world, incongruous things were unfolding simultaneously in other parts. It’s as if these simultaneous happenings were from parallel worlds. People talk of synchronicities, but the opposite is incongruities.

Instead of striving to achieve harmonies and synchronicities, let us learn to accept incongruities and dissonances as part of living.

Embrace them.

As Reinhold Niebuhr said: The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity, but the achievement of serenity within and above it. To do that, one needs to believe like William S. Coffin does, that “Faith handles the ultimate incongruities of life, while humor handles the more immediate ones.”

Finding humor in the incongruities of everyday life is what David Langdon did for over five decades as a magazine cartoonist. A shrewd observer of human nature, he sketched and drew thousands of topical cartoons and witty commentaries. On top of that was a successful book illustrator, writer and advertising artist. He excelled at presenting the incongruities of everyday life. As one observer put it, Langdon’s world was “peopled by quaint souls who wear a continual look of surprise, who are obviously trying very hard to do their various jobs seriously—and failing.

For they all prove themselves to be unconscious comedians.”

This was what Langdon was trying to tell us: Let us not give too much importance to what we are doing. We’re insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But because many of us put too much importance to ourselves and too little to our actions, we miss the fragmentary, inherently asymmetrical and unsatisfactory nature of life itself. If we could just make peace with that, we wouldn’t take everything else so personally.

Albert Einstein always strived for the symmetry in his mathematical equations and yet he noted: “Life is not one path. It needs our acceptance and tolerance of the asymmetrical.”

Amen to that.

The flu is spreading across America a little later this season

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OMPARED with last season, Americans could be forgiven for thinking that the 2018-19 flu season would end up being a quiet one. At this time last year, the rates of doctor visits and hospitalizations were finally starting to fall following a terrible three months during which thousands died.

But this year’s flu isn’t done with the US yet. High levels of influenza were circulating in 33 states and New York City at the end of February, sickening residents and blanketing most of America’s South, where the illness typically first takes hold.

Many parts of New England and the West posted moderate levels during the eighth week of the year, a slight worsening from a week earlier,

according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At this point a year ago, doctors’ visits for the flu were in the middle of a free fall after patients inundated hospitals and medical facilities for weeks. This season, it seems to be hitting a plateau.

In all, about one in every 20 doctor visits nationwide was because of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and a sore throat, according to a CDC weekly report known as the FluView. That’s higher for this time of year than in any recent season except last year’s epidemic, which killed almost 80,000 Americans.

The season could go on for several more weeks, or even months, said Lynnette Brammer, head of the CDC’s domestic influenza surveillance team.

The flu has been sending Americans to the doctor at higher than normal rates since the middle of November, and it hasn’t yet dropped off, the agency’s data shows.

“It’s not coming down like you would expect, but we have had seasons in the last few years where influenzalike illness was above baseline for 20 weeks,” she said. “This season may be on the longer side of it.”

That might be because flu didn’t peak all across the country at the same time this year, she said. Some areas, such as the northern Midwest, haven’t seen as much of the virus as others. It’s unclear whether that’s because they are behind and will still see an influx of the virus, or if they will simply have a lighter season, she said. Bloomberg News

SPICE GRANDMA Green and red chili peppers have been the centerfold of the vegetables Eleonor Olivas Donato, 74, has been selling since 1976.

Born on January 31, 1945, in Sinsayon Village, Santiago City, Isabela, Donato continues to be an everyday sight at the city’s public market. She claims supporting her eight children by selling these vegetables for the past 42 years. SUZANNE JUNE G. PERANTE

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

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HARALD KRUEGER (left) CEO of the car manufacturer BMW, and Dieter Zetsche CEO of the Daimler stock company and the car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, talk during a press conference in Berlin, Germany. AP

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FERDIE ONG (right), general manager of Living Innovations, official distributor of Bang & Olufsen in the Philippines, with Morten Kalle, head of Business Development (Southeast Asia), MJ Invest Pte. Ltd.

BusinessMirror

Saturday, March 9, 2019 A9

BMW, Daimler team up on automated driving technology

BY DAVID MCHUGH The Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany—BMW and Daimler announced on Thursday they will work together on developing the automated driving technology expected to transform the industry in the years ahead as automakers try to fend off competition from tech companies, such as Uber and Waymo.

The two German companies said it would be a “long-term strategic cooperation” to more quickly come up with advanced driver assistance systems, automated driving on closed spaces such as highways and automated parking.

The partnership comes as automakers face new

rivals in the business of getting people from one place to another such as Uber and Waymo, which are both working on autonomous driving. BMW and Daimler last week launched a joint venture in auto-related digital services such as car sharing, ride hailing and ticketless parking. Ford and Volkswagen have said they are talking about teaming up on developing autonomous and battery-powered cars.

