The Manila Times : March 3, 2019

IM, MITCHELL SHARE HALFWAY LEAD AT HONDA CLASSIC

A BOUNTIFUL ‘HARVEST’ AT GALLERY C

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MARCH 3, 2019 19

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DENGVAXIA MESS

Aquino, Abad should be charged – Gordon S

Sunday Times imes Magazine F1

The Sunday Times

•• SECTIONS PAGES • VOL. 120 NO. 1411 6 32

THE ROMULOS: ALBERTO, ROMAN AND BERNADETTE A LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE

BY JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

EN. Richard Gordon on Saturday expressed disappointment over the noninclusion of former president Benigno Aquino 3rd and former Budget secretary Florencio Abad in the list of persons indicted for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over deaths allegedly linked to the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said Aquino and Abad, along with former Health secretary Janet Garin, should be held criminally liable

SWS: Most Pinoys fear becoming EJK victims

for the mess.

“Former president Aquino is responsible because he caused the purchase of Dengvaxia and in the process caused irreversible damage, possibly death to children, and anxiety, sleepless nights, unnecessary expense on the part of the parents and guardians,” he said.

“The greatest sin and transgression of Aquino was to put the lives of Filipino

MAJORITY of Filipinos fear they or someone they know will be a victim of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) amid the Duterte administration’s harsher war on drugs, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The poll, conducted from December 16 to 19 among 1,440 respondents nationwide, showed 78 percent of those polled said they were concerned that they or anyone they know would be a victim of EJK. 4HIS kGURE IS POINTS HIGHER THAN THE percent in June 2017, according to the SWS. Meanwhile, 22 percent said they were “not

³Gordon A2

³Pinoys A2

When children cry out REFLECTIONS

FR. SHAY CULLEN, SSC

C

ATHOLICS around the world could not have imagined that a Roman Catholic cardinal and archbishop, George 0ELL A CLOSE CONkDANT OF THE 0OPE WOULD ever be convicted in a civil court for the sexual abuse of two altar boys aged 13. He was treasurer of the Vatican Bank.

³Cullen A4

How parents can deal with internet hoaxes NEW YORK: The latest parental panic on social media — over a purported challenge for kids to complete harmful tasks — elevates the importance of establishing an open dialogue with children and taking advantage of online parental controls.

Warnings about the “Momo challenge” swept Facebook and other social media in recent days, as parents worried about purported videos that encourage children to hurt themselves or do other harmful tasks such as turning on stoves without telling their parents. The parental warnings were accompanied by a disturbing image of a grinning creature with matted hair and bulging eyes.

But the challenge is believed to be a

³Internet A8 REACH US AT: E-mail: newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

FACES OF PANAGBENGA Senior high school students take part in the street dancing competition during the 24th Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City. PHOTO BY THOM F. PICANA

Boracay remains one of Asia’s best beaches DESPITE the environmental woes that prompted its six-month closure, Boracay was recently listed among Asia’s top 25 beaches rankings of an American travel website.

TripAdvisor ranked Boracay’s White Beach 9th among 25 others for the fourkilometer main beach’s “calm, warm waters, gently sloping sand, very relaxing [environment]… possibly the most beautiful beach in Asia.”

Yapak Beach (Puka Shell Beach) of Boracay Island also took the 25th spot.

Two other Philippine beaches also made it to this year’s elite list.

These are Nacpan Beach at 13th, and Las Cabañas Beach at 22nd, both in El Nido, Palawan.

In a recent top 50 best beaches in Asia by Flight Network, nine beaches in the country were recognized, with the Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan ranked as No. 1.

Boracay, however, was not in the list. In 2018, the White Beach was listed second best beach in Asia.

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) said the ranking was a testament to Boracay’s enduring reputation and beauty despite its closure last year.

“This means that Boracay was able to hit the ground running upon its reopening. That’s a testament to [its] reputation and beauty, that despite everything, it was listed as one of the top destinations

³Beaches A2

ALWAYS PARADISE

Tourists throng Boracay Island, which has not lost its reputation as one of the world’s best destinations.

BORACAY INFORMATION BUREAU

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News

˜ The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Govt upholds rule of law – Palace T

BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE

HE Duterte administration continues to uphold the rule of law in the country, MalacaĂąang said on Saturday, after the Philippines ranked among the countries in Asia with the weakest adherence to rule of law Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo reacted to the Philippines ranking 90th out of 126 countries included in the 2019 Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project (WJP). “The World Justice Project dekNES EFFECTIVE RULE OF LAW AS REducing corruption, combating poverty and disease and protecting people from injustice large and small, which are all embodied

Q PINOYS FROM A1

SWS: Most Pinoys worried� that they or anyone they know would be a victim of EJK. “This compares to June 2017 when 73 percent said they are worried (41 percent very worried, 32 percent somewhat worried), and 27 percent said they are not worried (13 percent not too worried, 14 percent not worried at all),� the SWS said.

The worry is highest in Visayas at 83 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 79 percent, Mindanao at 78 percent and Balance Luzon at 75 percent.

The same survey also found 50 percent of respondents said the poor were the usual victims of EJKs, while 48 percent said the killings did not choose a class, and 2 percent said only the rich were targeted. “This is similar to June 2017 when 51 percent said only the poor are the usual victims of EJKs, 4 percent said only the rich and 44 percent said EJK victimization does not choose a class,� the SWS said.

Despite this, the survey showed that an overwhelming number of Filipinos believe that the Duterte administration was serious in solving the spate of killings happening amid its war on drugs.

In the survey, 71 percent said the government was serious in addressing the EJKs, while 11 percent said it was not serious and the remaining 17 percent undecided.

The fourth quarter report, surveyed through face-to-face interviews, had sampling error of margins of Âą2.6 percent for national percentages and Âą5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The survey results come amid worries over the high body count seemingly resulting from the Duterte government’s war on drugs that it has several times denied.

More than 5,000 drug suspects have been killed in police antidrug operations, but human rights groups and government critics say THIS kGURE IS UNDERSTATED They suspect that killings carried out by so-called “vigilante groups� were also state-sponsored, citing cases where some policemen were caught in illegitimate operations.

The SWS earlier said most FiliPINOS BELIEVED POLICE OFkCERS WERE involved in extrajudicial killings, the illegal drug trade and planting of evidence against drug suspects.

The Philippine National Police, however, said it follows the law in all operations.

President Rodrigo Duterte last month vowed a “harsher� drug war, saying the country was going “insane.� “This is the most dangerous time for anybody to be playing with drugs,� the President said in a speech a few days ago. g) LL MAKE IT SIMPLE ) WILL kNISH you off because my nation is going insane. You know, you create so many social dysfunctions. When you enter into drugs, the head of the family becomes inutile,� he added.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

in the Duterte administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 with the following strategic outcomes — enhancing the social fabric; inequality-reducing transformation and increasing growth potential,� Panelo said in a statement. “The Duterte administration has been tirelessly working on these since Day One and we are

pleased of the Philippines’ improved global rank in 2019 (from 88 out of 113 countries in 20172018 to 90 out of 126 countries in 2018-2019) as a result of our initiatives. We will not rest and continue exerting efforts on this aspect,� he added.

Panelo asked political and judicial leaders to do their part in improving the administration of justice, saying the executive branch “cannot do it alone.� “The four universal principles of the World Justice Project rule of law framework, which are accountability, just laws, open government and accessible and impartial dispute resolution, require the support of all branches of the government,� he added.

“We need the support of Congress for the enactment of laws under just laws and open government, as well as the cooperation of the judicial branch for the timely delivery of justice under accessible and impartial dispute resolution,�

Panelo said.

The Philippines’ standing is a slight improvement from last year’s, when it ranked 93rd among 113 countries. The 2018 ranking was adjusted by the WJP, taking into consideration that the previous survey covered only 113 countries.

Still, the country landed near the bottom at 13th place out of 15 countries surveyed in the East Asia and the 0ACIkC REGION AND TH OUT OF THE lower middle-income countries. “Effective rule of law reduces

global rank of 115th out of 126 on that aspect.

The WJP also factored in constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice to the Philippines’ overall Rule of Law ranking.

The top three performers in the 2019 survey were Denmark, Norway and Finland. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia and Venezuela were the bottom three nations in the survey.

The index was a result of the evaluation of adherence to the rule of law worldwide, based on surveys conducted among more than 120,000 household and 3,800 expert surveys in 126 countries.

More females out of school than males

RISKY

A man and his two children take a dip in Manila Bay, despite warnings that swimming in its water is dangerous to health because of the high level of coliform.

PHOTO BY RUSSELL PALMA

Q GORDON FROM A1

Aquino, Abad should be charged children in grave peril. He simply did not care. He’s insensitive and lacks compassion,� Gordon added.

A blue ribbon committee report submitted earlier by Gordon recommended the indictment of Aquino for violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,� as well as RA 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for 0UBLIC /FkCIALS AND %MPLOYEES u Gordon said Aquino’s two MEETINGS WITH OFkCIALS OF VACCINE MANUFACTURER 3ANOk 0ASTEUR VIOlated RA 6713. “President Aquino is guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance. From the time he INAPPROPRIATELY MET WITH 3ANOk in Beijing on November 9 2014, and once again a year later in December 1, 2015,� the report said.

Gordon said that by meeting with mere senior vice presidents OF 3ANOk 0ASTEUR !QUINO WAS sending a strong message of perception that he was dispensing undue patronage.

Gordon said Abad committed technical malversation for releasing funds for a program that was not in the national budget. “MalacaĂąang should take a second look at it, I hope the DoJ (Department of Justice) secretary is lisitening and he will take a second look at it, because as far as I am concern ‘di nila tiningnan yung aspeto ng procurement at yung reckless talaga dyan nagbigay sila ng gamot na di pa sila sigurado na mag-wo-work (they did not look at the procurement aspect and the most reckless was that they gave the drugs even if they were not sure that it will work),â€? Gordon emphasized.

In a statement on the indictment prepared by the office of Justice Undersecretary Mark Perete, DoJ spokesman, stated that the Justice department has indicted Garin and four others of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over deaths allegedly caused by controversial anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

The statement made no mention about Aquino and Abad.

MalacaĂąang on Saturday wel-

corruption, combats poverty and disease and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity and peaceunderpinning development, accountable government and respect for fundamental rights,� the WJP said in its report.

It added that the Philippines’ improved global ranking was driven by an improvement in its “order and security� score. g3IGNIkCANT TRENDS INCLUDED AN improvement in ‘Order and Security,’� the report said.

Nevertheless, the Philippines still ranked 15th out of the 15 countries of the East Asia and the Pacific region in terms of order and security. It has a

comed the indictment of Garin and several others over the alleged deaths of eight children who received the government’s anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. “The wheels of justice have began to grind for the victims and families of children who died allegedly because of the Dengvaxia vaccine with the Department of *USTICE kNDING PROBABLE CAUSE TO charge former officials responsible for the failed immunization program initiated during their time,� Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. “We hope that true justice and peace will be attained as this is the only way we can deliver proper closure to the victims of the vaccination initiative and their families,� he added.

Panelo, however, appealed to the public to stop politicizing the Dengvaxia controversy because it discredited other health programs of the government and brought about undesirable results. “Now that the legal process has taken its course, we wish EVERYONE WOULD kNALLY STOP POliticizing the issue in the court of public opinion, noting that such exercise has only caused an unnecessary fear on the part of parents for good and creditworthy health programs of the government to the detriment of innocent children,� he said.

4HE 0ALACE OFkCIAL ALSO ASSURED the public that the executive branch would not interfere with the court cases that Garin and her co-accused would face. “As for the defendants, they should welcome this latest development as an opportunity to clear their names and raise whatever defense they have in relation to the matter before a court of law,�

Panelo said. “As always, we will not interfere in the proceedings, save for the DoJ, which is mandated by law to prosecute accused felons,� he added.

The Justice department on Friday said there were enough grounds to indict Garin, nine OFkCIALS FROM THE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH $O( TWO OFkCIALS OF THE Food and Drug Administration,

TWO OFkCIALS OF THE 2ESEARCH )Nstitute for Tropical Medicine, and six from Dengvaxia manufacturer 3ANOk 0ASTEUR State prosecutors, however, dismissed the same complaint against incumbent Health chief Francisco Duque 3rd, former DoH officer in charge Herminigildo Valle, two 3ANOk 0ASTEUR OFkCIALS AND :UELLIG 0HARMA OFkCERS Garin and the other respondents were found to have “exhibited ‘inexcusable lack of precaution and foresight’ when they facilitated, with undue haste, ‘the registration and purchase of Dengvaxia’ and used the vaccine in implementing a school-based dengue mass immunization program,� according to the statement. “The Panel found sufficient evidence that Garin and the other respondents circumvented various regulations in the purchase of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccine which constituted proof of their reckless imprudence,� it added.

Garin earlier said in her counTER AFkDAVIT THAT THE AVAILABLE DATA and information on Dengvaxia at the time the vaccines were purchased all pointed to its safety AND EFkCACY If convicted, Garin and the other respondents face up to six years in prison for each of the accusations.

2ESPONDING TO THE $O* S kNDings, Garin said, “I believe the criminal case is very weak because there is absolutely no evidence linking the vaccine to the deaths.

7E ARE CONkDENT IN THE DISMISSAL of this case.� “It is only the Philippines that has politicized the issue,� Garin said in a statement.

The government stopped its nationwide dengue vaccination program and pulled Dengvaxia off the market in late 2017 after Sanofi warned that the vaccine might cause severe symptoms if given to those who did not have prior exposure to the mosquitoborne disease.

3ANOk MAINTAINED NO DEATH was confirmed to have been caused by Dengvaxia.

WITH CATHERINE S. VALENTE

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with United Nations Educational, SciENTIkC AND #ULTURAL /RGANIZATION (Unesco) and the South Korean government to strengthen its Alternative Learning System (ALS) program among girls, as it saw that majority of out-of-school learners were females.

H. Ambat, DepEd assistant secretary for the ALS program, said based on data and accounts of ALS mobile teachers, there were more males enrolled in their classes than females. “If there are more girls dropping out of schools but there are more boys enrolled in ALS classes, where are the girls? If ALS is delivered free, why are they not going to our classes? That’s why we are conducting various efforts, together with our partners, to address this,� she added.

Data from the DepEd showed that of the country’s out-of-school youth, 36.7 percent were males and 63.3 percent were females.

Last year, 823,301 enrolled in the government’s ALS program nationwide.

The ALS is a parallel learning system that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction.

Ambat said the government, together with Unesco-Jakarta and Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), seek to bolster their measures to improve the showing of females in the program.

The three agencies initiated the Better Life for Out-of-School Girls Project in July 2017 for out-of-school girls in typhoondamaged Tacloban City, Leyte, and its vicinities. “If these girls need to be taught

the value of education because if they are to be mothers one day, this affects how their children value education. The same goes for the boys. The cycle of the growing number of out-of-school youths will not stop,� Ambat said.

Jesus Mateo, DepEd undersecRETARY FOR PLANNING AND kELD OPerations, highlighted the rollout of the enhanced ALS curriculum, in line with the 10-point agenda of the DepEd under Secretary Leonor Briones. “The DepEd has been pursuing reforms in the ALS [program] in order for it to be aligned with the K to 12 curriculum in formal education. We are now rolling out the version 2.0 of the ALS program, which is substantially different from the existing one,� he said.

Mateo explained that the changes in the program lie mainly in the system components, learning delivery system, learning environment, assessment, certification system and system support.

The Better Life for Out-ofSchool Girls project is set to run until June 2021.

Unesco-Jakarta Office Director Shahbaz Khan said this program supports the Philippine government’s aspirations for a strengthened ALS program within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals to provide quality, accessible and equitable education and lifelong learning for all. “In the Philippines, the mixed performance in basic education points to the need to improve quality, to focus on sectors that are left behind, and to address disparities across regions,� Khan said.

NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

Q BEACHES FROM A1

vironmental laws and ordinances.

In a recent bulletin from the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, 320 more tourism establishments and hotels have been allowed to operate on the island, which brings a total of 11,662 rooms available for booking. “The problem before was LESS OF THE INlUX OF VISITORS IN "ORACAY BUT MORE ON INEFkCIENT enforcing of those ordinances and laws. This time, despite the INlUX OF TOURISTS THE ELEMENT OF sustainability will still be there,�

Clemente said.

He, however, explained that accessibility to the island remains inadequate because of LIMITED lIGHTS “But now I think maybe they (airlines) have to rethink it because airfares are now high, but people are still going. So it’s still a viable destination,� Clemente said.

Boracay reopened on October 26 after a six-month clean-up and rehabilitation ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The TripAdvisor’s ranking of beaches was determined by the quality and quantity of reviews and rankings for beach destinations, restaurants, hotels, attractions on the islands and traveler booking interest.

NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

Boracay remains one of Asia’s best

in the region,� TCP president Jose Clemente 3rd told reporters.

The TripAdvisor’s list ranked Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands the top beach in Asia, while Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, came in second. Nai Harn Beach in Thailand got the third spot and Agonda Beach in India took fourth place.

Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka was ranked 5th, PhraNang Cave Beach in Ao Nang, Thailand, placed 6th, Varca Beach of India came in 7th, Karon Beach of Thailand took the 8th spot and Ngapali Beach of Myanmar was ranked 10th.

‘Strike a balance’ Clemente said now that Boracay is 90 percent operational, the government and the private sector has become strict in implementing en-

News Duterte signs OFW Handbook law

˜ The Manila Times

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE

P

2%3)$%.4 Rodrigo Duterte has signed INTO LAW THE BILL THAT AIMS TO PRODUCE A HANDBOOK ON THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OVERSEAS &ILIPINO WORKERS /&7S

2EPUBLIC !CT ALSO BUT WAS RELEASED TO THE MEDIA KNOWN AS THE g(ANDBOOK FOR only on Saturday. /&7S !CT OF u WAS SIGNED Under the new law, the PhilBY THE 0RESIDENT ON &EBRUARY IPPINE /VERSEAS %MPLOYMENT

!DMINISTRATION 0/%! WILL DEVELOP PUBLISH AND DISSEMINATE A STANDARD HANDBOOK ON THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF &ILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS 4HE HANDBOOK FOR /&7S SHALL BE ISSUED TO ALL LAND AND SEA BASED WORKERS FREE OF CHARGE 4HE GUIDEBOOK SHALL SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR /&7 RIGHTS AND SHALL CONTAIN VITAL INFORMATION TO HELP &ILIPINO WORKERS ADDRESS THEIR

PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS ABROAD )T WILL ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON THE LABOR AND LIVING CONDITIONS in the country of their destination, AS WELL AS IN THE 0HILIPPINES FOR their return.

4HE HANDBOOK SHALL BE WRITTEN IN LANGUAGES INCLUDING LOCAL DIALECTS THAT WOULD BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY /&7S 4HE 0/%!

IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER CONCERNED AGENCIES IS MAN-

DATED TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW LAW

WHICH TAKES EFFECT DAYS AFTER ITS PUBLICATION IN THE /FkCIAL 'AZETTE AND IN AT LEAST ONE NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION 3EN %MMANUEL *OEL 6ILLANUEVA

CHAIRMAN OF THE 3ENATE #OMMITTEE ON ,ABOR %MPLOYMENT AND (UMAN 2ESOURCES $EVELOPMENT

EARLIER SAID THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH HANDBOOK WOULD HELP IN PREVENTING ABUSES OF &ILIPINO ABROAD

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4HE MOVE HE ADDED ALSO COMPLEMENTS THE WORKERS EDUCATION PROGRAMS BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WORKING ON THE WELFARE OF /&7S g)N THE FACE OF INCREASING NUMBER OF ABUSES AGAINST /&7S PERHAPS WE CAN GO BACK TO THE BASICS

BY EQUIPPING OUR WORKERS ABROAD WITH THE RIGHT INFORMATION AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IN THE RIGHT WAY u 6ILLANUEVA SAID

Cabinet member Bong Go: The poor is my priority CBCP: No to head 8888 hotline cover-up of sex abuse cases

02%3)$%.4 2ODRIGO $UTERTE WILL APPOINT A #ABINET MEMBER TO SUPERVISE THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITIZENS COMPLAINT HOTLINE

ACCORDING TO %XECUTIVE 3ECRETARY Salvador Medialdea.

-EDIALDEA SAID ANOTHER OFkCE WOULD BE CREATED TO TAKE OVER THE CITIZENS HOTLINE TO WHICH AN 3-3 SYSTEM WOULD BE INCORPORATED g)N A FEW WEEKS WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER SECRETARY WHO WILL BE ON TOP OF THIS u -EDIALDEA SAID IN A radio interview. “4ITINGNAN YUNG COMPLAINTS

ANO ANG VOLUMEwHINDI NAMIN na ANTICIPATE NA GANITO KADAMI YUNG TAWAG TALAGANG MAGBA BOG down ANG MAKINA DIYAN 4HEY WILL OVERSEE THE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS COMING IN 7E DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WOULD BE THIS MAN )T WOULD REALLY BOG DOWN u HE added. !LSO CALLED THE 0RESIDENT S (OTLINE THE #ITIZENS #OMPLAINT (OTLINE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THROUGH %XECUTIVE /RDER )T IS DEDICATED TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON RED TAPE

CORRUPTION AND OTHER ABUSES IN GOVERNMENT OFkCES %ARLIER THE 0RESIDENT EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE HOTLINE WHICH WAS gALWAYS BUSY u (E threatened to shut down PLDT )NC IF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

GIANT DOES NOT ADD MORE HOTLINE NUMBERS !DDRESSING THE 0RESIDENT S COMPLAINT 0,$4 HAS ADDED LINES TO gAUGMENT THE PRESENT REQUIREMENT u -EDIALDEA SAID -EANWHILE THE 0ALACE OFkCIAL SAID THEY WERE LOOKING INTO ADDING TEXT MESSAGING AS AN OPTION TO THE CITIZENS HOTLINE TO IMPROVE its service. “)SANG ASPETO NA GINAGAWA NATIN in addition to calls, BAKA PWEDENG TEXT MESSAGING NA LANG /NE ASPECT WE ARE TRYING IS IN ADDITION TO CALLS

MAYBE IT CAN ALSO BE DONE THROUGH TEXT MESSAGING ‡ BY CALL AND TEXT MESSAGES u HE SAID -EADIALDEA SAID THE HOTLINE S EXISTING LINES WERE NOT ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE HEAVY VOLUME of calls. “.AGKAKAPROBLEMA NGA DAHIL SA SOBRANG HEAVY VOLUME OF CALLS .GAYON KASI NAKAKATANGGAP NG SIMULTANEOUS CALLS BUT ANG PROBLEMA @DI TALAGA KAYA 7E ARE HAVING PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY NUMBER OF CALLS 0RESENTLY

WE CAN ONLY GET SIMULTANEOUS CALLS BUT THE PROBLEM IS IT S NOT REALLY ENOUGH u HE SAID g7E HAVE TO UPGRADE IT +UNG KAYANG DOBLEHIN KAAGAD GAWIN NA )F WE CAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER IT SHOULD BE DONE SOON u HE ADDED CATHERINE S. VALENTE

02%3)$%.4 2ODRIGO $UTERTE S FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT #HRISTOPHER ,AWRENCE g"ONGu 'O PLEDGED that if he wins a Senate seat in THE -AY ELECTIONS HE WOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO POOR &ILIPINOS AND ensure that they have easier access TO GOVERNMENT SERVICES g!NG MAHIHIRAP ANG LAGI NAMING UUNAHIN BIGYAN NG SERBISYONG MABILIS MAAYOS AT MAAASAHAN 4HE POOR ARE OUR PRIORITY WHEN GIVING EFkCIENT EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE SERVICES u 'O SAID 4HE ASPIRING SENATOR WAS AT THE .AVOTAS 3PORTS #OMPLEX IN .AVOTAS #ITY ON 4UESDAY &EBRUARY

FOR THE CAMPAIGN RALLY OF (UGPONG NG 0AGBABAGO (.0 (E WAS WELCOMED BY .AVOTAS #ITY officials,

INCLUDING 2EP 4OBIAS 4IANGCO

-AYOR *OHN 2EY 4IANGCO AND CITY residents.

'O PROMISED THE CROWD THAT HE WOULD PURSUE MEASURES PROVIDING FREE EDUCATION TO POOR STUDENTS AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING and healthcare services. “,IBRENG EDUKASYON )SA PO @YAN SA ATING PAGTUTUUNAN NG PANSIN (INDI LANG MATRIKULA PERO PATI MGA PANGANGAILANGAN NILA PARA MAKAPAGTAPOS TULAD NG LIBRO uniFORM NOTEBOOK AT IBA PA /NE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS FREE EDUCATION ‡ NOT ONLY FREE TUITION BUT ALSO OTHER SCHOOL NEEDS SUCH AS BOOKS UNIFORMS AND NOTEBOOKS u HE SAID The Senate candidate said THAT DESPITE THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND EDUCA-

TIONAL INSTITUTIONS MORE MUST BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT &ILIPINOS HAVE access to quality education.

'O ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE POOR NEED DECENT HOMES AND THAT HE WOULD HELP ARRANGE FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF HOMES WITH MANAGEABLE PAYMENT TERMS (E ALSO VOWED TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES BY ESTABLISHING MORE -ALASAKIT #ENTERS 4HE TH CENTER WAS OPENED AT .AVOTAS #ITY (OSPITAL ON &EBRUARY The Malasakit Center is a oneSTOP SHOP THAT GIVES PATIENTS CONVENIENT ACCESS TO FREE MEDICINE AND kNANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INCLUDING THE 0HILIPPINE #HARITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE 0HILIPPINE (EALTH )NSURANCE #ORP $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH AND THE $EPARTMENT OF 3OCIAL 7ELFARE AND $EVELOPMENT

COMFORTING HAND

Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go consoles a patient during one of his hospital visits. Go had vowed to work for the establishment of more Malasakit centers to benefit the poor.

4(% head of the Catholic BishOPS #ONFERENCE OF THE 0HILIPPINES #"#0 GAVE ASSURANCES THAT THERE WOULD BE NO COVER UP OF SEXUAL ABUSE CASES INVOLVING THE CLERGY “We will do whatever we can TO PROTECT MINORS IN THE #HURCH 9OU HEARD ME NO HESITATION AND COVER UP u #"#0 0RESIDENT !RCHBISHOP 2OMULO 6ALLES SAID DURING a Mass at the San Pedro Cathedral IN $AVAO #ITY ON &RIDAY 6ALLES ADMITTED THE SHAMEFUL ABUSES AND VOWED TO STOP THESE FROM HAPPENING (E BEGGED FOR FORGIVENESS SAYING gWITH FORGIVENESS THE GRACE TO STAND UP AND REPAIR AND SEE TO IT THAT SUCH THINGS WILL NOT HAPPEN IN THE CHURCH u 4HE #"#0 HEAD WAS AMONG THE CLOSE TO CHURCH LEADERS FROM around the world who attended THE RECENT SUMMIT ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS AT THE 6ATICAN 0OPE &RANCIS HAS REPEATEDLY APOLOGIZED FOR THE SEX ABUSES AND VOWED TO CONFRONT THE PERPETRATORS AND RESTORE JUSTICE PNA

Comelec bares names of party-list nominees 1,600 PH, US soldiers join military exercise

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has released the names of nominees of more than 130 party-list organizations to give voters a chance to know the personalities behind the organizations.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said in party-list elections, voters should evaluate the sectoral organization but they also should look at the nominees. “While the Comelec maintains that, in a party-list elections, it is the

party-list organization as a whole that should be evaluated by the electorate, it cannot be denied that the identity of the nominees remains a significant reference for voters,� he said in a statement. “This is especially true in view of the large number of party-list organizations currently participating in the #NLE2019 elections,�

Jimenez said.

The poll body posted the list of nominees of 134 party-list organiza-

tions in its Twitter account, @COMELEC. “The release of the names of party- list nominees was effected to enhance the transparency of the electoral process and to enable voters to make an informed choice,� he said.

Meanwhile, the Comelec Employees’ Union lauded the poll body’s stance in enforcing campaign rules in connection with the May 13, 2019 national and local elections. “The Comelec leader-

ship’s serious effort to ensure a level playing field for candidates in the forthcoming elections and its tough stance on enforcing campaign rules is commendable,� the group said in a statement. “On the ground, we commit to tear down all oversized and illegally placed campaign posters,� it added.

Last week, the Comelec started removing illegal campaign posters in Metro Manila and other provinces.

PNA

-/2% THAN SOLDIERS FROM THE !RMED &ORCES OF THE 0HILIPPINES AND THE 53 !RMY WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN ANNUAL BILATERAL EXERCISE AIMED TO ENHANCE THEIR READINESS AND TACTICAL INTEROPERABILITY WHILE STRENGTHENING MULTINATIONAL RELATIONSHIP 4HE %XERCISE 3ALAKNIB WILL TAKE PLACE IN &ORT -AGSAYSAY

0ALAYAN AND .UEVA %CIJA FROM March 4 to 24.

4HE 53 !RMY S TH )NFANTRY $IVISION #OMMANDER -AJ 'EN Willard M. Burleson 3rd, and PhilIPPINE !RMY TH )NFANTRY $IVISION !CTING #OMMANDER "RIG 'EN ,ENARD !GUSTIN PRESIDED OVER THE

OPENING CEREMONY ON &EBRUARY 4HE EXERCISE WILL CONSIST OF JUNGLE kELD TRAINING BILATERAL #OMMAND 0OST EXERCISE EXCHANGES ON VARIOUS MATTERS COOPERATIVE HEALTH ENGAGEMENTS AND HUMANITARIAN CIVIC ACTION PROJECTS )T WILL ALSO GIVE A VENUE FOR THE EXCHANGE TACTICS TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE DISASTER RELIEF OPERATIONS AS A WAY OF SHOWING THE ALLIED SUPPORT OF THE 53 AND THE 0HILIPPINES US Secretary of State Michael 0OMPEO RECENTLY SAID THAT THE 53 will defend Manila if the PhilIPPINES IS ATTACKED IN THE 7EST 0HILIPPINE 3EA ROY D.R. NARRA

A contract that violates laws is void Dear PAO, I met my boyfriend in Boracay in April 2017. He is a British staying here in the Philippines FOR ALMOST kVE YEARS NOW ) AM LIVING WITH HIM AT HIS CONDOMINIUM UNIT (E NOW WANTS TO rent my house and lot located in .ASUGBU "ATANGAS (E WENT TO A LAWYER AND EXECUTED A CONTRACT of lease stipulating that I, as the LESSOR WOULD ALLOW HIM TO RENT the house and lot for a period of 50 years in the amount of 0 WITH AN OPTION TO BUY THE SAID PROPERTY AFTER TWO YEARS Furthermore, the lease contract stipulated that I cannot sell, mortgage, donate, encumber and dispose the house and lot WITHOUT HIS WRITTEN CONSENT 7AS THE CONTRACT EXECUTED BY MY FOREIGNER BOYFRIEND VALID ) WILL WAIT FOR YOUR ANSWER 4HANK YOU IN ADVANCE Arnee Dear Arnee, To answer your question, we shall

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA refer to Presidential Decree 471, WHICH kXES THE MAXIMUM PERIOD FOR THE DURATION OF LEASES OF PRIvate lands to aliens, to wit: “Section 1. The MAXIMUM PERIOD ALLOWABLE FOR THE DURATION OF LEASES OF PRIVATE LANDS to aliens OR ALIEN OWNED CORPOrations, associations, or entities NOT QUALIkED TO ACQUIRE PRIVATE lands in the Philippines shall be TWENTY kVE YEARS RENEWABLE FOR ANOTHER PERIOD OF TWENTY FIVE years upon mutual agreement of both lessor and lessee.

Section 2. Any contract or AGREEMENT MADE OR EXECUTED in VIOLATION OF THIS DECREE SHALL BE NULL AND VOID ab initio XXX XXX XXXu %MPHASIS SUPPLIED 4HE PROHIBITION ON FOREIGN-

ERS TO OWN 0HILIPPINE LANDS IS LIKEWISE EMBODIED IN !RTICLE 8))

3ECTION OF THE 0HILIPPINE #ONSTITUTION WHICH PROVIDES THAT “save in cases of hereditary sucCESSION NO PRIVATE LANDS SHALL BE TRANSFERRED OR CONVEYED EXCEPT TO INDIVIDUALS CORPORATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS QUALIkED TO ACQUIRE OR HOLD LANDS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN u )T MEANS THAT PRIVATE LAND MAY ONLY BE TRANSFERRED TO &ILIPINO CITIZENS CORPORATIONS AT LEAST PERCENT OF THE CAPITAL OF WHICH IS OWNED BY &ILIPINOS g.OTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF 3ECTION OF THIS !RTICLE A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN OF THE 0HILIPPINES WHO HAS LOST HIS 0HILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP MAY BE A TRANSFEREE OF PRIVATE LANDS SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS PROVIDED BY LAWu 3ECTION )BID 4HE 3UPREME #OURT IN THE case of 2EBECA &ULLIDO VS 'INO 'RILLI '2 &EB

THROUGH !SSOCIATE *USTICE *OSE Mendoza elucidated: g4HE PURPOSE OF PROHIBITING

THE TRANSFER OF LANDS TO FOREIGNERS IS TO UPHOLD THE CONSERVATION OF OUR NATIONAL PATRIMONY AND ENSURE THAT AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES REMAIN IN THE HANDS OF &ILIPINO CITIZENS 4HE PROHIBITION HOWEVER IS NOT LIMITED TO THE SALE OF LANDS TO FOREIGNERS )T ALSO COVERS LEASES OF LANDS AMOUNTING TO THE TRANSFER OF ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE RIGHTS OF DOMINION XXX XXX XXX 4HUS IF AN ALIEN IS GIVEN not only a lease of, but also an option to buy, a piece of land

BY VIRTUE OF WHICH THE &ILIPINO OWNER CANNOT SELL OR OTHERWISE dispose of his property, this to last for 50 years, then it becomes clear that the arrangement is a VIRTUAL TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP WHEREBY THE OWNER DIVESTS HIMself in stages not only of the right to enjoy the land but also of the right to dispose of it — RIGHTS WHICH CONSTITUTE OWNERship )F THIS CAN BE DONE THEN THE #ONSTITUTIONAL BAN AGAINST ALIEN LANDHOLDING IN THE 0HILIPPINES

IS INDEED IN GRAVE PERIL XXX XXX XXX 4HE #OURT EXPLAINED THAT g;A= LIENS ARE NOT COMPLETELY EXCLUDED

BY THE #ONSTITUTION FROM USE OF LANDS FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES 3INCE THEIR RESIDENCE IN THE 0HILIPPINES IS TEMPORARY THEY MAY BE GRANTED TEMPORARY RIGHTS SUCH AS A LEASE CONTRACT WHICH IS NOT FORBIDDEN BY THE #ONSTITUTION XXX XXX XXX %MPHASIS 3UPPLIED !RTICLE OF THE #IVIL #ODE states that CONTRACTS WHOSE CAUSE

object or purpose is contrary TO LAW MORALS GOOD CUSTOMS

public order or public policy are INEXISTENT AND VOID FROM THE BEginning. )N THE CASE OF &ULLIDO VS 'RILLI A VOID OR INEXISTENT CONTRACT WAS DEkNED AS ONE WHICH LACKS

ABSOLUTELY EITHER IN FACT OR IN LAW ONE OR SOME OF THE ELEMENTS which are essential for its validity. )T IS ONE WHICH HAS NO FORCE AND EFFECT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AS IF IT HAD NEVER BEEN ENTERED INTO IT PRODUCES NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER EITHER AGAINST OR IN FAVOR OF ANYONE

!PPLYING THE ABOVE MENTIONED laws in your situation, the conTRACT OF LEASE GIVING HIM OPTION TO BUY YOUR PROPERTY AND STIPULATING THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND WILL LEASE YOUR PROPERTY FOR YEARS CIRCUMVENT THE #ONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION AGAINST THE TRANSFER OF LANDS TO FOREIGNERS ALIENS RENDERING THE SAID LEASE CONTRACT VOID &URTHERMORE

THE SAME CONTRACT MAKES YOU POWERLESS TO DISPOSE YOUR OWN PROPERTY (ENCE THE CONTRACT OF LEASE EXECUTED BY YOUR BOYFRIEND IS VOID AND PRODUCES NO RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS 7E HOPE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO answer your queries. This advice is BASED SOLELY ON THE FACTS YOU HAVE NARRATED AND OUR APPRECIATION OF THE SAME /UR OPINION MAY VARY WHEN OTHER FACTS ARE CHANGED OR ELABORATED

%DITOR S NOTE $EAR 0!/ IS A DAILY COLUMN OF THE 0UBLIC !TTORNEY S /FkCE 1UESTIONS FOR #HIEF !COSTA MAY BE SENT TO DEARPAO MANILATIMES NET

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

E d i to r i a l Veto of corporal punishment bill: A nod to parental rights

I

N VETOING the bill that would have entirely banned corporal punishment on children, President Rodrigo Duterte has upheld long-standing parental rights and autonomy, as well as checked the tendencies of some politicians to ape Western practices and ideologies.

4HE VETO MEANS THE WELL DEkNED LIMITS TO STATE INTERVENTION in family life are preserved. As we pointed out in this space last year, the measure, championed by the likes of “social activist� Sen. Risa Hontiveros, was unnecessarily intrusive and would have upset the prevailing balance between state and parental roles in the upbringing of children.

In his February 23 veto message, Duterte wrote that while he agreed that children should be protected from humiliating forms of punishments, he did not share the view that the measure should apply to households. Parents, he pointed out, could administer corporal punishment in a self-restrained manner, in which the child would eventually remember it as a form of love and discipline, not as hatred and abuse. “Such manner of undertaking corporal punishment has GIVEN RISE TO BENEkCIAL RESULTS FOR SOCIETY WITH COUNTLESS CHILdren having been raised up to become law-abiding citizens with a healthy respect for authority structures in the wider community,� Duterte wrote.

The bill sought a ban on any form of punishment or discipline using physical force and intended to cause pain or discomfort, or any nonphysical act that causes a child to FEEL BELITTLED DENIGRATED THREATENED OR RIDICULED )N THE kRST and second offenses, there was to be a written citation by the barangay or village chairman, or his or her representative, to be given to the parent, guardian or the adult concerned to “desist, stop and refrain� from using corporal punishment. It WAS AS IF PARENTING WAS LIKE IMPLEMENTING ROAD TRAFkC RULES It would have required a “mediation and reconciliation meeting� between warring parents and children, exposing family affairs to the entire village. Parents were to be sent to what is essentially a reeducation seminar, to tell them how to parent their own children. A third offense would have alLOWED VILLAGE OFkCIALS TO INITIATE A COMPLAINT FOR CHILD ABUSE The measure would have allowed the government to breach a family’s privacy. Not only did Duterte prevent that from happening. He went a step further and said the Philippines should resist seeing all forms of corporal punishment as outdated, as is the traditional view in some Western nations. “The cultural trends of other countries are not necessarily healthy for our own nation. Indeed, in many instances such TRENDS ARE OF DOUBTFUL BENEkT EVEN FOR THE VERY COUNTRIES which originated and popularized them. To uncritically follow the lead of these countries, especially in matters as SIGNIkCANT AS THE FAMILY WOULD BE A GREAT DISSERVICE TO THE succeeding generations,� he added.

Let this veto put lawmakers on notice that they should not simply use the coercive power of the law to impose their personal ideologies on the public. Instead, Filipino lawmakers must uphold the positive aspects of disciplining our children the way our own culture of parenting has produced good, considerate law-abiding and productive citizens.

This statement, of course, is not made in reckless disregard of the reality of some brutal acts of punishment against errant children committed by adult members of their families.

There are other laws already in place that cover such offenses.

Republic Act (RA) 7610, for one, provides for stronger deterrence and special protection against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination, imposing penalties for its violation and for other purposes. Another law, RA 9262, protects women and children against violence and prescribes penalties for violations of this Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.

We don’t need another law that has not considered the FULL RAMIkCATIONS OF HAVING THE STATE TAKE AWAY THE PARENTING rights of parents over their own children.

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

The Sunday Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 141

DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor FELIPE F. SALVOSA II, Managing Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL MALLARI, Sports Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor JOMAR CANLAS, Chief of Reporters RENE H. DILAN, Chief Photographer DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO BLANCA C. MERCADO, #HIEF /PERATING /FkCER RODA A. ZABAT, Advertising Director VICENTE P. CRUZ, JR., Circulation Director DENISE O. CALNEA, Marketing Communications and Services Director Telephone All Departments: 524-5665 to 66; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 Advertising: 524-5664 Local 121 Telefax: 310-5895 or e-mail advertising@manilatimes.net www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsdesk@manilatimes.net Letters to the Editor THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 The owners, managers, publishers and editors do not necessarily share the opinions expressed and the statements made by individual authors of columns, commentaries and other articles published in The Manila Times.

God wants to save us, but do we want salvation?

A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.‌ A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. — Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Luke 6:18

A

S the new 40-day season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the faithful again commemorate in liturgy, prayer, fasting and almsgiving the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed and Divine Trinity, who became man to redeem the world from sin and death.

We all know the drill, from ashes crossed on the forehead to the Salubong procession when statues of the Risen Jesus and his grieving mother Mary meet, and the lights that fill dark churches at the Easter vigil Mass.

This is the greatest event for Christianity, the glorious fulfillment of God’s plan of salva-

Even Pope Francis reportedly said the damned didn’t really roast for eternity, but just vanish. The Vatican doubted that he mouthed that heresy, but the misquote might just be right. Why would AN INkNITELY MERCIFUL 'OD BURN souls forever and ever?

So, with eternal damnation tion for humanity. There is no greater celebration in the faith, not what it used to be, many as death and sin are finally de- a Catholic is content to coast, feated and heaven is opened for with a routine of easy living, a sin or two every now and then, all the earth.

All very fine, but do Chris- and Sunday or sometime Mass. tians still care about salvation, As for denying oneself and takor has Easter become just a hunt ing up one’s cross, as the Lord admonished, leave that to the for eggs and a four-day break? saints and the fanatics.

In this writer’s alumni chat The pain of being saved groups from two Catholic instiHere’s the problem for many tutions, politics, college sports, a believer: Redemption is no and girls are the thing, with fun, at least by 21st Century occasional prayers and admolifestyles. Prayer, fasting, alms- nitions, but hardly anything giving, plus Bible reading and about saving souls, as if they sermonizing. They just don’t don’t need redemption. When match up against the lures of this writer reminded one group the good life (or rather, the about Catholic morals, especially on sexuality, some took bad one).

Sure, there’s hell to pay for offense, and no one expressed those who choose sin over sac- appreciation for the concern RIkCE BUT WHO BELIEVES IN HELL over souls being stained by sin.

