BusinessMirror November 02, 2019

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A DAMN TOUGH BALANCING ACT

D

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

AMNED if you do, damned if you don’t. This is the dilemma faced by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Project (MWSS) in dealing with the chronic water supply shortage affecting the National Capital Region (NCR).

Despite the strong opposition, the Duterte administration is bent on implementing what it deems a decisive solution: the P12.2-billion New Centennial Water Source— Kaliwa Dam Project in Rizal and Quezon. It will, for one, end the reliance on just one fragile water source for millions in the NCR, the Angat dam.

The ECC for the Kaliwa project was recently granted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with Secretary Roy A. Cimatu promis-

ing to place the project under strict monitoring to ensure compliance of environmental safeguards.

Environmentally critical

A WATER reservoir is an environmentally critical project and the project site, which is in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range—an environmentally critical area—requires environmental permits, including an environmental compliance certificate, or ECC. The issuance of the ECC came days after private water conces-

BERNARD TESTA

Regulators are facing the classic large dam dilemma with the proposed Kaliwa dam project, seen vital to easing chronic water shortages for millions in Metro Manila, but opposed by indigenous peoples and some environmentalists for disruptions to communities and to nature. Is it worth the risks?

sionaires Maynilad and Manila Water announced water service interruptions due to the drop in the water level of Angat and Ipo dams.

In March this year, water consumers in the East Zone had experienced one of the worst water supply shortage episodes and for which the Ayala-led Manila Water, for causing inconvenience to millions of its customers, was slapped with a P1.15-million penalty by the MWSS. On October 24, the MWSS posted on its website a public ad-

visory that rotational water interruption will be implemented anew by the private water contractors Maynilad and Manila Water, triggering howls of protest and causing much anxiety among water consumers who are growing tired of waterless days despite the privatization of water service in 1997.

Last straw

THE issuance of an ECC by the DENR is the only remaining precondition to the loan effectiveness Continued on a2

A secretive family landing a $4-B haul has everyone guessing

By Ruben Munsterman and Ben Stupples

O

lion ($12.5 billion). The family is worth about $11.2 billion based on the most recent filings for two holding companies it controls, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, though individual members may privately own other assets.

Bloomberg News

NE of the world’s richest and most discreet families must decide what to do with a massive pile of cash. thropists, the Amsterdam-based analyst said.

The Van der Vorms have been in this position before. They made their fortune building Holland America Line, a transatlantic shipping firm sold in the 1980s to Carnival Plc. for about $600 million.

The family put the money to work within the investment firm, which bears the initials of Holland America Line.

Hal has since returned almost 2,000 percent and today spans timber, aviation and maritime holdings with assets of more than €11.3 bil-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.0330

VAN DER VORM VASTGOED

The Van der Vorms, little known outside the Netherlands despite holdings that span the globe, will get as much as $4 billion this year from the sale of an eyewear retailer to Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica SA. The money will go into the publicly traded Hal Trust, which the family controls.

“I’m very curious what Hal will do with the billions,” ABN Amro Bank NV’s Thijs Berkelder said.

“Nobody from outside knows.” The family could return cash to shareholders, invest it or even close the fund and become full-time philan-

Bearer shares

DESPITE being publicly traded, Hal’s inner workings are shrouded in secrecy.

The firm’s stock includes bearer shares, enabling owners to conceal their identities. Family members and other Hal Trust executives are referred to in filings by their initials only and eschew publicity. When a senior employee, Jaap van Wiechen, was invited to receive an award in Amsterdam four years ago, he turned down the honor and didn’t attend the event.

“They always decline to answer even the most trivial questions and simply direct you to their website,” said KBC Securities analyst Continued on a2

n JAPAN 0.4689 n UK 65.8581 n HK 6.5094 n CHINA 7.2325 n SINGAPORE 37.4802 n AUSTRALIA 35.2230 n EU 56.9120 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.6081

Source: BSP (October 31, 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, November 2, 2019

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A damn tough balancing act Continued from a1

that is holding back the proponents from implementing the Kaliwa Dam Project.

The issuance of the ECC came ahead of completing the process for the conduct of public consultations with wouldbe affected communities, and the approval by the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) or the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as required by law, something which environmental and cause-oriented groups strongly condemned.

MWSS Administrator Emmanuel Salamat said with the issuance of ECC by the DENR, the next step is to wait for the signing of the loan effectivity of the project.

“We will wait for the loan effectivity to be signed before we proceed with the project. There are conditions outlined in the ECC so hand in hand, we have to comply with the conditions set for by the DENR,” he said.

Before the MWSS can award the project for the contractor to proceed with the design, the loan effectivity would have to be signed first, he said.

He said the process will take around six more months to complete, after which, construction is expected to begin.

“We still have to agree with the design before construction. There will be several processes. While waiting for the loan effectivity to be signed, we will go with the process of securing the FPIC [Free, Prior and Informed Consent],” he said.

“We will have a continuing dialogue and engagement with the IP community and the local government before we can pursue the project,” he said.

According to Salamat, the Kaliwa Dam Project is part of the mid-term program of the MWSS, meant to address the demand requirements for the next 3 to 5 years, and possibly, extend up to 10 years.

“Hand in hand with that, we are developing the short-term water security programs which include Laguna Lake and Wawa Project,” he said.

Developing water sources like the Kaliwa Dam, he said, is an urgent requirement, to ensure water security for Metro Manila. Otherwise, he said Metro Manila will face even worse water shortages in the future.

Limited supply, increasing demand

NATIONAL Water Resources Board (NWRB) Executive Director Sevillo David agrees with Salamat that the construction of a new water source like the Kaliwa Dam is vital to prevent future water supply problems in Metro Manila.

Because of the limited capacity of its installed conveyor tunnel, Angat dam can only provide a maximum of 4,000 MLD. Maynilad Water Services Inc., the concessionaire for West Zone, receives 2,400 MLD, while Manila Water Co. Inc., the concessionaire for the East Zone, receives 1,600 MLD. “With the increasing population, the demand increases. As part of water security, there is a need for a new water

source for Metro Manila other than Angat Dam,” he said.

Also, he said there’s a need to develop an alternative water source to prevent disaster in case Angat is destroyed by a strong earthquake.

Currently, the NWRB’s approved total water allocation for Metro Manila is 40 cubic meters of water per second (CMS).

“Water at Angat is currently a little over 185 meters above sea level. But we decided to manage the supply so that our supply will last throughout the summer season next year,” he said.

The 40 CMS water allocation for Metro Manila’s domestic users is below the normal allocation of 46 CMS. During extremely hot weather as in the event of El Niño or a long season of drought, water allocation for Metro Manila is sometimes increased by the NWRB to 48 CMS to address the expected increase in demand for water, he said.

In the case of the Kaliwa Dam, the MWSS has identified some of the direct impact areas in Tanay, Rizal, such as Barangay Daraitan, as fringes of the reservoir area will occupy a portion of Tinipak River; and Barangays Cuyambay, San Andres and Sampaloc, because the water conveyance facility will pass through them.

In Teresa, direct-impact areas include Sitio Pantay-Buhangin Dalig, which will also be affected by the construction of the conveyance tunnel.

In General Nakar, Quezon, Barangay Pagsangahan is a direct-impact area because of the construction of the dam and reservoir area, as well as diversion tunnel. In Infanta, to be affected is Barangay Magsaysay, where the dam and reservoir area, as well as a spillway and intake area, will be constructed.

Promised benefits

TO be financed by China through its Official Development Assistance (ODA), the 600-MLD Kaliwa Dam Project is a medium-term water security program of the MWSS and the Duterte administration’s flagship water security project under its Build, Build, Build program.

According to David, construction of large dams ensures adequate water storage capacity during the rainy season so that there will be enough water during the dry season.

On the demand side of the equation, the MWSS is encouraging the public to harvest rain and conserve clean water by recycling and reusing water for non-essential uses.

“Supply is not unlimited. Demand is increasing. Our supply of water is exhausted and we expect the demand for water to increase. We need to manage the demand, like responsible use of water,” he said.

ACCORDING to the MWSS, those affected by the project will receive proper compensation, such as payment to landowners and new houses for those whose houses will be hit by the construction.

It also promises that facilities will be built to the relocation area like roads, water supply, schools and health centers, while affected families will benefit from alternative livelihood programs.

Moreover, those who will be moved out of the project sites will receive allowances for transportation and food.

While the dam is under and after construction, MWSS also promised work both for residents and non-residents, plus the benefit of robust economic growth of the municipality due to additional income from trading and other business opportunities.

On top of these, MWSS also promised that water rates currently being charged by the different water districts in the affected areas will significantly go down.

Construction details

Misleading information?

Chinese ODA

THE Kaliwa Dam will be implemented by the China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited (CEEC) with the help of local consultants.

The dam and all the structures will be constructed in Barangay Pagsangahan, General Nakar, Quezon, and Barangay Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon.

It will be a 60-meter-high dam wall with an initial supply of 600 million liters per day.

The dam capacity is 57 cubic meters, with spillway, diversion tunnels and low-level outlet and reservoir.

A conveyance tunnel—with 4 m diameter x 27.7 km with a depth from the lowest peak of 70 m and depth from the highest peak of 500 m—will be constructed using boring machines and will pass through Tanay, Rizal.

Water treatment plants will be constructed in Antipolo City, Rizal, for Manila Water and in Teresa, Rizal, for Maynilad.

Strong opposition

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are strongly opposing the construction of large dams because of their potential adverse impact on people and the environment.

OPPOSITION to the project, however, remains strong, with the Network Opposed to Kaliwa, Kanan and Laiban Dams (NOKKLD) questioning the issuance of the ECC by the DENR while the conduct of an FPIC is still ongoing.

The group is particularly concerned that the MWSS is misleading the communities, claiming the Laiban Dam will no longer be constructed although the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) explicitly stated that the Laiban Dam must be constructed to prevent the accumulation of sediments at the Kaliwa Dam’s reservoir. This, despite assurances by the MWSS during public hearings that the Laiban Dam will no longer be pursued as the project was already rejected by no less than the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

“The construction design of the NCWS-Kaliwa Dam also includes a 27.70-kilometer conveyance tunnel with a capacity of 2,400 million liters of water per day (MLD). This means that the 1,800 MLD Laiban Dam will follow after the completion of the 600MLD Kaliwa Dam,” said Wilma Quirrez,

secretary-general of Dumagat Sierra Madre and NOtoNCWS spokesperson.

For its part, the Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) raised concern that the project will be constructed within a protected area, the Kaliwa Watershed Area.

“According to the Nipas Law, an area is declared protected due to its ‘biologically unique features to sustain human life and development,’” said April Porteria, CEC executive director and convener of NOtoNCWS (No to New Centennial Water Sources).

“Hence, submerging a considerable portion of the Kaliwa Watershed—113 hectares of forested lands—will have considerable environmental damage with adverse impact not only to communities in the identified direct impact areas of the project,” Porteria added.

According to the EIS, the area to be submerged has a huge amount of stored carbon and biomass.

Clearing and inundation of the Kaliwa watershed will release stored carbon and add to the global warming problem.

Other water sources

THE groups believe there are other potential sources of water such as the 2,500-MLD Laguna Lake Project, which the MWSS in the NCWS-Kaliwa Dam Project EIS cited.

There is also the option to rehabilitate the Wawa Dam, which, according to its proponent, Violago, can yield a potential 1,500 MLD of water, according to Vito Hernandez of NOtoNCWS, convener of the group Agham Scientists for the People.

Another 4,163 MLD of potential alternative sources of water were also listed by the network.

There is also the still largely unimplemented Republic Act 6716 enacted in 1989, which mandates the construction of rainwater harvesting or rainwater collection facilities. The government also enacted the Green Building Code in 2015, which required new establishments, whether residential, commercial or industrial, to have rainwater harvesting facilities.

“Annually, the country receives about 720 billion liters of rain. This is equivalent to 720,000 MLD, which is more than enough to sustain our water needs, but much is lost to devastating floods,” said Filipino scientist and inventor of innovative rainwater harvesting system, Dr. Antonio Mateo. “If we could use rainwater even at 10-percent public water supply, we could secure our surface and groundwater sources,” added Mateo.

“We lose billions from losses in livelihood from the impact of floods aggravated by releases of excess water from large dams. Lives are also lost in these destructive floods. The costs to lives, properties and the environment beg the option for building additional large dams in our dwindling watershed areas.

We challenge the government to consider the interests of the people first before corporate profits, which are behind the push for these large infrastructure projects,” said Quirrez of the Dumagat Sierra Madre.

WHY DO THE I.P., ENVIRONMENTALISTS OPPOSE THE KALIWA DAM? HERE’S WHY

By Marilou Guieb | Correspondent

THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has won one round in the battle over Kaliwa dam with the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) dated October 11.

The Stop Kaliwa Dam network, however, is undaunted.

In a meeting facilitated by Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance spokesman, Fr. Pete Montallana, the group’s members discussed the legal action to declare the ECC issuance not valid based on violations of the procedure and weaknesses in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), on which the project endorsement was based.

Their issues: first, the failure of the proponent to comply with the rules given under Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order (DAO) 2017-15 regarding public hearings and the procedure of providing information on the project to affected communities and stakeholders.

Destruction to flora and fauna, especially of endangered species was also cited by the network.

Third, the issue of ancestral domain rights of indigenous peoples (IPs)—Dumagats and Remontados settled in the area—who will be affected.

Environment group Haribon has flagged the loss of 19 globally threatened tree species and the threat to the Northern Rufous Hornbill, a threatened species, in the area.

Conchita Calzado, a tribal leader, lamented that despite the ECC that guarantees protection for the places sacred to them—such as the Tinipak Spring and Tinipak White Rocks diverging from the Kaliwa River, the sacred spot where healing is traditionally done—they will still be disturbed.

