BusinessMirror October 19, 2019

BusinessMirror ‘FOLLOW THE LAW!’ ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

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BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR (2017, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

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Saturday, October 19, 2019 Vol. 15 No. 9

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DOT urges Chinese online travel agent to keep its customers in line

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By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo Special to the BusinessMirror

LEASE follow the law.” That was the simple request of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat to Ctrip cofounder and executive chairman James Liang when the latter paid her a courtesy call recently at her office at the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Makati City.

Based in China, Ctrip is the largest online travel agency in Asia with a user base of 300 million.

Chinese tourists are the second largest inbound market for the Philippines, reaching 1.21 million in the eight months to August this year, up 39.16 percent from the same period in 2018. For August 2019 alone, arrivals from China jumped by an overwhelming 60 percent to 170,903, dwarfing its 11-percent growth in August 2018. (See, “8-mo foreign tourist arrivals up 14% to 5.5M,” in the BusinessMirror, October 14, 2019.)

A government source present in the meeting told the BusinessMirror, Romulo Puyat requested Ctrip “to educate our tourists, because in every country there are laws. Maybe you can help us disseminate these laws [to your clients].” The source added, the DOT would share with Ctrip information on the destinations to go, what traditions are interesting, as well as the “do’s and dont’s” in the country. “So from the start, before their clients even arrive in the country, they know already what they can and cannot do here,” the source added.

The same source added, “[the Ctrip representative] understood the Secretary had in mind the recent incident where a Chinese tourist buried her child’s soiled diaper in the sand of Boracay.” A video of the incident surfaced on social media around August 13, quickly going viral and incurring

the ire of many Filipinos, many of whom already harbor ill feelings against mainland Chinese tourists because of their perceived rude and careless behavior.

The apparent inability of President Duterte’s administration to work out an amicable code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea in which islands are being claimed both by the Philippines and China has also added to many Filipinos’ antagonism toward many Chinese visitors.

Romulo Puyat and Liang discussed areas for collaboration ranging from destination marketing to strategies for improving customer service and safety for travelers to the Philippines and the wider Southeast Asian region.

During the meeting, Liang outlined the country’s potential as a destination for tourists, as well as its significance as a base for the company’s customer service operations in the region. “The Philippines is a promising destination for both outbound Chinese tourists and for our customers globally,” said the Ctrip chair.

In a news statement, Ctrip said its partnership with the DOT promises to increase exposure for the Philippines as a holiday destination for outbound Chinese tourists. In addition to destination marketing, he emphasized the importance of helping the local market to cater better to the needs of tourists.

Continued on a2

TOURISM Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat meets with Ctrip cofounder and Executive Chairman James Liang in Manila. CTRIP

Human guinea pigs embark on world’s first 20-hour airline flight

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By Angus Whitley | Bloomberg

OR decades, travelers have stoically endured jet lag as an unavoidable menace on long journeys. Now, as airlines push for record-breaking nonstop flights halfway around the planet, efforts to counter the debilitating symptoms are turning into a billion-dollar industry.

Fresh insight into the physical and emotional toll of ultra-longhaul travel should emerge this weekend when Qantas Airways Ltd. flies direct from New York to Sydney. No airline has ever completed that route without stopping.

At nearly 20 hours, it’s set to be the world’s longest flight, leaving the

US on Friday and landing in Australia Sunday morning.

This will be more than an endurance exercise. Scientists and medical researchers in the cabin will turn Qantas’s brand-new Boeing Co. Dreamliner into a highaltitude laboratory. They’ll screen the brains of the pilots for alert-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.4860

A QANTAS Airways Ltd. airplane takes off from the domestic terminal of Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, on February 19, 2013. IAN WALDIE/BLOOMBERG

ness, while monitoring the food, sleep and activity of the few dozen passengers—including yours truly.

The aim is to see how humans hold up to the ordeal.

The proliferation of super-long flights—Singapore Airlines Ltd. Resumed nonstop services to New York last year—is partly driven by the development of lighter, more aerodynamic aircraft that can fly further.

The physical burden on customers is putting a renewed focus on jet lag, and creating a supermarket of products and home-made creations to ease the suffering. In that shopping basket: melatonin tablets, Pfizer Inc.’s anti-anxiety medication Xanax, and Propeaq light-emitting glasses that claim to get the body back on track. And yes, there’s an app for that and many other potential remedies.

The potential customer base is staggering. The International Air Transport Association expects Continued on a2

n JAPAN 0.4739 n UK 66.3758 n HK 6.5634 n CHINA 7.2749 n SINGAPORE 39.1976 n AUSTRALIA 37.7353 n EU 57.2833 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.7270

Source: BSP (October 18, 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, October 19, 2019

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Human guinea pigs embark on world’s first 20-hour airline flight Continued from a1

some 4.6 billion people to take a flight in 2019, a total that will jump to 8.2 billion in 2037.

No airline has ever completed this 20-hour route.

The Qantas flight will have scientists on board to test the effects on passengers and pilots.

Demand for jet-lag therapies is growing at about 6 percent each year and the industry will be worth $732 million in 2023, according to BIS Healthcare. The broader sleeping-disorder market—dominated by pills—is worth $1.5 billion and will swell to $1.7 billion by 2023, GlobalData says, adding that more than 80 drugs targeting disturbed sleep are in clinical development.

Jet lag typically strikes when a traveler crosses three time zones or more in quick order, leaving the body’s internal clock running to the timetable at home. The chief complaint after touching down is often overwhelming fatigue during the day or merciless insomnia at night. The fallout can be worse heading east, because traveling in that direction effectively reverses the normal day-and-night cycle.

Unsettling as they are, those ailments barely do jet lag justice.

Each of the billions of cells in the human body has its own clock, and vital processes including heart function, food absorption and metabolism are all disrupted when organs get out of step, said Carrie Partch, a biochemist and associate professor at the University of Cali-

fornia Santa Cruz who has studied the circadian rhythm for 20 years.

“Jet lag is more than just an inconvenience,” Partch said in an interview. “It’s pretty devastating physiologically. If you’re a constant traveler, you’ll probably put on more weight, you’ll probably have cardiovascular challenges and you may have some behavioral changes.”

While researchers in this field understand how light enters the brain and adjusts the master clock, they’re still learning more. As recently as 2017, scientists won a Noble prize for discovering molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. Even if the core proteins of a rodent can be manipulated in a laboratory to speed up internal clock adjustment, a fast-acting pill that can do the same for frequent flyers is a way off, Partch said.

Scientists have found exercise and the right food can help synchronize the body to a new time zone, though research has also repeatedly shown sunlight is the most powerful tool. A University of Boulder Colorado study in 2017 said body-clock adjustment can be rapidly achieved by exposure to natural light alone.

Friday’s flight from New York, and another from London later this year, are key tests for Qantas as it prepares to start direct commercial services from those cities to Sydney as soon as 2022. The airline calls it Project Sunrise. If successful, Qantas says other super-long, nonstop routes from Australia’s

J

et lag typically strikes when a traveler crosses three time zones or more in quick order, leaving the body’s internal clock running to the timetable at home. The chief complaint after touching down is often overwhelming fatigue during the day or merciless insomnia at night. The fallout can be worse heading east, because traveling in that direction effectively reverses the normal day-and-night cycle. east coast to South America and Africa might follow.

Airbus SE and Boeing are vying to supply the carrier with new long-range aircraft that can reach the destination with a full load and fuel to spare. Qantas plans to make a decision to press ahead with these flights, or ditch the idea, by the end of 2019.

It’s not just crossing time zones that upsets passengers. General fatigue, poor-quality sleep, as well as the dry and pressurized cabin air exacerbate jet-lag symptoms, said Conrad Moreira, a medical director at the Travel Doctor-TMVC clinic in Sydney who has worked in the field for more than a decade.

“I’ve seen people disoriented a week after a flight,” Moreira said in an interview. He prescribes a

range of sleep-inducing drugs, particularly for anxious flyers. They including Stilnox—also known as Ambien—and Xanax. Tablets containing melatonin, naturally produced in the body to promote sleep, can also help, he said.

Jet lag has been confounding travelers since, well, the jet era.

There are already at least half a dozen ultra-long flights lasting 17 hours or more, including an Auckland-Doha service by Qatar Airways. Qantas last year started direct services to London from Perth on Australia’s western seaboard.

Just like all those routes, Qantas’s planned network of longer, clock-busting flights will be prey to rising fuel prices. And beyond that, there’s a growing movement to encourage flyers to cut

their carbon emissions. Still, the airline’s stock has soared about fivefold in five years. Qantas rose 2.9 percent Tuesday to its highest since August 2018.

Addressing the health implications of ultra-long flights is critical for Qantas. It must gain permission from Australia’s civil aviation regulator for cabin crew to be on duty longer than 20 hours. The airline also needs a new deal with pilots who will fly the extra-long routes on new aircraft.

Managing staff exhaustion from lengthy trips is an issue for the entire industry. According to IATA’s latest fatigue-management manual, some cabin crew can spend almost 21 hours awake on the day of a long-haul flight— even when their duty period is shorter than 10 hours.

Qantas’s ultra-long direct flights will be priced squarely at the business traveler, since they stand to win precious hours on the ground at the destination, said Rico Merkert, professor of transport and supply-chain management at the University of Sydney’s business school.

“It could be a game changer if they get it right,” Merkert said.

‘FOLLOW THE LAW!’

‘I

mprovements in customer service, traveler safety and emergency response are certain to give a boost to the Philippines as a destination for tourists worldwide, and Ctrip is glad to assist in these areas. We look forward to working more closely with the Philippines to provide a superior level of service to travelers, and sharing in this unique nation’s prosperity.’

—Ctrip cofounder & executive chairman James Liang Continued from a1

“Improvements in customer service, traveler safety and emergency response are certain to give a boost to the Philippines as a destination for tourists worldwide, and Ctrip is glad to assist in these areas. We look forward to working more closely with the Philippines to provide a superior level of service to travelers, and sharing in this unique nation’s

prosperity,” said Liang.

As Ctrip expands its global presence, the travel executive said, the company’s efforts in the Philippines are an indication of its upcoming plans for the region.

“The Southeast Asian market will be a focus point of ours moving forward, and as an increasingly popular regional tourist hub, we are excited to have the support of the Philippines,” he underscored.

Ctrip.com International Ltd.

is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Since its establishment in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China.

News BusinessMirror

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

BSP gov open to another reserve ratio cut this year

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he Philippine Central Bank is probably done cutting its key interest rate this year, but remains open to further reducing the ratio of funds lenders must hold in reserve, Governor Benjamin Diokno said.

“Most likely the rate cutting is done this year. But cutting of the reserve requirement ratio, maybe we’ll look at it,” Diokno said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Kathleen Hays in Washington.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is trying to boost an economy that grew at its slowest pace in four years in the second quarter. Central bankers globally are making policy more accommodative as trade tensions weigh on growth and manufacturing weakness threatens to spill over into service sectors.

In a separate interview, the country’s finance secretary said the Philippine economy will probably expand around 6 percent this year—the low end of its 6-percent to 7-percent goal—as government spending ramps up following a delay in passing the budget.

“We’re hitting our spending targets now and we definitely will make a very good effort in catching up,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington.

Pumping money

The Philippines has cut its benchmark rate by a total of 75 basis points this year, after raising it by 175 basis points in 2018. The BSP has approved lowering the reserve requirement ratio by 1 percentage point effective next month, following a total of 2 percentage points in cuts from May to July.

“We still have several meetings before the end of the year, and it’s possible that we’ll cut” the reserve ratio, Diokno said.

Even after the RRR reductions—a way to pump money into the economy - the Philippine

reserve ratio remains among the highest in the region at 15 percent, Diokno said.

The BSP has two more rate-setting meetings on the agenda this year, the next is on November 14. Policy-makers will look at inflation and economic growth in deciding on further easing, Diokno said.

Annual gains in consumer prices this month could match September’s 0.9 percent, which means the 2019 forecast average of 2.5 percent will be within the Central Bank’s 2-percent to 4-percent target, he said.

Overseas bonds

While the global economic slowdown and mounting trade tensions pose risks, the Philippines “will probably be one of the most resilient among emerging economies,” Diokno said.

The country’s economy likely expanded 6.2 percent to 6.3 percent last quarter, the Central Bank chief said. Third-quarter growth data is due November 7.

Dominguez, who sits on the central bank’s ratesetting monetary board, said the spending catch-up plan will act as a “fiscal stimulus” for the economy.

The transport and public works agencies have called for 24-hour construction on infrastructure projects and have split big-ticket projects into smaller contracts so they can be bid out faster.

The government is lining up a record $27-billion borrowing plan for next year on expectations that the spending program will get back on track. It will keep its plans to raise as much as $3.7 billion offshore, despite seeing “higher-than-expected” interest rates in the market because of US-China trade war uncertainty, Dominguez said.

The government could offer dollar bonds around January or February 2020, followed by yuan- and euro-denominated debt papers, and then a samurai offer toward August, he said. No new offshore markets are being considered. Bloomberg News

Saturday, October 19, 2019

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Albayalde not off the hook, Gordon says as initial Blue Ribbon report is released

By Butch Fernandez

B

ELEAGUERED police General Oscar Albayalde is not off the hook even as he went on leave in advance of his scheduled retirement next month amid an ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into his alleged involvement with ninja cops linked to syndicates recycling seized illegal drugs.

Sen. Richard Gordon, Blue Ribbon probe chairman, confirmed he is already circulating a “Committee Report on Ninja Cops” to members of the panel containing findings on the multibillion worth of over 200 kilos of illegal drug shabu that were returned to the illegal drug market, with only 36 kilos acknowledged as having been seized.