BMW and Daimler said that by working together, they can shorten development cycles and make “nextlevel technologies widely available by the middle of the coming decade.” The cooperation for now focuses on automation that falls short of fully self-driving vehicles that do not have a driver, but could be extended to that level in the future.

Autonomous driving is part of a wave of technological change expected to shift the auto industry toward offering the use of a car as a service through smartphone apps as an alternative to car ownership. Klaus Froehlich, chief of development for BMW, said that “combining the strength of our two companies will boost our innovative strength and speed up the spread of this technology.”

The linkup doesn’t cancel any work the companies have going with other partners, such as Daimler’s pilot program with technology and parts supplier Bosch on self-driving vehicles in California. BMW is working on developing autonomous cars at its campus in Unterschleissheim, north of its Munich headquarters. Daimler is headquartered in Stuttgart.

Luxury brand showcases new audio masterpieces your calendar, and do a search via Google Assistant.

The prices are not cheap. A whole speaker system for the home can reach up to hundreds of thousands, but you are paying for quality and form and the threeyear warranty that comes with each product.

Bang & Olufsen is at Level 2, East Wing of ShangriLa Plaza, Mandaluyong City.

For more information, call 654-2240 or e-mail info@livinginnovations.ph. ■

PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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WILL just come out and say this: The Beoplay E8 is better than the Airpods. It is my opinion (and therefore subjective) that the E8 looks and sounds better, plus it doesn’t have that extra appendage that makes the Airpods look like they’re small lollipops.

Beoplay is from the luxury Danish lifestyle brand Bang & Olufsen, which recently showcased its newly redesigned boutique in Shangri-La Plaza. The 140-square-meter boutique is one of the first stores in Asia to carry the new look, which reflects the elements associated with the brand.

“B&O is known for combining sound, design and craft. These three pillars define the brand,” said Ferdie Ong, general manager of Living Innovations, official distributor of Bang & Olufsen in the Philippines.

Ong showed us around the store, which has a product range that includes flat-screen TVs, portable and floor speakers, headsets and earphones.

BeoSound Edge is a circular shaped speaker that can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall.

The Edge delivers a powerful listening experience.

Using B&O’s latest patent for the world’s Active Bass Port, the speaker provides perfect potent bass at high volumes and maintains accurate bass at low volumes.

The speaker was created in collaboration with globally acclaimed designer Michael Anastassiades.

BeoSound Edge doesn’t look like any speaker I have seen. It has drivers delivering sound out of either side of the speaker and an aluminium ring wrapped around the outer edge. It supports Airplay 2, GoogleCast, DLNA and Bluetooth.

“Bronze is a big thing in metals right now,” said Ong, referring to B&O’s Bronze Collection.

FedEx joins Amazon in delivery robot fray MEMPHIS, Tennessee—FedEx is testing a new self-driving robotic vehicle that could one day compete with Amazon in delivering packages or pizzas to homes. The company unveiled its new SameDay Bot early Wednesday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

FedEx is the latest of several companies, including Amazon, to experiment with sidewalk delivery robots. Initial testing will be limited to transporting packages between FedEx Office locations.

The boxy machine appeared on the Tonight Show stage crossing through sand, gravel and shallow water, and climbing stairs, to deliver a pizza to Fallon.

FedEx says it worked with Segway creator Dean Kamen on technology based in part on his company’s iBot, a mobility device for the disabled.

FedEx is partnering on the project with Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, Pizza Hut, AutoZone and Lowe’s. AP

THE BeoSound 1 GVA and BeoSound 2 GVA smart speakers

The limited-edition collection includes the iconic Beoplay A9 floor speaker, Beoplay M5, BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 with 360-degree sound, and the allnew BeoSound Edge speaker. All the speakers in the collection are wireless, so you can connect them to a home sound system.

Bang & Olufsen also introduces BeoSound 1 GVA and BeoSound 2 GVA, new smart speakers that combine Google’s Voice Assistant expertise with the brand’s focus on sound excellence and quality.

BeoSound 1 GVA is portable and comes with a rechargeable battery, while BeoSound 2 GVA requires a permanent power connection.

The top of the speakers serve as a control panel that you simply turn to adjust the volume. The speakers have built-in sensors that allow you to swipe left or right to play the next or previous track. Another feature worth noting is that it allows you to read out the weather report, tell the time, remind you what’s in

BEOSOUND Edge

MediaTek collaborates with device makers and RF leaders to stimulate 5G smartphone innovation AT the just-concluded Mobile World Congress 2019, MediaTek announced its collaboration with 5G component suppliers and device makers to deliver a complete, standards-based and optimized 5G solution.

Companies collaborating with MediaTek on radio frequency (RF) technology include Oppo, Vivo and top-tier RF suppliers, including Skyworks, Qorvo and Murata. The companies are working together to define a front-end module solution that accommodates 5G components without impacting a smartphone’s slim profile and stylish design.