FAITH HEALER

RICARDO SALUDO

Hence, many of the faithful today, especially the affluent and highly educated, may miss or dismiss the message of today’s Mass readings on the trials of being Christian.

In the first reading, the prophet Sirach talks of “tribulation ‌ the test of the just,â€? like a furnace in which clay hardens into the shape molded by the potter, presumably God. In St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, “the corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibilityâ€? — no room for good dirty fun here.

And in St. Luke’s Gospel, quoted above, our Lord minces no words. The tree — that’s you and me — is either good or bad. No prizes for guessing which kind can be with God at the end of life.

But won’t God have mercy on the sinner? A quick sorry plus purgatory, and we’re in heaven hunky dory, right? Here’s what Sirach said in a warning just last Thursday: “Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin.

ÂłSaludoA5

Q CULLEN FROM A1

When children cry out That conviction was handed down in Australia last December. The court has released only this week news of that conviction due to the fact that there was another historical case of alleged child sexual abuse against him and a cover-up of similar crimes of priests in his diocese. This case was recently withdrawn and the December verdict against the cardinal could be revealed. The cardinal has had bail withdrawn, and he is already in detention and will receive a jail sentence. He is considered innocent until the appeal is done.

He has consistently pleaded innocent and vehemently denied that such acts of sexual abuse against the two boys, 13-year old altar servers, ever happened. A jury, however, found the cardinal guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Pope Francis has ordered that the cardinal be removed from all public ministries and never to have any contact with children.

When one of the highest ranking prelates of the church has been convicted and jailed for child sexual abuse, it becomes a historical event that should not be forgotten or consigned to the archives of memory. The wounds of abuse are still felt by many thousands of the victims of child sexual abuse all over the world. It is a powerful message to the Church hierarchy to turn over all suspected child-abusing priests to the civil authorities and help the victims.

The pain remains with the victims all their lives, unless it is poured out in therapy and expunged from the deepest recesses of the personality of the individual. “Like many survivors, I have experienced shame, loneliness, depression and struggle. Like many survivors it has taken me years to understand the impact upon my life,� Pell’s victim said on Tuesday in a statement through his solicitor, Vivian Waller. “The process has been stressful and it is not over yet. I need space and time to cope with the ongoing criminal process.�

Child sex abuse victims have seldom had a forum where they could freely tell or make a complaint. Pope Francis said that they “hear the cry of the victims for justice,� but what direct action is taken to get justice for the children? The children suffer greatly and if anyone doubts that and wants to hear the cry of the victims, please click on the link and view the one-minute video showing child victims of sexual abuse releasing their emotions.

This is in the Preda Foundation therapy room as they cry out their anger, hatred and pain at their abusers and punch the cushions as if hitting their abuser. https://www.dropbox.com/ sh/82wr094p0iqp86j/AACkSHfLFK8UOdVhsv0AC-1ya?dl=0 The crime against children has been denied, ignored and suppressed for centuries, never mentioned or discussed in public until the 1970s. The child

was blamed for inducing such abuse no less and cowered into silence by threats and fear. But most could never keep it buried inside, it always emerges, damaging their lives, affecting their studies, careers, their marriages or relationships.

One of the two victims in the case against Cardinal George Pell died of drug overdose in 2014. Apparently, he was so hurt his need for painkillers overwhelmed him and brought about his early death. The abuse could have been the cause of that tragic event. The conviction of George Pell might finally bring the Vatican to issue a Zero Tolerance Policy, which survivors and victims have been demanding. These survivors and victims were angry when the recent meeting on child abuse in the Vatican did not address it.

The historic meeting in Rome called by Pope Francis to address the crises in the Church opened with the words of the Pope, ‘‘we hear the cry of the little ones asking for justice.�

But have the age-old prelates listened to this cry? The bishops, all old men who mostly remained silent during the proceedings, recalling perhaps the times that some may have transferred child sex abuser priests to other parishes or abroad, and covered up the crime and allow them to continue. They will fear being held to account for such a crime now that a court of law has convicted one of their own.

It was the outspoken women,

religious sisters and victims who were most passionate in their statements during the meeting.

It is hoped that the conviction of Cardinal George Pell will send the message that no one is beyond justice and all must be held accountable and brought to answer credible evidence.

We hope that the Philippine bishops will now refer the child victims of clergy sexual abuse to the therapy centers so the victims can be helped and healed.

These are the leaders of the institutional Church. Our faith is not in such a structure, although many unthinkingly believe it is. Many believe in the church and its teachings.

But the child abuse crisis has diminished the authority and credibility of the institution.

Most Catholics will have to examine what they believe in.

Hopefully they will realize it is not the institution but the person of Jesus of Nazareth in whom they ought to place their belief and hope. Their belief ought to be in his life-giving values and teaching of social justice, care of the poor, truth, integrity, conscience, freedom, human rights and dignity and equality for all.

They will recall his words in Matthew 18:1–8 that the most important of all are children and the abuser must do penance. George Pell, hopefully, will repent of his sins and do penance behind bars.

www.preda.org

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Opinion

A5

A layman’s view: The Church will live forever and ever

M

ANY Catholics — relapsed, devout and those one step away from agnosticism — still remember a contemporary event that took place in Argentina at the time Jorge Mario Bergoglio was still archbishop of Buenos Aires. ! POWERFUL kGURE IN THE 6ATICAN came to visit, resplendent in his magisterial robes and his imperial airs. Everything was routine and copacetic, until a photo was snapped. It showed Archbishop Bergoglio focused, with disgust and loathing shadowing his face, on the gold Rolex watch of the visiting Church mandarin.

Archbishop Bergoglio, known for his simple life and humility, would have been censured for such display of contempt toward one so high and powerful in the Church. In the tradition-bound institutions, Archbishop Bergoglio’s behavior was unacceptable.

A cabinet member censuring US President Donald Trump for his constant lying and vulgar ways would be hounded out of the cabinet. Instead of censure and relega-

Q SALUDO FROM A4

God wants to save us Say not: ‘Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.’ For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the Lord, put it not off from day to day. For suddenly his wrath flames forth; at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed� (Sirach 5:5-7).

To be with God, be like God Will God really damn for eternity? For the faithful who believe, the Bible speaks God’s word, His intent for man from day one is crystal clear. He made us in his image, to be like Him. And when man went astray, God kept giving him every chance to repent and return to the right path.

When Adam and Eve lost paradise, God promised salvation through the woman’s seed.

After the Great Flood, the world got a reset with Noah and his ark of paired animals. And in the dispersal of humanity in the multiplicity of tongues at Babel, God chose Abram to become Abraham — meaning “father of a multitude� — from among whose descendants the Messiah would arise.

Through Moses and other prophets, God handed down laws and precepts, so that humanity, starting with the Israelites, would know the way to holiness. And when the Chosen People kept breaking His commands, Yahweh promised to write the law in their hearts. He would transform humanity into the holy people He wanted us to be.

Finally, to make His wish for man absolutely clear, He Himself became man through His Second Person, and showed how we can be holy and perfect as He is. And even when we falter, as our fallen humanity inevitably does, God’s grace will cleanse and uplift the fallen who believe and call upon Him in the person of Christ.

As that synopsis of salvation history makes plain, God wants us to be good, holy and perfect, and gives us every means for this singular purpose of our existence. That’s what Christmas, Lent, Easter, and all the rest of the Church year, plus the Bible, the Seven Sacraments, the Catechism, and other preachings and practices of the faith, are all for.

So, this season of sacrifice and forgiveness, when God died for us to become like Him, the paramount point not to miss is that we are called to holiness and glory, like the Risen Christ.

If we reject that call, we say no to God — and yes to what is not God. Forever.

SUNDAY STORIES MARLEN V. RONQUILLO tion to a lesser role, the archbishop of Buenos Aires was elevated to the papacy a few years later.

Thus, the great story of the commuter-archbishop (he commuted on the Metro buses of Buenos Aires) and his rise to the papacy.

Pope Francis archived the whole foundation of theological conservatism that guided the Church during the reigns of Pope John Paul 2nd and Pope Benedict 16th for more openness and tolerance. Then the Laudato si (Praise Be to You) was promulgated as Pope Francis’ second papal encyclical.

The break from tradition was not only on the theological direction and his concern for the poor. Pope Francis opted out of the lavish Apostolic Palace for the more austere Domus Sanc-

tae Marthae papal guesthouse.

By the way, he also called the sacred economic theory of the US Republican Party, the trickle-down economic theory, as “ bunk.�

Do you know of any institution that could abruptly adopt a radical break, in both leadership and creed, without triggering a self-destructing rupture?

The answer is the Catholic Church, supposedly an archaic and timebound institution.

President Rodrigo Duterte said the Catholic Church would cease to exist in about 25 years.

You know what? An institution that could undergo such radical break and shift without one stone wobbling on its farreaching edifice is bound to be timely and timeless.

This is just a layman’s view, the view of a relapsed Catholic like me who returned to the faith after the ascendancy of Pope Francis, but it is true. The capacity of the Church to absorb shocks and shifts, changes and epic movements, all guarantee that the Church will survive

forever. Forever and ever. And Amen to that.

The hope of many Catholics is this: the next 25 years will be spent purging the Church of sexual deviants and misfits, the rethinking of celibacy, the loosening up of its rigid code on the LGBT people.

This is also a Church, remember, that survived the horrific folly of the Inquisition and the tremors brought about by the Reformation. From the 20th century hence, the Church has been a vast tent and that vastness gave it the strength and the resilience to accommodate the debates on what should be the core theology and courses of action.

During his presidential run, John Kerry did stray from the bedrock doctrines of his Catholic faith and supported abortions rights. Yet, no crazy mob, no far-right Catholic zealots, drove him out of his Church and there was some sort of modus vivendi . The conservatives shunned him while the progres-

sive Catholics supported him.

In the Philippines, there are Catholics still politically leaning to the Falange of Francisco Franco, while on the other end, there are priests in the revolutionary underground, all within the broad umbrella of our version of the CNL, or the Christians for National Liberation.

Of course, those in-between, those with no politics or very little political leanings at all, make up the great majority of Philippine Catholics.

Economists-cum-conservative Catholic academics based at a university in Metro Manila suck up to whomever is in power, the never-say-die prophets of economic boom. These economists never got anything right but they have a mastery of the development jargon and the principals have fancy academic degrees. On the opposite pole, there are progressive academics with the Jesuits and the La Salle brothers who always speak of truth to power.

The grandness of the Catholic

Church is its refusal to convince its flock to do the undemocratic, unchristian bloc voting, which is basically eroding the basic capacities of the faithful to exercise the freedom of choice and the freedom of political expression. The Church leaders loath to express their political stand except when human lives are threatened, or — learning from the Catholic Church’s timid stand during the brutal years of Franco’s Spain — when autocrats and demagogues rise to power.

From the original Church of Peter to the Catholic Church in the 21st century, the question of extinction has never been really an issue within the Church.

Its tolerance for zealots and revolutionaries, reformers and vanguards of the status quo , the devout and those forever in doubt, vests the Church with the capacity to evolve and adapt.

For those prognosticating on when the Church would be rendered obsolete and irrelevant, here is a sound advice — make a fearless forecast after 30 more centuries.

Education key to gender equality in Asia and the Pacific BY ARMIDA SALSIAH ALISJAHBANA BANGKOK, Thailand (IPS): Equal rights have been demanded and promised for generations, but last year a shift occurred in the women’s movement. Across Asia and the Pacific and around the world, women demonstrated to condemn a status quo which continues to deprive too many women and girls of respect and equal opportunity.

This is a momentum we must maintain to achieve gender equalITY IN !SIA AND THE 0ACIkC AN AMBItion which lies at the heart of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Education is key. It remains the passport to better jobs, higher incomes and improved life chances.

Progress in our region has been made and rightly celebrated, but equal numbers of boys and girls enrolled in education belies high dropout rates and lower attendance and attainment levels for girls.

This is particularly acute in rural areas, where in many countries only very few girls from poor households complete secondary education.

Improving health care coverage, particularly sexual and reproductive health, is another imperative.

Again, women living in rural and remote areas are particularly disadvantaged, contributing to high maternal mortality rates in PARTS OF !SIA AND THE 0ACIkC AND teenage pregnancies with enduring societal consequences.

This inequality of opportunity contributes to placing women at a considerable disadvantage in the labor market. Over the past 30 years, female labor market participation has declined in Asia AND THE 0ACIkC WHERE ONLY HALF OF all women are economically active.

This is in part because women are relied on to give up to six hours OF UNPAID CARE WORK A DAY STIlING careers and ambitions and undermining equal political representation. Corporate leadership positions

remain the preserve of men.

Today, for every 10 men in work IN THE !SIA 0ACIkC REGION THERE ARE only six women, the majority of whom are trapped in precarious, informal employment, characterized by low wages and hazardous working conditions.

With such considerable barriers remaining to gender equality, the United Nations Economic Social #OMMISSION FOR !SIA AND THE 0ACIkC is supporting a bold coordinated response, which must include gender responsive budgeting.

This approach ensures the different needs of women and men are part of budgetary decisions for the public expenditure, which underpins the design of government programs and activities. This is particularly important in shaping the provision of social protection, education and health care and the

design of infrastructure.

By placing a greater focus on women’s needs, gender responsive budgeting has been shown to make a major contribution to reducing the burden of unpaid work and enhancing women’s opportunities for leadership in the workplace and in political and public life.

Gender-responsive budgeting could also be used to create a more supportive environment for women entrepreneurs who are proven catalysts for change and a reliable means of increasing women’s share of the workforce.

Women employ other women, who in turn, are known to spend more on their families, helping give children a healthy diet, a solid education and reliable health care.

As potential GDP gains from gender equality in work and society are enormous in our region, up to 18 percent

in parts of South Asia, this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.

Yet this entrepreneurial potential is currently frustrated by a lack OF ACCESS TO kNANCE AND INFORMAtion and communications technology (ICT) tools for business development. Seventy percent of women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises are underSERVED BY kNANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN developing countries.

Women-owned enterprises are consistently smaller and concentrated in less profitable sectors.

Innovative technology could be deployed to reduce gender barriers and promote digital inclusion.

This requires support for businesswomen to mainstream ICT across business operations, make THEIR kNANCIAL MANAGEMENT MORE robust and their outlook more responsive to new technologies.

Put simply, women’s empowerment requires action on all fronts.

It begins with equal opportunity to education and health care services, delivered through targeted investments, better attuned to women’s needs.

Supporting women entrepreneurs WITH BETTER ACCESS TO kNANCE AND )#4 can then keep women in work, enabling their businesses to innovate, remain competitive and expand.

These businesses are essential incubators for future generations of women’s leaders, but will also contribute to a more gender equal environment today.

Women’s empowerment cannot WAIT IN !SIA AND THE 0ACIkC

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is UN undersecretary general and executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia AND THE 0ACIkC %3#!0

Slavery is not a thing of the past, it still exists today affecting millions world, and nearly 2,900 migrants recorded killed or missing on that WASHINGTON, DC: While natural hazards route in the same year.

Most of them traveled on smuglike hurricanes, exacerbated by climate change, are causing people to migrate, glers’ boats departing from Libya, IT S CONlICT VIOLENCE AND PERSECUTION Tunisia or Egypt, risking their lives that have forced more than 68.5 mil- in search of safety and opportunity lion people from their homes today, in Italy and beyond.

The reality of the harrowing journey exposing them to higher risks and increased vulnerability, especially in search of safety in Europe came into sharp focus when three-year-old Alan women and children.

6ULNERABLE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE FACE Kurdi’s (initially reported as Aylan MASSIVE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTY TO kND Kurdi) image made headlines when safety and opportunity for themselves he drowned in the Mediterranean and their families. Unfortunately, in AFTER lEEING 3YRIA WITH HIS FAMILY Recently, a little refugee boy from many cases they are taken advantage of and their rights ignored, forced to Mali also drowned in the Mediterrawork in terrible conditions for little, nean. In preparation for the ill-fated trip, he had stitched a school report to or in some cases, no money.

Elsewhere, 120,000 people his clothes to show European authoricrossed the Central Mediterra- ties what a good student he was.

In the Northern Triangle of Guanean in 2017 — the migrant route with most deaths recorded in the temala, Honduras and El Salvador, BY SHANNON SCRIBNER

thousands of Central Americans are arriving at the US-Mexican border, lEEING DOMESTIC AND GANG VIOLENCE

state corruption and impunity, climate induced droughts, and economic hardship in their home countries.

We see women bearing the brunt of violence and poverty with high levels of sexual and gender-based violence, and alarming levels of femicide. It is not uncommon for a girl and her family to be targeted and even killed by gangs if she refuses to become a gang member’s sex slave.

And once at the border, children HAVE DIED DUE TO THE DIFkCULT JOURNEY they are taking and as a result of medical care not being available on time.

In the US, there are countless examples of workers being exploited, many of whom are migrants. Oxfam published a report detailing how the poultry industry exploits vulnerable

people who have few other options to take on the most dangerous and thankless jobs in the poultry plants.

Because of their precarious situations, most workers are afraid to speak out or do anything that might jeopardize their jobs. Oxfam reported that some workers were forced to wear adult diapers because they did not have adequate bathroom breaks.

As part of Oxfam’s Behind the Barcodes campaign, Oxfam has also worked with laborers in Southeast Asia and elsewhere for more rights and protections. In the seafood INDUSTRY WORKERS kND THEMSELVES IN conditions akin to modern slavery.

Female migrant workers especially, who perform jobs like peeling the shrimps for cheap shrimp cocktail you can buy at your grocery store, are often subjected to illegal recruitment and have their travel documents and

WAGES CONkSCATED The UN and the international community do acknowledge the plight of modern slavery and the challenges migrant workers face around the world, but more needs to be done.

Unfortunately, instead of helping address and resolve the displacement crisis with thoughtful, humane policies, and a genuine sense of shared responsibility,too many leaders are using scare tactics and depicting migrants and refugees as violent criminals and terrorists, WHEN THEY ARE IN FACT THE ONES lEEING violence and also have much to offer to their new communities.

These leaders around the globe are doing this with a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, human rights and global norms that are meant to protect

ÂłSlaveryA6

A6

Opinion

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

A lot of hogwash in the ‘Year of the Pig’

I

F I were to define the word “vague,� I could only think of the second summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Add this word to “Singapore Declaration� and we will surely have a complete picture.

It reminds me of “The Ballad of East and West,� a poem by Rudyard Kipling, which says, “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.� When it comes to the possibility of openING LIAISON OFkCES WHICH IS THE established notion in normalizing diplomatic relations), both Trump and Kim are unsure who between THEM WILL TAKE THE kRST STEP *** Meanwhile, ex-Trump lawyer -ICHAEL #OHEN TESTIkED AT A CONgressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a “conman, a racist and a cheat.� He claimed that Trump had not released his tax returns because he feared that public scrutiny would lead to an audit and tax penalties. I cannot help but wonder why Cohen worked FOR HIM IN THE kRST PLACE Truly, there’s a lot of hogwash in The Year of the Pig. *** Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s department circular prohibiting partisan political activities AMONG HIS PROSECUTORS IS DEkNITELY laudable. He said that electioneering or engaging in political activities is a punishable offense.

It would also be better to go after the candidates that seek their help to harass their political opponents.

And by the way, is the ombudsman

*** I heard that vote buying is now upgrading the scheme to conform with modern technology. It will be prepaid and postpaid. Prepaid for registered voters and postpaid for listening as well? newly registered ones. Sorry, no *** UNLI for party members.

It looks like the government’s *** EFFORT TO EASE -ETRO -ANILA S TRAFkC Media reporting today is far more is beginning to take shape. Japan complex than you can imagine.

International Cooperation Agency Mostly, they are about the ratings (JICA) has granted funding for a game, making money on commerP357-billion subway project that cial spots, doing stories with the was recently launched, covering 36 intention of dislodging the competikilometers that will cross seven cit- tion, incurring less expense to cover ies from Quirino Highway in Que- as much as possible, mesmerizing us zon City all the way to Terminal 3 WITH lASHY PRODUCTIONS AND DIGITAL of the Ninoy Aquino International tools and keeping us, viewers, in Airport in Pasay City. emotional highs and lows. And we *** get confused.

President Rodrigo Duterte is exBefore, it was much simpler and pected to appoint a new Governor spartan to do the job. Get the story for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with whatever it takes and report (BSP) to replace Nestor Espenilla it soonest. And let opinions take Jr., who passed away more than a their due course. week ago. While BSP Deputy Gov— and we learned. ernor Alamasara TuaĂąo-Amador *** is now OIC, others who can be Somebody suggested that netappointed to the post are Diwa works should post this before airing Guinigundo and Chuchi Fonacier, a legislative hearing: “Warning: This both deputy governors. I think program is not suitable for children that Mr. Guinigundo is a worthy and the faint-hearted as it may conreplacement, considering his ex- tain disturbing sounds and images.â€? perience and respect earned from *** the global banking community.

This was a quote from Ed Mur*** row in1958: “One of the basic It is your right to join rallies, troubles with radio and television dear students. But bear in mind news is that both instruments THAT BY kNISHING A COURSE YOU CAN have grown up as an incompatTURN THE REFORMS THAT YOU ARE kGHT- ible combination of show busiing for now into reality. Without ness, advertising and news. Each KNOWLEDGE YOU ARE LIKELY TO kND of the three is a rather bizarre yourselves on the streets forever. and demanding profession. And And achieve nothing. when you get all three under one

MIRRORLESS

ROLLY G. REYES

roof, the dust never settles. The top management of the networks, with a few notable exceptions, has been trained in advertising, research, sales or show business. But by the nature of the corporate structure, THEY ALSO MAKE THE kNAL AND CRUCIAL decisions, having to do with news and public affairs. Frequently they have neither the time nor the competence to do this.� *** I am not scared anymore of coming home late. All I have to do is look straight at my wife’s face, tell her, “Look at me, look at me,� and then kneel for forgiveness. *** Sen. Antonio Trillanes said, “Oh there, there are no more drug addicts because they are dead, and so?�

PRRD retorted: “Some critic senator, stupid senator. Are you not happy that I’m doing it for you, instead of you, a military idiot, doing it? You do not even know how to count.� *** Pope Francis ended his conference on the sexual abuse of children by clergy last Sunday by calling for an “all-out battle� against a crime that should be “erased from the face of the earth.� Dear bishops, are you listening? *** Quotes of the week: “Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what the ships are for.� — John Shedd “The risk of a wrong decision is better than the terror of indecision.� — Maimonides *** Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.

It made sense for Trump to walk away in Hanoi WASHINGTON, DC: With the abrupt breakdown of the Hanoi summit, the diplomatic negotiations between the United States and North Korea got a reset, and that’s a good thing. If dialogue resumes, it will BE ON A kRMER MORE REALISTIC BASIS President Trump’s swoon for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had worried many observers who feared the president would make a rushed, overly generous deal just to claim a win. Cautioned by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to avoid concessions on sanctions before he had hard evidence that North Korea was truly moving toward full denuclearization, Trump decided that “sometimes you have to walk.�

After the summit collapsed Thursday without an agreement, some commentators blamed Trump for lack of preparation. This president doesn’t prepare very well for anything but, in this case, the criticism is somewhat misplaced.

It was the North Koreans who

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

DAVID IGNATIUS blocked adequate groundwork, by resisting US efforts to plan for a productive meeting.

North Korea’s foot-dragging has been obvious in public comments.

When Pompeo visited Pyongyang in July, a month after the first Trump-Kim summit, to frame a serious agenda for delivering on the Singapore framework, the North Koreans denounced his “unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization.� Through the summer and fall, the United States kept pressing for working-level talks between special envoy Stephen Biegun and his counterpart in Pyongyang, but the North Koreans RESISTED 7HEN TALKS kNALLY COMmenced, the positions were too

far apart, with too little time for negotiation and compromise.

Kim may have been encouraged to delay working-level negotiations by Trump’s gushy praise and the president’s emphasis on his personal chemistry with the young dictator. But the failure of the Hanoi summit will hopefully cure each side of any illusions about sweet-talking the other.

The failure in Hanoi now puts both parties in closer touch with reality. Pompeo and Biegun — determined to avoid the failure of past US efforts to stop the North Korean nuclear program — have been adamant that UN sanctions shouldn’t be lifted unless North Korea takes steps to make its denuclearization pledges more believable. Pyongyang’s proposal in Hanoi to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear complex failed that test, because other secret facilities would remain.

North Korea now knows it will have to make a better offer.

Trump appears to have learned that he doesn’t have any magic diplomatic formula. He seemed convinced that his combination of saber-ratting disruption, punishing sanctions and diplomatic love letters would work, but, so far, it hasn’t (despite a laudable reduction in tensions).

The president may grow bored now, as he often does when he encounters a reversal. But if he’s serious about North Korea, he (or more properly, Pompeo and Biegun) should settle in for long, careful negotiations that, meeting by meeting, reduce the threat North Korea poses and open pathways for its development.

Walking away from engagement with North Korea would be a mistake. But hitting the pause button now makes some sense.

(C) 2019, WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

David Ignatius can be reached via Twitter: @IgnatiusPost.

A N A LY S I S

Even without a deal, Kim makes gains at summit HANOI, Vietnam: As Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump took their seats across from each other at the negotiating table, the North Korean LEADER CONkDENTLY TOLD REPORTERS HE had a gut feeling the two would conclude their second summit with some sort of an agreement.

His gut proved wrong. A few hours later, he was speeding back to his Hanoi hotel, with no deal at all.

Gauging Kim’s calculus in a negotiation is never easy, but the ending to his two days in Hanoi with Trump seemed like a major disaster.

Kim came to Hanoi seeking sanctions relief, which Trump said he simply could not give. Before Thursday’s sudden rupture, Kim even seemed to be on the verge of something that had eluded his father and grandfather — a declaration by the US president of the end of the Korean War. That, too, was not to be. But Kim won’t be going home empty-handed.

Kim may have overplayed his hand on sanctions, but he demonstrated he is capable of playing hardball — a capability Trump won’t likely forget.

He walks away with arguably more legitimacy than he had before, having convinced the most powerful man in the world to come to Asia a second time in less than nine months. Even in announcing that the talks had failed, Trump continued to praise Kim, stressing that the summit had been generally friendly and constructive.

More importantly, Trump left the door open for negotiations to continue. Kim can work with that.

He has already made big strides toward undercutting support for sanctions in China and South Korea and can be expected to try to keep pushing them farther away from Washington’s increasingly fragile policy of maximum pressure. Trump said Kim vowed to maintain his moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests, so the lack of an agreement in Hanoi doesn’t necessarily mean all sides must immediately revert to crisis mode.

Throughout the negotiation process so far, North Korea’s state media have been extremely careful not to criticize Trump directly, focusing their ire instead on lower-level officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton. It remains to be seen how the North’s propaganda machine will spin the Hanoi outcome, but it would seem unlikely that their deference to Trump will change dramatically.

Wittingly or not, Trump has repeatedly helped Kim establish himself as a leader on the world stage.

In his news conference, Trump seemed to almost argue one of Kim’s talking points, suggesting that military exercises are expensive and

not entirely necessary. The US maintains nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea and their joint exercises with the South’s military have long been a major source of concern in North Korea, which sees the maneuvers as a dress rehearsal for war.

Trump hasn’t called for their removal or for an end to the exercises, but he seems to be receptive to Kim’s complaints.

Even as his talks with Washington have bogged down, Kim has largely erased the one-dimensional image of North Korean leaders since he emerged one year ago to hold a surprisingly successful and effective series of summits with the leaders of China and South Korea and with Trump.

In Hanoi, he was congenial and diplomatic in his interactions with THE 53 PRESIDENT "UT HE STOOD kRM in his refusal to give up the country’s crown jewels — its hard-won and expensive nuclear program — for an offer that the North would consider second-rate.

Not agreeing to a deal means North Korea can potentially carry out further work on its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, upping the stakes IN FUTURE TALKS !ND THE LACK OF A kERY ending or angry words — at least in public — further boosts Kim’s stature.

In Hanoi, as in Singapore, he showed a more human face than is presented in state-controlled media back home. He was at turns STERN AND SMILING CONkDENT BUT respectful in his dealings with his older counterpart.

He was even caught having an all-too-human smoke break while on his way by train to Vietnam, standing on a train platform and lighting his own cigarette with an old-school match before his doting sister delivered an ashtray to him.

While he relied on translators, he was heard speaking English when greeting Trump. He also took a real risk by engaging Western reporters’ QUESTIONS FOR THE kRST TIME Unlike Trump, who immediately boarded Air Force One for Washington, Kim isn’t rushing out of Hanoi after the summit. He is expected to stay until Saturday and will spend his remaining time sightseeing and MEETING 6IETNAMESE OFkCIALS ON WHAT is being billed as a “friendly visit.�

That gives him a chance to present to both the world and his domestic audience the image that his meeting with Trump was just one part of a larger, multipronged trip.

Kim also will be going back to a public that, according to the state media at least, has been losing sleep as it reverently longs for his return.

Whether that’s true or not, he is surely likely to avoid the same sort of politiCAL kRES THAT AWAIT 4RUMP AP

Q SLAVERY FROM A5

Slavery is not a thing of the past, it still exists today affecting millions the most vulnerable among us.

This was demonstrated in the Trump Administration’s inhumane policies separating children from their families and in trying to deny women who are victims of domestic violence from seeking asylum in the United States.

There has been some progress to help migrants and refugees from the UN. In 2016, President Obama hosted a UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants. The Summit led to countries committing to a $4.5-billion increase in global humanitarian funding. Following the Summit at the UN General Assembly, 193 UN member states agreed to coordinate and cooperate to improve the global response to the migration crisis.

They agreed to do such things as ease pressures on countries that host most refugees, like Bangladesh, Uganda, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. They committed to building refugees’ selfreliance through access to education and livelihoods, expanding access to resettlement and other complementary pathways, and fostering conditions for refugees to voluntarily return home.

They also agreed to start working on a Global Compact for

Refugees and a Global Compact for Migration that was recently endorsed at the end of last year.

The compacts include such things as recognition of the need for meaningful participation by refugees and host communities in decision making and commitments to uphold the human rights of all migrants regardless of status.

On the downside, the compacts aren’t binding so there is no way to legally hold endorsers accountable.

And, the United States retreated from its leadership role in protecting refugees and withdrew from the Global Compact on Migration.

Overall, the mass migration taking place globally presents opportunities but also huge risks for those who aren’t protected along the way or when they arrive.

Many think of slavery as a thing of the past, but it still exists today, affecting millions around the world, as people make desperate decisions for a better life.

We need more protections and more implementation of the systems we have in place to achieve a more safe and just world for everyone. IPS

Shannon Scribner is Associate Director of Humanitarian Programs and Policy at Oxfam America

Q Hassan Hussein, a refugee from Syria, pleads with police to allow his family into a registration center for migrants and refugees in PreĹĄevo, southern Serbia. SAM TARLING/OXFAM

˜ The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Regions BARMM focuses on ‘impact’ programs on first 100 days SUNDAY March 3, 2019

BY MASIDING NOOR YAHYAÂ

M

ARAWI CITY: The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim said they would focus on the “quick impact� proGRAMS FOR THE kRST DAYS IN OFkCE Ebrahim reiterated that the Bangsamoro government would center its program on health services, strategic infrastructures, education and social services.

MALASAKIT FUND

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino (left) turns over the P5-million check to Quezon Gov. David Suarez as initial fund from the Office of the President for the Malasakit Center at the Quezon Medical Center. The Malasakit Center in Quezon, recently launched by former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, is the 24th center in the country.

The programs aims to consolidate all financial assistance to indigent patients including assistance from Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The project currently helps more than 100,000 indigent patients and runs on a P300 million fund every month. PHOTO BY BELLY M. OTORDOZ

Pangasinan officials, police face jueteng charges TWO Pangasinan mayors, a vice mayor, three police officers, two barangay VILLAGE CHAIRMEN AND OTHERS WERE CHARGED BEFORE THE OFkCE of the Ombudsman for allegedly protecting and operating jueteng.

Named respondents were San Carlos City Mayor Joseres Resuello, San Fabian Mayor Constante Agbayani; San Carlos City Vice Mayor Julier Resuello; Punong Barangay (Village Chairman) Efren Fajardo of Sagud-Bhaley in San Fabian; Punong Barangay Robert Rosario of Mamarlao in San Carlos City; Modesto Menor, village councilman of Barangay MalacaĂąang in San Carlos City; Supt. Philip Antang, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of Pangasinan; Supt. Rollyfer Capoquian, San Carlos City chief of police, Chief Insp. Melecio Mina; San &ABIAN CHIEF OF POLICE 0OLICE FkCER (PO) 2 Ronald Pidlaoan, of San #ARLOS #ITY 0OLICE AND 0 2OMEO 'ALISIM AND 0 *EROME "USCAINO of CIDG-Dagupan City.

Other respondents were civilians Bernabe de Guzman, Sammy Rosario, Lorylie Diaz,Warlito Simon, Norwyn Garcia Sudio and Beth Sudio, all of Barangay Aponi; Violeta Soriano and Helen Dumlao. !LL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFkCIALS AND POLICE OFkCERS WERE ACCUSED OF violation of the anti-graft practices LAW UNDER 2EPUBLIC !CT 2! and the Anti-Gambling Law under 2! ON &RIDAY BEFORE THE OFkCE of the Ombudsman.

Aside from the criminal chargES THE OFkCIALS ARE ALSO FACING separate administrative charges for grave misconduct, oppression and dishonesty.

4HE COMPLAINTS WERE kLED BY Jose Millora, businessman and general manager of Speedgame Inc. (SGI), authorized agent of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake OfkCE 0#3/ TO OPERATE 3MALL 4OWN Lottery (STL) in Pangasinan.

Globaltech Mobile Online Corp. (GMOC) operated the reported illegal numbers game Peryahan ng Bayan where the official of Barangay Sagud-Bhaley in San Fabian allegedly served as provincial operations manager.

Witnesses and residents tagged THE OFkCIALS AS ALLEGED PROTECTORS of jueteng that a village chairman of San Fabian allegedly operates.

Earlier, the Nationwide Inter-Branch Security Monitoring (NIBSM) of PCSO said in a media conference in Pangasinan on &EBRUARY THAT MORE THAN 0 billion in revenue taxes from the operation of STL intended for various charity programs were lost

due to the resurgence of jueteng in Pangasinan and other provinces.

Retired Marine Major Manuel Fraginal, NIBSM chief, said what was lamentable was the fact that jueteng was allegedly protected by SEVERAL MAYORS AND POLICE OFkCERS Fraginal, who represented PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan, said jueteng is now rampant in the provinces of Pangasinan, Rizal, Catanduanes, Palawan, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato and Zamboanga del Sur, as well as in Quezon City where the mayors AND POLICE OFkCERS IN THOSE AREAS are obviously not doing anything to stop its illegal operations.

Reports of PCSO provincial manager Editha Romero, show that in Pangasinan alone, GMOC operates jueteng in the towns of Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto and DaguPAN #ITY ALL IN THE TH $ISTRICT -ALAsiqui and San Carlos City in the 3rd District; Alcala, Sison, Santo Tomas, "AUTISTA AND 0OZORRUBIO IN THE TH District; Bugallon, Mangatarem and Labrador in the 2nd District; and 3UAL IN THE ST $ISTRICT Fraginal said he challenged the mayors and the police provincial directors, chiefs of police and baRANGAY OFkCIALS WHO ARE PROTECTING the illegal numbers game to resign. g7E HAVE IDENTIkED THE MAYORS

chiefs of police and several baranGAY OFkCIALS WHO ARE PROTECTORS OF jueteng, in our report to President Rodrigo Duterte, and it is up to the President if he will publicly name THEM u &RAGINAL SAID Fraginal said the PCSO would recommend to Duterte the immediate transfer and relief of the PNP provincial directors and chiefs of police who are not doing anything to stamp out jueteng in their jurisdictions.

(E EXPLAINED THAT PERCENT of the revenue collections of the PCSO from STL would be used to kNANCE THE GOVERNMENT S 5NIVERsal Health Care program. “However, I think we cannot colLECT OUR TARGET FUNDS TO kNANCE THIS program of the government because jueteng, which is the enemy or rival of the STL numbers game, is alive in several provinces where its operaTION IS PROTECTED BY POLICE OFkCERS AND MAYORS u &RAGINAL SAID Likewise, Romero said funds for the point health services and other charity programs now being implemented nationwide on order of Duterte were also affected by jueteng operations.

LEANDER C. DOMINGO

He said that in the interim, BARMM would continue to implement the special programs of the previous autonomous regional government, which

include the Humanitarian, Emergency, Action, and Response Team, Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment and Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy, since there is still a budget for these.

During the turn-over of ARMM to BARMM, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. reminded the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) that the gTRANSITION PROCESS IS VERY DIFkCULT PARTICULARLY THE kRST DAYS u

BIFF attacks BARMM area, 3 soldiers killed COTABATO CITY: Three soldiers were killed as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked anew, the first incident under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which preceded a grenade blast here several hours later.

Even with the newly installed BARMM, peace has remained elusive here.

The BIFF is not covered by the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front chaired by Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim, now the BARMM chief minister.

-AJOR !RVIN %NCINAS SPOKESMAN FOR THE TH )NFANTRY $IVISION )$ SAID THE kRST VICTIM WAS 0 3TAFF 3GT ,ARDERA 6ERANDE OF THE )$ INTELLIgence unit, who was killed by motorcycle-riding men in a broad daylight attack along Sinsuat Avenue in Cotabato City on Thursday.

-EANWHILE TWO MORE SOLDIERS UNDER THE )$ were killed on the same day in an ambush in Barangay Sambulawan, Datu Salibo town in the second district of Maguindanao.

4HEY WERE IDENTIkED AS 0RIVATES *UNARD %Stribor and Nelier John Pinto who were both OFF DUTY AND BELONGED TO THE TH )NFANTRY "ATTALION OF THE )$ Encinas said the victims were on board a red car en route to Cotabato City when BIFF gunmen, positioned along the highway, opened

kRE WITH ASSAULT RIlES KILLING THEM ON THE SPOT Their companion, Private Muqtadir Sampulna, was wounded and recuperating in a hospital.

Abu Misry Mama, BIFF spokesman, told reporters that the killings were carried out to avenge the death of a ranking companion in a military operation in Maguindanao three days before. “We will retaliate each time one of us gets KILLED IN A GOVERNMENT OFFENSIVE u -ISRY SAID The separate attacks that killed three soldiers preceded the powerful explosion in a residential area not too far from the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City.

Investigators said the grenade that a lone bomber lobbed on the roof of a house owned

BY RETIRED POLICE OFkCER 2UDY 0AYAG FELL ON one side of the building and exploded as it hit the ground.

No one was hurt in the explosion, but the incident triggered panic among members of 0AYAG S FAMILY AND THEIR NEIGHBORS Personnel of the Cotabato City police and inTELLIGENCE AGENTS FROM THE )$ ARE STILL VALIDATING circulating text messages alleging that the BIFF was also behind the grenade attack.

The blast site was less than 2 kilometers southwest of the BARMM capitol, the operations center of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. Â JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

IN HONOR OF THE SAINT

Young girls from public schools in Santo Tomas, Batangas, join the street dancing for the 10th Mahaguyog (mais, halaman, gulay at niyog) Festival in honor of the town’s patron saint, Santo Tomas de Aquino. The town in celebrating its 353rd foundation anniversary on March 7. PHOTO BY BOY JOSUE

DepEd to assist road accident victims in Negros BACOLOD CITY: The Department of Education (DepEd) in Basay City and Central Visayas is helping the families of the victims of the vehicular accident in Zamboangita, Negros Oriental on &RIDAY THAT KILLED kVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND INJURED OTHERS INCLUDING THEIR TEACHER In a statement, DepEd, through the Schools Division of Bayawan City and the Regional OfkCE SAID IT WAS gCLOSELY COORDINATING WITH AND ASSISTING THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS u “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the very unfortunate vehicular accident that HAPPENED EARLY MORNING OF -ARCH INVOLVING STUDENTS AND A TEACHER COACH OF "ASAY .ATIONAL (IGH 3CHOOL u IT SAID “The department also extends its sincerest condolences to the bereaved families and is committed to provide adequate support in this MOST DIFkCULT TIME u IT ADDED 4HE ACCIDENT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TH GRADERS SISTERS #HERRY 2OSE

AND #HERRY !NN +ADU-

SALE *OSHUA "USMEON +EVIN !GUILAR

AND #HRISTIAN "UENCONSEJO

Injured were teacher John Mark Prestin and STUDENTS *AMES "AGARINAO %LMAR 4OQUERO

*USTINE 'ENEROSO 7ILLIE #* #HUA

*ESSE -AY #ABANAL AND FOUR OTHERS WHO REMAINED UNIDENTIkED The fatalities were members of the MathSayaw team of Basay National High school, who were returning home from a competition in Cebu City.

The driver, Jaypee Sarad, 29, lost control of the vehicle, swerved to the opposite side of the slippery road, and ran into the path of an ONCOMING CARGO TRUCK AT A M ON &RIDAY in Barangay Mayabon, Zamboanguita town, the police said.

Some of the victims were rushed to the Siliman Medical Center, while the others were brought to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City.

EUGENE Y. ADIONGÂ

A7

The BTA serves as the interim government of BARMM until the REGION ELECTS ITS LEADERS IN Ebrahim said they were now preparing the Bangsamoro transition plan, which they expect TO SUBMIT ON -ARCH THE DATE of the BTA inauguration. This would cover the proposed organizational plan and implementation schedule.

He also instructed his interim cabinet “to organize the ministries in accordance with the provision OF THE "ANGSAMORO /RGANIC ,AW u

Cebu teen caught with P2.4-M shabu  A TEENAGER, tagged by narcotics operatives as high-value target, was arrested with more than P2 million worth of shabu in a buy-bust in Barangay Kamputhaw, in Cebu City on Saturday.

4HE SUSPECT WAS IDENTIkED AS .ORI #HRIS -ANAYON

OF "ARANGAY 3UBA #EBU #ITY Police said Manayon sold a medium sachet OF SHABU FOR 0 TO A POSEUR BUYER ALONG Maria Cristina Extension at about 3 a.m. The OPERATIVES LATER CONkSCATED MORE LARGE packs and two medium packs of shabu from Manayon, estimated by the Dangerous Drugs "OARD TO VALUE 0 MILLION P/Staff Sgt. Alexander Terado, desk ofkCER OF THE #EBU #ITY 0OLICE 3TATION

said Manayon denied possession of the shabu, as well as his involvement in the illegal drugs trade. “He (Manayon) is a high value target but is NOT INCLUDED IN THE WATCH LIST u 4ERADO SAID Manayon, who did not resist arrest, will face CHARGES UNDER 2EPUBLIC !CT THE #OMPREHENSIVE $ANGEROUS $RUGS !CT OF RHEA RUTH ROSELL

5 die of dengue in Region 12 COTABATO CITY: Five persons have died of DENGUE SINCE *ANUARY THE HEALTH REGIONAL OFkCE IN 2EGION SAID ON 3ATURDAY Jenny Ventura Panizales, speaking for the Department of Health (DoH)-Region OR 3OCCSKSARGEN 2EGION SAID THREE OF the dengue fatalities were from North Cotabato and one each from Sarangani and South Cotabato provinces. !S OF &EBRUARY THE $O( 2EGIONAL %PIDEMIOLOGY AND 3URVEILLANCE 5NIT HAS listed 2,332 dengue cases across the region.

