Businessmirror october 21, 2017

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HIGHER TAXES, NEW REGULATIONS STARE MINERS IN THE FACE

IN THE EYE OF THE ‘POLICY STORM’

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

LTHOUGH it is now in a period of relative calm with the removal of “nemesis” Regina Paz Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the mining industry should still be bracing itself, as another “policy storm” is forthcoming. Or perhaps, the miners are just in the eye of this storm.

The House of Representatives, wanting to ensure the country and its people will be the first to reap the benefits presented by the Philippines’ rich mineral resources while promoting environmental protection, is now seriously considering a proposal requiring miners to secure a legislative franchise from Congress before they can operate.

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises chaired by Rep. Franz Alvarez of Palawan and

$1.4T

The estimated value of PHL’s mineral resources, enabling the country to land on the top 5 list of most mineralized countries in the world

House Committee on Natural Resources headed by Rep. Arnel Ty of LPGMA have recently created a technical working group (TWG) that will further study House Bill (HB) 6259, which requires legislative franchise for mining operations in the country.

“A TWG was made to further tackle the bill. With the creation of a TWG we will be able to hear several resource persons and members of the House Committee Continued on A2

DRAGUNOV1981 | DREAMSTIME.COM

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Rising from the rubbles: Assessing the cost of rebuilding postwar Marawi

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By Rene Acosta

ROM the use of guns, tanks, battle planes, drones and bombs, military engineers and government planners now shift to the use of pens, papers and calculators, as they attempt to come up with the exact monetary figure of the damage and rough sketches on how much it would take to rehabilitate Marawi City.

“We can now begin the next phase, which is damage assessment, which is already part of rehabilitation and reconstruction,” declared Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año after President Duterte pronounced the symbolic “liberation” of Marawi from the Islamic State (IS)-Maute group this week.

The declaration was made following the killings of Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute, top leaders of the nearly five-month illegal drugs and terrorist-

spawned rebellion—as claimed

by Duterte—that almost wiped out a key city in Mindanao.

The assessment will be carried out, as the government continues to hunt the remnants of the ISMaute group, which, according to Año, included at least eight Malaysian and Indonesian jihadists, in a small area near Lake Lanao in the devastated city.

“The small number of the remaining enemy can now be considered a law-enforcement matter and Continued on A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.4630

ARMORED personnel carriers are positioned near the bullet-riddled “I Love Marawi” landmark sign at the “main battle area” where pro-Islamic group militants are making a final stand amid a massive military offensive of Marawi City on October 19, 2017. Two days after President Duterte declared the liberation of the city, the military announced the killing of more suspected militants in the continuing military offensive. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

n JAPAN 0.4574 n UK 67.7305 n HK 6.5976 n CHINA 7.7774 n SINGAPORE 37.9409 n AUSTRALIA 40.5477 n EU 61.0042 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.7227

Source: BSP (20 October 2017 )

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A2 Saturday, October 21, 2017

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In the eye of the ‘policy storm’ Continued from a1

on Legislative Franchise and House Committee on Natural Resources,” Alvarez told the BusinessMirror.

Ty said introducing reforms to the mining industry is one of the major thrusts of the administration of President Duterte.

Aside from this bill, which brings with it a regulatory avalanche, newly confirmed Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said he is pushing for a significant hike in the excise taxes imposed on mining companies. This is in line with Duterte’s instruction to him to study options on how the country can fully benefit from mining.

The mining industry has been experiencing a policy storm— from the imposition of a moratorium on new mining permits and designation of “mining no-go zones” with the signing of Executive Order (EO) 79 under the Aquino administration, to a stricter mine-audit process implemented

by Lopez that led to closure or suspension orders affecting more than two dozen mining operations, cancellation of 75 mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) and the ban on open-pit mining method all over the country within the first year of the Duterte administration.

Now, Cimatu said the 2-percent excise tax being paid by miners to the government based on the gross value of ores and minerals is “too little”.

As to how much increase the government is eyeing to impose, Cimatu did not give a clear answer, but said some proponents placed it at 5 percent. “Well, there was this study before, there were some proponents before [who want] to increase the 2 percent to 5 percent.…These are the things that we have to plan properly, how much financial and so forth and so on. But the 2-percent excise tax seems too little,” Cimatu said in English and Filipino.

“There is no absolute value for the increase, yet. I think I will be bringing this to the MICC [Mining Industry Coordinating Council] as part of a policy recommendation later,” Cimatu added.

A bigger problem is the proposal to require miners to secure franchises, although Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, a member of the so-called Magnificent 7, believes this will have a hard time squeezing through Congress due to “conflict of interest” issues.

“I’ve stated all along that this could be a conflict of interest because many of our colleagues have mining investments, either as direct investor or their families closely connected to investments in mining,” he said. “Would they be willing to divest themselves of these investments?”

HB 6259, which was included in the priority bills of Congress, was principally authored

by Ty, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez of Quezon, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, Deputy Speaker Frederick Abueg of Palawan, Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez of South Cotabato, Deputy Speaker Romeo Quim­ bo of Marikina, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu of Batangas, Rep. Joel Almario of Davao Oriental, Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, Rep. Raul Daza of Northern Samar, Rep. Ronaldo Zamora of San Juan, Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga, Rep. Juliet Ferrer of Negros Occidental, Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. of Negros Oriental, Rep. Emmanuel Billones of Capiz, Rep. Erlpe John Amante of Agusan del Norte, Rep. Luis Jose Campos Jr. of Makati, Rep. Jose Atienza Jr. of Buhay, Rep. Allen Jesses Mangaoang of Kalinga, Rep. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur and Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur.

‘Very rich’

THE authors, in their explanatory note, said the Philippines is very rich in natural resources. With an estimated $1.4 trillion worth of mineral resources, the Philippines is among the top 5 most-mineralized countries in the world.

From 2009 to 2014 alone, the lawmakers said some P650 billion worth of minerals were extracted, mainly gold and nickel. From 2012 to 2014, the oil and gas sector contributed P125 billion to the na-

tional treasury.

However, the lawmakers said the challenge for the government is to ensure proceeds will translate into sustainable development and environmental protection, through greater transparency and accountability in the mining industry.

With the liberalization of the mining industry, the authors said it is important to note that it is among the least contributors to the country’s wealth, which only peaked at 1.63 percent in 2007.

“The present mining companies are not performing on a par with the potential of the industry. By requiring mining firms to acquire a legislative franchise, the people, through their elected representatives, would be able to scrutinize the applicants, their capability and track record, in order to make sure that only responsible mining firms are allowed to operate in the country,” the authors’ explanatory note said.

“Hopefully, this creates more rigid and transparent prices and weeds out the underserving companies from securing a mining permit. As a result, the country and its people shall be the first to benefit from the extracted minerals,” it added.

Revenue

ACCORDING to the lawmakers, the mining industry can contribute more to the government through its fair share in the revenue generated.

Unfortunately, they said, there have been reports that permits and agreements have confidentiality clauses, which, they added, preclude watchdogs from examining the arrangements entered into by the government with the mining firms.

To stop this practice, the bill mandates that contents of said permits and agreements are considered public information.

Domestic processing

THE legislators also said their proposal seeks to provide mandatory domestic processing of all mineral ores and banthe exportation of unprocessed mineral.

The lawmakers, quoting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, said “the Philippines, despite its relatively small land area, is one of the most wellendowed countries in terms of mineral resources.”

They said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR also reported that about 30 percent, or 9 million hectares, of the country’s total land area have high mineral potential.

Despite this, the legislators said, the mining sector’s gross value-added remains relatively low at an average of 0.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

“One of the reasons pointed out for the insignificant contribution of the mining industry to the country’s economy is the fact that mineral ores in the country, after being mined or extracted, while still unprocessed, are already exported directly to foreign countries as raw materials. Meanwhile, downstream mining industry has not been developed. Thus, the benefits of added value through the value chain of mineral processing from mining cannot be maximized,” the explanatory note said.

The proposal imposes the ban on the export of unprocessed mineral ores to help develop the mineral processing industry in the Philippines and to benefit the localities where the minerals came from.

“The country and its people should be the first to benefit from the extracted minerals through employment, business opportunities and share in the profits. This will enable the mining sector to realize its full potential and increase its role in nation-building,” the lawmakers said in their explanatory note.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers said a mining disaster that affects a watershed creates a crisis of immense proportion, saying it is imperative to adopt a preemptive approach in protecting such watersheds.

“To allow mining in those areas is to risky,” the note said, adding: “There are different classifications of watersheds. The Mining Act of 1995 includes proclaimed

watershed as an area closed to mining applications.”

To clarify the extent of said protections, the lawmakers want to include watersheds, in general, as well as critical watersheds, as part of the enumerated areas closed to mining applications.

Requisite

UNDER the bill, private contractors must first secure a legislative franchise as a prerequisite before they could apply for an exploration permit and mineral agreement under Section 26 of RA 7942, or financial and/or technical assistance agreement.

Further, it said, the terms and conditions of said permits and agreements are considered public information. Any clause or provision providing for the confidentiality of the contents, especially the financial terms and conditions, are null and void.

The measure said exploration permits and mineral agreements, as enumerated in RA 7942, applied for and thereafter approved without first securing a legislative franchise shall also be null and void.

“Private contractors presently holding exploration permits and mineral agreements under Section 26 have one year from the time this law takes effect to secure a legislative franchise, otherwise said permits and agreement shall expire,” it added.

The bill also said small-scale mining cooperatives covered by RA 7076 shall be given preferential right to apply for a small-scale mining agreement for a maximum aggregate area of 25 hectares of such mineral reservation, subject to valid existing mining/quarrying rights and provided that there is no encroachment into areas outside of the mining agreement.

The measure said mineral agreements shall have a term not exceeding 10 years from the date of execution thereof, and renewable for another term not exceeding 10 years.

The bill said mineral ores extracted shall be processed within the Philippines and in the province where the extraction occurred, and those granted a mining-processing permit shall not export the unprocessed mineral ores.

It added a periodic assessment of private contractors’ waste disposal shall be systematically undertaken in a manner not harmful to the environment and shall submit annual waste disposal reports to the Environmental Management Bureau and Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR. Said private contractors are covered by RA 6969, or an act to control toxic substances and hazardous and nuclear wastes, providing penalties for violations thereof, whenever applicable.

Rising from the rubbles: Assessing the cost of rebuilding postwar Marawi Continued from a1

does not constitute a serious threat to hinder the succeeding phases of national government programs.

What remains now is mopping up operations against IS-Maute stragglers in a small area,” the chief of staff said.

Clearing operations

BEFORE the government can fully undertake the assessment, however, it has to clear the areas that became scenes of heavy fighting during the past months with homemade bombs and unexploded ordnance.

Along with the buildings and other structures that were interchangeably used as temporary quarters of the terrorists during the course of the war, these areas have been mined by the jihadists with homemade bombs, as part of their tactics in slowing down the push of the soldiers.

The military has claimed that exploding improvised explosive devices (IEDs) took a heavy toll on the assaulting troops.

“The clearing operations would be undertaken to remove those bombs that were left behind [by the terrorists], those which they called IEDs,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

“After the clearing operations, that’s the time that we would allow those who would be conducting the assessments to come in and look at the damage for the rehabilitation to start,” he added.

Estimates, options

THE liberation of Marawi will not only provide the government the opportunity to come up with correct estimates for its rehabilitation, but also allow the Armed Forces to determine exactly how much it spent in dealing with and ending the country’s longest and most devastating “modern-day war”.

Military officials refused to give figures pending official audit, but they all admit that it could run up to billions, not far from the P5billion unofficial and modest estimate of Lorenzana two weeks ago.

In Marawi, the government has already assured a P50-billion fund kitty for its repair, but local and national officials all agreed that the amount may still be low, especially if the administration attempts to restore it to what it used to be before the conflict.

The Duterte administration is looking at three ways on how to raise the city from the ashes and resettle its residents displaced by the nearly five months of fighting.

Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. said earlier in a news briefing that the first option is to restore or rebuild the damaged buildings and structures so Marawi could retain its appearance just like before the war.

The second and third options are to relocate the affected residents to new homes and erect a new city in another area.

Galvez said the war directly affected at least 10,000 families in the city.