“We’re committed to making advanced mobile features accessible to consumers everywhere. Since the rollout of 5G will bring new design challenges for smartphone brands, we’re working closely with component suppliers and device makers to provide the support they need to quickly bring to market innovative 5G devices,” said TL Lee, general manger of MediaTek’s wireless business unit. “As the 5G market matures, we are positioned to lead this new wave of

innovation with the Helio M70 platform and future MediaTek 5G products.”

This recent MediaTek-led industry cooperation on RFFE gives global smartphone brands a highly optimized, flexible and comprehensive platform to develop devices that meet unique design requirements for 5G connectivity. 5G devices need to integrate more components, including a radio frequency front-end design—to transmit and receive wireless signals to the carrier—and will have greater performance and battery life demands.

Each of the RFFE components come from separate companies that specialize in their design. The best system performance for a final product will come from a well-coordinated and strong collaboration between each component maker.

MediaTek’s effort to work together with other industry experts on front-end design is targeted to meet global compliance needs, and allow technology to be optimized for specific markets and regions.

Some regions have hardware feature sets that reference signal antenna switching (SRS) over multiple transmit and receive ports. With multiple companies working together on RFFE, it is easier to supply standard solutions and the needed technology for global markets.

“RF architectures are quickly evolving to enable enhanced connectivity in the next generation of mobile devices,” said Frank Stewart, general manager of Qorvo’s RF Solutions Business Unit. “Qorvo is pleased to be working together with MediaTek to establish a healthy ecosystem for emerging 5G device needs. Leveraging our advanced PA, filter, and switch technologies, as well as a proven power management architecture, we are able to deliver a high performance, low-risk path to 5G.” The participating companies will define technical standards and share information around 5G radio frequency technology to deliver high-quality 5G devices and service to everyone. To ensure peak

performance of 5G devices and meet spectrum regulations, the companies will have access to the information they need to support all key 5G specifications including worldwide 5G NR bands with non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) support and worldwide 4G LTE bands.

The combined flexibility of the RFFE tools will enable companies to design differentiated 5G smartphones to meet performance and cost targets with regional requirements.

“5G service with transmission speeds 100 times faster than current technologies will be fully commercialized. Murata, which internally develops various key devices that form the basis for module configuration and package technologies for modularization, is able to carry out integrated production. Through the collaboration with MediaTek, we expect the substantial growth in the future,” said Masa Hashimoto, Murata RF Module Division general manager.

BusinessMirror

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AMAZON is providing a tool that will allow brands to remove listings from its site themselves that they consider to be for counterfeit goods. AP

KASPERSKY LAB STATEMENT ON MOMO CHALLENGE

BY DAVID EMM Principal Security Researcher Kaspersky Lab Global Research Analysis Team

Amazon, wrestling with counterfeits, seeks to crack down

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BY JOSEPH PISANI The Associated Press

EW YORK—The Carhartt hoodie that Laura Serghe bought two years ago looked phony. And then, what was supposed to be an Eastpak backpack, arrived recently with messy stitching and a label inside that peeled off easily.

Both were bought from one place: Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, whose rapid growth, particularly among third-party sellers, has led to a counterfeit problem.

“I’m not going to buy from Amazon anymore,” says Serghe, a freelance photographer in London who unwittingly bought what she believes were fakes. “I’ve had enough.”

Amazon has wrestled with counterfeit products on its site for years. But the problem seems to have gotten worse, with Amazon acknowledging for the first time in its annual report in February that fake goods could hurt its business and reputation. Now it’s trying to crack down: On Thursday, it announced

a number of tools that it says will help reduce the amount of fakes on its site.

Counterfeits are a costly problem for the company since Amazon typically refunds shoppers who believe they were duped. Knock-offs could also cause shoppers like Serghe to lose their trust.

Looking back, Serghe says the prices of the items she bought were suspiciously low. The backpack, for example, was about 60 percent cheaper than authentic Eastpak backpacks she has previously bought.

“Now I’m questioning everything,” she says.

Counterfeiters usually get their products on Amazon through its growing third-party marketplace, where sellers can list their products directly on the site. It’s an important part of Amazon’s business since it allows Amazon to offer millions more products on its site. More than half of all products sold on Amazon last year came from thirdparty sellers.

The new tools Amazon announced on Thursday include a way for brands to remove fake items from the site themselves, rather than reporting them to Amazon and then waiting for the company to

do something. It is also using machine learning to automatically scan listings to remove suspected counterfeits and has created unique serial codes that can be placed on products during the manufacturing process, which can then be monitored

by Amazon on its site.

Amazon says one of the brands using the tools is handbag and luggage seller Vera Bradley, which says it wants to make sure its customers get authentic Vera Bradley items from Amazon.

For now, the tools are invite-only, but the company says it will work to add more brands quickly.