“I gave copies of the report to all senators concerned—all over the country and abroad, some attending the International Parliamentary Union [IPU],” Gordon said after getting the go-ahead from Senate President Vicente Sotto (in Belgrade for the IPU Assembly) and Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to release highlights of the initial report.

Gordon told reporters in a press conference on Friday, “There is tremendous concern for the Senate to release this report.”

The Blue Ribbon chief said Albayalde tops the list of PNP officers who should be charged with malfeasance for the alleged shabu recycling—as he relied solely on the claims of his intelligence officer when he was Pampanga police director, alleged ninja cop Rodney Baloyo. Of 236 kilos of shabu seized, only 36 were declared in the police report.

When asked by reporters later, however, Gordon, a lawyer, stressed that he did not wish to “preempt the Secretary of Justice” in deciding whom to indict in the mess—explosive revelations of drug recycling that arose in the course of an inquiry into irregularities and rackets in the New Bilibid Prisons, such as the sale of good conduct time allowance (GCTA) credits that reduced the period in prison of convicted drug lords.

Gordon maintained Albayalde was liable for failing to do his job of properly supervising the 2013 Pampanga raid where Baloyo, et al, figured, and later even meddling as they were facing investigation; and could face penalties including

life imprisonment plus P500,000 to P10-million fine, “in addition to absolute perpetual disqualification from any public office.”

Baloyo and unnamed members of his “buy-bust team” was also cited for malfeasance in the Blue Ribbon report for failing to “properly account for the seized drug contraband.”

“This is just an initial report,” Gordon said, adding that Senate probers are still awaiting the rearrest of suspected drug lord Johnson Lee who we heard is in Korea,” as well as another foreign drug suspect and certain police officers.

Gordon described the Blue Ribbon report as “game changing,” noting that “for the first time, we have a Blue Ribbon [inquiry] that really unmasked the ninja cops. Something that was whispered about only before—has now come out.”

Gordon said “it is important to unmask ninja cops...in order to dispel people’s fear that cops can’t be trusted to do right” at checkpoints or during raids.

The Senate chief prober thanked retired police general now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was originally called in just to testify on wrongdoing inside the

NBP like the kubol [lavish quarters] for influential drug convicts and other rackets, but subsequently revealed the case of the Pampanga ninja cops.

At the same time, Gordon also noted that the court itself, which dismissed a case against Johnson Lee, had already declared “it’s not a buy bust but a hulidap.”

Moreover, Gordon recalled that the court made note of all the wrong moves—contrary to all established protocol and law—of Albayalde’s men in Pampanga; and the court even noted the apparent palit ulo (replacement of heads, literally), whereby suspect Lee was not the man presented in court.

Based on findings, Senate probers indicated that Albayalde should be indicted for violation of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act for intervening on behalf of his men who were then being subjected to disciplinary sanctions.

Gordon noted that Albayalde failed to investigate his men after details of the botched “raid” surfaced. Worse, he had Baloyo and another policeman, Joven de Guzman, returned to active duty— Baloyo in Tagaytay and de Guzman in Antipolo.

Manila, New Delhi seal 4 bilateral deals on second day of Indian leader’s visit

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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resident Duterte and visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind met in Malacañang on Friday and sealed four bilateral deals on areas of cooperation maritime security, tourism, science and technology and cultural exchange.

On the second day of the Indian leader’s state visit, the two officials also discussed areas of mutual interest, as well as pressing concerns on maritime security and economic integration.

In their joint news statement, Duterte said India is a natural partner of the Philippines, stressing that enhancing the country’s ties with them is “timely as it is necessary,” adding he welcomed India’s role in the defense

capability upgrade program against the backdrop of growing security cooperation.

“As countries strategically located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, we affirmed our shared interest to protect our maritime commons and advance the rule of law in our maritime domains.

We agreed also to continue working together to fight terrorism and violent extremism and other transboundary threats,” Duterte said. “I also took the opportunity to thank India for helping us rebuild Marawi without precondition, delay or hesitation.”

He also welcomed the steady rise of investments and exchanges while recognizing the need to further the economic ties between the two countries.

“The Philippines and India are at the

forefront of the global IT-BPO industries. This is a shared distinction that encourages us to cooperate more so that we can complement each other’s strengths,” Duterte said.

For his part, Kovind invited Philippine companies to invest in India, adding that New Delhi is looking to participate in infrastructure development and defense modernization of the Philippines.

“The future presents us with new opportunities to bring our two nations closer. I believe that the time has come for the Philippines-India relationship to reach an altogether a new level of engagement,” Kovind said.

The Indian leader also conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died

because of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Mindanao on Wednesday night.

The state visit marks an important milestone in the Philippines and India bilateral relations as both countries commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

Kovind is the third Indian president who had paid the Philippines a state visit since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On Saturday, Kovind will hold meetings with liver transplant patients, as well as with the beneficiaries of Mahaveer Philippines Foundation before attending Philippines-India Business Conclave and 4th Asean- India Business Summit.

Before departing for Tokyo, Japan, the Indian leader is also slated to grace the installation of Mahatma Gandhi Bust and meeting with Indian Community.

In 2018, India was the 15th trading partner of the Philippines, 17th export market and 14th import supplier.

Last year, merchandise trade between the two Asian economies expanded 5.8 percent to $2.37 billion, from $2.24 billion in 2017, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data.

The list of signed agreements between the Philippines and India include: n Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Tourism of

the Government of the Republic of India on Tourism Cooperation; n Program of Cooperation in the fields of Science and Technology for 2019-2022 between the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of the Republic of India; n Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of the Republic of the Philippines and the Indian Navy of the Republic of India on Sharing of White Shipping Information; and n Cultural Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India for the years 2019-2023.

Govt eyes cash aid to farmers affected by rice-price plunge T

he government is eyeing to bankroll a P3-billion direct cash assistance program to about 600,000 rice farmers affected by the plunge of farm-gate prices before Christmas after it temporarily sidelined the imposition of safeguard duties due to inflationary impact.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the Cabinet decided to give rice farmers cash

assistance instead of imposing safeguard duties as it was deemed to have inflationary effects.

“Cash assistance would be given to farmers [tilling] 1 hectare and below. They will be given P5,000 and this is only one time and this would be taken from the tariff being collected out of the rice tariffication law,” Dar said in an interview with reporters on Friday morning.

“We are hoping that this can be given before Christmas,” Dar said.

Dar said tariff collections from rice tariffs since Republic Act 11203, or the rice trade liberalization (RTL) law took effect on March 5 has reached almost P11 billion.

For the meantime, Dar said the government would shoulder the funds needed for the direct

cash assistance program pending the total tariff collections from rice.

“By of the end the year [the collections will be used] but before the end of the year pupunuan muna, then bibigay iyong cash assistance. Para magaan ang Christmas nila,” he said.

Dar said they have temporarily sidelined the imposition of the safeguard duties on

DA confirms ASF cases in Cavite, Nueva Ecija

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

T

he Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday confirmed that the fatal African swine fever (ASF) has spread to two more areas in the country as the government struggles to control the illegal trade of hogs from infected areas.

The DA said one area in Nueva Ecija and another area in Cavite, which is the first case in the Southern Tagalog province, have been affected by ASF. But the DA said the affected hog population in both areas are “very minimal.”

The DA said it still conducting an investigation on how ASF spread to Cavite but noted that the province is proximate to neighboring Rizal province, which is the country’s first ground zero for the fatal hog disease.

Nonetheless, the DA said, control and contain measures through the 1-7-10 protocol have been in placed for the two new ASF-affected areas.

However, the DA admitted that it is finding a hard time controlling the illegal trade by unscrupulous traders and

raisers wherein ASF-infected hogs and hogs from ASF-infected zones are still being transported, slaughtered and sold in the market.

“This is one of my problems. I am appealing to the backyard hog raisers and hog traders, that you are properly advised that if you again do this illegal trade, you will be brought to court,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said.

The DA chief pointed out that it has a limited manpower to undertake all necessary measures to curtail the malpractice conducted by unscrupulous raisers and traders.

Cavite on lockdown

In a separate interview with reporters, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said two barangays in the province are affected

by ASF. These barangays are Emmanuel Bergado and Salawag, where 21 hogs died due to ASF. Remulla said they suspect that swill feeding was the cause of the spread of the ASF in the affected backyard farms.

“Our suspect is that all those farms who are affected practice swill feeding.

Because the commercial farms that used feeds are not affected and they have strict biosecurity hazards,” he said.

Remulla said he has ordered a total lockdown on hog movement in Cavite and mandated a blood tests to all pigs in the province to ensure that other hogs are free from ASF. “In the absence of [ASF in hogs] we will be loosening up the lockdown and will allow the export and transport of pork,” he said.

Remulla said the backyard hog raisers affected by the ASF, especially whose pigs would be culled, would receive P7,000 per pig as indemnification. Of the amount, P2,000 would come from the city government, the other P2,000 from the provincial government and the remaining P3,000 from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Remulla explained.

To date, there are now more than 20 barangays who are confirmed affected

by ASF in the Philippines. The ASF is a fatal disease to hogs with a mortality of up to 100 percent, with no known vaccine yet, and no cure. However, the ASF poses no threat to human health.

rice imports but pointed out that the option of utilizing such trade remedy is always on the table.

Earlier, the DA in partnership with Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) implemented a zero-interest loan for rice farmers to help them cope with the detrimental effects of RTL law.

The loan portfolio dubbed as the Expanded

Survival and Recovery Assistance program has a P2.5-billion credit which could cover almost 170,000 farmers.

Qualified SURE Aid beneficiaries will be given a one-time and zero-interest P15,000 loan, which could be obtained even without collateral.

The borrowed amount is payable in eight years.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

A4 Saturday, October 19, 2019

Manila to showcase food products in Fabex Kansai 2019 in Osaka T

Neda chief urges redoubling efforts to boost export products

By RD Velasco

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Market Innovation Division, DTI-EMB

IFTEEN food companies from the Philippines will participate in the World Food and Beverage Great Expo Kansai 2019 to be held at the International Exhibition Center (Intex) in Osaka, from October 16 to 18, 2019. Fabex, Kansai is the largest general trade fair for commercial food, cooking ingredients and equipment in Japan.

Philippines will showcase healthy

foods, such as banana chips, mushroom chips and fruit chews, fresh coconut water, calamansi (Philippine lime) drink and other fruit extracts, muscovado, or raw sugar, as well as biscuits, peanut spread, bottled sardines and other coconut products.

After Fabex, the mission will proceed to Tokyo for business-matching meetings with Japanese buyers at the Philippine Embassy on October 21, 2019.

The mission is being organized through collaboration by the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in Osaka and Tokyo, and the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.

In 2018, Japan was the second ma-

jor trading partner of the Philippines and second-biggest export market with total bilateral trade valued at $21.14 billion. The Philippines also has two free-trade agreements with Japan, one bilateral through the PhilippineJapan Economic Partnership Agreement, and one multilateral through the Asean-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. These FTAs provide Philippine products duty-free access to more or less 7,476 product lines from the Philippines, including food products. DTI-Trade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman said “I am encouraging our exporters to take advantage of the benefits under our two trade agreements with Japan.”

For more information about the mission, contact RafaelitaCastro@dti.gov.ph in the Philippines, EmmanuelAng@dti. gov.ph in Osaka, Japan, and KennethYap@dti.gov.ph in Tokyo, Japan.

DTI-EMB explores export opportunities in Bangladesh

By Gold Tabid-Grospe TIDS, MID

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HE Export Marketing Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTIEMB) has intensified its efforts to expand exports by entering less explored yet promising territories, such as the Philippines’s South Asian neighbor, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is among the fastestgrowing economies in the world, even exceeding India according to the Asian Development Outlook 2019 Report. Coupled with its highly dense population and strong private consumption, the country is seen as a suitable trading partner that the Philippines intends to actively engage with.

Early this year, the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka (PE Dhaka) already made strong recommendations to pursue opportunities in Bangladesh, considering the limited exposure of Philippine products in the said South Asian market, especially when it comes to processed foods, cosmetics and other personal-care items. It has been observed that food products like canned meat and fish are mostly imported from European countries, or Thailand, while many cosmetic brands available are from the West.

In April 2019, Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo and key officials of the Bangladesh-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BPCCI), President Akber Hakim and Vice President Shams Mahmud, met with the DTI-EMB in Manila, together with the DTI-Foreign Trade Service

HE gover nment shou ld redouble efforts to support export products where the country has comparative advantage so the trade sector recovers and picks up more steam, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the country’s total trade declined by 7 percent in August 2019, due to weaker exports and continued decline in imports.

“We must continue to initiate programs that provide comprehensive packages of support for products with comparative advantages, including related industries, to facilitate expansion in the international market,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said in a news statement.

Trade exports registered a paltry 0.6-percent growth for August 2019, backed by the modest performance of agro-based products, forest and electronic products.

Meanwhile, imports contracted by 11.8 percent as major commodity groups posted declines in imports of raw materials, intermediate goods and capital goods.

While serving to narrow the gap in trade deficit, the persistent decline in imports may be an area of concern as production in sectors requiring import components have also decreased.

“As subdued investments in emerging markets, coupled with

the persisting trade tensions, continue to hamper global expansion, implementation of timely reforms will vastly improve the country’s resilience to external shocks,” the Cabinet official said.

Business models should also adapt to current demands and market trends by utilizing digital platforms that will increase production efficiency and expand their reach both locally and internationally.

“Legislations, such as the proposed amendments to the Foreign Investment Act, Public Serve Act and Trade Liberalization Act would go a long way in improving competitiveness through much needed foreign direct investments and innovation,” Pernia said.