Temporary homes

LORENZANA said that according to earlier initial estimates, more than 6,000 temporary houses will be constructed to provide shelters to residents forced out of their houses while the city is being rehabilitated. “The government will construct temporary housing while we are reconstructing Marawi.”

Lorenzana added that families whose dwellings were not damaged during the war may start returning to their homes, noting that some houses sustained minimal damage.

The defense secretary sees the rehabilitation of Marawi going full blast by January next year, as Congress has yet to allocate money for the undertaking.

In the meantime and up to December, the government will conduct massive clearing operations in the city to unearth unexploded bombs and clear the debris left by the war.

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BSP notes strong optimism among businesses, consumers

By Bianca Cuaresma

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conomic activity is likely to remain positive in the next few months, owing to strong consumer and business sentiment, as well as the improved pace of recovery in the global economy.

In the recently published high lights of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) Monetary Board, the monetary authority said prospects for aggregate demand in the next few quarters are “expected to remain positive.” Reasons cited include the outturn of strong optimism both in local firms and Filipino households for the remainder of the year, particularly during the forthcoming holiday season.

“Consu mer sent i ment for the third quarter of the year remained upbeat, but turned more optimistic for the fourth quarter of the yea r due to respondents’ expectations of additional income, an improvement in peace and order situation a nd av a i l abi l it y of more jobs,” the BSP said.

Just this week, President Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi from terrorist influence after about five months of war in the region.

The unrest left over a thousand people dead and has caused the president to declare martial law over the entire Mindanao area.

“Meanwhi le, business sentiment turned less optimistic in the third quarter but rose for the quarter ahead in the fourth quarter of 2017 due to anticipated holiday spending and harvest season,” the Centra l Bank said.

However, the BSP warned that while expectations are positive for this year’s harvest season in the months of Oc tober to December, weather pressures are likely to dampen sector’s prospects moving forward.

“Weather forecast models, as of September 2017, predicted an increasing chance of a La Niña phenomenon in the fourth quarter of 2017,” the Central Bank said.

T he Cent ra l Ba n k a lso noted t he posit ive development in t he world eco nom ic g row t h as posit ive prospects to globa l g row t h increase the chances of st ronger e x por t s for t he cou nt r y dow n t he l i ne, a mong ot her t h ings. “ T he recover y in globa l economic grow th appears

to h ave broade ne d . E co nomic activity in the United States, euro area and Japan expanded faster, while GDP [ g ross domest ic produc t] grow th in China was strong e r t h a n e x p e c t e d ,” t h e cent ra l ba n k sa id.

“Based on the PMI [Purchasing Managers’ Index] indices, global economic activ it y improved genera l ly due to the stronger growth of manufacturing production in developed economies,” the BSP added.

This outlook is backed by the International Monetary Fund ’s (IMF) most recent world econom ic out look , with the global monetary authority saying the global upswing in economic activity is “strengthening”. It currently projects growth to rise 3.6 percent for the entire world in 2017 and 3.7 percent in 2018.

“Broad-based upward revisions in the euro area, Japan, emerging Asia, emerging Europe and Russia more than offset downward revisions for the United States and the United Kingdom,” the IMF said.

“But the recovery is not complete: while the baseline outlook is strengthening, growth remains weak in many countries, and inflation is below target in most advanced economies,” it added.

IMF Resident Represent at ive to t he Ph i l ippines Yo n g z h e n g Ya n g , m e a n while, said they maintained t he 6.6 percent g row t h forecast for the Philippines t his yea r on t he bac k of continued robust domestic demand dr iven by investment and consumption, and fisca l polic y is suppor tive of grow th.

This forecast is the highest among the nations in south east Asia.

The local economy grew at 6.4 percent in the first quarter of the year and 6.5 percent in the second quarter of the year.

ING Bank Manila economist believes that growth in the countr y may exceed 6 percent anew in the third quarter of the year, as the needed boost in government spending would support the above 6-percent growth momentum in the third quarter. The Philippine Statistics Authority is expected to report the country’s GDP numbers in November.

The government’s growth target range for this year remains at 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent.

Apo Whang Od Oggay, the last woman mambabatok, conducts a tattoo session at the 2017 Manila FAME held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. NONOY LACZA

DOT infra arm to help rebuild Marawi City T

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

HE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) is ready to assist in getting Marawi City back on its feet, and facilitate a resurgence of tourism activity in the area.

In a text exchange with the BusinessMirror, Tieza COO Pocholo Paragas confirmed he has had previous discussions with Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto of the Mindanao Development Authority on how the tourism agency can help in rebuilding Marawi, the capital of Lanao del Sur. Alonto sits on the board of Tieza, which is a government-ow ned and -controlled corporation under the Department of Tourism (DOT) tasked with developing tourism infrastructure, as well as developing and managing tourism enterprise zones and governmentowned tourism properties.

“The main need in Marawi now is to rebuild the accessibility and road network of the area,” said Paragas, “ but Tieza can help in the master planning of the area to contribute to their economic development and enhance

its tourism potential.” He added that “a lot of coordination is required with such an area and we will wait for further direction from Malacañang.”

The national tourism agencies are constrained from acting directly on helping Marawi as it is under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a separate source intimated. The ARMM has its own secretary of tourism, Ayesha Vanessa Hajar M. Dilangalen, the source explained, who may have her own ideas on how to revitalize Lanao del Sur’s tourism industry.

But privately, DOT officials have expressed hope that the Marawi crisis would end soon, and martial law lifted in Mindanao as the region’s tourism activities have been sorely affected.

Data from the DOT showed visitor arrivals reached 8.5 million in 2015, the bulk of which

Water project to benefit seven more Agoo barangays

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GOO, La Union—Seven waterless barangays in Agoo, La Union, will soon be enjoying clean and potable water from Metro Agoo Waterworks Inc. (Mawi).

This was announced by Agoo Mayor Stefanie Er ig uel after signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Mawi officials, led by company Chairman Jolly Ting and President Roder ick Ongcarranceja, for the provision of water services in Barangays Ambitacay, Balawarte, San Isidro, San Manuel Norte, San Nicolas West, San Roque East and San Roque West.

The MOA signing at the ABC Hall of Municipality of Agoo was witnessed by Sangguniang Bayan members of Agoo, officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)

and respective barangay councils of the beneficiaries.

Eriguel said: “We value this new development as our constituents are in dire need of potable water. This will have direct impact to some 2,649 families in addressing health and sanitation issues in their communities. T he f ive barangay beneficiaries are in coastal areas, while the t wo barangays are situated in mountain ranges where there is lack of sustainable water supply.”

St u d i e s h a v e s ho w n t h at there is an inadequate sustainable water source within Agoo due to the Rosario Formation, a geological unit composed of silt, sand and shale. There is also a lack of effective waterdistribution system, inducing residents and establishments

to dig their own wells or buy water from vendors.

Through the initiative of Rep. Sandra Eriguel of the Second District of La Union and Mayor Eriguel, the municipality of Agoo was able to acquire a financing grant from the DILG under the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig (Salintubig) Program to establish a potable-water facility in the waterless barangays, or outside the initial service area of Mawi.

Mawi is a subsidiary of Calapan Waterworks Corp., and is an affiliate company of publicly listed Jolliville Holdings Corp. It was established to provide adequate and potable water supply in the town of Agoo.

Mawi has a standing MOA with the local government unit of Agoo that covers the joint and mutual cooperation of Mawi and the Agoo

LGU in the successful construction, installation, operation and maintenance of a water-supply system for the supply and distribution of water for domestic, industrial and/or commercial use.

In a statement, Ting said: “The Salintubig Program in Agoo is a shining example of public-private partnership. It is in the cooperation of these two sectors that will spur our country toward progress and economic sustainability.”

Mawi launched its first water operations in Agoo in 2016. This has contributed to the economic growth of the municipality, coupled with a better quality of life for the residents who used to buy costly water from water vendors. Mawi has also expanded its service area to the southern barangays of the neighboring Municipality of Aringay.

came from Davao region, at 2.8 million. No data was available for the ARMM, however. Before the outbreak of hostilities between government troops and Isl a m ist sepa rat ist elements in Marawi, DOT officials were optimistic that visitor arrivals in Mindano would grow by 10 percent to 20 percent this year.

They said this was contingent, however, on the construction of key infrastructure projects.

Asked about his thoughts on how to help some tourism destinations in Lanao del Sur, Paragas said, “Lanao Lake is very, very beautiful. I want a floating dock system placed there.”

Aside from Lanao Lake, other interesting tourism sites in the province include Mabul Beach, IgaBai waterfalls, houses of Maranao royalty called torogan, and Barurao Springs, to name a few.

This developed as the DOT hailed the liberation of Marawi from Islamist separatist elements, announced recently by President Duterte.

“We salute and pay homage to

the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), particularly to those 163 heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of Marawi,” said Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo in a news statement.

“Our government has proven that it can contain and eliminate any threat to peace and order, and ensure that the country remains a safe place to live and visit,” she added.

T he tour ism secretar y ap pealed to the public to support the government’s “recovery and rehabilitation program to restore Marawi City’s vibrant economy, business and livelihood; its reputable educational institutions; hospitals and medical clinics; and other public services.”

She stressed that the greater challenge was to “[win] the hearts of our Filipino Muslim brothers not only in Marawi City but the whole of Mindanao…as we work together to bring back the splendor of the great Islamic City of Marawi.”

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Russian ships visit PHL, deliver military arms

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hree Russian navy ships arrived in the Philippines on Friday and two others are coming to deliver donated military equipment in the country’s third naval visit under President Duterte, who has vowed to diversify the country’s ties away from the United States and toward China and Russia.

Three Russian anti-submarine ships docked in Manila in time for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoig u’s com ing visit to the countr y, said Rear Admiral E. Mikhailov, the task force commander.

Two other vessels will be arriving on Saturday at the port of Subic Bay northwest of Manila to

Duterte has a ‘Belt and Road’. Now he needs a Chinese pipe

In this October 19 photo, a video showing Chinese President Xi Jinping handling an assault rifle is shown at an exhibition highlighting China’s achievements under five years of his leadership at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in Beijing. Xi is channeling a red-blooded nationalism as he seeks to strengthen the Communist Party’s role in Chinese life and assert Beijing’s rise as a global superpower. Xi’s muscular foreign policy could become even more assertive following this month’s party congress, where he’s expected to get a second five-year term as party secretary-general. AP/Ng Han Guan

Make China Great Again! Xi leads China into muscular new era

I

n this summer’s Wolf Warrior II, Chinese action star Wu Jing portrays a tough super-patriot who rescues both fellow countrymen and oppressed Africans with help from the People’s Liberation Army.

Audiences loved what became China’s biggest-grossing movie ever. Some reportedly sang the national anthem as the movie closed on an image of a Chinese passport and the words, “Please remember, at your back stands a strong motherland.”

This red-blooded nationalism has been channeled skillfully by President and ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, as he seeks to strengthen the party’s role in Chinese life and shepherd the country’s rise to prominence at a time when the United States and others in the West are seen to be in retreat.

Xi’s muscular foreign policy could become even more assertive following this month’s congress of the ruling Communist Party, where delegates will agree to support his policies and endorse his second five-year term as party secretary-general, observers say.

“Xi’s on a roll,” said June Teufel Dreyer, professor of political science at the University of Miami.

She predicted he would continue expanding China’s influence by gradually increasing pressure on other countries, a tactic seen in Beijing’s steady island-building efforts in the South China Sea, for instance.

In an address a Wednesday to the congress’s opening session, Xi reiterated that China pursues an “independent foreign policy of peace” and maintains a defensive military posture. However, he also warned other countries not to underestimate China’s willingness to stand up for itself.

“No one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its interests,” Xi told delegates at Beijing’s hulking Great Hall of the People.

For years, after its emergence from hard-line Marxism in the late 1980s, China stuck to reformist leader Deng Xiaoping’s dictum to “keep a low profile and bide one’s time, while also getting things done.”

That began to change after the last decade’s global financial crisis, from which China emerged relatively unscathed, and the country’s foreign policy has since shifted into high gear under Xi. China has succeeded in leveraging its booming economy and mountain of foreign-currency holdings to influence other nations and further its global ambitions. A key watershed came this year, when the People’s Liberation Army began manning China’s first overseas base in Djibouti, reversing decades of rhetoric eschewing such facilities as imperialist Cold War holdovers.