“This would force other competitors of Amazon to also step up their game,” said Sridhar Tayur, a professor of operations management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

Counterfeits are a problem on other sites, too.

Last year, the United States Government Accountability Office bought 47 items from Amazon, eBay, Walmart.com and other online stores that have a third-party marketplace. Of those items, 20 were counterfeit, including makeup, phone chargers and travel mugs. ■

WE’VE seen the Momo “challenge,” which is creating panic and hysteria across the Internet, cropping up in different countries for nearly a year now. It is important to remember that this not a genuine cyber threat in terms of infecting or corrupting devices or seeking to steal personal information. However, it is a malicious joke intending to shock and unsettle and, as the craze gathers momentum and media hype increases, more people are going to be tempted to scare their friends or, more worryingly, use the meme to harass and intimidate.

For parents, a threat like this can feel overwhelming as their children, who have never known a world without the Internet, navigate the online world.

Children are often the first to be exposed to new Internet culture content as they seek it out and share it more prolifically.

While this does not seem to be an attempt to spread malware, it comes as a timely reminder that as parents, we need to maintain close contact with our children’s online world, and that open dialogue is the best defense against both malicious content and cyber threats, as well as not accepting/opening any content from unknown sources.

It is always good practice talk to your children about the basics of Internet safety before they uncover anything sinister. This will help them cope when threats emerge.

Our advice to parents are: ■ Have regular conversations with your child(ren).

Make them aware of how to be safe online. Come to an agreement about which sites are appropriate for them, and ensure they understand the reasoning behind this. They also need to know that they can—and should—confide in a trusted adult if they experience something upsetting while online.

■ Make sure your child understands they should not “friend” anyone online they don’t know in real life, or add unknown numbers to their contacts. People online are not always honest about who they are and what they want.

■ Activate safety settings. Settings such as autoplay should be disabled, and parental controls can be installed to help prevent children from viewing inappropriate content.

■ Make use of the mute, block and report features on social networks. This will protect them from a lot of harmful content.

■ Never share personal information such as phone numbers, address, etc., with people you don’t know.

YouTube suspends comments on videos of kids

BY RACHEL LERMAN The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO—YouTube has announced that it will turn off comments on nearly all videos featuring kids—potentially affecting millions of posts on the site—after reports last week that pedophiles were leaving inappropriate comments on innocuous videos of children.

The change comes as YouTube grapples with moderating content across its platform as concerns about hate speech, violence and conspiracy theories continue to plague it.

It will take YouTube several months to disable comments on all videos featuring minors, the company said. It already started the process last week when it turned off comments from tens of millions of videos. Advertisers including Nestlé, AT&T and Fortnite maker Epic

Games pulled ads from YouTube last week after the inappropriate comments about children were unearthed by a popular YouTuber and media reports. At least one company, Nestlé, was satisfied with YouTube’s response and reinstated ads late last week.

A small number of channels, which have videos featuring kids, will be allowed to keep comments turned on.

But they must be known to YouTube and must actively monitor the comments beyond the standard monitoring tools YouTube provides.

Turning off comments on such a large number of videos seems an “extreme reaction,” said eMarketer analyst Paul Verna. But the issue involves the safety of children, so it makes sense YouTube would want to act quickly, he said.

Comments aren’t the main focus of the video-publishing site, but turning them off will likely diminish the experience for

many users and video creators, he said.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki acknowledged the concerns recently, tweeting, “Nothing is more important to us than ensuring the safety of young people on the platform.”

The company said it has also released an updated version of its automated moderating system that it expects will identify and delete two times as many inappropriate comments. YouTube, like Facebook, Twitter and other sites that allow user publishing, have faced increasing calls to monitor what appears on their sites and get rid of unsuitable content. The companies all say they have taken action to protect users. But issues keep popping up.

Concerns about YouTube comments weren’t even a top priority for advertisers and viewers a couple weeks ago, Verna said. “It just makes you wonder, what’s the next thing that going to happen?”

YOUTUBE says it will turn off comments on most videos that feature kids. The change comes after advertisers began boycotting the site last week in response to inappropriate comments made on videos of minors. AP

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, March 9, 2019 A11

Lenovo PHL bullish on growth of gaming in 2019

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

JOURNALISTS visit the new cyber-security center of Chinese tech company Huawei, in Brussels on March 5. Chinese tech giant Huawei is opening a cyber-security lab in Brussels, as it tries to win over European Union leaders in a geopolitical battle with the US over allegations its equipment poses a national security risk. AP

Huawei opens Brussels security lab in bid to reassure EU

B

BY KELVIN CHAN The Associated Press

RUSSELS—Chinese tech company Huawei on Tuesday opened a cyber-security lab in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, as it tries to win over government leaders and fight back US allegations that its equipment poses a national security risk.