The country should deepen its relations with its usual trade partners while actively seeking new ones.

“As the market turns its focus toward advanced and frontier technologies, the country’s human capital development should prioritize intensified reskilling, retooling and upskilling initiatives that emphasize industry and academe coordination, to ensure that the labor market is adaptive and responsive to current and emerging market demands,” he added.

Moving forward, the current updating of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2018 will seek to address the challenges of agriculture, industry and services sectors, among others. PNA

Philippines expands market access for rubber products

T PHILIPPINE delegation, led by Assistant Director Agnes Perpetua R. Legaspi (front row, second from right), Commercial Attaché Jeremiah C. Reyes (front row, fourth from right), and Philippine Embassy in Dhaka Third Secretary and Vice Consul Leo Marco C. Vidal (front row, right), met with Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Md. Mofizul Islam (front row, third from right) together with officials of the Bangladesh-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BPCCI) on September 2, 2019, at the Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce.

Corps, to discuss the possibility of holding a business mission in the capital city of Dhaka.

The first-ever Outbound Business Matching Mission (OBMM) to Dhaka materialized on from September 1 to 4, 2019. It was a collaborative endeavor of the DTI-EMB, Philippine Trade and Investment Center in New Delhi, and PE Dhaka.

DTI-EMB Assistant Director Agnes Perpetua R. Legaspi served as the head of the business delegation.

The OBMM was participated in by Filipino companies from the areas of fast-moving consumer goods (packaged foods and snacks, beverages, and personal-care products) and food franchising. The companies engaged in business-to-business meetings

with potential buyers and partners in Bangladesh, particularly, members of BPCCI and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The business delegation was received by key members of the Bangladeshi government, namely, Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Md. Mofizul Islam and Information and Communication Technology State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak. Both officials expressed support for the initiatives intended to strengthen trade between Bangladesh and the Philippines.

The delegation also met the executives of three major retailers in Bangladesh, namely, Agora, Shwapno, and the e-commerce platform, chaldal.com, to learn the process of getting products on the retail shelves.

Market scanning and benchmarking activities were also held at selected Agora and Shwapno stores.

Back home, Bangladeshi Ambassador to the Philippines, Asad Alam Siam, called for a debriefing meeting with the members of the business delegation on September 10, 2019.

He noted the positive impact of the first-ever business mission to Bangladesh. Aside from sourcing products like packaged food, he mentioned that Bangladesh can also benefit from services offered by the Philippines, such as education in informationtechnology and business-process management. The Ambassador expressed that he is willing to assist Filipino exporters in doing business in Bangladesh.

HE country is working to expand market access for rubber and rubber-based products here and abroad, as it implements various initiatives to promote and develop the industry.

The Philippines is stepping up investment promotions of rubber and its allied industries through business-matching missions and trade fairs/expositions organized and implemented locally or internationally by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), Center for International Expositions and Missions, Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, Foreign Trade Services Corps and the Regional Operations Group.

The DTI fact file said Philippine exports of natural rubber are comprised of natural rubber in primary forms; and natural rubber products that include tires, automotive/industrial products, footwear and latexbased products.

Global consumption of natural rubber is expected to reach 15.24 million metric tons by 2022 for an average growth of 3.12 percent for

the period 2017 to 2022, driven generally by anticipated improvement in the global economic outlook and the strong growth of the automotive and health-care sectors.

The Philippines is among the top producers of natural rubber in the world, it said. The government’s Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy has included agribusiness as a priority area. Rubber is one of the prioritized high-value crops in agribusiness, alongside coconut, mangoes, coffee, cacao, pineapple and banana.

The agribusiness road map is also focusing on strengthening production and agro-processing sectors and addressing binding constraints, such as supply and value-chain gaps, access to technologies and finance, weak regulatory and certification system, lack of infrastructure, and research and development.

Majority of the players in the rubber industry are involved in the early stages of the value chain. These include small scale farmers and small cluster firms, mostlysituatedinMindanao,whichare engaged in providing necessary inputs up to the production of natural rubber.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

OurTime BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, October 19, 2019 A5

Tacloban bares activities Travel notes: A senior for 75th Leyte Gulf Landings couple’s trip together

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By Roel Amazona | Philippine News Agency

ACLOBAN CITY—The city government here has lined up several activities for the commemoration of the 75th Leyte Gulf Landings on October 20.

City tourism officer Bardot Atillo said the local government on Wednesday began holding activities for the Leyte Gulf Landings that will run until October 19.

The city-led 75th Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration activities kicked off with an exhibit of local products at Rizal Park and the giving of basic services to the city’s residents.

There will also be a nightly cultural presentation by different schools in the city at the Rizal Park.

“An exhibit will open at the Price Mansion where we asked the Department of Education to encourage their students to visit the place where they can see some memorabilia and the room that was used by General Douglas MacArthur when he stayed in the city,” Atillo said in an interview on Tuesday.

The Price Mansion located along Jus-

tice Romualdez Avenue was the official residence and headquarters of MacArthur when he arrived in Tacloban during the Liberation Period.

When a Japanese bomb penetrated the roof of MacArthur’s room on October 20, 1944, the hole caused by the bombed was preserved and can still be seen today.

Walter Scott Price, an American army engineer who was sent by the US government to the country during the First World War, built the mansion in 1910. Today, the property is owned by the Romualdez family.

“On October 19, we will recognize our living World War II veterans from Tacloban. They will be given financial and gift packs, while the veterans who recently died will receive burial assistance,” Atillo said.

The oldest living war veteran from the city is Paciencia Kempis, 102, who

served as a nurse during the war, while the youngest is Pablito Candela, 90, a guerrilla fighter.

Other surviving war veterans are Xerxes Abadiano, 99; Jose Acedillo, 98; Eduardo Bermudo, 95; Aquila Closa, 91; Terersa Malpas, 91; Ramon Modina, 91; Margarito Olguera, 94; Epistemia Rama, 92; Maxima Satorre, 98; and Remegia Tomol, 97.

Recognition of the veterans will start with a ceremony at 5 a.m., which will be followed by a parade around the city starting at the Price Mansion.

After the parade, a program for the veterans will be held at the mansion with Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Leyte First District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez gracing the occasion.

Expected to grace the tribute program at the Price Mansion on Veterans Day, October 19, are United States Ambassador Sung Kim, Ambassador Koji Haneda of Japan, Ambassador Jorge Moragas of Spain and Ambassador Steven Robinsons AO of Australia.

October 19 has been declared as the Tacloban City World War II Veterans Day through City Ordinance 2007-9-65.

Under the ordinance, the family of a deceased World War II veteran is entitled to burial assistance of P10,000 from the city government. PNA

WWII Japanese captain: Friend not foe for Leyte townsfolk

THE photograph of Capt. Isao Yamazoe displayed at a shrine in Dulag, Leyte, built to honor the fallen Japanese army leader. The locals described him as“a good leader, a smiling captain and a friend to everyone.” PNA PHOTO BY SARWELL MENIANO

By Sarwell Meniano Philippine News Agency

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ULAG, LEYTE—For most Filipinos, the Japanese soldiers during World War II were enemies, but for the locals of Dulag town in Leyte, the foreign invaders led by a young captain were regarded as good friends and still are after 75 years of the country’s liberation.

Called “Little Tokyo” during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, Dulag’s economy was alive during the war, historian Jovito Bautista, 89, recalled in an interview.

LOCAL historian Jovito Bautisa, 89, recalls how the Japanese soldiers under the leadership of Yamazoe nicely treated locals during World War II. He was just 13 when the Japanese soldiers invaded Dulag, Leyte. PNA PHOTO BY SARWELL MENIANO

Bautista, just 13 when hundreds of Imperial Japanese Army members invaded their town, described the head Capt. Isao Yamazoe as “a good leader, a smiling captain and a friend to everyone.”

“Those years, the Japanese were one of my best childhood memories. Yamazoe initiated morning calisthenics, athletics, and cultural shows, dances and movie screenings for the entertainment of residents. Civilians and Japanese officers enjoyed the occasion.

Guerrilla officers would sometimes slip secretly to enjoy these activities,” Bautista reminisced.

The local historian said Yamazoe and his men showed genuine concern for the locals as they encouraged families to plant root crops and vegetables on their own backyards so no one would go hungry. The children, on the other hand, continued their education inside Japanese-run schools.

Bautista, a retired school principal, said the Japanese army leader learned of the guerrillas’ plan to raid their garrison. Aware that such an attack would kill innocent civilians, Yamazoe decided to bring the battle away from the residents and asked the guerrilla forces to meet him and his men outside the town proper.

On his way to the battleground, Filipino guerrillas led by Lt. Jose Naxareno attacked Yamazoe and his men in Curva village (now named as MH del Pilar) where the army officer died at the age of 32.

When they received the news of his death, the locals mourned. The church bell tolled from morning to night, according to Bautista.

Although there was no record of how many men died with Yamazoe, the accounts of his deeds are printed in two unpublished books, one of which is written by Bautista.

The municipal government has the sole possession of these books being read every Leyte Gulf Landings anniversary, thus local government employees are aware of Yamazoe’s story.

Accounts of American veterans in their blogs as told by locals here also contribute to the late Japanese Army captain’s lingering memories.

A group of local professionals built a shrine in MH del Pilar village to honor Yamazoe in 1985. Japanese tourists, including the fallen captain’s descendants, have been regularly visiting the shrine to do rituals.

“We have Capt. Yamazoe who treated us fairly. All their efforts made Dulag a center of commerce in Leyte during the World War,” said Mayor Mildred Que. The status of Dulag prompted American

THE shrine in MH del Pilar village in Dulag, Leyte, built in honor of Japanese army leader Yamazoe. This is the same spot where Yamazoe was killed by guerrilla fighters. PNA PHOTO BY SARWELL MENIANO

soldiers to land in the town and fight the Japanese army in 1944. The bombing took a heavy toll on the townspeople.

The church, public buildings, as well as residences were razed to the ground. The streets that used to be concrete and asphalt crumbled to rubble after the American shelling, according to Que. One of the town’s historical sites is Hill

AERIAL view of the Japanese airfield in Dulag, Leyte, in 1944 after it was shelled by the US Navy light cruiser. PHOTO FROM US NAVY SITE)

120 in San Rafael village where soldiers hoisted the American flag in Philippine soil for the first time after it was lowered in Bataan in 1942.

On October 20, Leyte province will commemorate the Leyte Gulf Landings, the largest naval battle in the Pacific, and the largest naval battle in recorded history.

It was on October 20, 1944, when Gen. Douglas MacArthur, together with President Sergio Osmeña and Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, set foot on Philippine soil, their first after they left Corregidor in 1942.

Their arrival started a battle that spanned 100,000 square miles of sea; and was fought for three days, from October 23 to 25, 1944, during the invasion of Leyte by the Allied forces.

The battle signaled the fulfillment of MacArthur’s famous words, “I shall return,” after going to Australia to muster support from the Allied forces in the quest to liberate the Philippines from Japanese forces’ occupation. PNA

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

I

T is said that if you imagine it, it will happen. But, sometimes, even if you don’t imagine or wish it, it still happens.

A trip to America was never in our minds or in our plans. Yet, on May 6 this year, we found ourselves at the LAX Airport after a grueling long flight from Manila.

The trip was entirely the idea of my wife’s younger siblings and their dear spouses who generously chipped in to sponsor our threeweek visit to the West Coast. To give them credit, they really made an effort to make our stay as enjoyable and memorable as possible.

We can never thank them enough.

To my inquisitive senior citizen friend Del Garcia, as well as old folks who have never been to America, the question is what was the trip like?

Everyone knows that as people age, they become more anxious about the idea of traveling long distances. Travel can become more challenging, to say the least. There are no age limits to travel. My wife’s 80-plus-year-old aunt endures the punishing 14 to 18-hour trip across the Pacific to San Francisco, California, every now and then. She is still as sprightly and as prickly as ever. However, many older travelers have to take into account factors that those of us in their prime never consider.

My first advice is make sure you are medically fit to endure a long trip (14 to 18 hours of sitting in a pressurized cabin). If your flight itinerary includes a stopover, that’s additional walking. Note that outside the Philippines, there are no tricycles or jeepneys to take you to the next couple of blocks; and commuter buses run on schedule and do not stop just anywhere.

Before our flight, we knew there was going to be a three-hour stopover (or layover) somewhere in Shanghai. What we did not know was that the layover at Pudong Airport did not have a jet bridge. We had to go down a flight of stairs. While my wife was given a wheelchair, the three hours still took some effort on our part and it added to the total travel time. My advice is to book a nonstop flight if possible. It means a higher fare, of course. But it’s worth it for seniors, especially those who have mobility problems.

When you check-in at the desk, you can request a wheelchair that will get you to your gate. We found the travel breezy because of this amenity. Thanks to helpful airport porters, we were whisked briskly through screening procedures, immigration and customs clearance checks, and happily got out of the airport in no time at all, to our amazement and relief. They just wheel you in and wheel you out. For a small tip, of course.

One thing though: requesting this assistance means that you will have to remain on board until all other passengers have deplaned, which can be a lengthy delay.

If you have an overactive bladder, checkin early so you can request for a seat near the comfort room. A seat near the aisle is the most convenient option and can help avoid embarrassment when it comes to waking up fellow passengers and asking them to move each time you have to go to the restroom.

Limit liquid intake before and during your flight, or at least avoid diuretics, such as soda and coffee. Plain old water is the most bladder-friendly choice.

Once you’ve reached your destination, request your hosts for a day of rest in between your explorations. Thankfully, our hosts were sensitive enough to make our trips and excursions every other day. Also warn them that you may need to make frequent stops so they choose the route that have these stop overs. In our case, we found Google Maps to be very helpful in highlighting each rest stop along the route.