The overall goal seems clear: Restore China to its traditional role as East Asia’s leading nation and a global economic and cultural force.

Xi said as much in his opening address on Wednesday when he outlined a vision of raising China’s international stature. By 2050, Xi said, China would be “a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence.”

“Xi presents very bold visions for where China should be headed and what China must become,”

unload donated military equipment, the Philippine Navy said in a statement. Shoigu will be joining next week ’s meeting of 10 Southeast Asian defense ministers with counterparts from other countries, including the US, Russia and China. The Navy said the donated equipment would be handed over to Duterte, who earlier said Russia would provide 5,000 assault rifles.

“I am assuring you that we will do our best to make this port call a significant contribution to the strengthening of friendly ties and cooperation between our two nations in the interest of security and stability in the region,” Mikhailov said. AP

said Jingdong Yuan, an Asia-Pacific security expert at Australia’s University of Sydney.

A more forcef u l post- congress approach could include expanding China’s role in international bodies and new Chinasponsored initiatives, such as the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank. China could also become more assertive in regional hot spots, such as the South and East China Seas and its contested border with India.

Perhaps no strategy ref lects X i ’s vision more clearly than the “Belt and Road Initiative” launched around the time of X i ’s elevation five years ago.

The massive undertaking seeks to link China to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond with a sprawling network of roads, railways, ports and other economic projects valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The goal is to make C hina a n ind ispensable eco nomic partner with expanded political inf luence, while offering new opportunities for Chinese businesses weighed down by overcapacity and shrinking markets at home.

To do this, China has refined its diplomacy to take advantage of favorable global trends while not going so far that it would damage relationships with its neighbors and the United States, Yuan said.

In some areas, China has proved unyielding. Beijing, for instance, angrily rejected last year’s ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague on a Philippine case that invalidated most of China’s territorial claims in the contested South China Sea. It has also taken a hard line against South Korea’s deployment of a US anti-missile system that Beijing calls a security threat. South Korea has been vilified in Chinese state media, with Chinese group tours banned

No one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its interests.”—Xi

and South Korean businesses in China hit hard.

However, the pragmatic approach more often wins out.

Beijing has largely resisted the urge to fire back when US President Donald J. Trump lambasts China for not doing enough on North Korea or allegedly cheating at trade, instead offering measured responses. Xi, meanwhile, pulled off a successful visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida estate that was heavy on the sort of positive optics Beijing prefers.

Trump is now due to travel to Beijing in November.

In China’s latest border standoff with India, Beijing agreed to a mutual pullback of forces just days ahead of a China-hosted summit of large developing economies attended by both Xi and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

Beijing has also softened its approach to charm Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, offering him infrastructure investment and military assistance against Muslim rebels, while agreeing to allow Philippine fishermen to return to their traditional grounds in Scarborough Shoal, which China seized in 2012.

T he approach seems to be working. The results of a recent Pew Resea rc h Center su r vey show two-thirds of Filipinos believe strong economic relations with China are of greater importance, as opposed to 28 percent who say getting tough with China over territorial disputes is more important. When last asked the question in 2015, Filipinos were divided almost evenly on what was more important.

Domestic politics also play a role in the shape of Chinese foreign policy. Leaders have traditionally used nationalism to blunt opposition and discontent, said Yinan He, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

If Xi fails to win total backing for his appointments and policies at the congress, “he may continue to unleash foreign assertiveness, and may even seek out conflicts with certain countries that can arouse patriotic support at home,” He said. AP

By Shuli Ren

O

pposites attract.

China’s billions are already flowing into the Philippines via online gaming and infrastructure spending. Hot portfolio flows could be next.

The Philippine Stock Exc h a nge (PSE) is i n t a l k s with its Shenzhen counterpart on a possible investment, CEO R amon Monzon told Bloomberg News. The Southeast Asian exchange wants a Shenzhen-Manila connect, Monzon said, referring to the special trading links established between China’s stock markets and Hong Kong.

The PSE is in the process of selling as many as 11.5 million new shares, or a 14-percent stake, to reduce local brokers’ ownership. Under the local Securities Regulation Code, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange would be allowed to hold at most 5 percent of PSE’s shares.

The exchange could do with the help. Foreign institutional investors have begun to return to the market only this year, with net purchases of $1 billion, after an exodus in 2015 and a flat 2016. The benchmark index’s 19-percent advance in US dollar terms lags a 32-percent rally in Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index.

Overseas commentators are quick to point the finger at President Duterte’s fiery rhetoric, but the truth is that lack of trading is the big problem. The total value of stock transactions was equal to only 14.5 percent of the market’s capitalization in 2016, according to the World Bank, the least among countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The figure for China was 250 percent.

Meanwhile—and perhaps reflecting the lack of liquidit y—the Philippine Stock Exchange index is trading at a pricey 23 times earnings, further deterring foreign in-

vestors. The exchange operator’s shares haven’t benefited from the broad market’s gains, being little changed this year.

As I wrote last week, listed companies in the Philippines are also boring. There have been few initial public offerings and the market is dominated by the richest families.

Seven companies that belong to family-controlled groups make up more than half the market cap of the benchmark index and contributed more than 60 percent of the gauge’s gain this year.

Shenzhen is the exact opposite. Traders there transact more than 200 billion y u a n ($30 bi l l ion) e ver y day, or annually more than double the market value of listed companies, the highest ratio among the world ’s major exchanges.

A Manila-Shenzhen connect could certainly help the Philippine exchange, though there have been no formal discussions on such an arrangement. Last year, about $36 billion of stocks were traded on the PSE, or less than two days of trading in Shenzhen.

If even a tiny fraction of that liquidity was allowed to flow into Manila, it could have a major impact. It could also create some unexpected winners.

In Hong Kong, Chinese investors’ fondness for domestic carmakers and real-estate companies has driven huge rallies this year in the shares of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. and Sunac China Holdings Ltd. A trading pipe between Shenzhen and Manila would have selling points for both sides. Duterte has moved the Philippines closer to China diplomatically, cooperating on disputed areas in the South China Sea and attracting infrastructure investments that serve to advance President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt, One Road” agenda. Bloomberg Views

Sports BusinessMirror

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

LINDSAY STALZER is now wearing Petron’s colors.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

TORNADOES OPEN DEFENSE OF CROWN F

OTON opens its campaign for a third straight Chooks To Go Philippine Superliga Grand Prix crown against heavy contender Cignal HD Spikers today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

And, just like in the previous tournaments, the Tornadoes are expecting a tough field hoping to snap their title streak.

Foton’s Serbian Head Coach Moro Branislav has reorganized the team, which will be tested by the intact HD Spikers in the 6 p.m. match.

But, this time, the Tornadoes won’t be reinforced by Lindsay Stalzer, the American powerhouse who was instrumental in their first two title runs.

Petron, the team Foton

School sports officials agree to establish unified body

A5

PIRATES WIELD BROOM

San Beda’s Javee Mocon and Lyceum of the Philippines University’s Jeric Serrano (14) and Jayvee Marcelino (19) scramble for the loose ball in Thursday’s 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City. The Pirates won in double overtime, 107-105, for a historic elimination-round sweep and an automatic finals slot. NONOY LACZA

beat in both finals, lured Stalzer to its camp, and she will also be tested when she and the Blaze Spikers open their campaign against Generika Ayala at 4 p.m.

Branislav said he respected Stalzer’s decision to more to Petron and stressed that the season would be a “really very good competition,” with his former ward playing in another uniform.

“We respect all players, thanks to Lindsay, she played very hard last year for Foton,” he said.

Despite losing Stalzer, Branislav remained optimistic that his team—led

by Serbians Sara Klisura and Katarina Vukamanovic, Montenegrin Dragana Perunicnic and ace locals Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, EJ Laure and Maika Ortiz—would still wield the same fiery form.

The HD Spikers, on the other hand,

ATENEO TARGETS FINAL FOUR BERTH U

NBEATEN leader Ateneo de Manila tries to become the first team to enter the Final Four in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament as the Blue Eagles target win No. 10 against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws on October 21 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles try to seal the first semifinals berth when they clash with the Tamaraws at 4 p.m.

Defending champion De La Salle, meanwhile, seeks to keep its hold of second spot when it faces third-running Adamson University at 2 p.m.

The Green Archers (7-2) won their first two matches in the second round to recover from their loss to the Blue Eagles at the end of the first round. They face a dangerous Soaring Falcons side, who carry a 6-3 card.

Ateneo Coach Sandy Arespacochaga said their streak would not mean anything unless they make the Final Four.

A

TOTAL of 76 universities and colleges, as well as sports and athletic organizations from across the country, agreed to form a unified body that would govern collegiate sports.

The agreement was forged at the close of the National Consultative Meeting for Collegiate Sports at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City on Thursday.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez welcomed the development and scheduled a follow up on the meeting next month.

“Our next target now is to forge the organization’s structure, by-laws and guidelines and select its officers,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez also vowed to strengthen the bridge that connects elementary and high-school sports with the collegiate ranks.

“Most of the time, our children do not have much options after elementaryor high school,” he said. “They should have a clear direction on what option they have in the university level.”

“The tertiary level is a part of the PSC’s pyramid of sports development and it should get equal attention as the grassroots level, because this feeds into the elite level of sports,” the PSC chairman added.

The school sports officials also agreed to actively pursue a collaboration among sports research, scientific coaching and grassroots sports.

Dems Toledo, Sports Director for University of San Agustin, said that there is a need to safeguard home-grown athletes, who, most of the time, are “pirated” by the big schools for the leagues in Metro Manila.

fortified their defense and acquired middle blockers Beth Carey of Australia and Alexis Matthews of the United States and Mami Miyashita of Japan. They are joined by Rachel Anne Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga.

“Foton has a different composition compared to last year, but they are still a champion team,” Cignal Head Coach George Pascua said. “So my challenge to my players is to treat every game like a championship game.

Each game is important, we cannot afford to relax.”

Stalzer joins fellow American Hillary Hurley and Japanese libero Yuri Fukuda at Foton, which also has Frances Molina, Mika Reyes, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and setter Rhea Dimaculangan.

The Blaze Spikers take on a Generika-Ayala side reinforced by Katarina Pilepic of Croatia, Penina Snuka of Hawaii and Darlene Ramdin of Trinidad and Tobago. Lance Agcaoili

“We have nine games, and that’s ours already,” Arespacochaga said. “What we don’t have is the next game, the next win. So that’s our emphasis. We don’t want to dwell on the games that we already had, we’d like to look at what we don’t have yet.”

But he warned his wards—led by Thirdy Ravena, Chiz Ikeh, Anton Asistio, Mike and Matt Nieto—that FEU will always be a dangerous team.

“They are fast and athletic, and those [traits] make them dangerous,” he said.

So, how dangerous could the Tamaraws be? In their previous game, they blasted the University of Santo Tomas Tigers to smithereens in a 96-70 blowout, the most lopsided result so far this season.

Ateneo beat FEU in the first round, 9482, prompting FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela to dig into his play book to avoid the same result.

“They [Ateneo] are playing really great basketball. We’ll look for ways to try to stop them. It’s going to be a tough game for us, but we’ll be there fighting,” Racela said.

Lance Agcaoili

Swiss lawmakers agree on $1-B backing for 2026 Olympic bid

G

ENEVA—Switzerland’s federal government said on Wednesday that it is prepared to pay almost 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.02 billion) toward Sion hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Swiss federal council voted to support the proposed candidature, which could still be stopped by public opposition.

Federal councilor Guy Parmelin, who heads the department for sports, said the project would be withdrawn if a referendum was lost.

Swiss support comes three days after voters in Austria rejected a proposed 2026 bid by twotime host Innsbruck.

The reasons for Innsbruck’s defeat were difficult to interpret, Parmelin said at a news conference to announce the seven-member council’s decision.

Sion was left as Swiss Olympic’s best option for 2026 after voters in the Graubuenden canton

(state) rejected a proposal from Saint Moritz and Davos for a second straight time.

“This decision allows us to pursue our work in order to make this candidacy even stronger and to convince the population,” Swiss Olympic President Juerg Stahl said in a statement welcoming the federal support.