Calzado said the project will also impact on 56 indigenous people households and place 284 households and an additional 1041 households in Barangay Daraitan at risk of flooding with a possible dam break.

The ECC, however, requires that the proponent can only proceed with the project after acquiring all other pertinent permits from other government agencies.

The ECC, signed by EMB Director Metodio Turbella, described the project as a dam with a spillway elevated at 160 meters at the right bank of Kaliwa River and a conveyance tunnel about 28 km long.

It covers a reservoir area of 291 hectares. Its main purpose is for water security by increasing raw water supply and reduce dependence on Angat Dam.

Finally, the objectors also noted that the technical review of the EIA given by some environmental experts and scientists were not sufficiently addressed.

The opposition said the range of concerns and violations they cited should render the ECC invalid and serve as groundwork for them in an initial answer to the ECC that is required within 15 days of receipt, or November 2.

Sanlakas Secretary General, Atty. Jose Aaron Pedrosa Jr., citing provisions of DAO 2017-15, said that there was failure to comply with the requirement that an EIA Summary for the Public (ESP) review must be written in both English and Filipino.

It was written only in English on the website of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR. “Considering that there were IPs at risk, the EMB and MWSS [Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System] should have complied with the language provision,” he said.

Pedrosa said the MWSS also failed to show proof of publication for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper, and residents saw only notices of public hearing the day before despite the requirement that this be posted in conspicuous places two weeks before a scheduled hearing.

He claimed the EMB conducted the public hearing without complying with its own guidelines and called for the nullification of the August 23 hearing.

A secretive family landing a $4-B haul has everyone guessing Continued from a1

Joachim Vansanten. “It’s very rare these days to see a company as secretive as Hal.”

Martijn Van der Vorm, 61, the trust’s executive chairman until five years ago, lives in Monaco and prefers solo sailing to glitzy galas.

His cousin, Carel Ole, 48, lives in London and operates an agricultural investment firm headquartered on a side street near touristpacked Paddington Station.

Representatives for Hal Trust declined to comment, and attempts to reach Martijn and Carel Ole were unsuccessful.

Gang kidnapping

RICH Dutch families have good reason to be discreet. The country was stunned in 1983 when a gang kidnapped brewery magnate

Freddy Heineken for ransom. Two decades later, armed men snatched Claudia Melchers, the daughter of billionaire industrialist Hans Melchers, who happened to be a major Hal shareholder.

The Netherlands is also a society that prides itself on egalitarianism.

“In the Netherlands, most wealthy families don’t want to be known for being rich,” said Actiam NV analyst Corne van Zeijl, who owns shares in the firm for his personal account. “I also think that’s part of a wider Northern European culture where wealthy families tend to not display their wealth.”

Unwanted attention

EVEN as the family avoids the limelight, its fortune has continued to grow. Last year, Hal expanded further outside the Netherlands with an $840-million deal for US

flooring-maker Formica and a German orthopedic technology firm.

The trust has stakes in more than 20 companies, including dredging firm Boskalis Westminster NV, Safilo Group SpA and oil and gas services firm SBM Offshore NV. The sale of its 77-percent stake in eyewear company GrandVision NV to EssilorLuxottica is expected to be completed by July 2021.

Still, the family has recently faced unwanted attention. The Panama Papers data leak from law firm Mossack Fonseca put a focus on Hal’s headquarters in Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island whose tax regime has drawn scrutiny from European lawmakers. It was a Dutch news group owned by Hal that helped break the news on the data leak.

True to form, the Van der Vorms stayed silent as the Panama Papers’ revelations sparked protests, gov-

ernment inquiries and resignations from lawmakers whose financial affairs were exposed.

Rotterdam ties

THE Van der Vorms still have deep ties to Rotterdam through philanthropy. Martijn and Carel Ole support foundations that provide funding for social and cultural programs in the city. One project involves converting an old Holland America warehouse into a waterfront museum commemorating the millions of immigrants who passed through the building on their way to North America.

They weren’t always so lowprofile.

As owners of some of the world’s biggest cruise ships, the Van der Vorms turned up at galas with artists, politicians and Dutch royalty.

In 1984, Martijn’s late father, Nico,

popped up in the New York Times to mark a cruise ship’s completion.

“The highest form of bliss is living with a certain degree of folly,” he said when asked why he built the vessel, quoting 16th-century Dutch philosopher Erasmus.

Holland America

HOLLAND America Line, which dates to 1873, became part of the family’s holdings when Rotterdam businessman Willem Van der Vorm saved the company from bankruptcy during the Great Depression. Its ships carried millions of Europeans to North America, many with one-way tickets.

Nico Van der Vorm eventually became the company’s chief executive officer and was pivotal in shaping the family’s fortune. Before his death in 1995, he moved Holland America’s headquarters to Seattle

and its holding company to Curacao. Three decades ago, he accepted Carnival founder Ted Arison’s offer to buy the company.

The family remains active in Seattle real estate. It has acquired more than two-dozen properties in the area over the past quarter century, including one it sold year for $20.5 million that dates to the city’s founding.

The Van der Vorms’s buy-andhold strategy has also proved lucrative for others. Melchers’s 17.4-percent stake is worth $2.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index.

“The family dares to make big bets on companies and also dares to stick with their investments for a long time,” said ABN Amro’s Berkelder. “It’s family wealth, so they are not out there to maximize the return within a year.”

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph · Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

P.A.C.C. expands probe to cover imported cement as well

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HE Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will expand its probe of undervalued steel importations and substandard steel to include imported cement, amid the damage to homes and buildings reported in the three earthquakes in October in Mindanao, its Spokesman Manuelito Luna said on Friday.

“We have received fresh information that some imported cement are not being strictly monitored and inspected for quality assurance, which may result in structural integrity issues. The series of devastating earthquakes that recently hit Mindanao, coupled with the information we received, is an eye-opener and compels us to expand our probe to include imported cement.”

Luna continued: “Allegedly, some unscrupulous public officers have lowered their guard and wittingly or unwittingly clearing even substandard imported cement for disposal to the market, with pernicious consequences.”

The PACC “will look into this to validate the information for the safety of the public,” said Luna.

On Thursday (October 31), at about 9:11 a.m., a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Tulunan, North Cotabato—the same area where a 6.6-magnitude quake struck on October 29—and caused damage to several buildings in the Cotabato and Davao areas. A four-story hotel collapsed in Kidapawan City and a mid-rise residential condominium in the outskirts of Davao City leaned to one side after its second floor collapsed.

In the wake of the third earthquake, President Duterte, who was in Davao when it happened, ordered all relevant agencies to ensure the safety of all structures.

B

ANGKOK—The Philippine government expressed optimism that the negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be concluded during the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Thailand.

This, despite the repeatedly missed deadlines on the conclusion of RCEP, seen to be one of the world’s largest trade deals.

Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Martin Andanar told foreign reporters the multilateral free trade agreement will have a significant effect on the 10 member-states of the regional bloc and six dialogue partner countries, namely, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

“The last time we were here, we were very optimistic [about RCEP]. And we continue to be so,” Andanar said.

While the conclusion of the RCEP negotiations has yet to materialize, such is expected to happen during the summit on Monday, November 4.

Moreover, Andanar said the Philippines, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), has put in so much time and effort toward the swift conclusion of the trade pact.

“I think that the RCEP is a very good council for countries here in Asia to have good and full cooperation on trade,” he told reporters from

T

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

he Mines and Geosciences Board (MGB) has dispatched 10 rapid damage assessment teams in Regions 11 and 12, as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 14 earthquake-related casualties in the last three days. Close to 400, meanwhile, were reported injured.

A Philippines News Agency dispatch, however, placed the death toll at 16. The latest victims were identified as Tessie Alcayde, 70, of Sitio Kapatagan, Barangay Luayon, Makilala, Cotabato; and Lito Peles

Mino, 59, resident of Sitio Musak, Barangay Sinapulan, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.

The NDRRMC said Alcayde “died due to the 6.5 -magnitude earthquake” while Mino succumbed to a rockslide

P

caused by the tremblor.

Moderate to strong earthquakes are still being felt in Mindanao, according to the earthquake information posted at the web site of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, for this part, renewed his call to local government units (LGUs) to revisit the geological hazard maps distributed by the national government and use them as a guide in reducing the risk of, and managing disaster.

Find landslide-prone areas

Rising count

MGB Director Wilfredo Moncano said five teams are now conducting a rapid assessment in Region 11 while the rest are conducting the same exercise in Region 12.

The conduct of rapid damage assessments aims to identify landslide areas and new landslide-prone areas that may have been formed as a result of earthquakes and typhoons.

Aside from MGB personnel, also part of the rapid damage assessment teams are engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and members of the concerned local Disaster R isk Reduction and Management Office.

The NDRRMC previously reported that eight people were killed as a result of the 6.6-magnitude earthquake, also in Cotabato, on October 29. Both earthquakes were connected to the tremor that occurred on October 16, 2019.

The three consecutive earthquakes have already caused severe damage and destruction to several residential and commercial buildings in Cotabato and nearby provinces. The earthquake, according to the NDRRMC, affected four Mindanao regions—Regions 10, 11, 12 and the Bangsamoro region.

According to NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal, the agency is still conducting an assessment of the cost

of the damage to public and private properties.

“W hile we were still conducting an assessment of the damage to property caused by the October 16 earthquake, another earthquake happened on October 29.

“Yesterday [October 31], there was another strong earthquake. So...the first two earthquakes have caused severe damage to infrastructure,” he said.

Since the f irst ear thqua ke, a 6.3-magnitude tremor that struck on October 16, residents of affected areas have started to evacuate. The evacuation continued as a stronger 6.6-magnitude earthquake was felt anew.

So far, a total of 4,604 individuals are currently staying in three emergency evacuation centers, said Timbal. These evacuation centers—one in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, and two in Makilala and K idapawan City in North Cotabato—are now prov id i ng tempora r y she lter to 2,035 indiv iduals. With PNA report

Customs launches online tracking system for ‘balikbayan’ boxes as Christmas nears

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ILIPINOS may now track their parcels and balikbayan boxes online as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has launched a tracking system, which promotes transparency and ease of doing business.

The Parcel and Balikbayan Box Tracking System (PBTS) seeks to render a more efficient way of tracking parcels and balikbayan boxes as the tracker can be accessed through BOC’s web site, authorities said, as the volume of holiday parcels and boxes is expec ted to increase with the nation just

seven weeks away from Christmas.

It was officially launched on Oc tober 30, 2019, by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, Deputy Comm i s s i o n e r D o n ato B. S a n J u a n , D e p u t y Commissioner R aniel T. R amiro, D eput y Commissioner Vener S. Baquiran, Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla, POM Collec tor Arsenia C. Ilagan, and Naia Collec tor Carmelita M. Talusan.

The bureau said the system can provide timely updates on the parcels as it goes

several international media outfits.

Asean member-states have started making progress about the RCEP since 2012 but there were differences in opinion among the 10-nation regional bloc and its six partner countries.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said negotiators are targeting to submit to leaders the RCEP package by November in Thailand and get the trade deal signed by next year in Vietnam.

However, there is a possibility that the objective of ending the negotiations may be put at risk, as New Delhi is reluctant to liberalize its market, especially in a trade deal including Beijing, with which it had a trade deficit of about $54 billion in the last fiscal year.

Nonetheless, the Palace official said RCEP will pave the way for a stronger regional bloc and make the region more competitive.

“A region needs to work together closely, especially in the trading of goods and services here in our region, but you know Asean is a region to [be] reckon[ed] with. We have a big population, we have a big, strong market. And we are very close to each other—a regional bloc. That is precisely the rationale for the Asean to become a strong regional bloc [and] to be able to compete with other regional blocs in bigger continents outside the Asean,” Andanar added.

Last year RCEP economies accounted for

nearly half of the world population, close to one-third of the global economy, 29.1 percent of global trade and about one-third of global investment inflows.

The RCEP covers trade in goods, services trade, investments, intellectual property, movement of people, electronic commerce, and dispute settlement, among others.

Trump’s absence

In a related development, Andanar also said he does not see the absence of a top-level US leader in Bangkok as a wrong message to the thriving 10-nation regional bloc.

On Tuesday this week, the White House announced that National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will represent US President Donald Trump in the Asean Summit in Bangkok on November 3 and 4.

“The relationship between the Asean and the US goes back several decades already.

And I don’t think that one meeting that is not attended as well as it used to be will already change the relationship of the Asean and the US,” he said.

He argued that the Asean as a group a l re a d y h a s s e ve ra l re l at i o n s h i p s w i t h other countries not limited to the United States.

“We will be fine. Asean will remain a vibrant and strong organization whether the Americans are there or not,” he said.

In Thailand for Asean summit, Duterte vows to be atop situation in quake-hit Mindanao RESIDENT Duterte gave assurances on Friday that the government is on top of the situation in Mindanao, which was rocked by three strong quakes in October, even while he is in Thailand for the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits.

At the same time, Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement on Friday that Duterte is expected to attend nine events during the summit.

Panelo said the President will be seen at the Asean Plenary Summit, as well as other events, which include the 22nd Asean-China Summit, the 16th Asean-India Summit, the 10th Asean-UN Summit, the 22nd Asean plus Three Summit, the 7th Asean-US Summit, the 14th East Asia Summit, the 22nd Asean-Japan

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MGB deploys rapid assessment teams as earthquake death count climbs to 16

PHL sees RCEP negotiations concluded at Asean Summit

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Summit, and the 3rd Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit.

“While Executive Secretar y Salvador C. Medialdea has been designated as the government’s officer in charge, as per Special Order No. 1182, signed by PRRD himself, we assure our people that the Chief Executive remains on top of the situation monitoring the situation in the Philippines, especially the earthquake-hit areas of Mindanao,” Panelo said.