There is also the ticklish problem of how to get out of the itinerary meticulously designed by your hosts so you would be able to see what really interests you. Museums or national parks? Cultural events or theme parks? Local cuisine or the branded franchise

restaurants? Local crafts or malls? It may be impolite to turn down suggested spots because, as locals, they ought to know better. Fortunately, our prepared itinerary was flexible enough to allow some changes. For instance, we were supposed to drive to Las Vegas but sensing that we were not up to it, our hosts took us to other spots that gave us more meaningful experiences.

I hate selfie tourism because it detracts from the significance of the scenery or the historic or cultural landmark. But in every destination we visited, we had to take the obligatory or perfunctory selfie. I had to be game so as not to destroy everyone’s ebullient mood.

Traveling together as a couple was reassuring, knowing that you’re with a loved one all the time. One of the worst nightmares is getting sick far from your immediate family while in a strange land.

But beyond the holiday aspect of our trip, there was a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. It was a journey back in time, as my wife and siblings relived old times somehow reconnecting with their past selves as the young boys and girls they used to be.

Being present now as older, wiser and better persons was their best gift to each other.

At the same time, it was also a journey to the future. In the faces of the transplanted nieces and nephews, and their states-born children, we saw the future of my wife’s clan in America. We could sense that the Filipino part of them is vanishing right in front of our eyes. Observing and talking to them, I realize a generational and oceanic divide.

They are barely informed of what is happening in our part of the world. All they know are stuff they pick up on social media. Superficial things like beaches, food, fashion, music. Mano? Suman? What’s that? Rizal?

People power revolution? They’re clueless.

What impressed us about that trip was the deference shown to seniors, the handicapped and the disabled. There was always a space vacant reserved for them. Wheelchairs are always available for use in all tourist attractions (albeit for a small fee.)

But having said that, I cannot help but note too that in bountiful California, (or America) I saw patches of poverty, with unkempt, homeless white men on the streets, holding placards, asking passing commuters for help or begging for food. For example, in San Francisco, California even panhandlers creatively stage themselves with signs, such as: “Will work for food” or “I’m not going to tell you a lie, I need money for alcohol” to others and hoping somehow of getting a favorable response from passersby.

Even if it was in our bucket list, I cannot deny that the trip has changed us. For one thing, it has made us less envious of others who flaunt their travels on social media. Because we were able to experience things beyond the usual, that journey broke down the monotony of our daily routine and infused some adventure, excitement and exploration to our lives.

Marveling at the giant sequoia trees filled our minds with enough wonder to last through our remaining years. Seeing mountain ranges after mountain ranges, blue lakes, waterfalls, and gorges has humbled me and has proven Gustave Flaubert right when he said: “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

Best of all were the museums and the heritage sites we explored, although there was not enough time to linger. Visiting the posh houses of family members, relatives and meeting their friends made us see how one can indeed prosper in that country through sheer hard work.

So, to our fellow seniors, if you get the chance to travel outside the Philippines, grab it. So what if you’re old? As someone said: “Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times.”

A6

Saturday, October 19, 2019 | Editor: Mike Besa

HOW TO PLAY FEA

KAMPFORTIS GOLF A new player on the local golf scene

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HE Philippine golf scene is not large but it’s an intensely competitive market for all that chase success on its fairways. This year sees a new player on our shores—Kampfortis Golf.

The name Kampfortis is a combination of two words—Kampfer is German for “Fighter” and Fortis is latin for “strength.” The company, which calls Seattle, Washington, in the United States home, is a premium golf apparel brand that makes a variety of products; golf shirts, caps, arm sleeves, ball markers, golf bags and golf balls.

The golf shirts are the stars of the product line.

Produced with what Kampfortis is calling Flex Dry fabric, which is made with a combination of polyester, elastane and spandex for maximum movement and flexibility.

Flex Dry has excellent moisture management system that always keeps the golfer feeling cool and dry.

The shirts cling to your body like a second skin. They feel extremely light and, as advertised, they feel cool to the touch. It’s a remarkable feeling and are unlike any other golf shirt on the market today. Yes, it is true that all apparel manufacturers have fabrics that manage moisture while playing, but Kampfortis’s formulation is

By David MacKenzie

unique. You’ll feel it the moment you put the shirt on.

The other remarkable product that Kampfortis has in store for us is their golf ball. The Kampfortis X909 Projectile golf ball is a hot little number. We were given samples during a round at the Southlinks Golf Club and were simply astounded by the ball’s performance.

Although, technically a distance ball, it feels relatively soft at impact. Even using forged irons, we were hard pressed to tell the differences from the premium pro-quality golf balls to which we are accustomed. They stopped well enough on the greens on full shots but didn’t react quite as well on short shots around the greens.

An acceptable compromise for P1,200 per dozen. An incredible value for a golf ball today. We’ve played many rounds with the ball since we were introduced to it and remain impressed by the amount of performance on tap for so little money. It’s an incredible value.

Look for Kampfortis Golf products in pro shops near you and look for them at your local golf tournaments. They’re making a very aggressive push into our market and deserve a look if you’re looking for golf apparel.

D

O you put in the hours practicing and feel like your game is in good shape, only to feel anxious and underperform in competitions? Do you know you have the skills to play at a higher level but there’s something deep down that pulls you back to your normal level of play? If so, I’ve got a solution for you to play more fearless golf.

Performance anxiety is a sign that your “subconscious” mind is at work, doing its best to keep you in your “comfort zone” and away from potential threats—even if the only “danger” is nothing worse than playing poorly and shooting a high score.

When it senses that danger or uncertainty might lie ahead, the subconscious mind creates those uncomfortable feelings and anxiety, in the hope that you submit to them and change direction. But, as you know, in order to succeed and play well, you will have to manage those feelings and performance anxiety, and not let them affect your play.

In addition to good stress management techniques, there is another way to prevent your subconscious mind from triggering “the stress response” and instead, allow you to play fearless golf when it counts.

This technique (which can be done at home) is used by many of the world’s most successful business leaders and athletes to overcome their fears, increase self-belief and their confidence in what is possible.

This technique can help you: n Develop positive habits—change the way you “automatically” behave; n Reduce fear and increase confidence; n Improve your swing—it’s been proven that the brain can learn physical skills in the absence of actual movement; n Get your mind ready for action; and n Bring your goals closer toward you

WHAT IS THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND?

SCIENTISTS tell us that only about 3 percent of our processing power is consciously controlled, the remaining 97 percent is subconscious or automatic.

E.g., you don’t have to think about how to digest food, keep your heart pumping or breathe. The same goes for most of your habits, patterns of thinking and behaviors. They happen automatically or “subconsciously.” To use an analogy, you can think of your conscious mind, or “the thinking mind,” as the screen of your computer or device that you are looking at now, and the subconscious mind as the apps (your habits and behaviors) and all the information on Web

Golf’s stars make their way to Asia T

By Chuah Choo Chiang

HE PGA Tour’s annual Asian swing is primed to be its finest yet this month with an all-star cast of golf legends, FedEx Cup champions and major winners ready to thrill and impact the game in a region tipped to be the next bastion for golf’s growth.

The who’s who in the modern game will make a beeline to three of Asia’s biggest and most prestigious events, The

TIGER WOODS PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges in Korea, Zozo Championship in Japan and World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China. These mega tournaments offer close to $30 million in combined prize funds and, more important, crucial FedEx Cup points toward the new 2019-2020 PGA Tour Season which kicked off earnestly in September.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele are among some of the

biggest names who will feature across Asia this fall which, in turn, have heightened expectations of a truly spectacular three-week stretch of world-class golf.

Undoubtedly, tournament organizers are anticipating strong turnouts from sports fans in Korea, Japan and China which they are convinced will inspire kids to learn the game which also instills positive life’s values.

Koepka, the World No. 1, will start the ball rolling by defending The CJ Cup from October 17 to 20 in the company of inaugural winner Thomas, Woodland, Mickelson and Spieth, with the latter two making their debuts in Korea’s lone PGA Tour event. “I enjoy Asia. It’s always a fun place to go, and everyone is very respectful and it’s a fun place to play. I felt it was important to win in Jeju last year especially after a year that I had,” said Koepka, the 2018 PGA Tour Player of the Year.

In the following week, the Tour heads to Japan for its first official PGA Tour tournament, the Zozo Championship, which will be headlined by Woods. The sporting icon resumes his chase to match Sam Snead’s winningest record of 82 wins on the PGA Tour where he is one victory shy of the mark. Woods faces a stellar field which includes McIlroy, the newly minted FedEx Cup champion and 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Woods’s first return to Asia since 2012 will certainly spark Tiger-mania as the American legend, whose mother is Thai, continues to be like a pied-piper capable of attracting hordes of fans with his mesmerizing golf. The 43-year-old also has an impressive track record in Asia, winning six times including twice in Japan.

“I’m excited to play in the inaugural Zozo Championship, and return to Japan, one of my favorite countries. The fans in Japan really enjoy, appreciate and understand golf, and I’m looking forward to competing there,” said the 43-year-old, who secured his fifth Masters title and 81st career PGA Tour win in April.

Schauffele, who is among the new breed of stars, is fired up to successfully defend his WGC-HSBC Champions title against the likes of Koepka, 2018 FedEx Cup winner Rose and McIlroy in the region’s lone WGC tournament from October 31 to November 3.

The unassuming American with an Asian heritage wants to return to winning ways quickly. “Winning is the ultimate satisfaction on the PGA Tour,” said the 25-year-old, a fourtime winner on the PGA Tour. “The playoff with Tony [Finau], that was the biggest memory. Just the excitement of being in a playoff, the fans and the celebration was incredible.”

pages and files it has access to (your memories). The subconscious mind is thought to be a million times more powerful than the conscious mind, so if you can learn to tap into it and get it working for you, it can take you closer and closer to your dreams.

Your subconscious mind’s primary role is to keep you alive and safe. Not only does it control the majority of our bodily functions, it’s also responsible for keeping us away from potential threats, by making you tense and triggering anxiety (“the stress response”).

Unfortunately for us, it doesn’t have to be a threat of actual physical danger, but any situation that might make us feel uncomfortable. Whenever your subconscious mind senses that you are out of your “comfort zone,” it’s going to try to bring you back to it and keep you away from harm. It uses a combination of your memories and associations of what you are experiencing in that moment, or with what you are consciously thinking about, to determine whether you are in a safe place or not.

For example, let’s say you can get anxious over short putts. This is probably because you have stored (subconscious) memories of the mental and emotional pain caused by missing short putts, and now (without consciously thinking about it), those same emotions are triggered along with tension, increased heart rate and lack of focus. You fear it happening again, which increases the chances of that repeating itself.

The good news is that whatever it is that you fear, it’s possible to reduce it by using a technique called Mental Rehearsal.

MENTAL REHEARSAL FOR GOLF

MENTAL rehearsal works because your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what’s real or imagined. Your memories are obviously real experiences, but you can create new associations or change existing ones by using the power of mental rehearsal and “reprogramming” your subconscious mind.

When you have a positive association or memory with a situation, your subconscious mind will give you a “green light” (by sensing no threat) and little performance anxiety will arise.

If you can feed the subconscious mind the images of you excelling and/or overcoming fear, it can help you feel less fear and more confidence, when you are in that situation for real. Using the computer analogy I referred to earlier, by using mental rehearsal, we have ability to get into the apps and programs of the computer, and have it operate more how we would like (and change our behaviors, habits and our patterns of thinking).

HOW TO PRACTICE MENTAL REHEARSAL

I RECOMMEND doing the following exercises daily for 20 minutes, either before sleep and/or after waking up. The more you do it, the more you strengthen the connections, and change your behaviors and habits in reality.

1. Meditate or do relaxation exercises By slowing down your brain waves (thinking less), you will have a better connection with your subconscious mind, because there is less noise and interference from your mental chatter.

2. Identify what behaviors you want to change For example, this could be feeling more confident, instead of overly nervous on the first tee, being more confident over short putts, or closing out a win.

3. Visualize your upcoming round Make your visualization as vivid as possible and see the course in detail. Try to engage the senses—feel the wind, smell the grass and hear the birds. Experiment with first- and third-person perspectives. Bring movement into it by actually going through your pre-shot routine and making your swing.

Feel your tension level, tempo and see the outcome you want as the ball travels to the target. Add as much detail as possible by acknowledging the comments of “great shot” by those watching. Imagine how relaxed and confident you will be during your shots and in between shots—your body language, demeanor and facial expressions.

4. Ingrain your new perspective using mantras Find keywords which you can use to anchor to your new behaviors and include them in mantras which you can use before and during your rounds.

Examples are: “I am relentless and thrive during competition!”

“I stick to my process until the holes run out.”

“From start to finish, I stay emotionally balanced by using my breathing to keep myself serene, levelheaded and, in the moment, no matter what adversities the game throws at me.”

SUMMARY

CONSCIOUS determination and thousands of hours spent practicing is not enough to take you to your full potential. You might have the skills, but it’s your mind that’s ultimately going to get you across the line in achieving your goals. With a regular practice of mental rehearsal, as a compliment to your current game improvement regimen, you can build the belief system and the automatic behaviors that will help you achieve it. n David MacKenzie is a mental golf coach and lives in

Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Golf State of Mind, a teaching program designed to help golfers condition their minds to overcome fear and play with confidence.

Koepka is also slated to compete in Shanghai, a place where he finished second in 2017 behind Rose, and thinks Asia’s only WGC event is extra special this year. “I love the vibe and energy that the Chinese crowds bring to the course each year. I think the scheduling changes with the majors has made the WGC-HSBC Champions an even more important event for us. With no majors scheduled after July, everyone will be targeting to win the final World Golf Championships of the year.”