Sion’s project could be tested by a referendum in more than one Swiss canton.

The Sion hosting plan, centered on its home canton of Valais, also includes proposed events in neighboring Vaud—home to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne—and Germanspeaking regions.

The federal council said it could contribute 827 million francs ($842 million) toward the organizing budget. Other possible costs include a contribution to the candidacy, renovating venues and policing expenses.

Swiss Olympic said on Wednesday it expected

organizational spending of almost 2 billion francs ($2.04 million) would be offset by projected revenue of 1.15 billion francs ($1.17 million), including a contribution from the International Olympic Committee and ticket sales.

The Internationl Olympic Committee is scheduled to pick the 2026 host in 2019.

The process has been revised to help potential bid cities, aiming to ease concerns of European voters who have consistently rejected Olympic bid plans since Russia chose to spend $51 billion on massive infrastructure linked to the 2014 Sochi Games.

Switzerland last hosted the Winter Games in 1948 in Saint Moritz, which also had the 1928 Olympics.

Sion was the losing candidate to Turin for the 2006 Games, and that defeat seemed to be reflected in a new candidate slogan announced on Wednesday: “Rekindle The Flame.” AP

Sharapova, Puig to help P’Rico hurricane relief

S

AN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Maria Sharapova and Monica Puig will head to Puerto Rico next week to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, and Puig, who won Puerto Rico’s first Olympic gold

medal in any sport at the Rio de Janeiro Games last summer, will go to the island on Monday to distribute portable stoves, medicine and other supplies. The agency that represents both players said Wednesday that Puig has raised more than $125,000 to help storm victims, while Sharapova is donating

proceeds from her candy company for the rest of 2017.

The storm swept across Puerto Rico on September 20, causing at least 48 deaths, according to the official tally. It caused widespread flooding and knocked out the entire power grid for the island of 3.4 million people. AP

Maria Sharapova celebrates her victory in the recent Tianjin Open in north China over the weekend. AP

A6 Saturday, October 21, 2017 | Editor: Mike Besa

NEW LDI IRONS FROM KZG

K

ZG, the No. 1 Custom ProLine, has just launched its Long Distance Irons (LDI). The LDI are designed for golfers who want to make their game “young again!”

“We designed the LDI Irons specifically for golfers who want greater distance with optimal forgiveness,” reports Jennifer King, president of KZG. “Seniors, especially want to make their game ‘young again,’ and have been frustrated with the loss of distance. To cater to these golfers, we now offer the LDI Irons to literally give them the kick they need.”

The LDI feature an insert of forged 17-4 stainless steel with a micro-milled face and laser-cut scorelines. The rebound off the face is exceptional, giving record-breaking

distance. The body of each iron head is a softer 431 steel that is heat treated to give a softer, more vibrationdampening feel. This softer material also allows for easier adjustments for the golfer’s unique swing.

The larger clubhead is a real confidence builder. The wider and heavier sole offers stability and aids in getting the ball launched.

The deep perimeter weighting gives the ultimate in forgiveness.

KZG offers 14 distinctly different iron models to be able to perfectly fit every golfer. The LDI are ideal for seniors, recreational players, golfers with slow swing speeds and beginners.

Available in RH and LH from #4-9, PW, AW

and SW, it can be purchased in any configuration or in singles, making the LDI ideal for beginners who may want to just start with a few irons before moving into a full set.

KZG is distributed in the Philippines

by Custom Clubmakers with offices at Mandala Park, 1552 Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City and at the Commerce

Back on

The Riviera Golf and Countr

10 habits to make you a happier and more successful golfer

By Josh Burack | Asian Tour CEO

C

things could always be worse, so remind yourself of the things in your life that you are fortunate to have. You’ll feel better immediately.

onditioning your mind daily is not only an important part of mental coaching for golf, it’s an important part of being happier and more productive.

Throughout the years I’ve been a mental golf coach, it’s become very clear that all the mental skills that help your golf game are also valuable human skills that will help you in all areas of your life.

Check out some of the daily exercises that you can do to improve your habits and get a little closer to the champion’s mind-set each day.

Have a stockpile of your most cherished memories, especially those times where you felt successful and confident in yourself. These don’t necessarily need to be golf related—simply memories that are going to trigger positive emotions. You can use these on the course whenever you’re losing confidence.

THINK OF YOUR GOALS DAILY

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES

Where are you going in your life? It’s important to have a strong visual image of what success to you looks like. I start my day by reminding myself of my long-term goals. Visualize them as vividly as possible. Visualization is a great way to increase your belief in your ability to achieve your goals, by making them more “real” in your mind. Say them out loud in the present tense. Then think of what you need to focus on today (or this week) to get closer to your long-term goal and hold yourself accountable to these smaller goals. By achieving them, you’ll feel great from the sense of accomplishment (and fulfilling a commitment to yourself), and you’ll build the confidence you need to achieve your bigger goals.

CHOOSE TO BE CONFIDENT AND HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE

Decide that today is going to be a great day!

Just by saying that to yourself can immediately make you feel better, and you help bring a better day toward you. Attitude is a choice and will shape your performances more than anything else. The best players in the world might not always perform their best, but their attitude is always consistent. Choose to be optimistic about the possibilities—the best players in the world expect good things to happen to them, and invariably they do!

GRATITUDE

Start off each day with five minutes spent thinking about what you’re grateful for. Having an attitude of gratitude is a mind-set shift.

Most of us are in the habit of dwelling on past mistakes and what we don’t have. The reality is,

SAVOR PAST MEMORIES

By making it a habit to review your day by the positive things that happened, you’ll begin to “train your brain” to see the positives without reminding yourself to do so. Adopt an end of day, or post-round review process which focuses on the things you did well, highlight the successes (write these down in a tool like Edufii). During my mental coaching for golf, I help players build self-belief by having them journal about their successes. Give yourself credit! Be objective with those things you could have done better and set a new goal around improving them. Mistakes are a positive learning opportunity.

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS

What other players do and how they perform is completely out of your control. By focusing on what they are doing and how you compare, you’re going to cause yourself stress and performance anxiety. Sure, you can learn from better players, but golf is not a game like tennis, soccer or basketball, where what the other player does can affect you. Your real opponent in golf is the golf course. A big part of the mental coaching for golf process is to learn how to detach yourself from outcome—the winning, your scores, etc., and dedicate yourself (and hold yourself accountable to) your own process.

WALK THE WALK

Studies have proven that posture and body language affect mood. If you’re body is down, your thinking and your mood will be down also.

Make it a point to walk with swagger, with your shoulders back, chest out and eyes and chin up—you’ll feel more confident immediately.

Smile right now, and notice how much better you feel!

GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Sleep is so underrated in mood and getting the the most out of your performance each day. It’s been proven that less than adequate sleep can make you stressed and irritable.

Eight hours of sleep is ideal for feeling fresh, happy and ready to go.

EAT RIGHT

There’s plenty of research that shows how what you put in your body affects your mood, mental and physical stamina and focus. I use a system of nutritional products that are great for golf and used by Jon Rahm and Anna Norquist.

EXERCISE

Exercise is one of the most powerful mood boosters. Any kind of exercise (cycling, swimming, yoga, running) will help you feel better. Make exercising at least three times per week one of your smaller goals.

David MacKenzie is a performance coach and the founder of Golf State of Mind.

Throughout David’s playing career, he learned quickly how attitude, self-belief and mental toughness affect performance in golf. He knew that was the difference between his average and great rounds. But the question was how did one improve these valuable skills and feel more confident more often?

While studying at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland, David began in-depth research into sport psychology and how elite performers apply their minds to practice and play.

He interviewed hundreds of elite golfers and sport psychologists. He shared what he discovered via his web site, Golf State of Mind, and it quickly resonated with golfers of all levels.

David was able to effectively communicate the mental and emotional issues that most golfers face on the golf course. The web site quickly became one of the most popular mental-game resources for golf on the Web and David was able to utilize his audience by testing and proving new ways for golfers to reach “the peak performance” state more frequently.

MATSUYAMA AIMS FOR THE TOP W

hen Hideki Matsuyama began play at the 2016 World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions, he was just another good, young player, a talented 20-something on the brink of stardom. By the end of the week Matsuyama had emerged as an international force.

Matsuyama followed his victory at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions with two additional victories on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour, and finished first in the FedExCup’s RegularSeason standings.

By the end of the season he was the No. 3-ranked player in the world. When pundits spoke about potential major champions, Matsuyama’s name was mentioned in the same breath as Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy. And it really all started at the HSBC Champions.

That should not be surprising. Since the tournament became a World Golf Championships event in 2009, the HSBC Champions has produced a roll call of exceptional winners. Four of the eight are major champions and the other four have been members of either a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team. Players from six different countries have won the event over the last eight years, making it truly an international tournament.

“It’s great for the growth of the game in that part of the world. The tournament has been growing a lot in the last few years,” said 2010 HSBC Champions winner Francesco Molinari of Italy.

“More and more players from the US are going over there to play. I think it’s great to go there and allow fans to experience once a year golf live, a chance to see the best players in the world.”

For his part, Molinari has found China very much to his liking. Besides his 2010 HSBC Champions’ triumph, he teamed with brother Edoardo to win the World Cup of Golf for Italy in Shenzhen in 2009.

Molinari will be playing in his seventh HSBC Champions, trying to dethrone Matsuyama who defends his title from October 23 to 29, when the tournament returns to the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

The top players in the game will gather in China for one of the most important tournaments of the fall, one that can set the tone for the 2017-2018 season—just like it did for Matsuyama. This year the HSBC Champions will be the third of three Asian events in a row, following the $7-million CIMB Classic in Malaysia and the first-year $9.25-million CJ CUP @ Nine Bridges in South Korea.

The HSBC Champions victory was

significant in many ways for Matsuyama. In addition to a three-year PGA Tour exemption, Official World Golf Ranking points and prize money, he became the first player from Japan—the first from Asia, actually—to win a WGC event. It tied Matsuyama with Shigeki Maruyama, one of his boyhood heroes, for most PGA Tour wins by a Japanese player, a mark that Matsuyama has since broken.

“To win the HSBC was probably my biggest achievement,” Matsuyama said. “I was the first Asian to win that event, and to me that was a big deal.”

Matsuyama’s win at the HSBC Champions was a defining moment in his young, ascendant career. It was a tremendous victory over a field that was stacked with the best players in the world. Matsuyama opened the tournament with a 66 and never slowed. He finished with rounds of 65-68-66 to finish at 17-under. He completed the final 45 holes without a bogey and won by seven shots over Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger, the third-widest margin of victory in a WGC event.

“Hideki played just unbelievable, and it was a pleasure to watch,” Berger said. “He struck it well. He putted well. He chipped it well. He did everything well, and that’s why he won by so many.”

In fact, barring an unprecedented collapse

Story & photos

by Mike Besa

O

ver the last three months we documented the condition of Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club from the point when the course was almost unplayable to today. The golf courses are in much better shape but much still remains to be done. At least things are moving in the right direction for Eagle Ridge so, hopefully, the new management team can address all the remaining concerns and bring the course back to where it needs to be.

Just a few kilometers away, the Riviera Golf and Country Club faced many of the same issues.

The club suffered from a lack of working capital even if it didn’t want for players. There were Korean groups that played the club regularly but, still, cash flow was an issue.

The bunkers were almost devoid of sand, the fairways were brown and the greens were in the last round, the only drama on the final day was whether Matsuyama would wind up with 30 birdies for the week. A bold approach shot on the 72nd hole wound up in the water and Matsuyama had to settle for 29.

With his tank of confidence at full capacity, Matsuyama continued to build on his HSBC Champions’ victory. He won again at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February— successfully defending his title—and again at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in July. Only Justin Thomas (four) won more times during the 2016-2017 regular season.

Matsuyama, who was married and became a father in 2017, has been forced to deal with increased scrutiny from the media, especially in his native Japan. A large corps of reporters and photographers are on hand at each event to chronicle his success. The attention has helped raise his profile in his home country to the point where he is virtually unable to go out for a meal without being recognized. It has also made him the standard-bearer for golf in Japan and elevated what fans imagine for him, a fact he recognizes.