Company executives inaugurated the Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Centre, which will allow the wireless companies that are its customers to review the source code running its network gear.

The launch comes amid a standoff between the US and China over Huawei Technologies, the world’s biggest maker of telecom infrastructure for new highspeed 5G networks.

The US has been lobbying allied countries and companies to shun Huawei because of fears its equipment could facilitate digital espionage by China’s communist leaders.

The new lab in the Belgian capital gives Huawei a venue to reassure the EU’s policy-makers about its cyber-security credentials.

It opened a similar center in Bonn, Germany, in November and funds a government-run British testing site, the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre, that opened in 2010.

Huawei said the Brussels center will be a platform where government agencies, technical experts, industry associations and standards organizations can collaborate on cyber security.

It will also be a place where Huawei’s customers— wireless and Internet companies—can test the company’s networking equipment. That includes giving them access to Huawei’s source code—“our crown jewels,” John Suffolk, Huawei’s global cyber security and privacy officer told reporters.

Suffolk said that while Huawei lets telecom companies use the Brussels center’s facilities and access its software, it doesn’t necessarily know what they’re doing or searching for.

“It’s a little bit like a black box,” Suffolk said.

Europe is Huawei’s biggest market outside China, and the company hopes to play a key role in building the continent’s 5G networks, in competition with Scandinavian rivals Ericsson and Nokia. Fifthgeneration mobile networks enable lightning-fast download speeds and reduce signal lag, advances that will be used in smart factories, self-driving cars and remote surgery.

Western officials are worried that China’s cybersecurity law requires the company to cooperate with the country’s intelligence service. However, executives repeated their position that Huawei has never been asked to hand over sensitive information and would refuse to do so if asked. Neither would it install secret backdoors in its software.

“There’s no evidence,” said Vincent Pang, Huawei’s president for Western Europe.

Suffolk said there’s “some level of confusion” surrounding the interpretation of various countries’ cyber-security laws.

“This is not uncommon and I think we’ll see this

continue as time goes on,” he said.

Cyber-security experts wondered whether the Brussels center was more a way for Huawei to press its public relations offensive against the US campaign than for serious cyber protection.

“Simple auditing of source code, made in a limited capacity, and only at a small closed facility might not suffice to seriously establish the actual security level, and definitely not at a scale. But it is a nice demonstration of openness nonetheless,” said Lukasz Olejnik, a research associate at Oxford University’s Center for Technology and Global Affairs.

He said that creating dedicated and comprehensive cybersecurity standards and regulations would take a lot longer. He compared it with the new European data privacy regulations that took effect last year and were a “multi-year endeavor.”

The US government’s campaign against Huawei has also included criminal charges against its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who the US wants to extradite from Canada to face charges she misled banks about the company’s business with Iran.

Despite the US pressure, there are signs that European governments and mobile companies are resisting a blanket ban on Huawei equipment. GSMA, the mobile industry’s trade group, has recommended a testing and certification program.

In an annual review of Huawei’s engineering practices published in July, Britain’s cybersecurity agency noted “shortcomings” that “exposed new risks in the UK telecommunication networks.” But none were deemed of medium or high priority. ■

LENOVO Philippines expressed optimism on the local gaming industry in 2019, stressing that the local gaming notebook market grew more than 70 percent year-on-year of sales volume and almost 80 percent in terms of sales value.

In a recent interview with BUSINESSMIRROR, Lenovo Philippines’s Michael Ngan said the local trend indicated a lot of Filipinos are expected to shift their preference to gaming notebooks over the normal clamshell notebooks, which the market has been accustomed to.

“Seeing this huge growth, we expect all major brands to invest heavily on PC gaming this 2019, making it a major growth driver for the consumer notebook market this year,” Ngan said.

Although the Philippines is still a price-sensitive market, Ngan said gaming brands in the country have devised several strategies in order to adjust to the market. In fact, he said prices of gaming notebooks have dropped considerably, thereby allowing more people to buy them.

“It is worth noting, however, that price has never been a big issue to a niche market like the gaming community.

Gamers are very much ready to spend their hard-earned money as long as the price is justified—both in terms of specifications and after-sales support,” he said.

Right now, Ngan said the gaming community remains to be a niche market despite the huge growth in sales value and volume. He added Filipinos still prefer “value for money” devices that hit the sweet spot in terms of specifications and price. Although the Philippines has only a very small community of enthusiast and hardcore gamers, Ngan said Lenovo is very optimistic and beefing up its portfolio to provide the market with top-of-the-line gaming machines.

Ngan also pointed out that the low personal computer (PC) penetration is possibly a reason behind the slow growth of gaming in the country. “This cost difference is usually too much for first-time PC buyers, so the goal is to get them to try regular PCs first then later on, convince them to invest in a dedicated gaming PC suited for their needs,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Lenovo inaugurated on February 28 its first Legion Concept Store in the Philippines as part of efforts to bring game-changing devices closer to Filipino gamers in the company’s bid to own the local gaming segment.