While there is plenty to play for over the next few weeks in Asia which features 78-man fields with no halfway cut, the likes of reigning US Open champion Gary Woodland believes the stars of the game have responded to a call of duty to help grow the game.

The revamped PGA Tour Schedule, he said, has enhanced the importance of the Asian swing with top players keen to include them in their travel plans. “It’s huge now with the new schedule,” said Woodland. “With so many starts before the end of the year, you have to go over to Asia. There’s big money, no cuts and small fields. The fans over there love golf, they are golf hungry, and it’s good for us to get out of our norm, spread the game and do our part.”

The Asian swing will also offer the Tour’s young guns a further opportunity to establish themselves with up-and-coming Collin Morikawa and Matt Wolff, who have already won tournaments in their first year as a professional, and Korea’s Sungjae Im, voted the 2019 Rookie of the Year, determined to stamp their mark against the established stars. Other young players to look out for include Japan’s Hideki

HAOTONG LI and Brooks Koepka

Matsuyama, China’s Haotong Li, C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who will gain entry to all three events through exemptions created for the Asian Tour which he leads the money list and Japan Golf Tour.

The ultra-talented Thomas, for example, has used his success in Asia to lay the building blocks to a burgeoning career which now features 10 PGA Tour wins and a FedEx Cup title. Like Woodland, he also wants to grow the sport by impacting youngsters.

“It’s fun to have the opportunity to grow your brand and grow the game,” said the likable American. “I’ve had some good success over there, hopefully I can channel some of those vibes in Asia.”

n Note: Chuah Choo Chiang is senior director, communications of the PGA Tour and is based in Kuala Lumpur

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, October 19, 2019

A7

ARLESS GOLF Callaway’s Halo Iron CALLAWAY EPIC FORGED IRON

TIGER WOODS and Brooks Koepka

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By Mike Besa

HE Callaway Epic brand is Callaway Golf’s pinnacle product. It is the most technologically endowed iron that Callaway makes. It was like a concept car that you could actually buy. The original Epic iron was introduced to much fanfare but earned limited success, not just because of its price, but because the body of the original epic was cast, it made fitting options limited.

That shortcoming was addressed with the new Epic Forged Irons. The soft 1025 carbon steel chassis can be bent any which way to accommodate even the most difficult of fits. But the Epic Forged Iron has other tricks up its sleeve.

This time around, there isn’t a pro version. Callaway is changing how it combines various technologies to achieve what it calls ultra-premium forged distance. The original Epic iron utilized an Exo Cage construction and stiffening internal design features which approximated Jailbreak technology.

The technology story of Epic Forged irons is really about the convergence of multiple technologies coming together in a single space, and Callaway’s efforts to maximize the impact of each different material.

Built with the idea of offering speed, forgiveness and shotmaking in one package, the Epic Forged achieves all that thanks to tech that is being used for the first time in a forged iron. Foremost of which is the Suspended Tungsten Core—the densest form of this

heavy element. The issue with using this almost pure form of Tungsten is that it’s extremely hard to work with when using conventional construction methods.

But Callaway worked it out and is using its patented Urethane Microspheres in the Suspended Tungsten core of the Epic Forged to precisely position mass creating the ideal center of gravity. This promotes controlled launch and spin, while allowing the face to flex as needed to create maximum ball speeds.

The forged 17-4 stainless steel face features Callaway’s venerable Variable Face Thickness technology. Not new by any means, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t effective. Built into the 360 Cup Face, the newly designed VFT pattern helps players achieve even more consistent ball speed and spin rates club to club. The reason this is so important: Callaway knows even average golfers want a club they can hit controlled shots with. A 7-iron isn’t any good if you’re not confident in the hitting the shot you want to.

Since the Epic Forged irons go all the way into a sand wedge, there were some design decisions to be made to on how to make sure the scoring and recovery clubs still offer forgiveness but with even greater consistency and feel. Starting at the approach wedge and going to the sand wedge, instead of using the 17-4 stainless steel cup face, Callaway engineers used a forged faceplate. Inside of these still-hollow wedges, they are using a resistance welding technique to precisely locate a MIM (metal injection molded)

Tungsten weight to achieve superior trajectory control.

Every iron is precisely designed to suit its purpose.

Epic Forged will be available in both right and left hand and comes stock with Aerotech Steelfiber FC or Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grips. A full menu of no upcharge custom shafts is also available.

The Epic Forged made waves on the Internet for the crazy distances some golfers were getting. 200-yard 7-irons were the norm and others were getting neardriver distances from the 4-iron. Which brings up the question—who is the Callaway Epic Forged iron for?

It’s price automatically dictates that only a few will want a full set of these hot rods. The golfer that’s lost distance or that never had it can make most of those losses up by bagging a set of these. Similarly, a better player can put a long iron or two in the top end of his iron set to bridge the gap between the irons and woods.

The irons are very easy to use and will appeal to golfers of all ability levels. The distances these things can send the ball are addictive and the height that they flight the ball allow the ball to hold greens. Are they worth the price of entry? Only you can say for sure but if you’re looking for high performance with a bit of exclusivity attached, then Callaway’s Epic Forged Irons might be what you’re looking for.

The Epic Forged Irons are available at Transview stores in Solaire, the Podium and at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s proshop.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, October 19, 2019

STEWART ZEROES IN ON TITLE IN TARLAC

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IM STEWART dispatched Lexus Keoninh and Clyde Mondilla with a potent power game and crisp iron play that produced a third straight 67 and a huge four-shot lead over new pursuer Guido van der Valk after 54 holes of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Azucarera de Tarlac Open on Friday in Tarlac.

Unlike in his first two five-under cards marred by three bogeys at the Luisita course that proved tougher in the third day with difficult pin placements and the wind picking up, the Brisbane native kept his latest feat unblemished by saving a couple of pars, including on the last hole, for 34-33 round and a 15-under 201 total.

It was easily one of the lowest 54-hole outputs posted at the dreaded Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed layout but more important, it gave Stewart a big cushion in his chase for a victory that has eluded him the past 11 years.

“I played more than 50 tournaments around the globe and 26 here in the Philippines but winless up to this time,” said Stewart, 34, who actually won the Tasmanian Open as an amateur in 2008, the year he turned pro. “Hopefully, I make it this time.”

With a commanding lead, the 6-6 power hitter could be heading to a dream title run although he remained wary of his chances for the top $17,500 purse staked in this event serving as the sixth leg of the third season of the region’s flourishing circuit.

“The wind not so strong but it changed direction often times unlike in the first two rounds,” said Stewart. “But golf is unpredictable. Many weird things happen along the way. So I will just play and enjoy my game.”

As Keoninh and Mondilla wobbled, van der Valk threatened to within one off Stewart with a solid 32 start. But the Manila-based Dutchman, winner of Philippine

Golf Tour’s kickoff leg in Cebu last June, failed to get a crack at the lead with a couple of flubbed birdie chances, playing the backside on even terms for a second 68 and a 205.

Keoninh, who caught up with Stewart at the helm with a bogey-free 66 Thursday, fell behind with two bogeys after six holes and reeled farther back with three straight bogeys from No. 10 against two birdies. He limped with a 75 and tumbled to joint sixth at 209 with Rupert Zaragosa, who shot a second straight 70.

“I played an adventurous game and that’s it. I couldn’t do anything right out there,” rued Keoninh.

Mondilla, just three shots behind the joint leaders halfway through the $100,000 event cosanctioned by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), pressed his bid with three birdies against a bogey after five holes. But the reigning Philippine Open champion got himself undone with a wet triple-bogey on the par-3.

“Sayang, I had a good start but went into the water twice on No. 6,” said Mondilla of his errant 7-iron tee shot on the 201-yard hole. He, however, fought back with three birdies in the last seven holes to save a second 70 and remain at third at 207, now six strokes behind Stewart.

With the rest failing to mount a charge in moving day, Stewart will have just two rivals standing in his way for recognition denied him twice, including in last year’s Luisita Championship of the PGT

MOTOLITE FACES ARMY IN PVL

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ITH the Final Four cast complete, the semifinalists shift their focus on their respective target seeding with No. 4 Motolite out to improve its ranking against also-ran PacificTown-Army on Saturday in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference elims at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

With a 9-5 card, Motolite seeks to sweep its last two games, including one against Creamline on Wednesday, and earn a crack at either Nos. 2 or 3 to avoid facing off with the unbeaten top seed defending champions in the semifinals.

The No. 1 team after the double-round eliminations tangles with the No. 4 squad and the Nos. 2 and 3 clash in separate best-of-three series. Winners will dispute the title, also in a best-of-three play.

Motolite repulsed PacificTown-Army in five in their first round clash but the Lady Troopers will surely be going all out to get back at their tormentors in their 2 p.m. clash.

Chef’s Classic, meanwhile, tries to end its forgettable debut in the league with a victory against Air Force in their 4 p.m. clash.

After a failed semis campaign in the Reinforced Conference, Motolite finally secured a spot in post-elims play in the Open with top spiker Myla Pablo expected to come into the series in top shape along with the likes of Tots Carlos, Isa Molde, Jessma Ramos and Genn Layug.

Motolite is actually eyeing a third straight win while Army is coming off a four-game skid that dashed its semis bid in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.

where he lost by two to Mondilla, and in PGTA’s Manila Southwoods Championship last July where he lost by five to Angelo Que. Wang Wei-Lun bucked a bogey on No. 4 with six birdies, including five at the back, as he turned in his best score of 67 after a 72 and 69 in his first stint here as spearhead of a 36-player strong Taiwanese delegation. The TPGA’s fifthranked player moved to joint fourth at 208 with Aussie Fidel Concepcion, who also carded a five-under card.

Rufino Bayron shot a 71 for ninth at 210 while first round leader Ira Alido, who bombed out with a 76 in the second round, strung up a fourbirdie binge in a fivehole stretch from

No. 8 but bogeyed No. 16 for a 69 and a 211.

Tony Lascuña, hot on a threewin run, sparked by a victory in PGTA Nan Pao Open in Taiwan last month, birdied the first hole to stay in the hunt but lost his focus, touch and all at the back with a 42 marred by a disastrous quintuple bogey on the par-3 No. 17. He ended up with a 77 and slipped to joint 30th at 219.

After yielding 28 under-par scores in the first round and 20 in the next, Luisita bit back and yielded just 15 sub-par cards yesterday as the surviving field struggled in targeting the pins strategically placed near the edge of the greens.

‘PACTO’ LEADS ‘PLAY WITH THE MASTERS’ GOLF R OBERT PACTOLERIN hopes to cash in on his local knowledge of a course where he reigned as Masters champion for a number of times as he headlines the “Play with the Masters” golf tournament on October 23 at Villamor Golf Club.

Expected to crowd Pactolerin for top honors in the 18-hole event put up to help the country’s senior pros are Mario Siodina, Caloy Nival and Mario Manubay, who like Pactolerin is a former Philippine Open champion.

The tournament, featuring the senior pros 50 years old and above, will also include the amateur division in both the men’s and ladies categories.

Registration is still open with entry fee pegged at P3,500 for the amateurs, inclusive of green fee, caddie and meal.

For tickets and reservations, call Robert at 0977-139-8071 or Ben at 0956-812-0099.

Proceeds of the tournament will be used to fund the training and upgrading of the senior pros’ teaching skills.

The amateur side will have two categories—the regular 54 years old and below and the seniors 55 years old and above to be classified under Classes A, B and C to be played under the System 36 scoring format.

Tee-off is at 6 a.m. with one pro and three amateurs making up each flight.

Cash prizes plus gift items will be staked in the centerpiece seniors pro division while trophies and prizes will be up for grabs in the amateur side of the event backed by Ellesse, RMN Media and Marketing Ventures, Seven Echo, Serve Well and GCAP Ventures Philippines.

BETTEN EYES PAYBACK IN BLACK ARROW 5150

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OILED the last time out, Sam Betten tries to get back at fellow Aussie Mitch Robins and reclaim his revered spot on the 5150 ladder as he beefs up the cast in the second Black Arrow Express 5150 firing off on October 27 in Subic Bay. Robins foiled Betten’s drive for a record fourth straight championship in Subic 5150 races with a strong performance in the closing two-loop run stage to rule the inaugural staging of Black Arrow Express race disputed over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim-40k bike-10k run.

But the veteran 6-4 Betten is all geared up for another crack at a 5150 crown not to mention redemption in his favorite race which allows him to go all-out at every stage of the race.

With Robins also coming into the event in top shape together with Czech Jakub Langhammer, a spirited, fierce duel looms in the centerpiece pro division offering $10,000 to the champion.

Langhammer is also out to score a followup to his victory in the first Penong’s 5150 reduced to a duathlon event in Davao last July.

Also on tap in the event, organized by Sunrise Events Inc., now part of the Ironman Group, are the women’s pro division and the Asian Elite for men and women offering a top purse of P200,000.

Sharing center stage is the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint, a short distance triathlon series featuring a 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run put up by Go for Gold to help Filipino athletes promote excellence.

For details, contact secretariat at blackarr owexpress@5150philippines.com. For pro athletes, contact preregistration@ironman.com.

Long considered as the country’s triathlon hub, Subic has hosted some of the biggest national and international races, including the Ironman 70.3 and the firstever full Ironman in the country in 2018.

In fact, the pristine waters of Subic Bay and the well-paved roads inside and around the Subic Bay Freeport Zone will host the region’s top and rising endurance racers in the coming SEA Games.