The Palace also said the President’s participation in the abovementioned summits is aimed to further enhance economic growth within a peaceful environment, and regional and global stability in the years to come.

“The delegation, meanwhile, is excited to witness the President make our country and

citizenry proud once again as he discusses his views and shares his insights on pressing matters that will be tackled in the summits,” he said.

The President was set to leave for Bangkok on Friday afternoon. This year’s Asean Summit will be held from November 2 to 4 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Aside from the heads of the 10 memberstates of the regional bloc, other leaders expected to attend this year’s summit are Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. United States President Donald Trump will be skipping this year’s summit. He will be represented by National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Bernadette D. Nicolas

through various stages of Customs clearance.

“A lot of [overseas Filipino workers] are expected to send balikbayan boxes and packages to their loved ones here in the Philippines during this time. The system will aim to lessen instances of scams being perpetrated by unscrupulous individuals.

Claimants can verify the status of parcels and packages being processed by customs,” said Assistant Customs Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla at the PBTS launch.

BOC chief Guerrero reminded the public

to be cautious in sending their packages and parcels. “Support legitimate and accredited forwarders to avoid the possibility of being scammed by fly-by-fly night operators,” he warned.

Under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) signed by former President Benigno Aquino III in May 2016, Customs is required to make an innovative processing of shipments, streamlining of export and import procedures, and simplify the process of seizure and disposition of illegal goods.

According to BOC’s Statistical Analysis Division (SAD), the bureau’s collection in September 2019 was P7 billion higher than the P52.42 billion collected in the same period last year.

The BOC traced the growth in revenue collection to the increase in the volume of importation, higher collection as a result of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, rice tariffication law, and the National Food Authority tax expenditure collection.

Jove Moya

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ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

‘Animahenasyon 13’ seeks to discover the hidden gems in Filipino animation T

Symbolic cacao tree gifting commemorates heydays of Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade

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VERY year since 2007, the Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI) has been organizing a Philippine Animation Festival called “Animahenasyon.”

On its 13th year, Animahenasyon is happening on November 8, 2019, at Samsung Hall, SM Aura.

The festival is a hot spot for Filipino original content in animation, while the accompanying competition attracts submissions from Filipino artists worldwide.

This year, Animahenasyon 13 celebrates that “Our Stories Matter,” Filipino culture is just as complex and multilayered as its people.

Their stories and ideas can be developed into unique content that could propel the Philippine animation industry forward toward a future

of locally produced films and TV series that connect with both local and global audiences.

The competition presents the opportunity for the animation community to discover new Filipino original content from both students and professionals. Attending the festival means being surrounded by talented and like-minded individuals. Everyone is brought together in a space where they can celebrate their love for animation, make meaning-

ful connections and gain valuable insights from the guest speakers.

Animahenasyon will be bringing in Kitaro Kosaka, director of animated feature film Okko’s Inn, whose portfolio includes work at Studio Ghibli, MADHOUSE Productions, Oh! Productions and more; Mikki Crisostomo, a staff writer at

Disney TV Animation and a graduate from University of the Philippines and Columbia University; Pancho Burgos-Goizueta, a film score composer who has worked on High-School Musical 2 and 3, Wheels, God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, among several other films; and Carl Papa, an IT professional by day and a filmmaker at heart. His feature films, The Unforgetting and Manang Biring, have been recognized locally and internationally, while his most recent film, Paglisan, won best film at Cinema One Originals Film Festival.

There will also be free film screenings of Okko’s Inn by Kitaro Kosaka, Ars Electronica presents Young Animations curated by Sirikit Amann, Marona’s Fantastic Tale by Anca Damian, and Animahenasyon 13 Finalists will be available to all festival attendees.

For ticket inquiries and more information, please visit www. animahenasyon.com, or e-mail secretariat@animationcouncil.org or dial 8817 2727.

DFA chief sees closer economic ties between PHL and Hungary

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. delivers a message during the National Day Celebration of Hungary at the Hotel Fairmont in Makati City on October 22, 2019. He said the Philippines and Hungary continue to enjoy stronger bilateral ties and closer economic cooperation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PCOO

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HE Philippine government remains optimistic that the country will continue to enjoy stronger bilateral ties and closer economic cooperation with Hungary, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Tuesday, highlighting the several agreements inked between Manila and Budapest.

In his speech during the National Day of Hungary, Locsin said the country sees a “reinvigoration” of the Philippines-Hungary ties following the reopening of its doors in Manila in March 2017.

“Since the reopening of the Hungarian Embassy in Manila, the Philippines is witnessing a reinvigoration of our bilateral relations with Hungary,” Locsin said, delivering a speech on behalf of President Duterte in Makati City.

Locsin said high-level exchanges between the two countries have taken place since the reopening of the Hungarian Embassy, creating a “strong momentum” in the understanding between the two countries.

He visited Hungary this year followed by similar productive visits by officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, and Trade; members of Congress; the Philippine National Police; and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

“They testified that our countries have entered a higher level of relations. Case in point, the inaugural meeting of the PhilippineHungarian Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation in Budapest earlier this year played an impor-

tant role in enlarging our business and investment relations,” he said.

“With the signing this year of agreements in export promotion, investment promotion, and agriculture—our countries are on the path to closer economic cooperation,” he added.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who was also present in the occasion, said he expects the relationship of the two countries to generate mutual tangible benefits.

“As the relations of our two countries are more and more being revitalized, we anticipate more opportunities opening up for businessmen, tourists, students and other stakeholders that would boost the economic potential of both the Philippines and Hungary for the benefit of the people,” Andanar said.

Locsin also thanked the European country for its offer of technical assistance in water management, particularly the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake, as well as emergency assistance for the victims of the 2019 Jolo bombing earlier this year.

Aside from government to government interactions, Locsin also noted the “improving people to people exchanges” between the Philippines and Hungary, particularly in the fields of sports, education and culture.

The DFA chief said the Philip-

pines has signed several memoranda of understanding with Hungary, such as the deal between the Philippine Sports Commission and the Ministry of Human Capacities of Hungary, which aim to enhance exchanges of athletes.

Locsin thanked Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó for the latter’s recent offer to increase the maximum number of scholarship grants to Filipino students.

“There is a deep appreciation from the Filipino scholars in Hungary and from the Philippine government, for the generous support of the Hungarian government for furthering their education,” he said.

He added that Hungary’s programs in agriculture and sustainable development, environmental science, food science, engineering and public health are critical to the Philippines’s development.

“That said, I’m glad to say that the Philippines reaffirmed support for Hungary’s campaign for the protection of Christian minorities, which have suffered the most from religious persecution, especially in the Middle East,” he said.

“As part of our commitment to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to achieve peace and development.... These are indeed promising times for Philippine-Hungarian relations,” he said.

WO grand ladies of chocolate marked a historic event at Salon du Chocolat in Paris, France. Dona Demetria Gutierrez of Mexico gave a symbolic baby cacao tree from Mexico to Charita Puentespina, founder and resident of Philippines’s Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp., makers of the award-winning Malagos Chocolate.

The event commemorated the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, the historic trade route which facilitated the exchange of goods between the Philippines and Mexico during the Spanish colonial era. Gutierrez and Puentespina are both cacao farmers in their respective countries.

The event was held on October 31, 2019, at the Podium at the Porte De Versailles during the Salon du Chocolat, the world’s largest event related to chocolate and cacao from cocoa-producing countries around the world.

Cacao was first introduced to the Philippines from Mexico via the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade (1565 to 1815). Although the exact variety of the Theobroma cacao brought to the Philippines is hard to determine, what is certain is that the crop thrived in Philippine grow-

ing conditions, considering that the country is located within the narrow band in the equatorial belt where cacao grows best.

The chocolate business in the Philippines has experienced a resurgence of late, owing to the efforts of the Philippine government, as well as local farmers like Puentespina and her family company, Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp., to promote Philippine chocolates in the world market.

The company’s Malagos Chocolate has led several other homegrown chocolate brands in garnering several awards from international chocolate organizations in the past few years. Cacao beans grown by Puentespina’s company were recently designated Heirloom Cacao by the US-based Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund.

Through the Outbound Business Matching Missions service of the Department of Trade and IndustryExport Marketing Bureau, Malagos Chocolates has been one of the seven micro, small and medium enterprises who participated in the Salon du Chocolat. The first participation of the Philippines in the event was in 2017.

Ilocos Norte products export-ready–DTI

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AOAG CITY—A good number of micro, small and mediumsized enterprises (MSME) in Ilocos Norte are already export-ready, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official said on Wednesday.

Maricor Racela, senior trade industry development specialist and trade promotions officer of the DTI Ilocos Norte said several homegrown entrepreneurs to the recent 2019 Trade Mission to the Philippines of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH), held at the Viven Hotel in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, on October 22, are now excited to showcase their products in Hawaii

by July next year.

During a 10-day trade mission of the FCCH to Manila, Clark, Tarlac, Candon, Vigan and Laoag from October 12 to 22, the Hawaii delegates led by Rep. John Mizuno, Philippine Consul General of Hawaii Joselito Jimeno and Dr. Nancy AtmosperaWalch, president of FCCH, were impressed by the country’s unique products which include food and nonfood items.

In Ilocos Norte, the DTI Ilocos Norte Provincial Office, in coordination with the municipal government of San Nicolas led by Mayor Alfredo Valdez organized a trade exhibit where the less than 20 del-

egates from Hawaii had first-hand interaction with at least 16 selected MSMEs in the province.

“Each of the participating MSMEs was given time to present their products to the delegates for them to actually see, taste and feel their products,” said Racela as she hopes there will be a reverse of this kind in Hawaii trade show next year.

“The FCCH delegates through their president, Dr. Walch were very insistent of the province to attend the trade show in Hawaii in July next year and they assured us to send their invitation. This will be government-to-government activity for our MSMEs,” Racela said.

Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, who also welcomed the Hawaiian delegation in a courtesy visit at the Capitol, said the provincial government is supportive of this move to boost the MSMEs in Ilocos Norte.

The DTI has identified several homegrown enterprises, which are currently exporting their products outside the country.

Included among them are Cormel Foods in Laoag City which supplies “sukang Iloco” vinegar in the United States, particularly in California, Guam, and Hawaii and in parts of Canada. PNA

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www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, November 2, 2019 A5

Late Senator Rodolfo Ganzon remembered in Iloilo City

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By Gail Momblan | Philippines News Agency

LOILO CITY—The legacy and memories of the late Sen. Rodolfo Ganzon were recalled in this city’s Molo district during the commemoration of his 16th death anniversary on Tuesday.

Ganzon, dubbed by the Ilonggos as the “champion of the masses,” served the Senate from 1963 to 1969.

Before serving the national government, Ganzon devoted his service here and the province of Iloilo. He became the No. 1 councilor in this city in 1951, and Iloilo province’s Second District Board Member from 1953 to 1955, and 1961 to 1963.

He was also elected four times

as Iloilo City mayor from 1955 to 1959, 1959 to 1961, 1971 to 1972, and 1988 to 1992.

Ganzon is best remembered by his constituents for having authored and sponsored the “Iloilo City Freedom Law,” which restored to the people of Jaro, La Paz, Molo, Arevalo, Manduriao, and Iloilo City, proper their constitutional right to elect their own mayor,

FAMILY members and friends of the late Sen. Rodolfo Ganzon offer flowers at his monument in this city’s Molo district on Tuesday (October 29, 2019), to commemorate his 16th death anniversary. Ganzon served the Senate from 1963 to 1969, and is remembered by the Ilonggos as the “champion of the masses.” PNA/GAIL MOMBLAN

vice mayor and councilors.

Ganzon’s son, Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jeffrey, and his grandson,

Iloilo City Councilor Rudolf, are carrying on the brand of Ganzon service in this city.

Vice Mayor Ganzon remembered his father as a “very disciplinarian,” yet “very religious” man.

He shared that his father taught him the power of teamwork and sincerity in service, which is applicable in addressing issues in current times.

“We have enough good laws, all we need is good implementers. We are looking at the future of our city and it is not hard to help if we have sincerity,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

As vice mayor, Ganzon said his goals are aligned with that of Mayor Jerry Treñas to further the development of this city.

For his father’s legacy of helping the masses to remain, Vice Mayor Ganzon said he will push for resolutions that would benefit the villages.

“We plan to request a resolution for the villages in this city to donate

blood every three months,” he said, noting that the need for blood donations can be sustained through everyone’s help.

Councilor Ganzon, meanwhile, considered himself lucky as the eldest grandson of the late Senator Ganzon. “I used to sleep beside him and before sleeping, he [gave] me math problems to solve,” he said, noting that his grandfather had instilled in him the importance of education.

Councilor Ganzon attributed his close relationship to the masses to his grandfather. He said the late senator used to carry him around when he visited communities.

“Growing up, I understand that was a preparation for me to face the public and pursue public service,” he said.

He assured that the Ganzon brand of leadership would continue in the succeeding generations.

‘Trusted’ professionals target the assets of America’s elderly

By Nick Leiber

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ERRY ANN MCINTOSH’S financial nightmare began four years ago, soon after she hired a caregiver through a family services web site. McIntosh, then 75 and in a wheelchair, had assumed that the young woman who eventually showed up at her San Mateo, California, home wouldn’t steal from her. She was wrong. In October 2015, Meletofetofe Uhila began logging into McIntosh’s Bank of America account, using the older woman’s credentials. The first time, Uhila attempted to transfer $10,000 into her own account. The bank blocked it, requesting that McIntosh call in to verify her identity. Uhila called instead, pretending to be her.

Though Uhila failed the bank’s security questions, and McIntosh had never made a similar transfer in all the years she held the account, the bank allowed it to go through. Unaware, McIntosh continued to visit her branch every week, as she had done for the past 15 years. No bank employee ever mentioned the transaction.