Located on the fourth floor of The Annex of SM City North Edsa, the Legion store features a wide range of products from Lenovo’s Legion gaming lineup, which visitors can personally test and play games on. Launched in the Philippines in 2017, the Lenovo Legion line has established significant foothold in the country and is expected to continuously increase in sales and popularity among the gaming community.

Proactively addressing new cyber threat trends in health care MOST cyber-criminal behavior can be reduced to two basic economic drivers. The first is to look for targets with valuable resources that can be easily turned into profits. And the second is to expend as few resources as possible to access those resources. And for both of those objectives, the networks of health-care organizations are at the top of the list.

Health-care networks are rich with exploitable resources. Unlike retail, for example, health-care databases not only include the financial information of their patients, but their entire personal and medical histories, often collected over years. In addition, many hospitals and medical centers serve as networking hubs for a significant number of clinics, satellite offices and individual practices, which means that a successfully compromised network can be mined for data for a long time.

And because these networks are often so large, they are constantly in flux, making imposing consistent security extremely difficult. Providing health care today depends on sharing critical information—both medical and financial—across a wide variety of healthcare providers and devices.

Rolling data collection and input systems, access points and medical IoT (MIoT) are only part of the potential attack surface. As with other industries, doctors, nurses, administrators, patients and guests all tend to blend their personal and professional lives onto a single mobile device, creating new avenues for attacking a network.

This is part of the reason why exploits designed to target the data and systems of individuals and organizations are at an all-time high, with the number of unique variants showing double-digit growth.

While many attacks are comprised of the minimal amount of change that allows them to avoid detection by traditional security devices, many of them are also more advanced than ever.

According to the recent Fortinet Threat Landscape Report for Q3 of 2018, the number of new malware variants based on existing exploits grew 43 percent.

And the volume of directed attacks grew over that same time period, causing the number of unique daily malware detections per organization to rise by 62 percent. Because cyber criminals continue to evolve threats by creating unique malware variants and

families, the ongoing importance of leveraging threat intelligence and keeping assessment tools updated has never been stronger.

The challenge facing many health-care organizations is that transformation efforts have spread their security resources thin, restricted visibility and fragmented the controls of many organizations. To successfully address today’s challenges, health-care security teams need to rethink their strategy, from implementing effective security hygiene measure, to implementing an integrated security fabric architecture that can seamlessly span the entire expanding attack surface for unified visibility, and the ability to orchestrate controls from a single console.

Additional strategies include: ■ COUNTERING TODAY’S ADVANCED THREATS. Digital transformation requires an equivalent security transformation. This includes a shift from point security products, manual security management, and reactive security to a strategy where different security elements are integrated into a single system, security workflows can span multiple network

ecosystems, and threat-intelligence is centrally collected and correlated.

■ IMPLEMENTING AUTOMATION. As the speed of threats rapidly increases, the time windows for prevention, detection, and remediation continue to shrink. Rapid response times are crucial, which makes the implementation of automation essential.

■ TRACKING DEVICES. One essential approach to combating things like cryptojacking involves maintaining a comprehensive inventory of devices (especially MIoT devices) using thirdgeneration network access controls and baselining their behavior.

■ ADDRESSING THE THREAT OF MOBILE DEVICE. More than seven in 10 clinicians in a recent survey say their hospitals support some sort of bring your own device (BYOD) strategy. But even in hospitals and clinics where BYOD is prohibited, 65 percent of doctors and 41 percent of nurses report that they still use their personal devices on the hospital network.

Security leaders need to ensure they have the appropriate controls in place to protect themselves against compromised mobile devices.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

BusinessMirror

Saturday, March 9, 2019 A12

Tales from the traveling tito: Part I THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

T

HAILAND, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Japan—five countries and four provinces in three months. It’s the most I have traveled compared to, say, the first 30 years of my life.

You see, unlike today, when there are seat sales, “piso” fares and discounted packages, I was born at a time when only the rich could afford to travel by plane.

Travel was a luxury and vacations outside the country was an overindulgence. My parents, just like a lot of people back then, had a different set of priorities. They saved up for a house, a car and our education, and instead of traveling, we chose material stuff, believing that reading about a place and seeing pictures was the same as being there.

I was already in high school when our family had our very first vacation in Baguio. My first solo out-oftown trip in Zambales would happen 10 years later with some officemates. And my very first plane ride?

An assignment to Boracay, and I was in my mid-30s.

Now, it is a different story.

Millennials and every other generation are opting out of hoarding stuff and collecting experiences instead. My nephew, for example, has already been to a couple of countries even before he enrolled in kindergarten. Since the things you own no longer dictates your status in life, people are simply enjoying experiences over things—access over ownership.

Young people want to seize the moment—because YOLO—and experience all that life has to offer. It’s not surprising to hear stories of kids choosing to travel instead of spending it on a debut or graduation party.

Those markers are becoming less meaningful as they once were, and social media is undoubtedly a big inspiration (and influence) that has made traveling more of a goal than a reward that awaits your retirement years.

So, yes, even though I was already a mid-age “tito” when I discovered the incomparable joys of traveling, I know I am not alone. I believe there are a lot of other late bloomers out there, and some are still hesitant (or nervous) to take their first adventure. But as they say, “Youth may be wasted on the young, but adventure, experience and traveling is like wine—it only gets better with age.”

Yes, being a travel “virgin” can be quite unnerving, and just because you are a bit older doesn’t mean you have no right to be afraid. I still do, and sometimes a few days before my trip, I would wake up in the middle of the night worrying about all the things that could go wrong. But instead of giving in to those fears, I use them to be more cautious and alert whenever I am traveling. What I do is read more about my destination because more often than not, these are just fears of uncertainty and the unexpected.

I am quite fortunate that a lot of my initial travels abroad were media familiarization tours, because these taught me a lot and boosted my confidence.

While we do have to follow a strict itinerary, we are

also given a bit of free time to explore on our own. This allows us to chat with the locals and even meet new people. If you are traveling alone for the first time, it’s always a good idea to join a tour, just so you get a feel of the place you’d be visiting.

KAME HANEDA, HOKKAIDO! LAST month, I had the chance to be part of another fam tour, this time by Japan Airlines to highlight their new Manila to Tokyo via Haneda route. The direct flight is the earliest to arrive from the Philippines, landing in Japan by 5 am allowing tourists to maximize their itinerary as early as day one.

Haneda Airport is closer to Tokyo than Narita and there are transportation services to and from the airport starting early, so you can reach Tokyo, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Roppongi, or Akihabara in less than 30 minutes; or Shinjuku and Ueno in less than 40 minutes. The Haneda airport likewise has more domestic connections, giving tourists easier and more convenient access to Japan’s other destinations.

The early flight is also a better and more convenient option especially for those taking a connecting flight to Hokkaido or even Sapporo. Take note that it takes more than four hours from Manila to Haneda and another hour and a half to reach the northern part of Japan. So if you have a late morning flight, chances are you are going to spend your entire first day in transit and arrive almost dinnertime.

I know what you are thinking: JAL is expensive and you would rather book a budget airline. Airfare is usually the main consideration when booking a trip, especially for young people. I guess that is one benefit of being an older traveler. Since we have a bit more savings, we have the luxury of choosing a better airline as well as a more convenient flight schedule.

And once you have experienced better service, better tasting meals (with real utensils and Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert!) and on-time flights, you would realize that paying a bit more is so worth it.

On other airlines, I would avoid the middle row and always request for an aisle seat. I’m not tall, but when you’re flying for more than three hours, you will love that expanded legroom on a JAL and also because my big stomach does not hit the food tray when I am eating. No wonder JAL has been awarded as the World’s Best Economy Class by Skytrax. Believe me, a good trip starts with a comfortable seat and a pleasant flight.

ICE ICE BABY WHEN I was a kid, I would volunteer to clean our freezer just so that I could collect the ice and play with it like snow. I can only imagine kids nowadays since Frozen came out, and I’ am pretty sure everyone would want to build a snowman. Snow definitely is on every Filipino’s bucket list, and I think Hokkaido and Sapporo are the most accessible place to experience your first winter. My first trip to Japan was in February 2017, in time for the Sapporo Snow Festival, and just like before, this time we arrived in the middle of the winter season and the temperatures were as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

Before I share our itinerary for the trip, here are some tips for my fellow titos and titas on how to get ready for your first snow adventure. And, please, don’t bother bringing your step-ins and flip flops.

ITS ALL ABOUT LAYERING Preparing for a winter trip is very different from all

other trips. If you already need a jacket inside the mall or cinema, you will definitely need a few extra layers of clothing. Take note, however, that it can be difficult to move around when you are wearing multiple layers of clothing. The best way to minimize this is by being smart with the pieces you wear. This is the reason why it is best to start with thermal underwear like Uniqlo’s Heat Tech undershirt and leggings. I have tried other (cheaper) thermals but the one from Uniqlo is more effective and comfortable to wear.

Another important piece of clothing you will need is a down coat. Your ordinary “pang Baguio” jacket won’t do especially if you plan on walking or playing around in the snow (which you definitely should!). Your outermost jacket should be waterproof/ windproof because the last thing you want to do is get wet. Also remember to get a bigger size since you’d be wearing two or three shirts underneath it.

For pants, denim jeans would do, but when I tried to slide down the ice, I felt my butt froze. Again, if you want to enjoy most snow activities, you need pants that won’t easily get soaked.