STAGS COMPLETE F4 CAST

By Ryniel Berlanga

AN SEBASTIAN College survived University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 99-94, to seal the Final Four cast of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 seniors basketball tournament on Friday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Allyn Bulanadi scored 15 of his seasonhigh 44 points for the Stags, who joined defending champion San Beda Red Lions, Lyceum Pirates and Letran Knights in the semifinals.

Trailing by 11 entering the fourth period, the Altas uncorked a 14-1 run to grab a 79-77 advantage when the Stags turned to Bulanadi in the final six minutes.

Bulanadi scattered 15 points in that crucial stretch, including a three-pointer at the 1:42 mark that gave San Sebastian the needed cushion, 93-88.

The Stags finished the elimination round in fourth place with an 11-7 card to make a return trip to the semifinals after

S

TIM STEWART smells victory with one round to go. ROY DOMINGO

SILVER: CHINA ASKED FOR ROCKETS GM MOREY TO BE FIRED

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

ATIONAL Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver said Chinese officials wanted Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey to be fired for his tweet supporting anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, and the league emphatically dismissed the request.

Silver also said that the league is already feeling “substantial” financial losses because of the Chinese reaction to Morey’s deleted tweet.

“Obviously, we made clear that we were being asked to fire him by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business,” Silver said Thursday during an appearance at the Time 100 Health Summit in New York. “We said, ‘There’s no chance that’s happening. There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him.’”

Silver also said he isn’t sure what will happen to the NBA’s relationship with China, which has been growing steadily over the last three decades.

“I felt we had made enormous progress in terms of building cultural exchanges with the Chinese people,” Silver said. “Again, I have regret that much of that was lost. And I’m not even sure where we’ll go from here.”

The league and LeBron James, one of its biggest stars, have been heavily

criticized by some US lawmakers for the perception that they caved to the Chinese regime. Morey has not been rebuked publicly by the league, and Silver has said that the league will support his freedom of expression.

“We wanted to make an absolute clear statement that the values of the NBA, these American values—we are an American business—travel with us wherever we go, and one of those values is free expression,” Silver said. “We wanted to make sure everyone understood we were supporting free expression.”

The Rockets were of massive interest in China, largely because of Yao Ming— the Chinese star who spent his entire NBA career in Houston. Yao is now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association, which has suspended its ties to the Rockets because of the tweet.

Morey has not commented publicly since a pair of tweets on October 6 attempting to clarify his position.

“I understand there is a point of view from some that we shouldn’t be in business at all in China, and I’d say from an intellectual standpoint, that’s fair—not getting into whether the tweet or the response to it,” Silver said. “But if people believe that we shouldn’t be engaged in commerce in China or frankly in other places in the world...I, at some

point, look to the American government.

“We’re in the middle of negotiating a trade agreement,” Silver continued.

“Many multinational corporations do trade extensively with China. And if that’s ultimately how our government feels we should be dealing with China, again, we are a US company.”

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air the two NBA preseason games between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets last week. Tencent, which has a $1.5-billion deal to stream NBA games in China over the next five years, has also stopped showing Rockets games but has not totally dropped all NBA content.

“The losses have already been substantial,” Silver said. “Our games are not back on the air in China, as we speak, and we’ll see what happens next.”

Silver was at the summit to discuss the league’s deeper commitment to ensuring players and employees are taking care of their mental health, something that has been a growing topic in the NBA in recent years—particularly with the acknowledgment of top players like San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and Cleveland’s Kevin Love that they struggle with certain issues.

Silver also addressed how social media can make matters more difficult for those who engage. AP

a one-year absence.

San Sebastian will face No. 3 Letran in the first step-ladder semifinals on November 5, with the winner taking on secondranked Lyceum in another do-or-die match three days later.

The survivor of the step-ladder phase will take on four-peat seeking San Beda in the best-of-three championship starting November 12.

The Red Lions jumped straight to the Finals after sweeping all their 18 games in the double-round eliminations.

Coach Edgar Macaraya was simply glad that the Stags are back in the top 4 after a forgettable campaign last year.

“It’s been tough for the team, and we’re more than glad that we’re in the semifinals,” said Macaraya.

Edgar Charcos had 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Perpetual.

He, however, missed a three-pointer in the dwindling seconds that could have tied the game at 97-97.

The Altas finished with a 5-13 record.

MVP REWARDS NESTHY MVP sports Foundation Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan

(third from left) and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al S. Panlilio (third from right) present a check representing a P1-million cash incentive to International Boxing Association world champion boxer Nesthy Petecio (center) at the PLDT office in Makati recently. Also in photo are Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines President Ricky Vargas (second from left), ABAP Secretary-General Ed Picson (left) and coaches Nolito Velasco and Reynaldo Galido.

BusinessMirror

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

Experience powerful PC-like performance with new Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 MORE and more Filipinos are becoming part of the New Work Tribe. These are enterprising individuals who are creating new career paths by turning their passions into professions. They live on-the-go lifestyles that give them the power to take on multiple roles and tasks at the same time.

That’s why they like to invest in tools that help them to create anytime, anywhere—just like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6. The latest tablet from the Korean tech brand offers a powerful PC-like experience in a slim and portable body.

The Galaxy Tab S6 comes with the improved Samsung DeX technology which lets the New Work Tribe seamlessly connect to another display using an HDMI cable and run their apps on a bigger screen.

This premium feature also allows them to easily transfer files, photos and videos to other gadgets.

Powering the tablet is a 7nm processor that delivers optimized productivity and gaming performance which is supported by its huge 7,040mAh battery to last users a whole day. All these are packed in a light, sleek and portable 5.7mmslim body weighing just 420g. It’s heavy enough to perform like a powerful PC, but is light enough to be carried like a smartphone.

Additionally, the accompanying portable book cover keyboard offers a seamless desktop experience even on the go. Multitasking also becomes an art form with the tablet’s multiwindow feature where the screen can be split to display two apps at the same time.

The Galaxy Tab S6 is built for productivity with its revolutionary S Pen. Ideas can be brought to life in an instant by writing and sketching with the Bluetooth remote control function even when another app is open. The S Pen’s Air action feature also allows creatives to intuitively control the tablet using simple hand gestures.

The Galaxy Tab S6 also serves as a hub for inspiration as it is preinstalled with Netflix and Spotify. Its 10.5-inch super AMOLED display and AKG-tuned quad speakers with Dolby Atmos allow for a more immersive entertainment experience, while the on-screen optical fingerprint scanner delivers maximum convenience and added security where users can swiftly unlock the screen with a simple tap.

Saturday, October 19, 2019 A9

HOOQ announces new partnerships and pricing for subscribers PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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OPULAR streaming service HOOQ has launched new partnerships, content and pricing models during a recent regional event held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In the Philippines, HOOQ hopes to give its subscribers more stories of love and romance, victories and other untold authentic stories of Asia— “created by Asians for Asians.”

In the last six months, HOOQ Philippines has come up with four HOOQ Originals, starting with the smash-hit movie Ulan, a coproduction with Viva Entertainment and starring the young and talented actress Nadine Lustre.

HOOQ also produced Sex Talks with Dr. Holmes, a coproduction with Ninja Dog. This is a 10-episode series which talks about sex in a lighthearted and humorous way. It stars sex expert Dr. Margie Holmes.

HOOQ also coproduced two original movies that won accolades at the Cinemalaya 2019 Festival. Iska is a coproduction with Firestarters Productions under the direction of Theodore Borobol, and HOOQ’s official competition piece.

Iska bagged awards in Best Sound Design, Best Screenplay and Best Actress for Ruby Ruiz. MinaAnud, coproduced with Regal Entertainment and Epic Media, and directed by Kerwin Go, is the true-to-life story of how drugs affects the lives of two men and the people around them.

This is all part of HOOQ’s plan to make its content more country-specific without losing its international offerings. “HOOQ will have never-before-seen stories of what makes Asia tick and will give a glimpse of the pulse of the people who live here. These are very exciting times for our viewers,” said Jennifer Batty, HOOQ chief content officer.

HOOQ Philippines has an impressive library of TV shows including Hollywood favorites like The Flash, Supergirl, The Arrow and Desperate Housewives, plus Tagalog shows like On the Wings of Love, Pangako Sa ‘Yo and Sino ang May Sala.

There are also new shows, such as The Good Doctor Seasons 1 and 2, and the Emmy-winning Killing Eve Seasons 1 and 2. Killing Eve Season 1 can be streamed on HOOQ for free without the need to sign up. And finally this month, HOOQ launched

JENNIFER BATTY, HOOQ chief content officer

the much-awaited GMA drama series The Gi�t, which features network star Alden Richards. The Gi�t is HOOQ’s latest catch-up show which viewers can watch within 24 hours from its live TV broadcast.

HOOQ will also soon have celebrity YouTube channels featuring different personalities talking about a wide range of subjects.

October also marks the launch of Google Play and GCash as new payment avenues for subscribers who are unbanked and prefer the flexibility of paying in cash. This gives HOOQ access to over 30 million Android users and 20 million GCash users. Also, to be announced later this year are exciting HOOQ offers for Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi subscribers.

With a region-wide partnership with Grab, HOOQ Philippines plans to tap into the app’s growing subscriber base. “This will allow HOOQ subscribers and Grab users to enjoy fully integrated and connected experiences within Grab’s platform.

The ambition is to let Grab users enjoy and pay for their HOOQ content from within the app. We see this lighting up early next year,“ said Sheila Paul, HOOQ

Philippines country manager.

To further expand its footprint in the Philippines and accessibility to the budget-conscious tingi market, HOOQ Philippines has teamed up with market leader 7-Eleven Philippines, Gate Distribution Enterprise Inc., Shop4Fun and Load Central to bring HOOQ VIPiso Deals to physical trade level, allowing Filipinos to purchase their HOOQ subscriptions in the same places where they buy personal products, pay for their utilities and buy prepaid load—the malls, payment centers, internet cafes and neighborhood convenience stores. The HOOQ VIPiso Deals are affordable plans that start at daily, weekly, all the way to annual subscriptions. HOOQ VIPiso Deals are now available in over 30,000 Load Central outlets across the country.

On October 23, seven-day, 30-day, three-month and 12-month VIPiso Deals will be available in nearly 2,800 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Exclusive to 7-Eleven is the annual subscription plan worth only P500 which gives 7-Eleven buyers a whopping 70-percent discount. ■

Huawei reports sales gain despite US sanctions BEIJING—Chinese tech giant Huawei on Wednesday reported a double-digit gain in sales despite US sanctions that threaten to disrupt its smartphone and network equipment businesses.

Huawei Technologies Ltd. said its sales rose 24.4 percent in the first nine months of 2019 to 610.8 billion yuan ($86 billion).

That was faster than the 23.2-percent gain reported for the first half.

The announcement followed US-Chinese trade talks in Washington that ended Friday with no word of progress on resolving Huawei’s status.

The Trump administration, which

accuses Huawei of being a security risk, imposed curbs in May on its access to US technology and components, including Google’s music, maps and other smartphone services.

Washington has delayed enforcement and suggested it might allow sales of some US technology. But Huawei’s Chairman Liang Hua, warned in July it would “face difficulties” in the second half.

Huawei says it is removing US components from its smartphones and network gear and has announced its own phone operating system to replace Google’s Android if necessary.

But no non-US supplier can fully replace Google music, maps and other services. Industry analysts say that might threaten Huawei’s status as the No. 2 global smartphone brand behind Samsung by sales volume.

Huawei said smartphone shipments rose 26 percent in the first nine months of 2019 over a year earlier, to 185 million units. US security warnings focus on Huawei’s status as the biggest supplier of network gear that forms the heart of telecom networks.

Huawei denies accusations it facilitates Chinese spying or might install “backdoors” in its equipment for eavesdropping.

The company, China’s first global tech brand, is a leader in next-generation network technology meant to support self-driving cars and other new applications. Its increased reach makes 5G technology more politically sensitive.

Washington is lobbying European and other allies to ban Huawei from plans to upgrade networks to 5G. Germany, France and Ireland say they have no plans to ban any supplier.

A US official on Tuesday warned that Washington would reconsider sharing intelligence with allies that use Huawei network equipment. AP

Ericsson ConsumerLab report paints reality of 5G connectivity for consumers TODAY, communication service providers in different markets have already switched on 5G, with more than 10 million 5G subscriptions projected worldwide by the end of 2019.

A recent Ericsson ConsumerLab report, 5G Consumer Potential, reveals that there is growing global awareness, with 40 percent of consumers expecting 5G to be launched in their respective markets within a year. The report also indicates that over one-third of global smartphone users are only willing to wait six months, before leaving their current service providers for one that provides 5G. According to the MIT Technology Review Insights, the Philippines, a market where there is available spectrum, counts as one of the front-runner markets to be primed for 5G in Southeast Asia.

Globally, 43 percent of smartphone users say they

face most issues with 4G in crowded locations. They are, therefore, highly interested in 5G hot zone services offering reliable ultra-high speeds in high data-traffic locations, such as airports, shopping streets and office spaces.

This is extremely relevant for a country like the Philippines where network congestion is generally inevitable due to the huge online populace, which according to the “We Are Social Digital 2019” report is at 76 million, or 70 percent of the entire Filipino population. This year, the Philippines came out top of the world in terms of time spent online daily which reached 10 hours and two minutes. With 5G, consumers expect to not only stream videos in higher resolutions, but also use immersive video formats, such as augmented reality and virtual reality. In a 5G future, consumers will be watching

an additional three hours of video content weekly on mobile devices away from home, of which one hour will be on AR/ VR glasses. By 2024, video forecast will make up almost 75 percent of mobile traffic, while 1 in 5 smartphone users’ data usage could increase 10 times to reach more than 200GB per month on a 5G device by 2025.