Over the next nine months, Uhila made 44 additional transfers, ultimately stealing about $245,000 from McIntosh. Though Uhila was eventually caught and convicted, she had only $8,000 left to return to McIntosh. So McIntosh asked Bank of America for her money back. Despite all the seemingly bright red flags raised by Uhila’s conduct, the bank said no.

Tales such as McIntosh’s—of being hoodwinked by a criminal only to face an uphill battle to be made whole—are on the rise, consumer and legal experts warn. Already targeted by phone scammers and greedy relatives, elderly Americans have a “bull’s-eye” on their backs, one Iowa assistant attorney general who specializes in elder abuse cases said, adding that the problem is only getting worse.

And while financial institutions are becoming more responsive and incorporating more safeguards to protect against elder fraud and manipulation, America’s most vulnerable face another, more insidious threat. Increasingly, it’s the professionals—the lawyers, insurers and financial advisers that the elderly trust—who are the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

In 2017, financial institutions filed 63,500 suspicious activity reports tied to the exploitation of older adults, quadruple the amount reported four years earlier, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for a total of $1.7 billion in attempted thefts and losses. That estimate, however, is a tiny fraction of the real total. The reports “may account for less than 2 percent” of actual incidents, the CFPB says.

Estimates of total losses ranged as high as $36.5 billion, according to one financial services firm.

One in five older Americans is a victim of financial exploitation, said Jilenne Gunther, who heads the BankSafe initiative at the AARP’s Public Policy Institute, costing US financial institutions $1 billion in deposits annually. The vast majority of such attempts to separate the elderly from their money, both legal and illegal, go unreported.

Shawna Reeves, director of elderabuse prevention at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco, says few understand that such activity can involve professional firms and companies, including banks, financial advisers, insurers and law firms.

“This is big business, perpetrated by actors people think are legitimate,” said Reeves. According to social workers, prosecutors, and other officials across the country, common stratagems involve attempts to sell the elderly ill-advised annuities and reverse mortgages, as well as solar panel installations and access to veterans’ benefits.

At the Iowa attorney general’s consumer protection division, complaints about professionals manipulating elderly clients pour in “nonstop,” said Chantelle Smith, an assistant attorney general in Des Moines. They involve “any type of business you can imagine.”

When InvestmentNews surveyed 591 financial advisers about elder fraud in 2017, it found that 62 percent said they have seen or suspected financial abuse of an older client at least once. Some 39 percent of them said the perpetrator was another financial professional—but more than half admitted they didn’t bother to report it.

It’s not just financial professionals doing the fleecing. Doug Chalgian, an attorney with the Michigan-based elder law firm Chalgian & Tripp, said some lawyers build a business model helping adult children take control of their parents’ assets. Others encourage older clients to make financial decisions that aren’t in their best interest.

“There’s a sleazy underbelly to elder law,” Chalgian said.

The consequences of such unethical behavior aren’t just financial.

Elderly people who fall victim to financial wrongdoing are more likely to die prematurely, research shows.

Losing one’s life savings, worrying about maintaining control over assets that remain or simply being embarrassed at having been taken all play a part, Smith said.

“Where do you go after you’ve been exploited by a professional you thought you could trust, and you are now at, perhaps, your most vulnerable state? Another ‘trusted’ professional?” Smith asked. “They die. It kills them.”

The night before Barbara Williams died in August 2015, she and her husband Tom decided to leave the bulk of their assets to a nonprofit serving the homeless near their Oroville, California, home.

Tom Williams had relied on his wife, a former bookkeeper, to handle their finances. Williams, then 78, called American Family Legal Services, the firm he thought had helped them with estate planning in the past, to update their trust.

Not long after, Victor Pantaleoni arrived at his home. An independent insurance agent, Pantaleoni quickly went about selling Williams on purchasing an annuity— one that, unlike the updated trust Williams sought, would earn Pantaleoni a $9,500 commission, according to a lawsuit Williams later filed in the Superior Court of California in Butte County. The agent had Williams sign a blank check and blank documents, ostensibly needed to modify the trust, according to Williams. Instead, Pantaleoni used them to move $100,000 of Williams’s money into a National Western Life Insurance Co. annuity, according to court filings.

Williams, who intended to use those savings for health-care expenses and emergencies, was left with only about $14,000 in his account. When he tried to cancel the annuity and get his money back, National Western didn’t respond. The company instead told Pantaleoni he had five days to “conserve” the annuity or he would lose his commission, according to court filings.

Williams alleged that, as a result, Pantaleoni tricked him into signing a second annuity application. National Western subsequently reissued the annuity. Williams tried a second time to get his money back.

He called and wrote National Western, complaining about Pantaleoni.

But instead of investigating, National Western slapped Williams with a surrender penalty of almost $15,000 and allowed Pantaleoni to hold onto his original commission, keeping him as an agent, according to the lawsuit. Though the insur-

er refunded the rest of his money, Williams had spent thousands of dollars on legal fees and other expenses related to his dealings with Pantaleoni. He sued both Pantaleoni and National Western in late 2017 for elder financial abuse, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

In April, a jury found National Western and Pantaleoni liable of elder financial abuse and negligence, and found Pantaleoni liable for fraud.

It awarded Williams $3.1 million, declaring the insurer primarily responsible. The company appealed in September. Pantaleoni did not.

“Pantaleoni couldn’t have done what he did without the complicity of a company willing to turn a blind eye,” said Frank Fox, the attorney representing Williams.

This wasn’t the first time Pantaleoni was accused of improper behavior when working with seniors. In 2015, the California Department of Insurance filed a formal accusation against him, detailing his violation of insurance statutes in his dealings with a 74-year-old widow. The agency fined Pantaleoni and restricted his insurance license.

“I never did elder financial abuse and I never would,” said Pantaleoni, 62. However, in the case of Williams, he admitted he was negligent, in part because he didn’t have errors and omissions insurance, a type of liability policy, at the time.

But he nevertheless disputed most of the other allegations in the lawsuit. “I did what the client wanted,” he said.

As for National Western, in 2010 the insurer settled a class action claiming it had misled seniors about penalties for withdrawing money from their annuities.

National Western’s settlement included an accord with the California insurance commissioner requiring the company to make reforms in its sales, marketing and complaint procedures. The insurer denied any wrongdoing.

National Western, which uses thousands of independent agents to sell its insurance, had just two employees in its compliance depart-

ment responsible for handling complaints at the time Williams tried to return the annuity, according to court documents. “Our independent agents are careful to ensure policyholders thoroughly understand the agreements they enter into when they purchase our annuity or life insurance products,” National Western’s Chief Legal Officer, Rey Perez, said in an e-mailed statement.

When it comes to luring the elderly into a trap, some strategies are more aggressive than others.

Earlier this year, a federal law enforcement officer outside Washington started to get glossy flyers at his home, inviting him to a free meal and a “retirement strategies workshop” at a local restaurant.

“Expect to have a little fun and obtain some meaningful information with none of the usual financial double-talk,” one read.

By chance, the officer, who requested anonymity because he isn’t authorized to speak publicly, noticed that the retirement planner’s address matched that of an attorney he suspected was targeting the elderly. So on a sticky night in July, he dropped by the dinner, also hoping it might yield clues in a case of suspected elder fraud involving his now-deceased father. The dinner didn’t result in a breakthrough, but it did reveal how a business tries to persuade the elderly to invest in financial products they don’t need.

At an Italian restaurant in Virginia, more than a dozen elderly couples picked at their salads as the presenter asked them to fill out forms describing their assets and then complete worksheets while he extolled the virtues of annuities.

“We can get you two to three times as much as a bank and keep you just as safe,” he said.

To the officer, the workshop shared the same traits as so-called trust mills, a term he used to describe schemes in which unscrupulous individuals try to sell seniors questionable investments under the guise of estate or retirement planning. He echoed a warning on the Minnesota attorney general’s web site about such con artists: “Once he obtains your financial information, he will usually try to get you to buy an annuity or other insurance product. He may have several meetings with you before he reveals his true intentions: to sell you insurance.”

Kathryn Stebner, the lawyer for Terry Ann McIntosh, is a national expert on elder law. Given how her client’s account was methodically emptied, she said she can’t fathom how the bank missed what happened.

“I don’t know how much plainer it could be,” she said.

After discovering what happened, McIntosh became deeply distressed, and not just for her own circumstanc-

es; she also needed her savings to support her disabled adult daughter.

Last year, she sued Bank of America.

As the trial approached this fall, the bank settled. Bank of America Spokesman Andy Aldridge said the institution is “working with Ms. McIntosh to help her recover from the criminal actions of her caregiver.”

Financial institutions may have gotten the hint when it comes to making it harder to scam the elderly.

According to Marti DeLiema, an assistant professor of research at the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, more banks are investing in detection software and training. Executives, she said, “have really strong incentives, because the problem is only going to get worse.”

DeLiema, a consultant for major banks and broker-dealers, said financial institutions “need better communication across lines of business. For example, the brokerage side needs to talk to the banking side if they suspect a customer is at risk.” She added that banks also could benefit from a rule similar to what the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority put in place last year, allowing broker-dealers to pause a disbursement and investigate without worrying about clients suing them.

She said banks also lack the trusted contact form that brokerdealers are supposed to have clients fill out. “Banks need to do that,” said DeLiema. “Banks need another tool in their toolbox to protect us from ourselves.”

Smith, the Iowa assistant attorney general, started pursuing financial advisers, securities brokers and insurance agents for exploiting older people about two decades ago. She said that elder financial abuse is more than a legal issue. It’s societal.

Financial predators aren’t being prosecuted “in any significant number, relative to how many cases there are,” she explained. And when it comes to lawsuits, “most of them don’t go to court.” Meanwhile, perpetrators seek out and spend time with older people who are isolated and lonely. They know many of their targets won’t report what’s happening for fear of embarrassment or of having their children take control of their finances.

“They target, they stalk,” Smith said. “I tell all the older people I talk to: ‘You have a bull’s-eye on your back.’”

Smith said the only way to stem the rising tide of elder financial exploitation is to get family members, friends and community volunteers more involved in their lives. “The underlying issue here is isolation and loneliness, and a devaluing of older people in our communities,” she said.

“It’s ageism.” Bloomberg News

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Saturday, November 2, 2019 | Editor: Mike Besa

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By Mike Besa

he BusinessMirror celebrated its 14th year of operations with a fabulous golf tournament at the beautiful Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club last week. There was apprehension on whether golfers would come out in support of the tournament as in years past because of the congestion on the Southern Luzon Expressway as the construction of the Skyway to Susana Heights continues.

But golfers’ passion for the game and the stunning setting for the tournament carried the day. 126-golfers made the trek to Lipa City in support of the 2019 BusinessMirror Golf Tournament presented by the San Miguel Corp. This edition was tweaked slightly at the behest of BusinessMirror Publisher T. Anthony Cabangon. Most fun tournaments don’t require handicaps for play, but with the slogan Play it Right as the paper’s advocacy for golf, Mr. Cabangon insisted on a more serious format.

The Molave scoring system requires a handicap and awards 54 points for a round of even par. It was the tournament system the committee settled on after due deliberation and proved to be a fun format for the tournament.

Also, in our quest to make the BusinessMirror Golf Tournament stand out in the busy tournament scene, Mr. Cabangon insisted that the winners of each category bring home more than a trophy. In other tournaments the significance of winning seems to have been diminished when others, with their mere presence, are gifted with high-value raffle prizes. At the 2019 BusinessMirror Golf Tournament all the winners were presented with appliances worth over P8,000 together with their trophies.

In the end Ray Sangil took the lowest gross plum with a score of 2-over 74 which translated into 50 gross Molave points on the tough greens of the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club. Leo Gerardo Salud took the low net prize with a total score of 63 Molave points.

The tournament would not have been possible without the considerable support lent by its sponsors, especially to our presenter, the San Miguel Corp., our host, the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club, major sponsors and all the other sponsors and individuals that contributed to the success of the 2019 BusinessMirror Golf Tournament.

The BusinessMirror is most grateful and has bigger and better plans for next year’s tournament. You definitely want to be a part of that. See you then!

The 2019 BusinessMirror Golf T

The ‘BusinessMirror’ celeb

A total of 106 golfers made the trip south of the Metro for a day of fun on the greens, camaraderie and lots of prizes. BusinessMirror Publisher T. Anthony Cabangon led the participants together with Jin-cheol Lee, director of Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, Dr. Roland Schissau, chargé d’ affaires of German Embassy and former DOT Asec. Frederick M. Alegre. Businessmen and top executives from various industries, business partners and friends also joined the event.

WINNERS of the recent “BusinessMirror Golf Tournament” on October 24, 2019, at Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

Utility Irons Should you have one in your bag?

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Written by Mike Besa

ny fan of the PGA Tour will wax on fondly about touring pros’ proficiency with their long irons.

Tiger’s most famous shot is probably his 2-iron stinger, brought to prominence with his win at the Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in 2006. It was a surgical performance and the 2-iron Tiger’s weapon of choice.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, the long iron is perhaps the toughest club to hit in golf. The lack of loft and wafer-thin topline are intimidating, to say the least.

Today the long iron is all but extinct with most iron sets ending at the 6-iron. Hybrids bridge the gap to the fairway woods but their propensity to flight the ball in just one direction and only on one trajectory has proven frustrating to many.

Modern manufacturing techniques have enabled the heretofore impossible—A long iron that’s easy to hit. They’ve become quite utilitarian for the golfer with the right swing characteristics and have begun replacing hybrids in these golfers’ bags.

Using concepts used in the manufacture of fairway woods and hybrids, utility irons are now hollow and built similarly to the longer clubs in your set. The appearance of the iron retained to make it feel familiar, comfortable.