Soccsksargen is comprised of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.

Panizales said the dengue monitoring OFkCE REPORTED THAT THIS YEAR S NUMBER OF DENGUE PATIENTS WAS PERCENT HIGHER compared to the same period last year.

She said the youngest dengue patient listed was three months old, while the oldEST WAS YEARS OLD 3HE ADDED THAT JUST A little over half of the patients were males or

&EMALES NUMBERED

North Cotabato has the highest number OF DENGUE PATIENTS AT OR PERCENT OF the total number of patients, followed by 3OUTH #OTABATO WITH PERCENT AND 3ARANGANI WITH PATIENTS PERCENT 3ULTAN +UDARAT HAD CASES 'EN 3ANTOS #ITY AND #OTABATO #ITY

Cotabato City has the highest percentage OF CHANGE WITH ONLY DENGUE PATIENTS IN AND THIS YEAR DURING THE SAME PERIOD OR PERCENT 0ANIZALES SAID gHOT SPOTSu AREAS WERE NOTed in Barangay Poblacion, Carmen, North Cotabato; Barangay Maybay of Maitum, Sarangani; Barangay Zone 3 of Cotabato City; Barangay Poblacion of Polomolok and Barangay Poblacion of Tupi, both in South Cotabato and Barangay Calumpang in General Santos City.

Panizales said there had been no declaration of an outbreak but health workers were on emergency status as of this writing.

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

A8

News

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Wanted: 600,000 jeepney drivers T

BY JAIME R. PILAPIL

RANSPORT group cooperative 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak) is looking for 600,000 drivers to operate its Beep jeepneys plying various routes in Metro Manila Vigor Mendoza said the group needs 600,000 jeepney drivers to fill the need of its cooperative plying various routes such as Lagro-Cubao (Quezon City) Santa Mesa (Manila)-Antipolo

Legarda lauds Manila Bay rehab

City, and Marikina City-Cubao, among others.

A Beep driver is assured of P1,100 daily compensation or P32,000 monthly take home pay.

In Metro Manila, the minimum

pay is pegged at P537. g7E HAVE DIFkCULTY RECRUITING jeepney drivers. Many are applying but before we hire them, they have to undergo rigorous training, PARTICULARLY ON TRAFkC LAWS DRIVING skills, and eight attitude or respect to pedestrians and commuters,” said Mendoza.

Beep drivers are required to work for 10 hours for 26 days.

So far, Beep has 200 units, but more are coming as soon as the GROUP kNDS SKILLED AND PROPERLY

oriented drivers.

-ENDOZA ADMITTED THAT AT kRST

drivers had doubts on the monthly salary but after a few months, they kNALLY WEIGHED THE ADVANTAGES LIKE less pressure.

The 1-Utak leader also called on the government to make true its promise of an P80,000 subsidy to operators of Beep jeepney.

A Beep jeepney is a blue-colored airconditioned vehicle that looks like a small bus with right side entry door. It is regarded as a modern

CLOSED

A signage notifies motorists that Tandang Sora flyover will be closed on March 2 at 11 p.m. to give way to the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 Tandang Sora station.

PHOTO BY ROGER RAÑADA

Prehistoric humans loved their dogs to death clustered near present-day Barcelona some 6,000 years ago were really keen on dogs, in this life and the next.

Archeological evidence from at least four sites showed prehistoric humans and their four-legged friends living in close quarters, working together, and sharing a common diet of mostly grains and veggies.

“These animals were fully integrated into the Neolithic communities,” lead author Silvia Albizuri, a researcher at the University of Barcelona, said.

And the special status accorded to canines even extended to the grave, Albizuri and her team reported recently in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

In more than two dozen circular burial plots, the partial or complete remains of pooches were carefully laid

very low skill in driving. They failed our tests. Those who immediately passed are truck drivers.

This is a big surprise to us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno leader Bong Labog called on transport authorities to reexamine the bus public transport sector because drivers now do not receive monthly compensation.

“Government has to reevaluate or study the impact of daily rate pay of bus drivers. They returned to the old practice,” he said.

Q INTERNET FROM A1

SEN. Loren Legarda on Saturday lauded collaborative efforts from the government and stakeholders to rehabilitate Boracay and Manila Bay, as well as other tourist destinations in the country.

“As an archipelagic country, we depend so much for food and water from our oceans, but it is only until recently that we are ramping up efforts to rehabilitate and protect our marine life and environment.

We need to sustain this level of awareness and action to ensure that we can still be able to provide for future generations,” said Legarda, chairman of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.

She also supported the global call to reduce threats to marine species and urged authorities and stakeholders to help protect marine wildlife and biodiversity from pollution and impacts of climate change.

Legarda made the statement in celebration of World Wildlife Day on March 3, which carries the theme “Life Below Water: For Life and Planet.”

The senator, however, noted that efforts must be aligned with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celcius, citing the Special Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which projects lower climate risks to marine biodiversity, fisheries, and ecosystems, and their functions and services to humans at 1.5C, compared to 2C of global warming.

“As this World Wildlife Day focuses on life below water, we need to elevate the discussion and escalate our action at the local and global level to protect our marine resources in a more sustainable and meaningful fashion.

In this time of climate crisis, we are compelled to do more for the sake of our future and our planet,” Legarda said. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

PARIS: Neolithic communities

jeep, which has complied with regulations like smoke belching.

Beep cards that are being used for Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit trains are accepted in Beep jeepneys.

The minimum fare in a Beep jeepney is P11, compared to P9 in regular jeepneys.

Mendoza said many public utility jeepney drivers failed their entry tests.

“They have low education on TRAFkC RULES AND REGULATIONS AND

out next to individual men, women and children.

But the dogs chosen to spend eternity with their masters paid a stiff price for the privilege: they were sacrificed at the time of burial, the study concluded.

The animals ranged in age between one and six years, with a quarter estimated at 12 and 18 months-old.

“The selection of puppies and one-year old animals suggests the intention to sacrifice,” said Albizuri.

The Pit Grave people, in other words, loved their dogs to death.

Dogs not eaten The preference for young dogs may also have stemmed from a reluctance to lose older ones already trained up in their guarding or herding duties.

A lack of cut-marks on the dog bones also suggests their

flesh was not cut away and consumed before burial.

Canines and humans laid to rest side-by-side have been found at other Middle Neolithic sites in northern Italy and southern France, but the Bobila Madurell tomb — just north of Barcelona — has more dogs than any other, the study said.

The remains of all but 9 of the 26 dogs examined were excavated there.

Dogs were first used by humans for hunting and probably transport, scientists speculate.

As humans settled and began to practise agriculture some 10,000 years ago, canines became sentinels against upright invaders and wild animals, especially their evolutionary cousins, wolves.

They also learned to herd other domesticated creatures, such as sheep, goats or cattle.

“Dogs played an important

role in the economy of Neolithic populations, taking care of herds and settlements,” the researchers noted.

The mid-sized dogs described in the study — standing up to half-a-meter tall, and weighing about 15 kilos — resemble “shepherd dogs of the current Pyrenees,” the mountain chain separating France and Spain, Albizuri said.

Bones from livestock found at the Spanish burial sites were scattered in a haphazard manner, further proof that Neolithic canines carefully laid to rest were in a class of their own.

The 5th millenium BC in southern Europe was dotted with a few large settlements, along with small villages or hamlets in plains or on hilltops.

Archeologists have also unearthed the remains of simple farms, temporary shelters, and silos used to store grain. AFP

How parents can deal with internet hoaxes hoax. It’s unclear how many videos exist or to what extent they have circulated, among children or elsewhere. Some of the videos might have been made in response to media attention surrounding the challenge. Meanwhile, the image of the grinning creature is reportedly from a Japanese sculpture.

Fact-checking site Snopes said the challenge first appeared in mid-2018 linked to suicide reports without actual evidence. YouTube said it has not received “any recent evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge” on its service.

So why the panic? Experts say internet hoaxes focused on children tap into fears that parents have about protecting their children online and elsewhere. In addition to anxiety about “screen time” in general, there is certainly plenty of problematic videos that children should not watch. It’s hard for parents to police everything children do online. Fears were compounded when some school systems, local media and even police sent out their own warnings, accompanied by fuzzy facts.

“All moral panics feed on some degree of reality, but then they get blown out of proportion,” said Steve Jones, a professor of communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

These hoaxes echo panics from decades past, like the false belief in the 1980s that teenagers were hearing Satanic messages in rock song lyrics, he said.

“Once the internet is involved in the mix, things get speeded up and they get more widespread,” Jones said.

The most important thing parents can do is to establish an open dialogue with their children about what they’re seeing online and hearing from other children, said Jill

CREEPY

Murphy, editor-in-chief at Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group focused on kids’ use of media and technology.

“Parents are increasingly frustrated with feeling surprised or caught off guard by what is being put in front of their kids,” she said. Whether the “challenges” are real or not, she said, “they elevate the idea that they may or may not know exactly what their kids are absorbing through these platforms.”

That’s why talking to children is important, she said.

“Take the right time to have an age-appropriate conversation, and help your kids understand not everything on the internet is real.”

She said parents should also take advantage of parental settings built into many products and services. Most web browsers can block certain websites, limit what children can see and provide a report about what sites a child visited.

Smartphones and tablets can limit screen time and access to apps. YouTube Kids lets parents disable search and turn off “autoplay.” Murphy said these free tools are good enough; no need to pay for third-party parental apps.

Another option is to download apps from shows or channels directly rather than going through streaming services such as YouTube. PBS, Peppa Pig, Nick Jr. and other popular services for kids have their own apps, with pre-screened videos deemed appropriate for kids.

And though it may seem contradictory, going online to research the hoaxes could also help. The Momo hoax was debunked fairly quickly after people questioned it, Jones said. Give weight to trusted news sources and fact-checking sites like Snopes.com.

“Take a deep breath and go online as strange as that may seem in some sense,” he said.

“Do some research and try to figure it out for yourself.” AP

This image of a distorted doll associated with the Momo challenge has left parents scared.

Business Times

SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2019 Editor: Edwin P. Sallan Email: edwin.sallan@manilatimes.net

FOCUS

VAT exemption of resident foreign missions

More than just a 24/7 business

T

Coming up with new concepts is key to hurdling new challenges in the hospitality industry

BY GRACE BONDAD NICOLAS

H

OTELIER Lawrence Li Tan attributes his success in the highly demanding hospitality industry in the Philippines to a very special woman. “My mother, Mama Rosa, who used to manage a Chinese restaurant, taught me that there’s nothing easy about this business. She made me understand that this is not just a 24/7 job, but more of a calling, a vocation.

We in this industry do not get to enjoy holidays and special family events. We are always on-call to see to it that we provide the best guest satisfaction at all times,� Tan said.

A graduate of the Royal Institute for Hospitality Management in Singapore who later earned his masters in business administration degree from Arellano University and currently completing his doctorate in business administration at Eulogio “Amang� Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Manila, Lance is currently in charge of three emerging establishments known for their SPECIkC THEMES

)N 4HE $ESSERT -USEUM IN 0ASAY City, which is operated by A Thousand Concepts Inc., he offers “a sweet wonderland featuring eight mouth-watering rooms of sugarkLLED HAPPINESS u 7ITH THE PASTEL COLORED 4HE )NlATable Island in Olongapo City, run

by Beach Bosses Inc., he boasts of THE BIGGEST lOATING PLAYGROUND IN the country.

And with the equally colorful The Happy Beach Cebu, Lance provides THE DEkNITION OF gSUMMER IN THE millennium� with his “Bali meets $ISNEYLANDu THEME RESORT !S THE GROUP CHIEF OPERATING OFkCER handling these companies, Lance has overseen their rapid growth that only had 150 employees when he joined the team last year. Over a year later, his manpower is now about 500 personnel. “We were able to streamline the ne-

Q A room in The Happy Beach Cebu

Q Lawrence Li Tan

cessities in operations, from manpower to actual consumable items; improved the guests’ experience in our venues and attractions; and most important, I was able to lead a team to envision more for the future and help direct where the whole team is going. Right now, we are happy and at the same time busy preparing for the new concepts that we will be launching this 2019,� he shared.

More than just a mere entrepreneur, Lance considers himself “a visionary who knows what concepts will work and inspire a lot of people.� “I always start with a vision rather than numbers. And [so far] it has worked for me and the companies that I work with,� he said. “Right now, our companies produces millennial concepts that makes OUR BUSINESS UNITS A MAJOR INlUENCER in the industries where we have presence. All of our concepts are proudly Filipino and original designs. We take our market seriously [and] we always make sure that what they want and what will tickle their senses. At the end of the day, what matters most is the kind of experience that you let your guests bring home with them.�

Eyeing the future, which Lance regards as their “platform for continuous innovation and playground for immense conceptual ideas,� he wants his companies to be “the biggest operator of unique concepts not only in the country, but also outside Asia.� “We will be opening three more businesses by third quarter of this year and we will not stop in creating more unique ideas to make the industry happy and at par with the international market,� he said.

Throughout his success, Lance has never forgotten the many lessons he

B1

learned from his mother, which he continues to impart with members of his team. g4HE VERY kRST LESSON THAT ) LL ALWAYS treasure and still share with my team was when she literally cut me off from contacting her. I was in the US then doing my internship under the President’s Scholarship program of Centro Escolar University. My mom then had our residence telephone line disconnected so that I would not be able to call home and ask help for me to go back to Manila,� he recalled. “That situation left me with no choice but to learn to live on my own in a foreign country. It was then that I was able to focus on being best with what I do, because if I want to go home I need to earn big money to buy my plane ticket and I need to do it fast. From being a public area attendant in Grand Canyon, Arizona, I was promoted as a room attendant after three weeks and the story goes on until I was promoted to F&B banquet manager before kNALLY DECIDING TO GO BACK TO THE Philippines, where I received an offer to be assistant general manager in one of the hotel chains in Manila.�

His advice to those who also wish to succeed not only in the hospitality industry, but any industry, for that MATTER g$ON T RUSH THINGS %VERYthing will fall into its proper place and don’t ever use other people to reach your goals, because your time will come if you are built and ready enough. And when that time comes, you already have all the skills and knowledge to handle your success.

Thus it is more gratifying to savor the fruit of your success without hurting anybody,� he said.

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) 10-2019, providing for the grant of value-added tax (VAT) privileges to resident foreign missions (foreign embassies and consulates). The privileges refer to the grant of VAT exemption to resident foreign missions, qualified personnel, depenDENTS OF QUALIkED PERSONNEL

and entities that are similarly categorized as missions for their local purchase of goods and services. Note that the grant of the VAT exemption is largely based on the international law principles of reciprocity and comity enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

Under the principle of reciprocity, the BIR may grant VAT exemption privileges, which would depend on a categorical CONkRMATION FROM THE $EPARTMENT OF &OREIGN !FFAIRS $&! that the foreign government provides the same VAT privileges to Philippine Foreign Service Posts (PFSPs) and its personnel on their purchase of goods and services in the concerned foreign country.

Under the RMO, the BIR grants VAT exemption privileges either at the point-of-sale or on a refund/reimbursement basis.

Point-of-sale If the VAT exemption is at the point-of-sale, business establishments cannot charge VAT on their sale of goods and services, as the sale is considered a “zero-rated sale.�

A zero-rated sale refers to the sale, lease, barter or exchange of goods, properties and services subject to VAT at the rate of zero percent. A resident foreign mission and its members who (as determined by the $&! ARE ENTITLED TO THE GRANT of VAT exemption at point-ofSALE WILL BE ISSUED A 6!4 CERTIkCATE 6# ! 6!4 IDENTIkCATION card (VIC) may be issued to QUALIkED PERSONNEL AND THEIR qualified dependents. Without the VC/VIC, a seller may validly refuse to subject the

sale to 0 percent VAT. The VC/ VIC shall be effective for two years, renewable every two years thereafter, or until the EXPIRATION OF THE TERM OF OFkCE OF THE QUALIkED PERSONNEL OF A foreign mission.

The VC/ VIC, however, cannot be used for the purpose of securing VAT exemption on the local purchase of a motor vehicle. For this purpose, the BIR will issue a ruling confirming the foreign mission’s VAT exemption based on reciprocity.

THE FINE PRINT

RON ARRIESGADO

Refund/ reimbursement If the exemption is on a refund/reimbursement basis, VAT will have to be paid on every local purchase of goods and services. Instead of a VC/ VIC, the BIR will issue a ruling confirming that the foreign MISSION ITS QUALIkED PERSONnel and the latter’s dependents are entitled to reimbursement/ refund of the VAT paid. The duly issued BIR ruling shall be the basis for the foreign misSION TO kLE A 6!4 REIMBURSEment/refund application with 2EVENUE $ISTRICT /FkCE 2$/ IN 0ASAY #ITY 2$/ SHALL process the application with complete documents within 90 days upon receipt. Foreign missions have two years from the close of the taxable quarter when the sales were made to kLE THE 6!4 REIMBURSEMENT refund application.

Applying for VC/VIC/BIR ruling Applications for the issuance of the VC/VIC/BIR ruling shall be coursed through the OfFICE OF 0ROTOCOL OF THE $&! $&! /0 5PON RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION THE $&! /0 will determine whether the VAT exemption is either at the point-of-sale, or on a refund/ reimbursement basis and will endorse the application to the International Tax Affairs $IVISION )4!$ OF THE ")2 for processing of the VC/VIC/ BIR ruling.

The dangerous silver spoon generation I

N the Philippines and in Asia, family business disputes in courts are rapidly increasing in recent years because of poor ownership and succession planning by the founders. More than half of the members of Forbes Rich List are 70 years old or older, and the succession of new leaders has to be settled sooner rather than later.

There is no difference whether the BUSINESS IS CLASSIkED AS AN 3-% (small and medium enterprise), high net worth (HNW) or ultra high net worth (UHNW), succession in a family business is perhaps the most critical among the many unique challenges facing these enterprise.

I will cite situations where conlICT CAN TRIGGER FAMILY INkGHTING Many marriages end in legal separation or annulment (or divorce), and many separated adults have CHILDREN FROM THEIR kRST MARRIAGE Many of these parents will marry again, perhaps adding new children to the marriage, creating a blended family. A blended family can include half-siblings, stepsiblings and children from the current marriage. When these issues are not resolved by the founders

the court ruling, however, he died, prompting his family to accuse his younger brother Ronald of being behind his death.

The incident has since caused the contentious dispute to erupt in bitterness. or business leaders, they can escaLeading a family business can late into an acrimonious parting. be a complex affair. “Family� and �business� are intertwined Hong Kong’s Famous into a mix of business challenges, Yung Kee Restaurant family values and generationThe Hong Kong-based Kam famal differences, meaning that the ily feud is a classic case worth issues faced by a family business a serious reflection for family are often more diverse and complicated than those faced by other businesses, especially those connon-family organizations. templating the transition from The constant interactions the first to second generation. among family members in This case can be held up as an business together reflect those example that Asian family-owned uniquely human capacities, and businesses should invest time it’s important for the business in addressing the family busi- Family conflict after leader to start by sorting them ness succession planning. When the death of the founder some people are born with silver out. Any hidden and insidious spoons in their mouths, they just Following founder Kam Shui Fai’s behavior can cripple the best-laid PULL THEM OUT AND START kGHTING death in 2004, the restaurant was plans of business succession. with them. This is the case of left in the hands of Kinsen and And sadly, the root causes the heirs of Hong Kong’s famous Ronald, his two sons. But Kinsen come from mostly relational isYung Kee roast goose restaurant, soon complained to the court sues (both past and present) that where the court gave permission that he was blocked from running color individuals’ perceptions, to liquidate the business because the business despite holding 45 feelings and decision-making. In of sibling rivalry. percent of the shares, with Ronald family-owned businesses, it is Yung Kee Restaurant is a Chinese HOLDING PERCENT $AYS BEFORE important for advisors to pay at-

FAMILIES IN BUSINESS PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO

restaurant located on Wellington Street in Central, Hong Kong, famous for its roast goose, not only among locals but foreign tourists as well who take boxes of goose ON THEIR lIGHTS HOME TO SHARE WITH family and friends, giving rise to the nickname �Flying Roast Goose.�

Founded in 1942 by former street food vendor Kam Shui Fai, the restaurant is acknowledged as Hong Kong’s roast goose institution. It is said that Yung Kee’s goose is much meatier and more succulent than a roast duck. The goose skin is crispy, almost crackling — oily, but not greasy. Thus, it was named by Fortune magazine one of the world’s top 15 restaurants in 1968.

tention to the myriad of family issues that are intertwined with the business. It is equally important for family members not to take for granted issues that can ignite any misunderstanding.

The founders, their spouses, children and grandchildren will continue to be relatives after the transfer of the business. Add the strong emotional experiences family members have shared (both positive and negative), with the usual presence of grandchildren, and it quickly becomes apparent that in most families the relational issues outweigh kNANCIAL OR BUSINESS FACTORS

%X#%$ )NSTITUTE AND )#/. %XECUtive Search in collaboration with Wong+Bernstein Family Advisory.

Second-generation COO Franco Soberano of publicly listed and family-inspired Cebu Landmasters will join me as co-speaker. The event is a follow through leg of the hugely successful program held at the Manila Marriott last year where my co speaker was Kevin Tan, the second generation successor who recently assumed the CEO role of Alliance Global, the holding company of his billionaire father, $R !NDREW 4AN $UE TO LIMITED SLOTS PLEASE CALL $ENNIS 5YACO AT 09177983118 to reserve seats.

Prof Enrique Soriano is a World Bank/IFC Governance Consul-ANAGING FAMILY CONlICT IS ONE OF tant, Senior Advisor of Post and my core topics in the Family Busi- Powell Singapore and the Execuness Forum happening in Cebu TIVE $IRECTOR OF 7ONG "ERNSTEIN

on March 9 at the Elizabeth Hotel. A RESEARCH AND CONSULTING kRM IN I am privileged to have been in- Asia that serves family businesses vited as one of two speakers. The and family foundations. He was exciting event titled “On Becom- formerly Chair of the Marketing ing a 100-Year old Family Busi- Cluster at the ATENEO Graduate ness: Building an Enduring Legacy School of Business in Manila, of Stewardship� is the second of and is currently a visiting Senior a series of Family Governance Fellow of the IPMI International advocacy initiatives organized by School, Jakarta.

Family business forum

B2

Business Times

˜ The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019 Q The 20th Inter-Collegiate Finance Competition champion from the University of the Philippines Diliman poses with the CEO and president of NOAH Business Applications and JFinex Overall Chairman Lofreda del Carmen; managing partner at BV Partners and JFinex Liaison Director Benito Soliven 3rd (far right); chairman and treasurer of Armada Rescue & Safety Equiment Corp. and Finex past president and 20th ICFC chairman of the Board of Judges Edwin Fernandez (third from left ); and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier.

Inter-Collegiate Finance Competition goes digital I N 1999, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex), through its Junior Finex #OMMITTEE *&INEX LAUNCHED THE VERY kRST )NTER Collegiate Finance Competition (ICFC) with only 19 participating schools from Metro Manila.

Back then, contestants bested each other using good old fashioned flash cards and marker pens since personal computers, cellular phones and the internet have yet to become the indispensable educational tools that they are today.

Twenty years later, the ICFC is now fully automated, with the competition considered as the LONGEST RUNNING kNANCE COMPETItion in the country with over 100 participating educational institutions nationwide. “It is remarkable that on the 50th year of Finex, the 20th ICFC boasts of digitally-synchronized competition courtesy of our IT partner, the NOAH Business Applications,â€? Ma. Victoria EspaĂąo, Finex President said.

Responding to the campaign of the Bangko Sentral ng PilipiNAS "30 TO PROMOTE kNANCIAL literacy in the country, JFinex adopted technology-driven innovation in building a better society by nurturing the ambitions and talents of the future business and kNANCE LEADERS In underscoring the need to take advantage of increased digitalization to maximize the impact of their advocacies and initiatives, JFinex has and continues to encourage the greater use of digital tools in engaging the public reGARDING kNANCIAL LITERACY “Children of our Asean neigh-

bors, who are as young as seven years old, are learning about the stock market, while most Filipino children play using gumamela leaves and tansan (bottle caps) and play pretend owning a sarisari store,� Lofreda del Carmen, overall chairman of JFinex and chief software architect of NOAH Business Applications noted in her closing speech, as she implored the competing students to be the catalysts for change.

This year’s winning school, which took home, the top cash prize of P100,000, is University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman which bested Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) that finished at second place winning P60,000, and University of San Carlos from Cebu, a revelation at third place, winning P40,000.

Finex past president and chairman of the ICFC Board of Judges Edwin Fernandez was very happy to see provincial schools advancing and doing well in the finals. “When there are provincial schools that can break the monopoly that would be great news.

They are walking proof that it is possible for provincial schools to excel,� he further stressed.

And then there’s the need to emphasize the emerging role of technology in terms of business and relationships. “As students who are indepen-

Q The Inter-Collegiate Finance Competition finalists look at the screen for their scores and ranking, which is now possible through the full automation of the 20th ICFC. dent, curious, highly adaptive, socially-involved, you are the workforce of the future. As more technologies are developed, all of you are presented with a unique opportunity to take advantage of these innovations that certainly change the way we do business now and to develop relationships,� Carlos Ma. Mendoza, executive director of JPMorgan Chase & Co. told the participants.

As in past competitions, the success of this year’s ICFC was made possible with the support of partners like JP Morgan Chase & Co.; NOAH Business, technology partner; BSP, venue partner; PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), knowledge partner; and P& A Grant Thornton, system audit partner. Additional support was provided by Jollibee and Standard Insurance.

Following this event, JFinex will

Dear parents, social media isn’t your kid’s yaya I

SEE a lot of working parents these days turn to These videos are parodies of well-known social media for help. And by “help� I mean, like cartoons like Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends, a personal yaya to their kids. How many times have which look quite similar to the original but are I seen moms and dads bribing their children with actually more poorly-drawn and with voice actors access to YouTube or with an with a raspier voice. hour or two of playing a game There’s also some cartoons on on Facebook?

YouTube that simulate fornication My aunt herself would just between characters. But again, surrender her cellphone to my at face value, they look harmless kid cousin just to appease him JOSEPH HOLANDES enough until you hear the actual from his usual brattitude. And UBALDE dialogue between characters and if he doesn’t get his way, he’d how some of them have physical rain a fury of unruly behavior features that suggest they could that can only be described as volcanic. represent a more private part of the human anatomy The platform of choice is YouTube, where he (just look at some of the characters of “Adventure would peruse through music videos and cartoons Time.� Clips of which are prevalent on YouTube.) for hours till his attention gets taken by a Facebook To prevent them from viewing this, you could Messenger game. download YouTube for Kids which are supposed to And that two to three-hour solitude is gold for be free from these more malicious content. But even any parent with an unruly child. Back in our day, also that is not an assurance. Two years ago, the social known as the ‘90s, we would never get our way with media platform was flagged down for allowing video gadgets or any form of media when we misbehaved. content that are, let’s just say, not ever for kids.

In fact, to keep us from being such pains in the In one of my talks among child online protecass, my parents would devoid us of TV. We’d get so tion advocates, I told them that social media is scared that we would all fall in line and shut up. Of the poorest replacement for discipline or care. Not course there were the occasional spanking to really only are we exposing kids to real threats but we are drive home the point, but that’s for another time. expecting too much from platforms that were never But I fear that early exposure to social media created for kids. will make kids more susceptible to more dangers Dear Parents, YouTube and Facebook aren’t your than parents could care to think. Several studkid’s yaya. Moreover, don’t expect these to take care ies have already shown how teens get more of your kids. Love, care and the nurturing that anodepressed as they devote more time on platforms ther person can bring are devoid from social media. like Instagram or Facebook.

Even us adults are looking for it, still to no avail.

I’m not saying kids will get depressed early on, but if there is already study upon study showing that social Joseph Ubalde is a digital content expert and somedia, or too much consumption of it, can lead to a cial media strategist who has worked for various mental health issue, why would parents risk it. local and global companies. “The Digital Nomad� is the first and only column dedicated to social On top of that, there is the security issue. There have media in the Philippines. If you have comments been a number of videos on YouTube about violent and or want to connect with him, send an email to sexually charged content on the video platform that markjubalde@gmail.com. mask under the guise of kid-friendly cartoons.

THE DIGITAL NOMAD

hold the seventh leg of the JFinexFuture Business and Finance Leaders Forum with the theme “Health is Wealth� on March 9, Saturday, 7:30 a.m.- 12nn, at Sports and Cultural Center, Angeles University Foundation, Mac Arthur Highway, Angeles City, Pampanga.

Scheduled speakers at the forum are Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, MPH, assistant secretary, Health Policy and Systems Development Team of Department of Health; Mylene Mendoza-Dayrit, president and CEO of Gold’s Gym; del Carmen, Application Architect of Noah and JFinex overall chairman, and Benito Soliven 3rd, managing partner of BV Partners Inc. and JFinex liaison director.

For inquiries, please contact JFinex secretariat Jessel B. Bermido or Jeffrey T. Manalo via jbberMIDO kNEX ORG PH JTMANALO kNEX ORG PH OR CALL

PH education in crisis T

HE Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) recently issued what should be taken as a dire warning about the state of public primary education in the Philippines, one that essentially points out that despite a general public impression that things are improving, the public education system is deteriorating at an alarming rate.

In a policy note titled “Pressures on Public School Teachers and Implications on Quality� and released about two weeks ago, PIDS identikED A NUMBER OF DISTURBING FACTORS that are compromising educational quality in the public school system.

The implication is that given the twin pressures of a growing schoolage population and increasing job dissatisfaction among teachers, these factors must be addressed in a meaningful way soon to prevent the current education system from becoming completely ineffective.

4HERE ARE FOUR SIGNIkCANT PROBLEMS described by the PIDS study, which was based on interviews with school and DepEd division administrators and focus group discussions with public school teachers in various parts of the country. The biggest of these is the amount of administrative and other nonteaching work that is routinely expected of teachers. In addition to the six hours of daily classroom instruction required by law, teachers have other duties that include â€œâ€Śpaperwork on seminars and trainings they are tasked to attend and additional designations in line with student guidance, budget, disaster response, and health. Teachers are likewise expected to participate in the implementation of various government programs, such as mass immunizations, community mapping, conditional cash transfer, deworming, feeding, population census, antidrug, election, among others.â€?

The PIDS study found that compensation, so often the focus of activist and lawmaker efforts to “improve� the lot of teachers, is not actually an issue. “Salary was not mentioned in the interviews with teachers and administrators as a problem. Larger salaries, after all, do not create more time in the day,� the report observed.

While the attenuation of teaching time for nonteaching work is considERED THE MOST SIGNIkCANT PROBLEM IN the public school system, the PIDS report was also highly critical of the current performance evaluation and incentive system, in which individual teachers’ performance is assessed on the basis of dropout and passing rates.

The study acknowledged that there is not currently any other metric than can be correlated to individual teacher performance as easily as the dropout or passing rate, but recommended THAT kNDING MORE APPROPRIATE METRICS be made a priority by DepEd. Under the current performance evaluation and incentive program, the report explained, teachers are discouraged from

ROUGH TRADE BEN KRITZ holding students back from advancing to the next grade level even if they are not ready to move on. The result of this is what the public perceives as “declining quality� in education — a growing number of students reaching the end of the mandatory education years without basic literacy or other skills.

4WO OTHER PROBLEMS IDENTIkED BY THE PIDS report are related to the larger topic of excessive non-teaching workloads, BUT ON THEIR OWN REPRESENT SIGNIkCANT ISSUES AFFECTING THE QUALITY AND EFkCIENT of public education. First, there is a critical lack of school guidance counselors. !CCORDING TO $EP%D STAFkNG GUIDELINES

there should be one guidance counselor per 500 students, which means there is a need for at least 47,000 guidance counselors. Since 2008, when licensure exams for registered guidance counselors were first started, there HAVE ONLY BEEN ABOUT QUALIkED counselors put to work.

There are two issues involved, as PIDS sees it. One is the requirement that applicants for guidance counselor have a master’s degree; only a bachelor’s degree is required for one to take the teaching licensure exam.

The other is the low pay for guidance counselors, who start off at Salary Grade 11, or P20,179 per month.

Raising the salary for guidance counselors would attract a greater number OF QUALIkED APPLICANTS WHICH IS WHAT the PIDS study recommended. ConVERSELY LOWERING THE QUALIkCATIONS might also attract more applicants, although the obvious trade-off in talent makes this a suggestion PIDS probably would not make.

Finally, although the DepEd is energetic in mandating a variety of teacher training workshops and seminars during the school year, PIDS expressed doubts as to whether these are being properly rationalized and managed according to some organized plan. The message here is that while continuing education for teachers is important, it unavoidably has a time cost, and therefore must be of very high value AND RELEVANCE TO BE JUSTIkABLE The overall recommendation of the PIDS report is that the DepEd conduct some formal, evidence-based research to assess teacher workloads. By doing so, policymakers can determine the source of pressures and act accordingly to add needed nonteaching staff and remove some nonteaching duties from teachers. It is a recommendation that the DepEd should take seriously and follow, and soon, before the current crisis in public education becomes wholly unmanageable.

ben.kritz@manilatimes.net

Battle of the bendies

I

F and when you decided to join the “bendwagon,� which foldable phone should you go for?

Two mainstream tech brands have launched their foldable devices the previous week. Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X went ahead of the pack and booked two tickets in the race to bend consumers into buying the latest in handset technology.

While waiting for carriers to offer their postpaid plans, we can use the time to really assess if we need a bendy phone in our life, we can check out the pros and cons based on early impressions and reviews. “The Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X are both bold visions for what a foldable smartphone can look like, but each takes its own unique approach. Both are also incredibly, incredibly expensive, surely putting them out of reach of the average phone-buyer for the foreseeable future. Even so, they’re incredibly compelling concepts, and we can’t wait to get our hands on them.

They’re both foldable smartphones, but it’s pretty amazing how different these two phones are in terms of design and construction,� said Stuff.TV. The biggest difference between the two phones lies on how they fold.

Samsung bends the way a book does while Huawei bends the opposite way. “The Samsung Galaxy Fold opts for two separate screens: a small one on the outside, intended for one-handed use, and then a huge one hidden within the fold. When folded up, it’s a pretty meaty-looking handset — it literally looks like two smartphones stacked atop each other. You’re going to feel this one in your pocket. But it also looks pretty sturdy. On the other hand, the Huawei

TAP, SWIPE, SCROLL KAYE VILLAGOMEZ Mate X has a single, large screen that folds around the back. That means that you can use it as a traditional phablet when folded up, or go for the full tabletlike experience when unfurled. The Mate X looks a fair bit thinner than the Galaxy Fold, making it potentially the more comfortable one to haul around,� added the website.

The main thing that we are looking for in a smartphone that transitions into a tablet is the screen size. Calling the Galaxy Fold’s screen “terribly exciting,� Stuff.TV added that the device is a 4.6in OLED 21:9 panel at 1960x840, when used with one hand. “It’s what’s inside that really counts: a 7.3in 4.2:3 OLED panel at 2152x1536, which has a little corner chunk covered up by the camera module. Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate X has a single 8in OLED display at 2480x2200, and when folded up, you get a 6.6in 2480x1148 screen on the front and 6.38in 2480x892 segment on the back. There’s no camera notch of any sort, as the three cameras are found on the grip — you’ll use them as both the MAIN CAMERA AND SELkE CAMERA DEPENDing on how you’re holding the phone.�

After the screen size comparisons, comes another deal-breaker — the camera. “The Samsung Galaxy Fold has six cameras on it. Six cameras! We suppose it makes sense for a phone with two screens and two very different forms.

9OU LL kND A SINGLE SELkE SHOOTER ON THE front “cover� side of the phone, and then three back cameras on the other half of it: a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens THAT SWITCHES BETWEEN F AND F

A -0 ULTRA WIDE ANGLE LENS AT F

AND A -0 TELEPHOTO LENS AT F That’s the same triple-camera setup as the Galaxy S10. And then when you unfold the thing, there are two cameras WITH THE LARGE SCREEN A -0 F SELkE CAM AND -0 F 2'" DEPTH camera. As mentioned, however, the Mate 20 X keeps things a lot simpler by having a triple-camera Leica setup that works in both screen forms. It has a 40MP wide-angle lens, a 16MP ultra wide-angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro is our current camera champ, so there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the Mate X’s setup.�

Both devices can support 5G connectivity with the Galaxy Fold powered by a 7nm 64-bit octa-core processor and the Mate X with Huawei’s Kirin 980 chip from the Mate 20 Pro. Storage-wise Samsung has 12GB RAM compared to Huawei’s 8GB. Samsung however offers an LTE-only version at a slightly cheaper price point.

Speaking of pricing, Samsung has the edge at $1980 or P103,000 while Huawei offers the Mate X at $2200 or more than 114,000. It’s still better to wait for updates on wear and tear before buying a savings-bending new gadget.

The author is a former broadsheet entertainment and lifestyle reporter and section editor for an entertainment magazine before crossing over to corporate and marketing PR.

˜ The Sunday Times

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Digital competency is in high demand, but so are soft skills A

##/2$).' to the 2019 Emerging Jobs in the PhilIPPINES 2EPORT by LinkedIn, the demand for digital competency requires hybrid skills, to support organizations in the country navigate their digital transformation journey. According to the 0( REPORT THE TOP kVE EMERGING jobs in the Philippines are: 1.

Data Scientist, 2. Application Development Analyst, 3. Back End Developer, 4. Full Stack Engineer and 5. Sales Development 2EPRESENTATIVE g7HILE THE TOP emerging jobs for Philippines are related to technology, many of them require soft skills such as management and communications skills, making them hybrids OF NEW AND TRADITIONAL ROLES u said Feon Ang, vice president of Talent and Learning Solutions for APAC at LinkedIn. What are these hybrid skills?

While certain hard skills are indispensable for any technology position, employers search for job applicants with various soft skills. Soft skills are the personality attributes and behaviors one shows when working with the team or other employees. Companies need good soft skills for employees, but they are vital for managers and for those who want to be managers. I spoke to a content manager and a data scientist on the hybrid skills required for their job. For the content manager, “leadership and communication skills are important BECAUSE ) AM A MANAGER u )T IS not just content skills at work for him. The other part of his job is teaching it and upholding high standards. “I spent four hours today sitting down with my writer to do revisions.

It’s part of my Key Performance Indicators (KPI). It’s more than hard skills at work. There is too much emphasis on hard digital skills. To succeed, you also need SOFT SKILLS u /THER SOFT SKILLS IN content management include critical thinking, some user experience or UX (customer research and empathizing with users), communication skills (needed for content writing and internal communication).

Programming, quantitative analysis, knowledge of the product (or business), communication, teamwork are hybrid skills required for a data scientist.

According to my data scientist friend, “data cleaning is the task MOST DATA SCIENTISTS DO u 4HE FACT is data drives business. People who can make sense of the massive quantity of data being generated are in high demand. Simplilearn “9 Must-have skills you NEED TO BECOME A DATA SCIENTISTu is a resource site to pave the way for a future data scientist. Technical skills outside of a degree PROGRAM ARE 2 0ROGRAMMING 0Ython Coding, Hadoop Platform, SQL Database/Coding, Apache Spark, Machine Learning and AI, Data Visualization, Unstruc-

LET’S TALK #SOCIAL NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO tured data. Philippine schools that offer MS in Data Science are Asian Institute of Management (AIM), University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and $E ,A 3ALLE 5NIVERSITY 'ERARD Ompad, a data science manager in Tiaxa wrote on LinkedIN on “Where are the Filipino Data 3CIENTISTS u AND g7HAT DOES IT take to become a Data Scientist IN THE 0HILIPPINES u (IS ADVICE is “the practice of Data Science only drills down to one thing: 3+),,3 u )F YOU WANT TO BECOME A Data Scientist in a country where a word can mean so many things, I say get your hands dirty with the data. There is a lot of open SOURCE DATA OUT THERE 'RAB ONE and then practice, practice, and do more practice. Don’t know the mathematics behind machine learning but you want to learn anyway, it’s easy as reading the DOCUMENTATIONS IN 2 WANT TO go deep dive into the practice OF DATA SCIENCE THEN READ THE 2 community blog, there are a good deal of packages for natural language processing and image RECOGNITION u It is one reason intellectual curiosity is one of the soft skills required by a data scientist. They often raise questions about data because data scientists spend about most of their time exploring and preparing data. Another soft skill is business knowledge and a substantial understanding of the industry. The ability to discern which problems apply to solve for the business is crucial.

Besides identifying different measures, the business should leverage its data. A data scientist must be able to translate their technical recommendations to a non-technical team. Using the same language the company understands, one needs to communicate by using data storytelling to make it easy for anyone to understand. Teamwork is important. A data scientist works with business executives to establish strategies and works with product managers and designers to produce better products. They also collaborate with marketers to launch campaigns, work with client and server software developers to create data pipelines and IMPROVE WORKlOW Companies appreciate top students or geeks who most often than not communicate with machines. They require individuals with skills to connect with other people, take part in out-of-the-box thinking and adapt to new priorities or problems. 57% of corporate leaders surveyed by LinkedIN in 2018 say soft skills are more important than hard skills

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Sunday Business & I.T.

B3

Operators fear energy costs of 5G – survey T

ECHNOLOGY ANALYST kRM 2ESEARCH AND 6ERTIV HAVE RELEASED THE kNDINGS OF AN IN DEPTH SURVEY WHICH REVEALED A GOOD SENSE OF OPTIMISM ABOUT THE SERVICES ' WILL ENABLE AND THE INTERPLAY WITH EDGE COMPUTING 4HE MAJORITY OF TELECOMS OPERATORS SURVEYED BELIEVE THE ' ERA WILL START IN EARNEST IN IN ALL GEOGRAPHIES WITH PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS PLANNING TO DEPLOY ' IN However, more than 90 percent OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE ' WILL REsult in higher energy costs and are interested in technologies and serVICES THAT IMPROVE EFkCIENCY 4HIS is consistent with internal analysis BY 6ERTIV WHICH kNDS THE MOVE TO ' IS LIKELY TO INCREASE TOTAL network energy consumption by 150-170 percent by 2026, with the largest increases in macro, node and network data center areas.