In addition to offering data speeds that are 100 times faster providing instant access to services and applications, 5G also offers network latency that is significantly reduced to 1-10 ms. This is especially crucial for gaming-related use cases, such as cloud game streaming and VR cloud gaming.

As Mari Takahashi, or “AtomicMari,” one of the top female names in the world of gaming, says, “The last thing a gamer ever wants is lag; using 5G technology in order to have you

immersed in that [gaming] world is really leveling things up.”

Today, gamification has grown significantly into a regional industry with national teams from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines participating in first edition of the eSports medal event at the 2019 SEA Games held in Manila at the end of this year. For device vendors and communication service providers, this level of advanced consumer readiness translates into a world of endless business opportunities.

In a market like the Philippines where there is already available spectrum, there is a significant first mover advantage for operators to move beyond selling SIM cards.

Service providers need to start now to unlock the 5G consumer potential for the Philippines market.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, October 19, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Google rolls out updated privacy tools for YouTube, Maps GOOGLE is rolling out more tools for users to control their privacy settings.

The company and other tech giants are facing increased scrutiny over the amount of data they collect from

their users. Google and Facebook both debuted new privacy tools this year.

Now, YouTube users will be able to set their search and viewing histories to auto-delete after a set

period of time. Google Maps will have an incognito mode, which means a user’s movements won’t be recorded when it’s turned on. It will be available on Android this month. Google did

not give an exact date for iOS. Google also says people will be able to delete their voice histories from artificial-intelligence system Assistant using a voice command. AP

In ‘SIM swap,’ criminals really have your number

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BY LIZ WESTON | NerdWallet

F you’re not familiar with SIM swap fraud, prepare to be terrified.

This scam, also known as port-out or SIM splitting fraud, allows criminals to hijack your cell-phone number. Once they have your number, the bad guys can clean out your financial accounts, confiscate your e-mail, delete your data and take over your social-media profiles.

Fraudsters can do all this because many companies—including banks, brokerages, e-mail providers and social-media platforms—verify your identity by texting a code to your cell phone.

Intercepting those codes can give a criminal an allaccess pass to your financial and digital life.

This kind of identity fraud has been around for years, but it’s getting more attention after a wave of cryptocurrency thefts and attacks on high-profile victims, including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who briefly lost control of his Twitter account.

THIS IS THE FRAUD THE EXPERTS FEAR MOST THE potential damage is so great that security expert Avivah Litan, vice president at research firm Gartner Inc., fears losing her phone number far more than having her Social Security number compromised.

“I’d rather they took my social, to tell you the truth,” Litan says, “because I care about my retirement money and I know some of it is protected through phone number access.”

What’s more, you can’t prevent this fraud—only your carrier can. And, right now, criminals are finding it’s pretty easy to fool the phone companies.

Sometimes the scam artists bribe or blackmail carrier employees; sometimes, the employees are the criminals. Other times, the fraudsters use identifying data they’ve stolen, bought on the dark Web or gleaned from social media to convince carriers that they’re you. They pretend they want to change carriers or say they need a new SIM card, the module that identifies a phone’s owner and allows it to connect to a network. Once they persuade the carrier to transfer your number to a phone they control, they can attack your other accounts.

Even getting your cell-phone carrier to recognize what’s happening, and help you stop it, can be a challenge, says security expert Bob Sullivan, host of the “So, Bob” technology podcast. Victims report being forced to educate phone company employees about the fraud and having their numbers stolen more than once, even after protections were supposedly in place. “The real problem is when you call, are you going to get a person that you can talk to about this quickly and are they going to recognize what’s happening?” Sullivan asks. “Or are you going to be in

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IMPACT Hub Asia Pacific Lead and Impact Hub Manila Founder and CEO Ces Rondario

voicemail hell for three hours while a criminal raids all your accounts?”

Phone companies protest they’re doing all they can, and solutions that would make this theft harder also would inconvenience people who legitimately want to switch carriers or need their numbers transferred to new SIM cards because their phones have been lost or stolen.

While you can’t prevent this fraud if you have a cell phone, you may be able to reduce the chances of being victimized or, at least, limit the damage.

CHANGE HOW YOU’RE IDENTIFIED, IF YOU CAN FIRST, ask your phone company to put a personal identification number on your account. Hopefully the carrier will require that to be produced before your phone number is “ported out” to a new carrier or assigned to a different SIM card.

Then, investigate whether you can switch to more secure authentication on your sensitive accounts.

Being texted a code is better than nothing, since this “two-factor” authentication is harder to beat

than just using a password. Better options would be to get the codes through a call to a landline or by using an authenticator app, such as Authy, Google Authenticator or Duo Security on your smartphone.

ASSUME THE WORST IF your phone stops working or you can’t send or receive texts, don’t assume it’s a glitch. Call using an alternate method or visit your carrier immediately to report phone takeover fraud. Sullivan recommends knowing a few alternate ways to contact your carrier, such as Wi-Fi calling, Skype or an easily accessed backup phone.

If you do become a victim, you should: ■ Alert your financial institutions.

■ Change the e-mail and password associated with all your financial and payment accounts.

■ Freeze your credit reports.

■ File identity theft reports with your local police department.

The important thing is to move quickly, because the bad guys won’t wait. “You have a plan in place because minutes are going to matter,” Sullivan says. AP

PHISHING VICTIMIZES 17.3% PHL NETIZENS IN H1 2019

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor WHILE phishing attempts recorded in the Philippines was lower than its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia during the first half of 2019, the number of users in the country infected by the simplest yet still most effective cyber attack was the highest in the region, according to a global cyber-security firm.

Out of 14 million phishing incidents against netizens during the period in review, over 11 million were collectively detected by Kaspersky in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Thailand logged nearly 1.5 million attempts while the Philippines had more than 1 million. Singapore had only 351,510 attempts from January to June of this year.

Data on Internet users affected by the trick, however, was at 17.3 percent in the Philippines in the first six month of 2019, or 65.56 percent higher compared to same period last year at 10.449 percent.

This was followed by Malaysia, from 11.253 percent to 15.829 percent year-on-year; Indonesia, from 10.719 percent to 14.316 percent; Thailand, from 10.9 percent to 11.972 percent; Vietnam, from 9.481 to 11.703 percent; and Singapore, from 4.142 percent to 5 percent. Phishing attempts pertain to the frequency that cyber felons try to entice Kaspersky users to visit fraudulent web sites to steal their information, particularly the regions and territories of their origin. The percentage of infected users indicate the proportion of Kaspersky users targeted by these phishing attempts within a given time frame.

This perennial threat is real in Southeast Asia and shows no signs of fading anytime soon given the young populace in the region, according to Kaspersky Southeast Asia General Manager Yeo Siang Tiong.

“It is an accepted fact that the young users will buy a new phone, then think of securing it physically but never virtually. And as long as individuals will continue to let their guards down when using the Internet, we can be sure we’d keep on counting phishing victims again and again,” he said, while citing the urgent need to educate them on the risks of basic attacks like phishing.

The effectiveness of this kind of scam proved enticing to criminals who can easily sell stolen credentials in the dark Web. They are after user credentials, including credit-card numbers, bank account passwords and other financial applications.

Despite stern warnings from authorities and private companies that users should not share personal information over the Internet, however, the number of victims has been steadily increasing.

“It’s seriously alarming that phishing tricks are still very effective in deceiving Internet users in Southeast Asia. It’s also worth noting that cybercriminals can use the same e-mail phishing strategy for years and someone will still provide their personal details willingly or click a malicious link unknowingly,” Yeo stressed.

“Our latest data proves that we really need to work on turning Internet users in the region into well-informed and meticulous recipients who would be able to recognize such fraudulent ancient tricks,” he said.

Founded in 1997, Kaspersky’s security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Through its 270,000 corporate clients worlwide, it protects more than 400 million users via its technologies.

World’s biggest hackathon scheduled in PHL THE world’s biggest hackathon, “Impact Hackathon,” is set to take place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, along with more hackathon coding teams from over 15 nationwide locations simultaneously participating in this 24-hour on-the-spot coding marathon. Impact Hackathon is set to be part of the Guinness World Records (GWR), a defining moment for the Philippine Technology sector.

The current GWR record-holder is the Hajj Hackathon, a coding event in Saudi Arabia with 2,950 participants. Impact Hackathon is an official attempt by Impact Hub Manila and its partners to break the set record by official GWR standards by activating more than 10,000 participants with more than 3,500 of them coding from a single venue in Quezon City—

the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Impact Hackathon teams will create technology-based solutions anchored on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targeting global issues in Climate Change, Education, Agriculture, Smart Cities and Health.

These themes are specifically highlighted because of their global relevance and the ability of the hackathon participants from this part of the world to offer their own insight to efficiently address these issues.

More information and registration details regarding the hackathon are available at www. impact2050.com/tickets.

Besides more than 10,000 hackathon participants, Impact Hackathon brings together the biggest network of personalities representing brands from the technology,

start-up and entrepreneurship sectors in the region. Impact Hub Manila is in cooperation and partnership with the following representatives of the government, private, start-up, and corporate sectors, namely: the Asian Development Bank, Dentsu Aegis Network, KMC, GIZ, SparkUP Business World, Forest Foundation, WWF, KumuMedia Technologies, Smart, PLDT, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, League of Cities of the Philippines, Microsoft, Team Bam Aquino, UnionBank and Gawad Kalinga.

“There are so many problems in the Philippines and in the region, and when there are problems, there’s opportunity for entrepreneurship to rise. It opens the door for

people to think, do and be better,” says Impact Hub Manila Founder and CEO Ces Rondario.

She adds that “this is a time for better thinking and solutions-finding, and the region and the Philippines can lead in this. This is our chance to define our future and the world in 2050. This is our time.”

Impact Hub (www.impacthub.net) is the world’s largest network of impact entrepreneurs with more than 17,000 members from more than 100 hubs located in more than 50 countries around the world.

Impact Hub’s Global Community headquarters is in Vienna, Austria. Rondario is also the lead of Impact Hub Asia, with hubs in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Taiwan.

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Nokia boosts marketing position, introduces loaded smartphone

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

CALIFORNIA has proposed rules for companies preparing for the state’s data privacy bill, including setting out specific ways people can ask for their personal information to be deleted from company databases. AP

California outlines ways to comply with upcoming privacy law

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BY RACHEL LERMAN The Associated Press

OMPANIES must notify California residents of their data privacy rights in plain language and must verify people’s identities before releasing data, state officials proposed Thursday.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced draft regulations that also spell out ways people can ask for their personal information to be deleted from company databases.

The rules are being drafted to implement a landmark state privacy law taking effect in January.

The law allows California residents to learn what information companies hold on them, request deletion and opt out of the sale of their personal info.

Although only California residents can make requests, the law is expected to have broader impact on how companies manage and sell people’s information online. That’s because companies outside the state must comply if they meet relatively low thresholds. “Data is today’s gold,” Becerra said at a press conference in San Francisco. “Everyone is rushing to mine data.”

The law was born out of a desire for people to

have more control over their personal information online. It’s a topic that has been top of mind in recent years as high-profile leaks, smarter home artificialintelligence systems and targeted advertisements show just how much companies know about their customers. Privacy experts and researchers expect California’s law to pave the way for laws from other states and possibly Congress.

California’s privacy law has been a hot-button issue for lobbyists all year, often pitting tech industry interest groups against privacy rights advocates. But neither side made major traction during the year, and the bill that was finalized last month remains largely unchanged from the original version.

The attorney general’s proposed rules say companies must provide at least two ways—in most cases, a toll-free number and an online form— for people to request what specific information companies hold on them. To request deletion, people must first indicate they want their information to be erased, and then confirm the decision in a two-step process. Companies will need to verify that a person requesting data is actually that person. That can be done by matching information in the request to information the company has collected over time.

Data can be deleted by completely erasing it from

company systems, by removing enough information so it can no longer be associated with a named person, or by aggregating it so it’s part of large groups of data.

Companies that serve at least 4 million Californians—which will include all large tech companies and many retailers—would also need to publish an annual report noting the number of requests they get from people to either see their own information, delete it or opt-out from sale.

The rules also state that third-party data brokers, which are often the ones selling data for advertising and other purposes, need to make sure that people are properly notified their data is being collected.

Those companies, which rarely interact directly with consumers, can do that either by sending out notices or making contracts with the consumer-facing companies that people use.

The proposed regulations also make it possible for people to use browser extensions that automatically opt them out of the sale of data on each site they visit.

The law’s original creator, real-estate investor Alastair Mactaggart, recently introduced a new ballot proposal to expand on the law. It would create a new state agency to enforce the law.

The proposed rules will now open to public comment and forums before being finalized. ■

IN a bid to enhance its position in the local market, HMD Global, the developer of Nokia mobile phones, recently introduced the Nokia 7.2, the company’s first smartphone to combine a triple camera and PureDisplay.

“Our new launches are bringing us closer to our partners, our fans and all those who are looking for a smartphone that’ll just keep getting better with our unique promise of two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security patches. In the Philippines, more consumers will be able to buy a Nokia smartphone as we expand our retail presence in the country. Moreover, consumers will also be excited by our sensational promos and deals on the Nokia 7.2. I’m excited about the launch of Nokia 7.2 and look forward to consumers loving the experience on this smartphone,” said Sancho Chak, general manager of HMD Global Philippines, during the launch event held on October 10 in Makati City.

In her presentation, HMD Global Philippines Senior Business Manager Charlotte Koa pointed out the Nokia 7.2 carries winning features such as the powerful 48MP triple camera with Quad Pixel technology and ZEISS Optics.