Let’s back up a bit. Driving or utility irons are bulkedup players irons that are designed to hit the ball higher and farther than the equivalent standard irons. Their trajectory will be lower than most similarly lofted fairway

woods and hybrids, however, their lower launch angles and landing angles lead to a huge amount of roll. That’s perfect for windy conditions and fast, firm fairways.

Perfect for most of our public courses during summer.

The flexibility lent by hollow-bodied construction means that manufacturers can design utility or driving irons do specific tasks. Some utilities are designed to be hit low and long off the tee, whereas others leverage rear centers of gravity and wide soles to help launch the ball high while providing more forgiveness. The reality is that utility irons are no longer exclusively for high swing speed, low handicap golfers. With a broad range of designs available to the public, options in this category have opened up to almost every kind of golfer.

So how do you decide if a driving or utility iron is right for you?

Long irons are the part of the bag that give most golfers fits. If you struggle to hit your long irons consistently, it might be time to investigate swapping them for more forgiving, easer-to-hit utility irons. Many manufacturers today like Srixon and others offer utility iron replacements for long irons, and several offer lofts that overlap with traditional 6 and even 7-irons. These irons typically offer wider soles and lower, deeper centers of gravity to help launch the ball high in the air while providing that extra bit of forgiveness we can all use on the course.

Utility irons or hybrids?

For many golfers, the utility iron serves as the ideal

Srixon U85 Iron

TitleisT U510 Cobra King

alternative to a hybrid. While some models like TaylorMade’s GAPR Mid straddle the line between categories, the appeal of the utility iron is sometimes just the fact that it’s not a hybrid.

For golfers who struggle with hybrids, or simply don’t like them, the utility iron—often better-suited to golfers with steeper attack angles—may be a better option to fill that gap on the long end of the bag.

Utilities vs fairway woods Some golfers just can’t seem to get along with their fairway woods. For this player, the utility iron might be the ideal solution. Lower lofted utilities provide solution...to a point.

Most manufacturers still don’t make a true 1-iron, something capable of replacing your 3-wood. But a low lofted utility makes a decent replacement for your 5-wood. This is especially true if you’re steep coming into the ball or prefer a smaller head that will allow you to work the ball more.

TaylorMade GAPR Lo WRX

Also key is shaft selection. It is indispensable to creating a consistent shot pattern for predictable results. A good fitter will help you match and integrate the utility into the rest of your set, both in terms of shaft characteristics and loft gaps. If you’re planning to just wing it or if you don’t have access to a good clubfitter, then you need to study the performance characteristics of the available shafts.

Graphite remains the best option as its manufacture and design aids the utility’s ease of use. Some are available with lightweight steel, but our observations are that graphite is more consistent from club to club and is lighter and can (potentially) be swung faster.

Adjustability isn’t really big in this space just yet, but a few (such as TaylorMade’s Gapper and Cobra’s King) do. This should grow as the popularity of utilities increases. But pay attention to the actual lofts as there

isn’t really a standard that says a utility stamped with a given number has a specific amount of loft.

Above all, get out there and hit as many examples from as many manufacturers as you can. Do your homework and work with a good clubfitter to dial in your distances as accurately as you can. Don’t get a utility iron if you’re just planning to use it off the tee on particular hole only during certain times of the year. A utility iron must serve more than one purpose for you to even consider putting one in your bag.

A versatile utility iron can serve you well in any number of the conditions you’ll invariably face on the golf course. If you need to hit it low, or if you need to flight one up to hit a green, the utility should suit your game on the courses that you play.

Given the rapidly increasing number and variety of utility irons hitting the market, there’s almost certainly one out there that will fit your playing style. Make sure to properly assess your game to determine which one is right for you.

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, November 2, 2019

A7

Tournament

brates its 14th year ‘Go Low, Jolo’ wins again J

Story & photos

by Bobbet Bruce

olo Magcalayo won the Men’s Division at the fourth Menpora Emeralda International Amateur Golf Cup 2019 last October 24 to 26, 2019, at the Emeralda Golf Park in West Java, Indonesia.

Nicknamed “Go Low, Jolo” at the championships, the 17-year-old high-school junior from De La Salle-Zobel scorched the very tough course as he posted a three round total 12 under par 204 (69-69-66) to run away with an 11-stroke lead to bring home the crown.

Jolo went out of the gate with guns blazing as he opened the competition with an eagle birdie combo on the first two holes en route to a five under par front nine.

This would cushion his two over par back nine to finish three under 69 and two strokes ahead of the second placed golfer from Myanmar.

He would go three under 69 again on the second day with his bogey free front 9 spiked by back-to-back birdie on the 5th and 6th holes combining with his one under par back nine to stay five strokes ahead of his closest pursuers.

Magcalayo would then put on a show on the last day.

Going bogey free in the first 13 holes, Jolo birdied holes number 1, 4, 7, 12 and 13 before running into his first and only bogey in hole 14. He would then finish with a flurry scoring an eagle on the par 5 hole 17 to complete round with a six under par 66, an almost unheard of tournament score in the very tough course.

“I am very happy, of course, with my win. I came here to represent the Philippines well and thankful that I was able to make the most of the opportunities” said Magcalayo, who is preparing to play in the US in three weeks. He added, “My game is almost there already. I need to work on my irons more, but I will be ready for my next events in Thailand and the US.” Magcalayo, a highly recruited US college recruit and the country’s highest ranked amateur golfer on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), showed top-level preparedness as he travels to the US on November 18 to the US to compete in the American Junior Golf Association Rolex Tournament of Champions in Florida. The exclusive invitational event pits the AJGA All-American team members and AJGA tournament champions for 2019.

Magcalayo who won a championship and finished second in three AJGA events last summer will go head-tohead with the best junior golfers in the US in the said event.

He also left this week to play in the 12th Singha Junior World Golf Championship in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Magcalayo had a very successful US summer tour this year as he became the first Filipino qualifier to the US Junior Championship. Placed top 3 in a US Amateur sectional qualifier, won a Jr. PGA sectionals, and broke the first day tournament score and the course tournament scoring record. He also finished second in the 41st North and South Junior Golf Championship in historic Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Presidents Cup–Captain’s Blog #4

I

Abraham Ancer. Photos by Getty Images

By Ernie Els

t’s wonderful to provide an update now that my first eight International Team members have been confirmed for the Presidents Cup. I’m so thrilled with the makeup of our team thus far. We have a great mix of veteran leadership and young talent that will make for a formidable team at Royal Melbourne.

I look forward to sharing what I have already learned about a few of our newcomers in the coming months.

Abraham Ancer, C.T. Pan, Haotong Li and Cameron Smith are all terrific young players and are very deserving of this opportunity. They have also aided in the diversity of our team, which, I think, is very important.

It’s special to have players on the team who come from such different regions, like Chinese Taipei, Mexico and China, that have never been represented in the Presidents Cup before. This will bring new people from the world that will be watching us for the first time. From that point of view, this is a unique Presidents Cup because we’re going to have potentially a billion more people watching this Presidents Cup just because of the different regions we’re all from.

For someone like Abraham who won the Aussie Open last year, he understands the Australian culture of golf. I know how much he wants it. He’s a real steely player and someone I look forward to watching compete.

I’ve played with Haotong many times and had a frontrow seat to his beautiful 63 at The Open two years ago that nearly won him the tournament. He’s got all the qualities of a world-class player, and maybe become No. 1 in the world one day. He’s that kind of talent.

C.T. is another rookie with so much potential. Overall, he’s got a very sound game. He manages his game very well and I can see him being a great partner to a lot of players.

And then finally with Cameron, I was able to see him team up with Leish at the World Cup of Golf at Metropolitan where

they finished runner up. Their games seem to mesh very well, so we will certainly look at them as a potential pairing.

While I’m excited for those players who get to experience the excitement of a Presidents Cup for the first time, our veteran leadership is going to be a key to our success.

Scottie, Louis, Leish and Hideki all know what it takes to succeed in the Presidents Cup, and I’m very pleased with how they will contribute to the foundation of this team.

Specifically, with Scottie, he’s in the position to have a leading role. During our team meetings, I’ve asked Scottie every single time to say something to the players. He’s got so much to give. He’s playing in his ninth straight Presidents Cup, so he’s the most capped player in the history of the Cup now, but he’s got a lot to go and it’s great to see him playing well again. We will be leaning on Scottie in a big way, but more than anything, I want him to have a good week.

Scottie was a rookie in 2003, and I kind of took him under my wing in South Africa, and we had some success down there in the team formats playing together and really bonded as two players can. And I know Scottie has that in his mind, to get this team bonded the way we’ve got it done a couple of times.

With this being such a unique year having the Presidents Cup played in December, I’ve stressed in our team meetings that they’ve got to try and be prepared and have every part of their game at championship level. It will also help that our team will have a nice representation at the Australian Open. Quite a few guys have committed from what I’ve heard, and with Abraham Ancer as the defending champion it will hopefully add to the buzz for the Presidents Cup. I’ve also imparted as much wisdom and knowledge about Royal Melbourne as I can.

I’ve talked to them about how I feel the golf course flows, how I feel the best way to attack the course. I’ve tried to tell them about the Australian conditions which can be fast, a little

Sungjae Im

windy and quite warm. That’s why short game is very important around Australian golf courses, especially Melbourne.

I’m going to give them even more information in the weeks ahead. I’ve got all kinds of different plans to show them how each and every hole should be played, the way I think we can get the best out of it, and then we’ll take it from there.

And while I expect to have a solid game plan heading into the week, we can’t expect to walk out of there with the Cup without the support from the Australian public in Melbourne. I think it’s very important that the crowd understand that their home team for the matches is the International side, and I think the Australians on the team will play a huge role in getting the crowd behind us.

As we look toward rounding out the team with the four picks in early November, it’s going to be huge for us to pick the right players to join the team, and my job is already gotten tougher due to how well some of the guys have played as of late. A nice problem to have!

Joaquin Niemann’s win at The Greenbrier was only a matter of time. He’s just an immense young talent who has a successful career ahead of him. And then to be followed up

by Sebastian Muñoz is just a testament to the growth of golf down in Latin America.

Sungjae Im is another who has shown a lot of consistency this past year and capped it off with Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA TOUR. He played 34 events last

season and has seen his form continue with a runner-up finish two weeks ago. Several players from Korea have my attention including Ben An, Sung Kang and Si-woo Kim, who competed on the 2017 team.

Even Adam Hadwin, another 2017 team member, was back in contention this past weekend at the Safeway Open.

As for Jason Day, we’d have loved to have seen him qualify in the top 8, but he is always going to be on the list of guys we’re going to look at for the top 12. He didn’t have a year like we’re used to seeing from him, but we’ve still got a long way to go. I plan on checking in with him frequently and look forward to watching him compete in the coming weeks.

At the end of the day, I want to look at rookies who are showing a lot of promise and then guys who have had wins in the past. I will also speak to the eight guys on the team.

We’re going to have several discussions because these four players will need to help this team blend even further.

Needless to say, we have a critical month ahead of us as we prepare to round out the International Team.

We’re counting on the Australian public in Melbourne to have a great turnout. Remember to buy your tickets on www.presidentscup.com. December will be upon us before we know it.

Ernie Els International Team Captain

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, November 2, 2019

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

HOWIE KENDRICK: HEART AND SOUL Clutch Howie Kendrick lands the winning blow as Nationals bag the World Series. AP

FANS watch as players warm up before the Rugby World Cup semifinal at the International Stadium Yokohama between New Zealand and England in Japan. AP

JAPAN MUST RIDE RUGBY WAVE

T

OKYO—Three years into his second stint living in Japan, Peter Musgrave takes his young son to a park in central Tokyo and sees people throwing around a rugby ball.

“It’s chalk and cheese to when I first lived here,” the 40-year-old Musgrave says.

Back in those days, from 2006-12, the bank worker from England barely noticed rugby in the Japanese capital unless he “went out to a foreigner bar to watch a game.”The Brave Blossoms, as Japan’s national team is affectionately called, were conceding nearly 100 points in games against the sport’s major powers.

The thought of an audience of around 55 million—representing close to half the population—watching on TV as Japan won a rugby match with breathtaking skill to power into the quarterfinals at a home Rugby World Cup would have been consigned to the realms of fantasy.

Yet, that’s what happened in this 2019 global showpiece, the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia. It’s been an absolute blast, an eye-opener not just for the estimated halfmillion traveling fans from 19 other competing countries but also for the Japanese people who have been such courteous and polite hosts.

There was the scene of 15,000 people turning up to watch Wales’ first practice session of the tournament. Some arrived three hours before practice, lining up for more than a kilometer outside Kitakyushu Stadium.

How about Oita, the land of hot springs in the most southwestern of Japan’s main islands and a place that could never be described as a rugby hotbed, welcoming fans of France, England, Wales and Australia for one memorable quarterfinal weekend? Locals,

merely passing by pubs and bars, joined in the revelry, some being lifted up like they were second-row forwards in a lineout.

From Fukuroi to Fukuoka, from Kamaishi to Kumamoto, lasting memories have been made in this 6 1/2-week tournament that has been 10 years in the planning but will draw to a close Saturday when England plays South Africa in the final.

So when the World Cup circus leaves town, what will be left behind? How does Japan sustain the rugby fever?

“I have a little worry, yes,” former Japan rugby captain Toshiaki Hirose told The Associated Press.

“Four years ago, we beat South Africa in the World Cup and a lot of Japanese people watched it. Now, I think Japanese people understand rugby as well, and respect the passion.

“I think there is an environment where kids want to start playing rugby but we should have this environment more, not just in the cities but also in the countryside.”

Rugby lags behind baseball, soccer and others in the list of the most popular sports here. There are 92,000 registered rugby players—a 10th of the number in soccer— and there is a participation rate among teenagers of 1.5 percent, according to the most recent white paper on sport in Japan. Rugby tied ninth among the most popular spectator sports in Japan and didn’t feature in the top 10 of most popular sports watched on TV. The country has a 16-team domestic league which is a corporate and mostly amateur competition featuring a growing number of well-paid foreign stars and Japan internationals. Only five Top League games in the entirety of last season attracted a crowd of more than 5,000 spectators. AP

A

number of equine fatalities in California.

However, trainers and bettors were among those opposing the surface change and Santa Anita returned to dirt in 2010.

Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB’s equine medical director, said Wednesday it would be up to track ownership with the consensus of the horsemen to change surfaces again.

“There were people that were unhappy with the track in spite of the rather remarkable [decrease in injury] numbers,” Arthur said of the first go-round.

Hollywood Park and its artificial surface went away in 2013 when the track closed. That forced the hand of Del Mar, north of San Diego, to return to dirt in 2015, leaving Stronach-owned Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay area as the last remaining artificial track in the state.

Los Alamitos in Orange County races on dirt.

The failed experiment cost an estimated $40 million to install artificial surfaces statewide.

“It’s a huge undertaking to put in a synthetic surface and there’s some controversy with the trainers not all believing in the synthetic surfaces,” said Dr. Mick Peterson of the Racing

The Associated Press

H

OUSTON—Howie Kendrick sure has a knack for the dramatic.

At 36—eight years removed from his only All-Star appearance— his go-ahead, two-run homer off Will Harris in the seventh inning lifted the Washington Nationals over the Houston Astros, 6-2, on Wednesday night in Game Seven for his team’s first World Series title.

Steady-handed and battle-tested, Kendrick came through at the biggest moments of the Nationals’ October run.

“He’s been one of the heart and souls of this team,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said.

Kendrick’s grand slam against Joe Kelly broke a 10th-inning tie in the decisive Game Five of the Division Series, giving the Nationals a 7-3 win—just the second extra-inning slam in postseason history.

“The grand slam is still the biggest moment because we wouldn’t be here without that,” Kendrick said as teammates sprayed beer and bubbly on him in the boisterous visitors’ clubhouse. “So for me, that’s still got to be the top moment in my career, but this is truly special.”

Kendrick hit .333 with four doubles and four RBIs in a League Championship Series sweep of St. Louis, earning MVP. He was five for 22 with one RBI in the World Series when he came to the plate in the seventh inning of Game Seven. Anthony Rendon had just homered off Zack Greinke, cutting the Nationals’ deficit to 2-1.

Juan Soto walked on five pitches and Harris relieved. Kendrick swung over a curveball at the knees and drove a cutter on the low, outside corner down the right field line. George Springer sprinted toward the corner. Harris watched. The crowd was silenced, hoping the ball would be caught or curve foul.

Instead, it bounced off the foul pole screen.

Kendrick shouted his way around the bases and danced in the dugout with his younger teammates. For one last time this season, Kendrick and Adam Eaton celebrated by shifting gears and slamming the gas pedal in their imaginary car. Forget about over the hill—Kendrick showed he still had plenty in the tank.

He became the second player to hit a home run in a winner-take-all Series game

from the seventh inning on that took his team from a deficit into the lead, following an eighth-inning drive by Pittsburgh’s Hal Smith in Game Seven of the 1960 Series against the New York Yankees.

He’s also the only player 36 or older to hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game. Of course, he’s done it twice, both this year.

Kendrick singled in the eighth, reaching for the third time.

“There’s guys in a big moment you want up there,” Martinez said.

Kendrick immediately donated the ball, with a yellow streak of paint from hitting the screen, to the Hall of Fame, a part of his career to be celebrated at Cooperstown.

He first came up to the major leagues with the Angels in 2006. He thought back to a three-week demotion to the minors in 2009, when he was hitting just .231.

“Probably the lowest I was at in my career,” Kendrick said. “And Torii Hunter told me, he goes, man, when you come back you’re going to be a completely different guy. And it feels like ever since that time I’ve been a better player, a more confident player and just more of a teammate, more of a veteran guy.”

Kendrick signed with the Dodgers after the 2015 season, then got dealt to Philadelphia in November 2016.

“I was kind of thinking about retirement,” he said.

He kept on playing and was traded to Washington in July 2017 and re-signed with the Nationals during the off-season.

His first full season with Washington ended early in 2018, when he tore his right Achilles tendon while retreating to catch a fly ball to left field against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 19. Even then, he didn’t get too down.

“There’s no point in being mopey about it,” he said. “It won’t heal as fast. So the happier I am, the faster I’ll heal.”

Kendrick caught Martinez’s attention during training camp.

“When he showed up at spring training we thought he wasn’t going to be able to do much,” the manager recalled. “I had to kind of ease his way, to say, ‘Hey, look, one, you’re not a spring chicken anymore.’”

Kendrick wound up hitting .344 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs in 121 games, missing time in August with a strained left hamstring.

Little did he know his signature moments were ahead. Two of them.

“It makes it all the work worth it,” he said.

Tokyo governor calls for Olympic races to remain in capital, blasts IOC decision

Santa Anita eyes possible return to synthetic track RCADIA, California—Santa Anita is looking into the possibility of removing its dirt surface, where the majority of the track’s 36 horse deaths since December have occurred, and going back to a synthetic surface.

That’s according to Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group, which owns the track.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” she said Wednesday.

The drastic measure is being explored as a way to curtail the spate of deaths at the track, which is hosting the Breeders’ Cup world championships this weekend for a record 10th time.

In 2007, Santa Anita installed a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber with a wax coating after the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) mandated the change for all of the state’s thoroughbred racetracks.

The surface experienced drainage problems the following year that cost the track 11 racing days and it was eventually replaced by another brand of synthetic that failed to perform adequately under the extreme temperatures in Arcadia.

Statistics showed synthetics reduced the

By Ronald Blum

Surfaces Testing Laboratory at the University of Kentucky.

Among the lessons learned from California’s initial attempt was that synthetic tracks could be inconsistent and challenging to maintain from morning training hours to afternoon racing. Heavy usage wore down the materials quickly, and more watering was often needed to obtain the correct consistency.

Track surface is just one factor that contributes to horse safety.

The Stronach Group ushered in changes in medication rules, new requirements for morning training, and added additional veterinary staff to increase examinations of horses before they race among other measures to improve horse safety after strong public outcry and criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The track will be under heavy scrutiny during 14 Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and Saturday in front of a national television audience. AP

T

OKYO Gov. Yuriko Koike reiterated her desire to keep Olympic marathon and race walk events in the Japanese capital during a lengthy rebuke of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for their decision to move the competitions to Sapporo.

Koike warned the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) considered the action as “an unprecedented turn of events for the IOC to take such a proposal with no consultation or discussion with the host city beforehand.”

The IOC announced the races to Sapporo, 800 kilometers north of the capital, earlier this month with the decision claimed to be with the “health and welfare” of the athletes in mind.

This followed concerning scenes during the marathons at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Doha last month, where a total of 28 athletes withdrew from the women’s marathon due to extreme heat, while others were given medical treatment.

Koike has opposed the move, before stressing that progress had been made since Tokyo were awarded the Olympic

and Paralympic Games due to teamwork, referencing venue construction, cost reductions, heat countermeasures and calls for volunteers.

The governor, who addressed the issue in English and Japanese, also recalled IOC President Thomas Bach’s claim he had never seen a more prepared city for the Olympic Games earlier this month.

“Those words were very reassuring for me,” Koike said. “Two weeks later, the IOC has made an announcement about changing the venue.

This was a major shock to us to the TMG and our citizens.”

“This proposal was made with no explanation at all to the TMG until the last moment. We are receiving angry opinions about what being a host city really implies,” she added. “We have less than nine months to go and are entering final preparations.”

Koike added that the marathon and race walk courses had received the approval of the IAAF, while adding that the IOC had spoken highly of Tokyo’s heat countermeasures.

Measures included solar heat blocking pavements, securing shade and studying the hours the events must be held.

Koike highlighted the costs associated with the preparations and claimed the views of athletes should also be acknowledged.

“Much time and money went into these preparations,” Koike said. “The athlete first approach is extremely important.”

Insidethegames Koike

BusinessMirror

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

Saturday, November 2, 2019 A9

China accuses US of ‘economic bullying’ over equipment ban BEIJING—China on Tuesday accused the United States of “economic bullying” behavior after US regulators cited security threats in proposing to cut off funding for Chinese equipment in US telecommunications networks.

China would “resolutely oppose the US abusing state power to suppress specific Chinese enterprises with unwarranted charges in the absence of any evidence,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a daily briefing.

“The economic bullying behavior of the US is

a denial of the market economy principle that the US has always advertised,” Geng said, adding the US actions would “undermine the interests” of US businesses and consumers, especially in rural areas.

“We would like to urge the US once again to stop abusing the concept of national security,” Geng said.

The Federal Communications Commission votes next month on whether to bar telecom companies from using government subsidies to pay for networking equipment from Huawei and ZTE. The move mostly affects small, rural companies,

since larger US wireless companies do not use equipment from the two Chinese firms.

The agency is also exploring the impact of requiring companies to rip out their current Huawei and ZTE equipment, a demand a trade group for small rural wireless carriers has said would cost up to $1 billion.

The government is seeking comments on how it can help companies financially if they’re required to do that. Bills in Congress have proposed setting $700 million to $1 billion aside for telecom companies to

replace their networks.

The US government says Huawei, the world’s biggest supplier of telecom gear and No. 2 smartphone manufacturer, poses an espionage threat. It has presented no evidence of its equipment being used for spying by the Chinese government, and both Huawei and ZTE have denied their equipment is used for such purposes.

The US government also has been pressuring allies to ban Huawei from their networks and has restricted exports of US technology to Huawei. AP

ASG named Leader in 2019 Magic Quadrant for Metadata Management Solutions SINGAPORE—ASG Technologies (www.asg. com), the only provider of integrated and flexible end-to-end solutions for the informationpowered enterprise, announced recently that it is positioned by Gartner Inc. as a Leader in the October 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Metadata Management Solutions.

The report provides a detailed overview of the enterprise metadata management market and evaluates 17 vendors based on completeness of vision and ability to execute. This year, ASG moved up and toward the right in the Leaders quadrant.

ASG’s release cadence continuously delivers new capabilities that help organizations successfully fulfill defensive and offensive data strategies that empower stakeholders to find, understand, share and analyze trusted data.

“We believe Gartner’s placement of ASG in the Leaders quadrant demonstrates the market position of ASG’s automated data lineage, change management and impact analysis. ASG Data Intelligence provides a foundation for important business use cases, including regulatory compliance, data analytics and data governance through the entire information supply chain. The product’s automation increases reliability and productivity by allowing business users to focus on discovering insights, trends and intrinsic value in data,” the company said in a statement.

According to Gartner, “Effectively governed metadata and content provide a glimpse into the workflow of data, the ability to perform an impact analysis, and a common data model. Solutions supporting this use case also provide a business glossary, including accountability for its terms and definitions, and an audit trail for compliance.

Governance use cases must support situational application of policies and rules.”

“For organizations to leverage data as their most strategic asset, they must have the tools in place to both gain insight and maintain compliance,” said Swamy Viswanathan, EVP and chief product officer at ASG Technologies.

“ASG’s Data Intelligence 9.8 empowers users to find, understand and make use of valuable data assets within the ever-expanding volume of data today’s organizations must manage. We believe the continued recognition from Gartner is strong evidence of our leadership in metadata management.”

IN this February 14, 2018, file photo, the logo for Alphabet appears on a screen at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York. The Google parent company reported mixed third-quarter results on Monday that beat analyst expectations for revenue, but fell short on profits. AP

Google falls short on third-quarter profit

BY RACHEL LERMAN | The Associated Press

S

AN FRANCISCO—Google parent company Alphabet reported mixed third-quarter results Monday, beating analyst expectations for revenue but falling short on profits. The stock fell more than 2 percent in after-hours trading.

Still, the company met growth expectations for its key moneymaking businesses—notably its advertising business, which reported revenues that increased 17 percent to $33.9 billion during the quarter. But Alphabet’s capital expenditures grew at the same time, rising to $6.7 billion in the period as Google continued to expand its headquarters and build data centers for its cloud computing business.

Alphabet makes the majority of its money from selling targeted advertising across the Web, apps and Google products including its search engine and video streaming site, YouTube. Investors are now also closely watching the growth of Google’s cloud business. “I am extremely pleased with the progress we made across the board in the third quarter, from our recent advancements in search and quantum computing to our strong revenue growth driven by

mobile search, YouTube and Cloud,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement.

Google does not break out its quarterly cloudcomputing revenues, but lumps them into an “other revenues” category with products, such as hardware and Google app store purchases. Revenues for that category grew to $6.4 billion from $4.6 billion last year. Google unveiled a new version of its Pixel phone and a laundry list of other products at a hardware event earlier this month, emphasizing the Google services on the devices. These help Google learn more information about customers, eventually feeding its advertising business. Sales from the hardware products have not taken off as a big cash cow for the company.

Ruth Porat, the company’s chief financial officer, noted that the quarter was “unusually” active for hiring as Google brought on nearly 6,500 employees during the period. While that number covers company-wide hires, Google has made it clear that hiring engineers and especially sales workers for its cloud business is a priority.

The company’s cloud business is undeniably growing, although it still trails well behind

competitors Amazon and Microsoft.

Overall, Alphabet reported a profit of $7.1 billion, or $10.12 per share—significantly below the $8.7 billion expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Quarterly revenue rose 20 percent to $40.5 billion—slightly above the $40.3 billion expected by Wall Street. Total expenses grew faster, though, rising almost 25 percent to $31.3 billion.

Alphabet’s Other Bets division, which includes long-term aspirational projects, such as self-driving car company Waymo and drone delivery company Wing, reported increased revenue of $155 million but a growing loss of $941 million.

Analysts were expecting the company to report profit of $8.7 billion on revenue of $40.3 billion.

Google, along with other major tech companies, is the subject of multiple antitrust investigations in the United States. The probes don’t seem to have affected its stock price, which is up more than 23 percent this year.

CEO Sundar Pichai addressed regulatory concerns on a conference call with investors Monday, repeating Google’s defense that its products and services are beneficial and low-cost for consumers. ■

for us,” said Agaoua.

Viber’s marketing strategies in the Philippines include partnerships with celebrities like comedian and TV personality Vice Ganda for content like stickers. While there might be other options that Viber could explore to increase its profitability, they would rather not right now.

“Some features we are scared about because it will change our DNA. We’re OK with stickers, GIFs but we really can’t invest heavily into things like e-commerce because it will alter our DNA,” added Agaoua.

Viber could also improve its performance in the Philippines by riding on the communication needs of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East and their families back home. Unfortunately, restrictions in countries like the Saudi Arabia are making it challenging right now.

Agaoua said Viber will be profitable by the last quarter of the year.

“We are a business that wants to be profitable and sustainable while staying true our DNA.”

VIBER CEO Djamel Agaoua speaks about how the platform values users’ data privacy.

Viber stays true to its DNA: conclusion PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

DURING the recent Rakuten Viber Asia Summit at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa in Singapore, Viber CEO Djamel Agaoua reiterated the messaging app’s commitment to protecting its users from data privacy breaches.

Viber’s features include one-on-one chats, video calls, group messaging and, updates and discussions with brands and celebrities.

All one-on-one and regular group chats on Viber

are secured by end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption means that data (all types of messages, photos, videos, voice and video calls) is encrypted the moment it is sent from one device until it reaches the intended recipient. This data can’t be picked up in the middle by anyone else, not even Viber.

Viber does not store any chat information on its servers once it has been delivered to the recipient.

If there is a problem delivering the message, it will remain encrypted until the receiver gets it, and disappear from the server once it has been delivered.

Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Inc., a world leader in e-commerce and financial services. It is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors.

In the Philippines, the challenge for Viber is to increase its current base of 35 million users.

“Our big challenge in the Philippines is to be better in other cities. The Philippines is an important market

BusinessMirror

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Freebies are the key hook in new ‘streaming wars’

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PETER STERN, Apple Vice President of Services, speaks at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new products in Cupertino, California.

Apple TV Plus launches on Friday for $5 a month with just eight shows and a few more coming soon. Apple will bundle it with sales of new gadgets like the iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. That suggests a market of 40 million customers, said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. AP

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BY MAE ANDERSON The Associated Press

F you make it free, will they come?

Apple, Disney and AT&T’s WarnerMedia want to jump-start their challenges to Netflix by offering freebies and deep discounts on emerging streaming plans.

That includes a free year of Apple TV Plus for customers of new Apple devices and a free year of Disney Plus to higher-tier Verizon customers. Some existing HBO subscribers will also get the supercharged version, HBO Max, at no additional cost.

Experts say these services can worry later about holding onto customers—perhaps by offering must-

see shows they can’t get anywhere else or tying discounts to other services that are difficult to drop.

“Next year is a race to aggregate consumers,” said Kevin Westcott, who heads Deloitte’s US telecommunication, media and entertainment consulting business. “The first war is getting them to sign up for a service. The second war is retaining them.” The new services have to attract users with marketing blitzes and the promise of original shows and movies, then build a big enough library of old favorites to help keep them. Already, HBO Max will have Friends exclusively, and Disney is taking back its older movies from Netflix.

A lot of shows and movies won’t be available at launch, but will be added over time. Free helps in the meantime.

Netflix has spent years building up its 158 million subscribers worldwide. Hulu has 28 million. The new players want to ramp up subscribers quickly to show they can compete.

So the services have launched the digital equivalent of the old cable promos: lure you in with discounted rates, then jack up the price after a year or two. But digital customers have more choices than cable customers of yore so a big question is whether they’ll stick around.

Apple TV Plus debuts on Friday for $5 a month with just nine shows and a few more coming soon. It’s already cheaper than the $13 a month Netflix charges for its most popular plan. Buyers of any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod Touch get a year for free.

That suggests a market of 40 million customers, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said.

Disney Plus, which arrives on Novembver 12, is also cheaper than Netflix at $7 a month. Disney struck a deal with Verizon to give customers of all unlimited wireless plans and some home-internet customers a free year. Members of Disney’s free D23 fan club were also eligible to buy three years of Disney Plus service up front for the price of two years. Disney is targeting 60 million to 90 million worldwide by 2024.

AT&T’s HBO Max, which launches in May for $15 a month, is the most expensive of the new services.

That could make it tough for AT&T to reach its goal of 50 million US customers and 75 million to 90 million worldwide by 2025. But AT&T will make the service free for about 10 million existing HBO subscribers, or about a third of its US subscribers. HBO Max will also be included with AT&T’s higher-tier wireless and broadband offerings.

Comcast’s Peacock service will be free for many of its own cable and internet customers. The regular price hasn’t been announced yet. The service launches next spring.

“I don’t think customers are going to have to make difficult choices about cutting one in order to add another for the first few years,” said Moffett

Nathanson Research’s Craig Moffett. But companies can’t run the services at a loss forever, and when discounts end and prices rise, customers may flee.

After all, the services add up fast, and signing up to multiple ones could end up costing as much as the cable packages people are ditching for streaming.

There’s a lesson to be drawn from the latest TVindustry attempt to counter cord-cutting. Cable-like online packages, like Sling TV and YouTube TV have ended discounts or raised prices, causing customers to flee and new sign-ups to slow down. Sony announced Tuesday that it will quit offering PlayStation Vue, one of the first to challenge traditional TV packages.

Even the dominant player isn’t immune. Netflix has raised prices slowly, which helped shield it from price shock, but its latest small increase has hurt customer growth.

Westcott, the Deloitte consultant, compared the streaming promotions to efforts to lure wireless customers from competing companies.

T-Mobile has long offered Netflix free to many customers. Verizon includes six free months of Apple Music with some of its unlimited plans. Many offer other deals like paying off your phone early or getting a phone for free if you switch.

“They were constantly looking for ways to steal you off other players,” he said.

How will these services keep users once they’ve reeled them in?

The companies can constantly refresh their services with new shows and movies, Diffusion Group President Michael Greeson said.

Cathy Yao, an analyst at Diamond Hill Capital Management, also said companies can try to create “stickiness” by bundling the services with other products and services so a customer is less inclined to unsubscribe.

For example, including HBO Max with wireless and broadband services will make consumers more likely to stick around for all three, Yao said. It’s similar to how Amazon packages its streaming service with its $119-a-year Prime loyalty program.

Ultimately, content will be king, experts say. The services are investing billions into creating new shows and building up their libraries to find or create the next Stranger Things.

Apple TV Plus inked high-profile deals with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.

Comcast’s NBCUniversal reportedly paid $500 million to take back The O��ice, and Netflix reportedly paid even more to claim global rights to Seinfeld.

“The weapon of choice for retention is exclusive programming,” said Peter Csathy, founder of Creatv and an industry consultant. “All of these behemoths are investing billions of dollars in originals with the hope of finding the next Game of Thrones that becomes ‘Must See TV.’” ■

51TALK, TEACH INTERNATIONAL RENEW THEIR PARTNERSHIP

LEADING online English education platform 51Talk (www.51Talk.ph) and Australian training company Teach International renewed their partnership to provide free TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training and certification to all its home-based, online English teachers.

“We want to further empower our English teachers in 51Talk, so we equip them with the right training, right tools, and right technology. TESOL is one of the many trainings and learning opportunities we provide for free because we are invested with the professional development of our teachers,” said Jack Huang, 51Talk founder and CEO. Joining him is 51Talk Country Head Jennifer Que (left) and Teach International Director Ashley Pothecary (right). 51Talk’s main market are young English learners based in China where the demand continues to grow.

Apple debuts AirPods Pro with noise canceling, higher price ATLANTA—Apple is offering a $250 version of its wireless AirPods Pro earbuds with a new design and noise cancellation feature.

AirPods have become one of Apple’s most popular products since it was introduced three years ago.

The new design features three sizes of flexible ear tips rather than the hard plastic of the original AirPods. In addition to noise canceling, there’s a transparency mode that lets users listen to noise around them plus music.

Regular AirPods sold separately from iPhones cost $160 or $200 with a wireless charging case. Apple first introduced the wireless AirPods in 2016. Since then Google, Microsoft and many others have followed suit. AirPod Pro goes on sale on Wednesday. AP

PLDT app ties up with Hoppler

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor OWNING a home they can call their own is among the top reasons more and more Filipinos go abroad to work for their families.

With the continuing advances in technology, particularly in the field of information and communication, they are now empowered to get in touch with their loved ones anytime, anywhere and at fraction or no cost at all.

To provide overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with more access to digital services, PLDT Global, through its award-winning app Free Bee, has partnered with online real-estate brokerage platform Hoppler.

With this collaboration, they can now select from a wide array of homes or properties for rent or sale in Metro Manila from Hoppler on the “What’s the Buzz?” section of the Free Bee app.

“Our kababayans abroad aspire to provide the best life for their families back in the Philippines, particularly those who are looking to buy properties either for their own use, or for investment,” said Albert Villa-Real, chief commercial officer at PLDT Global.

“Through this partnership, we can provide them with more digital services to help make their lives a little bit better,” he added.

The Web-based property brokerage provider,

AXA PHILIPPINES UNDERWRITES GCASH INSURE

according to Hoppler Chief Executive Officer Ramon Ballesca Jr., is excited to work with PLDT Global and tap its vast network to reach out to more OFWs and assist them with their property search for their families back home.

“I also believe that associating ourselves with this brand will speak volumes in terms of our credibility as an online platform for real estate,” he said.

Established in 2014, Hoppler simplifies the process of purchasing or leasing a house with their trusted brokers and top agents in the metropolis that are devoted to leading property buyers to the home of

their dreams. Its web site (www.hoppler.com.ph) and mobile app feature thousands of unique properties that come from this set of partner brokers, as well as direct owners, within its network.

A Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, solution available in more than 180 countries, Free Bee is an advertising-based voice service that delivers highquality IDD calls to the Philippines for free.

For longer calls and ad-free experience, users may opt to buy Premium Free Bee Voice buckets at affordable rates from global retailers or via in-app and online purchases.

ONE of the country’s leading insurance providers, AXA Philippines is the underwriter of GCash Insure, the new comprehensive yet affordable insurance product with life and personal accident insurance coverage of up to P200,000 and daily hospital income insurance up to P10,000. Available to GCash users, this new insurance product is powered by technology from MicroEnsure.

Photo shows (from left) AXA Philippines President and CEO Rahul Hora, GCash Chief Data Officer JeanFrancois Darre, and MicroEnsure Country Manager Roger de Pedro.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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POWER Mac Center brand ambassadors Iya Villania (from left), Bea Alonzo and Enchong Dee

Latest Apple goodies now at Power Mac Center CYBER-SECURITY researchers say a coordinated cyberespionage campaign has targeted UN relief agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other nongovernment organizations groups for the past 10 months. The California cyber-security outfit Lookout says the campaign, which uses phishing to harvest passwords from mobile phones and computers, is still active. AP

Cyberespionage campaign targets UN agencies

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BY FRANK BAJAK The Associated Press

COORDINATED cyberespionage campaign using phishing to harvest passwords from mobile phones and computers has targeted United Nations relief agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other nongovernment organizations groups for the past 10 months, a cyber-security firm reported.

The San Francisco-based security company Lookout said it doesn’t know who is behind the campaign, which was still active on Thursday. It added that there are indications some of its targets may have been members of the international community in North Korea.

Among the targets were Unicef, the UN World Food Programme, the UN Development Programme, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Lookout said.

Also targeted were think tanks and research organizations, including The United States Institute of Peace, the Heritage Foundation, the Social Science

Research Council, the East-West Center and the University of San Diego.

The cyberespionage campaign’s internet infrastructure has been hosted by a company called Shinjiru, which protects client identities and lets customers pay in anonymity-shielding cryptocurrency, said Jeremy Richards, a Lookout researcher.

Lookout discovered Internet sites designed to mimic actual UN Web pages in hopes of tricking users into entering their login credentials, Richards said.

All were physically hosted in Malaysia. The company has notified the targeted organizations it identified.

After obtaining the credentials of an employee already compromised by the attacks, the perpetrators would typically mine that person’s e-mail to identify their colleagues and try to infect them.

“We know that the typical attack path here is to get credentials from one individual in the organization and use that as a point of leverage to compromise laterally,” Richards said.

He added researchers had not been able to obtain copies of phishing e-mails or text messages used in the campaign.

Two documents found by Lookout researchers may offer clues to those behind the campaign. Both documents were designed to be automatically sent to people fooled by the phishing sites and were tailored for members of the international community in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Richards said.

Lookout provided The Associated Press with copies.

One purports to come from the Romanian Embassy and contained an invitation to a May 9 reception to mark “Europe Day.” The other included a “North Korea Watchers-Introductory Survey,” which purported to come from an academic at Yonsei University in South Korea.

The North Korea survey was conducted last year and widely promoted on social media, said Jeffrey Robertson, the political science professor who conducted it.

“I assume this is why the ‘coordinated campaign’ has used it as a front to serve their objectives,” he told the AP in an e-mail exchange.