Gloves—now, this is a bit tricky. While my hands are actually the ones that get easily cold, I could not wear gloves all the time because I wanted to keep taking photos using my phone. I suggest you buy a couple, one that allows you to still operate your phone and another pair of winter gloves for those really cold night activities.

Last, your shoes. Here is a funny story. Again, I strongly advise you to get yourself real winter boots, because ordinary ones may protect your feet, but they can be very slippery and snow doesn’t always provide a soft landing. Some of the boots I saw my travel buddies were wearing were from Timberland, Dr. Martens, and Palladium. My Gola shoes did survive, but not without a few slip-ups.

EDC FOR TRAVEL NOW that you know how to keep yourself warm, here are my EDC (everyday carry) during the trip.

Since I began traveling, I have invested on Pacsafe for my hand-carry bags. I have a trio of anti-theft bags that have unique zippers and locking mechanisms that give me some peace of mind whether I am walking around the cold streets of Shibuya, or squeezing my way inside the train. First is the Pacsafe Vibe 20L: it is lightweight and comfortable, and it even has a multipurpose 13-inch laptop or hydration pack sleeve. It has two side stretch pockets that can fit a water bottle (very important) and the other for a tripod. It is made of nylon twill and polyester which are also water-repellent, so I don’t have to worry about my stuff getting wet. The second is my Pacsafe cross-body bag. I have had it for almost four years now and this is where I usually put my important documents, passport and smartphones, so I can easily store and retrieve it when passing through airport security. It can fit two smartphones, a pocket Wi-Fi and a powerbank. Again because of the exomesh slash guard material, I don’t have to worry about cut-andrun, and the zipper lock protects it from being opened by pickpockets. Last is the Pacsafe bifold wallet: it has a zippered note slot and strap that I could attach to my belt, while its RFID safe blocking material keeps my cards secure from skimming.

For this trip, I also brought several new gadgets to try out. The first is the Cherry Roam pocket Wi-Fi from Cherry Mobile. The CherryRoam features a four-inch touch screen display with a compact build

and real-time data monitoring. It is packed with a Qualcomm 4G LTE chipset, enabling fast connectivity especially at 4G speeds and allows up to five (5) users to connect. It can also be used as a local Wi-Fi device as it houses two Nano SIM card slots. More than that, CherryRoam also doubles as a power bank with its 5,350mAh battery and 15-hour standby time. The device retails at SRP P6,990 but is also available for rental. Visit my blog for the complete information and our review of this device.

Even if you are not much into social media, it is very important to have internet connection when you are in a different country. Google Maps and a translate app can save you from being lost. Japan may have a lot of Wi-Fi spots but if you will be traveling to different places, finding and connecting to a hotspot every time is inconvenient and time-consuming. There is also no guarantee that you can get a pocket Wi-Fi at the airport unless you pre-book, so it is still advisable to bring one with you. Also some hotels only have Wi-Fi in the lobby, and it is hard to connect when you are in your room.

Next is my new favorite power bank, the Baseus 10,000 mah wireless power bank. I have been using the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, both of which support wireless charging so it makes sense to have this in my EDC instead. As a tito, we tend to forget some stuff and for me it is usually my charging cables, making my extra battery utterly useless. But with this device, all I have to do is place my phone on top of the charging plate and it’s good to go. It offers Quick Charge 3.0 and even has this metal plate which you can slide into a slit and serve as a support stand so you can place your phone vertically or horizontally if you want to watch a movie while its charging. I also love that it has a digital battery indicator on top so I know exactly how much juice it has left before it needs to be recharged.

The last gadget I brought with me is the DJI Osmo Mobile 2 that I got from Digital Walker. Besides souvenirs, what else do we bring home from our trips?

Stories—endless amount of stories, and if a picture paints a thousand words, videos best capture those “wish you were here” moments.

The Osmo Mobile 2 is a handheld smartphone gimbal that helps you capture smooth, cinematic movement. It features a lightweight design, 15-hour battery life and simpler controls than other gimbals.

It’s a big improvement over its predecessor, and if you have a pretty good phone already, I think this is a more practical choice than getting the very pricey Osmo Pocket.

This gimbal is remarkably easy to use; just download the DJI Go app. The only challenge I had was how to initially balance my phone but after that, everything else was easy and you can operate all of the controls with one hand while holding the gimbal.

Because it is not a super big investment, it’s worth it for the aspiring filmmaker, vlogger, or the hobbyist who wants to make videos with the stunning cinematography of more expensive professional equipment. Personally, I got it because I really want to try vlogging and having a stabilizer makes it way easier to create better, more watchable content, because, let’s face it, no one wants to watch videos that induce vertigo.

That is it for part one. Next week, I will share with you the best and not-so-recommended bits of our winter itinerary and how to protect your smartphones and other gadgets from freezing. ■