“The expectations of people around me are high,” Matsuyama said. “I don’t really worry too much about that. Hopefully not put too much pressure on myself. But I know other people expect a lot of me and all I can do is just try my best.”

The HSBC Champions has a history of producing great winners, like Matsuyama. The event was created in 2005 and became an official European Tourand Asian Tourevent a year later.

completely uneven in quality. The employees were disheartened, as many of them were not paid on time. Members stopped playing at the club and quite a few left to join other golf clubs.

Things weren’t looking good for what was one of the top clubs in the country.

But, just last year, the club elected a new board and things turned around quickly. We aren’t at liberty to detail the circumstances that the new board faced, but suffice it to say that the change of management turned the club around almost overnight.

Operations generated sufficient cash flow to address all the outstanding financial issues that had previously plagued the club. The golf courses are looking so much better now.

The Langer Course was the first to feel the benefits of a proper budget. The bunkers have the proper amount of sand in them and when we played it during the World Amateur Golf Championship qualifying round, they were all It achieved World Golf Championships status in 2009 and became a part of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup schedule in 2013.

The tournament draws the game’s best players each year. In 2016 the field included 10 major champions and eight of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Twenty-five countries were represented in the 78-player field.

“It says something about HSBC. It says something about this golf tournament,” said World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who won the event in 2013.

“They do a great job here. I think you’ll see more and more guys wanting to come over here and play.”

“We play [HSBC Champions] outside the US, so I think it’s very important for global fans to have a chance to see the players there and to be part of such an amazing tournament that’s part of an amazing series of tournaments, such as the WGCs,” Molinari added. “It’s now nice to see the American stars traveling more and playing a lot all over the world.”

Scotland’s Russell Knox, the 2015 HSBC Champions’ winner, said, “It’s amazing when you get to play against the strongest fields in golf.

There are so many massive names here, and it’s the best way to test your game to see how good you stack up against the best of the best.”

Most of the competitors, like Matsuyama, bring a lofty goal.

immaculately prepped and raked.

The course got a thorough going over. The rough areas, particularly the surrounds of the 14th tee box and the areas around the 14th green, were cut back. The tee box is a lot airier as a result and you can now actually see the 14th green when you play your approach shot.

Improvements, such as this, are now prevalent on the Langer.

The club has since turned its attention to the Couples course. I feel that it’s safe to say that, after the club is done with the considerable task before them, the two golf courses in Riviera will be in the mix of any discussion about the best golf courses in the Philippines.

Beyond these two great designs by two of the greatest golfers of all time, Riviera is blessed with amazing terrain on which to build a golf course. With land this good, great golf courses are almost a given. To have golfers of the quality of Freddy “Boom Boom” Couples and Bernhard “Becoming No. 1 in the world is the goal I think of all of us out here,” Matsuyama said. “I still have some weak links in my game that I have to work on, but hopefully, little by little, I’ll be able to improve and to fix what I need to, and hopefully someday compete for No. 1.”

Matsuyama

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, October 21, 2017 A7

Track

The tee shot on the 11th hole of the Couples course is one of the most feared in the country.

ry Club’s road to recovery

Langer as your designers then you have something special.

A good friend quipped that Langer must have been in a really foul mood when he designed his course at the Riviera. No one will dispute the fact that the Langer course is one of the most difficult golf courses in the country. It is monstrously long. Played from the tips, the first three holes (all par 4s) measure over 1,300 yards!

Most club players will never reach these greens in regulation unless they play the forward tees.

As you would expect from Langer, a complete game is required to score well here.

Each hole will test you from tee to green in a way that few others can. But that’s not to say that the course is unfair or unplayable. On the contrary, from the correct set of tees for your ability, this is a fascinating golf course; one that will challenge you endlessly each time you tee it up.

The Couples course is (very much like its designer) more laid back. The fairways

The 14th green at daybreak

are generous and the greens present large targets. They might make easy targets, but hitting the correct side of the fairways and the correct quadrants of the greens are vital to a good score. Three and even four-putts are not uncommon on certain greens.

The Couples has some very tough holes.

Four and Five are long with large undulating greens. But it is the stretch of 12 to 15 that is the main event of the golf course. These holes are as beautiful as any that you’d care to name and will challenge you with their length and the complexity of the greens. The short par-4 14th provides a nice respite, but the green is as devilish as any on the course.

But it is the tee shot on 11 that gets the most notoriety. It’s just 185 yards to carry the ravine (from the forward tees) but the fairway in the distance looks positively miniscule from the tips. Nail the tee shot here and you have bragging rights for the day. Miss it, and the beer at the clubhouse will still taste really good.

Speaking of the clubhouse, it’s really

going to need the attention of the new board, as well. It’s looking its age, which doesn’t speak well of the club. The lockers need renovation, and the carpets in the lockers and the restaurant could do with a change.

The good news is that, too, is on management’s checklist. It really shouldn’t cost the club all that much but it will enhance the overall experience at the Riviera many times over.

Our kudos to the new board of directors. Their love for the club and passion for the golf courses have completely turned the Riviera around.

The golf courses are in great shape, and as the rehabilitation and restoration work continues, everything—the golf courses, the clubhouse and the all-around golf experience—should continue to improve.

Look for old members to start making the drive back to Silang and for the share price to improve as the club continues to make progress. Things will only get better.

OurTime

A8 Saturday, October 21, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

DOH ‘Ngipin’ project brings smiles to Romblon’s elderly

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HE Department of Health’s (DOH) office in the Mimaropa region has distributed free dentures to indigent senior citizens in Odiongan municipality, Romblon province in celebration of “Elderly Filipino Week.”

“This is our way of expressing our gratitude to our elderly for their sacrifices in safeguarding our generation by keeping us safe and healthy.

In return, we give them health and protection so they would enjoy a more productive journey through life,” DOH-Mimaropa Regional Director Dr. Eduardo Janairo said in a recently issued news release.

Under the “Ngipin para kay

Tatang at Inang” project or “NgiTI,” vernacular for smile, DOH-Mimaropa gave away an initial 50 dentures to senior citizens identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as indigents, during an event held at the Romblon State University, on October 7.

Janairo said P250,000 was allocated for the project that targets old

people who have difficulty chewing.

Measurements for the dentures were done a month ago by a team of dentists headed by Dr. Maria Gracia Gabriel, head of DOH-Mimaropa Oral Health Unit, in partnership with Romblon’s provincial health office, Odiongan’s municipal health office and the DSWD-Romblon.

During the event, dentists also provided the elderly pit oral prophylaxis, fluoride varnish and restorative treatment procedures, gave each of them a hygiene kit, and taught them the proper care and use of dentures.

The senior citizens were also given free eyeglasses during a medical and eye checkup.

The project was part of DOHMimaropa’s Direct Oral Health Treatment Services to support the implementation of the oral-health program at the local government level and to resolve the many den-

tal conditions affecting the region’s vulnerable population—children aged 0 to 6 years, pregnant women, the elderly, indigenous peoples and persons with disability.

Janairo said the project would be brought to the marginalized areas of Mimaropa so that every indigent senior citizen would have their own set of dentures.

During the event, he reminded the youth about the importance of oral health.

“We all only get one set of permanent teeth, so it is important to take care of them as we grow old by regularly brushing and flossing our teeth after every meal and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes dairy and high-fiber food,” he said.

Mimaropa covers the provinces of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan. PNA

A doctor's abandoned journey into isolated town in Puerto Rico

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AONILLAS, Puerto Rico—Dr. Lissette Gutierrez is normally not one to curse. But when the SUV she was traveling in hit a rut and bounced wildly on a mud road carved into a mountainside— a steep decline inches to her right, the pounding rain all around—an expletive escaped her lips like some rare ugly moth.

It was Saturday afternoon, and Gutierrez was part of a small medical convoy trying to get to an isolated community called Don Alonso, in the mountainous center of Puerto Rico. There was word that no doctor had been to the place since Hurricane Maria had roared over the island on September 20, triggering mudslides throughout the largely rural municipality of Utuado, at least one of them deadly.

Gutierrez, 45, a gynecologist, is a Puerto Rican living on Long Island, and her decision to come here on her own is part of the narrative of resilience and selflessness defining life on Puerto Rico as the island struggles to navigate the devastation Maria left.

But on this day—through no fault of her own—Gutierrez would become part of a parallel narrative of failure that also defines Puerto Rico.

Failure here is not a possibility, but a fact. Failed roofs, failed water systems, a failed electrical grid.

Failed hillsides, running chocolate brown with mud in the rain.

The caravan had begun without Gutierrez just after sunrise, in the graceful southern city of Ponce. It was led by a small group from AmeriCares, a non-governmental organization that specializes in emergency medical-response work.

Dr. E. Anne Peterson, the group’s senior vice president of global programs, was in a nearby hotel courtyard, bees buzzing over her breakfast, laying out the day’s planned itinerary: First, a clinic, to pick up $2.8 million in donated medicine that had been flown in Friday night. Then, a delivery to a hospital in Utuado to the north. Then to the mountains, to look for patients in need of care.

Then another delivery of medicine in Castañer to the southwest.

Peterson, 61, a global health expert with experience in both Puerto Rico and sub-Saharan Africa, said that Puerto Ricans living through the rebuilding period could expect outbreaks of diarrheal diseases from compromised drinking water, as well as potential outbreaks of mosquitoborne illnesses like chikungunya, Zika and dengue fever.

New York Times News Service

GRANDPA’S GARDEN

Attending to his backyard garden, 67-year-old Nestor Valencia of Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya, shows the productive performance of his cassava plant. Despite his age, Valencia claims gardening does not only provide organic food and extra income, but is a natural body exercise, as well.

LEONARDO PERANTE II

www.businessmirror.com.ph

unlimited passes in hand, retirees make ‘off peaking’ an art form

I

T takes Craig Miller just 30 minutes to get out the door on a powder day.

“I keep a lot of my gear in one of my vehicles,” said Miller, an avid skier and a retired oral surgeon in Colorado who owns a cabin near Breckenridge. “And I always have my pass in my wallet.”

His pass. That’s the key.

Miller, 63, buys one of Vail Resorts’ unlimited Epic Passes, priced this year at $859 for adults who purchased it before Labor Day. It entitles him to ski any day, on any of the resort company’s mountains, from Colorado to Australia. And ski he does—25 days last season.

There is no senior discount. It doesn’t matter. The math means he pays about $34 a day, compared with regular single-day ticket prices that can reach $164.

Retirees are in a particularly sweet spot when it comes to unlimited passes, whether for yoga sessions, national park visits or nearly anything else.

Not only can the retired use passes more than those with jobs and other responsibilities, but they can use them better—hitting gyms, golf courses and the slopes at off-peak times when there is space to breathe—and plenty of steep trails begging for sexagenarians to lay fresh tracks.

“If there is no snow on a Saturday and there is a foot of powder on a Tuesday,” Miller said by phone from Colorado Springs, “I go skiing on a Tuesday. It’s perfect.”

There may not yet be a term for this practice—“off peaking”, perhaps?—but a lot of older adults have figured it out. It is less about getting a senior-citizen discount, though those are always welcome, and more about creating one’s own discount by having the time to wear grooves into an unlimited pass.

When Jane Modoono retired from her job as a high-school principal in 2015 and moved full-time to East Hampton, New York, one of the first things she did was buy a monthly pass to Mandala Yoga in nearby Amagansett Square. These days, she is on her mat three to four times a week and can hold difficult poses, including backbends, at age 67 that she could not a decade ago. “Wheel, crow,” Modoono said. “I thought I would never be strong enough.”

As landscapers started their rumbling engines outside the sunny windows near the start of one recent

class, one of the studio’s most popular teachers, Sheryl Hastalis, urged the class to “Let the lawn mowers become part of the ‘ohmmm!’”

Modoono, her blond hair in a ponytail, her posture true in seated hero, ohmed as instructed.

Another holder of Mandala’s unlimited $160 monthly pass, Susan Retzky, retired from Bank of America a few years ago as a vice president of community development. Now over 70, she is a regular student of Mandala’s surf yoga classes.

After the summer crowds leave the Hamptons, the grass grows more slowly, the yoga classes have extra elbow room and traffic on Retzky’s thrice-weekly drive to a pottery studio in Sag Harbor is light. There, she uses a wheel to sculpt bell-butter crocks that are sold at a local boutique.

“I used to have back problems,” she said in a telephone interview from her home in Amagansett, “and they went away.” Unlimited passes can be good for you.

A 2011 study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, offers evidence.

The study, of skiers aged 60 to 76 who averaged about 28 days of skiing in a 12-week period, concluded, “It appears that, in older individuals, 12 weeks of skiing leads to a significant increase in aerobic capacity, leg muscle power and strength.”

One need not strap on ski boots or stand on one’s head to stay fit in old age. A 2003 study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that group exercise classes focused on flexibility and relaxation in retirement villages can prevent debilitating falls “and maintain physical functioning in frail older people.”

When Joanna Mezzatesta, a retired newspaper copy editor living on Staten Island in New York, was choosing Medicare plans, a top priority was one that included unlimited exercise classes for no extra charge.

Now, three times a week, Mezzatesta, 67, drives seven minutes from her home in Stapleton Heights to the Broadway YMCA in a workout shirt. A favorite one bears the image of Rosie the Riveter. “Never underestimate a nasty woman who was born in November,” it reads, along with the familiar image of a bandana-wearing woman flexing her biceps.

New York Times News Service

Baby boomers ask advertisers: Don’t forget about us

By Janet Morrissey

New York Times News Service

A

S much of the marketing world focuses on new ways to woo and dazzle the highly coveted millennial generation, some companies are setting their sights on an overlooked (at least by advertisers) group: Baby boomers.

T-Mobile, for instance, recently unveiled a phone plan aimed at people 55 and older. (Boomers are generally defined as being, at this point, between the ages of 53 and 71.)

In an occasionally profane fiveand-a-half minute video posted on Twitter, T-Mobile’s chief executive, John Legere, said, “I’m here today to fix something that drives me completely crazy,” before criticizing his wireless competitors for deeming boomers as “too old,” “stuck in the past” and not interested in technology or the Internet. He mocked some of his rivals’ senior phone plans for focusing on “big buttons,” phone-call minutes and outdated flip phones, instead of offering smartphones with attractive data plans for them to connect with family and friends.

“This generation deserves a little respect!” he said.

Some marketing experts said

Legere’s rant was a valid one, and that brands, even outside the wireless market, should pay attention.

“The group is the forgotten generation,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc. “Marketers have gotten so hot for the millennial generation that they have essentially ignored boomers.”

Larry Light, a coauthor of Six Rules for Brand Revitalization and the chief executive of Arcature, a brand consulting company, added: “They’re just as large as the millennials in numbers. And they have huge discretionary income.”

Right now, it’s mainly companies that make senior-related products, like life insurance, medical devices and reverse mortgages, that regularly target boomers. But a few brands, like Mercedes-Benz and Geico, have started courting boomers by producing commercials that lean on boomer imagery. In a Super Bowl ad this year, Peter Fonda reprised his “Easy Rider” persona by putting on a leather jacket—as aging bikers looked on—and drove off in a Mercedes while Born to Be Wild played.

But those ads are the exception, not the norm. Why? “They want to market to the cool segment, the modern segment, the ‘in’ segment,” Light said

of marketers, many of whom are millennials themselves.

In addition, many companies see millennials as the future. Catch them early enough and you may have a lifelong customer. But that’s not necessarily the case, experts said. Tastes and passions change frequently for younger people.

But boomers, once they have connected with a brand, can stay loyal for years, said Scott Gulbransen, director of communications for AARP Nevada.

Technology, automobile, travel and sports-related companies are missing out the most, Gulbransen said, wrongly stereotyping boomers as out of touch and not interested in the latest gadgets.

“Boomers don’t want to be left out,” he said. “They want to learn and use the new technology, and they’re excited by it.”

Indeed, more than 60 percent of boomers owned a smartphone in 2016, according to a report by eMarketer for AARP, and 73 percent of people 50 to 59 owned a smartphone and used it daily.

“If I have a millennial grandchild or child and want to keep up with what they’re doing, those kids are probably not going to call me like I used to call my grandmother when I was a kid,” Gulbransen said.

“So they see it as a tool to connect

with family and friends.”

A ARP even hosts classes on how to use smartphones and other technology, and sends a team to the Consumer Electronics Show each year to review the latest tech gadgets.

Doug Verb, 68, who lives in Las Vegas, rolls his eyes when he hears about the tech-phobic stereotype.

“They’re all missing it,” he said of brands. “We’re here in the millions, and we have more disposable income, time and want to spend money. Yet, they don’t give us the consideration they should.”

The automobile is another category where boomers may feel underserved, Born to Be Wild commercials aside. Passikoff noted the generation that heralded Earth Day, for instance, would be receptive to ads about electric cars.

Some said the smartest strategy is not choosing between millennials and boomers at all.

“The big mistake is marketers making an either/or decision,” Light said.

Melissa Ziweslin, managing director at the Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, markets to both generations when selling condominiums.

“We absolutely like to cast a wide net knowing that it could be a boomer making a purchase for themselves or making a purchasing decision for a

child,” she said. “We would be remiss not to speak to both audiences.”

With hotels and resorts, it gets trickier. Not many resort-style destinations want to showcase seniors in bathing suits lounging by their pools in ads. That’s where dual marketing comes in, in which a company uses different videos, photos and messages to market to different age groups.

In some cases, a company may use a particular brand to appeal to millennials and another to appeal to boomers. In other cases, different platforms, carrying different messages, are used.

Marketing to boomers generally, for instance, often involves oldschool TV, magazine and newspaper ads, in addition to digital ads.

Experts believe the biggest mistake marketers make is overestimating the value of connecting with millennials rather than boomers.

“While the millennials are sharing stuff, boomers are buying stuff,” Passikoff said. “If you are a brand, you are in business to make money, and a tweet or share or laugh online doesn’t translate into actual bottomline dollars.”

For this reason alone, he said, “boomers are an audience that’s worth pursuing in virtually every category.”

The Millennials BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, October 21, 2017

A9

The corpse stealers Vernon Velasco

millennial universe

T

Pandora Security Labs’s programmers (from left) Edison Pama, Jeno Rigor and Dominic Lucenario pose for a picture at their office, on October 5.

Young programmers agog over work in I.T. security Story & photo by Oliver Samson

Y

Correspondent

OUNG Filipino software developers at Pandora Security Labs are excited over the completion of an enterprise-firewall they’ve been working on for nearly three months.

The completion of Synapse in the fourth quarter is timely as the company is expanding operations in Singapore next year, said Edison Pama, one of the architects of the software.

Pama said they began working on the software as Pandora Security Labs foresees the need of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) here and abroad for a firewall that is bundled with other services. He said their software called Synapse would be offered like so in recognition of that market need.

“Most SMEs in the country, and, perhaps, as well as in other sections of the globe, have an existing firewall,” he said. “But often these organizations could not manage well this basic security tool.”

Pandora Security Labs envisions Synapse would get on board the health care, logistics, manufacturing and retail sectors here and abroad, said Dominic Lucenario, another software architect.

According to his colleague Pama, the company would offer Synapse “in a way a power consumer pays his monthly electricity bill.” “The customer would not pay any annual cost for the software license,” he added.

The Data Privacy Act of 2012, which requires organizations in the Philippines in custody of personal information to safeguard them, would generate a local demand for

security software like Synapse, he added. “With the data-privacy law in place, SMEs are obliged to take information-security measures to protect personal data in their storage,” Lucenario explained.

Right people

PAMA noted that security software is not enough in securing an enterprise’s network.

“An organization should have the right people managing these security tools.”

A number of organizations had failed in securing their network for lack of awareness, according to Jeno Rigor, Pama and Lucenario’s colleague.

“Some people tend to take information security for granted because they have no idea of the extent of impact when the system is compromised,” Rigor said. “Aside from having the right tools, you have to educate your people.”

The people in an organization, especially key ones, should have idea of what responses are undertaken before and after an attack, he added.

Usually, the weakness in the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure lies in the people in an organization, not in the security software, Pama explained.

Securing the network requires the customer’s cooperation, he said.

The security provider is rapidly responding in vain if the customer does not take prompt and proper actions. According to Pama, they started developing Synapse about two months ago. They estimate its release in the fourth quarter of the year.

The firewall is currently being tested, Rigor said. He added the functions of this security tool are undergoing tests to determine if they are working.

More difficult

THE trio said securing an ICT infrastructure is more difficult than assaulting it.

“You have to know the nature of the attack,” Lucenario said. “You have to find out how the attack has penetrated so you can protect yourself.”

Pama said most of the attacks on their customers in the Philippines are traced to local attackers.

Recent attacks were aimed at defacing web sites. Some of the attackers were “script kiddies,” or those honing their skills in penetrating ICT systems.

Identifying the attacker is extremely difficult, Rigor said.

“One cannot be so sure if the attack is coming from a particular state just because the IP [Internet protocol] address is traced back [to] it. The attacker can exploit a proxy and make him appear he is located in one state when actually he is based in another,” he added. “The IP address is not enough in establishing the identity of the attacker.”

When asked if they would develop a cyber weapon in the interest of national security, Rigor said they might accept the job as long as it conforms to the founding principles of Pandora Security Labs.

Lucenario said they are discouraging users from connecting to free Wi-fi networks as attackers can set up free Wi-fi networks and make them appear legitimate.

“The attackers can easily name it after a well-known establishment,” he said. “The users are vulnerable since most of them are coming from a perspective of connecting for free.”

Staying relevant

THE trio graduated from Computer Science with specialization in network engineering at De La Salle University in June 2014.

“Before graduation, Pandora Security Labs was already being envisioned,” Pama said. “So we got on board after graduating.”

Being graduates and batch mates at the same school had helped them rise above the challenges when the company was still taking baby steps, he added.

“Our interest in the jobs that Pandora Security Labs delegates and the company’s confidence in our technical competence motivate us,” Lucenario said.

Every day they assume different roles that are aligned to a weekly road map as securing networks requires a dynamic organization, Pama said.

“One day we develop security software, another day we assess network and website vulnerability,” he added.

As part of the job to help customers secure their networks and websites, at times he assumes the role of the researcher, according to Lucenario.

“We need to check regularly for any changes in terms of vulnerability,” he said. “We have to be always updated. To do that, we have to do researches.”

Researches are also needed to keep the company’s technology updated, Pama said. Keeping the technology relevant is a challenge.

The company continuously looks for resources to keep it updated.

“For us, the fact that we are still here after three years is already an achievement,” Lucenario said.

HE ghosts I’ve seen on Halloween TV reenactments are all dressed in barong. My late friend Mel’s explanation was simple: You carry on the outfit you’re wearing when you die.

But when it was actually his turn to die, Mel wasn’t clad in finery—Who is? Mel was in a skimpy short and purple t-shirt with Betty Boop on it.

Maybe barong or a flowing white dress is God’s default. Or maybe because purplecolored ghosts don’t scare people—that is, if ghosts are supposedly meant to, well, scare people.

I was on Mel’s wake thinking about these things as he laid inert in his casket when suddenly something stirred at the back corner of the room where I sat, a shadowy figure his family assumed was Mel. I, on the other hand, wasn’t quick to believe and opened myself to the possibility that it might be another entity.

“Ever heard of ‘corpse stealers’?” I asked them.

Where I grew up, the funerals I went to weren’t left unattended because the corpse

stealers are said to be just lurking in the dark, waiting for everybody to fall asleep so that they could take the cadaver with them. In one of the tall tales I heard, a corpse was taken apart in broad daylight. His mouth was torn right up to the ear and his chest cavity open. Even worse, it all happened in a blink of an eye.

So every time, we stayed wide awake into the wee hours, singing happy songs, tossing cards, even joshing kids with cheap scares that the corpse stealers were out to get them. It actually took time and more funerals later before I realized how stupid these spirits were. Because how come they never thought all the lurking around was futile and all they had to do was to wait until the body is buried into the ground?

But I was also quick to think that that would defeat the purpose. In the same manner predators weren’t scavengers, they weren’t grave robbers. They’re corpse stealers.

Why is it we haven’t seen these things on TV? And why is it nobody believed me when I admonished them to be vigilant because Mel was in danger?

They laughed at how “gullible” I was— that’s how they phrased it—but I still maintained that if it really were Mel, he must not scare the hell out of me because he must be wearing a purple t-shirt.

Microsoft urges firms to address entry of Millennials in workplace Story & photos

by Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

O

RGANIZATIONS have to develop a new culture in the workplace to ensure success in their digital transformation and cope with the entry of the millennials in the workplace.

“The rise of digital technologies, along with a new generation of millennials entering the work force, has brought about a need to address changing workers’ expectations, knowledge and skills, as well as the tools they use,” Cian O’Neill, Microsoft Philippines COO and chief marketing officer, said in a news briefing last month. “And with more than half of the world’s millennials residing in Asia, the workplace will need to transform to adapt to the technology habits of these digital natives.”

O’Neill added that “due to deployment of advanced and emerging technologies, organizations need to relook at reskilling its work force to develop creative and strategic skills for the future.”

The recent Microsoft Asia Pacific study indicated that the rapid developments in technology and a big upsurge in the entry of millennials in the labor force would force companies to craft a new environment to cope with the new trend. The study cited severall factors influencing the culture of work in the Philippines today.

One factor is having an increasingly mobile work force and exposure to new security risks.

The study discovered that only 21 percent of respondents are spending all of their work hours in the office. About 81 percent of respondents are working off personal smartphones. This development raises new security challenges for organizations.

Another factor is the rise of diverse teams.

According to the Microsoft study, 29 percent of workers in the Philippines are already working in more than 10 teams at any one point in time. With the business-process outsourcing industry being significant in the country, more workers are working with different and even virtual teams from different locations.

A third factor is the gaps in employees’ digital skills even as leaders are in the motion of embracing digital transformation. As the bar is raised with new technologies adopted across industries, deployment is uneven.

“In fact, 47 percent of respondents feel that

Cian O’Neill, Microsoft Philippines COO and chief marketing officer, speaks during a news briefing in Makati City on September 29.

more can be done to bridge the digital skills gap among workers,” O’Neill said.

Bertand Launay, Microsoft Philippines managing director, said people will remain to be a big difference in the march toward digital transformation, despite the belief of 86 percent of local business surveyed in the study supporting digital transformation.

“People are at the heart of digital transformation.” Launay said. “Their expectations, knowledge and skills, as well as the tools they use for work, are determining factors in the level of transformation that any organization can achieve.”

He added the challenge people faces now “is how to implement new ways to foster a modern culture of work to better empower Asia’s workers, especially those at the frontline.”

Launay estimated there are 2 billion firstline workers globally who make up majority of the work force today.

The survey covered 1,200 informationtechnology leaders across 12 markets, including Australia, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Forty-one percent of respondents are working in organizations with 250 to 499 personal computers (PCs), while 59 percent work in organizations with 500 and more PCs. O’ Neill said in Makati City on September 29 that technology will play a key role in the digital transformation of an organization especially for first-line workers.

Massachusetts bicycle-maker is creating jobs for ex-cons

T

HE 1854 Cycling Co. wears its influences on its grease-stained sleeves. The bicycle company is named for the year Franklin Pierce, who had become the 14th president, thanks in part to a promise to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, began pressuring officials in free states to arrest former slaves and return them to their owners in the South.

One such young former slave, 19-year-old Anthony Burns, was arrested in Boston and sent back to Virginia, leading to a protest in nearby Framingham, Massachusetts, led by abolitionists Sojourner Truth, Henry David Thoreau and William Lloyd Garrison. There,

Garrison held a match to a copy of the Constitution, calling it “a covenant with death, an agreement with hell.”

“It was a symbolic act that divided the country between those who supported slavery and those who didn’t,” says Brandale Randolph, the owner of 1854 Cycling, of Garrison’s actions.

“And it set the wheels in motion for the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War they add the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which outlawed slavery nationwide.”

Sturdy, sleek

THE bicycles themselves are sturdy and sleek

and sport old-timey aesthetic touches, such as vintage-inspired handlebars and leather saddles. More pointedly, they’re named after figures who fought for abolition—there’s the flagship Garrison and a pair of road bikes named for Ellen and William Craft, who famously escaped slavery in 1848 to become authors and lecturers.

“People were passing around my blog posts about why I was naming the bikes after certain people,” Randolph says. “My post on the Crafts—people were more interested in the story. I wish I had sold 70 bikes from that post, but even that getting

passed around is a win for me.” At the beginning of November the company will unveil the Thoreau, a 500-watt electric mountain bike, at the Philly Bike Expo.

Randolph’s plans for 1854 Cycling, currently seeking an initial funding round of $1.5 million, go beyond historical references and into the implementation of social action in direct response to the 13th Amendment.

Inspired by Toms Shoes and StoryBikes (which donates a bike to a person in need for each one sold), the company’s blueprint includes hiring those who were recently released from prison, plus a training system that will even-

tually bring all the manufacturing in-house and teach the staff valuable skills.

Recidivism rate

RANDOLPH also vows to pay his employees competitive wages—all leading, he believes, to a lower recidivism rate.

“I’m not just talking the talk, but I’m walking the walk,” Randolph says. “I’m actually hiring the people I say I’m hiring. I’m actually paying living wages to the people I say I’m hiring—I’m not just sticking them over in the shipping and distribution end of the business, like a lot of companies do, or

sticking them in the back.”

Randolph has a story almost as compelling as the historical figures the company is based on. Raised in South Central Los Angeles, he was plucked by the A Better Chance program for inner-city kids and placed in the prestigious Thacher School in the quiet town of Ojai, Calif. After graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he flung himself into the brokerage world.

He worked his way up to handling gold and oil commodities at a major hedge fund, but he says the company went bust in the Bernie Madoff scandal.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, October 21, 2017

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Microsoft rolls out new Windows 10 update and laptops MICROSOFT has begun rolling out an update to its Windows 10 operating system, hoping to spark enthusiasm for its virtual- and augmented-reality ambitions. The semiannual update became available on Tuesday. Along with virtual experiences, the Fall Creators Update brings new ways to share photos and video and work with 3D imagery.

Several of Microsoft’s partners—Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo—are simultaneously launching their first “Windows Mixed Reality” headsets on Tuesday.

Samsung is releasing one next month.

Microsoft is also announcing a new generation of laptops in its Surface line. Two versions of the new Surface Book 2—one 13.5 inches and the other 15 inches—will go on sale next month. Starting at $1,499, the powerful computers are aimed at graphic designers and other professionals. AP

/

RICHARD YU, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, takes the stage during the launch of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in Munich, Germany, on October 16.

Are you famous?

PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

S

HUAWEI CLIMBS TO NO. 70 IN 2017 BEST GLOBAL BRANDS REPORT

THE world’s leading brand consulting firm Interbrand has announced its 2017 Best Global Brands Report, which confirmed Huawei’s move to No. 70—two spots up from its ranking in 2016. Brand valued at approximately $6.676 billion, Huawei has grown by 14 percent over the past year.

This is the third consecutive year where Huawei has climbed Interbrand’s list, following its debut as the first mainland Chinese brand to be recognized as a Best Global Brand in 2014.

Founded in 1974, Interbrand is the world’s largest integrated brand consultancy firm with a customer base encompassing approximately two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies. Its annual Best Brands Ranking is highly regarded around the world, and is commonly used as an indicator of global brand value.

Technology brands continue to dominate Interbrand’s Best Global Brands Report this year, holding the greatest proportion of the top 100 rankings. As a technology company committed to excellence in research and development, Huawei’s continued recognition in Interbrand’s rankings is testament to its technological leadership and growing global influence.

According to Interbrand, Huawei is accelerating global digital transformations and building a better connected world by creating enhanced networks. This has contributed to rapid growth of 14 percent in brand value and further highlights the strength of the world-wide company.

Huawei’s brand value continues to increase, largely due to steady performance growth and its breakthrough into the consumer electronics market. In the first half of 2017, Huawei’s smartphone shipments rose to 70.01 million, delivering a year-on-year increase of 20.6 percent, outperforming the industry average. Huawei’s premium flagship Huawei P and Huawei Mate smartphone series have become increasingly popular around the world, strengthening its influence in high-end markets. According to industry analysts IDC, shipment volumes of Huawei smartphones made it the largest manufacturer in China and thirdlargest worldwide in the second quarter of 2017. Huawei’s smartphone global market share has also grown to 11.3 percent, up from 9.8 percent over the same period last year, placing the company a very close third to Apple at No. 2.

In addition to its range of smartphones, Huawei also introduced a trio of new MateBook PC products, combining stylish and portable design with powerful performance.

Since its launch, the new Huawei MateBook range has received significant praise and recognition from the media and consumers alike.

OMETIMES it’s surprising to meet a person and be told by someone, “She [or he] is famous on Instagram.”

Why is it surprising? Because back in the day (I told you that you’re going to see this phrase here a lot), you were famous if you were a movie star or a socialite whose face is often in society columns.

You could also be the child of a rich person/celebrity/ socialite and be sort of famous.

These days you can be famous for a lot of things.

One lovely girl I follow on Instagram is famous because she had her debut at the Mall of Asia Arena with MAC Cosmetics as one of her sponsors. Her family actually bought a ton of products from the brand, which chose to support her as a sign of goodwill. Anyway, I love how this girl gives me a glimpse of her fabulous life via photos and Instagram

Stories. There’s nothing annoying about her. She is cute, close to her family, a devoted girlfriend and loves her dog. I also follow a lot of “famous” people on Twitter. One of them is this girl who used to date a famous guy. She is now (based on her tweets) hurting because she and her last boyfriend broke up. I like her better though when she’s sarcastic than when she is sad and mopey. But that’s the thing about following people who are famous on the Internet—you only get glimpses of who they really are.

I don’t know who was it that said a person’s names should be in the papers three times in his or her life— upon birth, after marriage and upon death. I’m not sure if this still applies now. Because these days, being famous means many things.

Being famous these days usually means having a lot of followers, likes and retweets. Why am I talking about being famous? That’s because influencers are now under attack (OK, I exaggerate a bit) for not taking a stand on the things that matter.

They’re being bashed for choosing to post OOTDs instead of trying to make a difference. I will not defend them because, frankly, I’ve long given up after a lot of disappointments. For instance, there was this influencer who I really admired until I learned that she was selling the PR samples she received for consideration. This is not to judge her but, honestly, she could have just given them away.

I will not bash anyone or even throw shade at any

influencer or Internet-famous person. What I will say is this: You need to make a stand. You don’t need to be an expert. Your statements may be clumsy or awkward, but you need to say or do something.

Some will but only when they are inconvenienced by things, such as traffic, potholes on the road or long lines at the department-store cashier. You accept money from brands as an influencer. With great power and privilege come a responsibility to be a person who makes a difference, not just in terms of always looking good. For me, an influencer should inspire people, especially their younger fans who are sometimes lost and confused.

I remember how so many of my daughter’s classmates wanted to be influencers. They said it like it was us wanting to be doctors or teachers when we were still in school. That’s how influential these influencers are. Young people see these influencers’ lives on Instagram and imagine how blessed they are with free stuff, all-expense-paid trips and events with free flowing booze.

It may sound corny, but an influencer, while he or she doesn’t need to be perfect, is someone who is supposed to influence us in good ways. Times are changing. Influencers are the new rock stars. They’re still in the growing stage as public figures and because so many of them are very young, maybe they’re also unsure and hesitant. Maybe in time, they will find their voice. ■

Twitter vows new crackdown on hateful, abusive tweets MENLO PARK, California—Twitter vowed to crack down further on hate speech and sexual harassment, days after CEO Jack Dorsey said in a tweet-storm that the company was “still” not doing enough to protect its users.

The policy changes were specifically aimed at protecting women who unknowingly or unwillingly had nude pictures of themselves distributed online or were subject to unwanted sexual advances. They would also aim to shield groups subject to hateful imagery, symbols and threats of violence.

In an e-mail Twitter shared with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Twitter’s head of safety policy outlined the new guidelines to the company’s Trust and Safety Council, a group of outside organizations that advises the company on its policies against abuse.

The company said it would enact the changes in the weeks ahead. News of the policy changes was first reported by Wired.

Among the changes, Twitter said it would immediately and permanently suspend any account it identifies as being the original poster of “nonconsensual nudity,” including so-called creep shots of a sexual nature taken surreptitiously.

Previously, the company treated the original poster of the content the same as those who retweeted it, and it resulted only in a temporary suspension.

It said it would also develop a system allowing bystanders to report unwanted exchanges of sexually charged content, whereas in the past it relied on one of the parties involved in the conversation to come forward before taking action.

Twitter also said it would take new action on hate symbols and imagery and “take enforcement action against organizations that use/have historically used violence as a means to advance their cause,” though it said more details were to come.

While it already takes action against direct threats of violence, the company said it would also act against tweets that glorify or condone violence.

On Friday Dorsey foreshadowed the coming policy changes in a series of tweets, saying the company’s efforts over the last two years were inadequate.

“Today we saw voices silencing themselves and

voices speaking out because we’re *still* not doing enough,” Dorsey tweeted. The moves also come amid intense scrutiny from congressional investigators into how Russian agents used Twitter, Facebook and Google to influence last year’s United States election.

Twitter has said it would appear at a public congressional hearing on November 1 after already briefing a Senate committee. The company has handed over the handles of 201 accounts it believes were linked to Russia. It has also said at least $274,000 in US ads were bought by Russia Today, a Russiangovernment-linked media outlet, last year. AP

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 21, 2017 A11

Are your gadgets making you sick?

THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“People who smile while they are alone used to be called insane, until we invented smartphones and social media.”

—MOKOKOMA MOKHONOANA

A

S I’m writing this piece, I’m already on my second donut and have gone through half of my Venti-sized frap—and I still haven’t even finished the first paragraph.

I feel a vibration and pick up my phone, embarrassed to see that I’ve only made 895 of my 10,000 daily step requirement so far. On the other hand, I’ve already gone through most of my social-media feeds, replied to some urgent e-mails and even had time to check out some juicy conversations from our “positivity group”.

But there was no text or new notification, and the truth is, I’m not even sure if my phone really vibrated or if it was just another phantom vibration.

Phantom vibration, or what is also jokingly called “ringxiety”, is the belief that your phone is vibrating or ringing when it’s not. It’s a condition that affects as many as seven in 10 mobile-phone users, and though its main effect is simply annoyance, research suggests stress can exacerbate incidence.

Phantom vibrations, texting thumb, iPosture, nomophobia, laptop thighs, scrotal hyperthermia—I swear, I’m not making this up. These are actual medical conditions brought about by excessive gadget use. I know what you are probably thinking. I need it for work and I’m not “overusing” my smartphone/gadgets.

Yeah, right.

Checking on the status and posts of your ex, your boss, your friends or even that pretentious guru who posts nothing but makeup and cat videos, is certainly hard work. My dad, who just turned 64, discovered Facebook a couple of years ago. I created an account for him so he could have a bit of a pastime. Now, he’s the first one to share the latest trending videos, like and share my status updates and keep our family group posted with the day’s top stories (even the fake ones).

My mom, on the other hand, is now a multimillionaire and has extended her plots of land for the nth time in Farmville 2. She is also among the growing number of people who, I think, has developed a sensor of sorts, as she hasn’t bumped or tripped while playing Bubble Witch Saga on her phone and strolling around the mall.

And then there’s Calvin, my nephew who keeps asking me for P10 on weekdays and P25 on weekends. At first I thought he just needed some extra lunch money, until I discovered that he was actually using it to subscribe to Smart’s new Video Timeout 10. The promo (text VIDEO10 and send it to 9999), he confessed, gives him unlimited data for one hour of YouTube streaming. Oh, and the P25 is for a three-hour subscription which he uses on weekends.

The good news is he never gets bored; the bad news is he watches YouTube even during meals.

Still in denial?

Truth is, office drones, teen phone addicts and those of us who work mostly in front of the screen are coming down with illnesses that have trendy names as the devices that cause them. According to research, that hunchback you’re developing is called iPosture and might really be your mobile phone’s fault.

It may sound like the latest product from Apple, but iPosture—or cervicalgia—is being used to describe the stooped body shape adopted by those texting, e-mailing or playing games on their tablets or smartphones. So before you check out that new iPhone, it might be a good idea to check if you have iPosture, as well.

“Leave your worries behind,” they tell you, but apparently not your mobile phone. Nomophobia, or short for “no mobile phone phobia”, affects most mobile-phone users who can’t seem to live and go about their day without their phone— even when they’re just going to the bathroom.

Then there’s what they call the “texting thumb” (tendinitis, or overworked thumbs), which is continuously on the rise either due to extensive messaging, liking or even swiping left or right.

Other gadget-related ailments include scrotal hyperthermia (hot balls, weak sperm, cybersickness or kinetosis and sleep deprivation, among others. Studies show that excessive use of smartphone and/or tablet (whether for binge-watching or binge-stalking) before bed messes with sleep cycles as the light from the screen can suppress melatonin release and keep the mind from entering the the half-awake state that precedes sleep. Blue-light apps can help, but placing your gadgets away from your bed is a lot simpler.

Apparently, the more we become dependent on technology, the more its likely to lead us to a sedentary

lifestyle. Which means we are spending more time sitting or lying while reading, socializing, watching television, playing video games or using a mobile phone/computer for much of the day, than moving around or working out. Living a sedentary lifestyle has been linked to a lot of health issues and contributes to many preventable causes of death.

So, if your day is mostly made up of facetime and screen time, now might be a good time to reassess how much of your life is spent on your gadgets before you become afflicted with these “digital disabilities”.

FITNESS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE I’ve been guilty of living a sedentary life for quite a while, and I’ve experienced most of the symptoms I mentioned above.

Its partly due to the nature of my work as a writer, but mostly because I share the most common excuse of a lot of out-of-shape (and, in my case, overweight) individuals: “I don’t have the time to exercise.” I’ve always wanted to enroll to a gym, but it was almost impossible to work it into my previous work schedule. The nearby gyms would be either still closed before I left for work, or were already closed by the time I got home. Sure, there are those located in shopping malls but, hey, I wasn’t going to sacrifice the little time I had for sleep.

But since I left my previous job and returned to being a freelancer...I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually excited to finally hit the gym in the next few weeks.

I’ve heard about Anytime Fitness from a few other friends who tried it, and their comments were almost all the same.

The place was clean, the equipment was high tech but not intimidating and the people are not your usual intimidating fitness freaks. And the best part of it all is that it’s open 24/7—and with the FOB key, you can visit any branch anytime. Anytime Fitness recently opened its 50th branch in Glorietta 5, in Makati, and I got to learn more about the brand and why they’ve been recognized as one of the world’s top global franchise brands and named International Franchise of the Year by Franchise License Asia three years in a row.

“The answer to everything in the gym industry is convenience. The goal of Anytime Fitness is to provide all kinds of people—from the moms and the pops, the aunts and uncles and everyone else—a place where they can achieve a healthier lifestyle and have fun reaching it,” Anytime Fitness Asia CEO and Master Franchisee Maurice Levine says.

Levine adds that changing the mind-set of people about gyms is not just about beautifully connected 24-hour facilities, clean bathrooms or having the most high-tech exercise equipment, but to genuinely understand why people are going to the gym. In a sense, he says gyms need to “outcare” one another in terms of knowing what their members need— and know what they are looking for—whether its offering personalized services, or coaches who understand their goals and what what they want to achieve. “There is no pressure to lift heavy weights or look like a model, and our team truly cares about each member that goes through our doors. Our facilities—open 24/7, secure and world-class—that’s what inspires people to enter. But it’s our people, our culture, our environment that make members stay.”

“With each membership opening the door to every other Anytime Fitness around the world, the brand has a unique global reciprocity that allows members to work out not just anytime, but anywhere as well,” he adds.

All Anytime Fitness branches have been designed to create a nonintimidating space, and they have separate areas for those serious bodybuilders, those who want six-pack abs and those who are just starting out or just want to exercise and not be too overwhelmed by the crowd.

“Hitting the gym and working out is hard, but the alternative to not being in the gym could be disastrous,” Levine says. “If you don’t want to go to the gym, just move around and get some exercise, but why do it alone when you can join our community of like-minded people who also want to live healthier lives?”

I also found out that they even have an Anytime Fitness App to help you get started, which I’ll review in the next few weeks.

In less than three years since Anytime Fitness opened its first gym at Pioneer Center, Pasig City, in 2014, the chain has branched out beyond Metro Manila to Laguna, Pampanga, Baguio, Cavite, Cebu, and Davao. With strong year-on-year growth of almost 250 percent, Anytime Fitness Philippines joins the ranks of over 3,000 gyms in 25 countries servicing over 2.5 million members annually.

A JAZZ DIGITAL DETOX NOW, if you are not yet ready to hit the gym and just want a place where you can just chill out, and relax even for a couple of hours, I recently discovered a place right smack in the middle of the city.

I was walking around Shaw, Mandaluyong, when I passed by the Greenfield District and heard some live jazz music.

Now, I’m not really into jazz but, when you’ve had a tough week, those melodies can really be calming. Before I knew it, I had found a seat among people who were also having quite a good, quiet time.

After asking around, I discovered that Jazz Fest Thursdays had been a regular event at the Greenfield District Central Park for the past six months already.

According to lawyer Duane A.X. Santos, executive vice president and general manager of Greenfield Development Corp., the Jazz Fest was born from a vision of providing a high-end, almost-weekend respite for those who want a break from the daily grind. “It has become an easy escape from the city’s hustle and bustle, especially with its great food selections and live jazz tunes.

Besides the live jazz music from popular bands Extrapolation and The Brass Munkeys, (Zia Quizon was performing when I was there), Greenfield District Central Park is also bringing in more food stalls like Mab and Goose, Bacon Club, The Meatball Co. and Monster Burgers.

“Our goal at the beginning was to create an event in an elegant setting where friends, families and music lovers can meet to listen to live jazz performances, great food and a place where people can put down their phones and gadgets for a while and enjoy some quiet conversations.”

Greenfield District’s Central Park is a unique open space in the Mandaluyong central business district concrete jungle.

Greenfield District is a 15-hectare master-planned city designed with green spaces combined with the convenience of an urban lifestyle.

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Tech Thoughts: “The difference between technology and slavery is that slaves are fully aware that they are not free.”

—NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB

/

THE Synergy88 Team with Jason Harris (left), senior director of Worldwide External Development and Business Development, Electronic Arts.

SYNERGY88 CONTINUES TO WOW THE DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT AND GAMING WORLD

FILIPINO talent is slated to wow the digital entertainment and gaming world once again as top-ranked developers make their way to two major international events in Europe and Asia in the next two months as a fitting follow-up to recent successes in Busan, South Korea and Vancouver, Canada.

Synergy88’s “Barangay 143” was slated to make its way to Cannes, France, from October 16 to 19 for the annual Marché International des Programmes de Communication (International Market of Communications Programs) with the participation of its ASI Animation Studios Inc. Popularly known as MIPCOM, the event is best known as the world’s market for entertainment content across all platforms.

Following that, Synergy88’s gaming company, Synergy88 Digital, flies to South Korea as part of the Philippine delegation to the Global Gaming Exhibition 2017 from November 16 to 18. The whirlwind of events follows in the steps in Synergy88 Digital’s high marks with its “Barangay 143: Street League”, which was chosen as a finalist in the Busan Indie Connect held in September in Korea. Synergy88 Digital was the only Filipino company that made it out of 300 entries, and their game was nominated in the Best Multiplayer Game category.

Synergy88 Digital was also lauded for its participation in the External Development Summit (XDS) 2017 in Vancouver, Canada, also in September. XDS is the only annual international games industry event with a primary focus on external development for art, animation, audio, software engineering, and localization. It brings together a niche community of game developers and publishers, vendors, and middleware providers. The event itself is composed of industry players, who meet annually to contribute to the advancement of the industry through collaboration, sharing of best practices, networking and the delivery of high-caliber, educational programs.

Considered to be a professionals-only event, Synergy88 Digital has consistently attended XDS since 2014. This year, it was part of a larger Philippine delegation as it was joined by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau. The joint effort is a testament to Synergy88’s commitment to promote Filipino talent globally, and create a larger scale of awareness about the potential and opportunities of the industry.

Through the years, it has reached out to respective institutions and government agencies for support to help the industry overcome its challenges.