Lookout discovered the phishing infrastructure through routine scans it does daily of the internet seeking anomalies that could be engaged in malicious activity, Richards said. ■

THE most-awaited tech release of the year finally arrived in the Philippines. Brought in by premier Apple partner Power Mac Center, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, together with the Apple Watch Series 5, were officially released in a midnight launch party at the PMC flagship store in Greenbelt 3.

To keep the spirits and excitement high as loyal Apple customers patiently waited for midnight, the boys of Perea Street served as game masters of interactive activities where participants got the chance to win Powerbeats Pro, AirPods, BeatsX and P5,000 worth of PMC gift checks. When doors opened, PMC ambassadors Bea Alonzo, Enchong Dee, Iya Villania, Bianca King, Marc Nelson, Kobe Paras, Wil Dasovich, Jeron Teng and Jeric Teng welcomed the excited customers.

“We are grateful to our patrons who have spent several hours in queue to be among the first owners of iPhone 11 in the country. Every year, Power Mac Center launches new iPhone and Apple Watch models, and we are always met with loyal customers, so we strive to reward them with only the best deals and service every time, in return for their unwavering support,” said Power Mac Center Product Management, Marketing, and Space Planning Director Joey Alvarez.

Up to P25,000 worth of premium accessory bundles awaited each of the first 200 customers in line. The bundles include freebies from partner brands like Adam Elements, Aukey, Belkin, Bose, Cygnett, Defunc, Just Mobile, Life Proof, Moshi, Otter, PanzerGlass, Philips, PopSockets, SanDisk, Speck, Sudio and UAG. “I’m excited to see the specs and the wide lens to see what it can do to enhance my vlogging power,” said PMC brand ambassador Dasovich, who started his career in vlogging by shooting videos using an iPhone 4. He further stated that its wide lens is what he is most looking forward to.

The latest iPhone models feature a triple-camera system with wide and ultra-wide lenses, all-day battery life, tough glass screen, and water resistance of up to 4 meters submersion for 30 minutes. All three debut the A13 Bionic chip, an Apple-designed 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip that delivers faster performance and reduced power consumption. When purchased, the iPhone comes with EarPods with Lightning Connector, Lightning Cable or a USBC-to-Lightning Cable, and a power adaptor.

Acer, Microsoft introduce new member benefit to training program

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES ACER Philippines and Microsoft Philippines, recently launched a new member benefit to its Acer Academy program using the latest Microsoft Office Specialist Training Package.

Sue Ong-Lim, sales and marketing director of Acer Philippines, said the new training package now includes training for Word 2019, Excel 2019 or PowerPoint 2019.

Moreover, she said the initiative aims to establish the activation of Testing Centers for partner schools, and deploy a master trainer and one associate trainer who shall cover the whole training flow.

“The past decade has experienced the fastest adoption of digital transformation in education. More than ever, there is a need to harness skills beyond theoretical-skills such as critical thinking, creativity and collaboration within the classroom, which determine today’s real-world success,” Ong-Lim said in her remarks during the launch held recently in Makati City.

Eileen Ong, one commercial partner-small, medium, corporate director for Microsoft Philippines, said the company is excited for the inclusion of Microsoft Certifications as one of the additional member benefits of the program. “Microsoft skills are still considered to be one of the top skills being sought out by employers. This initiative would help enable schools in becoming accredited testing centers and allow them to facilitate their own exams that would lead to Microsoft Certifications,” Ong said.

Being recognized around the globe, Ong said Microsoft Certifications will enhance students’ credentials and boost

their employability.

Launched in 2013, Ong-Lim said the Acer Academy program aims to help Filipino schools by providing the right tools to digital transformation by promoting a digital classroom framework that utilizes Acer’s suite of products and services. It is open to all Philippine private and public schools, colleges and universities. At present, the Acer Academy has over 188 partners in the Philippines.

“This is a three-pronged solution for our partner schools and their students. First, it aims to create an in-depth Microsoft learning space for school; second, to increase their graduates’ employability; and last, for the team to generate additional revenue through certification fees,” Carren Garcia, senior sales manager, Commercial of Acer Philippines, said in a news statement.

For the Acer Academy program, Ong-Lim said the company has a dedicated Education Team that works closely with schools and academic units to develop real and innovative IT solutions that will hasten the learning process and set new benchmarks in educational standards.

Before the establishment of the Acer Academy, Ong-Lim said PCs in schools were widely used to teach computer literacy. Computers were contained inside a “Computer Lab.” When they started, the Acer Academy aligned its initiatives on the Philippine school’s adoption of one-toone student-to-device ratio, transitioning to e-books and learning management systems with the use of Acer tablets and laptops. Blackboards were also replaced with interactive projectors, while classrooms were transformed promoting efficiency and collaboration with the use of Acer Classroom

Management Software.

Ong-Lim said the program introduced new technologies as they emerged. In 2017, Acer discussed coding and robotics as part of project-based learning in schools. She added the Acer CloudProfessor enabled some of its school members to level up from traditional robotics. With their newly acquired skills, Ong-Lim said students can now apply critical thinking skills by developing artificial-intelligence solutions to today’s socioeconomic and environmental challenges.

Last year, Acer Academy promoted virtual reality in

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education in their program. Ong-Lim said the response was overwhelming as schools warmly received VR technology.

Right now, she said several schools are using the Acer Mixed Reality headset to apply VR to reality.

“We continue to innovate this program by adding more benefits to our partners as we remain committed to equip educational institutions with the knowledge and tools for them to adapt to the demands of digital learning space. This is for the benefit of their students and generations to come,” Ong-Lim explained.

ACER Philippines and Microsoft officials pose for posterity after the introduction of a new benefit in the Acer Academy Program. Francis Audentes (from left), training provider of Microsoft; Paolo Balinos, education channel manager, Microsoft; Eileen Ong, one commercial partner-small, medium, corporate director, Microsoft; Sue Ong-Lim, sales and marketing director, Acer Philippines; and Clare Acuesta, business partner lead, Acer Philippines

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

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HUAWEI Philippines Country Head George Li (left) and Huawei Senior Global Product Manager Peter Gauden

Best partner for your home Internet connection THE home Internet service that lets you discover and do more, Globe At Home has taken customer service to a whole new level of convenience with its new app.

The Globe At Home app is a mobile customer service application that delivers the easiest digital experience for postpaid and prepaid Globe At Home customers. It offers convenience in managing one’s account with its features that make monitoring and using any Globe At Home plan hassle-free.

“The Globe at Home app is another step for us in elevating our customer service for home Internet.

Staying true to our position as a leader of the Filipino digital lifestyle, this helps us push our goal further of providing quality connections and Internet services to more homes,” says Martha Sazon, SVP and head of broadband business at Globe.

Now everything in your home Internet service can be accessed using one convenient app—whether it’s tracking your usage, purchasing promos and add-ons, doing payments, viewing your bill, getting freebies and self-troubleshooting.

With the app’s Help and Support feature, everything you need to know about your Globe At Home service—from information about the latest promos and Home Plans to troubleshooting tips—is available with just one click. You can also activate and cancel content services connected to your Globe At Home postpaid subscription on your app’s dashboard.

For Prepaid customers, the Globe At Home app allows you to activate your home Internet service in three easy steps and load promos in seconds.

Aside from the app, Globe At Home also offers fast and easy application via Facebook Messenger. It’s definitely a more convenient way to get connected without having to leave the comfort of your home.

The Globe At Home app is free for download on Google Playstore and the App Store. For more updates, follow the official Globe At Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/globeathome.

Rethinking the possibilities TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

T

HE Huawei Mate 30 series, the latest flagship smartphone series from the global tech giant, is now officially available in the Philippines.

However, without Google Services installed, ironically its tagline also begs the question: Should you rethink about the possibility of getting one?

Twenty-eighteen was a banner year for Huawei.

It had reinforced its position as a premium global brand with a 45.1-percent year-on-year increase in revenue, achieved several breakthroughs in device performance, photography, artificial intelligence, communications capabilities and design with the Kirin 980, GPU Turbo, the Leica Triple Camera, supercool system, super fast charging and the gradient color finishes. The P20 and Mate 20 series also won a total of 39 prestigious annual awards from top international tech media and authoritative industry organizations.

The start of 2019 was no different, and Huawei looked to further its dominance in the smartphone market with the release of the Huawei P30 series.

And then “The Donald” happened, a.k.a. the US Trade Ban. Suddenly, Huawei couldn’t use Google and Android on its future smartphones. Having already been released, the P30 series was safe. Unfortunately, despite the extensions in the implementation of the trade ban, the Mate 30 series wasn’t as lucky.

That’s why we find ourselves in a dilemma.

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is easily one of the best smartphones—but there’s one big thing holding it back: It doesn’t come with Google Apps and Services installed.

That means no Google Chrome browser, no Google Maps, no Gmail, no YouTube and, most of all, no Google Play Store from which to download all those other apps but we’ll talk about that a bit later.

RETHINKING THE SMARTPHONE AT the official Philippine launch of the Huawei Mate 30 series held in The Fifth at Rockwell early this week, the pervading theme was “Rethink Possibilities”. The brand probed into the new technologies and features that set it apart from the competition and how its ambassadors Jericho Rosales, GP Reyes and director Sid Maderazo have been using their Mate 30 phones.

Peter Gauden, Huawei senior global product manager, gave a detailed overview of the Mate 30 series’ hardware highlights, including its new cameras, chipset and halo fashion design among others.

The Mate 30 series is inspired by the design principle of minimalism, of how aesthetic design fuses with technology. Its has a unique, iconic OLED Huawei Horizon Display which curves at an angle of 88 degrees to maximize the display area and provide an unparalleled, edge-to-edge immersive viewing experience.

Since the screen bleeds into the sides now, the Mate 30 Pro introduces an Intuitive Side-touch Interaction, replacing the side volume buttons with invisible virtual keys.

Huawei has been the king of smartphone photography for quite a while now, and the Mate 30 guarantees its reign will continue with a revolutionary camera setup. The Mate 30 is equipped with a SuperSensing Triple Camera, comprised of a 40MP SuperSensing Camera, 16MP Ultra Wide-Angle Camera and an 8MP Telephoto Camera. Even better, the Pro version has a quad camera system with the 40MP Cine Camera, 40MP SuperSensing Camera, an 8MP Telephoto Camera and a 3D Depth Sensing Camera.

The SuperSensing Cine Camera system is capable of taking stunning photos that rival high-end professional cameras as confirmed by Maderazo, who even created a short clip of his wife and daughter using his Mate 30 Pro. The Cine Camera features a large 1/1.54-inch sensor size with a high maximum Video ISO of 51200 to capture videos with an extended dynamic range at 4K/60fps, as well as ultra slowmotion at the highest 7680 fps. It also supports 4K Low-Light Ultra-Wide time-lapse video. Additionally, the second of the dual-camera system is a 1/1.7-inch Huawei SuperSensing Camera which attracts 40 percent more light to deliver stunning results in low light conditions with an impressive light sensitivity of ISO409600, making it the best low-light, one-shot device ever even for ultra-wide shots.

Powering the Mate 30 series is the fastest Huawei Kirin 990 5G. It challenges the limits of siliconbased physics by incorporating a three-level power efficiency architecture for the CPU, Huawei’s selfdeveloped Da Vinci NPU architecture (large dual-NPU + tiny NPU cores), as well as a supersized 16-core GPU to deliver super-fast performance and high-power efficiency.

The Mate 30 has a 4200mAh battery, while the Mate 30 Pro has an even bigger 4500mAh. Both have TÜV Rheinland-certified wired and wireless Huawei SuperCharge Technology, the 27W Wireless Huawei SuperCharge, and the 40W Huawei SuperCharge, provide users safe and fast charging, while wired and wireless in-car charging and a wired powerbank ensure a seamless experience across all scenarios.

Again, you get all those amazing features and a lot more—except without the Google Services.

So will buying the Mate 30 phone be the equivalent of getting a kick to the balls (or taking a punch to the face) and paying premium for it?

THINK AGAIN WHEN Huawei announced the Harmony OS a few months back, many thought the Mate 30 would be the first Huawei phone to use it. It doesn’t.

But all is not lost, as Huawei already has an app distribution ecosystem in place. As you know, Google’s operations in China have been limited even before the ban, so Huawei has long been forced to maintain its own app store, called Huawei AppGallery.

It has around 45,000 apps available, which is still relatively small considering that there’s an estimated 2.7 million apps on the Google Play Store. But when I was in China and couldn’t access Google, I had to rely on the App Gallery to download a few apps I needed, and I had to use the Huawei browser and didn’t have any problems, so there’s actually hope.

At the launch, George Li, country head of the

Huawei Consumer Business Group, led a discussion on how the Mate 30 series’ release will pave a new path for all Huawei products in the future, creating an innovative product ecosystem with Huawei Mobile Services at its core. Currently, HMS’ suite of apps and services has an estimated 570 million monthly active users in 170 countries, and continues to expand from there.

Huawei had announced plans to spend $1 billion on developing and marketing its mobile application ecosystem to encourage smaller developers to port their apps to the AppGallery, and with Huawei’s tremendous share of the smartphone market, it might even entice the bigger devs, as well. But again that won’t happen overnight.

And then there’s the hush-hush way of sideloading your apps. It does require a bit more effort, but its not as difficult and complicated as you might think. But we will have to save that for another feature, when we get the chance to review the Mate 30.

The Mate 30 series was expected to mark another new era for Huawei. Instead, it looks to become a crucial turning point that will test the resiliency of the company as to how it will deal with the absence of Google, and if its users are willing to be patient and stand behind their favorite brand.

The Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are available for preorder until November 8, and will come with a free Huawei Wireless Charger and Huawei Wireless Car Charger.

Are you planning on getting a Mate 30/Mate 30 Pro? Why...or why not? Do share your thoughts and comments at whereiseduy@gmail.com. We would love to publish your answers. ■