The survey questioned more than 100 global telecoms operators about the opportunities and potential obstacles of deploying ' SERVICES AND THE IMPACT ON edge computing adoption. Vertiv AND 2ESEARCH SHARED DETAILS OF THE kNDINGS AT THE -OBILE 7ORLD

Congress on February 27 in Barcelona, Spain. g4HERE S NO DOUBT THAT ' IS THE next big thing for communications and mobile networks. It is understandable, however, that there are concerns when it comes to deploying this technology. It is critical for operators to have the right infrastructure in place that would allow THEM TO ROLLOUT ' IN THE MOST EFkCIENT MANNER "Y UNDERSTANDING the different use cases as outlined by Vertiv, and with the aid of the 451 2ESEARCH SURVEY IT IS OUR HOPE THAT they can make informed decisions when it comes to investing in their CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE u SAID $ANNY Wong, senior director for telecoms at Vertiv in Asia.

2EGARDING EDGE AND ' SPECIkCALLY THE SURVEY REVEALS THAT A large majority of operators have deployed (37 percent) or plan to deploy (47 percent) edge compute that is aligned with mobile infrastructure — also called multiaccess edge computing (MEC). “This survey brings us clarity on telecom operators’ hopes and FEARS AROUND ' AND EDGE DEPLOYMENTS u SAYS "RIAN 0ARTRIDGE

research vice president for 451 2ESEARCH g4HE TWO TOUGHEST CONnectivity challenges for supporting ' TOPOLOGIES WERE REVEALED TO BE upgrading access and aggregation layer networks and adding new backhaul links. Survey respondents indicated that the availability of high quality connectivity to distributed POPs and ease of site acquisition were viewed as the MOST CRITICAL ENABLERS TO ' SUCcess. We were frankly surprised by some of these results and believe it brings clarity to the level of transFORMATION THE INDUSTRY NOW FACES u In addition to this latest survey, Vertiv has been conducting extenSIVE RESEARCH IN THE kELD ANALYZing more than 100 use cases to DEkNE FOUR MAIN EDGE COMPUTING

archetypes and recently releasing THE PAPER g4URNING ON ' 5SING Edge Archetypes to Identify the -OST -ATURE #ASES u TO QUANTIFY THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SPECIkC ' implementations.

As well as the important touchPOINTS BETWEEN ' AND EDGE computing, the study from 451 2ESEARCH AND 6ERTIV EXAMINES some of the potential obstacles TO ' ADOPTION AND IMPORTANTLY

the measures operators can take to mitigate them, such as Energy Savings as a Service (ESaaS). According to the survey, more than 90 percent of respondents said they were either extremely or moderately interested in ESaaS. At last year’s MWC, Vertiv developed a global ESaaS contract for Telefónica, covering all facets from initial site assessment to comprehensive maintenance services AND kT FOR PURPOSE INFRASTRUCTURE solutions for core and access sites. Together with its partners and customers, Vertiv is developing new infrastructure, software and services to help manage the energy requirements associated WITH ' AND PROACTIVELY OPTIMIZE energy use.

Cybersecurity firms to expand PH presence EXCLUSIVE Networks, the value-added services and technologies (VAST) group, recently announced an agreement with Forescout Technologies to strengthen channel growth in the Philippines. This partnership enables Exclusive Networks to offer Forescout security solutions, which completes its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio in core markets, cybersecurity and cloud.

According to IDC, IoT spending is expected to reach $745 billion in 2019, up by 15.4 percent over the $646 billion spent in 2018.

This spending is expected primarily from consumer, manufacturing, transportation and utilities sectors. Today, IP-connected devices are being implemented into enterprise networks without security protocol, exposing networks to threats such as un-

authorized access to sensitive information or business disruption.

The Forescout platform delivers device visibility and control to mitigate risk, reduce the attack surface and automate incident response for campus, data center, cloud and operational technology (OT) environments. The industryleading visibility platform features both passive and active monitoring, cloud-based device intelligence, IoT risk assessment, and device intelligence dashboards. “By partnering with Exclusive Networks, organizations in the Philippines now have access to a security solution that provides comprehensive visibility to help manage THE INlUX OF NETWORK CONNECTED DEVICES u said Wahab Yusoff, regional director of Asia, Forescout Technologies Inc. “We are excited

about this partnership and our growth into the Philippines as it expands our presence IN THE REGION u “We are delighted to welcome Forescout onboard and their renowned technology team whose expertise will be invaluable in building the Exclusive Networks business in the local MARKET u SAID 2ENATO 'ARCIA COUNTRY MANAGER of Exclusive Networks Philippines.

Exclusive Networks, a subsidiary of Exclusive 'ROUP IS CENTERED ON A gGLOBAL LOCALu VALUE model that exceeds both the scale of local VAD (Value-Added Distributor) specialists and the general approach of global broad line distributors. This has brought unprecedented success for more than a decade by targeting two core markets (cybersecurity and cloud transformaTION WITH VERY HIGH GROWTH PROkLES

McAfee forecasts malware everywhere in 2019 IN its latest Mobile Threat Report, global computer security company McAfee predicts everything, principally mobile devices, will be highly vulnerable to malicious exploits this year. The report emphasizes that the mobile platform has increasingly become a target of threat actors who are looking for payoffs beyond bigger ad revenues.

A major finding of the report is the rapid growth in threats against mobile devices and connected things around the house just as mobile malware continues to increase in complexity and scope.

While hidden apps and

adware remain the most common form of mobile threats in Android, others like backdoors, cryptomining and fake apps are learning how to infect devices as well. Most notable was the increase in fake app detections from 10,000 in June 2018 to 65,000 at year-end.

The quest for illicit profits is the common thread running through much of the mobile attack landscape. Criminals are always looking for ways to maximize their income and are shifting tactics in response to a changing market.

For example, app stores get better at finding and

deleting malicious apps so cybercrooks bypass the stores and go directly to the consumers. Through phishing, criminals trick smartphone users into giving access to their homes via mobile backdoors.

Likewise, the popularity of Android-based devices makes them easy targets of the latest cryptomining techniques that could jump from phone or tablet to Smart TV to infect the entire environment.

A global spike in Trojan attacks on mobile devices has also proceeded progressively, directed at the account holders in large multinational and small

regional banking institutions. In this particular threat, cyberintruders innovate using different distribution vectors from phishing SMS messages to applications with real functionality where malicious payload bypass security checks on app markets like Google Play.

In its forecast for 2019, McAfee Labs predicted that cybercriminals would tap into trusted devices to gain control of Internet of Things (IoT) via password cracking and exploiting potential vulnerabilities via voice assistants. Over 25 million voice assistants are in use worldwide con-

nected to other things at home in controlling lights, thermostats, and door locks, among others. While more connectivity means greater convenience to homeowners, the downside is that they present new opportunities for malicious attacks.

Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee, said that the rapid growth and broad access to connected IoT devices push the company to deliver innovations with its partners. He explained that McAfee is at the forefront of creating solutions that address real world digital security challenges

from securing the gaming experience to safeguarding the connected home.

To this end, Samsung and McAfee have extended their long-standing partnership to protect consumers from cybersecurity threats especially on Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones which comes pre-installed with anti-malware protection. Support for Samsung Secure Wi-Fi service is also provided to safeguard consumers against risky Wi-Fi. In addition to mobile, the partnership expands its protective coverage to also include Samsung smart TVs as well as its PCs and laptops.

TONY MAGHIRANG

B4

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Sunday Business & I.T.

The Sunday Times

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MediaTek collaborates with makers for 5G devices A T the recently concluded Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, MediaTek announced its collaboration with 5G component suppliers and device makers to deliver a complete, standards-based and optimized 5G solution.

Companies collaborating with MediaTek on radio frequency (RF) technology include Oppo, Vivo and top tier RF suppliers, including Skyworks, Qorvo and Murata. The companies are workING TOGETHER TO DEkNE A FRONT END module solution that accommodates 5G components without impacting a smartphone’s slim PROkLE AND STYLISH DESIGN “We’re committed to making advanced mobile features accessible to consumers everywhere. Since the rollout of 5G will bring new design challenges for smartphone brands, we’re working closely with component suppliers and device makers to provide the support they need to quickly bring to market in-

novative 5G devices,� said TL Lee, general manger of MediaTek’s wireless business unit. “As the 5G market matures, we are positioned to lead this new wave of innovation with the Helio M70 platform and future MediaTek 5G products.�

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

Each of the RFFE components come from separate companies that specialize in their design.The BEST SYSTEM PERFORMANCE FOR A kNAL product will come from a well coordinated and strong collaboration between each component maker.

MediaTek’s effort to work toGETHER WITH OTHER INDUSTRY EXPERTS on front end design is targeted to meet global compliance needs, and allow technology to be opTIMIZED FOR SPECIkC MARKETS AND regions. Some regions have hardware feature sets that reference signal antenna switching (SRS) over multiple transmit and receive ports. With multiple companies working together on RFFE it’s easier to supply standard solutions and the needed technology for global markets. “RF architectures are quickly evolving to enable enhanced conNECTIVITY IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF mobile devices,� said Frank Stewart, general manager of Qorvo’s RF Solutions Business Unit. “Qorvo

is pleased to be working together with MediaTek to establish a healthy ecosystem for emerging 5G device needs. Leveraging our advanced PA, filter, and switch technologies, as well as a proven power management architecture, we are able to deliver a high performance, low-risk path to 5G.�

The participating companies would DEkNE TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND SHARE information around 5G radio frequency technology to deliver high quality 5G devices and service to

Brother delivers professional features on latest business machines BROTHER’S “Customer First� approach, where uncompromising reliability to solutions deliver cutting-edge productivity and costsaving technology for the modern business, can now be found in its new series of colour LED printers and Multi-Function Centers -&#S FOR HOME OFkCES AND SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES This new series features two color LED printers, HLL3230CDN, HL-L3270CDW, and two Multi-Function Centers, the MFC-L3735CDN and MFCL3770CDW. With these new series, businesses CAN EXPERIENCE REMARKABLE PRODUCTIVITY with impressive professional-looking documents that have vivid colour and SHARP DEkNITION GRAPHICS AT HIGH QUALity resolution of 2,400 dpi; increased print speed, quick scan speed, advanced paper handling, and seamless multipage scanning; convenient shortcuts to commonly-used tasks on the large and user-friendly LCD touchscreen; multitasking capabilities, as well as larger memory and processor that can handle high volume print jobs with processor speeds of 800MHz and increased memory of up to 512MB. Take advantage also of cost-savings with these color LED machines’ highyield toner of up to 3,000 pages that results in lower cost-per-page, automatic two-sided printing that reduce paper wastage by half, and Toner Save Mode that gives the

OPTION TO PRINT USING LESS TONER WHILE STILL MAINTAINING CRISP TEXT and vibrant colors.

The new series also allows effortless mobile printing as you can print directly from your iPhone, iPad, Android or Windows Mobile device through Brother’s iPrint&Scan, Apple AirPrint, Mopria and Google Cloud Print, as well as enjoy convenient wireless printing of documents, presentations and emails from your notebook PC, smartphone or tablet.

You can also scan and print without network access using Wi-Fi Direct that enables you to print or scan directly via your mobile device; NFC-enabled mobile device that you can just tap; or 53" lASH DRIVE THAT YOU CAN SIMPLY insert into the integrated USB reader for convenient prints or scans.

The new series also features secure Function Lock that restricts access by assigning authorized users or groups with a PIN to access SPECIkC FUNCTIONS OF THE PRINTER such as color or mono printing, page limits, or scanning features; secure Print that ensures that documents sent for print remain stored in the printer’s memory until a unique password is entered; and Setting Lock that allows you to lock your LCD touchscreen panel to avoid unauthorized users from TAMPERING WITH THE MACHINE CONkGURATIONS

Q Spaces Philippines lobby in Makati City.

Spaces: a dedicated building for co-working opens in Makati INTERNATIONAL Workplace Group (IWG) proudly opened their new co-working space in Makati, Spaces, which is the country’s first coworking space with a dedicated building.

Inspired by Scandinavian interior design, the building offers a stylish and comfortable environment for working professionals that could serve as a catalyst for creativity and productivity. The ambience of the place allows for open communication within the community for collaboration. “We want our community to connect and learn from one another,� said Lars Witting, Spaces country manager for the Philippines. “In a typical office environment, the atmosphere is usually tiring, and people just go about their own business. Here, we encourage communication and collaboration. That’s why we also have that bamboo bike outside, so that it can be a conversation piece.� As he showed us the many interesting interior design features of the co-working space, yes, the bambike included.

The Spaces co-working space is located along Antonio Arnaiz Avenue in Makati. The building has five floors including a roof deck and basement parking. The first floor has the common areas with desks where people can opt to work, meeting rooms, phone booth, and a mini cafĂŠ, Little Flour which was put up in collaboration with Wild Flour.

On the second and third floors, there are private offices that can be occupied depending on the needs of the clients. The other top floors are large spaces that are meant to be occupied by a single company. There are pantry areas in each floor, but unfortunately to some people, there is no dedicated smoking area in the building in accordance to Makati City smoking laws. “This is the second co-working space that we have opened in Metro Manila and we are looking forward to expanding in Cebu and Davao,� Wittig said. “There is a huge demand for co-working spaces as the industry itself continues to grow.�

everyone. To ensure peak performance of 5G devices and meet spectrum regulations, the companies will have access to the information they need TO SUPPORT ALL KEY ' SPECIkCATIONS

including worldwide 5G NR bands with non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) support and worldwide 4G LTE bands. The combined FLEXIBILITY OF THE 2&&% TOOLS WILL enable companies to design differentiated 5G smartphones to meet performance and cost targets with regional requirements.

“5G service with transmission speeds 100 times faster than current technologies would be fully commercialized.muRata, which internally develops various key devices that form the basis for MODULE CONkGURATION AND PACKAGE technologies for modularization, is able to carry out integrated production. Through the collaboraTION WITH -EDIA4EK WE EXPECT THE substantial growth in the future,� said Masa Hashimoto, MuRata RF Module Division general manager.

Forescout tech pushes for an agentless cybersecurity shield T

HE Internet of Things (IoT), the interconnection of everyday objects such as home appliances and vehicles, IS EXPECTED TO SEE PHENOMENAL GROWTH in the coming years.

According to IDC, worldwide technology spending on the IoT will reach $1.2 trillion in 2022. DDos attacks will continue to be done by hackers using IoT and Gartner predicts IoT spending on endpoint security solutions to soar to $3.1 billion by 2021. )N ANTICIPATION OF THESE EXCEPTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS %XCLUSIVE .ETWORK THE value-added and technologies (VAST) group, has partnered with Singapore’s Forescout Technologies to complete its cybersecurity and cloud transformation portfolio of IoT. The new partnership responds to gaps in today’s cybersecurity responses where IP-connected devices are being implemented into enterprise networks without security protocol. .ETWORKS ARE THEN EXPOSED TO SERIOUS threats, such as unauthorized access to sensitive information, or even business disruption.

The Forescout platform delivers device visibility and control to mitigate risk, reduce the attack surface and automate incident response for campus, data center, cloud and operational technology (OT) environments. Its visibility platform features both passive and active monitoring, cloud-based device intelligence, IoT risk assessment, and device intelligence dashboards. )N AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 6INCENT Oh, Technology Solutions and Channels director, Asia at Forescout Technologies Inc., provides an overview of their cybersecurity model. He said: “When we talk about visibility, our cybersecurity procedure looks into No 1., Discover the IP address; and 2., Clarify and classify the form and function of the device to provide a LITTLE CONTEXT LIKE IF IT S A PRINTER FROM A SPECIkC MANUFACTURER g4HE NEXT STEP IS TO ASSESS THE POSTURE of those devices. To us, they’re not just IT devices. We determine if it’s a cloud appliance, a laptop, a virtual image running on VMware on a private data center, or one of the scattered devices.� “After which, the cyberhygiene of the device is analyzed. If it’s my laptop, for instance, it immediately authenticates me, if I have an antivirus software installed and whether it is running and up to date with the latest version.�

Theoretically, that’s a standard approach to enterprise cybersecurity, What Forescout throws into the MIX IS AN INNOVATION THAT RESPONDS to the challenge brought on by the EXPLOSION OF INTERCONNECTED DEVICES where the campus is connected to the industrial cloud which in turn

connects to the public cloud.

Forescout’s Oh observes: “Fundamentally, a lot of security teams are just blind. The issue right now is that security teams are not familiar with a scattered system, with interwith TONY connectivity IoT devices, “What MAGHIRANG makes things a lot worse is that security teams are small and yet they have tons of security tools at their disposal.

We’re saying, just because you have the best of breed, it doesn’t mean you providing the right security.�

The situation can easily lead to a false sense of security. In reality, conventional security solutions are only capable of detecting and assessing devices that are equipped with agents. This would be kNE IF ALL CONNECTING DEVICES HAD AGENTS on board that would allow them to be managed by IT security.

But networks are actually being bombarded by BYOD and nontraditional devices connecting unseen and unknown. At any given time, partners’ and contractors’ laptops, smartphones and tablets, IoT devices and hackers’ rogue endpoints are likely to be accessing the enterprise system too. &ORESCOUT HAS THE ANSWER /H EXPLAINED g7E kLL IN THE GAPS BECAUSE WE are able automate the process without the use of an agent. And even if we’re agentless, we can still discover, clarify and classify, and assess the posture of the connected devices.�

Forescout Technologies has pioneered an agentless approach to endpoint visibility and control in large, dynamic and diverse environments.

This agentless approach to device visibility allows customers to discover up to 60 percent more devices than previously known.

A physical or virtual solution, &ORESCOUT INSTANTLY IDENTIkES DEVICES with IP addresses based on detailed information about device types, users, applications, operating systems including network infrastructure, nontraditional IoT devices (handhelds, sensors and machines) and rogue endpoints (unauthorized devices, switches, routers and wireless access points) — without requiring management agents or previous device knowledge. It then allows, denies or restricts access to internal network resources, ISSUES NOTIkCATIONS AND INITIATES REMEdiation based on established policies and discovered security state.

Forescout’s Oh concluded: “We can discover the vulnerabilities and inform the security team that you have so many devices out there and you’re vulnerable because nobody has changed the credentials of devices plugged to your network.� That should deliver the right cure for cybersecurity blindness.

TECH SPACE

World Trump asks US, SKorea to stop military exercises China to scrap agri tariffs W The Sunday Times

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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday (Saturday in Manila) urged China to abolish tariffs on agricultural products imported from the United States, adding that trade talks between the rival powers were going well. “I have asked China to immediately remove all Tariffs on our agricultural products (including beef, pork, etc.),� the president wrote on Twitter.

He said his request was based on the fact that negotiations with China were “moving along nicely� — and his delay last week of a planned tariff increase on Chinese exports. “This is very important for our great farmers — and me!� he added.

After months of trade war, the US and China agreed to a 90-day truce to work out their differences. It was scheduled to end Friday (Saturday in Manila), but Trump eventually lifted the ultimatum to increase tariffs, satiskED BY PROGRESS MADE IN SEVERAL ROUNDS of talks in Beijing and Washington.

Top White House economic ofkCIAL ,ARRY +UDLOW SAID 4HURSDAY the two countries were on the brink of a “historic� trade agreement. A meeting between Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is also expected this month.

After the latest round of talks in February, US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tweeted that China had committed to buying “an additional� 10 million metric tons of soybeans as a “show of good faith.�

US farmers rely greatly on such trade with China: in 2017, around a third of US soybean production — worth $14 billion — was exported there, where it is used to feed pigs.

Those exports plummeted last summer, when China imposed tariffs on US soybeans and other agricultural products.

Previously, in a gesture of goodwill at the start of the countries’ truce, China in December resumed soybean purchases.

But Chinese tariffs had already hit America’s farming regions hard — areas where Trump has enjoyed plentiful support.

AFP

Book on Trump contradicts Cohen WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed Friday (Saturday in Manila) that his former lawyer Michael Cohen shopped a book to publishers that portrayed Trump in a favorable light, vastly at odds with Cohen’s damning testimony to Congress.

In a tweet, Trump said that Cohen’s manuscript was a “love letter� to him and that Congress should demand the manuscript as evidence that Cohen’s testimony this week was “fraudulent� and “dishonest.�

Cohen told a House panel Trump was a “racist,� ‘’a con man� and “a cheat.� He testified that Trump used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about extramarital sex and lied throughout the 2016 election campaign about his business interests in Russia. “Congress must demand the transcript of Michael Cohen’s new book, given to publishers a short time ago,�

Trump tweeted. “Your heads will spin when you see the lies, misrepresentations and contradictions against his Thursday testimony. Like a different person! He is totally discredited!�

Cohen testified to the House oversight committee in public Wednesday and to a House intelligence panel behind closed doors on Thursday.

Reports last year indicated that Cohen was shopping a book, one favorable about Trump, and that Cohen had an agreement with a Hachette Book Group imprint before his legal troubles ended the deal.

Cohen’s spokesman, Lanny Davis, said Friday that Cohen was offered a “substantial advance� nearly a year ago “for a proposal regarding a book on understanding Donald Trump. Mr. Cohen ultimately elected not to proceed.� AP

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

ASHINGTON, D.C.: The US military and South Korea are planning to “discontinue� annual large-scale military exercises as President Donald Trump pursues efforts to improve ties with .ORTH +OREA A 53 OFkCIAL TOLD !&0 &RIDAY (Saturday in Manila).

4HE COMMENT FROM THE OFkCIAL

who spoke on condition of anonymity, came shortly after the conclusion of Trump’s second SUMMIT WITH .ORTH +OREAN LEADER +IM *ONG 5N IN (ANOI WHICH

ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they will keep talking. )N 3OUTH +OREA A GOVERNMENT OFkCIAL SUGGESTED THE DRILLS would be downgraded rather

than scrapped entirely. g)F WE DEkNE THE SIZE OF THE DRILLS solely by the number of the soldiers, then yes, the exercises will likely be SMALLER u THE OFkCIAL TOLD !&0 The two sides are still discussing the wording of a joint statement that is expected to be released in THE COMING DAYS THE OFkCIAL ADDED ."# .EWS kRST REPORTED THAT THE Foal Eagle drills — which usually take place in the spring — would be scrapped, citing two unnamed 53 DEFENSE OFkCIALS Foal Eagle is the biggest of the regular joint exercises held by the

allies, and has always infuriated Pyongyang, which condemned it as preparations for invasion. In the past, it has involved 200,000 3OUTH +OREAN FORCES AND SOME 30,000 US soldiers. )T OVERLAPS WITH THE +EY 2Esolve exercise.

3INCE 4RUMP S kRST SUMMIT WITH +IM LAST YEAR IN 3INGAPORE THE US and Seoul have scaled back or scrapped several joint military drills, and US bombers are no lonGER lYING OVER 3OUTH +OREA President Trump has complained repeatedly over the cost of the drills,

C1

describing them at the Hanoi summit as “very, very expensive.�

NBC reported that the annual exercises would be replaced with gSMALLER MISSION SPECIkC TRAINING u 4HE 2EPUBLICAN PRESIDENT HOWever has ruled out withdrawing any of the 28,500 US forces based IN 3OUTH +OREA TO DEFEND IT FROM its nuclear-armed neighbor, which invaded in 1950.

Any such drawdown would face strong pushback from the US Congress and Japan, whose conservative government is deeply wary of .ORTH +OREA S INTENTIONS AFP

STREET PARTY View of the Imperio de Casa Verde samba school float during the first night of carnival in Sao Paulo’s Sambadrome, Brazil on Friday (Saturday in Manila). AFP PHOTO

Kim pays tribute to Ho Chi Minh HANOI:Â "EFORE LEAVING 6IETNAM BY TRAIN .ORTH +OREAN LEADER +IM *ONG 5N PAID TRIBUTE TO 6IETNAM S EMbalmed revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh on Saturday, as he wrapped up a whirlwind week in Hanoi, where his summit with US President Donald Trump ended without a nuclear deal. /N HISTORIC .ORTH +OREAN ANNIVERSARIES +IM regularly pays tribute to his predecessors, his father +IM *ONG )L AND GRANDFATHER +IM )L 3UNG AT THE MAUsoleum on the outskirts of Pyongyang where their preserved remains lie in state.

But his stop at the stark concrete monument where the body of Vietnam’s independence hero is on display was unusual.

4HE .ORTH +OREAN LEADER ADJUSTED THE RIBBONS ON A LARGE WREATH EMBLAZONED WITH HIS NAME AND THE message “Cherishing the memory of President Ho Chi Minh,� before bowing his head for almost a minute.

He is not known to have made a similar visit to Mao Zedong’s mausoleum in Beijing during any of

his four visits to China, the North’s key diplomatic protector and main provider of trade and aid.

"UT .ORTH +OREAN FOUNDER +IM )L 3UNG WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF (O #HI -INH SUPPLYING HIM WITH kGHTER pilots and psychological warfare specialists during his war against the US-backed regime in South Vietnam.

Pictures of the two together are displayed on the noticeboard outside the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang. +IM S TRIP IS THE kRST BY A .ORTH +OREAN LEADER SINCE

WHEN +IM )L 3UNG ALSO TRAVELLED BY RAIL FOR HIS journey to the southeast Asian nation. +IM *ONG 5N WAS DUE TO BOARD HIS OWN ARMOURED olive green train later Saturday for the 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) marathon back through China to Pyongyang. +IM AND 4RUMP S MUCH HYPED SECOND SUMMIT kNISHED ABRUPTLY WITH A SCRAPPED SIGNING CEREMONY after the pair failed to reach an agreement on walking BACK .ORTH +OREA S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AFP

Worldinbriefs TRUMP BLAMES NKOREA FOR US STUDENT’S DEATH WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump on Friday (Saturday in Manila) sought to quell a firestorm sparked by his comments on the case of an American student tortured and left in a coma in North Korea, saying his words had been “misinterpreted.� Trump sparked widespread criticism when he told reporters at this week’s summit with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam that he believed the North Korean leader’s claim that he didn’t know what happened to Otto Warmbier during his detention. The 22-year-old Warmbier died days after being sent back to the United States in 2017. After a stern rebuke from Warmbier’s parents, Trump took to Twitter, insisting he held North Korea responsible for the student’s death — but without directly blaming Kim or even mentioning him. “I never like being misinterpreted, but especially when it comes to Otto Warmbier and his great family,� Trump said. “Of course I hold North Korea responsible for Otto’s mistreatment and death.

AFP

PENTAGON SUBMITS SPACE FORCE PROPOSAL TO CONGRESS WASHINGTON, D.C: The Pentagon has submitted a proposal to Congress that, if approved, would see the creation of a new “Space Force,� officials said Friday.

The move comes at the request of President Donald Trump, who has insisted that a separate branch of military is needed to focus on protecting satellites and tackling vulnerabilities in space. “Our approach follows President Trump’s bold vision for space and commits resources to deliver more capability faster, ensuring the United States can compete, deter, and, if needed, win in a complex domain,� Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said. In its current form, the Space Force would be established as its own branch of the military but would fall under the Air Force, similar to how the Navy oversees the Marine Corps.

Not since the Air Force was stood up in 1947 has the Pentagon created a new military branch. Space Force would be the sixth, with the others being the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.

AFP

MARIJUANA STILL NOT LEGAL IN HAWAII HONOLULU: On the political spectrum, Hawaii is among the bluest of states.

Democrats control all the levers of power at the state and federal levels, and voters back Democratic presidential candidates over Republicans by some of the widest margins in the United States. The state has committed to the Paris climate agreement that President Donald Trump rejected and was the first state to require people to be 21 to buy cigarettes. The tourist haven even banned certain types of sunscreen because they can harm coral reefs. But when it comes to legalizing recreational marijuana for adult use, the islands are out of step with liberal stalwarts such as California and Vermont that have already done so, and other left-leaning states such as New York and New Jersey that are racing toward joining them. On Friday, a legalization bill that made it farther in the legislative process than previous efforts died when lawmakers failed to consider it in time for a deadline.

AP

MARS HAD UNDERGROUND LAKE SYSTEM – SCIENTISTS

FAREWELL

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un (center) waves before boarding his train to China at the Dong Dang railway station in Lang Son on Saturday. AFP PHOTO

BERLIN: Scientists say images of craters taken by European and American space probes show there likely once was a planet-wide system of underground lakes on Mars. Data collected by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) probes orbiting the red planet provide the first geological evidence for an ancient Martian groundwater system, according to a study by researchers in Italy and the Netherlands published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Francesco Salese, one of the scientists involved, said in an email Friday that the findings confirm earlier models and smaller-scale studies, and that the underground lakes may have been connected to each other. The notion of water on Mars has long fascinated scientists because of the possibility that the planet may have once harbored similar conditions to those that allowed life to develop on Earth. Patches of ice previously spotted on Mars provide tantalizing hints of a watery past for the arid world.

AP

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Today, we look back at an old front page of The Manila Times, the oldest national daily that was founded on October 11, 1898. (Note: This image was adjusted to fit the page.)

advertising@manilatimes.net 524-5664 local 121, 3105895 and 3105582

Classified Ads

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Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Ave., Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED RULES TO ALLOW THE PASS-THROUGH OF REAL PROPERTY TAX (RPT), ERC Case No. 2018-006 RM PHILIPPINE RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES ASSOCIATION INC. (PHILRECA), Petitioner. x------------------------------------------------x

Promulgated FEB 19 2019

08 February 2019

06 February 2019

MR. ANTHONY LOUEN R. FERNANDEZ Legal & Regulatory Dept.

Smart Communications, Inc. 6799 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

MR. ANTHONY LOUEN R. FERNANDEZ Legal & Regulatory Dept.

Smart Communications, Inc. 6799 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

Dear Mr. Fernandez:

Dear Mr. Fernandez:

This refers to your letter dated 08 February 2019 regarding the Surfsaya All-In Promo.

This refers to your letter dated 06 February 2019 regarding the Surfsaya FB+ML Promo.

In line with the thrust of the government to lower telecommunications service rates for the benefit of the Filipino consumers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), the Commission hereby approves Surfsaya All-In Promo nationwide to be implemented not later than 25 February 2019 until 30 April 2019. The approval is subject to the condition that SMART shall publish the mechanics in a newspaper of general circulation three (3) days prior to the implementation. Should SMART decide not to extend the promo, it shall seek approval of the Commission within ten (10) days prior to the date of discontinuance DQG QRWLFH WR WKH SXEOLF VKDOO EH SXEOLVKHG LQ D QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ DW OHDVW ÂżYH GD\V SULRU WR the date of discontinuance. The notice should be posted in all business centers of SMART.

In line with the thrust of the government to lower telecommunications service rates for the benefit of the Filipino consumers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), the Commission hereby approves Surfsaya FB+ML Promo nationwide to be implemented not later than 25 February 2019 until 31 May 2019. The approval is subject to the condition that SMART shall publish the mechanics in a newspaper of general circulation three (3) days prior to the implementation. Should SMART decide not to extend the promo, it shall seek approval of the Commission within ten (10) days prior to the date of GLVFRQWLQXDQFH DQG QRWLFH WR WKH SXEOLF VKDOO EH SXEOLVKHG LQ D QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ DW OHDVW ÂżYH (5) days prior to the date of discontinuance. The notice should be posted in all business centers of SMART.

The Surfsaya All-In promo offers TNT subscribers unlimited SMS and calls to all networks, open access data and data access to Facebook, Mobile Legends, and Instagram. There are four denominations of this promo.

Price Validity Open Access Data Facebook Every Day Mobile Legends Every Day Instagram Everyday Calls to TNT, Smart, Sun Calls to Other Networks Text to All Networks Availment via UMB

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 31 October 2018, Philippine Rural Electric &RRSHUDWLYHV $VVRFLDWLRQ ,QF 3+,/5(&$ ¿OHG D 3HWLWLRQ WR ,QLWLDWH 5XOH Making (Petition) seeking the Commission’s approval of its proposed Rules to allow the pass-through of Real Property Tax (RPT).

Petitioner 3+,/5(&$ LV D GXO\ RUJDQL]HG QRQ VWRFN DQG QRQ SUR¿W DVVRFLDWLRQ RSHUDWLQJ DQG H[LVWLQJ E\ YLUWXH RI 3KLOLSSLQH ODZV ZLWK RI¿FH DGGUHVV located at 2nd ÀRRU 31% %XLOGLQJ 1R :HVW $YH Brgy. Philam, Quezon City. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Commission through its President, Mr. Presley C. de Jesus, and/ or Atty. Janeene D. Colingan, Executive Director/ General Manager of PHILRECA;

2.

This Petition ZDV ÂżOHG SXUVXDQW WR 5XOH RI (5& V 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH and Procedure for the purpose of adopting the rules allowing the pass-through of RPT;

3. PHILRECA submitted that the issuance of rules allowing the pass through of RPT is valid and timely considering that local government units (LGUs) had assessed and collected RPT from Electric Cooperatives (ECs). The RPT should therefore be allowed to be a pass-through charge to the ECs member-consumers subject to post YHULÂżFDWLRQ DQG FRQÂżUPDWLRQ E\ WKH &RPPLVVLRQ VLPLODU WR WKH /RFDO Business and Franchise Tax; 4.

5.

6.

The need for rules to allow the pass-through of RPT became all the more urgent following the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of “Manila Electric Company vs. The City Assessor and the City Treasurer of Lucena Cityâ€?1 ZKHUH LW ZDV DIÂżUPHG WKDW WUDQVIRUPHUV electric posts, transmission lines, insulators and electric meters are not exempted from RPT under the LGU; The RPT is the lifeblood of the LGUs authorized by the Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. No. 7160) and thus the collection and payment thereof can no longer be avoided by ECs. The ECs have no option but to pay the RPT otherwise the LGU can exercise its right to levy the real properties of the ECs to enforce collection thereof and thereby hamper the ECs from performing its mandate of providing electric service to its member-consumers; The existing tariff of the ECs does not provide for surplus funds by ways of a return on rate base and depreciation like those of the private distribution utilities (DUs). Thus, while the private DUs can H[HUFLVH FHUWDLQ GHJUHH RI Ă€H[LELOLW\ E\ FKDUJLQJ WKH 537 DJDLQVW their surplus funds, the ECs are constrained to fund the same from their meagre internally generated funds and in most cases from ORDQV REWDLQHG IURP WKH 1DWLRQDO (OHFWULÂżFDWLRQ $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ 1($

DQG RWKHU ÂżQDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV

7.

A copy of the proposed rules to allow the pass-through of RPT which contains the proposals of PHILRECA is attached to the Petition;

8.

PHILRECA prayed for the Commission to: a) Approve and promulgate the proposed rules allowing pass through of RPT; and b) It also prayed for other relief deemed just and equitable under the premises.

VENUE (5& 0DLQ 2IÂżFH 15th )ORRU 3DFLÂżF &HQWHU Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

22 March 2019 (Friday) Nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.) 04 April 2019 (Thursday) Nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

(5& 0LQGDQDR 2I¿FH Mintrade Bldg., Monteverde Ave. cor Sales St., 8000 Davao City (5& 9LVD\DV 2I¿FH St. Mary’s Drive, Banilad, Cebu City 6000

ACTIVITY Jurisdictional Hearing and Public Consultation for Luzon Stakeholders Public Consultation for Mindanao Stakeholders Public Consultation for Visayas Stakeholders

(This space is intentionally left blank.)

All interested parties may submit their comments (in both hard and soft copies) on the proposed Rules on or before 28 February 2019. Electronic copies may be sent to tariffs@erc.gov.ph. 3DUWLHV ZKR KDYH ÂżOHG WKHLU written comments on or before the prescribed period would be given priority during the above-scheduled public consultation. The said Petition may be SKRWRFRSLHG DW FRVW GXULQJ WKH UHJXODU RIÂżFH KRXUV DW WKH (5& 0DLQ 2IÂżFH WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO, AGNES VST DEVANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners CATHERINE P. MACEDA and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 18 February in Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service 1

G.R. No. 166102 dated August 5, 2012;

SURFSAYA SURFSAYA ALL-IN 60 ALL-IN 159 P60.00 P159.00 3 days 7 days 300MB 1500MB 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited USSD (*121#)

SURFSAYA ALL-IN 349 P349.00 30 days 2000MB 200 MB/day 200 MB/day 200 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

The mechanics of the promo are as follows: 1.

2.

SURFSAYA ALL-IN is open to all TNT Subscribers nationwide.

SURFSAYA ALL-IN promos will be available no later than February 25, 2019 and will run until April 30, 2019.

3. To register, subscribers need to dial *121# and choose any SURFSAYA ALL-IN package.

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Example: If SURFSAYA ALL-IN 45 and SURFSAYA ALL-IN 60 were registered simultaneously, the additional data dedicated for Facebook & Messenger, Instagram and Mobile Legends would still be 100MB/ day. In the case of SURFSAYA ALL-IN 349, it will follow the 200/MB day allocation.

Additionally, concurrent availment is allowed but will follow the longest validity.

EXAMPLE: IF SURFSAYA ALL-IN 45 and SURFSAYA ALL-IN 60 were registered simultaneously, promo validity will be valid for 3 days.

Data dedicated for Facebook/Messenger, Instagram & Mobile Legends will refresh every 12 midnight as long as the offer availed is not expired or fully consumed.

Unlimited calls may be used to call any local mobile network.

SMS may be sent to any local mobile network.

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5. P1.00 maintaining balance is not required to avail and use the offers. $OO LQYDOLG VFHQDULRV L H LQVXIÂżFLHQW EDODQFH LQYDOLG QXPEHUV HWF ZLOO WULJJHU DQ 606 QRWLÂżFDWLRQ WR WKH subscriber and shall be charged prevailing rates.

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The promo is intended for peer-to-peer and non-commercial use only.

Subject further, to the condition that SMART shall comply with the NTC Memorandum Circulars and Order, as follows: • • •

Memorandum Order No. 07-07-2011, Minimum Speed of Broadband Connections.

Memorandum Circular No. 07-08-2015, Rules on the Measurement of Fixed Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Circular No. 10-12-2016, Rules on the Measurement of Mobile Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Order No. 03-06-2009, Service Performance Standards for the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service.

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SURFSAYA FB+ML 30 P30.00 2 days 100MB 100 MB/day 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited

SURFSAYA SURFSAYA FB+ML 45 FB+ML 129 P45.00 P129.00 3 days 7 days 300MB 1500MB 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited USSD (*121#)

SURFSAYA FB+ML 259 P259.00 30 days 2000MB 200 MB/day 200 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited

The maximum speed is up to 42Mbps for broadband and non-broadband connections. Minimum speed for broadband connection is 256 kbps and 48 kbps for non-broadband connection. Network reliability is 80%.

The actual speed experience will depend on the device used, network signal detected, current subscriber WUDIÂżF SUHYDLOLQJ HQYLURQPHQWDO FRQGLWLRQV DQG WKH JHRJUDSK\ RI WKH DUHD ZKHUH WKH VXEVFULEHU LV ORFDWHG The mechanics of the promo are as follows: 1.

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3. To register, subscribers need to dial *121# and choose any SURFSAYA FB+ML package.

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Example: If SURFSAYA FB+ML 30 and SURFSAYA FB+ML 45 were registered simultaneously, the additional data dedicated for Facebook, Messenger would still be 100MB/day and Mobile Legends would be another 100MB/day. In the case of SURFSAYA FB+ML 259, it will follow the 200/MB day allocation.

Additionally, concurrent availment is allowed but will follow the longest validity.

Data dedicated for Facebook/Messenger/Mobile Legends will refresh every 12 midnight as long as the offer availed is not expired or fully consumed.

The Open Access Data may be passed to other TNT subscribers. Minimum Data MB allowed per share transaction is 15MB and there is no maximum limit. Passed data MB is valid for 1 day. To pass your data MB: a. Text PASADATA <11-digit TNT No.> <MB Amount>MB and send to 808.

Ex. PASADATA 09129876543 100MB and send to 808. b. Php 1 transaction fee will be charged for every transaction. c. Shared/passed data MB will not be allowed to be re-shared or passed unto another number.

Unlimited calls may be used to call any TNT, Smart or Sun number.

SMS may be sent to any local mobile network.

Others 1. P1.00 maintaining balance is not required to avail and use the offers. $OO LQYDOLG VFHQDULRV L H LQVXIÂżFLHQW EDODQFH LQYDOLG QXPEHUV HWF ZLOO WULJJHU DQ 606 QRWLÂżFDWLRQ WR the subscriber and shall be charged prevailing rates.

3. Offer is not available to roaming and international subscribers.

4. All complaints or questions that may arise from these offers shall be attended to by hotline number: (02) 888-1111 or *888 (toll-free from TNT mobile number).

The promo is intended for peer-to-peer and non-commercial use only.

Subject further, to the condition that SMART shall comply with the NTC Memorandum Circulars and Order, as follows: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

(SGD.) EDGARDO V. CABARIOS Deputy Commissioner

MT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mar. 3, 2019

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Memorandum Order No. 07-07-2011, Minimum Speed of Broadband Connections.

Memorandum Circular No. 07-08-2015, Rules on the Measurement of Fixed Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Circular No. 10-12-2016, Rules on the Measurement of Mobile Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Order No. 03-06-2009, Service Performance Standards for the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service.

Very truly yours,

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City Email: ntc@ntc.gov.ph; website: http://www.ntc.gov.ph

(SGD.) EDGARDO V. CABARIOS Deputy Commissioner

MT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mar. 3, 2019

06 February 2019 MR. ANTHONY LOUEN R. FERNANDEZ Legal & Regulatory Dept.

Smart Communications, Inc. 6799 Ayala Avenue, Makati City Dear Mr. Fernandez: This refers to your letter dated 06 February 2019 regarding the Surfsaya ML Promo.

In line with the thrust of the government to lower telecommunications service rates for the benefit of the Filipino consumers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), the Commission hereby approves Surfsaya ML Promo nationwide to be implemented not later than 25 February 2019 until 31 May 2019. The approval is subject to the condition that SMART shall publish the mechanics in a newspaper of general circulation three (3) days prior to the implementation. Should SMART decide not to extend the promo, it shall seek approval of the Commission within ten (10) days prior to the date of GLVFRQWLQXDQFH DQG QRWLFH WR WKH SXEOLF VKDOO EH SXEOLVKHG LQ D QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ DW OHDVW ÂżYH (5) days prior to the date of discontinuance. The notice should be posted in all business centers of SMART. The Surfsaya offers TNT subscribers open access data and daily data allocation for Mobile Legends. There are four (4) denominations of this promo.

Price Validity Open Access Data Mobile Legends Every Day Calls to TNT, Smart, Sun Text to All Networks Availment via UMB

SURFSAYA ML 20 P20.00 2 days 100MB 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited

SURFSAYA SURFSAYA ML 30 ML 99 P30.00 P99.00 3 days 7 days 300MB 1500MB 100 MB/day 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited USSD (*121#)

SURFSAYA ML 199 P199.00 30 days 2000MB 200 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited

The maximum speed is up to 42Mbps for broadband and non-broadband connections. Minimum speed for broadband connection is 256 kbps and 48 kbps for non-broadband connection. Network reliability is 80%.

The actual speed experience will depend on the device used, network signal detected, current subscriber WUDIÂżF SUHYDLOLQJ HQYLURQPHQWDO FRQGLWLRQV DQG WKH JHRJUDSK\ RI WKH DUHD ZKHUH WKH VXEVFULEHU LV ORFDWHG The mechanics of the promo are as follows: Availment 1.

2.

SURFSAYA ML is open to all TNT Subscribers nationwide.

SURFSAYA ML promos will be available no later than February 25, 2019 and will run until May 31, 2019.

3. To register, subscribers need to dial *121# and choose any SURFSAYA package.

8SRQ VXFFHVVIXO UHJLVWUDWLRQ WKH VXEVFULEHU ZLOO UHFHLYH D QRWLÂżFDWLRQ WKDW KH VKH KDV EHHQ UHJLVWHUHG to the package.

Usage 1. The Open Access Data allocation may be used to access any site and app.

2. Additional data dedicated for Mobile Legends included in the components will not stack up if two SURFSAYA ML promos were registered within their validity date. Example: If SURFSAYA ML 20 and SURFSAYA ML 99 were registered simultaneously, the additional data dedicated for Mobile Legends would be 100MB/day. In the case of SURFSAYA ML 199, it will follow the 200MB/day allocation.

3. Additionally, concurrent availment is allowed but will follow the longest validity.

4. Data dedicated for Mobile Legends will refresh every 12 midnight as long as the offer availed is not expired or fully consumed.

5. The Open Access Data may be passed to other TNT subscribers. Minimum Data MB allowed per share transaction is 15MB and there is no maximum limit. Passed data MB is valid for 1 day. To pass your data MB: a. Text PASADATA <11-digit TNT No. > <MB Amount>MB and send to 808.

Ex. PASADATA 09129876543 100MB and send to 808. b. Php 1 transaction fee will be charged for every transaction. c. Shared/passed data MB will not be allowed to be re-shared or passed unto another number.

6. Unlimited calls may be used to call any TNT, Smart or Sun number 7. SMS may be sent to any local mobile network.

Others 1. P1.00 maintaining balance is not required to avail and use the offers. $OO LQYDOLG VFHQDULRV L H LQVXIÂżFLHQW EDODQFH LQYDOLG QXPEHUV HWF ZLOO WULJJHU DQ 606 QRWLÂżFDWLRQ WR the subscriber and shall be charged prevailing rates.

3. Offer is not available to roaming and international subscribers.

4. Offer is for peer to peer use only and may not be used for commercial purposes or spamming.

5. All complaints or questions that may arise from these offers shall be attended to by hotline number : (02) 888-1111 or *888 (toll-free from TNT mobile number).

The promo is intended for peer-to-peer and non-commercial use only.

Subject further, to the condition that SMART shall comply with the NTC Memorandum Circulars and Order, as follows:

MT - Feb. 24 & Mar. 3, 2019

The Surfsaya FB+ML offers TNT subscribers open access data, daily data allocation for Facebook and Mobile Legends.

Availment

Availment

Finding the said Petition WR EH VXIÂżFLHQW LQ IRUP DQG LQ VXEVWDQFH with the required fees having been paid, the same is hereby set for public consultations on the following dates and venues: DATE and TIME 14 March 2019 (Thursday) Nine oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

SURFSAYA ALL-IN 45 P45.00 2 days 100MB 100 MB/day 100 MB/day 100 MB/day Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

The maximum speed is up to 42Mbps for broadband and non-broadband connections. Minimum speed for broadband connection is 256 kbps and 48 kbps for non-broadband connection. Network reliability is 80%.

The actual speed experience will depend on the device used, network signal detected, current subscriber WUDIÂżF SUHYDLOLQJ HQYLURQPHQWDO FRQGLWLRQV DQG WKH JHRJUDSK\ RI WKH DUHD ZKHUH WKH VXEVFULEHU LV ORFDWHG

1.

2.

Nature of the Petition

C3

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City Email: ntc@ntc.gov.ph; website: http://www.ntc.gov.ph

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City Email: ntc@ntc.gov.ph; website: http://www.ntc.gov.ph

NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE-MAKING

In the said Petition, PHILRECA alleged, among others, the following:

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Memorandum Order No. 07-07-2011, Minimum Speed of Broadband Connections.

Memorandum Circular No. 07-08-2015, Rules on the Measurement of Fixed Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Circular No. 10-12-2016, Rules on the Measurement of Mobile Broadband/Internet Access Service Memorandum Order No. 03-06-2009, Service Performance Standards for the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service.

Very truly yours, (SGD.) EDGARDO V. CABARIOS Deputy Commissioner

EDITORS AND DESKMEN Competencies â&#x20AC;˘ Excellent command of written and spoken English â&#x20AC;˘ Degree holder preferably in journalism, communications, or related discipline (e.g. political science or economics with journalism experience) â&#x20AC;˘ Experience in editing news, analytical reports and columns â&#x20AC;˘ Strong news judgment and familiarity with local issues, as well as an understanding of relevant world affairs â&#x20AC;˘ $ELOLW\ WR ZULWH DQG HGLW ZLWK Ă&#x20AC;DLU DQG VSHHG WR PHHW WLJKW GHDGOLQHV â&#x20AC;˘ )DPLOLDU ZLWK 0LFURVRIW 2IÂżFH VRFLDO PHGLD DQG VHDUFK HQJLQHV â&#x20AC;˘ Ability to lead and organize a team well â&#x20AC;˘ Good attitude, willingness to adjust to new systems and ability to respect authority within the organization REPORTERS Competencies â&#x20AC;˘ Excellent command of written and spoken English â&#x20AC;˘ Degree holder preferably in journalism, communications, or related discipline â&#x20AC;˘ Ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts in government and the private sector as source of information and analysis â&#x20AC;˘ Ability to identify the angle of news from a raft of available information or seek out information to build a solid news story â&#x20AC;˘ Familiarity with local issues and an understanding of relevant world affairs â&#x20AC;˘ $ VHQVH RI VSHHG DQG DFFXUDF\ LQ ZULWLQJ DQG ÂżOOLQJ UHDO WLPH VWRULHV to the news desk to meet tight deadlines â&#x20AC;˘ Knows Microsoft Office, social media and search engines â&#x20AC;˘ A good team player, but is able to work independently within the perimeters of a given assignment â&#x20AC;˘ Good attitude, willingness to adjust to new systems and ability to respect authority within the organization Interested applicants, please send a full resume, specifying your subject of expertise, with links to samples of online work or appropriate attachments.

Please email your resumĂŠ at: hrd@manilatimes.net, or you may apply personally at 2/F Sitio Grande Bldg., 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila (Formerly TRB Bldg.), or you may call Irish de Guzman at 524-5664 local 122.

MT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mar. 3, 2019

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DBM hosts OGP International country visit

Q Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno (center) with members of the PH-OGP Steering Committee and the International OGP Support Unit for Asia.

T

HE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) hosted the Open Government Partnership (OGP) country visit in the Philippines on February 18 to 22. Members of the international OGP Support Unit, namely Asia Pacific lead Shreya Basu, Senior Regional Coordinator Alan Wu and Partnerships Consultant Ivygail Ong, met with different OGP stakeholders and attended the High-Level Philippine-OGP Steering Com-

mittee chaired by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

According to the OGP Support Unit, the Philippines is a priority country for technical assistance for 2019, as it currently undertakes activities related to the development of its next OGP National Action Plan.

The OGP is a unique, multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and subnational governments to promote open government, em-

power citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

The Philippines is one of the eight founding members of the OGP, which is composed of 79-member countries. Country visits are routinely undertaken by the staff of the OGP Support Unit to better build an understanding of how best to assist participating countries to meaningfully participate in the OGP process.

As part of the visit schedule in DBM, members of the OGP Support Unit had separate courtesy meetings with Secretary Diokno, Undersecretary Laura Pascua and Undersecretary Lilia Guillermo on February 19.

During the meetings, Secretary Diokno updated the Support Unit on the progress of the Philippines’ National Action Plan (NAP) for 2019-2021 and discussed upcoming activities in the Philippines’ OGP timeline.

Manila Water gears up for Used Water Master Plan MANILA Water Co. Inc. is set to spend P36.8 billion for its used water programs and projects as part of its Used Water Master Plan that aims to provide full sewer and sanitation coverage of its entire concession area by 2037.

The latest addition to the company’s numerous wastewater facilities are two of its largest treatment plants: Taguig North, which has a capacity to treat up to 75 million liters per day (MLD) of used water from communities in Taguig and the Makati CBD, and Marikina North Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), which has the capacity to clean up to 100 MLD of used water.

Both STPs employ Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) biological treatment process, an innovation that enables facilities built on limited land areas to more effectively treat larger volumes of used water.

Currently being constructed is

Q The Marikina North Sewage Treatment Plant, with 100-million-liter-a-day treatment capacity, built on a 2.3-hectare land. the Ilugin Sewage Treatment Plant in Pasig City, which is the centerpiece of the North and South Pasig

Sewer System Project.

All three STPs have a combined capacity of treating up to

275 MLD of used water, which is targeted to benefit a total of 1.6 million population.

tions on the project’s major accomplishments with key implementation partners, the way forward to further enhance the country’s climate policy, lessons and capacity building measures in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and the partnerships built among key stakeholders to ensure synergy in succeeding climate actions.

Cusi added that GIZ played an instrumental role in enriching renewable energy deployment and utilization in the Philippines.

The closing activity was attended by DoE Spokesman Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, Director Mario Marasigan, officer in charge of the DoE-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, key officials from the Climate Change Commission and other government agencies, civil society groups and members of the academe.

Belaro wins Outstanding Congressman for three consecutive years assiduous advocacy in Congress for legislations that will redound to an accessible, high quality and globally competitive education.

He said the award was a pat in the back for him and the party to keep doing what is right.

To date, Belaro has authored and sponsored a total of 728 bills and resolutions (one of the highest records in the 17th Congress), half of which relate to education. Of the said number, 23 have already become laws, including the Free College Education Law, the Free Wi-Fi in Public Places Law and the Philippine Qualifications Framework Law. Belaro obtained his BA Po-

litical Science ( cum laude ) and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines.

He also holds a Master of Laws degree from Cornell University in New York, USA. His professional experience spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, author and educator.

As a lawyer, he was a senior associate of one of the premier LAW kRMS IN -ETRO -ANILA WAS managing partner of the law ofkCE WHICH BEARS HIS NAME AND has contributed to Philippine jurisprudence owing to cases he handled that has reached the Supreme Court, proof that he is one of the best legal minds of his generation. He is also a lecturer

of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education for lawyers and was a former commissioner of the Commission on Bar Discipline of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. As a writer, he was a former correspondent of The Manila Times and has several local and international publications, including the best-seller, Legal Forms for Entrepreneurs.

As an educator, he was a former College of Law dean, and had taught political science and law subjects at the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Entrepreneurship School of Asia, University of Caloocan City and St. Dominic Savio College.

Belmonte lauds Duterte for Expanded Maternity Law EML which provides a 105-day maternity leave for all women who have just given birth,” Belmonte said. “This means that she will have more time to nurse her newborn child when the baby is at its most vulnerable.”

Belmonte also praised Duterte for exceeding international stan-

dards on the labor practice, saying, “The EML far exceeds the recommendation of the International Labor Organization for a 98-day maternity leave. As a mother myself, I can tell all employers that this is really and truly a much-needed law.”

Under the new EML, the work-

STATE health insurance agency Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) welcomes a new era of reforms in the Philippine health sector with the passage of the Universal Health Care into law.

“This is truly a groundbreaking development in the health sector,” PhilHealth Acting President and CEO Roy Ferrer, said. “With UHC, no Filipino shall ever be deprived of quality health care based on their capacity to pay.”

Re p u b l i c Ac t 11 2 2 3 a l s o known as “An Act Instituting Universal Health Care for All Filipinos, Prescribing Reforms in the Health Care System, and Appropriating Funds Therefor” or simply “Universal Health Care Act” guarantees full range

of high-quality health care services — from preventive to promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative — at affordable cost.

The PhilHealth chief declared that all Filipino citizens shall be automatically included in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).

Membership in the NHIP will now be as direct contributors or indirect contributors. Direct contributors are those gainfully employed and are bound by an employer-employee relationship, self-earning, practicing professionals, migrant workers, and lifetime members, while indirect contributors, such as the indigent and senior citizens, shall be subsidized by the national government.

Recreational use will come after medical marijuana, warns Atienza

LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd (left) congratulates lawyer Benjo Santos Benavidez after being sworn in as Labor Assistant Secretary during a simple ceremony at the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Central Office in Intramuros Manila on February 18.

Also in photo, from left: Assistant Secretary Federico Abuan, Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad 3rd and Assistant Secretary Joji Aragon.

IN line with her advocacy to promote the rights of women and mothers, Quezon City Vice Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing the 105-day Expanded Maternity Law (EML).

“We congratulate President Rodrigo Duterte for signing the

THE Department of Energy (DoE) expressed its appreciation for all the technical and financial assistance extended by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) to the Philippines at the culmination event of the Support to the Philippines in Shaping and Implementing the International Climate Regime (SupportCCC II) Project held at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center recently.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi stated, “For three consecutive years, the Philippines ranked first among 125 countries in terms of energy environmental sustainability. This couldn’t have been achieved without the strong collaboration among the different Philippine government agencies, as well as the technical and funding support from our international partners, like GIZ.” The event featured presenta-

PhilHealth welcomes UHC

New DoLE Assistant Secretary swears into office

SUPERBRANDS Marketing International (SMI) Inc. bestowed on Rep. Salvador “Bong” Belaro Jr. of 1-Ang Edukasyon party-list the Outstanding Congressman Award for his legislative achievements in the 17th Congress, held at the Seda Hotel in Vertis North, Quezon City recently.

According to Kenneth Rocete, marketing director of SMI Inc., Belaro was cited for advocating an empowering education, as well as his impressive academic qualifications and professional pre-Congress experience.

Belaro welcomed the award and said that it is a testament of 1-Ang Edukasyon party-list’s hard WORK AND AN AFkRMATION OF ITS

DoE acknowledges GIZ for RE Gains of SupportCCC 2 Project

ing mother is entitled to a total of 105 days of paid leave. If the mother is a solo parent, she is entitled to an additional 15 days or a total 120 days of paid leave.

With the EML, the mother is also further given the right to ask and receive an extension of 30 days of unpaid leave.

MEDICAL marijuana, once legalized by Congress, is bound to open the floodgates for recreational use of the highly addictive drug by Filipinos, Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza warned recently.

“There’s no question medical marijuana will serve as the gateway for the widespread consumption of the mind-altering drug for fun and entertainment,” Atienza, who is also the House senior deputy minority leader, said.

He cited the case of Canada, which recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

“In the first two weeks alone after legalization, cannabis stores there sold some $43 million (in Canadian dollars), or the equivalent of P1.7-billion

worth of marijuana,” Atienza said. “We don’t need medical marijuana here because, apart from the fact that the drug’s purported therapeutic values are unproven, Filipino patients already have access to the most powerful narcotic analgesics when needed.”

The Philippine Medical Association, the professional organization of Filipino physicians, has rejected the medical marijuana bill, saying “it is contrary to the policy of the State to safeguard the well-being of its citizenry.”

At p r e s e n t , m a r i j u a n a i s tagged as a prohibited substance, just like methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, cocaine and heroin, under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Duty Free PH shortlisted for 2019 Moodie Davitt Digital Awards DUTY Free Philippines Corp.

(DFPC) has been shortlisted for two categories at this year’s Moodie Davitt Digital Awards.

The country’s only duty and tax-free travel retail company is nominated for the “Best use of Facebook” and “Best use of Instagram” among the 170 shortlisted finalists across 21 categories.

The DFPC is nominated alongside with Changi Airport, Dubai Duty Free, Copenhagen Airport, Delhi Duty Free Services, The Shilla Duty Free, Bristol Aiport, Lotte Duty Free, and among others.

On its 6th year, The Moodie Davitt Digital Awards recog-

nizes best practice in social and digital media and marketing among airports, airport retail and food and beverage.

Winners will be revealed soon after extensive evaluation by The Moodie Davitt Report in-house panel led by its Chief Technology Officer Matt Willey.

“This year’s final line-up represents a diverse geographical masterclass of digital innovation and excellence,” Willy said in an article published by the Moodie Davitt Report. “It also throws up some intriguing trends in the industry’s use of digital media.”

Sports

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Buboyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; starts studying possible Pacquiao foes

SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2019

D1

D4

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www.manilatimes.net

LaVine scores 47 as Bulls outlast Hawks, Leonard The Philippines nails game winner at FIBA OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

EDDIE G. ALINEA

World Cup F

OR the second consecutive year, the Philippines will be appearing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup scheduled middle of this year, in China. And for the sixth time since the Filipinos saw action in 1954, which PROVED TO BE THEIR kNEST SHOWING IN the quadrennial event.

The Philippine side, in a story ran

by The Manila Times earlier last week, kNISHED THIRD IN THE MEET TO BRING home the bronze medal, which no other Asian country has, to date, done.

Our own Carlos â&#x20AC;&#x153;Caloy,â&#x20AC;? the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Differenceâ&#x20AC;? Loyzaga, was in the world MYTHICAL TEAM THE kRST TOO FOR ANY cager from any Asian country.

Coached by master bench tactician Herminio â&#x20AC;&#x153;Herrâ&#x20AC;? Silva and skippered by wily Lauro â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Foxâ&#x20AC;? Mumar, Loyzaga had for teammates Bayani Amador, Rafael Barretto, Florentino Bautista Jr., Napoleon Flores, Benjamin Francisco, Antonio Genato, Ramon Manulat, Francisco Rabat, Ponciano SaldaĂąa and Mariano Tolentino with alternates Francis Wilson and Alfredo Sagarbarria.

Loyzaga, Manulat and Tolentino came back four years later in 1959 in Antofagasta and Valparaiso in Chile to power a team coached by Virgilio â&#x20AC;?Babyâ&#x20AC;? Dalupan to eighth place wind up, winning four games and losing twice, Making the then â&#x20AC;&#x153;RP 5â&#x20AC;? were young Turks Emilio Achacoso, Kurt Bachmann, Carlos Badion, Guillermo Baz, Loreto Carbonell, Geronimo Cruz, Eduardo Lim, Alfonso Marquez, Edgardo Ocampo, Constancio Ortiz Jr. and Roberto Yburan.

Caloy was also in the 1974 squad that played in San Juan, Puerto Rico but not anymore as a player but as assistant mentor to Valentin â&#x20AC;&#x153;Titoâ&#x20AC;? Eduque. The team, which swept the Asian Basketball Confederation (now FIBA Asia) a year earlier in Manila, only won two of its assignments en route to 13th place ending.

Captained by Jaime Mariano, Eduqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection was composed of completely new faces in William â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bogsâ&#x20AC;? Adornado, Francis Arnaiz, Ricardo Cleofas, Ramon Fernandez, Alberto Guidaben, Robert Jaworski, Rosalio Martirez, Rogelio Melencio, Manuel Paner, David Regullano and Alberto Reynoso plus alternates Lawrence Mumar and Gregorio Dionisio. &OR THE kRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE FIBA World Cup the formerly called World Championship was held in the Far East in 1978 (Manila) where it was originally destined 16 years previous.

The Philippines hosted the 1978 FIBA World Championship, three years following the birth of the Philippine Basketball Association, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only second pro-league outside of the USâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NBA losing all its GAMES VIA BLOWOUTS TO kNISH LAST IN THE EIGHT TEAM kNAL ROUND The exodus of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top players to the PBA greatly weakened the amateur ranks, The then ruling body for the sport, the Basketball Association of the Philippines was left with a limited pool of talents from which to choose from its representatives to global meets.

In the long run, the BAP came up with a roster made up of Ramon Cruz, Steve Watson, Federico Lauchengco, Alex Clarino, Leopoldo Herrera, Bernardo Carpio, Nathaniel Castillo, Cesar Yabut, Eduardo Merced, and Rolando Pineda.

The Philippines failed to make it to the World tourney in 1982 in Colombia, but could have returned in 1986 in Spain after winning the 13th ABC but withdrew from participation due to EDSA People Power.

Handled by American Ron Jacobs, that team was composed of he Northern Cement squad of Hector Calma, Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Tonichi Yturri, Elmer Reyes, Yves Dignadice, Franz Pumaren, Pido Jarencio, Jerry CodiĂąera, Dennis Steele and Jeff Moore.

The Philippines again missed qualifying in the subsequent staging of the meet in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010, but made it in 2014 by virtue of the silver medal won by their 2013 hosting of the FIBA Asian Championship.

4HAT WAS THE kRST TIME IN YEARS since the Philippine national squad made an appearance and won a game in the World Cup. Coached by Chot Reyes, the team was composed of Jimmy Alapag, LA Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Jayson Castro, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gabe Norwood, naturalized player Andray Blatche, June Mar Fajardo, Paul Lee, Japeth Aguilar and Marc Pingris.

Then came coach Yeng Guiao and his team that survived a prolonged, complicated Asia qualifiers to this years edition the World Cup in China.

L

OS ANGELES ANGELES: Zach LaVine scored a career-high 47 points as the Chicago Bulls overcame Trae Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career-high 49 point performance to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 168-161 in a four-overtime NBA marathon on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Lauri Markkanen snapped a 159-159 tie by making three free throws in the fourth overtime to put the Bulls ahead for good.

Each team set franchise records for points in a game.

-ARKKANEN kNISHED WITH POINTS AND 17 rebounds for the visiting Bulls, who topped their 156-155, quadruple-overtime win at Portland on March 1984. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been part of a game that long,â&#x20AC;? LaVine said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I airballed one because I was so damn tired.â&#x20AC;?

Markkanen was fouled by Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex Len on a three-point attempt with JUST UNDER TWO MINUTES LEFT THE kNAL overtime and made all three. It was part of a 7-0 Bulls run that gave them THEIR kFTH WIN IN A HALF DOZEN GAMES LaVine also had nine rebounds and nine assists while Otto Porter delivered 31 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

Young set a franchise record for the most points by a Hawks rookie.

(E SHOT OF FROM THE lOOR AND added 16 assists and eight rebounds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was a fun game to play, probably one of the most fun games Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played in my career,â&#x20AC;? Young said.

Atlanta appeared to be headed to a victory late in the fourth quarter when Young drained a shot from beyond the arc to give them a threepoint lead with two seconds left.

But with 0.4 seconds remaining, Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dewayne Dedmon was whistled for a foul on Porterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-point shot. Porter made all three free throws to tie the game at 124-124 and sent it to overtime.

Elsewhere, Kawhi Leonard rattled in the game winner with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Toronto Raptors to a nail-biting 119-117 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Mark Gasol, who was starting for just

the second time as a Raptor, scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Pascal Siakam tallied 16 points for the Toronto, who have won four straight contests at home over Portland.

Aggressive Leonard ,EONARD kNISHED WITH POINTS CAPping his night with a 12-foot baseline jumper from the right side that bounced four times before dropping through the net in front of a crowd of 19,800 at Scotiabank Arena. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We tried to run a play like that a little earlier on and I ended up kicking ball to Kyle (Lowry). He made the layup but this time I was aggressive and took it to the base line and made the shot,â&#x20AC;? said Leonard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My teammates kept telling me to be aggressive.â&#x20AC;?

Leonard also made two clutch free throws down the stretch and a key bank shot with just over four minutes to play.

Lowry had 19 points, 10 assists and seven boards and Danny Green added 11 as the Raptors improved to 46-17 on the season. They have won seven of their last eight meetings against Portland.

CJ McCollum had 35 points, and tied his career best with seven threepointers, to lead the Trail Blazers who dropped to 38-24.

4HE LOSS SNAPPED 0ORTLAND S kVE game win streak.

Portland was missing Turkish big man Enes Kanter, who was unable to cross the American northern border because of visa concerns.

Kanter decided not to travel to Canada after Turkish prosecutors said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeking an international arrest warrant for the player, accusing him of being a member of a terror organization.

ROS SHOOTS FOR SOLO LEAD RAIN N Or O Shine Shi will ill bbe eyeing i the h solo l lleadd when h iit takes k on TNT KaTropa at 4:30 p.m. today in Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

The Elasto Painters and Phoenix Pulse are currently sharing the No. 1 spot with similar 7-1 win-loss records.

Although Rain or Shine and Phoenix are already assured of slots in the quarterfinals, RoS head coach Caloy Garcia wants to win at least two of their three remaining games in the elimination round to secure a twice-to-beat advantage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the goal right now â&#x20AC;&#x201D; win at least two of our remaining three games to get the twice-to-beat bonus. But we know that Talk â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;N Text is not going to give up easily. They also want to win,â&#x20AC;? said Garcia, noting that the 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;7 Raymond Almazan was sidelined by a sprained ankle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think Raymond will only be available to play in the playoff round or in our last game in the elimination round,â&#x20AC;?added Garcia, who will now be relying on seasoned big man Beau Belga, the vastly improved Norbert Torres and Jewel Ponferada.

The Elasto Painters, meanwhile, are keen to extend their five-game winning streak.

TNT (3-3) is coming off an 80-75 victory over Magnolia on February 3, behind Roger Pogoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 26 points and Jayson Castroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 24 points. They are expected to go all out against the Elasto Painters today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every team in the PBA is good. TNT is a proven competitor in the past and they are looking to get back on the track again. We understand that we have to play our best every game,â&#x20AC;? said Rain or Shineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gabe Norwood.

In the 6:45 p.m. second game, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, solo at No. 3 with 3-2, eyes its third consecutive win when it faces Alaska.

Twin towers Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar will lead the Gin Kingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; charge against the Aces.

The injury-plagued Aces (2-2 record) suffered an 80-94 defeat to Phoenix on Friday.

JOSEF T. R AMOS

Q Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine shoots as Atlanta Hawks center Alex Len, left, defends during the the fourth overtime of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Atlanta. AP PHOTO Kanter commented on his inactive status before the game, writing on social media, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enes Kanter OUT (Dictatorship)â&#x20AC;?

Kanter, who signed with Portland last

month, declined to travel earlier this year to an NBA game in London because he said he feared for his safety. He has been an outspoken critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Q Rain or Shineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gabe Norwood (No. 5) fires a jumper as Magnoliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kyle Pascual looks on during a Season 44 PBA Philippine Cup game at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO

Also, Eric Bledsoe scored 31 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 21 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the host Los Angeles Lakers 131-120 for their eighth consecutive victory.

AFP

NBA Bucks set to land Gasol after Spurs buyout â&#x20AC;&#x201C; report LOS ANGELES: Spanish center Pau Gasol will join Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks after agreeing to an NBA contract buyout with the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN reported Friday (Saturday in Manila).

The major move for the six-time NBA All-Star big man came just minutes before a league deadline to waive players in time for them to be eligible to participate in the NBA playoffs.

The 38-year-old Spaniard missed 26 games with a stress fracture in his right foot and had played a diminishing role with the Spurs this season, but the 7-footer could be a major player to aid in a title run for the Bucks.

Gasol joins a Milwaukee squad that boasts the NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best record at 47-14, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources.

The Bucks have lost eight consecutive playoff appearances since reaching the 2001 Eastern Conference final, where they lost to Philadelphia.

Milwaukee has not won an NBA title since 1971 when legend Lew Alcindor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who would change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbarâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;won the NBA and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards.

But this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bucks have been a wonder squad powered by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Greek Freakâ&#x20AC;? Antetokounmpo, who is averaging team highs of 27.0 points, 12.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

ESPN reported the buyout will guarantee the 7-foot (2.13m) playmaker $6.7 million of his $16 million salary next season.

The six-time NBA All-Star and three time Olympic medalist is making $16 million this season but averaging career lows of 4.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in only 12.2 minutes a game.

Gasolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18-year NBA career includes helping the 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers to NBA titles. For his career, Gasol has NBA averages of 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds.

AFP

D2

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Nascar

Ë&#x153; The Sunday Times w w w.manilatimes.net Q Brad Keselowski, driver of the (No. 2) Autotrader Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24, in Hampton, Georgia.

Keselowski shakes off flu to win Atlanta

Q Brad Keselowski celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

AFP PHOTOS

H

BY JENNA FRYER

AMPTON, Ga.: Brad Keselowski had his hands full with a new car and a new rules packageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; enough to make for a trying race â&#x20AC;&#x201D; before A STOMACH VIRUS NEARLY lATTENED HIM Keselowski missed a portion of kNAL PRACTICE RECEIVED INTRAVENOUS lUIDS AT !TLANTA -OTOR 3PEEDWAY S MEDICAL CENTER AND HAD A REPLACEMENT DRIVER ON STANDBY 3UNDAY IN CASE HE COULDN T MAKE IT THE FULL 500 miles.

3ICK DAY .O WAY +ESELOWSKI RECOVERED FROM lU

LIKE SYMPTOMS TO WIN AT !TLANTA AND MOVE PAST -ARK $ONOHUE AS THE WINNINGEST DRIVER IN 4EAM 0ENSKE HISTORY )T WAS THE kRST WIN FOR &ORD S NEW -USTANG AND A REBOUND FOR THE MANUFACTURER AFTER 4OYOTA SWEPT THE SEASON OPENING $AYTONA g! RACE CAR DRIVER IS WHO ) AM

LOGANO LEADS

)T S WHAT ) DO AND WHAT ) LOVE ) M NOT GOING TO LET ANYTHING GET IN THE WAY OF IT u +ESELOWSKI SAID AFTER THE WIN g7E HAD THE TEAM TO WIN OF COURSE THINGS STILL HAVE TO GO YOUR WAY BUT ) DON T WANT TO BE THE REASON WHY THEY DON T u (E WAS ADMITTEDLY HOT TIRED AND SOMEWHAT DAZED AFTER HOUR OF RACING (AD THE EVENT BEEN ONE DAY EARLIER +ESELOWSKI SAID HE WOULDN T HAVE BEEN HEALTHY ENOUGH TO DRIVE (E LOST NEARLY POUNDS BATTLING THE ILLNESS BUT WASN T COMPLAINING AFTER THE WIN g7HENEVER YOU HAVE A FAST CAR

IT S FUNNY HOW FAST THOSE THINGS DISAPPEAR u HE SAID +ESELOWSKI HAS PROVED HIS

Joey Logano, driver of the (No. 22) Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24, in Hampton, Georgia. AFP PHOTO

TOUGHNESS BEFORE MOST NOTABLY IN WHEN HE WON AT 0OCONO JUST DAYS AFTER BREAKING HIS ANKLE IN A CRASH WHILE TESTING 4HIS TIME HE FELL ILL LATE &RIDAY NIGHT AFTER SURPRISING FANS IN THE !TLANTA INkELD WITH BEER DURING THEIR RAINY NIGHT OF PARTYING +ESELOWSKI S WIFE ALSO WAS SICK

AND +ESELOWSKI MISSED THE START OF 3ATURDAY S kNAL PRACTICE AS !USTIN #INDRIC TURNED LAPS IN THE .O &ORD +ESELOWSKI WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE TWO RUNS BEFORE PRACTICE ENDED BUT MEDICAL WORKERS TOOK HIM VIA GOLF CART FROM THE GARAGE TO RECEIVE TREATMENT g7HATEVER WE HAD ) M NOT SURE WHAT WE HAD IT lOORED BOTH OF US u HE SAID .!3#!2 DEBUTED ITS NEW COMPETITION PACKAGE 3UNDAY THAT IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE ON TRACK PRODUCT AND HELP THE SMALLER TEAMS CONTEND "UT THE FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW RULES WAS TEMPERED BECAUSE THE ABRASIVE ASPHALT AT !TLANTA IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER SURFACE .!3#!2 WILL RACE ON THIS SEASON "UT IT WAS CLEAR .!3#!2 SUCCESSFULLY DESIGNED A PACKAGE THAT SLOWED THE CARS AND BUNCHED THEM CLOSER TOGETHER WHICH MADE FOR INTENSE RACING WHEN THE kELD WAS PACKED ON RESTARTS 4HE NATURE OF !TLANTA S CHALLENGING MILE SPEEDWAY LED DRIVERS TO EVENTUALLY FAN OUT INTO SINGLE kLE WHICH .!3#!2 IS TRYING TO AVOID BUT THE RACING IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE MOVING FORWARD g) SAW A FAIRLY ENTERTAINING RACE u SAID 3TEVE / $ONNELL .!3#!2 S CHIEF RACING OFFICER g7E DIDN T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT EITHER AND WE THOUGHT THIS PACKAGE WOULD SHOWCASE ITSELF MORE ONCE WE GOT TO THE 7EST #OAST !LL IN ALL WE

ARE SATISkED WITH THE OUTCOME AND WE VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO GO BACK AND REVIEW IT u .!3#!2 S kNAL STATISTICS SHOWED MOST MEANINGFUL CATEGORIES WERE UP FROM LAST YEAR INCLUDING LEAD CHANGES PASSES FOR THE LEAD AND SO CALLED QUALITY PASSES +ESELOWSKI MEANWHILE RACED TO HIS TH WIN FOR 2OGER 0ENSKE TO PASS )NDIANAPOLIS GREAT $ONOHUE S MARK AS THE TEAM LEADER (E HAS WON OF HIS #UP VICTORIES for Penske. g) THINK WHEN YOU GO BACK AND KNOW WHAT -ARK MEANT TO OUR TEAM AS WE WERE BUILDING IT OVER TIME IT REALLY SET A MARK THAT IN SOME CASES WE THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD EVER BEAT IT u 0ENSKE SAID g"UT "RAD HAD THAT ON HIS WINDSHIELD HE S BEEN LOOKING AT THAT NOW FOR A YEAR AND HE SAID THIS WAS THE YEAR HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN u +ESELOWSKI CONkRMED HE D BEEN CHASING THE 0ENSKE RECORD g!LL WINS ARE SPECIAL BUT SOME JUST MEAN MORE u +ESELOWSKI SAID g!ND THIS ONE MEANS MORE FOR MANY REASONS 7HEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF 0ENSKE DRIVERS IT S A PRETTY BIG LIST AND IT S BIG NOT JUST WITH THE AMOUNT OF DRIVERS BUT BIG WITH THE SUPERSTAR POWER AND JUST TO BE ON THAT LIST AS A WINNER MEANS A LOT BUT TO BE ON TOP OF IT MEANS EVEN MORE u -ARTIN 4RUEX *R kNISHED SECOND IN A REBOUND FROM HIS DISAPPOINTING DEBUT WITH *OE 'IBBS 2ACING (IS THREE *'2 TEAMMATES SWEPT THE PODIUM IN THE $AYTONA WHILE 4RUEX FAILED TO EVER CONTEND IN HIS 4OYOTA (E WAS UNHAPPY AFTER THE RACE BECAUSE HE SAID LAPPED TRAFkC SLOWED HIS SHOT AT CATCHING Keselowski. g*UST A LITTLE UPSET u 4RUEX SAID

g7E HAD THE BEST CAR 7E PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WON THAT ONE u +URT "USCH WAS THIRD IN A #HEVROLET FOR #HIP 'ANASSI 2ACING WHILE CELEBRATING HIS TH CAREER #UP START +YLE ,ARSON HIS 'ANASSI TEAMMATE LED A RACE HIGH LAPS BUT WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTENTION BY A SPEEDING PENALTY g4O kNISH THIRD AND TO RUN WITH THE WHO S WHO OF THE SPORT

IT JUST SHOWS 'ANASSI HAS GOT THE RIGHT STUFF u "USCH SAID +EVIN (ARVICK AND #LINT "OWYER ROUNDED OUT THE TOP kVE IN A PAIR OF &ORDS FOR 3TEWART (AAS 2ACING +YLE "USCH STARTED LAST BUT DROVE THROUGH THE FIELD TO FINISH SIXTH A DAY AFTER HE BECAME THE 4RUCK 3ERIES CAREER VICTORY LEADER WITH VICTORY *'2 TEAMMATE %RIK *ONES WAS SEVENTH POLE SITTER !RIC !LMIROLA FINISHED EIGHTH #HRIS "UESCHER WAS NINTH IN A STRONG FINISH FOR *4' $AUGHERTY 2ACING WHILE $ANIEL 3UAREZ FINISHED TH IN ANOTHER 3(2 ENTRY 2YAN "LANEY +ESELOWSKI S TEAMMATE LED LAPS UNTIL A POOR PIT STOP RUINED HIS RACE /THER ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM !TLANTA LOOK OUT: 4HERE WAS A CRASH ON PIT ROAD FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE RACE AND " * -C,EOD WAS IN BOTH WRECKS (E CRASHED WITH TEAMMATE #ODY 7ARE AS THEY HEADED TO THE ENTRANCE TO PIT ROAD IN THE $AYTONA !T !TLANTA -C,EOD WAS HIT BY 2YAN 0REECE AS 0REECE WAS LOOKING AT HIS GAUGES AND DIDN T SEE -C,EOD IN FRONT OF HIM 4HE CONTACT ENDED 0REECE S RACE UP NEXT: .!3#!2 HEADS TO THE 7EST #OAST FOR 3UNDAY S RACE AT ,AS 6EGAS -OTOR 3PEEDWAY (ARVICK IS THE DEFENDING RACE WINNER AP

The Sunday Times www.manilatimes.net

Motor Sports

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

D3

TURBO TIMES

Wild, wild Ilocos Sur 4x4

Q Carlos Anton pilots his Castrol-Honda CRX en route to a finish behind his son IĹ&#x2C6;igo during the second round of the Philippine Autocross Championship.

(Conclusion)

O

UR Ilocos 4x4 adventure made us feel young and excited all over again! We witNESSED THE ST .!S&/2 .ATIONAL LEG kRSTHAND in San Idelfonso, Ilocos Sur last February 16 to 17 and our last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s column was all about this very demanding off-road discipline that really challenges man and machine.

We were amazed at the latest technologies of the 4x4 race vehicles made especially for extreme NAsFOR races and how the drivers drove through seemingly impossible obstacles. After seeing some drivers getting stuck and not completing the tracks, we got to see how the â&#x20AC;&#x153;nutâ&#x20AC;? behind the wheel made the difference in winning the top honors as in other racing forms.

This week, I will try to decipher how the best of the 4x4 racers did it along with the different rules that NAsFOR used to run these events.

4x4 evolution The 4x4 racing event has evolved much due to the vehicles that they use today. During the early days, most racers would modify productionbased vehicles with big tires, huge rollcages, raised bodies, longer suspensions and limited slip differentials. They would still look like old vehicles and the popular models then were the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40s, Jeep Wranglers, Suzuki Samurais and Nissan Patrols.

Soon the cars became very specialized and they do not look like any production rig. Bicol off roaders developed special rigs that were unbeatable, PampangueĂąos had monster V8 powered buggies and Suzukiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showed lighter is better. The latest technologies such as hydraulic ram power steering, three-foot long coil over suspensions, fast scrolling winches and air lockers in differentials were the standard to win in these races.

The best part of this evolution is that the talent of the Filipino builder is clearly shown in these specially made rigs. They knew how to make them strong, perform well for the world to see and could compete against the best of them!

This is another good example of how racing had led to the improvement of the breed!

4X4 rules The NAsFOR rules had been maintained for the longest time and only the technical rules of the race rigs are changed accordingly. The new 4x4 drivers could get their feet wet by modifying their production vehicles and run them in less demanding tracks.

The premiere event is the 4x4 extreme class in which everyone competes together in 1 class. They qualify in 2 tracks called A and B, with their elapsed times accumulated to get the Top 20 racers. These top racers then go to THE kNAL RACE THE NEXT DAY AND RUN IN 4RACK # The winner of the whole leg is the driver with the lowest elapsed time after combining the times of the 3 tracks. Championship points are given to each of the tracks and the national legs have 2x the points at stake.

There are a lot more to be aware of as you can get eliminated for running on the buntings that surround the track and when you change rigs in the middle of the race. The driver is allowed to have a navigator and a spotter to help him around the track. This is really vital when you need to winch your way out of those deep mud pits. They are also a good source of moral support especially when the driver feels that nothing is working right.

4HE .!S&/2 SERIES HAS LEGS AND kNAL event, the Philippine Tough Truck Challenge, that are included in the total championship points this year. With the races going all around Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, winning the series is not easy. Luckily, the local host government and 4x4 clubs support the events well and try to lessen he burden on the racers. This time, it was Froy Mendoza that headed the Ilocos leg.

4x4 racing techniques The organizers give the racers the freedom to traverse the tracks according to what you think IS THE FASTEST WAY TO DO IT WITHIN THE CONkNES OF the buntings. This is where the racer gains a lot of time if he is able to complete the task without winching or getting stuck along the way.

There was only one driver that we saw was able to go through the mud pit by going near the side of the pit and letting their tire wall knobbies bite on the soft pit wall. This was quite a revelation and learned another technique. The others also prepared early by having their crew get the winch line ready already before they plunged into the pits. This was a slow but sure way of crossing the obstacle.

There was also a steep climb going up a hill with 2 cement slabs on the side to help the TIRES kND TRACTION ! LOT OF THE DRIVERS MISS THE slabs because of the different sized differential assemblies that they use and only one needed to winch himself up the hill.

The huge tire pit also got some drivers trapped and lost a lot of time winching themselves out.

The fastest and bravest ones powered themselves out of the pit and wowed the crowd in the process. However, the chassis design of the rigs also dictated if you can cross it or not; the longer wheelbase you have, the greater chance to get a tire stuck on the bottom of your chassis. The longer wheelbase though makes a better climber!

These are just some of the things we found out and we are eager to see more rounds in the future. We hope to see who will challenge the 2018 champion Jerico Lara for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title and looks like Ilocos winner Joseph Rodriguez is going to be one of them. Godspeed to all!

ANTON OUTGUNS VETERANS IN PAC 2ND ROUND

I

BY MIKE POTENCIANO

Ă&#x2018;IGO ANTON of Yo k o h a m a - M a r k Yo u n g Ra c i n g demonstrated anew that he is in a class above his competitors by winning the second round of the Philippine Autocross Championship (PAC) held at Acienda Designer Outlet Mall in Silang, Cavite, recently.

Q IĹ&#x2C6;igo Anton (left) celebrates with his father Carlos after they emerged as the top two finishers in the second round of the Philippine Autocross Championship. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

The 14-year old Anton upstaged his multititled father, Carlos, and more than 50 other racers, en route to ruling the premiere Overall division and the hotly contested Open Class. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beating my dad is always special,â&#x20AC;? said an excited IĂąigo after the race. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tease him (Carlos) a lot after as it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen often.

It really motivates him after so we really push each other to the limit. We are very happy that we have a chance to do this together.â&#x20AC;?

A Baguio Achieverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy student and still without a national driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, IĂąigo

drove perfectly to take the Best Time of the Day honors in his initial runs with a time of 41.44 seconds. He used his old Mohspeedprepared Honda EF to best 2016 FWD Slalom champion and Asian Gymkhana representative Jevoy Moreno, who held the previous best time at 41.80 seconds.

Carlos, the International Asian Gymkhana champion, quickly took the best time IN HIS kRST RUN AND MOVED THE GOAL POST TO 40.27 seconds on board his Castrol-Honda CRX. But the younger Anton didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold

MONTMELĂ&#x201C;, Spain: Highly-rated Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of winter testing on Thursday as Ferrari again laid down a powerful marker ahead of the new Formula One season.

The 21-year-old Leclerc clocked 1:16.231 (minutes) off 138 laps with Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alexander Albon, in a Toro Rosso, the only other driver to dip below 1:17 on the penultimate day of testing ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne on March 17.

Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action also saw crashes for Pierre Gasly in a Red Bull and Lance Stroll behind the wheel of a Racing Point. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal today was to have a reference on the softer tires,â&#x20AC;? said Leclerc who is in his debut season with Ferrari where he will partner fourtime world champion Sebastian Vettel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is still a lot of work before Melbourne, but lap after lap I am more and more comfortable with the car,â&#x20AC;? he added.

In terms of where he slots into the team hierarchy, Leclerc said it was normal that Vettel would be favoured in â&#x20AC;&#x153;a 50/50 situation,â&#x20AC;? as described recently by the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new chief Mattia Binotto. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But he also said that it could change if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m faster than Seb (Vettel) so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to do everything to be faster,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Gasly suffered a heavy crash in the Red Bull which teammate Max Verstappen was due to drive on Friday while Strollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s detour off the circuit brought a halt to the session. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I made a mistake at Turn Nine and basically lost control of the car,â&#x20AC;? said Gasly who also crashed in testing last week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a big accident, one of the biggest I have had.â&#x20AC;?

World champion Lewis Hamilton was only 10th in his Mercedes with teammate Valtteri Bottas three places further back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From last week we have been able to improve the general balance of the car over the speed range but we can still do better,â&#x20AC;? said Bottas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not a perfect car yet but you can feel the potential is there. It has quite a small sweet spot. In some areas such as low speed corners the car feels better than last year,â&#x20AC;? the Mercedes driver said.

AFP

Q Ferrariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driver Charles Leclerc takes part in the tests for the new Formula One Grand Prix season at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo in the outskirts of Barcelona on Thursday. AFP PHOTO

back in his succeeding runs posting an incredible 39.77 seconds.

Even with the most gallant efforts from his dad Carlos and Toyota Vios Cup Champion and Slalom Champion Estefano Rivera, IĂąigoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record was unbeatable and left untouched until the PAC races ended at night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;IĂąigo really drove well today and deserves this victory,â&#x20AC;? said Carlos to his fans and family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so happy for him but at the same time feeling that age must already be catching up with me. I guess coming in second to your

son is the next best thing to winning.â&#x20AC;?

With the wins of the Antons in the second round, they continue to hold on to the top spots in the PACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Overall Class and in the Open Class where IĂąigo has won both rounds so far. IĂąigo and Carlos have taken one round each in the Overall Class with Rivera running third overall ahead of Moreno.

The Antons are backed by Yokohama, Advan, Mark Young Racing, Cars Unlimited, Castrol, MP Turbo, Mohspeed, JSD autosport, Special Stage, Kilton, PartsPro PH, Carporn and Fixstop.

LECLERC TAKES FERRARI TO FASTEST TIME OF WINTER

D4

Sports

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Tams run over Alessandriniless UST

Q Buboy Fernandez (left) drills Manny Pacquiao with focus mitts. PHOTO BY WENDELL ALINEA

Buboy starts studying possible Pacquiao foes M

BY JOSEF T. T RAMOS

ANNY PACQUIAOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S childhood pal and trainer Buboy Fernandez said he has already started studying Pacmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next possible opponents.

&ERNANDEZ NAMED TOP WELTERWEIGHT kGHTERS %Rrol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and THE UNBEATEN &LOYD -AYWEATHER *R AS PROSPECTS "UT THERE IS NO OFkCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT YET ON 0ACQUIAO S NEXT FOE FROM THE 0REMIER "OXING #HAMPIONS OF !L (AYMON AND THE kGHTING SENATOR HIMSELF g7E ARE NOT CHOOSING ANY OPPONENT )T DE-

PENDS ON !L (AYMON S DECISION ,ET S JUST WAIT FOR IT BUT ) M ALREADY STUDYING ALL THE BOXERS IN OUR LIST u &ERNANDEZ TOLD 4HE -ANILA 4IMES DURING THE 0HILIPPINE 3PORTSWRITERS !SSOCIATION !WARDS .IGHT ON 4UESDAY AT THE -ANILA (OTEL 3PENCE *R THE )NTERNATIONAL "OXING &EDERAtion welterweight champion, and Thurman, the 7ORLD "OXING !SSOCIATION SUPER WELTERWEIGHT

champion, both want to challenge the 40-yearOLD 0ACQUIAO IN THE 0HILIPPINES "UT &ERNANDEZ SAID THEY MUST STUDY ALL OPTIONS THOROUGHLY g)T S NOT LIKE BUYING CANDY 7E NEED TO STUDY IT kRST ) M NOT NERVOUS IF IT S 4HURMAN OR THE OTHER BOXERS 7E CAN STUDY THEIR STYLES AS EARLY AS NOW u ADDED &ERNANDEZ 4HOUGH &ERNANDEZ DOESN T SEE ANY CHANGES IN THE QUALITY OF 0ACQUIAO S PROWESS AND PHYSICAL CONDITION HE SAID IT S HARD TO SAY HOW MANY MORE kGHTS ARE LEFT IN HIS CAREER g!S LONG AS ) DON T SEE ANY CHANGES IN HIS MOVEMENT ) CANNOT TELL IF IT S TIME FOR HIM TO RETIRE OR NOT )T DEPENDS ON HIM (E S STILL

FAST AND STRONG u ADDED &ERNANDEZ &ERNANDEZ SAID THEIR TEDIOUS PREPARATION PAID OFF WHEN 0ACQUIAO BEAT !DRIEN "RONER VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION ON *ANUARY IN ,AS 6EGAS .EVADA g) WAS VERY HAPPY BECAUSE OUR STRATEGY PREVAILED u !SKED IF 0ACQUIAO WIN LOSS DRAW RECORD WITH KNOCKOUTS COULD REPLICATE HIS KNOCKOUT WIN OVER ,UCAS -ATTHYSSE IN *ULY IN -ALAYSIA &ERNANDEZ SAID WINNING BY KNOCKOUT IS NO LONGER TOO IMPORTANT FOR THEM g+NOCKOUT JUST COMES AND WE DON T EXPECT IT 7HAT IMPORTANT IS WE RE CAREFUL DURING THE kGHT "UT IF WE SEE AN OPPORTUNITY WE WILL GO FOR IT u

Iloilo City girls basketball team bests rivals in BPinoy ILOILO LOILO CITY: Iloilo Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girls basketball team cruised to a golden finish after dethroning Cebu Province, 78-72, on Saturday at the Iloilo Sports Complex Covered Gym here in the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg. Staring at a 66-67 deficit in the dying minutes, the Ilonggo team pulled off a 12-5 run to upset the Cebuanos, last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners in Dumaguete City. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have no expectations to win the title because this is the first time that we joined the Batang Pinoy,â&#x20AC;? said head coach Sharina Jane Padilla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll prepare for the national finals where we will face the Luzon and Mindanao teams,â&#x20AC;? she added.

Padilla, a three-time Most Valuable Player of West Visayas State

University, steered her squad to three University wins against a loss in the eliminations to advance to the finals of the threeteam tourney.

The Ilonggo team, composed of seven players from Molo City National High School, three from Central Philippine University (CPU) and two from Mandurriao National High School, beat Cebu City twice and split its games against Cebu Province.

Meanwhile, host Iloilo City has practically secured its maiden overall crown in the Visayas leg since joining the Philippine Sports Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national grassroots program in 2012.

As of 2 p.m. Saturday (March 2) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the final day of hostilities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iloilo City has garnered 57 gold,

Q The Iloilo City girls basketball team poses for a photo with Philippine basketball legend and Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, during the awarding ceremony of the Batang Pinoy 2019 Visayas Qualifying Leg on Friday at the Iloilo Sports Complex Covered Gym. PHOTO BY JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA 49 silver and 44 bronze medals, way ahead of defending titlist Cebu Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 42-55-63 haul and

Cebu Provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 38-38-52. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good news and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overwhelming on the part of the city. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re preparing for this since December. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a positive response on the training of the players,â&#x20AC;? said Moises Salomon Jr., head of the Iloilo City youth and sports development office.

In chess, also at the Iloilo Sports Complex,

host city bet Kimberly Colaste copped her third gold after ruling the girls under-12 blitz. She previously won the rapid and standard categories.

In table tennis at the Sports Complex as well, Mandaue City, Cebu Province, Tagbilaran City, Sigma (Capiz) and Iloilo City each bagged a gold medal.

In lawn tennis at the La Paz Tennis Court, Iloilo City had a three-gold haul after sweep-

&!2 %ASTERN 5NIVERSITY &%5 TROUNCED THE -ILENA !LESSANDRINI LESS 5NIVERSITY OF 3TO 4OMAS 534

IN 3EASON 5NIVERSITY !THLETIC !SSOCIATION OF THE 0HILIPPINES WOMEN S VOLLEYBALL ON 3ATURDAY AT THE !RANETA #OLISEUM %XPLOITING THE ABSENCE OF LAST SEASON S 2OOKIE OF THE 9EAR !LESSANDRINI WHO WAS SIDELINED BY INJURY IN THE SECOND SET THE ,ADY 4AMARAWS DOMINATED THE 'OLDEN 4IGRESSES IN THREE STRAIGHT SETS TO SNAP A TWO GAME SKID AND IMPROVE TO g-ILENA IS A BIG HELP TO THE TEAM 534 7E RE NOT PRAYING FOR THAT INJURY )F SHE WAS THERE HOWEVER IT COULD HAVE BEEN A HARDER GAME FOR US "UT OF COURSE WE WOULD kGHT u SAID &%5 HEAD COACH 'EORGE 0ASCUA WHO IS HOPING FOR !LESSANDRINI S SPEEDY RECOVERY 0ASCUA ALSO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WIN g%ARLIER IN THE DUGOUT ) TOLD THEM THAT THIS GAME IS A TURNING POINT FOR US )F WE WIN

OUR STANDING WOULD BE GOOD AND OUR MORALE WOULD GET A LIFT u HE SAID 4HIRD YEAR MIDDLE BLOCKER #ELINE $OMINGO LED &%5 WITH POINTS ANCHORED ON NINE ATTACKS SIX BLOCKS AND TWO ACES 6ETERAN HITTER (EATHER !NNE 'UINO O CHIPPED IN POINTS WHILE ROOKIE ,YCHA %BON ADDED MARKERS IN THE HUGE VICTORY 2OOKIE SPIKER %YA ,AURE HAD A GAME HIGH POINTS AND SKIPPER 3ISI 2ONDINA HAD MARKERS BUT THOSE WERE NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE THE 4IGRESSES FROM DROPPING TO ,AST SEASON S 2OOKIE OF THE 9EAR !LESSANDRINI

WHO SCORED A CAREER HIGH POINTS IN THE PREVIOUS GAME HAD kVE MARKERS BEFORE SUFFERING AN INJURY 534 WAS STILL AHEAD

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*OHN 0AUL "OGAOAN kNISHED WITH POINTS TO POWER THE 4AMARAW 3PIKERS TO A FOURTH VICTORY IN AS MANY GAMES *OSHUA 5MANDAL WITH MARKERS LED THE 4IGER 3PIKERS AS THEY SAW THEIR TWO WIN STREAK SNAPPED FOR ,A 3ALLE BANKED ON +IEFFER !RVEX 2EYES AND #HRIS $UMAGO TO NOTCH ITS BREAKTHROUGH WIN AT THE EXPENSE OF 50

2EYES CHALKED A GAME HIGH POINTS WHILE $UMAGO DRILLED IN MARKERS POWERING THE 'REEN 3PIKERS TO THEIR kRST WIN OF THE SEASON AFTER A THREE GAME LOSING START 4HE -AROON 3PIKERS REMAINED AT THE BOTTOM WITH A SLATE JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

ing the girls category even as La Carlota City also had three gold in the boys division.

Cebu Province emerged victorious in baseball at the La Paz Football Field while Bacolod City dominated in softball at CPU. Also at the CPU Gym, Cebu Province won the sepak takraw boys doubles against Batad, Bacolod City and Himamaylan City.

Over at the Jaro Gym, Mandaue City grabbed five gold medals in badminton (U12 boys doubles, U12 girls doubles, U13 girls singles, U13 boys singles, 1315 girls singles).

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Kyrgios to face Zverev in Acapulco final ACAPULCO, Mexico: .ICK +YRGIOS CONTINUED HIS SCINTILLATING RUN AT THE -EXICO /PEN ON 3ATURDAY DOWNING THIRD SEEDED *OHN )SNER IN THREE SETS TO BOOK A TITLE SHOWDOWN WITH WORLD NUMBER THREE !LEXANDER :VEREV !USTRALIA S +YRGIOS THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER WHO HAS SLIPPED TO ND IN THE RANKINGS DEFEATED )SNER

FOLLOWING VICTORIES OVER TIME 'RAND 3LAM CHAMPION 2AFAEL .ADAL AND THREE TIME 'RAND 3LAM WINNER 3TAN 7AWRINKA +YRGIOS

REACHED HIS kRST !40 kNAL SINCE CAPTURING HIS FOURTH TROPHY IN "RISBANE IN *ANUARY 3ECOND SEEDED 'ERMAN :VEREV POWERED INTO HIS FIRST FINAL OF THE YEAR WITH A VICTORY OVER "RITAIN S #AMERON .ORRIE 4WO NIGHTS AFTER HE SAVED THREE MATCH POINTS IN A kNAL SET TIEBREAKER AGAINST .ADAL +YRGIOS CONVERTED HIS THIRD MATCH point with a DROP SHOT FROM THE BASELINE

S E A L I N G T H E WIN AFTER TWO

HOURS AND MINUTES (E BROKE )SNER IN THE PENULTIMATE GAME OF THE OPENING SET AND )SNER RETURNED THE FAVOR LATE IN THE SECOND .EITHER MUSTERED A BREAK POINT IN THE THIRD g) WAS JUST TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF MY SERVE THAT S REALLY ALL YOU CAN DO AGAINST *OHN u SAID +YRGIOS WHO HAD THE EDGE ON )SNER IN ACES WITH TO THE BIG SERVING !MERICAN S 4HE UNPREDICTABLE !USTRALIAN WHO SEEMED RATTLED AT TIMES BY HOSTILE FANS IN HIS VICTORIES OVER .ADAL AND 7AWRINKA

played happily to the crowd on Friday. g)T S INSANE u HE SAID g/NE POINT THEY were cheering my name, another point they WERE BOOING ME )T S JUST ENTERTAINMENT u :VEREV

IS PLAYING JUST HIS SECOND TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR AFTER CRASHING OUT OF THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE !USTRALIAN /PEN (E HASN T DROPPED A SET ALL WEEK AND WAS CONVINCING AGAINST THE TH RANKED .ORRIE 5NABLE TO SERVE OUT THE kRST SET :VEREV RACED THROUGH THE TIEBREAKER AND QUICKLY SEIZED A LEAD IN THE SECOND SET RELYING ON A STRONG BASELINE GAME AND ACES g)T WAS VERY TOUGH )T WAS PRETTY WINDY OUT HERE NOT EASY CONDITIONS AND HIS GAME ACTUALLY ) THINK kTS THE WIND QUITE WELL SO IT WAS NOT EASY u :VEREV SAID

g) M JUST HAPPY TO BE THROUGH u )N WOMEN S SEMI kNAL ACTION #HINA S 7ANG 9AFAN OUSTED THIRD SEEDED #ROATIAN $ONNA 6EKIC

TO REACH HER kRST 74! 4OUR kNAL 3HE LL FACE kFTH SEEDED !MERICAN 3OkA +ENIN WHO DEFEATED #ANADIAN "IANCA !NDREESCU

!FTER DROPPING THE kRST SET 7ANG AND RANKED TH IN THE WORLD SQUEAKED THROUGH IN A SECOND SET THAT FEATURED JUST ONE HOLD OF SERVE !LTHOUGH TH RANKED 6EKIC CONVERTED ALL SIX OF HER BREAK POINTS

AGAINST 7A N G

UNFORCED ERRORS ULTIMATELY PROVED TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME AND 7ANG DIDN T FACE A BREAK POINT IN THE FINAL SET +ENIN WILL BE LOOKING FOR HER SECOND TITLE OF HAVING BROKEN THROUGH FOR HER FIRST 74! CROWN AT (OBART IN *ANUARY AFP

Q Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios returns the ball to US tennis player John Isner during their Mexico ATP 500 Open menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single tennis semifinal match in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico on Saturday. AFP PHOTO

Golf

E 1 SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2019

www.manilatimes.net Q Defending champion Justin Thomas plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on Saturday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. AFP PHOTO

HONDA CLASSIC SCORES LEADING second-round scores on Saturday in the US PGA Tour Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (USA unless noted, par-70) 134 - Im Sung-jae (KOR) 70-64, Keith Mitchell 68-66 135 - Lucas Glover 66-69 136 - Freddie Jacobson (SWE) 69-67, Adam Svensson (CAN) 72-64, Lee Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-69, Kang Sung (KOR) 68-68, Danny Lee (NZL) 69-67, Ryan Armour 68-68, Brooks Koepka 67-69, Wyndham Clark 69-67, Adam Schenk 67-69 137 - Roberto Castro 67-70, Cameron Tringale 69-68, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 67-70, Peter Malnati 69-68, JuliĂĄn Etulain (ARG) 67-70, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) 64-73, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 67-70, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 67-70, Ben Silverman (CAN) 66-71 AFP

Im, Mitchell share halfway lead at Honda Classic M

IAMI: South Korean Im Sung-Jae, aiming to parlay his Web.com tour dominance to US PGA Tour success, shared the Honda Classic halfway lead with American Keith Mitchell on Friday (Saturday in Manila). )M

kRED A SIX UNDER PAR on the Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, &LORIDA FOR A HOLE TOTAL OF SIX under par 134.

He was tied atop the leader-

board with Mitchell, who posted a 66, with 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover a shot back on 135 after a 69.

Im, who won twice and led the money list all season in dominating

the developmental Web.com tour LAST SEASON BIRDIED THREE OF HIS kRST FOUR HOLES AND THREE OF HIS kNAL SIX ON THE WAY HIS SIX UNDER EFFORT TIED for best round of the day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the shots that I wanted to hit turned out the way I wanted,â&#x20AC;? said )M WHO HIT kVE APPROACH SHOTS TO within 12 feet of the pin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So it led to a lot of birdies, and I was able to convert a lot of my birdie opportunities. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what led to a successful round today.â&#x20AC;?

Canadian Adam Svensson also posted a 64 to land on 136, shar-

ing fourth place with eight other players in a group that included 0'! 4OUR 0LAYER OF THE Year Brooks Koepka (69), New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Danny Lee (67) and Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Freddie Jacobson (67).

A total of 42 players were within kVE SHOTS OF THE LEAD Defending champion Justin Thomas made the cut on the number with a four-over par 74 for a two-over total.

Im, the youngest of the US tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rookies this season, went off in THE kRST GROUP OF THE DAY AT

a.m. and made a quick move with birdies at the second third and fourth holes.

He would add three more before his lone bogey of the day at 16, and he drilled a 25-foot birdie putt at THE TH TO CAP HIS ROUND -ITCHELL HAD kVE BIRDIES AND A bogey in his four-under effort, and after three missed cuts on the tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West Coast Swing was delighted to be playing on the Bermuda grass greens of Florida. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up on Bermuda. I know how to putt it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know

how to read it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely helped a lot.â&#x20AC;?

Thomasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hopes of a repeat title on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course faded with his four-over effort, during which he struggled with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dead armâ&#x20AC;? as well as his concentration.

Thomas, who felt a stinging sensation in his right arm when his nine-iron scraped a tree on a shot on Thursday, said the arm still didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel right. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just feels like it kind of needs to get popped,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t AFP have a lot of strength.â&#x20AC;?

Olson leads by two strokes in Singapore Ardina banners localsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SINGAPORE: American Amy Olson held her nerve and kept a pack at bay that includes world number one Ariya Jutanugarn with a second-round three-under 69 Friday to lead the HSBC Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championship by two strokes.

Jutanugarn had scented the lead as the day wore on before Olson edged clear with a birdie on 16, and then the Thaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s putter let her DOWN FOR A BOGEY kVE ON THE TH The Thai star, 23, had racked up a three-birdie run from 14 to 16 and had appeared ready to take charge but she is still well in contention in the $1.5 million event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of fun, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Friday,â&#x20AC;? said Olson, who sits at seven-underpar 137. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of golf left.â&#x20AC;?

Jutanugarn said it was tough going, â&#x20AC;&#x153;especially when you keep playing and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not making any birdiesâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You just really need to be patient and you know, you just have to understand this course, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to make much birdies.

I feel like I miss all the putts. I just have to really work on it.â&#x20AC;?

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wealth of talent at the 72-par Sentosa Golf Club.

Australian world number three Minjee Lee (71 on Friday) and South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former world number one Inbee Park (69) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who won the tournament in 2017 and in 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were part

HSBC WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES LEADING second-round scores from the $1.5 million HSBC Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championship at par-72 Sentosa Golf Club on Friday: 137 - Amy Olson (USA) 68-69 139 - Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 68-71, Minjee Lee (AUS) 68-71, Inbee Park (KOR) 70-69, Azahara Munoz (ESP) 71-68, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) 69-70 140 - Park Sung-hyun (KOR) 69-71, Moriya Jtanugarn (THA) 69-71, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 69-71 141 - Kim Hyo-joo (KOR) 70-71, Chun In-gee (KOR) 70-71, Nasa Hataoka (JPN) 69-72 142 - Lydia Ko (NZL) 72-70, Ji Eun-hee (KOR) 71-71, Ko Jin-young (KOR) 69-73 AFP

on those kind of days. But I feel like I stayed within myself and kind of played smart golf. So thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important,â&#x20AC;? she said.

She might have the most to worry about from Park, given the South Koreanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history here and her love of the course. g4HE GREENS ARE REALLY kRM AND it was a little windy, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tougher conditions than the previous years we have played in Sentosa,â&#x20AC;? said the 30-year-old.

AFP

Olsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s round came with an OF THE kVE WAY TIE FOR SECOND AT EAGLE THREE ON THE PAR kVE kFTH kVE UNDER and then two birdies down the So too were Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Azahara -UNOZ AND %NGLAND S *ODI stretch, to offset a bogey that split them, as it kept her rivals %WART 3HADOFF ,EE HAD lIRTED WITH THE LEAD at armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length. during a day that featured three â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today I was hitting it bogeys across the back nine, and really well, so I like she walked away disapto go for it pointed but not entirely bereft of hope ahead of the weekend. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I kept scrambling at the end, but I played pretty solid before my two bogeys (on 10 and 11),â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I could take some positives out of that and try and have a good Q Amy Olson of the US tees off during the second round of the HSBC Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day tomorrow.â&#x20AC;?

World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore on Friday. AFP PHOTO

Luisita dethrones Canlubang in PAL Seniors Interclub LUISITA clinched its 17th championship in the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Seniors Interclub tournament after holding off rival Canlubang Saturday at the Alta Vista Golf Club in Cebu City.

Luisita finished the four-day event with 569, three points clear of Canlubang which did not go down without a fight.

Six points down before the start of the final round, Canlubang reduced the margin to just three after Abe Rosal edged Chino Raymundo, 49-46, in the first flight.

Damasus Wong, the second man out, was cruising at one-over par through 15 holes, but finished disastrously with bogey, a pickup and double bogey to limp home with 47.

Wong went out of bounds off the tee in the 17th and 18th after missing the

DAY 4 SCORES Championship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Luisita 569 (138-138-148-145), Canlubang 566 (138-140-140-148), Del Monte 569 (138-138-148-145), Cebu Country Club 543 (142-131129-141) green on the 16th for bogey.

In contrast, Edmund Yee, his Luisita flight mate, breezed through the last three holes at one-under to salvage 49 points.

That seven-point swing in the last three holes turned out to be what Luisita needed to dethrone Canlubang.

Luisita also drew 50 points from Eddie Bagtas and 46 from Rafael Garcia.

Veteran Rolly Viray turned in 52 points for Canlubang while teammate

Abe Avena did not count with 42 points.

Del Monte Golf Club finished third with 552 points, closing out with 144 points behind Ramon Velez (54), Erning Apas (46) and Florencio Badelic (44).

First round leader Cebu Country Club wound up fourth with 543 after a finishing 141. Scoring for CCC were Ramontito Garcia 51, Nonoy Tirol 46 and Jufil Sato 44. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the key to our victory was the extra practice we did last month,â&#x20AC;? said Luisita non-playing captain Jeric Hechanova. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were able to identify which players to field. We knew that Eddie (Bagtas) would not fare well at Club Filipino de Cebu.â&#x20AC;?

The only time Luisita changed its lineup was when Benjie Sumulong got disqualified in the second round after scoring 51 points.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was important to field Benjie again because he wanted redemption,â&#x20AC;? said Hechanova whose gambled paid off when Sumulong scored 50 points. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We did not play well,â&#x20AC;? conceded Abe Rosal who managed 48 and 49 points at Alta Vista.

Viray was the only Canlubang player to break 50 in four days.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Interclub is sponsored by Radio Mindanao Network, Asian Air Safari, and Vanguard Radio Network.

Also extending support are ABS-CBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Mindanao), Fox Sports, Cignal TV, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG, Manila Standard, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Dusit Thani Manila, and Casino Filipino. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

bid in TCC Ladies 4(% Filipina shotmakers brace for three days of grueling battle of shotmaking and wits against world No. 2 Sung Hyun Park and a host of LPGA of Taiwan campaigners, aiming to protect their turf in the first The Country Club Ladies Invitational unfolding Wednesday (March 6) at the TCC layout in Laguna.

The hosts hope to cash in on whatever slim edge they have at one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toughest courses although all agree that they are in for a tough outing given the depth OF THE kELD â&#x20AC;&#x153;Playing against the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No. 2 and some of the best in the region should serve as motivation for us to do better. Although the long hitters, like Park, have the edge at TCC, we believe we have the skills and talent to match up with them,â&#x20AC;? said Dottie Ardina.

Meanwhile, for details and reservations for tickets to the TCC Ladies, contact Jocelyn Duque at 09157974751 or email lpgtinvitational@gmail.com.

Ardina is actually making a return to the course where she reigned during the inaugurals of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour in 2013 before vying in the Symetra Tour and then eventually gaining a full card on the LPGA Tour this year.

Like the Canlubang ace, reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion Princess Superal a n d former 2017 OOM titlist Pauline del Rosario see the event as an opportunity to bolster their respective games and prove their worth at the wind-raked course which punishes even the slightest of mistakes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is one rare opportunity for us to showcase our talents, to prove that we can be ranged against the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best,â&#x20AC;? said Super-

al. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it will take a lot of hard work to at least contend.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The event is a great challenge for us and it should be fun to see how we would all fare with Park,â&#x20AC;? said Del Rosario.

The 26-year-old Seoul native, who has recently signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Solaire Resort & Casino, is priming up for the richest event ever on the LPGT calendar in the ongoing Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championship in Singapore and should be ON THE TOP OF HER GAME NEXT WEEK That should make her the overwhelming favorite to dominate the 54-hole championship serving as the third leg of the LPGA of 4AIWAN 4,0'! AND kFTH STOP OF THE ,0'4 SEASON But the rest of the 126-player strong are also all geared up for the event put up by ICTSI and organized

by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including TLPGA stalwarts Babe Liu, Hsin Lee, Tzu-Chi Lin, Ching Huang and Chia Pei Lee along with former LPGT winners from Thailand, led by multi-titled Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng, Saruttaya Ngam-usawan, Renuka Suksukont and Wannasiri Sirisampant.

Q Dottie Ardina CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

E2

Golf

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Honda Classic gets only 3 of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 20 players P

Q Brooks Koepka tees off on the fourth hole during the Pro-Am of the Honda Classic golf tournament on February 27, 2019, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP PHOTO

ALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.: Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are among the golfers who live in the vicinity of PGA National and may very well be home this weekend. They just wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be playing at the Honda Classic.

The condensing of the PGA Tour schedule is forcing players to make some tough decisions, and the Honda Classic didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly BENEkT FROM A LOT OF THOSE CHOICES Only three of the top 20 players in THE WORLD RANKING ARE IN THE kELD for the event beginning Thursday Â&#x2021; .O AND DEFENDING CHAMPION *USTIN 4HOMAS .O "ROOKS +OEPKA AND .O 2ICKIE &OWLER .EXT UP .O 7EBB 3IMPSON AND .O 'ARY 7OODLAND â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of guys who LIVE DOWN HERE u SAID 7OODLAND

WHO IS ONE OF THE 3OUTH &LORIDA based players who gets to sleep in HIS OWN BED THIS WEEK g"UT WITH tournaments moving around, there are a lot of tournaments right NOW THAT ARE REALLY GOOD IN A ROW ) SKIPPED 2IVIERA WHICH IS ONE OF my favorite golf courses, but you HAVE TO kND THE TIME u Last year at this time, the run of tournaments saw players deciding AMONG 2IVIERA ONE WEEK THEN THE (ONDA #LASSIC THEN A 7ORLD Golf Championship in Mexico, THEN 4AMPA THEN "AY (ILL THEN

ANOTHER 7'# FOR -ATCH 0LAY 4HIS YEAR IT GOES 2IVIERA -EXICO (ONDA "AY (ILL 4HE 0LAYERS Championship, Tampa and then THE 7'# -ATCH 0LAY That is a lot of really good options, all coming with a lot of players probably mindful of making sure they are fresh for the Masters AS WELL â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing five in a row,â&#x20AC;? Honda Classic executive DIRECTOR +EN +ENNERLY SAID This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an issue exclusive to THE (ONDA #LASSIC 0HIL -ICKelson skipped playing at Torrey Pines, his home course, this year FOR THE kRST TIME IN SEASONS Â&#x2021; and has hinted that he could sit out The Players Championship AS WELL 7OODLAND LOVES "AY (ILL BUT CAN T kT IT INTO HIS SCHEDULE THIS YEAR g4HE kELD ISN T AS STRONG AS IT typically is because of where it is RIGHT NOW ON THE SCHEDULE u 7OODLAND SAID g)T S IN A TOUGH SPOT u Johnson hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played the Honda Classic since posting rounds of 77 and 75 and missing the cut by

EIGHT SHOTS IN SO HIS ABSENCE this week canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be considered SURPRISING .OT HAVING 7OODS OR -C)LROY IS DIFFERENT 7OODS kNISHED TH LAST YEAR at the Honda Classic, which he OFTEN CALLS HIS HOME EVENT -C)LROY had appeared in the tournament NINE TIMES IN THE LAST SEASONS 7OODS AND -C)LROY WAGED ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE kNAL ROUND matchups in Honda history in Â&#x2021; 7OODS CARDED AN UNDER 62 to vault up the leaderboard, and the then-22-year-old McIlroy wound up winning by two shots TO BECOME .O IN THE WORLD FOR THE kRST TIME 7OODS IS LIKELY TO PLAY FOUR TIMES IN A kVE TOURNAMENT STRETCH He is coming off starts in Los

Angeles and Mexico and plans to COMPETE AT "AY (ILL NEXT WEEK AND 4HE 0LAYERS THE FOLLOWING WEEK 4O PLAY kVE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IS A BIG ask for anyone, particularly someONE LIKE 7OODS A YEAR OLD WHO HAS DEALT WITH INJURIES FOR YEARS McIlroy is in the same four-start, kVE WEEK STRETCH AS 7OODS Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to see how the Honda #LASSIC PAID THE PRICE â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are still some great playERS PLAYING u SAID $ANIEL "ERGER

WHO Â&#x2021; LIKE *OHNSON 7OODS AND McIlroy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; lives a short drive from 0'! .ATIONAL g"UT YOU WANT GUYS LIKE $USTIN GUYS LIKE 4IGER 2ORY "UT IT S JUST A GIVE AND TAKE 0LAYers can only play so many weeks in a row, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bunch of GREAT TOURNAMENTS AROUND IT 4HE Honda is a great tournament as

well, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never going to work OUT FOR EVERYONE u The schedule was changed for THE SEASON IN PART SO THE &ED%X #UP PLAYOFFS COULD WRAP up in August at the Tour Championship before college football AND THE .&, GET ROLLING 4HAT LED to plenty of moving parts, with traditional spots for players to compete not seeming so tradiTIONAL ANYMORE g0OTENTIALLY ) COULD PLAY OUT OF WEEKS WHICH IS A LOT OF golf and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too much for me,â&#x20AC;?

McIlroy said last month when laying out his thinking regarding SCHEDULING THIS SEASON g) KNOW MYSELF AND ) KNOW BY THAT kFTH or sixth week Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to hate the game and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to need TO TAKE A BREAK u

And the need for players like McIlroy to take a break means the (ONDA #LASSIC DIDN T CATCH A BREAK $)6/43 0ADRAIG (ARRINGTON

THE AND (ONDA #LASSIC champion (the second of those at PGA National) who was set to PLAY THIS WEEK FOR THE kRST TIME IN WITHDREW BECAUSE HIS INJURED WRIST IS NOT YET READY g)T S behind my own expectations,â&#x20AC;?

(ARRINGTON SAID 4WO TIME HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT %RIK #OMPTON IS IN A 0'! 4OUR kELD FOR THE kRST TIME SINCE THE 3ANDERSON &ARMS #HAMPIONSHIP IN /CTOBER #OMPTON WHOSE -IAMI HOME IS ABOUT MINUTES south of PGA National, made EAGLE ON THE TH HOLE TO kNISH off a 7-under 65 and MondayQUALIFY FOR THE (ONDA #LASSIC AP

Strange sequence leads to Finau changing score in Mexico

BY DOUG FERGUSON MEXICO CITY: One ruling in the Mexico Championship that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get much attention involved Tony Finau, and the outcome was unlike anything he has ever experienced. He signed for a 74 in the first round.

The next day, it became a 73. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never happened to me before,â&#x20AC;? Finau said after his final round to tie for 25th.

It started with his first shot of the tournament on the par-4 first hole, high and left and into the trees. Finau was lucky to find the ball some 10 feet up in a tree, which was in the middle of a fenced area that had been established as a temporary immovable obstruction.

He called for an official, and when Gary Young of the PGA Tour showed up, Finau said he was going to declare it unplayable.

Young said he first had to identify it to make sure it was his, and Finau â&#x20AC;&#x201D; helped by being 6-foot-4 with alignment shafts in his bag â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was able to swat it down. Young proceeded to give him a free drop outside the fenced area, without making clear to Finau that it was a TIO and he was allowed relief no matter the lie of his ball. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told the scorer he was hitting his second shot,â&#x20AC;? Young said.

Finau still had in his head that he was taking a penalty drop, and after making par, signed for a 5. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand all day why the score on the sign was different than he thought,â&#x20AC;? Young said.

The next morning, Finau bumped into Young and thanked him for his help. Young asked him how the hole turned out, and Finau told him he made 5 with the penalty. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when Young realized there was a problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I took it to the committee and they were torn,â&#x20AC;? Young said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt strongly there should be no penalty based on my miscommunication. We called the USGA, gave them all the details and they agreed it was a committee error.â&#x20AC;?

The score on Finauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first hole of the tournament was changed after 36 holes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told him it was my fault for not being more clear,â&#x20AC;? Young said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultimately, it had the right ending.â&#x20AC;?

Dustinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wins Golf research specialist Tom Ierubino noted one aspect of Dustin Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20th career PGA Tour victory that illustrates how his game didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fully develop until Tiger Woods began missing big chunks of time later in his career.

The Mexico Championship was only the second

putts because they have a better idea where the hole is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been surprised by the number of professionals who are leaving the flagstick in for short putts,â&#x20AC;? Slumbers said Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think on long putts, I think it helps pace of play. ...

But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t intended as a performance option. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see how it develops. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly not completely clear that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a performance advantage. Otherwise, all the players would be doing it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So they each have their own view, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that there will come an instance where a ball will get knocked out of the hole by the flagstick on a short putt, and that might make people think.â&#x20AC;?

GOLF NOTES time Johnson had won with Woods in the field.

The other was the 2010 BMW Championship at Cog Hill.

Johnson has won against some of the strongest fields in golf, with 13 of those 20 victories awarding at least 56 world ranking points to the winner. That includes one major, six World Golf Championships and four FedEx Cup playoff events. The other two were the Genesis Open at Riviera, typically the strongest field of the West Coast Swing, and the winners-only field at Kapalua.

Because of time off, which led to a drop in his world ranking, Woods has played in only 15 of the 37 World Golf Championships with Johnson in the field dating to 2009.

The flagstick R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers says the first few months of the new Rules of Golf have not gone as smoothly as he would have liked, though he concedes some of that was to be expected given the six years it took for a complete overhaul.

His one surprise is how players are choosing to leave in the flagstick for putts on the green.

Slumbers says the intent was save time, and it was mainly for the recreational players. Anecdotal evidence suggests it has had an effect on the amateur game, where players often donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have caddies.

He also thinks it helps the television viewer when players leave it in for long

couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t figure out why,â&#x20AC;? Casey said.

The hole locations McLaren took from the internet were for the Puerto Rico Open. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And for the only time in his life, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t double-check them in the morning sitting in the breakfast room,â&#x20AC;? he said.

McLaren heard plenty from his peers, courtesy of a major boost from Lee Westwood , who tweeted his blunder.

No one was laughing as hard as Casey. Besides, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a big deal. Casey played to a position on the green regardless of the flag on No. 10 (par), and he could see where the flag was on the par-5 11th (eagle). Ditto for the par-4 12th,

Right score, wrong course Paul Casey was 3 under for his opening three holes of the third round at the Mexico Championship when he was trying to work out the yardage on the par-3 13th. His caddie, John McLaren, told him he needed to land the shot 17 paces from the front of the green, which Casey found odd because the pin was supposed to be 13 paces on.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when they discovered one small problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He suddenly looked in his book and he realized he had written down in his book every single pin that was wrong, and he

Q Tony Finau hits his tee shot on the ninth hole as second round play continues during the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club on February 16, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

AP PHOTO

where several players hit driver near the green and it was easy to see from there.

For the final round, McLaren had the pin sheet from Mexico, not Puerto Rico. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And we start off with three straight birdies,â&#x20AC;? Casey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was brilliant.â&#x20AC;?

earlier on Monday, May 20, on two courses in the Dallas area. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the week of Colonial, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Monday after the PGA Championship in New York.

The qualifier expected to have the most PGA Tour players remains Columbus, Ohio, the Monday after the Memorial.

US open qualifying

Divots

A more compact PGA Tour schedule means changes to U.S. Open qualifying.

Lee Elder is the first black to receive the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor presented by the USGA. Elder, who in 1975 became the first black to play in the Masters, will be honored the week of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. ...

The R&A says Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s British Open champion Georgia Hall will become one of its ambassadors to play a key role in promoting girls and women in golf. Hall joins Padraig Harrington and Suzann Pettersen as R&A ambassadors. The 22-year-old Hall is the first ambassador to win all its championships at every age level â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Amateur, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amateur and Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Open. ... Minjee Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s runner-up finish in Thailand moved her to a career-best No. 3 in the world. The 22-year-old Aussie has 25 top 10s in her last 56 tournaments.

The majority of 36-hole qualifying will be the Monday (June 3) before U.S. Open week. Because the Canadian Open now precedes the U.S. Open (instead of the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee), that qualifier moves to Rattlesnake Point Golf Club about 30 miles from Toronto.

The first qualifier will be two weeks

Stat of the week Next week will be the fourth time Dustin Johnson has reached No. 1 in the world. Tiger Woods and Greg Norman each got there 11 times.

Final word â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not the time for knee-jerk reactions. This is the biggest change for 35 years, and it needs sensible, calm thinking as we watch whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers on the new Rules of Golf.

AP

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Golf

E3

Steve Stricker quick to clear air with Patrick Reed M Europe was better at putting team ahead of ego.

That was then.

Reed says he sent a text to â&#x20AC;&#x153;all the guysâ&#x20AC;? imme- diately after the Ryder Cup and that everyone except the media has moved on.

BY DOUG FERGUSON

EXICO CITY: Steve Stricker DIDN T WAIT FOR THE OFkCIAL announcement to make his kRST MOVE AS 2YDER #UP CAPTAIN He called Patrick Reed.

This was two days before a long Wednesday of news conferences, radio shows, everything short of a parade in his home state of Wisconsin, where in 2020 he will lead the American team at Whistling Straits in a bid to win back the Ryder Cup. Still to be determined is whether Reed is part of the team.

That will depend largely on his performance over the next two years, not what happened five months ago in France.

Stricker was going through a media training session ahead of the Ryder Cup announcement when he realized Reed might be a popular topic, at least on the day he was introduced as captain.

Instead of preparing the right message for the media, he picked up the phone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I figured I was going to get some questions about Patrick and all the stuff that transpired,â&#x20AC;?

Stricker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen is what was on social media, some of the golf outlets, things like that. I just wanted to hear from him, the truth from him. He explained himself, and how he thought he messed up

at the Ryder Cup, and he wants to move forward.

And that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back.â&#x20AC;?

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;stuffâ&#x20AC;? to which Stricker referred made a bad week at Le Golf National seem even worse.

Reed and Jordan Spieth had gone 4-1-2 as partners in the two previous Ryder Cups â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 8-1-3 when the Presidents Cup is included.

Spieth played this Ryder Cup with Justin Thomas, whom he knows as well as anyone, and they were a rare bright spot for the Americans by winning three of their four matches. Reed played with his idol, Tiger Woods, and they lost both their matches before seeing the 18th hole.

In the now-famous New York Times interview a few hours after the matches were over, Reed blamed Spieth for them not playing together, said captain Jim Furyk was not smart to bench him for two matches and suggested

Maybe so, but there were sure to be moments when it would be thought of again.

One such time was at Torrey Pines, when Reed and Spieth were in the same group for the kRST TIME SINCE the Ryder Cup.

Q United States vicecaptain Steve Stricker, left, holds a flag for teammates Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed during a practice round for the Ryder Cup golf tournament on September 28, 2016 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

AP PHOTO

Q Japanese golf player Hiromi Kobayashi reacts after her shot during a media tour of Kasumigaseki Country Club golf course, one of the venues of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in Kawagoe, near Tokyo on February 25, 2019. AP PHOTO

Tokyo, Japan offer tradition, expectation to Olympic golf TOKYO: Golf returned to the Olympics three years ago in Rio de Janeiro after a 112-year absence. But few play golf in Brazil, which kicked up problems from the start when a top-notch course had to be built amid protests from environmentalists and ensuing court cases and charges of corruption.

Unlike Rio, Tokyo and Japan offer GOLkNG TRADITION 'OLF IS POPULAR IN the country and the Olympic venue northwest of Tokyo â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe City â&#x20AC;&#x201D; has been around for 90 years.

Hiromi Kobayashi was the LPGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rookie of the year in 1990 and she knows Japan faces high expectations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a player I was representing myself,â&#x20AC;? she said Monday, guiding reporters around a few holes with two other senior Japanese players â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tsuneyuki Nakajima and Masahiro Kuramoto. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But this is a different kind of pressure. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on our shoulders.â&#x20AC;?

Kasumigaseki is one of Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exclusive clubs. Opened in

IT WAS BRIElY TAKEN OVER AFTER

World War II by American forces. It held the Canada Cup in 1957 with Sam Snead and Jimmy Demaret playing for the United States in an event that became the World Cup a decade later.

The Olympics will be played on the East Course, which has been stretched out to 7,466 yards â&#x20AC;&#x201D; INCLUDING THE YARD kFTH HOLE Part of the West Course will be turned into a practice ground for the Olympics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m frustrated because now that I come to think of it, I wanted to participate in the Olympic Games when I was younger,â&#x20AC;? said Nakajima, who won 48 times on the Japan 4OUR AND HAD TOP kNISHES IN ALL four majors in the 1980s, including third place in 1988 at the PGA Championship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Golf returned as an Olympics event, but I personally think that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heat up much in Rio,â&#x20AC;? Nakajima added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that the true value of golf as an Olympic event will be judged after Tokyo.â&#x20AC;?

The only drawback could be the location, although Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump found their way there to play a round together in 2017.

The course in Kawagoe City is 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Tokyo, almost hidden away in a partly rural area of Saitama prefecture. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commutable, but travel by train or car will take at least an hour, putting a dent into organizersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wishes that golfers stay in the athletes village in central Tokyo.

There have also been a few hiccups.

Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, the club has allowed women to upgrade to full membership status. It has also removed some weekend restrictions that did not apply to men. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe there is no problem with this any longer,â&#x20AC;? Kobayashi said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy that we will have a chance to promote Japan through hosting Olympics golf and show how great this golf club is to the world.â&#x20AC;?

AP

There was plenty of attention on the kRST TEE FOR A GROUP THAT WAS EIGHT shots out of the lead. Spieth tried to diffuse the moment by playfully leaning in for a hug with Reed ON THE kRST TEE 4HEY BOTH laughed. They chatted during the round about equipment or whatever players talk about to kill time between shots.

Friends? Probably not. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still teammates.

And it was sure to come up when the next Ryder Cup captain was appointed.

Stricker has a reputation as the nicest man in golf, quiet and respectful, steeped in Midwestern values. His father-inlaw once described Stricker as treating an employee in the home improvement store with as much consideration as a corporate executive.

He met his wife, Nicki, when Stricker took a lesson from former Wisconsin coach Dennis Tiziani.

Stricker asked if he

knew anything about the beautiful lifeguard as they walked by the pool. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my daughter,â&#x20AC;? Tiziani REPLIED 4HEY SOON HAD THEIR kRST date, but only after she called him.

Stricker fought back tears when he was introduced as Ryder Cup captain, and no one was surprised.

He does that all the time.

Just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the idea heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a softie.

In three interviews last week, Stricker delivered a message of looking ahead instead of behind.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to him, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to an American team that suffered a setback in its attempt to build a new model of success for the Ryder Cup. He was savvy enough to know that any lingering feelings from France should be addressed by talking to a player whom Stricker considers more an asset than a liability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was on my to-do list, to talk to him and see his side of things,â&#x20AC;? Stricker said.

Reed didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to reveal all they talked about, although they appear to be on the same page. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about moving forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing I shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have done is talked to the media, but I felt like at the time it was the right thing to do,â&#x20AC;? Reed said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I talked to him, I just said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, man, I want to let you know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all moved past it.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a team. I feel like all of us are moving in the right direction. Now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to play as good as golf as we can and try to make the team.â&#x20AC;? AP

Brexit causing Open golf organizers major headaches ST ANDREWS, United Kingdom: This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s British Open at the Northern Irish golf course Royal Portrush is causING gSIGNIkCANT CONCERNu DUE TO "REXIT SAID -ARTIN Slumbers, chief executive of organisers the R&A. Portrush â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which last hosted the Open in 1951 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was awarded the honour in October 2015 before the 2016 referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union.

The uncertainty surrounding Brexit â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and in particular the backstop to retain an open border on the island of Ireland â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is causing headaches for golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governing body ahead of the tournament which runs from July 18-21. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like every business, and I think about the Open as such, the lack of certainty about the rules, the law in which we are operating under post-March 29th has CAUSED US SIGNIkCANT CONCERN u 3LUMBERS TOLD A PRESS conference on Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In hindsight, would I be wanting to do Portrush in the year that we would be potentially leaving the European Union without a deal? No. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We, as a management team, have spent a lot of time looking at contingencies and what we need to do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The future of the border is the number one concern. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have over 2,000 containers to get across the Irish Sea and we start building on April 2.â&#x20AC;?

Slumbers, who said the tournament is a sell out

with 70 percent of the spectators from Ireland, said that contact with ministers had not resolved the logistical conundrum of which port to use to bring in the CONTAINERS SOME FROM AS FAR AkELD AS THE -IDDLE %AST â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have engagement with ministers and Parliament but the concern is all around certainty,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you know the rules youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing by then you can play, you optimise what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whether to reschedule to bring all our containers in through Dublin, whether to move them through Belfast, whether to ship them out of the UK now.â&#x20AC;?

Slumbers, though, said the spectators will not notice and the show will go on regardless. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t threaten the staging, we will make it happen,â&#x20AC;? said Slumbers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just more complex than we anticipated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the insiders itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit harder but for everyone outside it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impact at all, they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice.â&#x20AC;?

Brexit is not the only headache for Slumbers. Portrush management have had to build two new holes because the tented village for the tournament has supplanted the two closing holes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someone said to me when I was out for the Latin American amateur championship â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You must be looking forward to Portrushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and I said well actually Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be quite pleased when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over,â&#x20AC;? said Slumbers. AFP

Golf pioneer Renee Powell discusses her life journey ALLIANCE Professional golfer Renee Powell, citing inspiration from her parents, shared some of her life story, which began in the village of East Ca`nton and included her travel several times to foreign nations as an ambassador for the sport of golf.

Powell, who has played on the LPGA Tour, was keynote speaker at the annual Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce banquet Tuesday evening in Courtneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Banquet Center. Powell is the second black woman to compete on the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers. She retired from the LPGA Tour in 1981. Tennis legend Althea Gibson was the first black female golfer to compete on the LPGA Tour.

Powellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, the late William Powell, constructed Clearview Golf Club, which operates in Osnaburg Township about a mile and a half east of East Canton. Renee Powell is head professional at Clearview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My journey began when my dad put a golf club in my hand,â&#x20AC;? Renee Powell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still have my golf club from when I was 3 years old. That is how my journey in golf began. My dad taught me how to play the game of golf and overcome barriers.

My mom was a very gentle person who taught me humility.

Without the sacrifices my parents made, there is no way I could have done the things I have.â&#x20AC;?

The Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce sold 242 tickets to its banquet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We sold out, actually,â&#x20AC;? said R. Mark Locke, president of the chamber organization.

The banquet hall appeared to be at capacity as entertainment was provided by a four-piece ensemble, The Kool Nights Band.

Among honors Powell has received, she took time to mention that the University of St. Andrews in Scotland recently

named a residence hall in her name. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are older than 600 years,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the first time at St. Andrews that they ever named a building after an American.â&#x20AC;?

The United Kingdom is among the nations where Powell has taught golf.

Her fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project to construct Clearview Golf Club in the 1940s was in response to his not being permitted to play golf on most local golf courses. He recently had returned to the United States after serving in the military during World War II. William Powell developed an affinity for golf as a child growing up in Minerva. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He really wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t welcome at any of the area golf courses except the one he grew up on,â&#x20AC;? Renee Powell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He despised racism and deprivation. My dad decided the one way he could make a difference is build his own golf course. He wanted to make sure everyone was included.â&#x20AC;?

The golf course opened in 1948. Clearview Golf Club is the first golf course in the United States designed, built and owned by a black man.

Among her journeys abroad, one that stands out in Renee Powellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory is a trip to visit American troops in Vietnam in 1971 during the Vietnam War. Three of the military personnel reached out to her and the USO Tour to express appreciation for the visit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That trip was the most rewarding trip I ever made,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Also during the banquet, Patricia Gates received the annual Athena Award from the chamber organization. She owns Tree House Brew Club and is a former athletic director for Marlington Local School District. And Alliance High School senior Fatima Meza received the annual Athena Scholarship Award.

TNS

E4

Golf

FOR announcements on tournaments, rankings and other golf-related events, email the sports editor at pgs_mallari@manilatimes.net es net

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Ë&#x153; The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Tan thumps rivals in 2019 Lexus Invitational MICKEY 4AN kRED A TO GRAB THE OVERALL low net plum during the 2019 Lexus Invitational held on February 22 at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club in Laguna.

4AN A SEVEN HANDICAPPER WHO kNISHED with a 76 gross shared the top honors with lowest gross champion Lu Hong Zhen, WHO kNISHED WITH AN GROSS $IVISION CHAMPION 2ICARDO $ELkN King carded a 70 from an 83 gross to WIN BY COUNTBACK AGAINST kRST RUNNER UP Dindo Litonjua. Second runner-up Jere Myles Fregil was one stroke behind the two players with a 71.

Fernando Dabu also won via countback against Mark Anthony Sultan and Ricky Villavicencio after the three all scored 72.

Gretchen Ocampo Recto, meanwhile, ruled the ladies division with an even-par 72 from a 95 gross. Finishing second was Glorme Faustino with a 79 net.

Bryan Cockrell dominated the Guests division with a 69 net.

Fun hole winners were Al Fajardo (nearest to the pin at hole No. 16), Peter Mancao (nearest to the pin at No. 24), and Tootsie de Jesus (longest drive at No. 12).

Q (left to right) Boys 15-18 division qualifiers (from left) Jacob Rolida, Paolo Wong, Josh Jorge, and Sean Jean Ramos

Q Lexus Invitational champion Mickey Tan with Lexus executives.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Q Girls 15-18 division qualifiers (from left) Kyla Nocum and Mafy Singson CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

43 jungolfers qualify for IMG Academy Junior World Championship

BY JEAN RUSSEL .V DAVID FORTY-three junior golfers earned berths to the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Championship after topping the Philippine qualifying tournament on February 23 to 25 at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club, and the Riviera Sports Club in Cavite.

The three-day qualifying event saw more than 130 junior golfers of different skill levels vie for the coveted slots.

Luigi Paolo Wong and Lorenz Kayla Nocum topped the 15-18 division and will lead the charge for the Philippine team.

Wong finished with a 219-aggregate followed by Sean Jean Ramos (228), Josh Jorge (232), and Jacob Rolida (235) in the boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side.

Nocum scored a 234 to best the girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side that includes Maria Rafaela Singson (239), Nicole Abelar (242) and Sofia Chabon (242).

Meanwhile, the top finishers in the 13-14 boys division were Miguel Ilas (226), Jet Hernandez (231), Francis Andre Lanuza (235), and Santino Diokno (244).

Eagle Ace Superal sizzled with a 231 in the girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side, leading by seven strokes against Burberry Zhang (238). Juliane Margeth "ORLONGAN kNISHED THIRD WITH A AND Kiara Therese Montebon fourth with a 262.

Miko Granda scored a 240 to claim the boys 11-12 plum followed by three other TOP kNISHERS INCLUDING 3ANTINO 0INEDA (249), Vince Jacob TIamsic (249), and Matthew Miguel Fabiala (255).

4HE TOP kNISHERS IN THE GIRLS WERE Rianne Mikhaela Malixi (231), Grace Pauline Quintanilla (237), Alethea Page Gaccion (240), and Abby Abarcas (247).

The girls 9-10 division was dominated

by Stevie Umaloi (232), Venice Kirsten Tiamsic (235), Celine Abalos (242), and Alessandra Luciano (272). The top kNISHERS IN THE BOYS DIVISION WERE -ARC Kristoffer Nadales (249), Luis Baliesteros (252), Armand Copok (266), and Scott Nicholas Ng 269).

The other jungolfers who secured their slots were Kyle Ng with 206 (boys 7-8), Andres Soliman Dancel with 212 (boys 7-8), Inno Miguel Flores with 225 (boys 7-8), Vito Sarines with 180 (boys 6-un-

der), Chan Ahn with 200 (boys 6-under), Lucas Miguel Garcia with 281 (boys 6-under), Mona Sarines with 195 (girls 7-8), Francesca Nicole Gan with 198 (girls 7-8), Precios Elizabeth Zaragosa with 219 (girls 7-8), and Elena Katelyn Lanuza with 277 (girls 6-under).

After placing fourth in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship, Lisa Sarines is already seeded to the upcoming tournament, thus, opening A SLOT TO kLL IN THE GIRL S DIVISION The IMG Academy Junior World Championships will be held from July 8 to 12 in San Diego, California.

The top player of each division will receive complimentary tickets from PhilIPPINE !IRLINES THE OFkCIAL CARRIER OF THE Philippine Team.

Ayala Land backed the qualifying tournament together with Summit Ridge 4AGAYTAY AS THE OFkCIAL HOTEL PARTNER Previous Filipino champions in the tournament were Tom Concon, Ramon Brobio, Carlito Villaroman, Jennifer Rosales, Carmelette Villaroman, Cosco Oben, Pauline del Rosario, Daniella Uy, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jed Dy, and Bernice Ilas.

Reyes-Sangil tandem wins 21st Sta. Elena Cup THE DUO OF *0 2EYES AND 2AY 3ANGIL kNished with 159 points combined to dominate the 21st Sta. Elena Cup on February 14 to 17 at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club in Laguna.

Reyes scored 42 and 35 while Sangil carded 43 and 39 after two rounds of competition.

Overall best gross plum went to the team of Yuka Saso and Bones Floro who kNISHED WITH A Class A champion Vince Tanjutco and Monchit Mackay sizzled with 153 Stableford points followed by runner-up Ichiki Shintaro and Yusuke Furukawa with 149.

Lily Chan and Chandraviroj Jittakarn topped Class B with a 148 while the tandem of Takeuchi Shigeru and Yasuma Kai kNISHED SECOND WITH A Saso was declared Round 1 best gross player with her 38 points while Teody Pascual, with a 39, was the best gross champ.

Lolong Navarra chalked the best net WITH A DURING THE kRST ROUND WHILE Manuel Otayza equaled the feat with a 46 in the second round.

The nearest pin plum was given to Carlo Castro (No. 2), Rocky Sung Raksoo (No. 7), Pascual (No. 14), and Matet Salivio (No. 17).

Sta. Lucia Global Invitational rolls off May 10 THE 2nd Sta. Lucia Global Invitational Golf tournament will tee off on May 10 at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

List up is ongoing with tournament fee of P5,000, inclusive of green fee, shared twin CART USE LUNCH RAFlE ENTRY AND GIFT CERTIkCATES On-course registration starts at 5 a.m. followed by shotgun tee off at 7:30 a.m.

The competition will follow a System

of 36 mode of play.

The tournament is presented by Sta. Lucia Land Incorporated and Sta. Lucia Global Marketing Inc. 4OURNAMENT PROCEEDS WILL BENEkT THE Sta. Lucia Foundation Inc. and the Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation.

For details, contact (02) 6508674, (02) 9979965, 0956798-8895, 0942373-5594, 09051650588 or 09365781801.

Santos-Jiminez wins Manila Southwoods PASIA tourney opens monthly members tournament March 29 FLORENE Delos Santos and Roy Jiminez carded a 90 to win the Manila Southwoods monthly members tournament on February 24 in Carmona, Cavite.

Finishing second with a 96 in Division 1 were Tony Jimenez and Manny Santander.

Division 2 champions Mario Naval and Butch Brodett sizzled with a 98 beating by one stroke the tandem of Eugene Arriesgado and Jun Fontanilla with a 99.

Erwin Locsin and Bobby Erum won Division 3 with a 98 FOLLOWED BY ,ARRY -ARIĂ&#x201E;AS AND $ELkN !NGCAO WITH A The team of John Ocampo and Tony Ong ruled Division AFTER kNISHING WITH A BEATING 'IL !NGELES AND *UN Ymbong with a 114.

In Division 5, Ray Orozco and Oca Fiel ruled via countback against the team of Boom Buencamino and Jojo Lee after the two pairs both scored 115.

Lani Chavez and Glo Domingo had a 121 for 12 points in the last three holes to snare the Division 6 crown against the tandem of Robert Batungbacal and Jericho Chico with a 121.

The Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia (PASIA) will hold a golf tournament for supply chain professionals and logistics providers on March 29, next year at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite.

Riding on the success of its golf tournament last October, PASIA is pushing its advocacy for ethics, excellence, and e-enablement in another edition of the tilt.

Registration is ongoing with an entry

fee of P5,500 ($105) for non-members and P4,500 ($85) for Manila Southwoods members inclusive of green fee, shared golf cart use, caddie fee, buffet lunch, cocktails, and raffle entry..

Players can avail of the 4+1 promo if they bring in their colleagues.

Fo r i n q u i r i e s, c a l l PA S I A a n d Transprocure Shared Services Office at 09178243330, 09199124789 or (02) 844-2680, or email the organizer at info@transprocure.com or visit www. transpocure.com.

AmCham ChariTEE Golf 14th Pomelo Tee rolls off May 1 in Davao City unfolds April 5 THE 14th Pomelo Tee will fire off on May 1 to4 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Mandug-Indangan, Buhangin, Davao City.

The four-day annual member-guest tournament is expected to draw more than 200 entries.

The event aims to raise funds for the charitable projects of the Pomelo Tee Foundation Incorporated among them college scholarship for selected workers and caddiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dependent.

Part of the proceeds

will also be used to provide educational equipment and other learning materials

to Mandug High School and Indangan High School.

Entry fee is P6,000, inclusive of two-day, one mulligan per nine holes.

The tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team and individual categories will follow a 36-hole stroke play under the modified Stableford scoring system.

For registration, contact Rancho Palos a t ( 0 8 2 ) 3 30 0 8 5 9 , 0 91 7 7 70 5 5 2 8 , 0 91 5 6 0 3 2 3 0 2 , o r 09173121887.

THE American Chamber Foundation of the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 33rd AmCham ChariTEE 'OLF 4OURNAMENT WILL kRE OFF ON !PRIL at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in DasmariĂąas City, Cavite.

The annual golf tilt that serves as a venue for recreation and networking for AmCham members also aims to raise funds for the AmCham Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth development programs.

Listing is ongoing with an entry fee of P4,500, inclusive of green fee, caddie fee, shared golf cart use, buffet breakfast and LUNCH SOUVENIRS AND RAFlE ENTRY Registration begins at 6 a.m. followed by the shotgun tee off at 7:30 a.m.

The tournament will employ a System 36 format.

Actor John Estrada captured the tiltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

overall low gross plum last year at the same venue.

For details, contact the organizers at 867-2426 or email at candy@amchamphilippines.com.

The Sunday Times

Inspiration.

Celebrity.

Style.

March 3, 2019 Volume 118 | No. 81

THE ROMULOS:

ALBERTO, ROMAN AND BERNADETTE

A legacy of public service •

LITERARY LIFE

FILIPINO CHAMPIONS

ARTS AWAKE

‘Homecoming’

Kim Atienza’s purpose in life fe

A bountiful ‘Harvest’

F2

F3

F8

Literary Life SUNDAY March 3, 2019

F2 First of two parts

T

HE plan was simple, nothing could go wrong, Nanay Pacing reassured herself. The minute either of her bosses woke up, she would tell them of the situation. Borrow money for the fare home. They wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t refuse. She rarely took vacations. Never borrowed money except when truly needed, and even if the debt was always deducted from her monthly pay, she always worked doubly hard to show her gratitude.

Outside, the sky seemed alive, pulsing with tendrils OF LIGHT kRST RED THEN BLUE 4HE AIR CRACKLED WITH tension. It smelled moist, yet it felt dry, as if a mere SPARK FROM A MATCH COULD CAUSE A kRE THAT WOULD consume the whole world. Everything seemed to presage some as-yet-unknown doom, and though Nanay Pacing reminded herself that this was because it was mid-January, and therefore still the cold season, she COULDN T HELP BUT THINK THAT THE SKIES ABOVE RElECTED the dark thoughts that had clouded her mind. She wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one to believe in the sayings of farmers like her mother and father, but this time she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shake off the feeling that, indeed, dark skies meant dark times.

For how else to describe her current situation?

Overhead, thunder rumbled. In the distance Nanay 0ACING SAW lASHES OF LIGHTNING THAT SEEMED TO DIVERGE from a single point. Could that be the raging mountain of her home, she wondered. But home was 10 hours away by bus, so surely her eyes couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see that far.

Surely it was her mind playing tricks on her, making the mountain materialize before her as though emerging from a thick fog. She shivered. She hacked a gob of phlegm and spat it out. In her mouth, the acrid taste of bile lingered.

Mrs. Dellosa walked into the kitchen for a glass of WATER WHEN THE kGURE OF AN OLD WOMAN LURKING BY THE marble island a few paces from the refrigerator startled her. Having barely slept from tending to her baby, who was yet to turn one, she had just about enough of her wits to grasp that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a ghost she had seen, but in fact, Nanay Pacing, who was holding her head with her hands. She hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turned the light on, as she was wont to do at this hour, which was barely before dawn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;am, I have to go home. Babali sana ako,â&#x20AC;? Nanay Pacing said, her voice hoarse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ha?â&#x20AC;? was all Mrs. Dellosa could say as she reached toward the switch to turn the light on.

Nanay Pacing, whose eyes could always see sharper IN THE DARK lINCHED THINKING THE FORMER WAS ABOUT TO hit her. Mrs. Dellosa was always nice, of course, but in the uncertainty that had marred Nanay Pacingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite period of the day, she was unsure about everything.

Nanay Pacing, who at 60 looked much older than her 65-year-old employer, Congressman Miguel Dellosa, loved the hour or two before dawn. During this time she was the only person awake in the three-story house. Except, of course, for the baby, who on occasion would wail her barely developed lungs out to ask for milk. Whenever the baby did this, Nanay Pacing was always reminded of a Biblical passage that the parish priest in her hometown often used, about the master coming like a thief in the night. Or something like that.

She couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember, and she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reconcile the connection. She had never really been religious, at least not in the Catholic sense of endless novenas and litanies and the sleep-inducing droning of priests in muggy churches, not even during the brief period of her madness when she entered the convent. When she was younger, her mother had disciplined her constantly so she could be closer to God. The welts on her skin from the lashes that her mother INlICTED HAD TORMENTED HER no end. Eventually, the scars convinced her that being packed off to the convent was a good thing. There would be no eyes that lingered too long, at least. No questions about the leeches that sucked on her forearms and on other parts of her body. The passage of time, countless hours tilling THE kELD UNDER THE SCORCHING heat had burnished her skin so that, unless one looked closely, the scars wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be detected. But while the scars faded, the prayers stayed. In fact, the prayers that she knew to this day, she only remembered because they had been branded indelibly with every whack from her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cane.

A baby crying in the deep of night would be a nuisance for the sleeping. But Nanay Pacing, who found kVE YEARS AGO THAT SHE HAD INHERITED FROM HER MOTHER S FAMILY AN AFlICTION THAT MADE HER LIE RESTLESS AND WIDE awake hours before dawn, no matter how tired she was, relished these occurrences. There was an intimacy to holding a baby against her breasts at the nascence of a new day. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a quickening of the pulse that Nanay Pacing felt at these moments. Rather, it was a jolt of reawakened love, which dispersed throughout her body and settled on her being, its soothing effect akin to the times â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which were becoming more frequent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rub Katinko to ease the pains in her joints. Despite the quickening of her heart at such CLOSENESS WITH THE INFANT THOUGH SHE WAS kLLED WITH a gnawing reminder of her age whenever she poised the milk bottle toward the babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greedy mouth. The

Homecoming

BY HANS PIETER L. ARAO incontrovertible truth was that the milk in her breasts had run dry, no matter how much the babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cries seemed like a song coaxing one last feeling of youth and maternal instinct from her.

At this time, when night and day are indistinguishable from each other, Nanay Pacing would go to the roof deck. There, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d mumble her daily prayers, her thin frame shivering from the cold. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d refuse to take any extra clothing or implement to protect her from the cold and dew. The cold is better than coffee in waking one up, she said once to Nancy, the babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nanny. She couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t admit that she preferred the cold because she was intimidated by the coffee machine that their employers said they were free to use, but whose contraptions were too alien and complicated for her.

Plus, the whirring noise it made as the coffee churned within its belly was too bothersome â&#x20AC;&#x201D; she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel she had the right to make such a ruckus in a house not her own. The sound might wake the baby, too.

Nanay Pacing knew how to brew coffee on the stove, but she deemed it improper to have to incur additional expenses just for her comfort. She could always go the route taken by the other help, who would buy instant coffee from the store beside the village gate, but that, in turn, could offend the bosses. Like spitting on a hand offering kindness.

Today, though, her usual reverie was interrupted by a text she had received from her daughter.

Nanay Pacing got off the stool she was perched on and walked toward Mrs. Dellosa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to go home, my daughter left.â&#x20AC;?

Moved by an impelling force, she grasped Mrs. Dellosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free hand. The hand was cool to the touch, and smooth, like that of a princessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, although she had yet to see or hold one in person.

Mrs. Dellosa was taken aback, but quickly recovered. She was the congressmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third wife. His marriage to his first was annulled after 10 years, while his union with his second lasted only two, after that spouse succumbed to cervical cancer.

The congressman, who won his seat by forming a party-list representing the lucrative energy sector that had been his bread and butter as a lobbyist over the decades, doted on Patty, his current wife.

He seemed oblivious to whispers that he was showering his affections on someone who could pass as his granddaughter. But Patty, who, despite their 40-year age gap, was his intellectual equal, was aware of the gossip. She could not be accused

IN THE DISTANCE NANAY PACING SAW FLASHES OF LIGHTNING THAT SEEMED TO DIVERGE FROM A SINGLE POINT. COULD THAT BE THE RAGING MOUNTAIN OF HER HOME, SHE WONDERED. BUT HOME WAS 10 HOURS AWAY

BY BUS, SO SURELY HER EYES COULDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SEE THAT FAR. SURELY IT WAS HER MIND PLAYING TRICKS ON HER, MAKING THE MOUNTAIN MATERIALIZE BEFORE HER AS THOUGH EMERGING FROM A THICK FOG. SHE SHIVERED.

THE Literary Life page of The Sunday Times Magazine is now accepting contributions of new, original and unpublished short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, preferably in English, from emerging and established writers. Works must be encoded in Microsoft Word using the typefaces Arial, Times New Roman, or Palatino Linotype, font size 12 and letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches),

of retaliating with kindness; she was, after all, kind to everyone, and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but tear up and clutch her baby close to her chest whenever a street kid would knock on the tinted windows of her chauffeured car, parting with the 50-peso bills that lay in reserve for alms without a second thought. She had the knack, though, of just being at the right place and time to help her husband against his detractors, which all the more fueled their resentment and, at the same time, inspired awe at her ability to take slander without so much as a blush on her immaculate, milky-white face. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wait, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wake Miggy up,â&#x20AC;? she said, then returned to their room. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pambihira naman, Pacing, o. This couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait â&#x20AC;&#x2122;til breakfast?â&#x20AC;? The congressman, his salt-and-pepper hair all mussed up, boomed after stretching and yawning by the door of their room, which was his habit every morning. Being tall, he always took care to stretch just outside so his limbs wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t collide with the doorframe. As a champion debater in college, the bellow was his default volume.

Nanay Pacing should be by now used to her employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice, but because of her agitated state she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but jump in fright. She was cowering a few steps from the door. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sir, my husband is all alone.â&#x20AC;?

Fishing for her phone from the pocket of her mustard paisley duster, she inched towards her employer.

Her arm trembled as she showed the text her daughter had sent earlier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nang, pigbayaan ko na si Pang. Dae ko na kaya.â&#x20AC;?

(Nang, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve left Pang. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it anymore.)

Mrs. Dellosa scooted over to her husband to read the text. As she read her eyes opened wide. Without realizing it, she placed both her hands on her cheeks.

She puffed her cheeks, then exhaled slowly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But why would she leave â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tay Naldo all alone in his condition?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;She hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been answering my calls.â&#x20AC;?

Nanay Pacing was close to crying, but she kept her tears in check in the presence of her employers. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do to bawl her eyes out and make her situation more pitiable, she thought. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they evacuated? Ah, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;di bale,â&#x20AC;? said the congressman.

He returned to the master bedroom. When he came out again, he was holding a clip of thousand-peso bills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here, take this. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s P10,000.â&#x20AC;? Seeing that Nanay Pacing was about to open her mouth to protest, he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No buts, you might need it for emergencies.â&#x20AC;?

NANAY Pacing made herself comfortable on the bus. Using her shawl as a pillow, she propped her head against the metal frame of the window, which was lifted just up to her ears, enough to let the cool breeze in and at the same time prevent her head from lolling outside it in case she fell asleep. She had hung a plastic bag containing a bottle of water, hardboiled quail eggs and mocha-filled crackers at the handle bar in front of her to tide her over the 10-hour trip. A cigarette stick was bent by the weight of the water bottle that stood above it. She

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was hypnotized by the bagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion, which swung like a pendulum. Fortune, written in red on the cigaretteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stub, was barely visible pressed against the white bag. She had bought two sticks on the busâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first stop in an attempt to ease her fretfulness. After three puffs of the first stick she realized that her heart had only beat faster from the nicotine, so she stubbed it out and threw it in the bin, remembering why she forswore the habit in the first place and promising to stop herself from lighting the other stick. She couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find it in her heart to throw it away, yet couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t muster enough bonhomie to give it to some stranger either. Her eyes followed the clouds. Like sheep grazing in a field of blue, she mused. Her thoughts drifted along with them.

Naldo was patient. He had pursued Nanay Pacing with a dogged determination despite the vehemence with which her mother rebuffed him when he made known his intentions. Naldo was the living embodiment of the dashed hopes of Pacingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother. A marriage would kill the remnants of the dream her mother still clung to desperately â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that Pacing would return to the nunnery she had fled half a year after she had entered and vowed to never return. He waited, first to see whether or not her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disapprobation would dissipate with time and insistence. Then, when it seemed as though they would never gain her blessing, he waited some more, fortified by his loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promise that they would wed soon as her mother â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whose health was failing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; drew her last breath, even as waiting meant that she was past what was considered the marrying age by the time the lump in her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throat finally killed her.

Someone tapped on Nanay Pacingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoulder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nay, pasensiya. Did I wake you?â&#x20AC;? The conductor, a TOMBOY IN A RUFlED WHITE POLO THAT HAD THE DAY S WORK EVIDENT ON IT ASKED (ER VOICE WAS MUFlED BY THE TOWEL that was pressed to her mouth and nose. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleeping.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to close the windows. The ash â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153; Nanay Pacing nodded before the conductor could kNISH 0RESSING THE RUSTED CLAMPS THAT WERE PLACED on opposite sides of the window, she tried to push it down with all her might. The window refused to budge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here, let me do it.â&#x20AC;?

The conductor stepped into the legroom of the empty seat by the aisle. Nanay Pacing moved a little away to give the conductor space. Pressing the clamps, THE CONDUCTOR kRST PULLED UP THEN PUSHED THE WINDOW down. The window banged shut.

Nanay Pacing peered outside and noticed for the kRST TIME THAT THE SKY HAD TURNED DARK 3HE DIDN T remember seeing the sun set. She was sure she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doze off. Or did she? She fumbled inside her tote bag, a hand-me-down from Mrs. Dellosa, to check the time ON HER PHONE P M ,IGHTNING lASHED OVER THE kELDS AHEAD -UD BEGAN TO FALL IN DENSE DROPS FROM the foreboding clouds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aiiiii!â&#x20AC;? the people on the bus screamed.

To be concluded next Sunday

manilatimes[dot]net. Kindly put the genre and title of the work in the emailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subject line (example: Short Story: Dead Stars). Authors whose creative works are published in the magazine agree to have these included in literary anthologies that The Manila Times may conceive and publish in the future. Full copyright ownership of the works shall remain with their respective authors.

Filipino Champions The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

Âťcheers

' W H AT M A N C A N N O T D O , C E R T A I N LY G O D C A N '

JESSICA SOHO LEADS TRIO OF NETWORK EXECS IN NY FEST JURY

Jessica Soho

Kim Atienza realizes simple purpose in life

Marissa Flores

PHILIPPINE broascast pillar Jessica Soho and two other GMA Network executives, namely Senior Vice President for News and Public Affairs Marissa Flores, First Vice President for Public Affairs Nessa Valdellon have been invited to join the 2019 New York Festivalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Grand Jury. Flores will also again be part of the NYFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advisory Board.

Concurrently serving as GMA News Onlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Vice President for Editorial, Flores has been credited for the comprehensive growth of GMA Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News and Public Affairs organization that currently airs more than 30 regular programs, as well as numerous public affairs specials. Under her leadership, GMA News and Public Affairs has earned the distinction of being the most awarded broadcast news organization in the country.

Valdellon, meanwhile, has worked in television for more than two decades as a Nessa Valdellon producer, executive producer, and program manager of documentaries, public affairs, reality TV, and drama programs. In 2011, she spearheaded the launch of GMA News TV, which is now regarded as the leading local news channel. She was creator of the social realist series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bayan Koâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Titserâ&#x20AC;? and will soon be launching the online newscast â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stand for Truth,â&#x20AC;? winner of an innovation funding grant from YouTube.

As the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most awarded broadcast journalist, Soho marked another milestone in Philippine broadcast history last year after becoming the very first Filipino news anchor to become a finalist at the New York Festivals Television & Film Awards, taking home the Bronze Medal in the Best News Anchor category for GMA News TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship newscast â&#x20AC;&#x153;State of the Nation (SONA) with Jessica Soho.â&#x20AC;? She is also a two-time recipient of the highly prestigious George Foster Peabody Award.

Flores, Valdellon, and Soho join award-winning directors, producers, writers, actors and various other creative media professionals from across the globe in recognizing TV programs and films from all over 50 countries.

To ensure impartiality, all NYF judges are prohibited from judging entries from their own companies.

The TV & Film Awards gala will take place at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on April 9. More than 100,000 people from 165 countries are expected to attend and 1,700 companies joining the exhibits.

BENITEZ TO SERVE AS JUROR IN WORLD DANCE COMPETITION Suzie Moya Benitez, executive director of Bayanihan, the National Dance Company of the Philippines, goes to Palma de Mallorca, Spain to serve as member of the jury for the World Dance competition from April 1 to 7. This will be her second invitation to serve as jury for the competition.

Benitez is Chairman for Asia of the Federation for International Dance Festivals (FIDAF). She is also a trustee and executive director of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation. She has served as member of the jury in various international dance competitions in Agrigento, Sicily; South Korea; and Istanbul, Turkey.

Suzie Moya Benitez Awarded Outstanding Woman for Culture and Arts in 2005 during the 59th anniversary celebration of the National Commission on Women in the Philippines, Benitez steered Bayanihan to win the World Prize â&#x20AC;&#x153;Primer Premi Mundialâ&#x20AC;? in a field of 55 dance companies at the 12th Feastival Mundial de Danses Folkloriques (World Folk Dances Festival) held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain in 2007.

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whatsonwhere

Kim Atienza

K

NOWN to be hyperactive both on TV and in person, Kim Atienza â&#x20AC;&#x201C; popularly known as Kuya +IM IN THE BIZ m TRAINED FOR HIS kRST )RONMAN outing in Australia way back in 2013.

to become an athlete, a marathoner, a triathlete, and an Ironman because I was so afraid that it will happen to me again.

I became so healthy,â&#x20AC;? he said. g"UT AT THE kTTEST POINT IN MY LIFE

when I was the healthiest Kuya Kim I However, while training, he felt numb Strengthening can be, I got paralyzed. Yun pala, God and could not move his hands. had a plan for me. The plan was for me immune system â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the middle of training, I realized to be spiritually reborn. I accepted Jesus that I could not move my hands. They Atienza shared that the condition is Christ as Lord and Savior and the Source were paralyzed. The next day, after my self-limiting. of all my power. I realized I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will heal itself but, you have to take only God can,â&#x20AC;? he said. run program, I could not wiggle my toes. I went to my doctor, and I was the medicine. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called IVIG ImmunoThe well-loved TV personality also told that I have Guillain-Barre Syn- globulin. I was in the ICU for more than shared that it is important to trust God, a week,â&#x20AC;? he said. drome,â&#x20AC;? said Atienza. and believe that all things work well for More than healing the autoimmune those obey the commandments.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that causes paralysis disorder, Atienza explained that it is very â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sick we think important to avoid it by strengthening that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a catastrophe. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that AND LOSS OF RElEXES oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immune system. He discovered is so bad that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be ruined or that our Positivity in the malady tha SantĂŠ Barley is the perfect supple- life will go down the drain. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not ment to strengthen the immune system, true. When weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sick, think of it as if He couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been totally paralyzed if especially for athletes like him. you are driving a car and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see 10 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our immune system can get very low, meters ahead because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foggyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s he was not diagnosed early, Atienza was told by his doctor. According to especially if the training is strenuous. So, your sicknessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and you think that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re him, he went to the hospital to seek to supplement it with barley products going nowhere,â&#x20AC;? he explained. medical attention, which prevented the from SantĂŠ is great,â&#x20AC;? he added.

But now he fully knows his purpose in life. condition from aggravating. He took it â&#x20AC;&#x153;My purpose in life is simple. It used Finding purpose in life to be ambition. It used to be the best as Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I saw something positive in it because TV personality I can be. And, it even it changed me. I realized that the motto Atienza admitted that he was being used to be the best father. But, it now of Ironman is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I can.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; While training for haughty when he was younger â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thinking all comes with accepting Jesus Christ. If MY kRST FULL )RONMAN ) KEPT ON TELLING that everything was within his power. This you seek the kingdom, then all else will myself that I can do it. But that after- perspective changed when he got sick. be added,â&#x20AC;? he asserted.

He explained that there were two noon, in the ICU, when I could not even 3ANTÂź "ARLEY IS A CERTIkED ORGANIC BARmove my hands and feet, I realized that TURNING POINTS IN HIS LIFE 4HE kRST WAS ley grass from SantĂŠ New Zealand. Peope I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I knew, right there and then, that in 2010 when he suffered from a stroke, behind the product believe in helping thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing I can do; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only God and then in 2013 when he was diagnosed people live better lives so they can be [that] can do. So, I changed my motto with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. more than they can be for themselves â&#x20AC;&#x153;Suffering from a stroke made me and their loved ones, allowing them to and, it became â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;God canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; because of that physically born again. It made me decide live more and do more. experience,â&#x20AC;? he further said.

Ateneo HS Class â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;69 strikes gold I

ATENEO de Manila High School Batch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;69 celebrates its Golden Jubilee in March with a series of activities lined up starting March 5, and culminates on March 9 at the Mariano Singson Hall of the Ateneo Grade School.

With the theme, â&#x20AC;&#x153;69â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ers Strike Gold,â&#x20AC;? these Ateneans, now in their late 60s, come together to relive memories of life in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s with their Jesuit mentors, and share unique and unforgettable episodes in their teenage life.

Through social media, getting the batch together became much easier.

From a total of 242 graduates representing seven sections 50 years ago, at least 150 have confirmed their attendance, including those based overseas, while 37 have since passed.

HS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;69 Reunion Organizing CommitTEE CHAIRMAN %D 3ANTOS SAID THE kVE DAY gathering kick offs with two out-of-town events starting with lunch and a tour of Sandy Javierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm in Batangas on March 5, followed by lunch and a tour of Pampanga hosted by Tito Panlilio on

F3

March 7. Both events have golf scheduled, according to Santos.

For his part, Batch President Greg Cancio disclosed that the main program on March 9 starts with a concelebrated mass by Ateneo Director for Alumni Relations Fr. Kits Bautista, SJ and batchmate Fr. Bingo Nespral. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This March event serves as a fitting preparation as we celebrate with fellow Golden Jubilarians in the Ateneo Grand Alumni Homecoming in December,â&#x20AC;? Cancio added.

A special 45-minute entertainment show by former APO batchmates Jim Paredes and Boboy Gorovillo highlights the program that begins at 4:30 p.m.

Other performers include Joey Buhain, The Flintstones and Mixed Emotions.

Indeed, the evening is expected to be full of bonding and fun while these men in blue and white stand â&#x20AC;&#x153;between the earth and sky.â&#x20AC;?

Contact Joane Balarbar at 09455028592 for registration.

Mental health must be top priority

HAVE always been a Type A kind of person. I was raised to be all or nothing and this meant giving my all in everything that I did â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether in school, at work, or even in what I chose to do with my time.

Living my life meant always showing up and trying my hardest to be the best one among everyone else who showed up. This kind of discipline meant that I worked my way through all kinds of discomfort, pain, and yes, even my own cries for help. And the cries for help were not big red flags but rather they were small ones that affected me slowly but greatly. ) COULDN PINPOINT A TIME WHEN MY anxiety started simply because I feel like IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE )T SOMETHING that I have lived with my whole life and learned to deal with in my own way. And this I know I am not the only one.

In the United States alone, about 40 million adults are affected by anxiety disorders (statistics cited at https://adaa. org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics). And in the Philippines, more and more people are opening up about their own mental health issues in the hopes of encouraging others to do the same.

have at work, the things we have to settle at home, and most importantly the expectations we have of ourselves.

THE THOUGHT There used to be a time when I prided JUNKIE IN BEING THE kRST ONE IN AND THE LAST ONE CARLA BIANCA out without realizing that it had lasting RAVANES-HIGHAM repercussions on my mental health. The effects may not show itself right away but Taboo topic in the slowly it does build up and you wake up Philippines disjointed and burnt out.

Mental health in our country is still It made me realize that your job wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t considered to be a taboo topic one think twice about granting you a sick day that simply does not exist because how when you have a physical illness so why could it? We are a country known for are we ashamed to ask for mental health our smiles and hospitality. days? Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we give ourselves a day However, with the rising pressure to just be and relax when we need to? brought about by social media and my Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to be honest about GENERATION DESIRE TO DO IT ALL HAS IMPACTED our mental health and not to just OUR MENTAL HEALTH GREATLY 7E E CONSTANTLY â&#x20AC;&#x153;tape it up.â&#x20AC;? We really have to ask bombarded with pressure to be a certain ourselves how we are doing and to not way and no matter how self-actualized we be ashamed to ask for help. It could be are, the pressure can still take a toll. We a trusted pastor from your church or know in our hearts that what we see on a professional. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to talk social media is a curated feed of people about what you are going through and HIGHLIGHT REEL BUT ON DAYS WHERE WE ARE it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you less of a person mentally fatigued and discouraged, we can when you seek help.

HELP BUT LET THE PRESSURE IN I live for the hustle but we must also Truth be told, pressure just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take a break because in taking care of come from social media â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it could our internal world we ultimately make be the amount of responsibilities we our external one better.

Cover Story The Sunday Times

F4

SUNDAY March 3, 2019

COVER PHOTO AND INSIDE PORTRAITS BY DJ DIOSINA

T H E R O M U LO S : A L B E R TO, R O M A N A N D B E R N A D E T T E

A legacy of public service man correctly pointed out.

True enough, in the course of this interview, the Romulosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; answers to The Sunday Times Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questions, the revelations they generously make about their individual selves and the family, and even the banter that ensues among parents, siblings and children, substantiates their claim. For what emerged in gathering Alberto, Roman and Bernadette Romulo was far from a sense of a familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intention to hold on to power but for all intents and purposes that intrinsic wish of every parent for his child. That he or she may grow up as a positive force in society with a genuine desire to good and give back to country.

Read on and be inspired by the Romulosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legacy of public service.

BY CHRISTINA ALPAD

I

F there is one challe nge T he Sund ay Times Magazine has to deal with week in and WEEK OUT IT IS kNDING AN opening in the very busy schedules of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movers and shakers to interview and feature on the cover.

It goes without saying then that todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a veritable coup, gathering three accomplished public servants in one sit down session, but with most â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if not all â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of the credit in making it possible truly theirs. Í&#x2019;For despite the fact these three well known and respected individuals come from one family, it is almost short of a miracle to synchronize their schedules even for their own affairs.

For one, statesman Alberto Romulo and his children, former Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo and current Department

The Sunday Times Magazine: For Roman and Bernadette, how was it growing up with a public servant for a father?

The Sunday Times

magazine TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY Literary Editor CHRISTINA ALPAD IZA IGLESIAS Staff Writers ARLO CUSTODIO Deskman *** PETER BAGA ZENAIDA D. ERISPE MARJORIE T. DIZON ENRICO D. BERATA JOANNA C. UMADHAY HORACIO MAKABENTA Layout Artists *** DANTE FRANCIS M. ANG 2ND President & CEO *** Telephone: 524-5664 to 66 Telefax: 521-6897 â&#x20AC;˘ 521-6872 Subscription: 528-1319 www.manilatimes.net Website lifestyle@manilatimes.net E-mail

~

The Manila Times is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

Alberto and Lovely Romulo (nĂŠe Tecson) raised their children to be principled and honest individuals by example: (clockwise from top row, left) Roman (with wife Shalani), Erwin, Guadalupe (deceased), Bernadette and Mons.

of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, currently have their respective plates full with separate responsibilities which they keep that way, as a practice of trust and respect. As such, it was hardly likely too they would grace a cover all together where they would have to discuss each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s posts and plans, which is why The Sunday Times Magazine is very grateful to be given the honor of doing so. Í&#x2019;Gracious to offer her place of work for this interview, Bernadette nonetheless exclaimed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come to think of it, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been DOT Secretary for eight months now but WKLV LV WKH ÂżUVW WLPH 5RPDQ KDV VWHSSHG IRRW LQ P\ RIÂżFH ´ $ \RXQJHU VLVWHU NLQG of giggle followed the realization. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really meddle or get in each RWKHUÂśV ZD\ ´ 5RPDQ RIIHUHG WR H[SODLQ ÂłDQG this has actually been the case even during our dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time as Senator. We rarely visited KLV RIÂżFH XQOHVV siguro birthday na sinabi sa amin to attend but other than that, wala na ´ To be sure, the siblingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; revelation will come as a surprise to most people, especially since more typical political families make everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;wellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a family affair.

In fact, it is easier to imagine the revered Alberto Romulo as a staunch and commanding patriarch who would have shaped and led his children toward the path of public service and follow in his footsteps, with Roman and Bernadette obeying their fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s every wish and seeking his approval with every step they take.

Moreover, to picture them as a political dynasty is but expected from everyone around them including the general public. Their surname after all goes as far back as the late 1940s, when soldier, journalist and authorturned-diplomat Carlos Romuloâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who was destined to become the only Filipino and Asian

to become president of the United Nations General Assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;began his stellar career during the presidency of Manuel Quezon. $OEHUWR DV &DUORVÂś QHSKHZ ZDV ÂżUVW to follow the late great statesmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps when he became a diplomat himself thereafter occupying various and vital government posts. [See sidebar].

Roman and Bernadetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry into

For former representative Roman Romulo, the best lesson he learned from his father is the value of hard work: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Once you are public servant, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about hard work; it is not a position for you to enjoy.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

public service as third generation Romulos was therefore but expected and yet they will tell youâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;their father includedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that they cannot and should not be considered a political dynasty. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we are a political dynasty. Iba-iba naman kami because may appointed, may elected. And we GRQÂśW EHORQJ WR RQH FRQVWLWXHQF\ ´ 5R-

Roman: My father has always been in public service even before he ran for the Senate. I even remember when he was in the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, a health organization. So, growing up, nakikita na namin na talagang tumutulong siya sa ibang tao.

Our have parents always told us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Public VHUYLFH LV VDFULÂżFH ´ VR DW WKH HQG RI WKH GD\ if we see classmates whose parents were in private industries and had more than us, we knew from the start that in choosing this path in life one should not expect that.

One example I can give you was our baon. I think the allowance that we received was very small up until college or, or in my case, law school. It was not as if we could eat anywhere we wanted.

Also, we have to take into context that WKH ÂżUVW WLPH P\ GDG UDQ IRU DQ HOHFWLYH position was in 1984. Kakatapos lang ng assassination ni Ninoy Aquino at that time, so kahit papano mulat ang mga tao, including our family, sa mga issues about corruption and things like that.

So from the very beginning, yun ang intindi namin sa SXEOLF RIÂżFH Bernadette: )RU PH WKH ÂżUVW WLPH , ZDV actually exposed to politics was in 1979. I was nine or 10 years old then and campaigning for Lolo Carlos. And then in 1984, we campaigned for Dad when he was running as an Assemblyman in Quezon City. I remember he lost his voice so Roman and I had to speak on his behalf in his rallies.

And while summers for most children were spent at the beach, every once in three years, we were all over the country during election time. So, parang naiinggit ka din kasi all your friends were going to the beaches, tapos kami we were campaigning. Very early palang, we would go to wet markets then puyatan na yun.

But like other families of politicians, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have bodyguards growing up. I think one time I asked Dad about that and he said we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enemies anyway so why should we have bodyguards? Up until now, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have have them.

Did these very experiences encourage you to become public servants yourselves?

Roman: Actually nag-practice muna ako ng law and during that that time, nai-

Cover Story The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 3, 2019 sip ko na rin na parang maganda kahit papaano pumasok sa public service because I saw that what my dad did was meaningful.

Bernadette: At very a young age, I ironically told Dad while campaigning, Âł,ÂśOO QHYHU HQWHU SROLWLFV ´ 6R , QHYHU thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d enter public service, I just thought it would just be my dad and Roman. My dream was to become a teacher [which she pursued, teaching at the University of the Philippines School of Economics for a total of 14 non-consecutive years] But I kept being offered to be a consultant in government and that started it all.

When I eventually became Deputy Cabinet Secretary, I actually wanted to go back to teaching, and then I was offered to be in the Department of Agriculture and it just kept going.

The point is, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see myself staying long all the same. I thought I would do it for just a few months and go back to teaching and spend time with my family, my children.

But wala eh, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan it. My career in public service was not planned at all and yet here I am.

Alberto: In my case, I thought from the very beginning that I wanted to be D SXEOLF RIÂżFLDO ,W KDV DOZD\V EHHQ LQ me but I never thought, I would occupy several high positions, including Senator.

As as kid, I was a wide reader and I liked reading about politicians â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kennedy, Churchill, and President Ramon Magsaysay, who to me was one of the best presidents because he was only for the people. He never abused his government position. These were my models so even DV D NLG , ZDQWHG WR EH D SXEOLF RIÂżFLDO

When Roman and Bernadette eventually entered public service and politics, what was your initial reaction?

Alberto: I think public service is a noble profession so I was happy when they decided to be public servants. Had they taken other careers, it would most certainly be okay with me and my wife because we never thought of dictating to them what they have to become, as long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honorable. Â Roman: But I remember during the ÂżUVW WLPH , ZDV FRQVLGHULQJ HQWHULQJ SXElic service, bago din ako sa law practice, and my dad was hesitant to allow me. +LV SRLQW ZDV \RX KDYH WR EH ÂżQDQcially secured. As a practicing lawyer, yan kahit paaano, \RXÂśOO KDYH ÂżQDQFLDO VHFXrity, samantalang pagdating sa pulitika wala naman talaganJ ÂżQDQFLDO VHFXULW\ Alberto: My reason for that? I believe that if you are in public service, you should devote your entire time to public service.

Bernadette: In my case, at the start, my dad didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to me to join because he was Executive Secretary at that time and consequently, he would be signing my appointment papers. He felt na walang delicadeza, so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pursue it.

But when he became DFA Secretary, and I was asked to be a consultant of the Presidential Management Staff, that was the only time I could accept a post because he felt that he was not involved in signing my papers.

What advice did you give your children the moment they set foot into government?

Alberto: I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really advise them, I taught them by setting the example. I VKRZHG WKHP WKDW \RX FDQ ÂżQG VDWLVIDFtion in this job without violating any norms of integrity and ethics.

Also, if I were making money on the side, they would know. So I suppose, without telling them, that example of straight public service became imbedded in their public life.

The only thing, perhaps, that I directly told them is that they should always have an auditor from Commission on Audit (COA) who will do the SUH DXGLWLQJ RI WKHLU SXEOLF RIÂżFH ,Q all my positions, I always ask for an RIÂżFLDO DXGLWRU IURP &2$ EHFDXVH ZH donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to commit any mistake but we can slip without us even knowing.

So I told them, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for the post audit because in post-audit, nandun ka na, you might have already committed a mistake, although unknowingly.

With the examples he set, can you tell us what were the most important lessons you learned from your father?

Bernadette: Guard your reputation with your life by doing everything the right way.

dren should be taught the right thing, with honesty and integrity on top of the list.

W hat can you say is the one thing that the three of you have in common?

Bernadette: Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to say becuae we vary in style. But maybe, in a sense we can say we are all ver y straight.

So sometimes, when I become so strict at work, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hear from fellow colleagues who have worked with Dad and Roman, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like your dad DQG EURWKHU ´

Despite the many challengHV FRQWURYHUVLHV DQG VDFULÂżFHV this vocation brings, what keeps you all going on this path.

Roman: When I was a lawyer, kahit paano makakagawa ka ng tulong in your capacity pero kung titingnan mo talaga, konti lang talaga ang matutulungan mo. %XW ZH JUHZ XS LQ SXEOLF VHUYLFH ÂżUVW ZLWK CPR [Carlos P. Romulo] and then our father, and we were made aware of its importance.

Yung tulong na mabibigay mo kung nasa gobyerno ka, talagang mas marami at mas malawak. And if you think you can do better instead of other people, might as well be the one to help out.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure my father and Berna would agree.

Makikita mo naman yung improvement sa buhay ng constituency mo. Yung tao talaga ang mag-i-inspire sa iyo. That is one great satisfaction out of this profession.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy taught us to guard your reputation with your life, by doing everything the right way.

Because at the end of your career, reputation is the only thing you can pass on to your children.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK/BERNA ROMULO PUYAT Every time I sign contracts, I always consult my lawyer, tama ba? is it legal? I also ask the accountants, I ask COA. My dad, and Roman, what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve imparted to me and to all is that they have a clean reputation, hindi magnanakaw. So, when I got into this position, mahihiya ako sa sarili ko if ako pa yung maninira ng panaglan namin.

Ultimately, you have to guard your reputation with your life because when you come to the end your career, and SRZHU LV Ă&#x20AC;HHWLQJ UHSXWDWLRQ LV WKH RQO\ thing you can give to your children.

Alberto: I did not enrich myself during my public service. Now, I realized that even for practical reasons, if you were enriching yourself, somehow people will know about it. You cannot hide something like that, people will eventually know.

Of course when I started, I was not too conscious about it, I just thought that it was the right thing to do. But in hindsight, I also realized that if you enriched yourself while in power, lalabas at lalabas yung ginawa mo.

Roman: As for me, the most important lesson is hard work. Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there in position, itâ&#x20AC;şs not for you to enjoy. Kailangan, magtrabaho ka talaga.

Alberto: Thatâ&#x20AC;şs why in the various positions that I had, I always held into account for hard work. That was the example I had set when I was MajorLW\ /HDGHU LQ WKH 6HQDWH , ZDV WKH ÂżUVW to arrive and the last to leave to study all the bills so that whatever bill is taken up, I would know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being discussed.

You really have to invest your time, you need to study and work hard. You have to read everything; you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take short cuts.

You mentioned that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t meddle in each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and neither do you sit down to discuss them. All the same, \RXÂśUH DOO FRQÂżGHQW DERXW HDFK RQHÂśV performance. How does that work?

Roman: We grew up with the same values and with trust in one another so alam mong walang masamang gagawin ang isa.

Bernadette: <HV ZHÂśUH FRQÂżGHQW LQ each other that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do the right thing because of the way we were brought up.

Alberto: Sabi nga ni Cardinal Tagle, dishonesty starts at home. So right from the start, from the home, chil-

Bernadette: Mine, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about psychic income, not material income.

One thing with politics, you hardly have time for your loved ones. In fact, I can count the number of times Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen my family since I became a public servant.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m lucky though that when I was appointed to the DOT, both my children were already in their 20s. One is 23 and the other is 22 years old. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done with school and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see them. (Laughs) I also get to miss Sunday mass because of work.

But of course may pambawi naman.

Ito na lang, we just closed Boracay â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of course it was a collective effort â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and when we reopened, it was so IXOÂżOOLQJ WR VHH WKDW \RX DFWXDOO\ KHOSHG rehabilitate an island. Not only that, you helped a lot of people.

Alberto: In public service, you help a lot of people. You do it because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what public service is. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect them to remember or thank you for that.

Of course there are those who up to now are thanking me for saving their lives when I was the DFA Secretary. %XW LQ WKLV ÂżHOG WKHUH ZRXOG EH VR PDQ\ people youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be able to help and they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to thank you. The satisfaction, however, lies in knowing that you did something.

If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discuss your work much, what do you do together as a family?

Alberto: On Sundays, we always make it a point to pray the rosary. We attend Mass in the morning and have dinner at my house.

Bernadette: We try not to discuss politics when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re together so we just talk about other things like the kids or common friends we saw over the week.

In fact, one example was when we launched the new logo for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s More )XQ LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV ´ , IRUJRW WR WHOO them about it even during our gathering at home. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want them to know but because I had so many things on my mind, it was my daughter who had to remind them about it!

For the children, is there pressure to live up to your dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation?

Roman: I would not use the word pressure. Growing up naman, nasanay na kami at alam na namin kung ano ang tama at mali. So when we entered this, lahat naman kami, we know that we wanted to do in service, alam namin ang pinasok namin.

Bernadette: Not pressure to be like him but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more of you have to pressure yourself to do well because you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do anything that would embarrass your family members.

Again, because we were brought up a certain way, it was already ingrained in us that when we go into p ublic service, we have to live simply and we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t earn so much.

For Senator Alberto, how proud are you of Roman and Bernadette who are now continuing your legacy of public service?

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My wife and I are all proud of our children because they lived up to a life of integrity. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through their own merits they got to where they are today.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Alberto Romulo

F5

Alberto: Of course we are proud of each one of our children because they lived up to the life of integrity that I think every person should do. They also worked to get where they are so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through their own merit that they are there.

In fact, when Roman ran in Pasig, he never used my name, he was on his own.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you get the trust of the people by offering yourself, on your own.

I am happy because they have the ethics and the ethos that public service is public service. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not in order to enrich yourself or enrich your family. Without telling them, fortunately, that is what happened. Â

Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo  - Secretary of Foreign Affairs

In office: August 23, 2004 to February 25, 2011  - 34th Executive Secretary of the Philippines In office: June 2001 to August 2004  - 26th Secretary of Finance In office: January to June 2001  - Majority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines In office: 1991â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1996  - Senator of the Philippines In office: June 30, 1987 to June 30, 1998  - 3rd Secretary of Budget and Management In office: February 25, 1986 to March 13, 1987  - Mambabatas Pambansa (Assemblyman), Quezon City In office: June 30, 1984 to March 25, 1986

Roman Tecson Romulo  - Representative, Lone District of Pasig City In office: June 30, 2007 to June 30, 2016 Chairman, Philippine House of Representatives Higher and Technical Education Committee  - Associate, Quisumbing Torres & Evangelista Law offices  - Senior Associate, Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Offices  Alma mater: - University of the Philippines in Diliman (Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Economics) - University of the Philippines College of Law (Bachelor of Laws) - International Development Law Institute in Rome, Italy (training courses in various legal fields)

Bernadette RomuloPuyat - Secretary, Department of Tourism In office: From May 11, 2018 to present  - Undersecretary, Department of Agriculture In office: 2007 to 2018  - Consultant, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) In office: 2005  - Instructor, UP School of Economics. Â

Fun Times The Sunday Times

F6

»horoscope

THE SUNDAY CROSSWORD

In A Perfect World

By Merl Reagle March 3, 2019

...I can dream, can’t I? This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series 1 6 11 15 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 28 30 31 34 35 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 57 58 60 61 62 64 65 67 69 72 75 76 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 89 90

ACROSS River runners “Call” has one; “cell” doesn’t Czech city The buck stops here, temporarily “ ... ___ of cherries” “___ Pretty” Mane attraction?

Brainstorm Nondomestic concerns Domestic concern?

“Do, ___ ...”

Perry and Skywalker Dedicated work Hardcover coverups Lightens Taxi co-star Anesthetics Bandleader’s first name Nursing a grudge Before Heyerdahl et al.

TV bar boss actress Prom goers Short times Beatles’ meter maid Other rte.

Herd animal It makes God good Certain water supplies Coffee-and-milk order Vague, uneasy feeling Golf position Commotion Daisy resemblers Smash Mollify Mill owner, ca. 1849 Supposed Writes in symbols Work, as dough Final resting places?

Gen. Arnold’s nickname Belgian river Front-cover abbr.

Part of RSVP Jason’s vessel Corset closer, once No. 1 Popular vodka, familiarly CIO partner

91 Salamanders 93 Queen, in Juarez 94 Legendary French couturière 95 Hibernatin’ havens 97 Cannes cans contents, once 98 Lacking salty expanses 99 Grower’s tool 100 Guts 101 Nescafé rival 102 Like movie monsters, often 106 Nitpicking 111 Sadie Thompson drama 112 Enclosure 113 Encircling attack 114 Sewing cases 115 Get a load of 116 Actress Martha 117 Some collars 118 Wheelchair accesses DOWN 1 The “so few” to whom “so much” was owed: abbr.

2 Blood letters 3 Part of FYI 4 Small-pain inflictors 5 Some pitches 6 Cake mix biggie Duncan 7 A long ways off 8 He makes the call 9 Collapse, in a way 10 Actress Cardinale 11 B.B. King’s thing 12 Uses a letter opener 13 Inmate I.D.s 14 Traveling in a show 15 Used a stopwatch on 16 Operetta princess 17 Island wear 18 Young pup 24 Becomes 26 “No ___ sugar” 29 Fall (over) 31 Discarded things 32 The Parthenon is dedicated to her 33 Filled sweets 34 Roasters?

35 “___ the World” 36 Princes, for example

Gift givers! For info on Merl’s books, visit www.sundaycrosswords.com.

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Invent Little Pearl’s mom Court fig.

Our attachment?

Windy-weather hobbyist ___ de triomphe Whodunit queen Bed leaver Honored or penalized Credo Patrick, for one Parking-lot welcome “Whole ___ Shakin’ Goin’ On” Transfixed Impatient exclamations Statesmen When prompted U.S. space station of the 1970s Nader title word

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your health and energy by slowing down and relaxing.

Handle or delegate work responsibilities while nurturing your own physical wellness. Eat and rest well.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Enjoy the scenery. Someone nearby is looking good. Resist the temptation to overspend or overindulge. Take the words from a loved one to heart.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Stay objective with a tense domestic situation. Listen more than you speak. Keep passions behind closed doors, and make sure everyone gets heard. Provide good food.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Don’t take action yet. Hold meetings, and formulate a coordinated plan. Teamwork gets you farther than what you could do solo. Talk with your people.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Put in more planning and organization. Don’t sign contracts until you’ve read the small print. Consider consequences and ramifications. Keep confidences and secrets.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Wait to see what develops with a professional opportunity. Don’t get rushed into committing until you’re ready. Consider broader as well as personal consequences.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is an 8 -Review finances to plug any leaks. Conserve resources and energy. Delays could affect transactions and payments. Pad the budget by postponing an expenditure if needed.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Travel could include temporary confusion, traffic or delays. Slow and check conditions first. Study options and routes. Relax, and discover beauty hidden in plain sight.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re in the spotlight; smile for the cameras. Capture what happens with photos and notes. Stay true to yourself and your commitments. Private rest energizes.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Changes could require budget adaptation. Reaffirm a commitment.

Contribute resources and time to raise cash flow into a shared account. Stick to practical priorities.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is a 5 -- Avoid overstimulating activities or noise. Actions could misfire.

Private meditation and reflection suit your mood and recharge your energy. Relax, and make plans.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Stay forgiving and patient with a partner. Avoid arguments or stepping on toes with sensitivity to another’s views. Revise plans as conditions change.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @lindablack. For more astrological interpretations visit Linda Black Horoscopes and www.nancyblack.com)

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Today’s Birthday (03/03/19). Lucrative and exciting career opportunities appear this year. Share resources and support with friends. Summer passion and romance inspire new directions with friends and community. A team accomplishment heats up the winter, before new directions face an intimate relationship. Love inspires you to new heights.

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SUNDAY March 3, 2019

108 Bubble material 104 Can for the car Slangy money 109 Six-gun site 105 Barn grass Parlor pieces 110 Fool Colonel’s insignias 107 Titanic star, in Hollywood Victor’s take headlines Webber-Rice effort Cola opener?

Calydonian boarSolution: ¶'RXEOH %LOOV · (Feb 24) hunt figure AQU A B I B I D S N E RO L I Put in new grass S UR F S A L ON F E E OX I D E S Cereal for kids H A I R B A L L O F F I R E S A V EME E D S I S T B L OWU P L O L I T A Fur-lined cloak S A H I B R E S OA T E S Type of quarry L I T T L E C A E S A R T OP P E R Less confident A RR A Y S L E A E S P D AWN S S K I N S PO L L S T OE A U K Gregory S E E D M I N T H E F I R M F A NN Y McDonald’s ODD R A C E O L E A B I L E N E undercover reporter POR K Y S T OMB S T ON E Numismatist’s find B E D E L I A O A T A I D E T A U A N D A L E X A ND E R T OY POMP River into Lake BOA L E S RUN I N T E X A S Geneva A S Y E T A RC S E A C A N I N E Entrance hall S H AMPOO T H A T D A RNC A T S T E V E D L O E E R I E Gratifies completely R E U B E NR E U B E N A L F J I G 15- or 30-yr. item P I ND A R SOME K I NDO F H E RO Endorse A PO I N T T UN GN A T S I DO L Z E ROE S U T A EGO M I ND Buddy Fall behind

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Pamper

SUDOKU

NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By ROGER SEVILLA Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats.

Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.

Arts Awake SUNDAY March 3, 2019

The Sunday Times

F7

NAM culminates with Lamp of Culture and the Arts Awards

BY ARLO CUSTODIO

T

HIS yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Arts Month (NAM) culminated with the Lamp of Culture and the Arts Awards (Gantimpalang Lampara ng Kultura at Sining) on February 28 at the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Auditorium in Intramuros, Manila.

Seven pillars of Filipino arts and culture were handed each a trophy designed by multi-awarded artist ToyPHH ,PDR DQG FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;FDWH VLJQHG E\ WKH leaders of the Philippine Center of the International Theater Institute (ITI) headed by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez.

Chosen for their exceptional pioneering work in the country with international impact were personaliWLHV FRPLQJ IURP WKH Ă&#x20AC;HOGV RI 0XVLF Dance, Multimedia, Cinema, Literature, Visual Arts and Art Patronage.

Wheelchair-bound, playwright Isagani Cruz came to accept his award even in his state of having suffered stroke years ago, and showed appreciation for the bestowal as gleaned from his countenance. Cruzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dramatic works have been performed abroad, as well as his Filipino translation of foreign plays. Philippine literature is not complete without the mention of his works, GuidoteAlvarez noted.

Freddie Aguilar, whose iconic son g and composition , â&#x20AC;&#x153;A na k ,â&#x20AC;? has been translated and performed in 29 languages â&#x20AC;&#x201D; now the these song of a Koreanovela â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was represented by his daughter, his own anak, Megan Aguilar.

Besides bringing honors for the country through her dance group and school, Shirley Halili-Cruz (also wheelchair-bound) was recognized for her efforts on â&#x20AC;&#x153;World Dance Day Xchangeâ&#x20AC;? events, thereby bringing international participants from different countries.

Joel Lamangan is not just a multiawarded director, both on the home front and abroad, but as an actor as ZHOO Âł LQ WKHDWHU DQG Ă&#x20AC;OP WKXV WKH accolade was for Multimedia Arts.

of paintings. Back in May last year at his exhibit at Megamall, he told The Sunday Times Magazine that he had not passion but to paint since childhood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was seven years old when I got to see how [National Artist for Visual Arts] Botong [Francisco] played his brush on canvas. That left and indelible mark on my head,â&#x20AC;? the Angono-based artist related.

His first taste of international UHFRJQLWLRQ ZDV LQ ZKLOH VWLOO D VWXGHQW ZKHQ KH ZRQ Ă&#x20AC;UVW SODFH LQ Shankarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Competition in New Delhi, India. That stregth-

Visual arts awardee Nem i ra nda was th i s ed itionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Visual Arts awardee for his religious, socially relevant collection

Nemiranda

Cinema and Arts Patronage

The awardees (or their representatives), ITI officials and program hosts: (back row, from left) Joe Lad Santos, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, NCCA Executive Director Rico Pableo Jr. and DepEd Undersecretary Lorna Dig-Dino (back row, fourth and fifth from left, respectively).

HQHG KLV UHVROYH WR HQUROO XQWLO KH Ă&#x20AC;Qished Fine Arts major in Painting at the University of Santo Tomas in 1970.

He was only 25 when he created the two-meter by 175-meter bas-relief sculpture at the Fort Binifacio Parade Grounds called â&#x20AC;&#x153;History of the Philippine Army.â&#x20AC;?

His â&#x20AC;&#x153;Myths and Legendsâ&#x20AC;? of Fi l ipino fol k lore â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Malakas At Maganda, Amihan, Habagt, Kapre, Tikbalang, Bernardo Carpio, Mariang Makiling, Nuno Sa Punso, Sirena, Mutya Ng Pasig â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are immortalized through the three-dimensional sculptures around his Nemiranda Arthouse and Museum, presenting as H[KLELW LQ 7KH People Power Revolution and Edsa Dos in 2001 were creatively documented in his mural at the outdoor wa l l s of the Edsa Shrine.

Nom inated for the National Artist for Visual Arts in 2009, but then as sitting head of NCCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Visual Arts Committee, he found it self-

Freddie Aguilar

11th Ani ng Dangal awardees receive Sarimanok trophies

BY NIKA ROQUE FIFTY-FIVE Filipino artists who brought pride to the country the past year were honored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) at the 11th edi-tion of the Ani Dangal Awards held on February 27 at Diamond Hotel Ballroom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 55 honorees we have here are Filipinos from all over the country who have made us our nation even greater,â&#x20AC;? NCCA Executive Director Rico Pableo Jr. lauded. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Impressive, interesting, attractive â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some things that make us feel great and proud because they have made us great Filipinos through their achievements in the forms of art,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Ani ng Dangal is held in celebration of these creative people who showcased Filipino life and culture through their artistry, skills, and passion in the international arena.

By being recognized by co-artists and given the large platform by the government, these artists become much more motivated to keep creating in the forms of architecture and allied arts, broadcast arts, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music, and visual arts.

The awardees were handed the iconic Sarimanok Trophy sculpted by National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Asia Imao and executed by his son Toym Imao.

Additionally, the honorees were greeted on stage by artistic icons in the Philippines, most notably National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera followed

by National Artist for Theater Amelia

The set of Visual Arts awardees for Ani ng Dangal 2019 proudly hold their trophies.

Lone Literary Arts awardee Lawrence Ypil with National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera

LapeĂąa Bonifacio who presented the DZDUGV Ă&#x20AC;W WR WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH Ă&#x20AC;HOGV From eye-opening documentaries, to intriguing photographs, to acapella performances, to sustainable architecture, these creations by Filipino artists help the continuous shaping of culture and make the local art scene much more vibrant.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Malaking bagay po sa amin ang mabigyan pansin sa ibang bansa ang aming pagmamahal sa sining, pero mas nakakataba ng puso na ang parangal ay galing sa ating mismong mga kababayan,â&#x20AC;? actorpainter Ian Veneracion, Ani ng Dangal honoree for Cinema, said on behalf of all awardees. He is also one of NCCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arts Month Ambassadors for 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A ng pamimigay parangal sa amin sa pamamagitan ng Ani ng Dangal ay magiging inspirasyon sa amin para pagbutihin ang sining. Sana mas mapakilala sa buong mundo ang ating kultura dahil isa ito sa pinakaimportanteng elemento para maipakita natin sa kanila ang ating pagkatao at pagkabansa. Dahil dito, sana po tuloy tuloy ang suporta natin sa mga kababayan natin sa ibaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t-ibang larangan ng sining,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itaas natin ang bandilang Pilipino para maipakita sa kanila ang talino at ang talento nating mga Pilipino pagdating sa sining,â&#x20AC;? Veneracion ended.

Isagani Cruz

serving had he won. It was the same year when there was an uproar over the bestowal of honors to Carlo J. Caparas and Guidote-Alvarez by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Nemiranda told The Sunday Times Magazine that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auspiciously timely that the Lampara Awards could be the stepping stone for the bestowal, Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\ RI WKH 1DWLRQDO $UWLVW WLWOH â&#x20AC;&#x153;The group [of Guidote-Alvarez] is, I think, setting the tone for the National Artist awards for us honorees.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m heartened to be referred by NCCA Executive Director Rico Pableo Jr. as future National Artist for Visual Arts,â&#x20AC;? the noted artist shared.

As sculptor, Nemiranda is called the Father of Imaginative Figurism.

Movie director Lav Diaz was likewise honored for his breakthrough in cinema and winning acclaim in international f i lm festivals. He was represented by actress Pinky Amador, who starred in Diazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ang Pa n ahon n g Ha l i maw,â&#x20AC;? a ma i n competitor in the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, where the director previously won the Silver Bear for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hele sa Hiwagang +DSLVÂľ LQ Aliw Awards founder Alice Reyes and Manila Broadcasting Corporation and President of Star Parks Corporation Fred Elizalde (likewise wheelchair-bound) were honored for Art Patronage.

The event coincided with the United 1DWLRQV (GXFDWLRQDO 6FLHQWLĂ&#x20AC;F DQG Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebration of World Radio and Mother Tongue Day. Other members of the organizing committee were ITI Communications Chairman Jose Laderas Santos (who hosted the event together with Guidote-Alvarez), Nomination Committee Chairman and Vice President Frank Rivera, ITI Secretary Sonny Valencia, Monodrama Committee Chairman Fray Paolo Casurao with concurrence by NCCA Executive Director Pableo.

Depa r tment of Educat ion officials, headed by Undersecretary Lorna Dig-Dino also graced the momentous event.

Given only on a seasonal basis, past Lampara awardees include Lea Salonga, Lisa Macuja (who accompanied her husband this time), Monique Wilson, Boy Abunda, Nora Aunor, Rosalinda Orosa, Bert Florentino, Juvenal Sanso, George Yang, Danny Dolor and the late Don Emilio Yap for Art Patronage.

CCP celebrates National Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Month A SERIES of arts events and film screenings form part of the celebration of Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Month under the auspices of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for its mandate to create and facilitate platforms that pursue gender and development (GAD).

The Arthouse Cinema, a project under the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division, will feature cinematic works by women filmmakers, and films tackling women and gender issues.

Highlighting the cinematic feast is .LS 2HEDQGD¡V ´/LZD\¾ RQ 0DUFK p.m. at Tanghalang Manuel Conde (CCP Dream Theater). Liway, which received the Audience Choice Award and Special Jury Commendation in the Cinemalaya 2018, is based on a true story.

7KH IXOO OHQJWK Ă&#x20AC;OP IROORZV WKH story of Dakip, a young boy who lives with his parents Day and Ric inside Camp Delgado, a makeshift prison inside a military camp for both rebels and criminals. Given their circumstances, Day does her best to shelter the child from the harsh realities of their life. She uses storytelling about an enchantress named Liway, as well as songs and imagination, to help ensure that her boy is free from trauma. At the tail end of the Martial Law, Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own dark past catches up on her and the lives of the detainees become increasLQJO\ GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW 6KH LV FRQIURQWHG ZLWK the cruel possibility that the best

interest of her child means never seeing him again.

The screening will continue at 5 p.m. with Women in Shorts, featuring Cinemalayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best short films including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Materâ&#x20AC;? by Annemikami Pablo (2015); â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pusong Batoâ&#x20AC;? by Martika Escobar (2015); â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wawaâ&#x20AC;?

by Anj Macalanda (2015); â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pektusâ&#x20AC;?

E\ ,VDEHO 4XHVDGD ´0DQRQJ ng Pa-alingâ&#x20AC;? by E del Mundo (2017); â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lola Lolengâ&#x20AC;? by Che Tagyamon (2017); and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yakapâ&#x20AC;? by Mika Fabella and Rafael Froilan (2018).

On March 28, there will be a backto-back screening of Anna Francesca Espirituâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pan De Salawalâ&#x20AC;? (2018) and Inna Miren Salazar AcuĂąa and Dos Ocampoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ang Bagong Pamilya 1L 3RQFKLQJÂľ 7KH VFUHHQLQJV will be 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, at Tanghalang Manuel Conde.

In partnership with the Women Playwrights International Philippines, there will be a Readathon of :RPHQ 3OD\V RQ 0DUFK DQG IURP D P WR S P DW WKH 6LODQJDQ +DOO RQ WKH IRXUWK Ă RRU RI &&3 Women empowerment continues with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gandang-Ganda Sa Sariling Gawa (GGSSG) Zine Fairâ&#x20AC;? on March &R RUJDQL]HG E\ WKH *DQWDOD Press, the whole day fair will offer books, zines and artworks created by women artists and authors.

All events are free and open to the public. Everyone is invited to join the different activities, especially government employees.

Arts Awake The Sunday Times

F8

March 3, 2019 SUNDAY

A bountiful â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Harvestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Gallery C

C

BY IZA IGLESIAS

ONRAD Manila celebrates National Arts Month with the 7th installment of its highlyacclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of Art and Wineâ&#x20AC;? series. This time, the exhibit features the works of 32 contemporary visual artists in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Art Harvest at Gallery C,â&#x20AC;? with esteemed Filipino artist Ross Capili as curator.

According to Capili, Art Harvest is a celebration of different art expressions with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;rich bountyâ&#x20AC;? feel everpresent along Gallery C â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibit hallway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the theme of National Com-

Moon Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Sam Penaso

mission for Culture and the Arts this year is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ani ng Sining, Alab ng Sining,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; we made this a unique counterpart.

With their nod, we were included in the calendar of the Arts Month and one of the places to visit throughout the celebration,â&#x20AC;? shared Capili in an interview at the exhibitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s launch.

True to this, the entire Gallery C is Ă&#x20AC;OOHG ZLWK PDVWHUSLHFHV IURP WKH contemporary artists tapped to join the feat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is how we should portray Art Harvest, by gathering the best in the Ă&#x20AC;HOG RI SDLQWLQJ VFXOSWXUH SKRWRJraphy, mixed media and digital art.

Thus, presenting a collective showcase of Filipino talents here in Conrad Manila for the local and international clients to appreciate,â&#x20AC;? Capili continued.

Besides Capili, participating artists include Pandy Aviado, Joan Balbarona, Bien Bautista, Ferdinand Cacnio, Cee Cadid, Wilfredo Calderon, %XGV &RQYRFDU &ODUR &RUWHV WK -RH Datuin, Eric David, Fil Delacruz, Dopy Doplon, Jane Arrieta Ebarle,

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Samoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Sariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Cee Cadid

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OFF THE GREEDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A planned obsolescence Y dignity, honesty, wisdom, sincersincerJOY, ity, integrity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; these are simple virtues but they are increasingly taking a backseat in the frenzy of navigating everyday lives.

Artemio Bermido Jr., a highlyrespected and well-acclaimed visual artist from the province of Quezon, depicts a series of felicitous reminders of how these virtues should take the spotlight.

They say one way to appreciate art is to understand the artist. In this case, the artist is Art himself, as he is fondly called since he was a little boy. He is just one of the million little dreamers aspiring to alter the course of the world, of life, and of many lives through brushes, paint colors and canvasses.

Starting out as a #syanoartist and creating pieces that were partial to the red, gold, and happy hues impacted by the musings of his youth, experiences in his idyllic hometown, and random inspirations growing up, Art has evolved both as a person and as an artist.

Now, a doting husband and a father of two, his recent paintings and the DUW KH LV FUHDWLQJ QRZ UHĂ HFW WKH UH-

A toast to Arts Month! (From left) Ramon Arlina, Egai Fernandez, Ross Capili, Margie Moran-Floirendo, Conrad Manila General Manager Laurant Boidrios, Elizabeth Sy, Baltazar Endriga and Raul Isidro.

Rick Hernandez, Rico Lascano, Lenore Lim, Erwin Mallari, Norlie Meimban, Alain Pascua, Sam PeQDVR -D\OHQYHU 3HxDĂ&#x20AC;HO &LG 5H\HV Omi Reyes, Joy Rojas 2nd, Jinggoy Salcedo, Rem San Pedro, Edgar Santiago, Valen Valero, Roy Veneracion, Jik Villanueva and Pinggot Zulueta. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My biggest test was how will I be able to create pieces or curate pieces from various disciplines, styles and color palettes? So hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a simple secret, I prayed hard to the lord of harvest for wisdom and he gave us this,â&#x20AC;? Capili enthused.

More impressively, however, Capili curate and open the exhibit in two weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re creating National Arts Festival therefore I have to feature different types of art para walang bias. In my mind, kabisado ko na yung styles nung artists, so I invited around 38 artists and I gave them a requirement to reply to me within four hours. Do you have available work? This size? New work? Old work within two years? Basta hindi basa ang paint. So I organized the submission point and deadline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With just two weeks to prepare for this exhibit, pumasok lahat ng

A total of 64 pieces comprise the 'Art Harvest at Gallery C' exhibit by select contemporary artists.

DUWZRUNV IURP DUWLVWV IRU WKLV stretch of exhibit space. All in all, a good number. To be able to curate these pieces end to end, walang sumobra or lumagpas sa hallway, most importantly, hindi nag-aaway yung arts. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I want to portray here in Art Harvest, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bounty, you have to thank God for this kind harvest,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Finally, it was interesting to see Capili do away with the customary labels

or codes beside the artworks, to allow viewers make their own interpretation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The viewers will be the one to visualize, imagine and interpret the art.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why for this art exhibit, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an engagement between the art and the viewer,â&#x20AC;? he ended.

Art Harvest at Gallery C artworks, which are on display until March 9, are also for sale. For inquiries, email, studiorosscapili@yahoo.com.

Norberto Caratingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 'Moonlight Sonata'

NORBERTO CARATI NG i s o n e ar tist who is always in search of 'Benzaiten (Joy)' materials to e n h a nc e , i f not improve, his texturing techniques.

When he chanced 'Ebisu (Honesty)' upon this coarse pumsponsibility, the commitment, and the ice in an art passion to communicate his beliefs and store, he SKLORVRSK\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW WR KLV IDPLO\ DQG RQWR thought of a larger, bigger audience. playing with Continuing his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stimuli Seriesâ&#x20AC;? the possibilof paintings, this special exhibition it ie s of t he highlights the virtues he holds dear, 'Daikokuten (Contentment)' tectonic mathe virtues he strongly believes that The exhibit will be on view until terial in his art making. The result everyone must dig deeper into to affect 0DUFK

DW WKH $UWLVW6SDFH $\DOD ... highly spontaneous and gestural the changes we want in our lives.

Museum Annex, Ground Level, eruptions in his works.

He may not be the little boy anymore Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa The products of these artful play dreaming of changing the world, but Street, Makati City. are now feated in his exhibition change the world he does nonetheless GRACIELLA PABULARCON â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moonlight Sonataâ&#x20AC;? at the Mezzanine through, eponymously, his Art. of the Makati Shangri-la Manila.

In the words of professor Ruben Defeo, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carating is back to nature. The natural world bursts in a technicolor explosion, that is very happy and very positive.

Highly respected The paintings are layers and of personal experience acclaimed of going back to essenvisual artist from tia ls where each mo Quezon ment is highly nuanced, province each memory is heavily Artemio Bermido Jr. glossed with patina, and each emotion i s laden with both fun and fury.â&#x20AC;?

Organ i zed by the Hir a y a G a l l e r y, M o o n l ight Sonata r u n s u nti l Ma rch 20.

'Lullaby 3,' 4x4ft, 2019

From my Window, 3x3ft, 2019

Red Horizon, 4x4ft, 2019