Moreover, it introduces a range of ZEISS bokeh styles exclusive to Nokia smartphones which recreate the way legendary ZEISS lenses produce high visual impact and signature blur. Alongside even more AI-powered features such as night mode, fans can get even more creative with their stories.

Koa stressed that the Nokia 7.2 has put importance on the strengths of its predecessor, such as the PureDisplay technology and always-on HDR, with timeless Nordic design to redefine what fans should expect from this smartphone segment. Koa said the Nokia 7.2 utilizes the power of artificial intelligence in its night mode feature that allows a user to snap the perfect moment even in low light.

Fitting more subjects is also easy with its ultrawide camera that comes with a 118-degree field of view and ZEISS Optics. With a dedicated Pixelworks visual processor, Chak said the Nokia 7.2 upscales video content to HDR quality in real time, with up to a billion shades of color, higher contrast and expanded dynamic range.

He added that HMD has also addressed the staying power of battery by developing a two-day battery life. “We always do the utilization of software and the hardware and that is why we are able to develop a battery with a twoday life,” he said.

Moreover, he said Nokia has been gaining strength in the feature phone market because the brand has proven its reliability and affordability.

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THE Nokia 7.2 smartphone

Health care cyber attack trends in 2019 DURING the first five months of 2019, health-care organizations were under nearly constant cyberattack attempts ranging from targeted phishing and customized ransomware incidents, to more common exploits such as malware and botnets. The examples below serve as a takeaway so that we can learn from what has come before.

patient information.

Botnets have been another challenge so far in 2019.

Gh0st RAT is able to take full control of a victim’s machine, as well as log keystrokes and hijack webcam and microphone data.

Bladabindi is similar, but it can also steal stored credentials, such as usernames/passwords and other PII.

TRADITIONAL HEALTH-CARE NETWORK THREATS

TARGETED ATTACKS

ONE of the most prevalent threats was the Android/ Generic.AP malware that targets Android mobile devices. Once installed on a phone, this trojan can capture keystrokes, collect system information, download/upload files, perform denial-of-service attacks, and run/terminate processes.

In networks where health-care providers rely on their mobile devices to provide real-time patient information, compromised phones can become a conduit for introducing additional malware into the network and gaining unauthorized access to

WE have also seen a spike in targeted attacks against health-care networks. Incidences of an older trojan called Kwampirs, which targets the systems of MRI and x-ray machines and siphons their configuration data, have been documented being actively deployed inside specific networks.

SamSam ransomware has also been targeting the health-care industry, but we are now seeing additional capabilities being developed and additional malware being included with the ransomware payload, which should worry security administrators.

WHAT YOU CAN DO THE best place to start is with the basics. Best security hygiene practice involves four essential elements: ■ Patch your devices religiously.

■ Update hardware and software when possible.

■ Replace older systems that can no longer be patched or updated.

■ Implement strong proximity controls for systems that cannot be replaced.

Visibility not only requires seeing every device on your network, but also knowing what they are and the role they play. Here are a few: ■ MISSION-CRITICAL SYSTEMS. It’s crucial that you understand your mission-critical processes, including critical care areas that cannot withstand downtime.

■ ONLINE ASSETS. Maintain an automatically updated inventory of every asset on your network.

Those resources that rely on remote access, such as telemedicine or remote clinics, need extra attention.

■ EXTENDED INFRASTRUCTURE. You need to

not only understand your network topology, but cloud resources such as SaaS applications and infrastructures, as well as remote and branch offices.

■ MEDICAL I.O.T. Monitoring or treatment systems need to be identified, tracked and secured, including mobile devices that move between hospital departments or even into patient homes.

Once an attacker manages to gain access to the network, they will continue to drive deeper to achieve their goals. Proper network segmentation can limit lateral movement, thereby slowing down attacks and even discouraging attackers—giving you more time for detection and response.

Given their users’ preference for health-care networks, health-care IT administrators need to assume they will continue to be the target of a ransomware attack. Proper preparation includes an aggressive backup strategy, storing backups and recover systems offline, and running restoration drills so recovery can be fast and effective.

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

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Quad camera value kings TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

Despite defections, Facebook officially launches Libra NEW YORK—Facebook officially moved forward with its plans Monday to create a new digital currency called Libra, despite several high-profile defections from the project, and intense criticism from US regulators and politicians.

The Libra Association, the nonprofit that will govern the currency, officially signed on 21 charter members on Monday at the organization’s inaugural meeting in Geneva. Originally, the Libra Association had 27 potential members, but several companies dropped out in recent days, including Visa, Mastercard and PayPal. Most of the remaining members of the Libra Association consist of venture capital firms, who often have an eye on emerging technologies and align with Facebook’s interests, as well as nonprofits.

But some larger companies who are now members of the association include Uber, Lyft, Spotify and European telecommunications company Vodafone.

The association said in a statement that an unnamed additional 180 entities have expressed interest and have met the initial requirements to join.

Facebook has faced criticism since the summer when it unveiled plans to create a separate, private currency system to allow users to make cross-border payments more easily. Politicians have said they believe Facebook’s struggles with protecting users’ privacy would spill over into Libra, despite it being a separate organization.

Facebook and the Libra Association have said they would not start trading or accepting deposits for Libra until they satisfy US regulators concerns. Dante Disparte, Libra’s head of policy and communications, said that the association is now in active talks with regulators to get approval. Facebook has also hired several Washington lobbyists to help alleviate regulator and political concerns over Libra. AP

I

’VE said it before and I’ll say it again: the smartphone industry has never been this exciting, and it has become a prime example of why competition is good for the consumer.

Week after week, we are seeing new smartphones that not only wow us with their looks and features but also how they redefine value. Now you don’t have to spend P20,000 or above to enjoy an excellent phone.

And thanks to all the tech news and review sites, Filipino users have become so knowledgeable that not even the biggest celebrities or influencers can convince them to buy a crappy overpriced phone (although that hasn’t stopped some brands from trying).

This week we look at the latest releases of realme and Redmi (by Xiaomi)—two of the most requested smartphones in our column.

REAL VALUE TRUE to its promise, Realme has indeed changed the game when it first released its first phone the realme c1 less than a year ago. Since then, it has provided consumers a budget phone that’s great for gaming and photography.

With the release of the realme 5 and realme 5 pro, the brand again broke its sales records, selling three times the number of units than its predecessors, selling out its initial stocks shortly after its release.

Designed to deliver a premium mobile experience, the realme 5 Pro and realme 5 are the first phones from the brand that are equipped with four rear cameras, as well as a strong system performance, longer battery life at very affordable price tags.

The realme 5 Pro boasts of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE processor to provide a great gaming and entertaining experience to its users. It comes with a Qualcomm Adreno 616 GPU, which improves the phone’s graphics performance and energy efficiency by up to 35 percent.

To provide users with a more immersive display experience, the realme 5 Pro features a 6.3-inch FHD+ screen with a dewdrop design for a wider and clearer display. This gives the phone a high screen ratio

NO CASH-OUT FOR GLOBE AT HOME PREPAID WIFI GETTING the best of everything for the whole family is always a top priority.

Globe At Home Prepaid (www.facebook.com/ globeathome) and GCash have made it even easier to level up your home Internet experience with Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi now available with no cash-out using GCredit via your GCash app at just P1,499.

The promo is open to GCash customers with a credit limit of P2,000 and above until October 31.

Simply visit the nearest Globe retailer, scan the QR code to pay and use the GCredit payment option.

With Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi’s 2x faster Internet speed, 2x stronger signal and broader coverage than your average pocket Wi-Fi, you can now enjoy that much-needed family time. With affordable data promos and no monthly fees, everyone can continue watching YouTube videos, keeping up with friends on Facebook and TikTok, and streaming the latest on Netflix and iWant for more family fun time.

of 90.8 percent, providing users a bigger display for even more enjoyable Web navigation, data checking, image browsing and video streaming.

The realme 5 Pro is the brand’s best shooter to date with a flagship quad-camera setup comprised of an 8MP 119-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP portrait lens, 2MP ultra-macro lens, and a 48MP Sony IMX586 main camera, all providing users with an all-around photography experience for various scenarios.

Daytime photos are excellent and for those who want sharper-looking snaps, all you have to do is turn on Nightscape and Chroma Boost to make your photos easily stand out.

For selfies, the realme 5 Pro has 16MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture and Sony IMX471 image sensor with 5sP high-concentration lens. The phone is equipped with a 4,035mAh high-capacity battery and supports a 20W VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge Technology.

The realme 5 Pro sports a new holographic color and cutting textures reflective of the design gene of realme, with upgrades on the material and hardware technology to achieve a richer layered visual. It is available in Crystal Green and Sparkling Blue colors.

The realme 5 Pro disrupts the sub P15,000 market with a 4GB+128GB storage priced at P11,990 and an 8GB+128GB variants for only P13,990.

The realme 5, on the other hand, is its even more affordable brother. It also features a quad-camera setup and a snappy Snapdragon 665 processor, with a 2.0GHz clock speed, enhanced gaming performance and third-generation Qualcomm AI Engine.

The AI quad-camera setup is designed to deliver upgraded imaging and is composed of a 12MP image sensor, 8MP 119-degree ultra-wide-angle, and ultramacro lens to capture of subjects with small details.

The 13MP AI front camera optimizes the selfie beauty function for the best self-portrait. It adds AI beauty algorithms to accurately recognize photographed subjects using a total of 296 feature recognition points, thereby providing 8 million beauty effects for different groups of people.

The realme 5 has a 5000mAh large-capacity battery, so that gamers can play longer without the need to plug in. The realme 5 comes in three variants in terms of RAM and user storage, with the corresponding price points.

MI ‘NUMBAWAN’ WITH a rabid, outspoken and very loyal fanbase, Xiaomi doesn’t need to pay any celebrity to promote its smartphones as its millions of satisfied users have become their very own endorsers. Just try to engage them in a conversation and you’ll surely get some very “lively” replies.

Xiaomi also joins the trend with its quad camera all-stars: the Redmi 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro. Unlike the competition, however, Redmi Note 8 Pro is the very first smartphone in the Philippines to feature a 64MP quad-camera setup.

Redmi Note 8 Pro touts four high-quality shooters.

Its ultra-high resolution 64MP primary camera captures stunning photos that can be printed up to 3.26 meters tall. It also uses 1.6µm 4-in-1 Super Pixel to capture more light for bright night shots. Meanwhile, an 8MP ultra-wide angle camera with a 120° field of view, 2MP macro camera and 2MP depth sensor come together to create Redmi’s most versatile camera setup yet. The 20MP front camera’s built-in AI technology lets users put their best face forward through detailed portrait selfies, scene detection and face unlock.

Equipped with a large 6.53” FHD+ Dot Drop display and rear fingerprint sensor, the device achieves a 91.4 percent screen-to-body ratio.

Redmi Note 8 Pro is powered by the latest MediaTek Helio G90T processor, an octa-core CPU clocked up to 2.05GHz for extended everyday use.

The device also features LiquidCool—the Redmi Note series’s first ever LiquidCool technology—to facilitate high-speed, hassle-free gaming without overheating.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro comes in Forest Green, Mineral Gray and Pearl White in 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB for P11,490 and P12,990, respectively.

The Redmi Note 8 is a photography powerhouse as well, sporting a quad camera setup with a 48MP ultra high-resolution primary camera. An 8MP ultra-wide camera with 120° field of view, 2MP macro

lens, and 2MP depth sensor join forces to capture stunning images at any distance. It also has a 13MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture, and built-in AI technology and panorama selfie feature—a first for the Redmi Note series.

It has a 6.3” Dot Drop Display with 2.5D rounded rear glass design offering an incredibly immersive FHD+ visual experience that achieves a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio.

Powering the Redmi Note 8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset that enhances the overall user experience through its advanced AI technology, and improvements in power-efficiency ensure peak performance that will last all day.

The Redmi Note 8 is available in Space Black, Neptune Blue and Moonlight White with 4GB+64GB for P8,990. Its 3GB+32GB at P7,990 and 4GB+128GB at P9,990 will be available soon.

SO WHICH ONE IS THE BEST VALUE KING? THE answer, my dear readers, will rely on your personal needs and preferences. Don’t buy just because of the specs!

Personally, I like the realme 5 pro more for gaming because of its build and heft, and it is better to grip for those long gaming sessions. It can also handle all the games I play without lag and the colors look great onscreen. On the other hand, I just love how the Redmi Note 8 Pro looks and I prefer the camera and UI of the Redmi phones, not to mention that it has a 64MP camera. My advice is to visit their respective kiosks or experience stores, and try the phones for yourself for a few minutes and make a list of the things you like and dislike about each device.

Remember, you’ll probably be using that smartphone for most of the day everyday, so its best to get the one that you like the most. The worst thing you can do is get a phone because of the specs but hate how it looks.

Forget those celebrity endorsers and “influencers” (almost all of them are paid), and note that those reviews are just meant to serve as a guide, because when it’s time to pay, you’ll be spending your own hard-earned money anyway. ■

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In the ad material of Notice of filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on September 14, 2019, the name, position, and company address of Mr. Fisher, Christopher Willian under UNITED NATIONS AVE., CHIROPRACTIC CENTER, INC. should have been read as Mr. Fisher, Christopher William an American National under UNITED NATIONS AVE., CHIROPRACTIC CENTER, INC. located at G/F Physicians Tower, 533 UN Ave. Ermita, City of Manila, Metro Manila and not as published.

If you have any information / objection to the above mentioned application/s, please communicate with the Regional Director thru Employment Promotion and Workers Welfare (EPWW) Division with Telephone No. 400-6011.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR