The Manila Times | April 21, 2019

DEFENDING CHAMP TO BELIEVE OR NOT ‘BALOT’ FOR EASTER AND BEYOND A NEW BEGINNING FOR PATEROS HENDERSON TIED FOR LEAD TO BELIEVE JESUS’ AND ITS FAMED EXOTIC PRODUCE RESURRECTION AT LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP Golf Times E1

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The Sunday Times

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APRIL 21, 2019 19

Trusted since 1898

Happy Easter!

‘PINK’ MOON April’s full moon glows in pink over Manila on Good Friday.

The nickname was given in the United States and takes after moss pink, one of the earliest flowers of spring. PHOTO BY RUY L. MARTINEZ

Spread ‘seeds of hope’ – Tagle

The elephant in the room SUNDAY STORIES MARLEN V. RONQUILLO

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N sophisticated and vibrant democracies, campaign seasons cover all bases, issue-wise. If an important and pressing issue is missed, pressure groups will remind the candidates across parties that such and such issue is being left out. Campaigners take heed and an earnest conversation about that topic commences. (No, the reminder does not come from journalists and this is a universal thing.)

Not so in unstable democracies like

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When we celebrate Easter REFLECTIONS

FR. SHAY CULLEN, SSC

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ASTER is the time we recall the tragic events of two thousand and nineteen years ago when a Jew, a man from Palestine, was spied upon, betrayed, perseCUTED FALSELY CHARGED VILIkED ABANDONED and arrested. It started in a mock trial that handed down the death penalty for the man from Nazareth, the Son of Man, a Son of God, Jesus.

We also celebrate the resilience, determination, the belief and hope of the persecuted and oppressed, to rise up and

³Cullen A4 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

Sara Duterte mulls leaving Hugpong HUGPONG ng Pagbabago (HnP) Chairman and Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio on Saturday said she was not in favor of a plan to turn HnP into a national political party.

In fact, she disclosed, she was considering leaving the party amid noise over her possible run for president in 2022.

Duterte-Carpio, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, made the statement over reports that the HnP would soon be upgraded into a national political party in preparation for the 2022 race to Malacañang.

“I’m mulling leaving HnP because I want to go back to Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, where it’s calmer,” she told The Manila Times in a text message, referring to a party formed by her father when he was involved in Davao City politics.

“Sa ngayon hindi ko talaga suportahan ang move na ‘yan (Right now, I will not support that move for Hugpong’s upgrade),” the mayor said.

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BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

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N a sea of despair, hate and injustice, focus on the good, spread “seeds of hope” and adopt a lifestyle of loving even when “our lives can seem loveless,” Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said in his Easter message.

“We invite you to seize the power of love unleashed by the risen Christ this Easter.

Love is not just a word, it is a lifestyle of seeing, encountering and understanding other people,” the Manila archbishop said.

Like the orphan boy from the 1960s musical “Oliver Twist,” he added, Jesus must have felt abandoned after he was betrayed, tortured and sentenced to die on the cross, or also like ordinary people WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER DIFkCULTIES IN THEIR personal lives.

Tagle said, “Christ must have asked the same question on the cross when he cried out, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’

Where was love when Jesus was betrayed, ABANDONED BY HIS FRIENDS AND CRUCIkED like an animal?”

Two of his disciples and supposed friends, Peter and Judas Iscariot, betrayed him, causing him to be ridiculed, beaten and executed without due process among robbers by the government for allegedly committing blasphemy and sedition because he challenged the authority of false prophets and priests.

Peter disowned Jesus and denied knowing him on the day that he was arrested by armed guards, while Judas disclosed Christ’s whereabouts to chief priests and scribes in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.

Tagle said when “hunger, unemployment, addictions, indignities, abuse, hate speech, false accusations, killing, corruption, human TRAFkCKING RUN WILD AND SEEM TO REIGN OUR world appears dark.”

“But if we look more carefully, more intently at people and situations, it is then that we see love revealing itself,” he added.

The cardinal said of Jesus’ journey to the cross and beyond, he was surrounded by “intense moments of love” from his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; John, who waited at the foot of the cross; the penitent thief, who asked to be remembered when he returns to his kingdom; Joseph Arimathea, who overcame his fear of being his open follower when he asked for

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CHRIST GLORIFIED Church bells ring today to signify Christ’s triumph over death, the central belief of Christians all over the world. FILE PHOTO

Pope prays for sex workers, abused children Churches welcome Easter with ‘salubong’ The ceremony, taking place late on Good Friday (Black Saturday in Manila) in the Christian calendar which marks THE DAY #HRIST WAS CRUCIkED TOOK ITS theme from meditations written by Catholic nun Eugenia Bonetti, who has spent much of her life in Africa and also attended the event.

The event spotlighted sex slaves “used” but “condemned by a society which refuses to see this kind of exploitation.”

The text was read aloud as the procession continued through the streets of Rome, ending outside the iconic Coliseum, once the site of persecution against Christians under the Roman Empire.

Pope Francis, in a prayer at the end of the ceremony, spoke of “the cross of those who thirst for justice and peace.”

Around 20,000 Christian faithful Q Pope Francis in Rome on Good Friday. AFP PHOTO

ROME: Pope Francis led the traditional Easter week “Way of the Cross” procession in Rome that took the theme of modernday slavery and human trafficking, including the prostitutes who ply their trade on Italy’s streets.

gathered around the great Roman amphitheater, many holding lighted candles following the evening ceremony in silence.

The Pope spoke of those bearing “all the crosses of the world” including “those who hunger for bread and for LOVEu AND gTHOSE WHO kND DOORS CLOSED because of fear, and hearts sealed by political calculations.”

The Argentinian pontiff also alluded to the secularization of modern society, where the faithful “we believing in you and trying to live according to your word, kND THEMSELVES MARGINALIZED AND DISCARDed even by their families and their peers.”

Pope Francis’ prayer included a plea for abused youth.

“Lord Jesus, help us to see in Your Cross all the crosses of the world … the cross of little ones wounded in their innocence

THE San Agustin Church in Intramuros and the Quiapo Church, two famous churches in Manila, ended the Holy Week Triduum with the traditional salubong or the welcoming of Easter Sunday as the clock hit 12 midnight on April 21.

On Easter Sunday, the day the Catholic Church commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, groups of men and women would take part in separate processions.

The men would be carrying a statue of the risen Christ and the women, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mother.

Their paths would cross in front of the

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PACC backs Duterte’s call for Reds to kill corrupt officials

BASECO BEACH Residents of Tondo, Manila frolic in the murky waters of Baseco Beach, despite warnings by authorities, on Black Saturday to beat the April heat. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

THE Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has stood by President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for communist rebels to spare state forces and, instead, target corrupt men in government for assassination.

PACC Chairman Dante Jimenez made the statement after Duterte sought the New People’s Army’s (NPA) assistance in his anti-corruption purge after denouncing government personnel who extort money from the public in exchange for faster service.

“We agree with the President’s position that the public, whose interests and

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SUNDAY April 21, 2019

Q CORRUPT FROM A1

BARMM set to get P30B PACC backs Duterte’s call for development projects BY  JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

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HE newly established Bangsamoro government is now assured of crucial seed funding to bankroll development projects AND REHABILITATION OF AREAS AFFECTED BY CONlICT IN the new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao with the enactment into law of the P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019.

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny�

Angara said the 2019 General Appropriations Act recently signed

by President Rodrigo Duterte includes a P30-billion allocation for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The amount was initially allocated for the ARMM, but would be transferred to the BARMM to serve as its operational funds for this year. “This is in fulfillment of the promise to give the Bangsamoro GOVERNMENT FULL kSCAL AUTONOMY

to achieve economic self-sufficiency and genuine development,� according to Angara, who, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, co-sponsored Republic Act 11054 or the “Bangsamoro Organic Law�

(BOL) creating the BARMM. “With this spending package, we pin our hopes on the leaders of the new autonomous political entity to change the lives of our Mindanaoan brothers and sisters who equally deserve opportunities to be employed, educated and cared for by the government,� the senator said.

The BOL, a realization of long peace negotiations between the

government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), WAS OVERWHELMINGLY RATIkED BY THE Bangsamoro people during a twopart plebiscite held early this year.

In February, President Duterte formed the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority to serve as the interim government in the BARMM during the transition PERIOD THAT WILL LAST UNTIL THE kRST elections take place in 2022.

The BOL, Angara said, was “a lasting and valuable legal solution to the long-festering problem in Mindanao, so that ultimately PEACE AND PROSPERITY CAN lOURISH u In 2015, population in the region stood at 3.78 million, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

One in two persons in the region was poor, or about 53.7 percent of its population, the GOVERNMENT STATISTICS OFkCE SAID “The solution should ultimately rest on giving the Bangsamoro people to make their own choices, THE POLITICAL AND kSCAL AUTONOMY to no longer consult with imperial

Manila or the central government on matters that are essentially Bangsamoro matter,� Angara said.

Under the BOL, revenue sources for the Bangsamoro include taxes, fees, charges and annual block grant and revenue shares from exploration of natural resources, among others.

The law provides that 75 percent of national taxes and fees collected in the region will go the Bangsamoro government, while 25 percent will go to the national government.

The 75-percent share shall “accrue� to the Bangsamoro governMENT FOR THE kRST YEARS The BARMM government will be given a 5-percent annual block grant from the national government, which will be automatically appropriated in the national budget. )N THE kRST YEAR FOLLOWING THE effectivity of the Bangsamoro law, the block grant should be 5 percent of the net national internal revenue tax collection and the net collection of the Bureau of CusTOMS IN THE LAST THREE kSCAL YEARS

welfare the NPA claims it protects, should wage war against corruption in all levels of government,�

Jimenez said in a statement. “In fact, the NPA should put itself at the forefront of this camPAIGN IF IT IS REALLY kGHTING FOR THE people’s cause,� he added.

Duterte, in a speech during a campaign rally in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on Tuesday, appealed to communist rebels to HELP THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS kGHT against corruption. “Kayong mga NPA, kung gusto talaga ninyo magpatay, huwag ‘yung sundalo ko‌T*** i** ‘yung mga kurakot diyan na nagche -checkpoint, ‘ yan ang patayin ninyo. ‘Yan ang order ko (You NPAs if you really want to kill, spare my soldiers‌ Son of a b***h, kill the corrupt who put up checkpoints. That’s my order),â€? Duterte said. “Huwag ‘yang taong inosente na sige lang kayo hingi ng p**** i**** taxation na ‘yan. Kaya hindi tayo magkaintindihan (Spare the innocent people from whom you demand taxation. That’s why we have a misunderstanding),â€? he added.

Sought for comment, analyst Ramon Casiple said Duterte’s latest pronouncement “has more to do with frustration with the corruption situation than with the peace process.�

A n a l ys t A n t o n i o “ B u t c h �

Valdes said Duterte was “very creative in dealing with enemies of the State.� “He (Duterte) challenges the Left to help him punish the corrupt officials whom they claim they hate. The communists have only one way to deal with their enemies...execution.... which is of course a crime,� Valdes, head of the “Save the Nation Movement, told The Manila Times.

‘Vote them out’

The PACC chief urged the public to be discerning in choosing local politicians in the May 13 midterm elections. g4HE WAR AGAINST CORRUPT OFkcials must extend as far as voting them for public office. Do not vote for politicians or candidates with pending cases with the Ombudsman or at the Sandiganbayan,� Jimenez said. “The PACC’s campaign against OFkCIALS WITH PENDING CASES IS IN keeping with the President’s corruption-free standard for governMENT OFkCIALS AND THAT NOT A WHIFF of corruption must be tolerated in our communities,� he added.

T h e PAC C , a c c o r d i n g t o Jimenez, was going around the regions to promote the President’s anti-corruption drive in the countryside. “Corruption breeds poverty, crime, illegal drugs and worst of all, rebellion,� the PACC chief said.

Duterte won on a platform of eradicating corruption in government and crime. His critics, however, said he seems to spare his close allies accused of corruption, even as he HAS kRED MANY OF HIS APPOINTEES ON a “whiff of corruption.�

The President had decried corruption and red tape in government, saying the problem could pave way to a “failed government.�

The latest to leave among his appointees was former Philippine #HARITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE GENERAL manager Alexander Balutan.

The Palace initially said he was kRED gDUE TO SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS OF corruption,� but later backtracked, saying he resigned.

Duterte said he would fire gMANYu GOVERNMENT OFkCIALS FOR corruption before he leaves for China next week.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

Q SALUBONG FROM A1

Churches welcome Easter

DEVOTED SEA OF HUMANITY Thousands of devotees participate in the procession of the Santo Entierro or Christ Interred.

In Binangonan, Rizal, the Good Friday procession is also known as ‘gewang-gewang,’ loosely translated as ‘wobbling.’ PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA

Q CHILDREN FROM A1

Pope prays for sex workers, abused children and in their purity,� he said. “Like the young girl with a slim body we met one evening in Rome while men in luxury cars lined up to exploit her. She might have been the age of their own children,� the meditation for the sixth station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, stated. “Cleanse our eyes so that we can see your face in our brothers and sisters, especially in all those children,� the prayer that followed stated. “Little ones used as cheap goods, bought and sold at will. Lord, we ask you to have mercy and compassion on this sick world. Help us rediscover the beauty of our dignity, and that of others, as human beings created in your image and likeness.�

Pope Francis personally selected Sister Bonetti to write the meditations for the Stations of the Cross. Bonetti, 80, is a Consolata Missionary Sister from northern Italy, who aids women and girls in Italy to leave prostituTION AND TRAFkCKING “Lord Jesus, it is easy to wear

A CRUCIkX ON A CHAIN AROUND OUR neck or to use it to decorate the walls of our beautiful cathedrals or homes. It is less easy to encounter and acknowledge today’s NEWLY CRUCIkED THE HOMELESS the young deprived of hope, without work and without prospects; the immigrants relegated to slums at the fringe of our societies after having endured untold suffering,� Bonetti wrote in her Way of the Cross meditations.

Roman tradition The Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at the Colosseum is a Roman practice that dates back to the pontificate of Benedict 14th, who died in 1758.

After a pause, the tradition was revived by Pope St. Paul 6th in 1964. During Pope St. John Paul 2nd’s papacy, the Colosseum stations became a worldwide television event; the pope himself used to carry the cross. “We have gathered in this place where thousands of people once suffered martyrdom

for their fidelity to Christ,�

Bonetti wrote in her introduction to her station meditations. “We want to walk this via dolorosa in union with the poor, the outcast of our societies and all those who even now are endurING CRUCIkXION AS VICTIMS OF OUR narrowmindedness, our institutions and our laws, our blindness AND SELkSHNESS BUT ESPECIALLY our indifference and hardness of heart,� she continued.

Pope Francis prayed to see Christ in “the cross of consecrated persons who, along the way, HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR kRST LOVEu and “the cross of our common home that seriously withers unDER OUR EYES SELkSH AND BLINDED by greed and power.�

(UMAN TRAFkCKING IS AN IMPORtant topic to Pope Francis, who has spoken out against human exploitation throughout his PONTIkCATE 4HE 0OPE HAS OFTEN invoked the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita, once a slave herself, to intercede to bring about an end to “this plague.�

While in the past, the Pope

himself used to carry the cross from station to station around the Colosseum, it is now carried by individuals and families.

This year cross-bearers included priests from Syria and the Holy Land, several religious sisters, and a man in a wheelchair accompanied by volunteers with the Italian National Union for Transporting the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the Vicar General of Rome, carried the cross for the kRST AND LAST STATIONS In his prayer at the end of the Via Crucis, the Pope prayed for “the cross of your children who, believing in You and trying to LIVE ACCORDING TO 9OUR WORD kND themselves marginalized and discarded even by their relatives and their peers.� “Lord Jesus, revive in us the hope of the resurrection and your definitive victory against every evil and every death,� Pope Francis prayed.

AFP AND CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

church, acting out the extra-biblical reunion or encounter of the victorious Christ and the Virgin Mary, whose black veil is lifted by young girls dressed as angels.

This would be done after the Easter Vigil Mass, which is celebrated on Saturday night.

The sacrament of baptism may also be received by adult and children alike.

The Paschal candle is lit at the start of the Eucharistic celebration to represent the risen Christ as the “light of the world� for redeeming humanity and overcoming death.

Fr. Roy Bellen of the Manila archdiocese’s communication OFkCE SAID #HRIST S REDEMPTION was a reminder for the faithful to always hold on to their faith.

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ permanent committee on public affairs said, “No matter how difficult our circumstances in life, we should not give up. The painful and bloody moment of crucifixion is not the end for Christ, there is the empty tomb signifying his glory.�

3ECILLANO ADDED g4HE RESURrection of Christ offers us hope.

When human capacity cannot anymore accomplish things or overcome the odds, be brave

AND BE CONkDENT ,ET US TURN to the risen Lord and allow him to make things happen for us.

Hope tells us not to put a limit to what God can do.�

Fr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Quiapo Church, said they expect fewer people to attend the salubong procession because devotees had already joined the Good Friday procession.

The Black Nazarene image, which is housed in Quiapo Church, traditionally draws in millions of people because it is believed to heal the sick and grant fortune.

On April 20, Good Friday, about 35,000 of the faithful lOCKED TO 1UIAPO TO JOIN THE midnight procession and mark *ESUS CRUCIkXION The Manila Police DistrictTraffic Enforcement Unit rerouted vehicles for the salubong at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.

The traffic unit also implemented a stop-and-go traffic scheme in areas affected by the procession.

Affected areas were the southbound lanes of Quezon Boulevard, Palanca Street, Villalobos Street, Evangelista Street, G. Puyat Street and Plaza Miranda.

CATHERINE A. MODESTO

Q TAGLE FROM A1

Spread ‘seeds of hope’ Tagle added that as followers of Jesus who “tended the poor, applied myrrhs and aloes to his healed the sick and welcomed the wounds; and Pontius Pilate who outcasts,â€? Christians are called to WAS CITED AS SAYING IN ,UKE “see people and their situations g) kND NO FAULT WITH THIS MAN u with understanding, compassion Tagle added that small acts of and solidarity‌ without pretenkindness, care and love are not sions of having the answer to all SO SMALL OR gINSIGNIkCANTu IN THE their problems.â€? grand scheme of things.

It is through these encounters of “They can make all the differ- love and caring that transform famience in ways we cannot imag- lies and families from prisoners of ine,� he said. despair to bearers of hope, he said.

his body; the women who tended to his tomb; Nicodemus, who

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Ban on cruise ships in Boracay imposed merely “presented [as] a new incident. “We remind the public to be more mindful in posting or sharing old videos and pictures of cruise ships in Boracay Island as this may cause unnecessary alarm. We assur[e] the public that there was no entry of cruise ships to Boracay Island since the start of the close out dates,� the DoT said in a statement.

The close out dates for cruise ships for the Lenten season and summer break started last April

BY NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

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(% $EPARTMENT OF 4OURISM $O4 has assured the public it is strictly implementing the embargo on cruise ships in Boracay Island to control the island’s daily carrying capacity amid an expected surge in tourist arrivals this Lenten SEASON AND SUMMER BREAK

This came after videos and photos of cruise ships docking in Boracay Island surfaced on

social media. The Tourism department, however, said these materials were old and were

16, with Boracay’s daily capacity set to19,215, including 6,405 tourist arrivals per day. “Rest assured, the BIATF (Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force) will continue to strictly enforce set guidelines and ordinances, especially during the Holy Week,� it added.

The other close out dates for cruise ships have been set this year on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day; and for the Southeast Asian Games as well as the Christmas Season.

Close out dates will begin from October 26 to November 8 and November 23 to Jan. 5, 2020.

BIATF said the close out dates were agreed upon last December 28 between the Philippine Port Authority, Aklan Port, Tourism Congress of the Philippines, Boracay Foundation and all cruise lines and shore excursion companies operating in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, DoT Region 6 Director Helen Catalbas said

they have placed several assistance and information desks in airports, entry points of cities and towns in Western Visayas. “DoT 6 is expecting the influx of tourists during the Lenten Season. That is the reason why we are also in full force to provide assistance. The safety of tourists, both local and foreign, is the priority of the DoT Region 6 because we want them to have a smooth and enjoyable travel experience here in Western Visayas,� Catalbas said.

Go vows to help Duterte fight crime, corruption Filipino, Japanese TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan: Senate Christopher Lawrence “Bong�

Go renewed his commitment to help President Rodrigo $UTERTE IMPROVE THE PEACE AND ORDER SITUATION AND kGHT corruption to enable the country to achieve progress.

Speaking at the PDP-Laban campaign rally here on April 16, Go said should he win a Senate seat, he would continue President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption. “Asahan nyo po lalong lalo na sa corruption, ibulong nyo po sa amin, marami na po kaming na-entrap sa Truth and Justice Coalition. Meron din po tayong Anti-Corruption Commission, andun po sina Chairman Dante Jimenez at Commissioner Greco Belgica, magkasama po kami dito (You can be assured, especially on corruption, whisper to us; we in the Truth and Justice Coalition have

already entrapped so many. We also have the Anti-Corruption Commission with Dante Jimenez at Commissioner Greco Belgica; we are in this together),� he added.

He said he could also be counted on to relay people’s concerns to President Duterte, particularly if they have complaints against corrupt government OFkCIALS In his speech, President Duterte said the Philippines would not progress like other advanced nations unless the problems of peace and order and corruption were addressed. “’Pag hindi nahinto itong corruption sa gobyerno, you can give any President any number of terms and still, if you cannot improve on these two things, forget about

Q Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go (center) campaigns with actor Robin Padilla (right).

giving our children a better deal than what our parents have given us,� Duterte said.

Endorsing the Senate bid of Go, President Duterte noted that his former top aide had learned a lot from him. “He stayed with me for 21 years. Natuto ito sa akin, lalo na yung istrikto ako sa pera, ‘yang ayaw ko yung oppression (He learned from me, especially my strictness on money, and my distate of oppression). ‘Yan ang ayaw ko talaga (I truly don’t like that), I do not want oppression — ‘yung kinakaka-kaya mo ang tao, ayaw ko ‘yan (when you bully people, I do not like that),� Duterte said.

Duterte also stressed Go’s integrity, noting he had entrusted millions of funds to his former top aide, but the latter has not even earned a single peso.

In his message, Go thanked the people of Tuguegarao and the province of Cagayan for their show of support to him and the PDP-Laban candidates, noting the enthusiastic response of the people when he held a motorcade around the city.

He told the people of Cagayan that he would work for IMPROVED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR FARMERS kSHERFOLK AND the agricultural sector as a whole.

Among others, Go proposed improved access for FARMERS AND kSHERFOLK TO FARM AND kSHERY INPUTS SUCH as machinery, fertilizers, seeds, irrigation and low-interest credit to increase their productivity.

Likewise, Go said he would support development PROGRAMS OF THE $UTERTE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE BENEkT of Cagayan and the entire region, such as various farmto-market roads whose proposals have already been submitted for the necessary funding.

Set to begin this month is the construction works for the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority. The P500-million project is expected to be ready for occupancy early next year. !NOTHER PROJECT FOR THE BENEkT OF THE PROVINCE IS THE proposed development of the Nangaramoan Eco-Tourism Park, to be situated in between the Pozo Rubio and Aguib beaches and Palaui Island Eco-Tourism located in Palaui, Island. These are expected to boost local tourism and economy in the region.

defense chiefs to strengthen strategic security partnership

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana held talks with Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in terms of implementing strategic defense toward advancing peace, security and growth.

In a statement, Lorenzana’s visit to Iwaya on April 17 was the “latest manifestation of the continued robust relations between the Philippines and Japan.�

The talk was the country’s commitment to the implementation of the 2015 Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges.

Lorenzana said both sides welcomed the increasing cooperation across major services and agreed to deepen exchanges in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster response between ground forces, ship repair and maintenance between maritime forces, and professional airmanship between air forces.

Both also vowed to increase cooperation on capacity building, defense industry and logistics.

They also discussed the impor tance of pursuing practical cooperation through the Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, which is considered as the highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its dialogue partners.

Lorenzana expressed his gratitude to the goodwill visit of JS Izumo, the largest destroyer of Japan Self-Defense Force.

He said he was looking forward to hosting the 6th Philippines-Japan Vice Ministers’ Defense Dialogue this year.

ROY D.R. NARRA

Pangilinan: Raising Mamasapano ‘pure politicking’ Liberal Party chief spouting ‘noxious nonsense’ – Palace SEN. Francis “Kiko� Pangilinan, Liberal Party (LP) president, on Saturday said raising the Mamasapano issue anew was pure politicking, as the Senate had already investigated the incident and charges have already been kLED IN COURT “Raising the matter anew is pure and simple politicking, and a means to shun important and pressing issues affecting the Filipinos such as poverty, lack of opportunities, indignation over China’s aggression, and corruption hounding many of the administration candidates,� said Pangilinan in a statement. “The public should remain vigilant and not be misled by these diversionary tactics meant to confuse and keep voters from scrutinizing the administration’s failures and their candidates’ track records,� he added.

Pangilinan’s statement was issued in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks accusing LP Senate bet Manuel “Mar�

Roxas 2nd of wasting the lives of the 44 police commandos who died in the Mamasapano encounter in 2015. “He (Roxas) wasted 44 lives for nothing. They could not even explain‌why it was the police who went there who were totally ignorant of the topography and the physical arrangement of the area?â€? Duterte said on Wednesday.

Pangilinan insisted that the judicial processes must be allowed to proceed and give the persons involved their day in court, adding that was where accountability is ultimately determined. “If we act like a broken record, we will not be able to move forward and attend to the real issues

at hand,� he emphasized.

The operation involving units of the elite Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNPSAF) in a remote town in Maguindanao in January 2015 led to the death of wanted terrorist :ULKIlI BIN (IR ALIAS g-ARWAN u BUT POLICE OFkCERS -ORO Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) kGHTERS AND SEVERAL CIVILIANS WERE killed in a clash as the troopers were leaving.

The clash has been blamed on poor planning and a lack of coordination with the MILF despite CEASEkRE PROTOCOLS ON OPERATIONS near MILF communities.

MalacaĂąan Palace immediately dismissed Pangilinan’s statements. “Senator Pangilinan’s claim of diversionary tactics on PRRD’s (Duterte’s) remarks on the opposition’s candidates is noxious nonsense,â€? Panelo told The Manila

Times in a text message. “The achievements of the administration far exceeds the administration of his idol PNoy (former president Benigno Aquino 3rd). Previous administrations pale in comparison with PRRD’s war on drugs, on criminality, on corruption, and on terrorism as well as his infrastructure Build Build Build program,� he added.

The Palace official said Pangilinan, just like the other critics and detractors, was “deaf and blind to the unprecedented very high satisfaction and trust survey rating of the President.� “It is about time he and others in the opposition wake up from their self-destructive illusion lest they are swept away to oblivion by the horses of change galloping in the country,� he added.

JAVIER JOE ISMAEL AND CATHERINE S. VALENTE

FOR LEGAL MARIJUANA

An advocate for the legalization of cannabis or marijuana (right) displays his placard in a march to Mendiola in Manila on Saturday. The date April 20, or ‘4/20,’ is symbolic among users of cannabis. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

Grace period for planholders Dear PAO, I bought a memorial lot on an installment basis, and I have been religiously paying for it for almost kVE YEARS (OWEVER EARLY THIS YEAR

I defaulted in payment because ) WAS HOSPITALIZED AND SUFFERED DIFkCULTY IN MY kNANCES 4HE PRE need company told me that under THE PRE NEED PLAN AGREEMENT THAT ) SIGNED ) SHOULD PAY THEM WITHIN 30 days counted from the date of MY NONPAYMENT OTHERWISE THEY WILL FORFEIT MY PLAN 4HE DAY grace period is too short for me to BE ABLE TO COMPLY #AN YOU PLEASE enlighten me on this matter?

Roy

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA Dear Roy, Under Chapter VI, Section 23 of Republic Act (RA) 9829 or the “Pre-Need Code of the Philippines,� it is stated that a “pre-need company must provide in all contracts issued to planholders a grace period of at least sixty (60) days within which to pay accrued instalments....� The whole provision is quoted below:

g3ECTION Default; Reinstatement Period. - 4HE PRE NEED company must provide in all contracts issued to planholders a grace period of at least sixty DAYS WITHIN WHICH TO PAY accrued installments, counted FROM THE DUE DATE OF THE kRST UN PAID INSTALLMENT Nonpayment of a plan within the grace period shall render the plan a lapsed plan. Any payment by the planholder after the grace period shall be reimbursed forthwith, unless the planholder duly reinstates the plan. The planholder shall be allowed a period of not less than two (2) years from the lapse of the

grace period or a longer period as provided in the contract within which to reinstate his plan. No cancellation of plans shall be made by the issuer during such PERIOD WHEN REINSTATEMENT MAY BE EFFECTED “Within thirty (30) days from the expiration of the grace peri OD AND WITHIN THIRTY DAYS from the expiration of the rein STATEMENT PERIOD WHICH IS TWO (2) years from the lapse of the GRACE PERIOD THE PRE NEED COM PANY SHALL GIVE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE PLANHOLDER THAT HIS PLAN WILL be cancelled if not reinstated WITHIN TWO YEARS Failure to

give either of the required notices shall preclude the pre-need company from treating the plans as cancelled.� (Emphasis supplied) Therefore, applying the foregoing in your recent predicament, it is clear that there should be at least a 60-day grace period specikED IN YOUR PLAN WITHIN WHICH TO pay accumulated unpaid installments, counted from the due date OF THE kRST UNPAID INSTALLMENT IN case a planholder defaulted in payment. The 30-day grace period in your pre-need plan agreement with your pre-need company is viOLATIVE OF THE PROVISION SPECIkED in the Pre-Need Code. Neverthe-

less, you can reinstate your plan within two years from the lapse of the grace period as mentioned in the second paragraph of Section 23, RA 9829.

We hope that we were able to answer your queries. Please be reminded that this advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same.

Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public AtTORNEY S /FkCE 1UESTIONS FOR Chief Acosta may be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

The Sunday Times w w w.manilatimes.net

E d i to r i a l Gerrymandering Palawan

T

HE INK has barely dried on the bill — now law — dividing the archipelagic province of Palawan into three separate provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur. But questions are being raised on the legislation, passed ostensibly to make the job of governing the country’s biggest and most biodiverse province a lot easier.

First, it was passed with apparent undue haste in a bicameral legislature notorious for its slow-grinding mill.

There was, in fact, no counterpart bill in the Senate, which merely adopted the bill passed by the House of Representatives at the end of August 2018.

By October 2018, merely weeks later, the local government committee of Sen. Edgardo "Sonny" Angara was already sponsoring a committee report on the charters of the three new provinces. How many public hearings did he hold?

The bill suddenly hurdled third reading in a little over a month, with all senators voting in favor, except Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who was prevailed upon by volunteers and activists caught by surprise at the speed by which the measure was going through Congress.

There is always something suspicious when politicians seek to redraw political boundaries.

The Americans named this practice “gerrymandering,� after Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry, who carved out a salamander-shaped territory in Boston in 1812 to give his allies an electoral advantage.

In the gerrymandering of Palawan under Republic Act (RA) 11259, the justification is the supposed difficulty of administering a province with an area of nearly 15,000 square kilometers, from Busuanga near Mindoro to the north all the way to Balabag and Bataraza down south and near Borneo.

In short, the answer to the problem of the ineffective bureaucracy, according to politicians, is even more bureaucracy.

RA 11259 means two more sets of (and payrolls for) PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVES AND LEGISLATORS PROVINCIAL OFkCERS AND provincial councils for law and order and others that will ONLY BE OF QUESTIONABLE EFkCIENCY AND EFFECTIVITY The seeming rush to split Palawan is out of sync with the Duterte administration’s efforts to shift to a federal system of government, which involves a real devolution of powers, prerogatives and resources to local governments.

It also comes amid a heightened territorial dispute with China over the Kalayaan (Spratly) Island Group, which is technically a municipality of Palawan. Does it make sense to divide Palawan and make it easier for the Chinese or their surrogates to conquer the smaller provinces?

That the city of Puerto Princesa will be left out of the process of ratifying the law via plebiscite next year also raises eyebrows.

Puerto Princesa is the provincial capital, and yet its status as a chartered city means it is independent of the rest of the province, and by law need not give its assent to its dismembering.

Opponents of RA 11259 will have to shift their efforts against the gerrymandering exercise to the 2020 province-wide plebiscite.

It is still possible to defeat this rather unconvincing piece of legislation through reason and sound argumentation, unless the politicians behind the move pull another fast one on the people and province they SUPPOSEDLY kND DIFkCULT TO GOVERN

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

The Sunday Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 190

DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor FELIPE F. SALVOSA 2ND, Managing Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL S. MALLARI, Sports Editor DINO RAY V. DIRECTO 3RD, Motoring Editor CONRAD M. CARIÑO, Special Sections Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY, Assistant Business Editor MARIO F. FETALINO, Assistant Business Editor REMIA B. EUGENIO, Deskman (Regions) MARISHELLE R. MEDINA, Deskman 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.

To believe or not to believe Jesus’ resurrection First of 2 Parts

W

HAT if Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead, but just in spirit?

There would still be life after death, but the deceased would become pure spirit, like angels.

The Apostles’ Creed doctrines remain, except one: “resurrection of the body� might say instead “resurrection of the soul.�

The Resurrection doctrine might then be easier to accept, since we are used to ghosts and voices from the spirit world. The Church would have relics of the actual body of Jesus, to prove his existence. And there might still be 2 billion baptized Christians today, adoring Christ as God and awaiting eternal life with his spirit in heaven.

What’s wrong with that?

Well, two things, for starters. If eternal life with God is only for our souls, then man is not saved, but just his spirit. That won’t jibe with the goodness of all creation, as made by God but ruined by sin. Christ’s resurrection in soul and body redeems not the spirit alone, but matter, too. Thus, in the Book of Revelation (21:1), John the Evangelist foresaw not just a new heaven, but “a new heaven and a new earth.�

Then there’s the small matter of what actually happened. Jesus’ death and the Apostles’ belief that he appeared to them afterward are two of several events accepted by the great majority of scholars, even those disputing Church dogma, as argued in the debate summed up below.

As the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said when asked

FAITH HEALER RICARDO SALUDO why he accepted the resurrection, one believes because “it is.�

Debating Easter Today and next Sunday’s columns cite highlights of two books debating the Resurrection. Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? (published 1987) pit Bible scholar and Christian apologist Gary Habermas and former Oxford philosophy professor Antony G.N. Flew, a staunch opponent of miracle claims.

The second book for next Sunday is Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact or Figment? (published 2000), featuring Christian philosopherapologist William Lane Craig and New Testament scholar and atheist Gerd Ludemann, held at the Jesuit-run Boston College.

Speaking first in the earlier debate, Prof. Flew centered his Resurrection denial on the utter lack of historical documents from Jesus’ time to corroborate New Testament accounts, which were seen as not objectively recounting historical events.

With this lack of material, Flew saw “no chance of either developing a modestly acceptable outline account of what actually happened in Jerusalem during the original Easter weekend, or of determining how or when believers came to believe that on the third day Jesus physically rose from the dead.�

Absent independent accounts from Jesus’ time, the English professor concluded, “We have no alternative but continue in the presumption that anything that is accepted as naturally impossible [like resurrection] did not happen.�

Habermas offers three arguments for the Resurrection. First, he rebuts the view that miracles never happen just because they are impossible under the laws of nature. For him, this presumption was invalid circular reasoning, denying something that deviates from natural law simply because it deviates. Why can’t there be an exception?

His second argument cites 11 New Testament events accepted by most scholars, even those denying the Resurrection. The events debunk non-Resurrection explanations like hallucination among the Apostles, Jesus not dying but just falling into a death-like swoon, and fraud by his followers.

Of the 11 events, Habermas singled out three with the widEST SCHOLARLY AFkRMATION *ESUS ACTUALLY DIED BY CRUCIkXION 4HE Apostles and disciples truly believed the risen Christ appeared to them. And afterward, they became ardent preachers, braving even martyrdom, when before they feared persecution or, in Paul’s case, did it to Christians.

The first accepted fact ruled out the swoon hypothesis, while the belief and martyrdom of the Apostles and disciples made fraud unlikely, since they would not die for what they knew to be false.

And the many followers in different times and places professing to have seen the risen Jesus debunked

hallucination, which happens only to particular people in their own SPECIkC CIRCUMSTANCES NOT OTHERS in different situations.

The ‘selfie’ of Jesus The third proof Habermas cited was the Shroud of Turin, venerated as the burial cloth of Jesus, with an image of his corpse.

While carbon dating in 1988 found a small corner specimen to be from the 13th century, recent tests with new technology dated the same item between 300 BC AND !$ 4HIS kNDING SUPports historical and archaeological evidence that the Shroud is, indeed, Jesus’ burial cloth.

Scientific studies, Habermas noted, that the Shroud image was created not by blood and other lUID STAINS BUT BY A PROCESS SIMILAR TO kLM PHOTOGRAPHY 4HE IMAGE was a 3D negative which marked only the surface of the cloth, just AS A kLM IMAGE IS ONLY ON THE LIGHT sensitive chemical layer covering THE kLM S PLASTIC STRIP The light that created the Shroud image seems to have come from the body, so that even inner anatomy, like some bones, are seen. And the energy required to create the image on the cloth under this process is estimated at 34,000 gigawatts, or about 34 times the installed power generation capacity in the United States.

Habermas and other Resurrection advocates argued that the way the Shroud picture was CREATED AFkRMED #HRIST S RISING

with the light from his resurrected body capturing his image

ÂłSaludoA5

Q CULLEN FROM A1

When we celebrate Easter speak out and challenge the forces of their oppression.

They that suffer on a cross of oppression can rise to a new life.

These are the brave and courageous seekers of truth, of freedom, and live in hope for justice and true democracy.

Jesus overcame the power of death so that his spirit now lives among us, inspiring and encouraging all of us to put his values into action for social and political transformation, to create a just society however distant that reality may be. He was a simple teacher of values. He taught by stories. He was a social activist who spoke against the evils of the authorities, spoke truth to power, and he paid the price. He was a critic and a threat to the authorities, exposing their hypocrisy, ill-gotten wealth and evil ways.

The followers of Jesus of Nazareth were falsely accused and the corrupt authorities spread black propaganda against them. The nation’s leaders called him and his followers “enemies of the state� to be crushed, killed and eliminated.

Today, many seekers of justice and truth suffer the same.

There was widespread persecution of Christians then and even in these modern times. Why is this so when all they are doing is good? The early Christians led by Jesus were teaching moral values, social justice, equality, the dignity of women and children, just wages for workers, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, challenging the rich to share with the poor and create a just society, giving hope and happiness to many people.

The authorities and corrupt elite were guilty of stealing from the temple and the nation’s coffers. And they spied on and harassed Jesus, an innocent critic condemned to death while they, the corrupt elite, wore a mask of pious virtue, draped in a cloak of hypocrisy. Much is so true today.

They declared they were saving the nation and that Jesus should be executed to save the nation. To save it from what? Social justice, love, healing and compassion, and forgiveness? Today, like him, human rights workers, church people,

outspoken truth-seeking clerics are VILIkED AND CONDEMNED Jesus grew up as a son of a carpenter, a humble but very wise man, a prodigy, some say, with incredible insight, compassion, understanding and knowledge of human nature. His dramatic message was that of equality among all, the rich had to share so the poor would no longer be poor, and social justice would reign and oppression would end. Today, societies are far from this standard.

He challenged the ruling powers in Jerusalem. The people lived in fear of the tyranny of the rich elite. Yet even today, despite this same oppression and persecution, true Christians and believers in the principles of justice and the rule of just law have the courage to take a stand for life.

4HEY kGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND dignity, the environment, the poor and the indigenous people.

People are resisting peacefully and taking a stand. This is the only real meaning of being a true Christian or a person of principle. Let’s be one with them.

Attending the Easter rites could be a spiritual experience, yet it is more of a cultural event as Catholicism adheres ever closer to rites that most people don’t understand. We ought to be making a spiritual and practical commitment to act for the values of the Gospel and the struggle for social justice that Jesus promoted and died for.

Before the arresting officers arrived to take away this good loving person to torture and crucify on a cross, he left behind a simple reminder of the values that he lived and died for. He had a Jewish Passover meal, which he turned into a simple meal of friendship with his followers and friends. Do this in memory of me, he said.

He is still alive and his spirit is upon us who believe. When we do join in the Last Supper, let us recall he was a washer of feet, a servant to all and he gave us human dignity and the chance to serve the people in need.

www.preda.org

The Sunday Times SUNDAY April 21, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

How a Miss Universe bet’s reply presaged rise in PH-China sea row

I

N the 1994 Miss Universe Pageant, the American emcee asked the Philippine bet, Bb. Pilipinas Charlene Gonzales, a trivia question that could have ensnared an unprepared beauty contestant into a clumsy, bumbling reply. Gonzales was a heavy favorite among the candidates and a wrong answer could have cost her chances for the crown.

The host crafted the question, thus: “One of the things I’ve learned [about your country] is that you guys have a bunch of islands. How many islands do you have in the Philippines?� “High tide or low tide?� came Charlene’s quick retort.

4HE GUY GOT lABBERGASTED INSTEAD

and for a long moment stood there speechless, able only to laugh off his embarrassment, joining the delight of the cheering gallery.

Gathering himself after a while, the host finally spoke, “Give me both.� “At high tide we have 7,107 islands. At low tide, we have 7,108.�

And the gallery boomed in approval.

Amazing that girl, Charlene, she who is the daughter of one of the most civil actors I worked with in the HEYDAY OF MY kLM DIRECTING CAREER

Bernard Bonnin. She who eventually marry another swell leading man I handled in a movie, Aga Muhlach.

How could she have struck at the KEY TO A CONlICT THAT WOULD ‡ IN A most literal manner — surface only two-and-a-half decades later.

The reason I recollect that incident, which had turned into some kind of a cause cÊlèbre at the time, was the recent pronouncement by President Rodrigo Duterte for China to back off from the Philippine-occupied islands in the West Philippine Sea. According to recent news accounts, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has delivered a note verbale to the Chinese Embassy to the same effect as the President’s apparent protest.

Do Duterte’s words indicate a worsening of the tension between China and the Philippines over

ers and administrative staff during the construction, while only 35 MY SAY Chinese staff (personnel) were employed in the project, it said.

So nothing in Philippine-China relations is going wrong so as to account for the apparent animoscertain areas in the South China ity from the direction of Duterte.

Sea (West Philippine Sea) region?

An expert on Chinese affairs, A judge of events, I would tend corroborating the Phil-Brics press TO BE BAFlED AT BEST BY THE DEVELOP- statement, declared in a private ment. Beginning with his visit to session of ScraMDT (Scrap the China in 2016, the President had MDT, a group working for the made good his declared turnaround abrogation of the Mutual Defense in foreign policy from heavy de- Treaty between the US and the pendence on the United States to Philippines) that the presidential a strong leaning toward China. lARE UP IS NOTHING ABOUT ANY #HIDuring the last Philippine visit of nese intervention in PhilippineChinese President Xi Jinping in occupied territories in Panatag November last year, a total of 29 Shoal (the Philippine name for packages of business investments, the Spratlys), but an understandinfrastructure development, and able reaction to the reported presECONOMIC AID AND kNANCIAL GRANTS ence in the area of tens (some say were cemented between the two hundreds) of Chinese vessels. The countries, auguring highly enhanced expert’s assessment of the situation friendly relations over the long run. is that though those vessels may Then suddenly, newspaper not be military ones, they could be screamed headlines that said: Duterte part of an understandable Chinese to China: back off from Panatag. precautionary move against anyIs this for real? I ask, scratching body taking possession of, not any my cranium. in the Spratlys group, but a single A recent press statement by the special island called Sandy Cay. Philippine-Brics Strategic Studies What is Sandy Cay? Why is it paints an opposite picture. called that? “The greater part of the PH-China Sandy Cay is just a sandbar, a relations continues in its positive feature covered with sand, hence AND VERY BENEkCIAL DIRECTION TOWARD the name Sandy. In the past, it had prosperity and peace as China be- been visible only during low tide. came the PH’s top investor country Must not Sandy Cay be the in 2018 with P49 billion investment 7,108th island Charlene Gonzales inflow into the country. Chinese was referring to in the 1994 Miss tourist (arrivals) rose by 30% to 1.3 Universe pageant, which she said million in 2018 and the goal for could be seen only at low tide? If 2018 is again 30% growth.� asked the same question again this According to the statement, in time, that answer would be wrong.

March China completed delivery Sandy Cay is a growing island and of P1.5 billion worth of engineer- over the years, it has increasingly ing equipment donations to the become visible even at high tide.

Armed Forces of the Philippines, Sandy Cay has grown into a sea AN ITEM NOT SIGNIkCANTLY PLAYED feature, which under the criteria of up by the local mainstream and the United States Convention on alternative media. The latest, April the Laws of the Seas (Unclos), can 10, donation to the Philippines eventually form an island that may from China is the P540-million, be considered a territory.

150-bed drug rehabilitation center The Chinese affairs expert in Agusan del Sur. The embassy of holds that China has manifested China reported that the project no intention of developing faconstruction hired 400 local work- cilities on Sandy Cay as it did on

MAURO GIA SAMONTE

its possessed territories in the Spratlys. But he admits that those Chinese vessels have had a way of cordoning off the island from potential settlers. If allowed, possession of the feature by settlers would drastically change the character of the sandbar.

This would ultimately result in a strategic disadvantage for China.

But the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of President Xi Jinping has surged on to unimaginable reaches across the world since it began in 2013. It contributed immensely to China becoming now the largest economy in the world to the detriment particularly of the US, whose economic woes as a consequence prompted President Donald Trump to enforce high tariff on imports.

The development only worsened US kNANCIAL DIFkCULTIES SINCE THE TARIFF move has had the effect of isolating the US further from the world economic mainstream created by Xi’s BRI. Lately, a strong US ally, the European Union, struck a deal with China, soon after EU’s third largest economy, Italy, broke up with it in order to join the BRI. With the 2nd BRI Forum for International Cooperation about to take place in Beijing next Saturday, April 26, America unleashed what Phil-Brics Strategic Studies termed Phase 1 — the sensationalizing of the big presence of Chinese vessels near the Spratlys — of US propaganda by way of sabotaging the BRI event.

But as Charlene Gonzales did put it quite aptly, albeit succinctly, two-and-a-half decades ago, it’s really all about the high and low of the tides of the South China Sea. That President Duterte is attending the Forum for the second time in a row really makes little of the big US sabotage ploy — using the South China Sea issue — against the BRI forum. What’s important are the additional packages of business investments, infrastructure development assistance funds, other grants and aid which he and each and every attendee in the Forum will be getting from China.

Q RONQUILLO FROM A1

The elephant in the room the Philippines.

In the current midterm campaign, we all know what is the elephant in the room, the issue that the candidates won’t talk about.

This is the power of the oligarchy and how to rein in that oligarchic control. From the Hugpong ng Pagbabago candidates, only deathly silence. From the mainstream opposition, only a deft sidestepping of that critical issue.

Neri Colmenares and the senatorial candidates from labor want to elevate that issue. But they don’t have the megaphones to do that.

So oligarchic control and its brutal wage — massive inequality — are not covered by the current campaign. What Pope Francis has called “the greatest issue of our time" is tragically not part of the platforms and planks. Even the TV programs that grill the candidates on supposedly important issues have missed the oligarchic structure of our supposed democracy.

How can the candidates live with the reality that the top 10 families in the country control more than $50 billion in wealth and those 10 families have more wealth than that owned by the 30 million Filipinos at the economic bottom? And that the Top 1 percent vacuum up more than 60 percent of the national income year in and year out? And be mum about it, as if that were a normal thing in a democracy?

The silence is inexcusable, to be very kind about it.

On the part of the administration coalition, the Hugpong, the silence is understandable. Despite the occasional rants of Mr. Duterte against the rich and the oligarchs, the verbal tirades cannot hide the reality that the Duterte administration is no different from the Benigno Aquino 3rd administration. At their core, both are cozy with the oligarchy.

Just look at the photo-ops of the business summits organized by the Go Negosyo Group of billionaire Duterte-supporter Joey Conception 3rd. A smiling Mr. Duterte is often in the middle of these photos and to his left and right are members of the Top 40 families, the dollar billionaires who control every piece and corner of every lucrative business in the country.

These families control banking, power, retail, food and agribusiness, retail, telecommunications, housing and real estate, toll road operations, construction, and what-have-you. These families have swiftly moved into the provinces, into every urban area with strong OFW remittances to displace the previous regional and provincial entrepreneurs.

They have been acquiring city and municipal water and electricity franchises. They have expanded their boxy retail megastores. The small, family busi-

nesses that used to dominate retail and service in the regional urban areas have either sold up to these giants, the dambuhalas or had been forced to close shop.

The Hugpong has not talked about it and reining in the oligarchy is not part of its platform.

But what about the mainstream opposition? The eight senatorial candidates of Otso Diretso are just as silent as Hugpong on this critical and urgent issue. Despite the fact that it has nothing to lose by hammering at the coziness of the Duterte administration with the oligarchy.

The issue of oligarchic control was under the radar this campaign season before one tragedy took place. The two oligarchcontrolled water concessionaires had an epic fail on water delivery and that brought back the water lines and the brisk sales of plastic drums and pails — and the untold suffering of millions of Filipinos in the metropolis.

The water lines and the trucks rationing water were optics of the country’s previous Third World existence and those were not supposed to pester the metropolis in this supposed “Golden Age" under Mr. Duterte.

But they were there last month.

And they are still here.

Next came the power interruptions that lasted for hours, paralyzing business and life in

Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces. They are called “rotating brownouts," and like water rationing should now belong to the past. The public was again forced to ask the question, "How come the power franchise holder, also owned by the oligarchy, is getting away with this kind of travesty??

Those who tried to escape the water lines and the “rotating brownouts" rushed to the provinces. To their dismay, those who made their exits at the City of San Fernando toll booth in Pampanga had to travel at a snail's pace from the oligarch-owned and controlled NLEx part of the viaduct to that TOLL BOOTH VEXED BY ENDLESS TRAFkC jams. They paid premium on toll fees, only to get snarled in endless jams at a supposed “expressway.�

In many cases, the RFID at the toll booth failed to function seamlessly, adding 15 to 20 minutes MORE TO THE HELLISH TRAFkC There is no escape, it seems, for the harassed and suffering Filipino. The oligarchic control of the economy is such that their franchises and utilities can be both cash cows and incompetent utilities, very cavalier about public good and welfare.

Of course, no one has been held accountable for these oligarchic malpractices. And the two contending blocs in the current campaign have tragically ignored this elephant in the room.

Q SALUDO FROM A4

To believe or not to believe Jesus’ resurrection and injuries. The Shroud is the kRST SELkE SO TO SPEAK WITH *ESUS taking his own picture as he rose from the dead in a blaze of light.

Put in terms of a detective investigation, Habermas cited

circumstantial evidence to prove the Resurrection: New Testament EVENTS AFkRMED BY MOST SCHOLARS

and the Shroud imaging process hypothesized by scientists.

Flew, however, wouldn’t accept

anything less than eyewitness accounts recorded within days of the crime, not weeks, months, or decades later. Habermas argued that Paul’s Epistles were based on traditions from the time of

Christ, but Flew didn’t buy it.

Two panels of academics voted on which side won. Tune in next Sunday for their verdict.

A blessed solemnity of the Lord’s resurrection to all!

Opinion

A5

A N A LY S I S

NKorea’s Kim back to military optics to raise heat TOKYO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is cautiously turning up the heat after his unsuccessful summit with President Trump in Hanoi two months ago.

Returning to military optics for the first time in five months, Kim on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to an Air Force base to inspect fighter combat readiness and followed that up the next day by supervising the test of what the North’s official media described ominously but ambiguously — and without any photos or video — as a new type of “tactical guided weapon.�

The military-related posturing comes after Kim expressed deep disappointment earlier this month with what the North claims was AN INlEXIBLE gGANGSTER LIKEu DEmands by the US in Hanoi.

It also comes as the Kremlin announced Thursday that Kim will visit Russia later this month at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. It gave no further details.

Putin has been something of an outsider over the past year as Kim has held multiple summits with the leaders of China, the United States and South Korea.

But he could provide important political cover or economic aid for North Korea — and a potential headache for Trump — if he chooses to play a bigger role.

Though Kim claims he still has a good personal relationship with the US president, he and senior North Korean officials have shown increasing frustration with Trump’s top advisers, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton. “The Hanoi summit gives us a lesson that whenever Pompeo pokes his nose in, the talks go wrong without any results even from the point close to success,�

Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the American desk at the North’s Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying on Thursday. “I wish our dialogue counterpart would be not Pompeo but [some] other person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us.�

In an address to the Supreme People’s Assembly, the North’s version of parliament, Kim gave the US until the end of the year to come up with a more mutually acceptable negotiation strategy.

For North Korea, that would mean lifting the sanctions it has imposed against the North over its development of nuclear

weapons and missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim indicated, however, that he would in the meantime maintain his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear tests and long-range missile launches and he appears to be standing by that vow.

US military officials said they did not detect any significant missile launches on Wednesday and the North’s description of the “newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon� suggested it might have instead been an anti-tank guided missile or other short-range system.

If so, it was likely intended to be a response to recent military drills by US and South Korea.

Just before the reports of the weapon test, a North-run propaganda website said the drills fuel “the mood for a fight and risks of war.�

Washington and Seoul have renamed and scaled back their joint maneuvers since early last year, when the South hosted the Winter Olympics. They have continued that policy since Kim’s kRST SUMMIT WITH 4RUMP IN *UNE last year, but the North claims even the smaller versions run counter to the spirit of dialogue.

Since Hanoi, Kim and senior North Korean officials have also been openly critical of South Korea and efforts by President Moon Jae-in to play the role of middleman, saying he has adhered too closely to his American allies and dragged his feet on inter-Korean projects that would provide the North with crucial investment to build its sagging infrastructure.

Moon has expressed an eagerness to engage with the North on such projects, but Washington wants it to stick to sanctions.

North and South Korean leaders have met three times and Moon has said he is ready to meet again at any time. Trump has also suggested he wants a third summit. But there are growing worries that the progress could be killed by mismatched demands between the US and North Korea over sanctions relief and disarmament.

Washington says it won’t allow the North’s desired sanctions relief until the nation commits to verifiably relinquishing his nuclear facilities, weapons and missiles. Kim has shown no signs that he’s willing to give away an arsenal he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival. AP

China to send probes to Mars and Jupiter

BY DENG XIAOCI GLOBAL TIMES

C

HINA’S deep space exploration will go beyond the moon and Mars to reach Jupiter in the future, according to Ye Peijian, the country’s leading aerospace expert and chief consultant to China’s lunar and Mars probes.

Ye, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist with the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Co (CAST), made the remarks during a lecture at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics on Thursday, CAST’s WeChat public account reported on Monday. “China will launch the Chang’e-5 lunar probe atop the Long March-5 carrier rocket, whose mission is to return samples from the moon to Earth.

Also we are planning to carry out a sample-returning mission to Mars, and to send a probe to Jupiter in the future,� Ye said.

Sun Zezhou, chief architect for the Chang’e-4 lunar probe, also attended the event. According to Sun, payloads carried

by the Chang’e-4 probe are all in normal working order, and the probe has collected a lot of valid data, which meets the designed goals.

As of Thursday, the Yutu 2 lunar rover has “walked� a total of 178 meters on the moon, Sun said.

Some may question the speed of the lunar rover, given it landed on the far side of the moon in January, four months ago. “Yutu 2 is not slow at all,�

Pang Zhihao, an expert in space exploration technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday, saying that the rover prioritizes safety on the lunar surface by design and it is selecting the most research-valuable path through a rather comprehensive calculation, which takes time.

Sun noted at the event that not only the Chang’e-5 lunar probe mission will be launched by the end of 2019, but also development and research work for further missions, including the exploration of the lunar poles is underway, which will pave the way for the future building of a research station on the moon.

Sun, who is also in charge of designing the Mars probes,

ÂłProbesA6

A6

Opinion

The Sunday Times SUNDAY April 21, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

MINING INDUSTRY

“A question of life or death�

WORKPLACE HAS MAJOR lAWS “It’s a big handicap for us. Without reliable data it’s much harder STOCKHOLM: The mining indus- to follow the development. And try is one of the world’s most we don’t have the resources to dangerous industries. Globally, compile our own statistics. Our inthe death toll is at least 14,000 vestigative unit isn’t that large and workers per year. But how many we have 14 sectors to organize.�

The ILO’s department of stalives are actually lost is something that neither trade unions, tistics, based in Geneva, calls itnational governments or the self “the world’s leading source of labor statistics�. But not even United Nations know.

The men were sitting down for here do we find comprehensive lunch in the canteen. January was information. A quick search in about to turn into February, but the statistical database reveals for them life would end then and huge gaps in the reporting. “We don’t know all that much THERE 3UDDENLY A lOOD OF MUD and sludge swept in. The iron ore about work-related fatalities in mine Feijao was destroyed when the world. We only get data if it’s a dam in the Brazilian state of collected on a national level,� says Rosina Gammarano, economist Minas Gerais collapsed.

At least 206 people died in and statistician at the UN agency.

If you want kGURES CONCERNthe accident, which could probably have been avoided. Leaked ing employment, stock prices, or documents have shown that the BNP-development, all you need directors of the multinational to do is a quick google search.

For figures relating to health mining company Vale knew and safety in the workplace about the dangers of the dam.

Globally, the mining in- however, you’re much worse off.

Part of the explanation is that dustry employs more than 24 responsibility for the reporting million people.

Everywhere — from China to is often divided among several Kazakhstan — miners go to work departments, as opposed to, for with their lives on the line. Most of example, financial statistics. But the people who die do so in silence. the main problem is something The mining industry is full of else, according to Gammarano. “Compared to other parts informal jobs. And the number of fatal accidents is considerably of labour market statistics, higher than in most other sectors. calculating death tolls is a Getting a thorough picture of very complicated, because it’s THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES IS DIFk- such a sensitive issue. There cult. When Arbetet Global took a are several reasons why it is so close look at the 10 biggest mining under-reported. It could be that countries, it turned out that not employers are not reporting even welfare states like Canada had because they don’t want inspections, or that governments don’t comprehensive statistics. “In order to get these numbers want negative attention.�

For Gammarano and her colyou would have to contact every province, and then add the num- leagues, the unwillingness to report bers together,� a representative fatalities is a source of frustration. “We tend to only care about from the trade organization Mining Association of Canada writes. what we can quantify. Without Glen Mpufane, director of statistics, the governments, cormining at the global trade porations, and the international union IndustriAll, estimates community won’t care, because that the mining industry claims they wont know it’s a problem.

Any if you don’t have numbers, thousands of lives every year. it is also always possible for “I would say 7,000-8,000.�

He stresses that the numbers someone to claim that there are unreliable. Some counties have hasn’t been any accidents.�

For the employees of the reliable statistics, but globally the reporting on fatal accidents in the world, this is, literally, a quesBYÂ IVAR ANDERSENÂ ANDÂ LINDA FLOOD

Q Artisinal diamond miners at work in the alluvial diamond mines around the eastern town of Koidu, Sierra Leone. TOMMY TRENCHARD/IPS In 2005, almost 6,000 work- depends on reduced production.

ILO departments. tion of life or death.

Hundreds of thousands of Trade unions say that the lack of “The lack of statistics hides the ers lost their lives in the counfact that there are many, many try’s coal mines alone, accord- coal mining jobs have disap- reliable statistics complicate their serious accidents,� Gammarano ing to official statistics. In 2018, peared as the Chinese economy work, while the ILO says that unwillingness to report deaths hides says. “It’s only by counting them t h e n u m b e r h a d d e c r e a s e d has slowed down. “The sector has been decreas- the true scope of the problem. that you can make the problem significantly, to 333.

The independent labor rights ing since 2015, demand has But even if all of this would visible and force politicians to pay attention to it. For us here organization China Labour been dwindling, and coal work- change — if correct reporting at the department of statistics at B u l l e t i n ( C L B ) d e e m s t h a t ers have lost their jobs. That’s of workplace accidents all of a sudden became a top priority the ILO, that’s the driving force, these numbers reflect an actual why we see fewer accidents.� decrease, even though many This pattern is visible all over the on the global political agenda to make the invisible visible.� deaths still go unrecorded. world. In the industrialized world, — would a complete picture of She’s not overly optimistic. “Those are the accidents and efforts to increase health and safety the human cost of the mining “This isn’t something you can SOLVE BY PUTTING AN INkNITE NUM- deaths that have been reported. in the workplace has led to fewer industry become clear.

When IndustriAll estimates ber of statisticians in a room. It There’s always a risk that some deaths, but globally the decrease has to start with a genuine desire have been silenced, that happens stems from the fact that the sector the yearly number of deaths to 7,000-8,000, it is referring to the to shed light on the accidents and regularly,� according to Director of now employs fewer people.

In 1998, the ILO estimated formal sector. In the informal seceliminate the risks. If governments Communication Geoffrey Crothall.

In the early 2000s, the that 36 million people were tor the uncertainty is too great for and employers aren’t serious about wanting to improve safety, I doubt Chinese coal marked grew ex- employed in mining globally, Mpufane to dare say a number. plosively. The country’s massive of which 6 million worked in “But the death toll is defiwe’ll ever get good statistics.� nitely higher than in the formal A decade ago, the Interna- investments in infrastructure the informal sector.

Today, the UN agency estimates sector,� he says. tional Federation of Chemical, demanded cheap energy and “It’s a tragedy that is happening Energy, Mine and General Work- regulations for this wildly grow- that there are 24 million mine workers, including both formal every day, with mine workers dying ers’ Unions (ICEM), which has ing sector was not prioritised.

According to CLB, the govern- and informal employment. ILO is in Pakistan, Peru, Congo, Zimbasince merged with IndustriAll, estimated that the yearly num- ment has since increased the currently collecting information bwe, Zambia, and they are never ber of deaths exceeded 12,000. number of health and safety in- as grounds for a new estimation ADDED INTO THE OFkCIAL STATISTICS The decrease is mainly due to spections, but Crothall argues that on the informal sector, a process The deaths we hear about are just the decreasing death toll mostly which involves several different the tip of the iceberg.�

IPS lower death tolls in China.

Climbing the coconut value chain in the Pacific BY JOSEPHINE LATU-SANFT PORT VILA: )N THE 0ACIkC COCONUT IS king. Known as the "tree of life," locals make use of every part of the tree to survive — the fruit for eatING HUSKS FOR FUELLING kRES FRONDS for making multiuse baskets, and the trunk for building houses.

Coconuts also drive economic GROWTH WITH 0ACIkC )SLAND COUNtries supplying 50 per cent of the world’s copra trade. Papua New Guinea is the world’s largest exporter of copra — the dried COCONUT lESH FROM WHICH OIL IS extracted — followed by Vanuatu.

(OWEVER lUCTUATING GLOBAL COPRA PRICES CAN LEAVE SMALL 0ACIkC economies very vulnerable.

Opening a Commonwealth workshop on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES) in Port Vila last week, Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister Bob Loughman explained: “In 2017, Vanuatu exported 1.8 billion worth of copra (roughly $18 million). In 2018, the global price plummeted, and as a result the value of our copra exports fell by 75 per cent. “My question is, why is Vanuatu still producing copra? Why can our farmers and communities not produce coconut oil instead?�

Learning from experience, the island nation of 280,000 people set out to transform the way it trades with others. The aim is to move up the "global value chain" — the PRODUCTION CYCLE FROM THE kELD TO THE kNAL PRODUCT ‡ TO TARGET HIGHER value exports.

These aspirations have been backed by EUR 20 million from the European Development Fund for the Vanuatu Value Chain Program. But as for many other small island states, there are several key hurdles to overcome.

wealth adopted ITS lAGSHIP PROgramme on trade and investment.

Known as the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda (CCA), it aims to unlock $2 trillion worth of intraCommonwealth trade by 2030.

Delegates agreed the coconut sector in the Pacific has great potential.

However, it needs commitment and coordination from a range of players, including government and businesses.

CCA lead Kirk Haywood said: “This first Q Adding value to coconut at Aelan Ltd. in Vanuatu. COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT meeting of the There are possible solutions: SMALL WHICH IS VERY DIFkCULT IN THIS supply side Challenges and one is having a regional hub, supworld market of bulk commodity connectivity ‘cluster’, or workopportunities plied by other smaller countries and big volume. ing group, acted as a platform for “We have niche market products members to share experiences, In Port Vila, Commonwealth act- for export to a bigger client. Othing head of trade competitiveness, erwise, businesses could focus on which have high value, but low vol- forge networks, and exchange soume, so to get out of the country is lutions for common problems.

Sujeevan Perera, told delegates high value niche markets.

The latter is a path local business very expensive. Sometimes it’s quite about a cruise ship which once “This will be backed by further redocked at a Caribbean destination owners are already actively pursuing. DIFkCULT TO ACCESS SOME MARKETS u search and strategies under the CCA Sandrine Wallez, manager of She urged development part- that would help Commonwealth and exhausted the country’s beer supply. It took a month before Alternative Communities Trade in NERS TO SUPPORT 0ACIkC BUSINESSES countries, especially small states, Vanuatu (ACTIV) Ltd, is looking in finding the right customers, BENEkT MORE FROM GLOBAL TRADE u STOCKS WERE REkLLED (E SAID g0ACIkC SUPPLIERS ARE to export highly specialized goods networking, and developing a The meeting agreed on an action mostly micro, small and medium such as vegan chocolate, virgin 0ACIkC WIDE BRAND THAT COMPETES plan that will outline opportunities with others across the globe. sized enterprises. Would they be coconut oil and coconut jam. and challenges for small and medium She said: “Nowadays, people are ABLE TO kLL THE DEMANDS OF SAY

AGRIBUSINESSES EXPLORE kNANCING OPa large supermarket that needs looking for more organic products. Enhancing connectivity tions, and look at harnessing technolseveral 50-feet containers of a 0ACIkC PRODUCTS ARE ALREADY ORGANIC ogy for business development. IPS by default, so we should take ad- The meeting in Port Vila on April product each week?

AND WAS THE kRST TO DRILL DOWN Josephine Latu-Sanft is Senior “If they do not have the capac- vantage of this. “However, we’re all facing the into the issues faced by MSMES in #OMMUNICATIONS /FkCER #OMity, buyers and investors can move SAME PROBLEM IN THE 0ACIkC WE ARE agribusiness, since the Common- monwealth Secretariat elsewhere.�

Q PROBES FROM A5

China to send probes to Mars and Jupiter revealed that a probe which is similar but twice as heavy as the Yutu 2 will be deployed.

The Mars probe will weigh around 200 kilograms, and have better mobility than the Yutu 2.

Pang said that starting from Earth, it takes four to five days to reach the moon, and at least eight months to get to Mars.

This means that transmitting a signal from the moon takes only a second, but it takes some 20 minutes from Mars. “So the Mars rover must have better autonomous navigation and control capability,� Pang noted.

Also, one unique challenge on Mars is its devastating dust storms, the worst of which could be comparable to a force 12 typhoon on Earth.

Such dust storms occur almost every year on the Red Planet and can last for some three months each time, Pang said. “The Mars probe has to have a better storm-resistance system, whereas Yutu 2 does not need to worry about it.�

So far, the Mars probe program is going smoothly, and the PROGRAM S lIGHT PRODUCTS HAVE ENTERED THE kNAL ASSEMBLY AND TESTING PHASE 4HE PROGRAM S kRST probe will be launched by next year, Sun said. “We wish to land on Mars by 2021 in a safe and reliable fashion to conduct probe GLOBAL TIMES missions.�

Regions

˜ The Sunday Times w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

A7

Swimming pool chlorine downs 14 in Bulacan FOURTEEN people, most of them minors, were hospitalized after they allegedly inhaled too much chlorine, causing them to vomit and faint while swimming at a resort in Pandi, Bulacan on Good Friday.

Police Major Avelino Protacio Jr., acting chief of police of Pandi Municipal Police StaTION IDENTIkED THE MINOR VICTIMS AS *ENNY

Rose Bonina, 12, Adrian Bellar, 3, Julian Kyle Santos, 7, Alexander Paragan, 8, Jenel Sanchez, 4, Nick Daniel Sanchez, 11, Catherine Pangan, 9, Jhana Lising, 9, Pauline Lising, 5, Gian Benedict Palomo, 6, Jessa Soliman, 9, and Marcus Adan Bote, 6; and adults Sefe Rina Oranga and Bryan Sicad, both 22.

Investigation showed the victims were

NIA moves to mitigate drought in Region 2 RAMON, Isabela: The Magat Dam management has enforced strict measures while implementing a rotational water supply scheme to mitigate the effects of El .IĂ„O SAID AN OFkCIAL OF THE .Ational Irrigation Services-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-Maris).

Eduardo Ramos, NIA-Maris dam and reservoir division manager, said as early as December, they have been conducting massive information campaigns to plan ahead of schedule and use early maturing and drought-resistant rice varieties.

He said proper maintenance of canals and embankments, adoption of ware-saving technology (alternate wetting and drying), and strict enforcement of water delivery schedules were needed to minimize farm loses. “Farmers were also advised to use water pumps for farming,� Ramos said, adding that they have also requested cloud seeding operations.

He said NIA-Maris was supplying water for the irrigation of at

least 85,000 hectares of rice lands.

Meanwhile, NIA-Maris said the water level of Magat Dam had SIGNIkCANTLY INCREASED THIS WEEK “The water level has also increased since we temporarily stopped providing water irrigation services on March 31,� Ramos said.

He explained that the NIA-Maris suspended irrigation services to allow it to maintain the irrigation canals for the next cropping season.

He said the water-level increase at the dam was also due to the downpour in the upstream Magat Dam watershed areas in Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao provinces.

Water elevation increased from 162 meters, the lowest recorded this year, to 168.04 meters. g4HE WATER INlOW OF -AGAT $AM reservoir is 26.93 cubic meters per SECOND AND OUTlOW IS CUBIC meters per second,� Ramos said.

SN AboitizPower in Magat (SNAP-Magat) uses the current OUTlOW TO GENERATE POWER FOR THE Luzon grid.

LEANDER C. DOMINGO

swimming at Sitio Antonio Resort in Barangay Bagong Barrio in Pandi owned by former municipal councilor Sonny Antonio at about 9 a.m. when they felt dizzy and started vomiting. Some complained OF DIFkCULTY IN BREATHING The victims were then rushed to Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos and Rogaciano

Memorial Hospital in Sta. Maria town.

Police referred to the incident as a case of excessive “chlorine inhalation.�

Twelve of the victims, who were from different areas in Metro Manila and Bulacan, were sent home, while the two others were still recovering at the hospital as of press time.

Protacio said the resort management did

not immediately report the incident to the police assistance desk inside the resort.

Police conducted a follow-up investigation to look into the liability of the resort, WHILE THE -UNICIPAL (EALTH /FkCE TOOK samples of the pool water to determine if the excessive use of chlorine was the cause of the incident. FREDERICK SILVERIO

Police officer on narcolist abducted in Bacolod City B BYÂ EUGENE Y. ADIONG

!#/,/$ #)49 ! RETIRED POLICE OFkcial whom President Rodrigo Duterte included in the narcolist was abducted by armed men wearing bonnets in front of a hotel in Bacolod City.

0OLICE #OL (ENRY "IĂ„AS OFkCER in-charge of the Bacolod City 0OLICE /FkCE "#0/ CONkRMED THAT ABOUT TO UNIDENTIkED FULly armed men abducted retired major Lito Pirote at the Metro Inn Hotel in Barangay 7 on Friday.

According to reports, Pirote and his family arrived in Bacolod City on Thursday for a family reunion.

Police Capt. Leo Estopa, commander of Police Station 2, told Aksyon Radyo Bacolod, their initial investigation showed that the suspects, wearing helmets and bonnets disarmed the hotel secu-

rity guard and ordered the guests DOWN ON THE lOOR According to the police blotter that quoted the statements of Pirote’s daughter, Krizia Ania Pirote, the suspects wore face masks and bulletproof vests.

Two of the suspects served as LOOKOUT WHILE kVE OTHERS FORCED THE FORMER POLICE OFkCER INTO A waiting vehicle.

Blood stains on the hotel entrance indicated that Pirote might have resisted, as a witness said one of the suspects hit him on the head with a gun, Estopa added.

Pirote was immediately pushed inside a waiting white Toyota HiAce van (YS-4514) that sped north of the city, witnesses said.

Estopa said Pirote had just stepped out of the Metro Inn Hotel after meeting with his lawyer when he was abducted.

He added that they were also waiting for the footage of the close circuit television camera of the hotel to help in their investigation.

Meanwhile, the hotel management said the former police OFkCER WAS ONLY VISITING ONE OF their guests.

As of Saturday, no one has contacted the victim’s family to demand ransom or to give inFORMATION ON THE RETIRED OFkCER S whereabouts.

Pirote had just retired from the police service in January this year. He was formerly assigned at the Philippine National Police

Nationinbriefs

Bauko tourism activities suspended

BLAST HITS POLICE AMMO DUMP IN DAVAO CITY A POWERFUL explosion inside the Davao City Police Office camp on Saturday morning destroyed an ammunition dump, forcing civilians near the area to flee. The blast happened at around 11:30 a.m. inside the stock room of the city police office’s Special Anti-Terrorist Unit. Col. Alexander Tagum, Davao City police commander, said they were investigating the blast in the dump where seized explosives and grenades, including vintage bombs as well as UXO or unexploded ordnance, were stored. “We cannot speculate right now on what caused the explosion or if it was an accident.

Our Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams are investigating it,â€? he told reporters outside the police camp later in the day, adding that there was no report of casualties. AL JACINTO AND ROY D.R. NARRA Â

16 CATHOLIC DEVOTEES INJURED IN ZAMBOANGA ROAD MISHAP ZAMBOANGA CITY: Sixteen people were injured after a speeding passenger jeep overturned on a downhill road in Zamboanga City on Friday night. The jeep was carrying devotees who were returning home from Mount AbongAbong where the Catholic shrine and the huge cross are visited by Christian devotees on Holy Week. An initial report said the driver lost control of the jeep.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar ordered emergency teams to the area who brought the injured to hospitals. She urged the police to investigate the accident to determine the cause. She said more than 112,000 devotees flocked to Mount Abong-Abong this year. Aside from the injured, six other people were rushed to hospital for fatigue and various health reasons.

AL JACINTO Â

BEATING SUMMER HEAT

Families and groups of friends troop to Daranak Falls in Tanay, Rizal on Black Saturday to beat the summer heat as temperature rises, especially during the Holy Week.

PHOTO BY ORVEN VERDOTE

POWER, FUEL CONSUMPTION IN BAGUIO MONITORED BAGUIO CITY: Mayor Mauricio Domogan directed the close monitoring of electric and fuel consumption in the city in compliance with the national government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program. Domogan tasked General Services Officer Eugene Buyucan to monitor consumption and to submit a semi-annual report to the Department of Energy (DoE). He also issued a memorandum reminding all departments and offices at city hall to switch off lights, computers and other electrical equipment when not in use, as well as strict submission of trip tickets before the use of all motor vehicles of the city government. The order is in compliance with the DoE’s National Energy Emergency and Conservation (EE&C) Program.

GABY B. KEITH Â

MAGUINDANAO MANGO FARMERS FINISH SCHOOL-ON-THE-AIR COURSE COTABATO CITY: The Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (Mafar) conducted the school-on-the-air (SOA) graduation ceremony for 300 mango farmers recently. The SOA program was aired 6 to 7 a.m. every Sunday, from December 2018 to March 2019 at Radyo Bida dxMSAM. The farmers, who successfully passed the course on mango flower induction technology as well as processing and marketing, were from the towns of Datu Paglas, Midtimbang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Unsay, Ampatuan, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Sultan Mastura and Talayan in Maguindanao. Mohammad Yacob, Mafar minister who led graduation ceremony, stressed the significance of education as one of its mandates. The Municipal Agricultural Officers of each municipality also received equipment and one set of sound system for podcast/radio intended for the mango farmers’ use.

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group.

He was one of seven police ofkCERS $UTERTE NAMED IN A DRUG MAtrix, along with dismissed police OFkCER %DUARDO !CIERTO AND WAS ordered placed at the Camp Crame holding unit in October last year.

They were included in a “secret police report� dated Sept. 12, 2018, to have allegedly established networks with different drug lords across the country and abroad. “The processes of restructuring organizational landscape within the PNP (Philippine National Police) anti-drug unit [have] noble objectives. [H]owever, it was shrouded with the reality that it was merely aesthetics and technicalities on changing names and mandates of these differently-called organizations,� the report said.

P1B underwater cable to energize Samal Island THE Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. (Daneco Inc.) is set to install an 11-kilometer long underwater cable across the Davao Gulf in May to energize the island city of Samal.

Under the P1-billion project, a 69-KiloVolt (klV) substation would be built. It is expected to provide the energy needs of resorts and establishments sprouting in the island city, said Mario Angelo Sotto, head of Task Force Duterte and supervisor of Daneco Inc. Sotto said the cable would be connected to the main line from Pantukan, Compostela Valley and stretched on a straight line along the Davao Gulf to the island city.

The project is part of Daneco’s program to energize villages in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley.

4HE UTILITY kRM IS ALSO LOOKING AT ENDING A SEVEN YEAR CONlICT WITH its break-away namesake.

Although registered with the Cooperative Development Authority, the break-away Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative has been ordered by the NaTIONAL %LECTRIkCATION !DMINISTRAtion (NEA) to stop its operations.

As a result, its 6,000 members have since returned to Daneco Inc., while 21 employees also decided to crossover.

The utility firm now has a total of 220,000 members.

Since its operation in 2017, the task force also reduced its P2.7-billion debt to P1.8 billion. Its P435-million collection for the month of January was the highest so far.

The task force was assigned to

oversee the operations of Daneco Inc. to provide a stronger, UNIkED AND COMPETITIVE ELECTRIC facility for the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley.

With NEA’s order, the breakaway group’s main office and six collection centers have since been padlocked.

Sotto said Daneco Inc.’ legitimacy is recognized by the local government units of the two provinces. It is also backed by a congressional franchise,with business permit and registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Energy Regulatory Commission and NEA. Despite this, Sotto wondered why the Cooperative Development Authority has not canceled Daneco’s registration “to end the CONlICT ONCE AND FOR ALL u  JIMMY K. LAKING

BAUKO, Mountain Province: Mayor Abraham Akilit announced that tourismrelated activities in this upland municipality remains suspended until the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military declare THE CONlICT AREAS SAFE Akilit admitted there were still reported sightings of some members of the New People’s Army passing through the remote villages en route to other strongholds in the neighboring lowland towns. “Our municipality suffered a serious setback in the encounter between the police and the communist rebels because tourism-related businesses are a huge source of income or our people,� he said.

The mayor lamented the recent hostilities between government forces and communist rebels brought the locality back to the drawing board in terms of aggressively promoting Bauko’s scenic and historic tourist destinations.

He said the local government heavily invested in tourism packages AND kNE TUNED THESE TO ADVANCE THE growth of the local tourism industry.

Bauko plays host to a huge portion of the over 5,000-square kilometer Mount Data National Park which stretches from Benguet up to Bontoc, Mountain province and has numerous ecotourism attractions like clean waterfalls, majestic and towering trekking destinations, and Spanish trails and a rainforest.

Akilit appealed to the PNP and military to ensure that the encounter sites would be cleared of improvised explosive devices that pose a serious threat to civilians tending their farms and to tourists, as well.

DEXTER A. SEE

BIFF commander killed, soldier wounded in NCotabato fighting ZAMBOANGA CITY: Troops killed two senior commanders of the pro-Islamic State (IS) group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom &IGHTERS ")&& IN kERCE kGHTING on Saturday in North Cotabato.

Officials said one soldier was wounded in the clash that

erupted in Barangay Olandang, Midsayap town where policemen, backed by Philippine Army troops, were sent to arrest wanted senior BIFF commanders. “Combined troops of 34th Infantry Battalion and Midsayap Municipal Police Station

were serving warrants of arrest when they were fired upon by heavily armed men under Mando Mamalompong that ensued a heavy exchanges of fire. The terrorist group were ready to confront the security forces as they were occupying

fortified positions,� Lt. Col. Glenn Loreto Caballero, battalion commander, said.

He said Mamalompong, commander and spokesman of the BIFF’s 2nd Division, and Nur Hamid were both slain in the fighting. Soldiers also

seized two automatic rifles from the area.

Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade, said security forces tracked down the militants after civilians passed off information to the military on

the hideout of Mamalompong.

Au t h o r i t i e s h ave t a g g e d the BIFF, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to IS, as behind the spate of attacks on military and civilian targets in North Cotabato.

AL JACINTO

News More than 1M flock to Intramuros A8

˜ The Manila Times

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

For Holy Week rites

BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

M

ORE than a million pilgrims visited Intramuros in Manila in keeping with the Catholic tradition of going to and praying in at least seven churches or chapels during Holy Week, according to the Intramuros Administration.

The Intramuros Administraton SAID

PEOPLE VISITED THE Walled City for Visita Iglesia or church visits and other activities such as the Via Crucis (Way of the #ROSS THE Penitencia Cenaculo PERFORMANCE BY #AINTA .AZARENO )NC AND -ASSES LED BY -ANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal 4AGLE TO COMMEMORATE THE ,ORD S PASSION DEATH AND RESURRECTION From Wednesday evening and 4HURSDAY ALONE

PEOPLE visited Intramuros.

The observance of Visita Iglesia was initially a means to honor the "LESSED 3ACRAMENT OR THE CONSEcrated host given to churchgoers DURING COMMUNION IN -ASS WHICH is placed on the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday. It evolved into a form of meditation and pilgrimage

and atonement for sins.

The pilgrims passed by Stations of THE #ROSS OR THE 6IA #RUCIS A SERIES OF IMAGES THAT DEPICT THE EVENTS LEADING TO *ESUS #HRIST S CRUCIkXION

installed at General Luna Street in Intramuros near the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Intramuros opened nine churches and chapels for Holy 7EEK NAMELY -ANILA #ATHEDRAL

3AN !GUSTIN #HURCH &R 7ILLMAN #HAPEL IN THE +NIGHTS OF #OLUMBUS BUILDING 0AMANTASAN NG ,UNGSOD NG -AYNILA CHAPEL

-APUA 5NIVERSITY CHAPEL ,Yceum of the Philippines UniverSITY CHAPEL #OLEGIO DE 3AN *UAN DE ,ETRAN CHAPEL 3T -ATTHEW S chapel in the Bureau of Internal Revenue building and Guadalupe Shrine in Fort Santiago to the

A RARE SIGHT Manila’s Roxas Boulevard is practically empty of cars and container trucks on Black Saturday as the metropolis took a pause during the Holy Week commemoration. It willbe back to normal, i.e., heavy traffic, on Monday as urban denizens return from the long holiday weekend. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

PUBLIC FROM !PRIL TO OR during the Holy Week Triduum.

Tourism Assistant Secretary Roberto Alabado Jr. said the historical churches and shrines “exude the #HRISTIANITY WE ARE KNOWN FOR BE-

ing the only Christian country in 3OUTHEAST !SIA /N REGULAR DAYS ONLY THE Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church are open to the PUBLIC SAID )NTRAMUROS !DMINIS-

tration chief Guiller Asido.

Some cultural site and museums WERE CLOSED UNTIL TODAY 3UNDAY 4HE &R 'EORGE * 7ILLMAN 3 * Museum and the Destileria Limtuaco Museum were closed from

!PRIL TO WHILE "AHAY 4SINOY WAS CLOSED FROM !PRIL TO ,AST YEAR THE )NTRAMUROS !DMINISTRATION SAID ABOUT

people visited the Walled City during Holy Week.

Saudi OKs Filipino festival in Jeddah Las PiĂąas police nab taxi driver who robbed OFW at airport

MORE than a thousand Filipinos and non-Filipinos in Jeddah took part in the first-ever Filipino festival approved by the Saudi government, titled “Mabuhay Manila: Sama Saya sa Happy Land sa Jeddah.�

The Filipino community in Jeddah made history on April 6 when they converged at Atallah Happy Land Park for the first Saudi-approved Filipino festivity.

The whole-day event, spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, included the first-ever Filipino Food Festival, which showcased the rich and vibrant cu-

linary experience and heritage of the Philippines through food exhibits and cooking demonstrations by top Filipino chefs in Jeddah.

Consul General to Jeddah Edgar Badajos said the allFilipino set of activities was a testament to how Saudi Arabia was starting to open to the world and develop its tourism and entertainment industry. Badajos said the historic event was made possible with the support of Atallah Happy Land Park and Filipino community-based group Amore Familiare.

Filipino bands performed in a “Rock and Jam� concert, which

aimed to promote original Filipino music and talents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Filipino actor-singer Piolo Pascual also held a solo concert, thrilling the Filipino and non-Filipino audience with popular love songs.

This was the first time that a major Filipino concert was also held publicly, with the approval of the General Entertainment Authority, the Saudi government agency tasked to oversee the entertainment initiatives in Saudi Arabia to diversify and enrich the country’s entertainment experience, said Badajos. J.J. ISMAEL

AIRPORT authorities on Saturday announced that the taxi driver who robbed an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on April 17 had been arrested by operatives of Las PiĂąas police.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal said THE SUSPECT WAS IDENTIkED AS /RESTES 1UIZON

driver of a Shammah taxi with plate number UVV-570.

-ONREAL SAID THE PASSENGER IDENTIkED AS +AREN -ITSCHEK RODE THE SUSPECT S TAXI AT THE .INOY !QUINO )NTERNATIONAL !IRPORT .!)! TERMINAL 4HE /&7 HAD ARRIVED FROM (ONG +ONG ! FEW METERS AWAY FROM .!)! TERMINAL

1UIZON ANNOUNCED THE HOLD UP Airport authorities said Mitschek immediATELY RETURNED TO .!)! AND kLED A COMPLAINT against the suspect.

She told investigators the suspect threatened to shoot her if she made any noise or refused to give her bags.

The OFW begged for her life and said she was longing to see her child. The suspect left her on C5 Road after the robbery.

4HE SUSPECT TOOK ALL HER BELONGINGS INCLUDing the passenger slip bearing the plate number OF THE TAXI GIVEN BY THE AIRPORT TAXI DISPATCHER at the terminal. !IRPORT POLICE OFkCIALS CONDUCTED MANHUNT operations and found the Shammah taxi abandoned near the airport a few hours later on the same day.

The police later impounded the vehicle and contacted the operator of Shammah taxi.

-ONREAL BANNED THE lEET OF THE 3HAMMAH taxi company from picking up passengers AT .!)!

The MIAA said it had coordinated with Las PiĂąas police for the possible turnover of the SUSPECT TO THE AIRPORT POLICE FOR THE PROPER kLing of robbery and abduction cases.

BENJIE L. VERGARA

Q HUGPONG FROM A1

TIONS ABOUT THE MAYOR S AMBITION TO BECOME THE COUNTRY S LEADER WITH THE POLITICAL OPposition making numerous claims about it as the mid-term elections near.

The Otso Diretso opposition slate earlier SAID THE 0RESIDENT S DAUGHTER WAS CREATING “unnecessary political noise� to “make HERSELF RELEVANTu AHEAD OF THE NATIONAL elections.

But Duterte-Carpio slammed the opposiTION S 3ENATE SLATE WHICH SHE DESCRIBED AS “irrelevant.� “Otso Diretso is creating noise but is still IRRELEVANT ;)T IS ALREADY TALKING ABOUT = WHEN THEY CANNOT EVEN PULL UP u SHE also told The Manila Times. g $I KO NALANG I-enumerate kung gaano SILA KAMALI AT BAKA MATUTO PA SILA SA AKIN ) WON T ENUMERATE WHAT /TSO $IRETSO S mistakes are because they might learn from ME u SHE SAID 4HE MAYOR WHO IS SEEKING A SECOND TERM TO HEAD $AVAO #ITY FORMED (N0 IN &EBRUARY WITH LEADERS FROM THE $AVAO 2EGION The party then decided to back 13 canDIDATES FOR SENATOR IN THE -AY POLLS

going around the country to forge alliances with local parties willing to deliver votes from their respective constituents.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

Sara Duterte )T WAS $AVAO DEL .ORTE 'OV !NTHONY DEL 2OSARIO WHO lOATED THE IDEA OF ELEVATING THE HnP into a national party. $EL 2OSARIO (N0 SECRETARY GENERAL CITED the so-called “Sara magic� and the good showing of Hugpong candidates for senator in poll surveys as factors for considering the upgrade.

But Duterte-Carpio has repeatedly expressed opposition to the proposal in order to avoid speculations that she would use the HnP as a springboard for her bid to take OVER HER FATHER WHEN HIS TERM ENDS IN 4HE 0RESIDENT DURING A CAMPAIGN RALLY IN "ACOLOD #ITY LAST WEEK DISPELLED PERSISTENT talk that her daughter was being groomed FOR THE POST SAYING SHE SIMPLY WANTS TO “shake the tree.�

4HE $AVAO #ITY MAYOR WHO HAS BEEN actively campaigning for Senate candidates SUPPORTIVE OF HIS FATHER S ADMINISTRATION HAS AGREED WITH HIS FATHER SAYING SHE WAS gNOT thinking about running for president.�

3HE HOWEVER ALSO SAID SHE WOULD decide on a possible bid for the presidENCY BY This did not put to rest speculaQ Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

FILE PHOTO

Business Times Q keep in view Business leaders to watch out for

Milka Romero Managing Director Roku Group

“

SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019 Email: bizreports@manilatimes.net

While other girls played with toy appliances, this child of well-known business honchos Mikee and Sheila Romero grew up with professional gas stoves and convection ovens. In college, she juggled studies and running a restaurant and a team with members older than her.

ABOUT ME ROLE MODEL

When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re a project manager, contractor, accountant, chef and marketing officer. So, [I do] all of that within the day! And every day is another challenge

Cheesy if I say my parents. But since they’re going to read this, parents, of course.

FIRST PAYING JOB I was a paid intern at Cura V (a lifestyle store in Rockwell).

MORNING ROUTINE I work out doing weights or boxing.

I need one hour to myself to not think of anything.

SPECIAL SKILLS Playing football. And everyone knows me for being a karaoke queen.

GOALS I want to venture into fashion and cosmetics; maybe bring an international brand here.

TIME YOU SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA Two hours a day. It’s important for my business to study what my market likes.

BY ANNA T. CAYCO “I never binge-watched when I was in college,� 25-year-old Milka Romero admits. “I just learned how to do it now.�

If, during her days at the Ateneo de Manila University, Milka had no time to station herself in front of a computer WATCHING TELEVISION SHOW AND kLMS FOR hours, that’s because she led a not-soordinary student life. In the morning, she would train with the women’s football team as its captain, then hit the books for her management economics degree. And as if that wasn’t enough, she would hop over to oversee her Japanese restaurant, Roku Sushi + Ramen, right across campus in Oracle Hotel, owned by her mother, Sheila Romero.

Six years later, Milka remains just as busy, more so now as managing director of Roku Group, which handles restaurants, Roku Sushi + Ramen, Sushi Nori and Narra Thai and Asian.

While young girls were playing with toy appliances, Milka grew up with professional gas stoves and convection ovens.

After all, her mother Sheila, a household name in the restaurant industry, had tucked several food enterprises under her belt since 1993, including the Mediterranean Azzurro Bistro and Wine Bar in Legaspi Village in Makati City.

It was only a matter of time for Milka to decide what kind of restaurant she wanted to put up. While still working for her undergraduate degree, her journey AS A RESTAURATEUR INTENSIkED BECAUSE OF A heightened sense of customer insight on Japanese cuisine at the time.

She recalls: “Back then [2012], there was no Japanese restaurant in terms of quality and affordability.� Most affordable Japanese restaurants of the day were selling mere Westernized versions of Japanese food such as chicken teriyaki, pork tonkatsu or California Maki rolls.

And so, Roku Sushi + Ramen saw the light. Until now, it is still frequented by students and families, who seek a fresh and reasonably priced take on Japanese cuisine. Roku’s decadent sushi rolls are an unlikely but daring combination of ingredients like the Dream Roll — tempura-battered salmon, imitation crab and cream cheese or their Sailboat Roll — a spicy tuna roll topped with a crispy wanton. Even their Apple Pie Gyoza — a deep-fried dumpling oozing with a warm, SWEET APPLE kLLING ‡ IS A UNION OF TRADITIONAL !MERICAN AND *APANESE lAVORS The mother-daughter duo had split the duties of handling their new venture

B1

On a roll along Katipunan Avenue (now known as C.P. Garcia) in Quezon City, with Sheila mentoring her offspring in the essentials such as accounts and operations, and Milka specializing in branding and social media marketing. “It’s the little details that count,� she emphasizes. Social media marketing for her is more than posting digital advertisements for Facebook and Instagram users to see, but also engaging with a new community of millennial patrons. “Just a simple comment can go a long way. As a customer, you’re being heard and that’s what gets us regular and loyal customers.�

Being entrusted with hefty responsibilities at a very young age was indeed commendable, but it was also a double-edge sword for Milka. It proved challenging for her to be a superior, whose team members were often older than she was.

There was also the pressure to prove her worth, not only to herself but also to her employees. She admits: “I needed more SELF CONkDENCE TO BECOME A LEADER AT A YOUNG AGE !ND THAT WAS DIFkCULT BECAUSE it was so scary, di ba [right]? “During those times, I would make a lot of mistakes.� Then, she had to pass on certain tasks, often involving negotiating with her workers, to her more seasoned mother. Her mother’s advice: To be a boss of a company is also to be a teacher of your employees.

Milka’s dimension as a student did not hinder her as a restaurateur, but provided THAT BOOST OF SELF CONkDENCE SHE BADLY needed. Insights culled from management classes combined with her determination to grow a thriving food and beverage CONCERN HAVE RESULTED IN THE CONkDENT yet grounded entrepreneur she is today.

-ILKA SAYS g9OU NEED TO BE CONkDENT about what you’re teaching. The more I learned about something, the more I could be sure this was the right thing. You can’t just talk the talk. “Back then, it seemed like I was just PLAYING AROUND "UT UPON RElECTION ) learned so much more than just theories. I was able to make a sustainable business!�

Milka’s passion for quality but affordABLE *APANESE FOOD HAS NOT BEEN CONkNED

to Loyola Heights in Quezon City, but has expanded across Metro Manila. She opened her sophomore venture Sushi Nori, an on-the-go sushi joint for students and yuppies in 2015. Inspired by similar stores in cities like Tokyo, New York and London, Milka says: “You don’t need to sit down and read the menu for too long. Just order one sushi roll for yourself.� Indeed, another one of Sushi Nori’s outstanding features is its colorful yet wellorganized menu, which sorts the rolls by price and type.

Although she continues to operate Roku Sushi + Ramen with her mother, Sushi Nori is where Milka truly took her leap from the nest and flew solo.

No longer is she afraid to lead her team, which mans six branches around the city, as well as an outpost in the popular surfing town of Siargao, Surigao del Norte. In the meantime, her mother handles their franchise of the popular Narra Thai and Asian.

Not a working day passes by without Milka visiting one or two

Q Milka often travels to derive inspiration for her menu concepts; at Osaka Station in Japan, which she says values quality in its cuisine (this photo) and with special friend Niccolo Pizzocheri at the Antinori Classico Winery in Florence (top right)

of her sushi joints to catch up with her employees and show them the ropes, echoing her mother’s earlier advice of being a role model. “It shows that you care about the brand. When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re a project manager, contractor, accountant, CHEF AND A MARKETING OFkCER 3O ;) do] all of that within the day!�

Now a five-year veteran in the service industry, is Milka exhausted?

On the contrary, she is exhilarated, saying: “Every day is another challenge I want to encounter‌ [My] responsibility is to give my customers something new.â€?

Filipinos are served a smorgasbord of new restaurants every year, raising THE DIFkCULTY FOR THESE OUTLETS TO ENTICE

the hungry diner into their premises. But that doesn’t seem like a hurdle for Milka and her growing group of restaurants.

She still has two new restaurant concepts up her sleeve for this year: A Filipino dessert cafĂŠ, Yelo Yelo — a play on the beloved Filipino summer treat halo-halo — and a Hong Kong-inspired bar, Ms. Gee — “because to spell the name is MSG.â€?

In addition, the sushi restaurateur will be taking classes in the sushi capital itself, Tokyo, sometime this year. She says: “I’ve been there to do a few short courses, but this one is a bit longer, so I’m excited talaga (I’m really excited).�

Armed with an insatiable desire to do business — her father happens to be colorful businessman and politician Mikee Romero — and an unlimited supply of energy, there is no doubt that Milka Romero is following her parents’ footsteps while making her own entrepreneurial mark.

She, however, has to get over being shy about discussing the achievements she’s chalked up on her journey as a restaurateur. Milka says she would rather the spotlight shine on her establishments, not on her. For this young lady, her eye is DEkNITELY ON THE PRIZE

Business Times

B2

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

˜˜ The Sunday Times

Editor: Edwin P. Sallan Email: edwin.sallan@manilatimes.net

w w w.manilatimes.net

TRENDS

The business of ‘fairness’

More than just whitening, Oxina Cosmetics is about helping women bring out their glow

BY MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN

effect is what the market looks for, she observes. “Which is why we focus on the inner beauty as well, as we believe that nourishing the inner beauty with our product that has an effective and easily-absorbed combination of nutrients helps their beauty emanate from within.�

Because of the huge demand for

whitening products, there are many items that can be found in the market.

Estrada, a nurse by training, cautions HERE was a big to-do about the choice of the buying public to choose their ad material that was released recently by products carefully, as some do not a company that specializes in whitening work at all, while others may even have harmful effects on the health. products. What many may not know about glu“What they should look for is the tathione, the ingredient that many products use, FDA (Food and Drug Adminisis that it has many other health-related properties tration) approval. If the product passes FDA standards, it aside from the whitening effect. means that the product has According to Oxina CosmetTheir formulation is made undergone testing and that ics Managing Director Maureen from ingredients that are importthe ingredients that were used Estrada, glutathione that is taken ed from Italy and manufactured has passed safety standards.� orally or intravenously can help locally into oral supplements Estrada also says that our body stay healthy and maintain that are meant to be taken daily buying something off the optimum mental and physical func- to achieve results in 28 days. internet based only on tion. “Not all the oral preparations “Our product is an all-in-one testimonies can be very are the same, though. Many use beauty supplement because it risky. “Look for the FDA reduced glutathione. The emothion also contains collagen, sodium approval, and also do your S-acetyl glutathione (emothion ascorbate and vitamin E. It research about the manuSAG), which we use in our NuWhite is three times more powerful facturing company, the infood supplement can help not only than other glutathione supplegredients used, and where with whitening, but we have studies ments and our formulation is they were sourced from,� to show that it can help with anti- more easily absorbed into the she advises. At present, NuWhite aging action, liver protection and body,� she adds. is available on shopping sites such DETOXIkCATION SKIN NOURISHING AND The challenging part is that as Lazada and Shoppee, but they a healthy immune system because it EVEN WITH ALL THE OTHER BENEkTS Q NuWhite S-acetyl glutathione capsule are planning to launch in major that glutathione has, the whitening supplements has antioxidants.� drugstore chains soon.

T

Amnesty for tax delinquents

I

N our previous articles, we’ve discussed Republic Act (RA)–1213, the “Tax Amnesty Act of 2019� (Tax Amnesty Act), particularly the fact that President Duterte vetoed several provisions, specifically the General Tax Amnesty (GTA). The GTA was supposed to cover all national internal revenue taxes (i.e., income tax, withholding tax, value-added tax, etc.), with or without assessments, that have remained unpaid as of Dec. 31, 2017.

With the veto of the GTA, the Tax Amnesty Act is left with the remaining two separate tax amnesty programs: Estate Tax Amnesty and a Tax Amnesty on Delinquencies (TAD).

Quite recently, the Department of Finance (DoF) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the TAD, Revenue Regulations (RR) 4-2019, which was published on April 9, 2019. The regulations take effect 15 days from the date of its publication, which will be on April 24, 2019. The regulation’s date of effectivity is crucial, as the TAD may be availed of by taxpayers within one year from April 24, 2019.

Under the 4!$ ANY PERSON MAY ENJOY THE BENEkTS AND PRIVILEGES of the tax amnesty by paying the following tax amnesty rates: – 40 percent of the basic tax in cases of tax delinquencies and asSESSMENTS WHICH HAVE BECOME kNAL AND EXECUTORY m PERCENT OF THE BASIC TAX FOR CASES SUBJECT TO kNAL AND EXECUTORY JUDGMENT BY THE COURTS

Tax Liability Tax delinquencies and assessments which KDYH EHFRPH ÂżQDO DQG executory

Large Taxpayer

– 60 percent of the basic tax for ongoing tax evaSION CASES AND –100 percent of the basic tax for withholding agents and their withholding tax liabilities.

In addition, the regulations provide for the following guidelines that taxpayers will have to follow in applying for the TAD: Step 1 - 3ECURE THE #ERTIkCATE OF $ELINQUENCIES #ERTIkCATE FROM THE CONCERNED ")2 OFkCE AS SPECIkED BELOW For withholding agent-applicants concerning their withholding tax liabilities, a copy of the tax assessment found in the Final Assessment Notice/Final Decision on Disputed Assessment (FDDA) issued by the ")2 WILL SUFkCE INSTEAD OF THE #ERTIkCATE Step 2. Fill up the Tax Amnesty Return (TAR) and Acceptance Payment Form (APF), and have the APF endorsed by the RDO where the taxpayer IS REGISTERED &OR ,ARGE 4AXPAYERS THE APPLICATION IS EITHER kLED WITH THE LTD, or the LTCED. Upon endorsement of the APF, pay the tax amnesty amount with the appropriate BIR authorized agent bank.

Step 3. 5PON PAYMENT SUBMIT THE 4!2 !0& #ERTIkCATE AND PROOF of payment of tax amnesty with the RDO/LTD/LTCED. Within 15 calendar days from submission of the APF and TAR, the BIR will provide a “Notice of Issuance of Authority to Cancel Assessment�.

The TAD shall be considered fully complied with upon completion of the above enumerated steps.

Happy Easter to everyone!

THE FINE PRINT

RON ARRIESGADO

Regular Taxpayer

Large Taxpayers Division (LTD -Cebu or Davao)/ Large Taxpayers Collection Enforcement Division (LTCED)

a. Regional Collection Division for applicants under Revenue Regions (RR) of Caloocan, Manila, Quezon City and Makati; E 5HYHQXH 'LVWULFW 2ႈFH 5'2 ZKHUH WKH WD[SD\HU LV UHJLVWHUHG IRU DOO RWKHU DSSOLFDQWV

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Prosecution Division of the %,5 1DWLRQDO 2ႈFH

a. Legal Division for applicants under RR of Caloocan, Manila, Quezon City and Makati; E /HJDO 'LYLVLRQ RI WKH 5HJLRQDO 2ႈFH RU 3URVHFXWLRQ 'LYLVLRQ LQ WKH 1DWLRQDO 2ႈFH IRU DOO other applicants.

Dropping like flies A

T the end of last month following the sudden collapse of Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air — the seventh major airline bankruptcy so far this year — I suggested that 2019 would be a memorably bad year for the airline business (“Fly the unfriendly skies,� March 31).

That prognosis did not sit too well with a few industry stakeholders, who were quick to point out that, while the European and North American markets are probably oversaturated, all the growth indicators for South and Southeast Asia are pointing higher. Without exception, every country across the region is anticipating growth in tourist arrivals, for example.

On Wednesday, Mumbai-based carrier Jet Airways grounded its fleet, unable to stop the financial bleeding that has seen it rack up $1.2 billion in debt. Although it is not officially bankrupt yet, that is a mere formality at this point; when it happens, probably within the next few days or weeks, it will become the eighth significant airline bankruptcy of 2019.

And it will not be the last. The next to go will probably be Hong Kong Airlines, a subsidiary of China’s Hainan Airlines, and the third-largest of the airlines headquartered in Hong Kong. Both the airline and its parent HNA Group are heavily in debt, with the airline posting losses of HK$3 billion ($382 million) last year. Hong Kong authorities have given the airline more time to present a restructuring plan (which will be the fifth one since December), but earlier this week the situation went from “bad� to “completely ridiculous� as two different management factions claimed to be in charge.

Malaysian Airlines, which had one foot in the grave even before flight MH370 disappeared and MH17 was shot down, can probably also now count its operational life in months after the Mahathir government announced it was considering dumping its stake in the airline. This followed Malaysian’s missing a target of turning a profit by the end of 2018, and a warning from the company that it was unlikely to make one this year.

In Singapore, flag carrier Singapore Airlines is in the process of ending its foray into the LCC market, reabsorbing its Silk Air regional airline. Although Silk Air has not performed as poorly as some other airlines in its class, the return on Singapore Airlines’ investment has been disappointing, and the parent carrier has actually subsidized the smaller one for much of its life. The Silk Air fleet is currently undergoing cabin reconfiguration and maintenance upgrades, and will be incorporated into Singapore Airlines’ fleet by next year, at which point the Silk Air brand will be dropped.

A little farther afield, South Korea’s second-largest airline Asiana is also on the verge of insolvency. On Monday, parent conglomerate Kumho Asiana Group said it would be willing to sell its entire one-third stake in the airline to keep it in operation. Like other airlines that have floundered recently, Asiana is also saddled with unmanageable debt, compounded by some management controversies. The company’s auditors have refused to sign off on the airlines 2018 financial statements, and a plea to existing shareholders to

ROUGH TRADE BEN KRITZ raise fresh capital for Asiana met with a lukewarm response.

In the view of most analysts, there are two major problems plaguing Asian airlines, the most serious of which is overcapacity. There has been strong passenger growth, but capacity has grown even faster; there are too many airlines, and they have fleets that are too large to be cost-effective. Because airlines are competing on price, the distinction between the low-cost and full-service carrier niches has become blurred. Except on some unique routes, such as Singapore Airlines’ ultra-long distance routes to London and New York, fares and services are not as differentiated, which has intensified competition both between FSCs and LCCs, and within both groups.

This has been a boon to passengers, who have a variety of reasonably priced choices as long as the airlines stay in business, but it puts the airlines themselves in an impossible position. In order to turn a profit in a low fare environment, an airline needs volume. Volume means more planes and personnel and costs, but as volume grows, fares are driven even lower. At some point, the airline cannot possibly recover its costs, and becomes another statistic.

The second problem is that even though any airline executive can recognize that unsustainable situation, Asian airlines have yet to learn how to cut costs in the same way as successful Western airlines. Most American airlines, for example, have resorted to stripping down fares as much as possible, but making up for it by adding fees for some of the direct costs those fares used to cover —checked baggage, assigned seating, meals on domestic flights, and other in-flight services.

The impression among the flying public is that overall service has declined considerably, but for the most part, it actually balances out; a passenger who pays for all the extras is paying about what he would have under the old service model. If Asian airlines did the same thing, their passengers would not be any more pleased about the changes than passengers anywhere else, but the airlines would become more manageable. Since the same basic end is achieved — the passengers are transported efficiently from point A to point B — most would tolerate it, particularly given the lack of reasonable alternatives, particularly in places like the Philippines and Indonesia.

Even so, Asian airlines seem reluctant to go down that path, preferring to hold out hope that “passenger growth� will carry them through.

After all, in such a competitive environment, the first airline to adopt the unbundled fare model would be virtually committing suicide. A lot more consolidation — which means a lot more bankrupt airlines — will have to happen before cost management strategies will really be considered.

ben.kritz@manilatimes.net

Parental action spells danger I

N an interview with family business advisor Harry Martin, he emphatically stressed that “the two main enemies that threaten the very survival of family businesses are the controlling patriarch/matriarch and the next generation’s sense of entitlement!�

Those two factors are working against a family business that is why it is estimated that close to 70 percent will not survive into the second generation and 90 percent will never make it to the third generation. The average lifespan of a family owning business can be as short as 24 years.

That number also coincides with the average time that the founder is associated with the business.

Martin went on to advise owners to “treat family members joining the business like you would treat non family employees. Be sure they would have to live to the same standards of work and performance.� The statement hits home especially in the context of Asian family businesses where

FAMILIES IN BUSINESS PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO family relationships are deeply interwoven in the business. The overlapping of family, business and ownership already breeds natural tension and employing entitled children can lead to real, EMOTIONALLY CHARGED CONlICT I have witnessed many family owning businesses where the dysfunctional behavior of their children are generously rewarded by way of higher pay and new positions in the hopes that power and perks will motivate them to perform better. It is not only foolish and dangerous it is also counterproductive. In the absence of any deliberate effort to contain a family member’s aberrant behavior, any form of appeasement that parents do to win the adult

child to their side will likely fail.

To business owners out there, are you doing any of these actions? Do you cuddle and reward the adult child’s bad behavior? $O YOU PROVIDE kNANCIAL SUPPORT to nonworking family members? $O YOU HAVE UNQUALIkED FAMILY members occupying managerial positions? Are you giving equal compensation to family members REGARDLESS OF QUALIkCATIONS !RE you giving higher compensation to family members over professionals? Do you tolerate your adult child’s poor performance? If you are doing any of these acts, you are unknowingly FOMENTING CONlICTĂœ The challenge is to confront this predictable danger and reverse the current situation. Unfortunately, parent/owners do not know how to start the change process. Therefore, I am sharing a list of initiatives to guide owners on what is best for the family and the business: a. Parents must primarily focus on being good parents that espou-

ses values such as love, God fearing, respect, integrity, hard work and being fair to everyone. b. Never, never promise your children ownership on a silver PLATTER 4O BE FUTURE AND QUALIkED shareholders, they must earn and exhibit full commitment coupled with a work attitude that exemplikES HARD WORK c. My advice to a parent/business owner is to stop behaving like a father or mother when it comes to business related matters involving the children. Never ever reward bad behavior. d. Compensation must be commensurate to credentials and must be based on what the adult child can contribute to the business. Equal pay among employed family members breed resentment and is an unacceptable business practice. e. Continue to ingrain in your children the importance of separating the concept of being an owner and an employee. Children would always be tempted in

choosing an owner rather than an employee mindset. f. If your children are still in college and have shown interest in joining the business, make sure that you impose strict conditions on their employment before they are accepted-employment requirements include an Employment Contract stating their Job descriptions and Performance metrics. Employment means qualifications, commitment, performance, meritocracy and accountability. g. Discard the “Eldest Child Syndrome�. Family business owners who don’t appoint the most competent leaders available — be they family or non-family members — are also taking a great risk h. Business owners must enforce the rules of employment (entry and exit polices) of any family member interested to join the business i. In anticipation of any fuTURE CONlICT a Family Constitution, Shareholder’s Agreement

and the activation of the family council are necessary governance tools to manage and mitigate any future tension.

To effect a merit-based handover, it is necessary for parents to spend more time in molding their children so they will learn the value of hard work and fair play. Clearly, the objective is to embed the right values so they can become solid, decent, responsible people before they assume the mantle of succession and leadership.

Prof Enrique Soriano is a World Bank/IFC Governance Consultant, Senior Advisor of Post and Powell Singapore and the Executive Director of Wong + Bernstein Family Advisory Group, a research and CONSULTING kRM IN !SIA THAT SERVES family businesses and family foundations. He was formerly chairman of the marketing cluster at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Manila, and is currently a visiting senior fellow of the IPMI International School, Jakarta.

˜ The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

Sunday Business & I.T.

B3

F O R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

How to ensure you stay GDPR-compliant to “B,� true data lineage includes application, business and technical perspectives. It understands data transformation, not just movement and associates data to business meaning and processes.

It’s the critical knowledge base that data governance and regulatory compliance rely on.

BY GARY CHITAN HEAD OF ENTERPRISE DATA INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE ASG TECHNOLOGIES

O

RGANIZATIONS spent an enormous amount of time, money and resource to achieve EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance in time for the May 2018 deadline. However, it is clear that preparing to meet the regulation was not a oneoff project, and that remaining compliant in 2019 and beyond requires continued investment.

The investment is likely to be substantial. A November 2017 report by Sia Partners indicates that it is likely to be ÂŁ15 million ($19.6 million) on average for a &43% kRM /RGANIZATIONS IN the UK have woken up to the fact that to achieve continued compliance, they must adopt a new way of life; after all, the risks of failing to be compliant are substantial.

The British Airways data breach of Aug. 21 to Sept. 5, 2018 raised immediate speculation about likely FUTURE kNES Now we have seen tech giant, 'OOGLE HIT WITH A RECORD kNE FOR breaching GDPR. The â‚Ź50 million (ÂŁ44M or $57.6M) fine issued

by French regulator CNIL was triggered by complaints relating to how Google handled people’s data. CNIL said it had levied the fine for “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalization.�

Up to now the focus when it came to GDPR was very much on likely penalties. It was very much about stick rather than carrot.

That’s changing fast today with

many organizations seeing GDPR as more of an opportunity rather than a threat. organizations are hoping that the investment could BENEkT THEIR BUSINESS IN A VARIETY of ways.

ASG’s view is that businesses must continue to assess their GDPR strategy, paying particular ATTENTION TO kVE KEY AREAS

Data governance and privacy Businesses are still learning to extend their data governance processes to GDPR and implementing the internal processes it requires.

This typically involves a number of tasks — understanding the regulation, making organizational changes, such as appointing a DATA PROTECTION OFkCER MODIFYING business practices and — above all — knowing what personal data is stored, who is using it, how and for what purposes. As manual tasks often have a greater risk of human error, it is vital organizations put the right processes in place to ensure they are performing them effectively. Manual processes will

Deriving added value

only be sustainable if organizations accept them as a corporate “must do� and create a “privacy� mindset.

Automation technology Investment in automation technology is needed to enable businesses to manage costs, improve quality, consistency and react quickly to opportunities, threats and challenges. The growing volume and variety and fast-moving nature of data means that nobody is going to be able to keep track of it and govern it without automated processes. Knowing exactly where data comes from, how and why it’s used and where it goes, requires businesses to deploy technology that automates the understand-

ING OF DATA IDENTIkES CHANGES AND notifies data governance teams AS NEEDED )N ADDITION ARTIkCIAL intelligence and machine learning provide capabilities that will help organizations use the growing volume of data more effectively, while also identifying and reducing compliance risk. Try as they might, they just won’t be able to achieve the same results through spreadsheets and word documents.

Quality over quantity The process of identifying and culling data undertaken initially to achieve GDPR compliance should become an ongoing task as the quality of data and the ability to protect it is far more important than the quantity of that data organizations need to identify what

Meeting the global demand for cloud ERP 4/ meet growing customer demand for cloud ERP systems that has seen strong GROWTH FOR /RACLE .ET3UITE IN the last year, NetSuite recently announced SuiteLife, a new partner engagement initiative. SuiteLife represents the largest investment NetSuite has ever made in its partner ecosystem and encompasses a number of the NetSuite Partner Programs, which include more than 550 partners in 85 countries. With SuiteLife, new partners will be able to start selling and delivering NetSuite to customers in only 90 days, while existing partners will BENEkT FROM INNOVATIVE NEW OFFERINGS TO expand their NetSuite practice and amplify their growth. “The rate at which customers are moving ERP to the cloud is at an all-time high and our partner ecosystem plays a critical role in helping us meet this demand,� said Craig West, vice president of Alliances and #HANNELS /RACLE .ET3UITE g"Y MAKING IT easier than ever for partners to join, succeed and grow in the NetSuite ecosystem, we are putting the power of the NetSuite platform into the hands of more organizations across the world. With NetSuite, organizations gain the visibility and control needed to navigate complexities and accelerate growth while NetSuite partners capitalize on the generational transition to the cloud.�

L

SuiteLife delivers a comprehensive set of RESOURCES CERTIkED TRAINING AND TOOLS THAT enable NetSuite partners to develop exPERTISE AROUND SPECIkC BUSINESS FUNCTIONS

product areas and industries. With SuiteLife, NetSuite partners can quickly and easily gain the knowledge and expertise required to help customers succeed, differentiate their practices and expand their business.

SuiteLife includes: – SuiteSuccess Alignment: Enables partners to leverage SuiteSuccess, a preCONkGURED INDUSTRY CLOUD SOLUTION THAT IS built on industry leading practices, within their practice, and existing methodologies to deliver even more value to customers. – Accelerated New Product Introduction: A structured program that helps partners

expedite the roll out and delivery of new products. – Partner Support Programs: New services that help partners save time and lower risk on customer engagements by providing anytime access to NetSuite’s library of training and network of industry experts. – 3IMPLIkED AND (OLISTIC Program Structure: /NE subscription for all the enablement, tools, assets and support a partner will need to grow without having to compromise.

The NetSuite Partner Program doubled in 2018 as a RESULT OF SIGNIkCANT EXPANSION IN %UROPE

!SIA 0ACIkC AND ,ATIN !MERICA 4HE PROgram includes global and regional systems INTEGRATORS kNANCE AND BUSINESS ADVISORY kRMS AND TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING PROVIDers, including Deloitte Digital, Capgemini, RSM and Eide Bailly. Partners provide a combination of services to NetSuite customers, ranging from program management, integration and implementation support to regulatory compliance, tax and audit advice, and system selection guidance in areas such as ERP, HCM, CRM and omnichannel commerce. These services are delivered on the core NetSuite platform to meet increasing demand for integrated cloud applications that drive business agility and deliver exceptional time to value.

data is working for them and what data is working against them to reduce the amount of data they hold.

The remaining data is then likely to be more valuable and of more use to the business, while the risk from unused data is eliminated.

Getting a handle on data lineage To get the most of GDPR compliance, businesses should look to get a better grasp of data lineage and what it means to their business.

True data lineage is a complete understanding of the data, its transformational nature, its associations and its lifecycle across the data estate and over time.

While some talk about data lineage as though it were no more than knowing how data moves from “A�

In 2019, organizations should remind themselves of the added value GDPR compliance brings with it and look at how they can use this to their advantage. Businesses should look at the bigger picture and focus on the trust that comes from well governed data, SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD CONkDENCE in its use while also mitigating risk. This includes the potential to REDUCE DIRECT COSTS CREATE EFkCIENT audit processes, manage and track the information supply chain and use insights from data to drive business decisions.

With the help of technology, businesses can create robust processes which ensure longterm GDPR compliance. A more complete and valuable understanding of data can be achieved and maintained with the help of automation. Although there is an initial investment in this technology, businesses must look at the bigger picture and the return on investment from saving both time and resource and reducing what can be costly errors. While compliance is required by law, organizations must begin to view it as an opportunity to improve their data governance processes rather than a burden.

Half of PH online shoppers use mobile phones MOBILE commerce is booming globally, and it turns out Filipinos have joined the trend. According to online firm Picodi.com, half of transactions were made with the use of a mobile device last year.

When Filipinos did shopping with the use of a phone, the average order value was ,997.

It’s about 382 more than when using desktops (3,615) and 138 less when using tablets (4,135). iOS users spend more than Android users — 4,605 vs 3,958 on average.

The important question is who shops online more — men or women? Data showed that there were more purchases made by Filipino women than those made by men, 62 percent and 38 percent respectively.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the young generation that prefers online shopping. More than half of all online shoppers (52 percent) are people between the ages of 25 and 34. They’re followed by people aged 18-24 (26 percent) and 35-44 percent (13 percent). The remaining 9 percent are consumers who are over 45 years old.

According to the research, the average order value of a Filipino shopper is the highest in June (5,409), followed by May and March (4,494 and 4,143 accordingly).

Compared to that, the average order value of a moderate 3,604 in November might come as a surprise. After all, that’s when Black Friday and 11.11 take place.

Filipinos shop in a number of different online stores and place more orders. November has the

highest number of transactions — 15.4 percent of all the transactions made during the year.

The same number of transactions was noted in December (15.4 percent), followed by January (13.2 percent). Last-minute Christmas shoppers might have greatly contributed to such a high number in the former month. The lowest number of transactions was noted in July (2.3 percent) with the average order value amounting to 3,618.

Consumers in the Philippines shop the most on Friday. Filipinos definitely prefer to shop in the afternoon: the peak of sales occurs between 12 noon and 6 p.m.

The most popular categories for online shopping among Filipinos were food on delivery, clothing, grocery, cosmetics and perfumes, and electronics.

The good, the bad and the blind sides of our internet woes

AST month, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) celebrated a quarter century of the internet in the country by highlighting significant developments and looking forward to level up the Filipino experience in the next 25 years. Themed “Unlock the Paths of the Future: 25 Years of Internet in the Philippines,� the event gave due recognition to recent government ICT projects like Pipol Konek, National Broadband and GovNet. The talks from public and private resource persons underscored THE BENEkTS OF A FASTER )NTERNET access as well as a vision to make the Internet “vanish� to make it blend into the back-

TECH SPACE TONY MAGHIRANG ground of everyday life.

The low-key affair managed to put into perspective a report in February that Filipinos spend the most time online worldwide. According to the Digital 2019 report from Hootsuite and We Are Social, Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 2 minutes daily using a host of devices. Majority of the access are on social media platforms.

These developments should augur well for the entry of a new telco player which reportedly moved its rollout to 2021, and the

onset of the next generation 5G mobile technology. There’s really a big market for faster, more reliable Internet technology hereabouts.

Above all, a robust internet framework across the country dovetails with national development objectives such as poverty reduction, higher labor productivity and by a long shot, alleviation OF TRAFkC WOES ALL OVER At the DICT internet event, John Garrity, chief technical advisor of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), spoke on the importance of the internet in achieving sustainable development goals on top of surmounting the continuing challenge of the digital divide. International development institutions such as the World Bank have espoused that

internet-based advances like Big Data and the Internet of Things are opening new viable paths in the application of digital tools to improve lives, mitigate against natural disasters and drive economic growth to help bring down endemic poverty.

The growing access of Filipinos to the digital frontier is usually attributed to the spread of fake news, rumors about showbiz personalities, gangland exchange of political diatribes and the like. That it offers an opportunity to serve the interest of nobler pursuits is blindsided by contrarian noise and in vague claims that such high-mindedness is tantamount to the hubris of a few do-gooders, not to mention a veiled attempt to restrain freedom of expression on the Wild Wild

Web. In the process, the specter of a despicable despot’s New Society sometimes gets trotted out from the dustbin of history.

For all the hoopla of a better, faster Internet for all, cybersecurity threats posed on organizations and individuals alike are hardly given the same optimistic reception. The emerging reality is that more devices connecting to digital platforms increases the attack surface that’s exposed to cyberrisks. Existing security protocols can only detect less than 30 percent of threats because the current technology cannot cope with a myriad accesses on multiple endpoints, the network and the cloud. Moreover, the manual practice of detection and response fail to “see� blind spots in an expanded attack surface.

And there’s the dearth of manpower to man the data gateways against unwanted intrusions. The complexity of the threat landscape and the latest detection and remediation approach demands skills that are not yet available in the ICT industry locally and globally. There’s also the fact that cybercriminals are always one step ahead of their victims EVEN IN THE EVOLVING kELD OF analytical tools powered by ARTIkCIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MAchine learning.

Apparently, the quest for good affordable internet access in the country is going through a Passion play awaiting its day of redemption. Happy Easter to you all!

Sunday Business & I.T.

B4

SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019

www manilatimes.net

Editor: Jing Garcia

AWS highlights the latest Cloud trends

BY IRA JAMES

S

INGAPORE: Amazon.com’s Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) brought together thousands of tech experts from across the Asean region to share, learn and collaborate on the latest AWS features and services at the AWS Summit held here in the Lion City on April 10 and 11, 2019.

During the first day of the summit, the inaugural AWS TechFest took place, giving a full day dedicated to technical audiences such as developers, data scientists, application architects and IT Professionals. Hands-on labs, bootCAMPS CERTIkCATION INFORMATION and deep-dive technical training were curated by subject matter experts who shared their real-world experiences in the industry.

In a group interview with Nick Walton, managing director at AWS for Southeast Asia, he said the cloud allows their customers to have the ability to gain access to elastic infrastructure. “We seek customers who really BENEkT FROM HAVING THE OPPORTUnity to be able to scale infrastruc-

ture up and down as you need it,� Walton said. “Whether it’s to support marketing or sales, as you see rapid growth and having THE ABILITY TO SCALE EFkCIENTLY AND not having to buy big chunks of physical infrastructure.�

Further, Walton added: “Importantly, you can turn infrastructure off when you move on to the next thing than having to be stuck with old outdated infrastructure which used to happen often.�

Walton also said that across Southeast Asia, AWS sees five things that drives the growth of cloud adoption: First is the economic opportunities presented by the cloud infrastructure for the startup communities. There are clusters of startup companies

in Southeast Asia as the cloud removes the barrier of starting a business. Back then, startups require having a massive capital just to get started. Now, you can just use your credit card and consume what you need to start a business and scale up as you need. /NE EXAMPLE THAT 7ALTON GAVE was a company called Coins.ph which built their business on AWS. Coins.ph became a success story as a startup from the Philippines that BENEkTED FROM THE CLOUD /THER DRIVERS OF GROWTH IN THE Southeast Asia region that the AWS EXECUTIVE MENTIONED ARE kNANCIAL services, healthcare, education, and the agriculture industry. /N THE SECOND DAY OF THE SUMmit, Peter DeSantis, vice president of AWS Global Infrastructure and Customer Support, gave the opening keynote, joined by AWS customers: Indonesian start-up “unicorn� company Traveloka, and Certis, Singapore-based leading advanced integrated security services company. “Cloud technology has paved the way for accelerated innovation, helping businesses remain relevant and competitive by low-

ering costs, and providing the solutions to create and bring services to market quickly. AWS

Local telco powers GameCon 2019 4%,%#/--5.)#!4)/.3 leader PLDT Inc. and wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. support anew the local gaming and tech communities at this year’s GameCon gaming and entertainment convention.

The convention highlighted exhibits and competitions on various kinds of gaming — from mobile, PC and video games to esports, virtual reality, robotics, cosplay, arcade and tabletop, among other activities. The event also featured a workshop for aspiring game developers.

PLDT Home Fibr and Smart Developer Network empowered over 5,000 attendees by providing strong connectivity during the two-day event, which happened at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, on April 6 to 7. “We are now on our third year with GameCon, and this event gets bigger every year. PLDT and Smart continue to support this activity because it is in line with our commitment to help nurture and expand the community of aspiring local gamers and tech developers,� said Paul Pajo, Smart DevNet senior developer evangelist .

A s t h e c o u n t r y ’s l e a d i n g d i g i t a l s e r v i c e s p r ov i d e r s, PLDT and Smart are staunch supporters of the Philippines’ fast-growing and highly com-

petitive esports programs.

Filipinos are assured of the best gaming experience with PLDT and 3MART S FASTEST kXED AND MOBILE NETWORKS AS RECOGNIZED BY /OKLA

the global leader in internet testing and analysis, and mobile industry ANALYSTS 4UTELA AND /PEN3IGNAL The companies also recently LAUNCHED THEIR OFkCIAL PROFESSIONAL ESPORTS TEAM /MEGA WHICH WILL represent PLDT-Smart in The NaTIONALS THE COUNTRY S kRST FRANCHISE based esports league featuring $/4! FOR 0# -OBILE ,EGENDS Bang Bang for mobile, and Tekken 7 for PS4.

Smart DevNet is Smart’s developer community program targeted at desktop and mobile developers.

It promotes general awareness of

mobile apps development and technopreneurship while striving to foster a vibrant developer community in the Philippines by organizing and sponsoring tech events and meetups.

Those who attended the twoday GameCon event were able to get limited edition Mobile Legends shirts and jackets by purchasing a Smart Prepaid SIM with at least P499 load.

For those who didn’t make it to the event, they can still maximize their gaming experience by availing of Smart’s GIGA GAMES data bundle. By simply dialing *121#, they can get at least 1 GB data for games every day plus an additional 1 GB for three days, for just P50.

Interested parties may get the

LATEST ESPORTS UPDATES ON THE OFkcial Facebook pages of PLDT Home and Smart Communications, and THEIR OFkCIAL 4WITTER AND )NSTAGRAM accounts (@PLDTHome and @ LiveSmart). For event highlights, they may visit gamecon.ph, GameConPH on Facebook, or email info@gamecon.ph. g/UR GOAL IS TO BE A PLATFORM where different gaming communities come together to share their passion. The local game development industry is continuously growing, and it needs support from all sectors,� said Elaine Cedillo, GameCon cofounder. “At the same time, we want to be a venue where families of all ages can come together and experience different types of play.�

Summit Singapore 2019 aims to bring together over 10,000 thought leaders, subject matter experts,

and customers to showcase the digital transformation of Asean businesses,� Walton said.

Expanding its mission for a cancer-free world 4/ RUN ITS CORE kNANCIAL PROCESSes, the American Cancer Society recently launched NetSuite so it can focus valuable time and resources on its mission to free the world of cancer.

With NetSuite, the American Cancer Society is looking to take advantage of an integrated business platform to support its growth and streamline the management of multiple programs and fundraising EFFORTS ACROSS ITS 53 OFkCES Founded in 1913 by 10 doctors and five laypeople in New York City, the American Cancer Society has grown into a nationwide, community-based health organization with 1.5 million volunteers and now attacks cancer from every angle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To support its network of volunteers, multiple fundraising efforts, and expanding range of programs, which include everything from critical research and education/ awareness campaigns to emotional SUPPORT AND THE kGHT FOR LIFESAVing policy changes, the American Cancer Society selected NetSuite to replace its aging and fragmented infrastructure with a single, scalable business platform. “This year alone there would be an estimated 1,762,450 new cancer cases diagnosed and 606,880 cancer deaths in the US,� said Rob +ING CHIEF kNANCIAL OFkCER OF THE

American Cancer Society. “As we look to grow our impact, NetSuite will support the management of our CORE kNANCIAL OPERATIONS SO WE ARE able to focus on helping people get WELL AND STAY WELL kNDING CURES AND kGHTING BACK AGAINST THE DISEASE u The American Cancer Society would use NetSuite across its growing network of programs, volunteers and fundraising efforts.

NetSuite would also help with the management and tracking of donations and goals.

To help support the mission of the organization, NetSuite hosted a pledge wall at the recent SuiteWorld19 held in Las Vegas, Nevada, where attendees wrote down THEIR LIFESTYLE PROMISE IN THE kGHT against cancer. Attendees were encouraged to share their pledge on social media. For 2,000 pledges, NetSuite will donate $10,000 to the American Cancer Society. “The American Cancer Society HAS LED THE kGHT AGAINST CANCER FOR more than 100 years and the results it has achieved are nothing short of amazing,� said Evan Goldberg, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT /RACLE NetSuite. “We are always excited WHEN WE CAN HELP NONPROkTS FOCUS their time and resources on making the world a better place and are proud to be helping the American Cancer Society manage its growing network of programs, volunteers and fundraising efforts.�

I’m voting for the opposition, here’s why

I

N the past three elections, I never shared my list of Senate candidates because I wanted to stay neutral. Instead, I came out with a “consider listâ€? based on a selection criteria. Staying neutral is not making a stand IN kGHTING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR our country. When I shared my candidates’ list a week ago on Twitter, the response was positive. Friends cared to know why I am choosing this candidate. /THERS QUESTIONED WHY NOT A STRAIGHT Ă›/TSO$IRETSO THE OPposition alliance slate?

After much reflection, I am changing my initial list TO Ă›/TSO$IRETSO PLUS TWO former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, and labor leader Leody de Guzman. Why? My main criteria is picking the real opposition because it is THE kRST STEP TOWARDS AN INDEpendent Senate which is what

LET’S TALK #SOCIAL NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO we urgently need. No, I was never “dilawan� — meaning, a person who supports the Liberal Party AND THE /TSO $IRETSO ) HAVE GOTten over the label of being called “dilawan� just because I am critical of this administration. I’m just critical whoever is in power.

I point out when something is right or wrong.

What good is a Senate if they will say “Yes, Mr. President�? No one branch can become so powerful as to control the system. The separation of powers is important because it provides a vital system of checks and balances. Balance is important ensure that no individual or group of people in gov-

ernment is “all powerful.� Power is shared and not concentrated in one branch. The current legislative and even judicial branch is not balanced anymore. We have no control over the judicial branch since the President appoints the Justices.

The voters are in control in voting for the Legislative branch.

With less than a month before the May 13, 2019 elections, not all of us have determined our respective candidates for the local and national posts yet.

Based on the latest Pulse Asia March 2019 Ulat ng Bayan national survey, less than half of Filipino registered voters (42 percent) have a complete Senate slate as of end of March 2019.

It is only in Mindanao where most registered voters already have a complete slate for the 3ENATE ELECTIONS /NLY AROUND 1 out of every 3 voters in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas

has 12 preferred candidates for the Senate (35 percent and 32 percent, respectively). Surveys show a percentage of the population as still undecided on that matter. The sheer number of Senate aspirants, party lists and local candidates to choose from can MAKE AN INFORMED VOTE DIFkCULT for an average voter. Choosing your candidate now will matter because you could have the time to campaign for him or her.

More candidates from the opposition can still make it to the Top 12. Here is what we can do.

1. Choose your candidates and share this list. Convince your friends and loved ones that separation and balance of powers is crucial for a democratic government. If we share our views to our community, they can easily share these to their friends and family members. Maybe some of us have family members or friends who

are noninternet users. Can you imagine if at least half of us pass on the knowledge to another noninternet user?

2. Share your candidates’ list, relevant articles or commentaries on your Facebook wall, Twitter. Tag your friends in the post, so it will widen reach and visibility. Set your posts to a public audience so friends tagged can share your post. The best time to post are during peak hours when people are online: between 11 p.m. - 3 p.m., and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Thursday is the peak day of the week. You can also share in private messaging groups.

3. Look beyond surveys. Surveys, admit it or not, just frame the mindsets of people, and would favor the leading candidate or “the lesser of the two evils.� Poll survey ratings don’t decide elections. They serve a purpose, it’s true, but only

as guidelines. I do not believe in surveys because they only offer a snapshot of a certain group of people at a particular time, when the survey was taken. The real survey will still be on the Election Day on May 13, 2019.

If you care for our country and the future of our children, it’s time to take action. Let’s target the 42 percent Filipinos who do not have a complete Senate slate.

4HE Ă›/TSO$IRETSO 3ENATE BETS are Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, reelectionist Sen. Bam Aquino, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc, exsolicitor general Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romy Macalintal, ex-Interior chief Mar Roxas, and ex-Quezon congressman Erin TaĂąada.

World Pompeo: I’m still main man on NKorea W

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

ASHINGTON, D.C.: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (Saturday in Manila) he remained in charge of negotiating with North Korea despite the regime’s demands to exclude him, as he voiced guarded hope with Japan on securing a deal.

Pompeo led four-way talks in Washington of the US and Japanese foreign affairs and defense CHIEFS THE LATEST IN A lURRY OF MAjor meetings scheduled between the close allies.

Amid a standstill with North Korea, Pompeo brushed aside an angry statement this week in which Pyongyang called the top US diplomat “reckless� and immature and demanded that he be removed from future negotiations.

Pompeo is believed to have encouraged Trump, who has admitted to having a soft spot for Kim *ONG 5N TO HOLD kRM WITH .ORTH Korea’s young authoritarian leader during a summit in February in Hanoi that ended in deadlock. “Nothing’s changed. We’re continuing to work to negotiate.

I’m still in charge of the team,�

Pompeo told a joint news conference, while adding that Trump is “obviously in charge of the overall effort.�

Pompeo, who traveled four times last year to Pyongyang as he eased once soaring tensions, said he was still hopeful for an agreement that would solidify Kim’s promises to give up the nuclear arsenal which his dynasty has built over decades. “I’m convinced we still have a real opportunity to achieve that outcome and our diplomatic team will continue to remain in the lead,� Pompeo said.

Japan backs diplomacy Trump has repeatedly voiced admiration for Kim and last month blocked the imposition of tough new US sanctions on North Korea, saying he wanted to preserve the relationship despite Pompeo’s vow to keep up maximum pressure.

Japan, which closely aligns its foreign policy with the United States, has publicly backed Trump but is seen as deeply cautious.

Uzbekistan, SKorea sign $12-B deals TASHKENT: South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday signed deals worth $12 billion with Uzbekistan during a week-long tour of Central Asia, as he seeks to ease reliance on China and the US. President of commodity-rich Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev praised his country’s “strategic partnership� with Seoul as the leaders signed documents following talks.

Moon credited Mirziyoyev for “leading Uzbekistan into a new era� with a series of bold reforms.

The nature of the deals were not specified during the press briefing.

Trade between Uzbekistan and South Korea in 2018 was just over $2 billion.

Uzbek leader Mirziyoyev is looking to break out from the economic straitjacket imposed by his late hardline predecessor Islam Karimov and encourage more foreign investment and trade.

Karimov ruled Uzbekistan from before independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 until his death in 2016.

Moon’s office confirmed at the beginning of the week that economic affairs would dominate talks during his eight-day regional tour that began in

gas-rich Turkmenistan and will finish in oil power Kazakhstan.

But Moon also gave a nod to the cultural ties shared by the two countries when he referenced Uzbekistan’s 180,000-strong ethnic Korean population in an interview with Uzbek state media on Thursday.

In 1937, suspecting divided loyalties, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had the entire ethnic Korean population of the Russian Far East— around 172,000 people— transported to Central Asia on cattle trains.

Stalin saw the Koreans as a threat, as the peninsula’s colonial ruler Japan was hostile to the Soviet Union—although some of the deportees were exiles fighting for independence from Tokyo.

Moon thanked Uzbekistan, saying the country “warmly received citizens of Korean descent who lost their home more than 80 years ago,� in the interview.

Moon is looking to reduce the reliance of the world’s 11th-largest economy—stuttering on 2.7 percent annual growth—on traditional partners Beijing and Washington.

AFP

Malaysia revives massive China-backed project

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will revive a $34 billion Chinese-backed transport and property development that was abandoned in 2017, the prime minister said late Friday, adding the project would contribute to Beijing’s global infrastructure drive.

The announcement came after the countries agreed this month to resume work on a previously suspended railway project in Malaysia, and is the latest sign of improving ties after a rocky period.

The 140-billion ringgit ($34 billion) Bandar Malaysia development in Kuala Lumpur is expected TO ATTRACT kNANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND companies, and will be an interchange for a number of rail lines, said a statement from Prime MinISTER -AHATHIR -OHAMAD S OFkCE There were some changes to the original plan, including 10,000 units of affordable housing, and a “People’s Park�, it said.

The project was originally launched in 2011 under the government of ex-leader Najib Razak, but was abandoned in 2017 during his administration due to a dispute about payments.

Najib lost power at historic elections last year, and has since been slapped with dozens of charges over his alleged role in looting state fund 1MDB.

The Bandar Malaysia project was initially backed by the scandal-hit state fund, but a major stake was later sold to a joint venture beTWEEN A -ALAYSIAN kRM AND STATE owned company China Railway Engineering Corp.

It will resume with the same contractors, who own a 60 percent stake while the government owns the rest.

Bandar Malaysia and the revived rail link, which will run from Malaysia’s east to west coast, “should be viewed within the larger context of fostering and cementing longterm bilateral relations between Malaysia and China,� the statement said.

4HE PROJECTS WILL gBE A SIGNIkcant contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative which Malaysia expects to be able to tap on,� it added.

Mahathir is due to join other world leaders at a summit focused on Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure drive in China next week. The $1 trillion programme includes maritime, rail and road projects in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Ties had been strained between the two countries since Najib, a close Beijing ally, lost power, and Mahathir suspended a series of #HINESE kNANCED PROJECTS AMID concerns the terms were unfair to Malaysia.

AFP

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4RUMP HAS NOT YET CONkRMED HIS attendance.

Expanding defense pact

FOUR FOR PEACE Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (2

nd

from right), acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan (right), Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (2 from left) and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera (left) participate in a media availability during a US-Japan 2+2 Ministerial at the Department of State on Friday in Washington, D.C. AFP PHOTO nd

Conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe built his political career campaigning for tough action on North Korea over its abductions of Japanese civilians in the 1970s and 1980s to train the regime’s spies.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono nonetheless reiterated after the

talks in Washington that Abe was willing to meet Kim “if there is a chance.� “Japan is ready to normalize its relationship with North Korea when these missile, nuclear and abduction issues are taken care of,� Kono said.

Abe will visit Washington next

week to meet Trump, with whom he has built a friendly rapport.

Trump and his wife Melania will then head to Japan next month as THE kRST STATE GUESTS AFTER .ARUHITO is enthroned as Japan’s emperor.

Japan will also hold a summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Osaka in June, although

In its latest effort to enlarge the security umbrella for Japan, the United States said that cyber attacks against its ally could trigger a response from Washington.

In a joint statement, the four ministers said that “a cyber attack could, in certain circumstances, constitute an armed attack under Article V of the US-Japan Security Treaty.�

Article V declares that an assault on Japanese territory would trigger action by the United States, which guarantees its ally’s safety under the pact imposed after World War II, when Japan was stripped of its right to maintain a military. *APANESE OFkCIALS HAVE INCREASingly worried that hacking, especially by rivals China or North Korea, could be a more immediate threat than any traditional military operation.

Pompeo also renewed the US stance, dating from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, that Article V covers the Senkakus, Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea that Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu.

AFP

Vietnam police seize meth stashed in loudspeakers H A N O I: Po l i c e i n s o u t h e r n Vietnam have seized more than a ton of methamphetamine after uncovering a smuggling operation involving at least two Taiwanese nationals and a Vietnamese man, the third massive bust in a week in the communist state. /FkCERS DISCOVERED TWO TRUCKS and a parked car — driven by two Taiwanese men — “showing signs of carrying illegal goods� in a Ho Chi Minh City district on April 12, said a police statement released late Friday.

The trucks held “extremely heavy� loudspeakers, which prompted suspicion when police

found the drivers lacked legal papers to transport the equipment.

Stashed in the speakers were 600 gold-coloured Chinese tea packets, carrying 606 kilograms (1,336 pounds) of meth. “Police discovered that each loudspeaker carried 10 tea packets... all of them containing methamphetamine�, the statement said.

The police traced the trucks’ route, which led them to a Vietnamese man, Bui Nguyen Vu, who HAD MORE LOUDSPEAKERS kLLED WITH meth and ketamine. “In total, the city police confiscated 103 loudspeakers with 1,110.26 kilograms of metham-

phetamine and 998.68 kilograms of ketamine for domestic consumption and re-export,� the statement said. “The two Taiwanese men and Bui Nguyen Vu have been arrested for investigation.�

News of the bust comes on the heels of two massive drug hauls in central Nghe An province, where 600 kilograms of meth was discovered stuffed in speaker boxes in the home of an elderly couple and 900 kilograms was found abandoned on the side of a road earlier this week.

Vietnam is both a hub for drug use and a popular thoroughfare for shipments of illicit narcotics, with

the number of large-scale hauls increasing in frequency and volume.

Much of the country’s illegal SUPPLY lOODS IN FROM THE LAWLESS “Golden Triangle� zone that straddles Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

Though older users in Vietnam have long prefered opium and heroin as their narcotic of choice, younger people are increasingly turning to party drugs such as meth, ketamine and ecstasy.

The one-party state has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty.

AFP

LEGAL MARIJUANA A distributor holds a jar of medicinal cannabis capsules during the second day of the inaugural Pan Ram weed festival in the Thai northeastern province of Buriram on Saturday.

Thailand became the first in Southeast Asia to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in 2018, joining a growing list of governments to embrace liberalization including Canada, Australia, Israel and more than half the US states. AFP PHOTO

LEICA DRAWS FIRE OVER CHINA AD SHANGHAI: German camera maker Leica has become the latest company to draw fire over an advertisement deemed offensive in China, distancing itself from a short film that broaches the taboo subject of the 1989 Tiananmen protest crackdown.

A short promotional film released this week depicts Leicawielding photojournalists at work in danger zones around the world, focusing on one Western shooter’s struggle to get in place for the famed “tank man� photo.

That picture, of an ordinary citizen facing down a Chinese army tank, is perhaps the most iconic image from the weeks-long pro-democracy protests that paralyzed Beijing in 1989.

The demonstrations were violently suppressed by armed forces, with hundreds and

perhaps thousands believed killed.

The subject has been essentially banned from public discourse ever since and is particularly sensitive now as the 30th anniversary of the crackdown approaches in early June.

The video ends with an image of Leica’s logo and the statement “This film is dedicated to those who lend their eyes to make us see.�

The film sparked angry comments from Chinese netizens in recent days.

A company spokeswoman told the South China Morning Post that the video, produced

by Brazilian agency F/Nazca Saatchi Saatchi, was not officially sanctioned by Leica.

Leica “must therefore distance itself from the content shown in the video and regrets any misunderstandings

or false conclusions that may have been drawn�, the paper quoted spokeswoman Emily Anderson saying.

Agence France-Presse was not immediately able to obtain further comment from Leica.

Searches on Chinese social media for the film or discussion of it failed to return any results on Saturday, suggesting that China’s massive censorship machine was blocking the video and any comments about it.

However, Leica’s company account on the popular Weibo platform was accessible and the word “Leica� was not blocked, contrary to previous media reports.

Leica joins a growing list of foreign companies to learn the hard way about the political sensitivities that go with operating in China’s gigantic

market.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz apologized for “hurting the feelings� of China’s people after its Instagram account used a quote by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who is vilified by Beijing as a separatist.

Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana also issued a recent mea culpa after its products were pulled from lucrative Chinese e-commerce platforms over an Instagram post seen in China as culturally offensive.

And hotel group Marriott’s Chinese website was shut down by authorities after a customer questionnaire listed Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong as separate countries, which Beijing fiercely opposes.

Marriott apologized and changed the wording. AFP

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World

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY April 21, 2019

Adele, husband Simon Konecki have separated NEW YORK: Adele and her husband Simon Konecki have separated.

The pop singer’s representatives Benny Tarantini and Carl Fysh confirmed the news on Friday(Saturday in Manila) in a statement to The Associated Press. “Adele and her partner have

Q British singer Adele. AP PHOTO

separated,� the emailed statement said. “They are committed to raising their son together lovingly. As always they ask for privacy. There will be no further comment.�

Adele gave birth to their son, Angelo, in 2012.

The Grammy-winning British superstar has been private about HER RELATIONSHIP BUT CONkRMED she married Konecki when she won album of the year at the 2017 Grammys. In her acceptance speech, she said: “Grammys, I appreciate it. The Academy, I love you. My manager, my husband and my son — you’re the only reason I do it.�

Konecki co-founded Life Water, an eco-friendly brand of bottled water in the UK Funds from the company assists the charity that Konecki runs, Drop4Drop, which provides clean water to countries in need.

A representative for Konecki could not be reached.

AP

Garcia denies graft claims in suicide note LIMA: A suicide note in which Peru’s Alan Garcia denied corruption charges against him set the backdrop on Friday (Saturday in Manila) for the ex-president’s funeral, two days after he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger as police arrived to arrest him on bribery charges linked to the Odebrecht graft scandal.

The sweeping affair, which has tainted politicians across Latin America, swept up another Peruvian ex-president when a judge ordered 80 year-old Pedro Pablo Kuczynski jailed for up to three years on Odebrecht-related money laundering charges. “I’ve seen others paraded in handcuffs and living a miserable existence, but Alan Garcia will not suffer such an injustice or circus,� the late ex-president, 69, wrote in a note to his six children. It was read out at his funeral by his sobbing daughter Luciana.

Garcia (1985-90, 2006-11)and Kuczynski (2016-2018) are two of four former Peru presidents embroiled in various corruption scandals.

He had a long and controversial political career in which he seemed obsessed with his legacy. “I leave to my children the dignity of my decisions, to my colleagues a signal of pride and my body as a sign of my contempt for my opponents because I already fulfilled the mission given to me,� wrote Garcia.

He accused authorities of using corruption investigations as a tool for “humiliation, harassment and not to find truths,� then wrote dramatically: “Others sell themselves, but not me.�

In his suicide note, Garcia “victimizes himself, blames opponents for his situation, then sacrifices himself for the sake of his party,� historian Juan Luis Orrego opined on RPP radio.

Ex-president Kuczynski to jail Kuczynski, currently being treated for hypertension and heart issues at a private hospital, was sentenced to 36 months of pre-trial detention as he is being investigated for money laundering, the Peruvian court handling corruption cases said on Twitter.

Kuczynski’s attorney Cesar Nakazaki said he will appeal the decision because he considers it “unjust against a person who is of ill health.�

Kuczynski, a successful Wall Street banker and former economy minister

before becoming president, had already been under pre-trial detention and was banned from leaving the country.

Prosecutors said that if Kuczynski remains free, he may attempt to obstruct the investigation.

Kuczynski allegedly received Odebrecht kickbacks for granting them a contract to build a highway from Lima through Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean, and another to build a major hydroelectric project in northern Peru, according to prosecutors.

Other alleged dirty money include $300,000 in unreported Odebrecht cash to support Kuczynski’s 2016 presidential election.

‘Persecution disguised as legal inquiry’ Thousands of people gathered at the headquarters of Garcia’s social democratic APRA party in Lima to bid their leader a final farewell. “Alan Garcia performed an act of dignity and did not allow that persecution disguised as a legal inquiry to mock him — that is the main gift he gave to the party,� said Congressman Mauricio Mulder, one of his closest collaborators.

Loyalists wept openly and sang party songs as close aides carried Garcia’s casket to a hearse.

The ex-president’s remains were then cremated in a private ceremony.

Early Wednesday, police arrived at Garcia’s home in the upmarket Miraflores neighborhood of Lima with an arrest warrant to take him into custody for a preliminary period of 10 days, which would have given authorities time to gather evidence and prevent him from fleeing.

Last year, Garcia fled to the Uruguayan embassy after a court ordered him not to leave the country for 18 months. He stayed at the mission for 16 days, but Uruguay denied his application for asylum.

Garcia was suspected of having taken bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in return for large-scale public works contracts.

Prosecutors allege that Garcia and 21 other officials conspired to enable Dutch company ATM Terminals to win a 2011 concession to operate a terminal at the port of Callao, near Lima.

Peruvian press reports also claim Garcia received a $100,000 payment from an illicit Odebrecht fund for giving a speech to Brazilian business leaders in Sao Paulo in May 2012.

AFP

Worldinbriefs CARDI B REJECTS PLEA DEAL IN STRIP CLUB MELEE CASE NEW YORK: Cardi B has rejected a plea deal in a case stemming from a New York strip club melee last fall. WNBC says the rapper did not speak to journalists before or after her three-minute court appearance on Friday (Saturday in Manila). But fans got as close as they could to catch a glimpse of her. She is due back in court next month on misdemeanor reckless endangerment and assault charges. Police say Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, and her entourage were at the club when she argued with a bartender. They say a fight broke out in which chairs, bottles and hookah pipes were thrown, slightly injuring the woman and another employee. Her lawyer has said that she didn’t harm anybody. AP

LOUD EXPLOSION, GUNFIRE ROCK DOWNTOWN KABUL KABUL: A loud explosion and follow-up gunfire were heard near the Afghan

Trump seethes over ‘crazy’ Mueller report W

ASHINGTON, D.C.: A seething President Donald Trump launched a tirade on Friday (Saturday in Manila) against the “b******t� Mueller report on how he tried to thwart the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, while a leading Democratic opponent urged his impeachment.

In early morning tweets, Trump called it “the Crazy Mueller Report�

WRITTEN BY g(ATERSu AND kLLED WITH statements that “are fabricated & totally untrue.�

Some of the statements, he said, “are total b******t & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad).�

Just 24 hours earlier, the president crowed “Game Over� after the report by special counsel Robert Mueller was finally released, following two years of investigations.

Crucially, the report stated that Trump’s election campaign never colluded with Russian meddling efforts, clearing the president of suspicions that he’d been in cahoots with the Kremlin.

But Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida golf resort, IS NOW DIGESTING THE REPORT S kNDINGS THAT HE WAS HAPPY TO BENEkT from Russian dirty tricks and tried repeatedly to hamper Mueller’s

investigation.

There was no let up for the president from opposition congressional Democrats.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is vying to become the Democratic candidate against Trump in 2020, tweeted that the Democrat-led House “should initiate impeach ment proceedings.�

And House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler issued a subpoena to try to force publication of still more documentation from Mueller, as well as the portions of the probe that were blacked out for legal or security reasons.

Lying and swearing Although Mueller stated he was following Justice Department policy in not charging Trump with the crime of obstruction of justice, he laid out 10 instances where the president took steps in that direction.

As a result, Mueller said he could

“not exonerate� him.

That statement was taken by Democrats as an invitation to pursue the president in Congress, while even a top Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, broke from party lines to say he was “sickened� by the report’s kNDINGS At minimum, the almost 450page report — including scenes of A 7HITE (OUSE kLLED WITH LYING

swearing and barely disguised panic — is deeply embarrassing for a president elected on a mission to clear Washington’s “swamp.�

Adding to its weight is the fact that the material is based largely on sworn testimony by Trump insiders, rather than rival politicians.

Whether the Mueller report has any immediate effect on the US political scene ahead of the 2020 elections, however, is uncertain.

With Republicans controlling the Senate, Democrats would have little chance of removing Trump through impeachment. For now, Warren is an outlier, with other senior Democrats shying away from the “I� word.

And Trump, who throughout the two-year investigation has claimed to be victim of a “witch hunt,� is using the latest uproar to cement his “us-against-them� appeal among a loyal right-wing support base.

At his Palm Beach resort, Trump played golf with veteran right-wing

radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, the White House said.

He was also photographed by The Daily Mail in his limousine reading what appeared to be the front page of The Wall Street Journal, with coverage of the Mueller report release.

What’s sure is that publication of the Mueller report will not end the BRUISING kGHT In another tweet, sent after 4RUMP HAD kNISHED HIS GOLF OUTing, the president threatened to take revenge. g)T IS NOW kNALLY TIME TO TURN THE tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have committed very serious crimes, perhaps even Spying or Treason.

This should never happen again!� he warned. .ADLER kRED THE kRST SHOT FOR THE Democrats, announcing a subpoena requiring the Justice Department to hand over all redacted parts, as well as huge quantities of supporting evidence. “Even the redacted version of the report outlines serious instances of wrongdoing by President Trump and some of his closest associates,�

Nadler said. “It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward.�

AFP

Egyptians vote in referendum to extend Sisi’s rule CAIRO: Egyptians were voting on Saturday in a referendum that aims to cement the rule of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former coup leader who presents himself as a rock of stability in a turbulent region.

Despite protests from human rights groups, the three-day plebiscite is expected to approve sweeping constitutional changes that will extend Sisi’s rule of the Arab world’s most populous country until at least 2024.

Beyond that, the amendments would allow Sisi, 64, to run for another six-year term while boosting his control over the judiciary and giving the military even greater INlUENCE IN POLITICAL LIFE 3ISI HIMSELF WAS AMONG THE kRST to vote when polls open, casting his ballot in the upmarket Cairo suburb of Heliopolis.

In Shubra, a working-class neighbourhood of the capital, dozens of voters, mostly women carrying their children, queued outside a polling station in the local high school.

Troops as well as police provided security, an Agence France-Presse photographer reported.

The referendum bucks the trend of the region’s mini-Arab Spring, in which mass pro-democracy protests this month swept away veteran presidents in Algeria and Sudan.

Sisi made his grab for power in the turbulent years after the original Arab Spring protests of 2011 toppled long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak, WHO WAS FOLLOWED IN OFkCE BY )Slamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Sisi overthrew Morsi in 2013 AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR WON HIS kRST

CRUCIAL REFERENDUM Egyptian women cast their ballots in a box as they vote in a referendum on constitutional amendments, at a school in the capital Cairo’s northern neighborhood of Shubra, on the first day of a three-day poll on Saturday.

AFP PHOTO

term as president. He was re-elected in March 2018 with more than 97 percent of the vote after standing virtually unopposed.

International observers slammed both elections while Sisi’s government has been widely criticized for sweeping repression of its opponents -- both Islamists and secular groups.

Human Rights Watch charged the constitutional amendments aim to strengthen Sisi’s “authoritarian rule�, while Amnesty International said that parliament, having already backed the changes, had shown a “complete disregard for human rights.�

Grip on regime For the past few weeks, Egypt’s streets have been awash with banners and billboards urging citizens

communication ministry in central Kabul on Saturday, officials said. The blast occurred a day after talks collapsed between the Taliban and Afghan representatives, but no one claimed immediate responsibility and there was no immediate word on casualties. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said an explosion was heard near the communication ministry around 11:40 a.m. (0710 GMT), followed by sporadic gunfire. Intermittent firing could still be heard more than 30 minutes after the blast, and the area had been cordoned off by security forces.

AFP

INDIA’S TOP JUDGE FACES SEXUAL HARASSMENT STORM NEW DELHI: India’s most senior judge hit back on Saturday at sexual harassment allegations made by a former Supreme Court employee, calling the accusations “unbelievable.� Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the accusations made by a 35-yearold junior court assistant were an attempt to stop him hearing important cases. The woman wrote to 22 Supreme Court judges on Friday, alleging Gogoi twice made unwanted sexual advances against her in the office inside his official residence in October last year. “He hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with his arms and by pressing his body against mine, and did not let go,� she

to “do the right thing� and vote “Yes�, while popular folk singers have also exhorted voters to go to the ballot box.

A muted “No� campaign mounted from the diaspora and online has been thoroughly muzzled as authorities have blocked over 30,000 internet domains.

Despite the deep concerns of human rights groups, Sisi has earned the support of many Egyptians and some Western powers by presenting himself as a bulwark against Islamist militancy and turmoil at a time when fighting again rages in neighbouring Libya.

Many voters, such as retired banker Ramez Raouf, view Sisi as a champion of stability. “Look, I am against a few of the changes such as extending the president’s terms... but I am still going to

vote ‘yes’ anyway,� Raouf, 63, told Agence France-Presse. “Because the military will protect the civilian nature of the state, and that’s important to me,� he said.

Parliament has already voted overwhelmingly this week to approve the changes, including extending presidential terms from four to six years.

The referendum also proposes OTHER CHANGES TO THE kVE YEAR old constitution, among them the creation of a second parliamentary chamber and a quota ensuring at least 25 percent of lawmakers are women.

Think-tank the Soufan Center said the main effect of the referendum would be to “solidify Sisi’s grip on the Egyptian political regime� in a country that “has become even more autocratic than it was under Mubarak.�

AFP

wrote in the affidavit seen by AFP. The woman also claimed she was dismissed from her job and her family was subjected to harassment after she rebuffed Gogoi’s advances. She has called on the Supreme Court to set up a “special inquiry committee� to look into her affadavit. AFP

BLIND JAPANESE SAILOR COMPLETES NON-STOP PACIFIC VOYAGE TOKYO: A blind Japanese sailor completed his non-stop Pacific voyage on Saturday, local media reported, becoming the first sightless person on record to navigate a vessel across the vast ocean. Mitsuhiro Iwamoto arrived at port in Fukushima in his 12-meter (40-foot) sailboat on Saturday morning, around two months after he left California. Iwamoto, a 52-year-old San Diego resident, sailed from the US city on February 24 with Doug Smith, an American navigator who verbally helped him by offering information such as wind directions. This was his second attempt after his initial voyage was cut short six years ago when his yacht hit a whale and sank. It was the first Pacific crossing by a blind sailor, Kyodo News said. Iwamoto, who lost his sight at the age of 16, made the voyage to raise funds for charity, including efforts to prevent blinding diseases, according to his website.

AFP

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Whirlpool launches new products for Philippine market SM Malls celebrate Easter Sunday

Q All smiles from SM City Marikina

Q During the launching (from left) Raymond Wee, Whirlpool SEA head of Business Development; Blanco Wong, Whirlpool SEA managing director; Nixon Sioco, Exatech president & CEO; Rodrigo Salamoni, Whirlpool SEA marketing director; Chris Sioco, Exatech sales director.

W

HIRLPOOL and Excellence Appliance Technologies, Inc. (Exatech) recently introduced three new products in the Philippines.

For 27 years, Whirlpool and Exatech have joined together to bring quality US appliances to Filipino consumers. Coming from a humble beginning as a

local appliance retailer, Exatech has grown into an international distributor after its partnership with Whirlpool in 1992.

Now, three new products were launched at the Marco Polo Ortigas Manila Hotel ballroom.

Special guests included Blanco Wong, Whirlpool Southeast

Asia managing director: and Rodrigo Salamoni, Whirlpool Southeast Asia marketing director. Hosted by Donita Rose, the program consisted of demonstrating the unique product features to the audience.

The first product to be revealed was the MWP 305 ES

Vancouver microwave oven.

The next product was the new and improved Bloomwash Inverter Plus washing machine.

4HE kNAL PRODUCT TO BE LAUNCHED was the revolutionary Quattro French Door Refrigerator.

For more information, visit www.whirlpool.com.ph .

REVEAL inner Easter bunny heart and EGGsperience at SM City MaNILA S %GGCITING GRAM SELkE FACTORY All SMiles from SM City Marikina as they celebrate EGGS-tra Special Easter with these cute little bunnies! Let us all beat the heat

and have fun under the sun! This celebration is for everyone.

Enjoy EGGciting-gram Selfie Factoy at SM City Manila.

Have an EGGS-TRA Special Easter Celebration at SM Center Lemery this Easter Sunday!

Widus Clark offers Bunny Bop Easter EggventureÂ

More Pinoy filmmakers join Istorya ng Pag-asa Fillmfest 2019 THE Office of the Vice President has received more submissions FROM &ILIPINO kLMMAKERS FOR THE second edition of its Istorya ng Pag-asa Film Festival this year.

As it closed its deadline of submission of entries last March 25, INPFF 2019 got 98 entries from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and even overseas. This is higher than the 73 submissions received durING THE SHORT kLM COMPETITION S initial run in 2018.

For Vice President Leni Robredo THIS AFkRMS THAT MORE TALented people are sharing her faith in the power of telling true inspiring stories of ordinary Filipinos. “On behalf of my staff and the INP team, I am very grateful for the support and warm reception that we have gotten from our partners,

whose generosity made this initiative possible; from the media, the schools and other organizations that helped us spread the news; and most OF ALL TO THE kLMMAKERS WHO HEEDED our call to tell true stories of inspiration, and their subjects, for willingly sharing theirs,� Robredo said.

3UBMITTED kLMS WILL UNDERGO AN initial screening to determine which OF THEM WILL MAKE IT TO THE kNALS 4HE kNALISTS WILL HAVE THEIR BIG SCREEN debut at the gala night and awarding ceremony on June 8, 2019, where the winners will be announced – as selected by an esteemed panel of JUDGES FROM THE kLM INDUSTRY Bigger prizes are up for grabs in ).0&& S SECOND RUN INCLUDING A CASH prize of 80,000 pesos for Best Film, and 50,000 and 30,000 pesos for THE kRST AND SECOND RUNNERS UP RE-

Q Vice President Leni Robredo affirms that more talented people are sharing her faith with Filipinos.

INPFF 2019 is an initiative of the spectively. Special prizes, including Best Script, Best Director, Best Cin- OVP in partnership with Ayala FounEMATOGRAPHY AND 0EOPLE S #HOICE dation and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

Award will also be given away.

DoE steers power industries to work together for summer DEPARTMENT of Energy (DoE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi has been closely coordinating with the power industry players to address the growing demand and the thinning of power reserves for the summer months. “The entire energy family should take a pro-active approach towards securing our power supply, especially since it is both summer and election season,� Sec. Cusi said.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Independent Electricity Market

Operator of the Philippines, Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and the DoE agreed that the power situation should be closely monitored given supply level adjustments brought about by increasing demand and the forced outages of power plants.

The DoE through its Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB) reiterated the importance OF ITS 3!6% 3!6% 3!6% ENERGY EFkciency campaign, not only to incur more savings, but also to ensure uninterrupted electricity services this summer season.

delightful goodies, and interactive activities like an amusing parade of costumes and a thrilling egg hunt.

Kiddie event ticket is inclusive of a loot bag, morning snacks, access to the egg hunt activity, and photo booth.

Further the occasion and make the family weekend egg-stra special when you book a pleasurable staycation at Widus Hotel.

For more information, visit www.widus.com.

Lenten season deals at I’M Hotel

Q Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi met with Manila Electric Company (Meralco) officials headed by Meralco President and CEO Oscar Reyes to discuss the details of the delivery of power to its customers throughout the summer months.

IEE opens new office building in Muntinlupa THE International Elevator & Equipment, Inc. celebrated its 50th Founding Anniversary and THE INAUGURATION OF A NEW OFkCE building in Muntinlupa City. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation President and CEO Takeshi Sugiyama (left), Ambassador Designate of Japan to the Philippines Ambassador Koji Haneda (center), and Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (right) graced the blessing of the )%% (EAD /FkCE "UILDING AT +M 23, West Service Road, South Superhighway, Cupang on April 10. Consequently, IEE executives AND OTHER OFkCIALS JOINED A TREE planting activity.

) - (OTEL LOCATED ALONG THE CORNER of Makati and Kalayaan Avenue is hosting its Easter Party on April 21.

The Grand Narra Ballroom will be transformed into a haven of excitement and fun. Participants will be treated to tons of food, freebies, and activities. The Easter program includes an extensive premium buffet spread, face painting, nail and towel art, magic acts, and live circus acts! We are also debuting a larger than life CANDY HOUSE kLLED TO THE BRIM with candies and snacks for the kids to grab! Parents stand to win ) - (OTEL !NTIDOTE 2OOFTOP "AR AND ) - /NSEN 3PA RAFlE PRIZES Entrance will be free for children aged 2 and below, as long as they

are accompanied by their parents or guardians. For more information, visit www.imhotel.com.

Meanwhile, book an all-inclusive spa package at the number 1 SPA IN -ANILA ON 4RIPADVISOR ) - /NSEN 3PA THE COUNTRY S LARGEST URBAN SPA WITH THE kRST gONSENu

offers the right combination of nourishment for mind, body and soul. For more information, visit www.imonsenspa.com.

Cebu Pacific commences direct Cebu-Shanghai flights

Belmonte vows massive in-city relocation for informal settlers in Quezon City QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte vowed to implement massive in-city relocation for informal settler families (ISF) in Quezon City in her bid to promote inclusive growth and secured socialized housing for Quezon City residents. “I will do it [the massive in-city

GATHER your loved ones and MAKE THIS YEAR S %ASTER WEEKEND more memorable as Widus Hotel and Casino offers a festive family activity with its “Bunny Bop Easter Egg-venture.�

Be in your cutest costume and hop on over to Widus Tower Two Garden on April 21 where egg-citing treats and wonderful surprises await all kids and kid-at-heart.

Power up and get ready to expeRIENCE A DAY kLLED WITH FUN GAMES

RELOCATION = )T S IN THE PLAN ) FEEL FOR the poor because what happens is, just because they are poor, they are deprived of the right to stay where they have been residing for years. We will study in what capacity the city will come in and we will do it,� said Belmonte in an interview.

Belmonte also stressed that the city government will continue to uphold the rights of QC residents for affordable housing through the stricter implementation of the CITY S OWN SOCIALIZED HOUSING CODE “Through the Comprehensive Socialized Housing Code of Que-

zon City, we are able to protect YOUR RIGHTS FOR EFkCIENT HOUSING 4HAT S WHY IF THERE ARE ANY NATIONAL projects that will affect your vicinities, you have the right to be compensated. And the city government will assure that your rights will not be compromised,� said Belmonte.

CEBU Pacific (PSE: CEB) begins commercial operation of its direct service between Cebu and Shanghai, China. Shanghai, the biggest city in China and a GLOBAL FINANCIAL HUB IS #%" S sixth international route with direct access to its Cebu hub.

The improved air connectivity is expected to boost inbound and outbound travelers for both ROUTE S DYNAMIC LEISURE AND business opportunities.

4HE #EBU 3HANGHAI lIGHT DEparts from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 6:50p.m.. The lIGHT S EVENING DEPARTURE ALLOWS neighboring cities such as Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete and Iloilo to connect seamlessly and lY TO THE BIGGEST CITY IN #HINA VIA

#EBU #ITY 4HE RETURN lIGHT FROM Shanghai, on the other hand, will depart at 11:55pm.

4HE INAUGURAL lIGHT WAS GRACED BY "LESSIE #RUZ #EBU 0ACIFIC S director for marketing “The CebuShanghai route will link two premier Asian destinations—reinforcing Cebu as a key hub for both domestic and international travel—enabling easier and more EFkCIENT ACCESS WITHIN THE 0HILIPpines and neighboring countries for millions of residents in the Visayas and Mindanao.� Also in ATTENDANCE WERE $/4 S SUPERvising tourism officer Judilyn Quiachon and Andrew Acquaah(ARRISON '-2 -EGAWIDE S #HIEF Executive Adviser; in full support OF THE INAUGURAL lIGHT

Sports

D1

SSUNDAY AAPRIL 21, 2019

www.manilatimes.net

Q Pascal Siakam (No. 43) of the Toronto Raptors steal the ball from Jonathan Isaac (No. 1) of the Orlando Magic during Game Three of the first round of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at the Amway Center on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

Siakam shines as Raptors take 2-1 series lead

AFP PHOTO

L

OS ANGELES: Pascal Siakam scored a postseason-career high 30 points and had 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors seized A LEAD IN THE kRST ROUND PLAYOFF SERIES WITH A WIN ON &RIDAY 3ATURDAY IN -ANILA g(E S UNBELIEVABLE u 2APTORS GUARD +YLE ,OWRY SAID OF 3IAKAM g(E S THE MOST IMPROVED BASKETBALL PLAYER IN THE ."! THIS YEAR AND HE S ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER u +AWHI ,EONARD ADDED POINTS AND REBOUNDS WHILE $ANNY 'REEN SCORED POINTS AND ,OWRY HAD POINTS FOR THE 2APTORS WHO GUARDED /RLANDO S .IKOLA 6UCEVIC CLOSELY FOR

the second straight game.

6UCEVIC SCORED POINTS AND NABBED REBOUNDS FOR THE -AGIC 4ERRENCE 2OSS FINISHED WITH A TEAM HIGH POINTS *ONATHAN )SAAC SCORED AND !ARON 'ORDON HAD 'AME FOUR IN THE BEST OF SEVEN SERIES IS 3UNDAY IN /RLANDO 3IAKAM WAS FOR FROM THE

lOOR AND THE 2APTORS HELD /RLANDO TO PERCENT SHOOTING g)T S JUST TAKING WHAT A DEFENSE GIVES US AND GOING WITH IT u 3IAKAM SAID ,OWRY NAILED A THREE POINTER with just under eight minutes to GO IN THE FOURTH TO GIVE 4ORONTO A POINT LEAD THEIR BIGGEST LEAD of the game.

4HE 2APTORS SCORED THE kRST POINTS OF THE GAME AND LED BY BEFORE kNISHING WITH A LEAD AT THE END OF THE kRST QUARTER 4HE kRST HALF ENDED WITH 2OSS NAILING A FOOT THREE POINTER TO CUT 4ORONTO S LEAD TO 4HE 2APTORS TOOK A SEVEN POINT LEAD

EARLY IN THE THIRD QUARTER BUT 6UCEVIC CONVERTED BACK TO BACK THREE POINTERS WITH TO GO FOR /RLANDO S kRST LEAD OF THE GAME

,EONARD HIT A JUMP SHOT TO GIVE Toronto a nine-point lead late in the fourth.

4HE -AGIC RESPONDED AND 2OSS MADE A LAYUP TO CUT THE MARGIN TO 3IAKAM S JUMPER GAVE 4ORONTO A SIX POINT LEAD WITH SECONDS LEFT 2OSS CUT THE LEAD TO THREE WITH A THREE POINTER WITH SECONDS REMAINing. Leonard made two free throws WITH SECONDS LEFT TO ICE THE VICTORY Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics withstood a late surge to post a

3

OMETIME LAST YEAR WHILE COVERING THE 0HILIPPINE BASKETBALL TEAM S PREPARATION FOR THE kFTH WINDOW OF THE !SIAN QUALIkER FOR THE &)"!

7ORLD #UP YOUR /543)$%2 HAD THE PRIVILEGED OF TALKING TO 3AMAHANG "ASKETBOL NG 0ILIPINAS PRESIDENT !L 0ANLILIO ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION S FUTURE PLANS FOR THE NATION S FAVORITE PASTIME )N THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION ) MENTIONED to him, in the presence of former Pasig congressMAN 2ONNIE 0UNO AMONG OTHERS ANOTHER 3"0 high-ranking official, the need for our own #ARLOS g4HE "IG $IFFERENCEu ,OYZAGA TO BE ENSHRINED IN THE &)"! (ALL OF &AME WHICH HAS LONG BEEN OVERDUE 0ANLILIO ANSWERED ME THAT ,OYZAGA S BECOMING A &)"! (ALL OF &AMER HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE WORKS AND THAT THE COUNTRY S GOVERNING BODY IN BASKETBALL HAS ALREADY FORMED A BODY TO MAKE SURE THAT #ALOY WILL BE NOMINATED THE NEXT TIME &)"! IS SCHEDULED TO INDUCT A NEW BATCH WHICH IS THIS YEAR ) NEVER HAD ANY CONTACT WITH 0ANLILIO OR ANY MEMBER OF HIS 3"0 BOARD SINCE THEN UNTIL EARLY LAST WEEK ) CAME ACROSS A &)"! STORY ABOUT EIGHT PLAYERS AND THREE COACHES COMPRISING THE #LASS OF THAT WILL BE ELEVATED TO THE (ALL 4HE #LASS HEADED BY ."! GREAT !LONZO -OURNING OF THE 53!

WILL BE ENSHRINED INTO (ALL DURING A SPECIAL CEREMONY IN "EIJING #HINA

ON !UGUST ON THE EVE OF THE &)"! "ASKETBALL 7ORLD #UP JUMP OFF DOESN T INCLUDE THE NAME OF ,OYZAGA 4HE kRST THING 3"0 COULD VE IMPRESSED ON &)"!

HAD IT INDEED NOMINATED #ALOY IS THAT HE IS FOR REAL 'OD MADE HIM STAND FOOT INCHES AND he took care of the rest.

(E PLAYED AT CENTER BUT CAN ALSO PLAY AS ABLY AND WELL AT GUARD AND FORWARD POSITIONS !S ONE who manned the slot, it was not so much his CEILING AS HIS ASSET BUT HIS gABILIDAD,� timing, ABILITY TO BOX OUT THE ENEMIES UNDER THE BOARDS ENABLING HIM TO OUTMANEUVER OUTPOSITION

outjump his opponents.

He earned the moniker “The Big Difference� during his more than two-decade long career PLAYING BASKETBALL BECAUSE HE WAS BIG NOT ONLY IN SIZE BUT THE WAY HE PLAYED (E SPELLED THE DIFFERENCE IN MANY TITLE VICTORIES OF THE 0HILIPPINES IN THE !SIAN 'AMES AND !SIAN "ASKETBALL #ONFEDERATION NOW &)"! !SIA TOURNAMENTS AS WELL AS THE HONORS AND RESPECT THE COUNTRY GAINED IN HE /LYMPICS AND WORLD FRONTS #ALOY SERVED AS COG IN THE 0HILIPPINE CAMPAIGN IN THE 7ORLD #HAMPIONSHIP HELD IN 2IO DE *ANEIRO IN "RAZIL WHERE THE COUNTRY BROUGHT HOME THE BRONZE MEDAL THE HIGHEST FASHIONED OUT BY ANY !SIAN COUNTRY IN THE BIGGEST BASKETBALL EVENT OUTSIDE OF THE /LYMPIC 'AMES

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

EDDIE G. ALINEA

Q San Miguel Beer’s Terrence Romeo attempts to score against Alex Mallari of Phoenix Pulse in Game 2 of their bestof-seven semifinals series in Season 44 PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO

Wright of the Fuel Masters. “We know we can comeback from there, we just have to figure out the game plan.

I’m still confident of our abilities and I trust the work we’re putting in all years.�

JOSEF T. RAMOS

PH teams post QF finishes in FIBA 3x3 WT PHILIPPINE teams Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks came up with quarTERkNAL kNISHES IN THE &)"! X 7ORLD 4OUR -ASTERS $OHA ON &RIDAY NIGHT AT THE +ATARA !MPITHEATER IN THE Qatari capital.

Pasig (Grindhouse Kings) and "ALANGA "ATAAN 2ISERS LOST TO top-ranked squads at the start of the knockout round.

The Kings — composed of Joshua -UNZON 4AYLOR 3TATHAM &RENCH PLAYER !NGELO 4SGARAKIS ‡ SUFFERED A DEFEAT TO WORLD .O 2IGA 'HETTO OF ,ATVIA Pasig finished fifth place in the T E A M T O U R N A M E N T A N D T O O K HOME

,ATER ON THE 2ISERS ‡ BANNERED BY !LVIN 0ASAOL 3ANTI 3ANTILLAN +ARL $EHESA

4YREKE %VANS LED SEVEN 0ACERS IN DOUBLE kGURES WITH POINTS OFF THE BENCH "OJAN "OGDANOVIC HAD POINTS -YLES 4URNER HAD

$OMANTAS 3ABONIS 4HADDEUS 9OUNG AND -ATTHEWS kNISHED WITH APIECE AND $ARREN #OLLISON FOR )NDIANA 9OUNG WAS THE GAME S LEADING REBOUNDER WITH NINE !LSO 2USSELL 7ESTBROOK SCORED POINTS AS THE /KLAHOMA #ITY 4HUNDER BEAT THE VISITING 0ORTLAND 4RAIL "LAZERS TO TAKE GAME three of a Western Conference series.

The Trail Blazers lead the SERIES HEADING TO GAME FOUR ON 3UNDAY AFP

A pitch for Carlos 'The Big Difference' Loyzaga

SMB eyes to stretch lead to 3-0 vs Phoenix DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer aims to stretch its lead to a commanding 3-0 against Phoenix Pulse as their best-of-seven semifinals series resumes today in Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Game 3 begins at 6:30 p.m.

SMB won Game 1 (100-88) and Game 2 (92-82). “If you saw the first two games, they were absolutely tough. I’m expecting the third game will be more physical because of their situation now. But in our case, we have to be cautious in what adjustments they are going to do against us,� San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria told The Manila Times.

Game 2 was intense with Christian Standhardinger committing a flagrant foul penalty two violation because of kicks to Calvin Abueva’s head and groin in the second quarter.

Standhardinger was fined P20,000 for the infraction and Abueva P15,000 for making an obscene gesture.

The Beermen returned to practice on Black Saturday after a short Holy Week break.

Phoenix, meanwhile, is ready to fight tooth and nail to crawl out of a 0-2 deficit. “We still have Sunday’s game. If we win that game, we’ll be down to 1-2. That’s not insurmountable and that’s not an overwhelming lead in the series,� said Matthew

VICTORY OVER THE )NDIANA 0ACERS TO TAKE A STRANGLEHOLD LEAD IN THEIR kRST ROUND BEST OF SEVEN %ASTERN #ONFERENCE SERIES +YRIE )RVING HELPED THE #ELTICS CLOSE IT OUT BY SCORING OF THEIR kNAL POINTS Boston gets a chance to close out THE 0ACERS IN )NDIANA ON 3UNDAY *AYLEN "ROWN HAD POINTS TO lead the Celtics, who held the PacERS UNDER POINTS FOR THE THIRD straight game. )RVING kNISHED WITH POINTS AND ASSISTS WHILE *AYSON 4ATUM ADDED POINTS !L (ORFORD HAD AND -ARCUS -ORRIS IN THE WIN

AND !MERICAN BRUISER 4RAVIS &RANKLIN ‡ ABSORBED A LOSS TO .O ,IMAN OF 3ERBIA TO kNISH SIXTH )T WAS AN IMPRESSIVE CAMPAIGN THOUGH FOR THE TWO &ILIPINO BALL CLUBS AFTER THE COUNTRY S FOUR YEAR ABSENCE IN THE 7ORLD Tour after.

0ASIG SWEPT 0OOL ! WITH A SHOCKER OVER ,IMAN AND A VICTORY against Katara of Qatar while Balanga DOMINATED 0OOL # WITH A STUNNER OVER 2IGA AND A TRIUMPH AGAINST .O -OSCOW )NANOMO OF 2USSIA g7E MADE A STATEMENT THAT WE BELONG here in the World Tour,� said Chooks to 'O 0ILIPINAS X LEAGUE COMMISSIONER %RIC !LTAMIRANO g3EEING THE LEVEL OF PLAY HERE AND knowing that we can keep up with the

WORLD S BEST IT WILL DEkNITELY MAKE OUR PLAYERS HUNGRIER TO GET BACK IN THE NEXT legs of the World Tour,� he added. ,EAGUE OWNER 2ONALD -ASCARIÄAS VOWED THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE COMPETING IN FUTURE &)"! SANCTIONED X TOURNEYS g.OW THAT WE ARE BACK IN THE GAME

WE WILL JOIN EVERY X TOURNAMENT THAT &)"! WANTS US TO JOIN u SAID -ASCARIĂ„AS “This is just the start for us. We will CONTINUE TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF OUR LEAGUE

HOPING THAT ONE DAY WE CAN BE SEEN BY THE WORLD AS ONE OF THE ELITE X BASKETBALL COUNTRIES u 0ASIG WILL NEXT HEAD TO THE +UNSHAN #HALLENGER ‡ A QUALIkER FOR THE #HENGDU -ASTERS ‡ ON -AY TO JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

(E EVEN OUTDID HIMSELF IN THAT MEET BY EMERGING ONE of the three top scorers in the entire tournament with AN AVERAGE PER GAME NEXT TO 5RUGUAY S /SCARS -OGLIA AND #ARL 2IDD

OF #ANADA #ALOY S FEAT EARNED FOR HIM A SLOT IN THE WORLD TEAM ALONG WITH +IRBY -INTER OF THE 5NITED 3TATES -OGLIA :ENNY DE !ZEVEDO AND 7LAMIR -ARQUES BOTH OF THE HOST COUNTRY "RAZIL AN HONOR ONLY ONE OTHER !SIAN 9AO -ING WOULD DUPLICATE kVE DECADES LATER 2EASON WHY MANY BELIEVE THAT ,OYZAGA SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS gTHE GREATEST &ILIPINO AND !SIAN u FOR THAT MATTER TO EVER PLAY THE GAME

DESERVING A PLACE IN THE (O& (OW GOOD A PLAYER ,OYZAGA WAS CAN BE GAUGE THAT WHEN HE HANG UP HIS NO UNIFORM IN

THE 0HILIPPINES LOST ITS IN SUPREMACY IN THE SPORT HIS COUNTRYMEN LOVE MOST 4HE &ILIPINO BASKETEERS ONCE THE APPLE OF THE EYES OF !SIANS

LIKEWISE LOST THEIR SLOTS IN THE /LYMPIC 'AMES WHERE THEY LAST SAW ACTION MORE THAN SIX DECADES AGO IN

! TWO TIME /LYMPIAN +ING #ALOY POWERED HE 0HILIPPINES TO A NINTH PLACE kNISH IN IN (ELSINKI AND SEVENTH THE COUNTRY S THIRD HIGHEST

IN -ELBOURNE IN 4HE kRST TIME ,OYZAGA WORE THE COUNTRY S RED WHITE AND BLUE COLORS AT A TENDER AGE

HE LED THE &ILIPINO CAGERS GOLD MEDAL TRIUMPH IN THE INAUGURAL STAGING OF THE !SIAN 'AMES IN IN .EW $ELHI THE SAME WAY HE DID IN THE SUBSEQUENT TITLE DEFENDING CAMPAIGN IN IN -ANILA IN 4OKYO AND IN IN *AKARTA "EFORE LOSING THE !SIAD #ROWN *EWEL THE 0HILIPPINES AGAIN STARRING THE BEANPOLE PRODUCT OF SANDLOT BASKETBALL IN 4ERESA IN 3AMPALOC $ISTRICT OF -ANILA SHIFTED ITS SUPREMACY IN THE !SIAN "ASKETBALL #ONFEDERATION A REGIONAL ORGANIZATION WHICH LIKE THE !SIAN 'AMES &ILIPINO SPORTS LEADERS HELPED ESTABLISHED ,IKE THE !SIAD #ALOY AND TEAMMATES RULED THE &IRST !"# RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN IN

DEFENDED THE TITLE THE NEXT TIME AROUND IN 4AIPEI IN BEFORE RELINQUISHING IT IN IN +UALA ,UMPUR ,OYZAGA AGAIN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 0HILIPPINES REGAINING THE TITLE IN

this time as head coach. He was the assistant COACH WHEN THE COUNTRY AGAIN WON IT IN here in Manila. #ALOY S COMBINED SIX GOLD MEDAL HARVEST IN THE !SIAD AND !"# AS A PLAYER AND HIS PAIR A coach more than eclipsed thee feats of some WHO VE ALREADY EARNED THEIR PLACE IN THE (ALL #ALOY S kRST LOVE ACTUALLY WAS FOOTBALL A SPORT HIS FATHER *OAQUIN S FORTE HAVING SERVED MANY NATIONAL TEAMS DURING THE &AR %ASTERN 'AMES PRECURSOR OF THE NOW !SIAN 'AMES FROM TO

D2

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

Nascar

The h Sundayy Times w w w.manilatimes.net

Q Martin Truex Jr. celebrates in Victory Lane. AFP PHOTOS

Q Martin Truex Jr., driver of the (No. 19) Auto Owners Insurance Toyota, does a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 13, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia.

Martin Truex Jr. holds off Joey Logano to win at Richmond

R

DOMINANCE ICHMOND, Va.: Martin Truex Jr. had about 40 laps to go and Clint Joe Gibbs said he can’t explain Bowyer closing fast. his team’s dominant start to the

In a race to see who could preserve their car best, Truex outlasted Bowyer and then held off a four-lap charge by Joey Logano to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night. “I was struggling the last 40 laps,� Truex said. “I had not front turn. I was just real, real tight that last run. I just had to hold him off. Being out front was important tonight.�

Because he did, Truex gave Joe Gibbs Racing its sixth victory in nine races this season and won for THE kRST TIME IN HIS CAREER ON TRACKS shorter than a mile. “At the end of the day, we drove up to him and you get terrible tight behind people,� Bowyer said.

4RUEX LED A RACE HIGH LAPS and regained the lead for the last TIME AFTER GREEN lAG PIT STOPS THAT STARTED WITH JUST MORE THAN LAPS TO GO 7ITH ABOUT TO GO "OWYER challenged with what seemed like a faster car, but Bowyer finally relinquished the second spot to Logano, who also seemed to have the faster car of the top two.

Truex expertly navigated lapped TRAFkC AND NEVER LET HIM PASS TO WIN FOR THE kRST TIME IN STARTS IN the Cup series on a short track. It’s his 20th career victory and 17th in

the last four seasons. g)T MEANS A LOT TO kNALLY BREAK through,� Truex said in Victory Lane. “I hope it was a helluva show. It sure was fun behind the wheel.�

Logano held on for second.

Bowyer was third and Kevin Harvick fourth, giving Stewart-Haas Racing TWO TOP FOUR kNISHERS ,OCAL FAVORITE $ENNY (AMLIN WAS kFTH g7E WERE CLOSE JUST NOT CLOSE enough,� Logano said. “Ran out of time there. ... Fun race, just gosh.

Three weeks in a row I felt like we had a car that could win the race and we haven’t won. That’s a little frustrating, but when you’re frustrated with second, that’s a good sign.�

4HE STAGE FOR THE kNISH WAS SET WHEN THE LEADERBOARD GOT SHUFlED BEGINNING ON ,AP WHEN THE cars running up front began pitting UNDER A GREEN lAG 7HEN THEY ALL HAD NEW TIRES AND ENOUGH FUEL TO kNISH 4RUEX was back in front, followed by Bowyer, Logano, Harvick and Hamlin. Brad Keselowski dropped to eighth during the cycle and Kyle Busch, seeking his third victory in a row on the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval, his fourth of the season and second in a row, fell back to 10th.

season, but he’s going to enjoy it while it lasts. “Sometimes in pro sports, you know, you get on a roll, things go well,� Gibbs said. “I think that’s the reason why you need to enjoy it in pro sports because you know, odds are, this ain’t going to keep happening.�

BUSTED Eight cars failed prerace inspection, including three that failed twice. They include local favorite Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner on the 0.75-mile oval, Chase Elliott and Matt Tifft.

As a result, NASCAR disqualikED THEIR QUALIFYING SPEEDS SENDING THEM TO THE REAR OF THE kELD

disallowed their pit stall selections and ejected one engineer from each team for the race.

Five other teams failed inspection and had their qualifying speeds and pit selections disallowed, also sending them to the back. They were seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Daniel SuAREZ AND *OEY 'ASE

BAD LUCK LARSON Kyle Larson’s slow start to the

season continued, giving him an early night.

Contact with Daniel Hemric early in the second stage gave Larson a tire rub and when he got back up to speed after stopping under green, the rub continued and he hit the Turn 1 wall on just the 127th lap of the night.

7ITH THE SERIES OFF NEXT WEEKend for Easter, Larson is looking forward to the break. “Been a crappy start to the year,� ,ARSON SAID g7E VE HAD DECENT SPEED 7E DIDN T HAVE SPEED TOnight but the weeks that we’ve got speed we still run into issues so I hate the start to the season I’ve had but hopefully this break to the season came at a good time and we can regroup and try to come back better with some better luck.� ,ARSON HAS JUST TWO TOP kNishes in nine starts.

WHO’S HOT, WHO’S NOT +YLE "USCH kNISHED EIGHTH TO PUSH his top-10 streak to 11 races.

Chase Elliott started the night 10th in points, but ran 15th and has just two top-10s this year.

UP NEXT The series takes its traditional week off for Easter before heading to Talladega Superspeedway in two weeks.

AP

NASCAR driver Johnson runs Boston Marathon in 3:09:07 BOSTON: Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson didn’t have many problems on the Boston -ARATHON COURSE 4UESDAY kNISHing in three hours, nine minutes, seven seconds.

It was only after receiving his medal from 2014 winner Meb +ElEZIGHI THAT *OHNSON RAN INTO A road block: On his way to a postrace media availability, security wouldn’t let him through.

On the course, it was a different story. “I couldn’t believe how many people did spot me,� Johnson said. g/NCE SOMEBODY WOULD RECOGNIZE ME

the crowd would get going and I could kind of egg them on and get everybody pretty loud, which is a lot of fun.�

Unlike at a NASCAR race, when the fans are split among 40 different drivers, Johnson felt like the spectators lining the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton to Boston’s Copley Square were cheering for everyone. Other runners also recOGNIZED HIM AND OFFERED POINTERS “I had countless people come by and (be) like, ‘All right, I know it’s YOUR kRST 7E VE GOT THIS COMING UP Get another gel,’� he said. “It never happens at my day job. There’s never advice passed out.�

7EARING "IB .O AS A NOD TO HIS .O #HEVROLET *OHNSON set out with the goal of breaking 3 HOURS BUT HE REALIZED ABOUT SEVEN miles in: “It wasn’t in the cards.� “There was a lot of race left,� he said, “You think you’re taking care of yourself, but the further you get YOU REALIZE THE ENERGY AT THE START and being around everyone kind of takes a lot out of you.�

Still, it’s the fastest Boston Marathon ever run by a Daytona 500 winner.

-ICHAEL 7ALTRIP RAN "OSTON IN AND kNISHED IN

(Jamie McMurray has run two marathons, with a personal record at the Kiawah Island Marathon in 3:14:06, but never Boston.)

So Johnson is pretty happy for his debut. g7ELL IT S A 02 u *OHNSON SAID “So I’ll take that.� *OHNSON RECEIVED HIS kNISHER S medal from 2014 winner Meb KelEZIGHI A FELLOW 'ATORADE ATHLETE who also left a signed copy of his book waiting for the driver in his hotel room. g) WAS LIKE @7OW THAT S REALLY nice. I hope I have a chance to meet him,’� Johnson said. “And then he hands me my medal after the race, which is just spectacular.�

Special enough to earn it a spot of honor back home. The marathon MEDAL IS GOING IN HIS OFkCE WHERE he keeps a Daytona 500 trophy, one from the Brickyard 400 and a NASCAR championship trophy.

Johnson has had a connection to the race since 2013, when MIT POLICE OFkCER 3EAN #OLLIER DIED IN the pursuit of the Boston Marathon bombers. Andrew Collier, Sean’s brother, was a machinist in the engine department for Johnson’s team.

He wanted to run the next year, BUT IT DIDN T kT IN WITH THE .!3#!2 schedule. This year, the Monday 0ATRIOTS $AY HOLIDAY CAME AFTER THE Saturday night race in Richmond, Virginia, which happened to be a cool night. (There had been a chance of rain that could have pushed back the race to Sunday.) “To come back and then bring up Sean’s name ... I hope they’re watching,� Johnson said. “The family’s still in the area. Hopefully they’ll see it and see Sean’s name and know that it’s been a pleasure to bring his name back up and honor him.�

AP

Motor Sports

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY April 21, 2019

D3

Asian Formula revisited

(Part 2) AST week, I shared my Asian Formula 2000 Championship run that happened in 2002. We never had a death in any of our races before but with Mike Miller’s AF2000 accident in Subic, my eyes were opened on how dangerous motor racing is.

While a lot of concerned family members and friends were advising me to stop racing, I just felt I had TO CONTINUE AND ALSO kGHT FOR SAFER races. So here’s part two of the very memorable race series that affected me a lot right from the start.

L

Black Johor The next leg was held in the huge, sprawling track in Johor, Malaysia.

"EING IT WAS MY kRST TIME THERE

I was completely out of synch in practice and my mind was not on the race after the death of Miller. I felt like I was the only one affected by the tragedy as no one was talking about it.

I even asked the Asian Festival Of Speed organizer David Sonenscher if there was anyone who even cared about what happened to Miller. He said that the drivers had taken out the memory of the tragic accident and set it aside so they would not get affected by it. David said I should do the same thing and just drive.

This was entirely against what I believed and thought that a proper investigation should be made on Miller’s death. I voiced this out durING THE DRIVERS BRIEkNG AND ) BELIEVE that no one ever seconded the motion. I don’t remember if we even observed a minute of silence during the opening ceremonies for Miller, but I knew not much was done. )N THE END ) kNISHED FOURTH IN both races and felt I could have done much better if my mind was in the right place. I wasn’t 100-percent committed to late brake and dice with the others, and there was a nagging thought that I could suffer the same fate as Miller. Fear was DEkNITELY IN ME DURING THOSE RACES plus a lingering guilt that I might have caused the accident.

Nevertheless, we had good battles for the last podium spot with three drivers contesting it for both races. Indonesia’s Meckel Ali won both races and first-timer lady driver Keiko Ihara from Japan took second also in both races.

Mental Sepang I knew that if I couldn’t take out the fear and the guilt, it would be better to call it quits. It would be useless to race and I also thought of myself getting into a tragic accident. After Johor, l still managed to hold onto second overall in the standings and decided to give it one more try in the new F1 track in Sepang, Malaysia.

With all the excitement and hoopla that accompanied the buildup to the races and the great safety amenities for the track, I was able to switch to full battle mode and set aside my fear. One of the good things about racing in Sepang was that you could play F1 games featuring the track on your computer. This was my secret weapon and I got myself the latest game and bought a steering wheel with pedals so I could simulate racing in Sepang.

F1 mode During practice, I was doing very good times that even caught the eyes of other competitors like the much-vaunted New Zealander Fabian Coulthard. Fabian had the right pedigree being the nephew of McLaren F1 driver David Coulthard. He was setting the fastest times and was surely the favorite to win the races.

TURBO TIMES

In one practice session, Fabian deliberately waited for me on the track and diced with me for quite some TIME 7E WERE BOTH GOING lAT OUT AND I could stay with him in the corners. ) EVEN OVERTOOK HIM IN THE kRST TURN after a late braking move.

When we went to the pits, he came up to me and introduced himself. We chatted a little and we both knew we were going to watch each other during QUALIFYING ) DEkNITELY HAD GOTTEN RID of the fear and was now brimming WITH CONkDENCE Unfortunately, in the last practice session on Friday, my Ford Zetec engine slipped its cam belt and bent the valves in the process. A check made by my team manager Richard 3MITH AND THE ORGANIZERS CONkRMED the worst - my engine was not going to produce enough power to race!

Since there was no spare engine available, we opted to open the cylinder head and try to repair the valves. Since no new valves were available as engines only came in complete, crated packages, we had to do what we can by knocking THEM BACK INTO SHAPE $EkNITELY NOT the best way but that would get us to qualifying the next day.

Wet qualifying Our Filipino mechanics got the engine running after working through the night. I tried it in the morning practice session but the engine was low on power. I knew I would not be able to give Fabian a good challenge for pole position.

In the afternoon, the heavens opened and the rains fell in bucket loads. I could not believe my luck as engine power will not be a factor in QUALIFYINGĂœ ) DIDN T GO OUT IN THE kRST minutes of qualifying to conserve the engine. In the middle of the session, the sun came out and we decided to try slick tires on a wet but drying track.

We were sliding all over at the start but the longer we stayed out, our times got better and better. In the kNAL LAP ) MADE A BANZAI RUN AND had the right grip for the low-powered engine. When I came into the pits, everyone was giving us the thumbs up and my mechanics were all jumping AROUND 4HEY CONkRMED THAT WE GOT the pole and there was a big celebration in the pits!

All drivers came and congratulated us for a job well done, including FaBIAN 4HIS WAS MY kRST POLE POSITION ever in the series and it could not have happened in a better place plus with all the drama behind it!

In the second qualifying session, the track was dry and our engine just had enough power to put us in third place. However, in the last few laps, we were going slower and slower, and I knew the engine was expiring. There was nothing else to do but enjoy the moment and pray for the rains to arrive the next day.

No rain, no luck When I woke up on race day, the sun was out and I knew we wouldn’t be in the hunt for a win. Right from the start, we were overtaken by no less than four CARS JUST GOING TO THE kRST TURN )T WAS A very agonizing experience since we just kept going back. I had no power to do ANYTHING AND WE kNISHED A LOW SEVENTH PLACE IN THE kRST RACE AND EVEN A WORST ninth place in the second race. From hero to zero in one day!

I decided to get a new, refurbished ENGINE AND EVEN ORDERED A NEW kBERglass body to get the weight down. I WOULD MAKE A kNAL STAND AND SEE IF I could really win this series. Stay tuned for part three next week and Godspeed to all!

Antons finish 1-2 in PH Autocross fourth round Q Carlos Anton recorded the fastest time of the day during the fourth round of the Philippine Autocross Championship held in the business district of Clark, Pampanga, last weekend. PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN ANTON

BY MIKE POTENCIANO

V

ETERAN Carlos Anton and his 14year old son IĂąigo again raised the bar by finishing first and second overall, respectively, in the fourth round of Philippine Autocross Championship (PAC) held in the business district of Clark, Pampanga, last weekend.

W i t h t h e i r M a r k Yo u n g Mohspeed prepared Honda CRX, the father and son duo set the fastest times of the day in different styles with IĂąigo taking his fourth straight win in the Open Class.

IĂąigo set the pace early on but was immediately eclipsed by his

father. Champion Slalom driver and Vios Cup racer Estefano Rivera then took the best time in his Honda Civic EG Hatch and made it a three-way battle that extended until the early evening.

Yokohama driver Carlos took command and was able to set a faster time that no one could

beat. IĂąigo tried to beat his father in his last run but could only beat Estefano’s time. As a result, )Ă„IGO kNISHED SECOND OVERALL AND Rivera third. “The last thing we expected was a 1-2 finish today after IĂąigo’s engine blew yesterday,â€? said a happy overall champion Carlos after the race. “It’s amazing how IĂąigo was able to adapt to my car right away and that gave me a scare in the end.â€?

Unknown to many, the 14year old racing phenom’s Honda EF blew an engine and had to use the same Honda CRX of Carlos for the race. Since the EF and CRX were set up differently, Iùigo had limited time to get acquainted with it but still man-

aged to get the second best time to win his fourth straight Open Class Championship. “I’m so thankful that we got the 1-2 win today and the Open Class for the fourth time. I tried to beat my dad but he was just too fast today,â€? remarked a jubilant IĂąigo. “Since this was a double points race, we really needed these wins! Thank you to our Mark Young Racing Team for making this possible.â€?

Carlos now holds a commanding lead in the PAC overall standings with IĂąigo coming in second and Estefano in third. The younger !NTON HOLDS THE SAME kRST PLACE standing in the Open Class with his four wins, placing him away ahead of the competition.

Daquil dominates Maxxis 4x4 Lubao leg THE 4Wheelers Davao Team domiNATED THE kFTH LEG OF THE -AXXIS NAsFOR 4x4 Cup held recently in Pradera, Lubao, Pampanga. It wasn’t three-leg champion Joseph Rodriguez who came out on top but teammate Jodax Daquil.

A total of 22 drivers competed in the Lubao leg. NAsFOR is the National Association of Filipino Off-Roaders.

Daquil was very consistent throughout the two days of extreme 4x4 racing at the Pradera 4x4 track during the Lubao Balloon Festival. He got the second best time in Track A, sixth in Track B, and another second PLACE IN THE kNAL RUN ON 3UNDAY in Track C. With a lot of drivers having problems with the numerous MUD PITS THAT WAS kLLED WITH LAHAR neck-high, Daquil managed to go through. His 4x4 rig allowed him to accumulate a total of time of 14 minutes and 0.53 of a second for Tracks A and B, and 26:27.61 in Track C. Local hero Noel Bartolome Jr. of Land Cruiser Philippines roared in his V8-powered rig that got him sixth in Track A and second in Track B. But he fell to seventh after THE kNAL RUN IN 4RACK # Bartolome actually had a better time than Daquil in Saturday’s Tracks A and B with a qualifying time of 13:03.09. Unfortunately, Bartolome timed 14.50.52 against Daquil’s 12:27.08 and suffered a lot of winching in the pits.

JR Angeles of Nueva Ecija OfFROADERS TOOK THE kNAL PODIUM

Q Jodax Daquil of 4Wheelers Davao Team dominated the fifth leg of the Maxxis NAsFOR 4x4 Cup held recently in Pradera, Lubao, Pampanga.

Q (From left) NAsFOR President Reynan Jayme, Jodax Daquil of 4Wheelers Davao, Arlene Dungca of host Kapampangan Racing Team, and Nars Liwanag of Maxxis Tires Philippines. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS with a total time of 15:51.93 for qualifying and 29:33.70 total time in the end. Angeles impressed in Track B when he even beat Daquil’s time by 35 seconds. He had a great RUN IN THE kNAL RUN UNTIL HE GOT bogged down in one pit.

Rounding out the Top 5 were Euane Evangelista of Digos 4Wheelers and 4x4 AAP Pro Champion and host of event Edison Dungca in fourth and kFTH RESPECTIVELY &ROY -ENDOZA of Ilocos Offroaders came in

sixth after taking the fastest time in Track C. In seventh came Derrick Gahite of Manila East Offroaders who took third on Sunday’s Track C. The 2018 NAsFOR Driver of the Year and Aurora Racing Team driver Jherico Lara posted the best qualifying time of 11:48.54.

He was the fastest driver in Track A and third in Track B, but was hampered by mud pits breaking HIS TRANSFER CASE (E kNISHED eight overall.

Nueva Ecija Offroaders’ Dave Lopez came in ninth and the three-leg Maxxis 4x4 winner RoDRIGUEZ kNISHED TH The next legs of the Maxxis 4x4 Cup will be in Jones, Isabela, on April 27 to 28, and Cavinti, Laguna, on May 18 to 19.

MIKE POTENCIANO

Honda presses on in MotoGP, Asia events

Q Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (center) of Honda Asia-Dream Racing ruled the second race for the Asia Road Racing Championship’s new ASB1000 class, in Sepang Malaysia on March 10. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

HONDA’S Dream Team racers stayed on top of their leagues despite Marc Marquez, reigning world champion in this season’s MotoGP from Repsol-Honda, falling short of 0.023 second behind Andrea Dovizioso at the finish line during the third round of the MotoGP held in Dubai on March 10.

Honda teammate Cal Crutchlow emerged third in Dubai.

Marquez raced against Dovioso over 22 laps as team member Cal Crutchlow tailed closely behind during the third round of the MotoGP held at Losail, Qatar. Both showcased strong races despite injuries from the previous year, with Marquez having an operated shoulder and Crutchlow breaking his ankle in October’s Australian Grand Prix.

The race finished in a similar fashion to the previous

year’s Qatar Grand Prix, as Marquez ran wide when he tried passing Andrea to reach the finish line.

Meanwhile, Kaito Toba of Honda Team Asia took the Moto3 win in Dubai, making him the first Japanese to win the event. He swept ahead of Italian Dalla Porta and Polish Aron Canet.

Toba started from the middle grid but managed to surge ahead to put himself in a three-way fight with Porta and Canet.

A clean sweep in Malaysia For Asia Road Racing Championship’s new ASB1000 class, rider Md Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing

with Showa Team emerged the winner of the second race held in Sepang Malaysia on March 10. The team initially had problems with the machine during the race but managed to resolve the situation, resulting in a first-place finish for Zaidi.

Zaidi had to do battle with Apiwat Wongthananon of Yamaha, Thitipong Warokorn of Kawasaki and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of BMW. Zaidi is the ace rider of the new team formed through Honda’s Asian subsidiaries joining forces with Showa, a manufacturer of high-performance automotive, motorcycle and outboard suspension systems based in Gyoda, Saitama.

THE TIMES

D4

Sports p

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Sabalenka grinds past Stosur in Fed Cup semis

B

RISBANE, Australia: World No. 10 Aryna Sabalenka ground down former US Open champion Samantha Stosur to give Belarus a 1-0 lead in their Fed #UP SEMI kNAL AGAINST !USTRALIA IN "RISBANE on Saturday.

4HE YEAR OLD NEEDED HRS MINS TO GET PAST A PLAYER YEARS HER SENIOR

AHEAD OF THE SECOND RUB ber between world number NINE !SHLEIGH "ARTY AND TWO TIME 'RAND 3LAM WINNER 6ICTO RIA !ZARENKA g)T WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE MATCH 3HE PLAYED SO QUICK ) COULDN T TOUCH THE BALL AT TIMES u SAID 3ABALENKA g"UT WHEN YOU RE PLAYING FOR YOUR COUNTRY YOU

Q Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus hits a return to Samantha Stosur of Australia during the Fed Cup tennis semifinal between Australia and Belarus at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane on Saturday.

AFP PHOTO

Biado, Chua make WPA Players semis FILIPINO cue artists Carlo Biado and Johann Chua turned back their QUARTERkNAL ROUND OPPONENT AND SO did Taiwanese Chand Yu Lung and Kevin Cheng as they reduced the inaugural World Pool Association 0LAYERS #HAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL ROUND INTO A 0HILIPPINE 4AIWAN DUEL Friday (Saturday in Manila) a the 'RIFFS "ILLIARDS IN ,AS 6EGAS .EVADA "IADO THE 7ORLD BALL #HAMPION PLAYED A MORE FOCUSED AND SHARP GAME IN BESTING !MERI CAN FAVORITE 3HANE 6AN "OENING

WHILE #HUA WHO PULLED OFF A SURPRISING COME FROM BEHIND OVER TWO TIME WORLD TITLIST -IKA )MMONEN IN ROUND CAME UP with another brilliant overtime WIN OVER 'REECE S .ICK -ALAJ TO ADVANCE

"IADO BATTLES #HANG IN ONE OF THE SEMIS MATCHUP ON 3ATURDAY 3UNDAY -ANILA TIME 4HE 4AI WANESE #HANG OUTPACED HALL OF FAMER 2ALF 3OUQUET

TO AD vance to the semis #HUA SQUARES OFF WITH #HENG

THE 53 /PEN winner in the oth ER SIDE OF THE &I nal Four to decide who’ll make it to THE GOLD MEDAL PLAY #HENG LOOKED IMPERVIOUS THE PAST THREE DAYS OF PLAY (E kRST CAME BACK FROM A DEkCIT TO THE 53! S 3HAUN 7ILKIE TO WIN (E THEN DUELED WITH DEFENDING 53 /PEN CHAMP *AYSON 3HAW IN THE QUARTERS 4HE MATCH WAS EVEN THROUGH BE FORE #HENG STEPPED ON THE GAS AND CLOSED IT OUT

!FTER THREE DAYS FEATURING THE VERY BEST POOL PLAYERS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE THE PLAYER kELD IN THE INAUGURAL STAGING OF THE CHAMPION SHIP HAVE BEEN DISHING OUT SPEC TACULAR PERFORMANCES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO PROVE WHO AMONG THEM WILL EARN THE RIGHT TO BE ADJUDGED THE kNEST 4HE &ILIPINO AND THE 4AIWANESE WAYLAID EVERYBODY IN THE kELD ONE AFTER ANOTHER UNTIL THEY FOUND THEM SELVES AT THE TOP OF THE LIST EDDIE G. ALINEA

HAVE TO kGHT TO THE END u While Belarus are bidding to REACH THE FINAL FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE ATTEMPTS AFTER BE ING BEATEN BY THE 5NITED 3TATES IN !USTRALIA ARE TARGETING THEIR FIRST DECIDER IN YEARS It’s been an even longer wait BETWEEN TITLES WITH THE LAST OF !USTRALIA S SEVEN VICTORIES COMING IN WHEN %VONNE 'OOLAGONG LED THEM TO A WIN OVER THE !MERICANS

&RANCE OR 2OMANIA AWAIT THIS WEEKEND S WINNER 3TOSUR WHO WAS SELECTED TO OPEN THE TIE AHEAD OF THE HIGHER RANKED $ARIA 'AVRILOVA HAS TRADI TIONALLY STRUGGLED TO PLAY HER BEST TENNIS ON HOME SOIL "UT IN AN ERRATIC kRST SET WHICH SAW SEVEN SERVICE BREAKS SHE BROKE kRST TO GO IN FRONT 4HE BIG HITTING 3ABALENKA IM mediately broke back but serving PROBLEMS COST HER AGAIN WHEN SHE sent down two consecutive double FAULTS TO ONCE MORE HAND 3TOSUR THE ADVANTAGE But the Australian couldn’t C A P I T A L I Z E A S N E R V E S T O O K THEIR TOLL 3HE REGROUPED TO BREAK AND GO IN FRONT ON YET ANOTHER 3ABALENKA DOUBLE FAULT BUT THE

rollercoaster continued until THE "ELARUSIAN FINALLY HELD FOR THEN TOOK THE SET ON HER FIFTH SET POINT 3ABALENKA WON THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE SECOND SET AND LOOKED COMFORTABLE BUT A GUTSY 3TOSUR REELED OFF THREE IN A ROW AS THE CROWD ROARED HER ON BEFORE WRAPPING UP ANOTHER SEE SAWING SET IN WHICH BOTH PLAYERS AGAIN STRUGGLED TO HOLD SERVE "UT AS 3TOSUR TIRED THE "ELARU SIAN GRABBED THE UPPER HAND IN the deciding set with a searing CROSSCOURT FOREHAND FOR A LEAD AND THERE WAS NO WAY BACK FOR THE YEAR OLD WHO FAILED TO ADD TO HER RECORD SINGLES VICTORIES FOR HER COUNTRY The reverse singles and a dou BLES ARE ON 3UNDAY AFP

JRU signs Gonzales as new head coach JOSE 2IZAL 5NIVERSITY *25 ON 3ATURDAY NAMED ,OUIE 'ONZALES AS THE NEW HEAD COACH OF ITS MEN S BASKETBALL TEAM REPLAC ing longtime tactician and &ILIPINO BASKETBALL LEGEND 6ERGEL -ENESES g*25 IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF ,OUIE 'ON ZALES AS HEAD COACH OF ITS -EN S "ASKETBALL 4EAM EFFECTIVE !PRIL

SUCCEEDING ONE OF 0"! S 'REATEST 6ERGEL -ENESES WHO IS RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFkCE u SAID *25 ATHLETIC MODERATOR AND .A

tional Collegiate Athletic Associa TION .#!! BOARD REPRESENTATIVE 0AUL 3UPAN IN A STATEMENT -ENESES WHO HELD THE POST FOR NINE YEARS IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR IN "ULACAN -ENESES TOWED THE "OMBERS TO kVE &INAL &OUR APPEARANCES AND AN OVERALL RECORD OF WINS AGAINST LOSSES (ELPING 'ONZALES ARE ASSISTANT COACHES %DDIE ,AURE %RIC $ELA #UESTA -IXSON 2AMOS AND HIGH SCHOOL COACH 6IC ,AZARO WHILE 'LEN #APACIO WILL SERVE AS AN AC TIVE CONSULTANT

'ONZALES WON A CHAMPION SHIP EACH IN THE .#!! AND THE 5NIVERSITY !THLETIC !SSOCIATION OF THE 0HILIPPINES 5!!0 AS AN AS SISTANT TO !LDIN !YO (E BECAME THE HEAD TACTICIAN OF ,A 3ALLE WHEN !YO LEFT FOR 5NIVERSITY OF 3TO 4OMAS BUT FAILED TO LEAD THE SCHOOL TO THE SEMIkNALS 'ONZALES TALLIED AN SLATE FOR A kFTH PLACE kNISH WITH THE Green Archers in the latest the 5!!0 SEASON g#OACH ,OUIE 'ONZALES HAS OVER TWO DECADES OF TOP LEVEL COACHING

FURUYA BANNERS LARGE FIELD IN SUBIT ASIAN CUP !SIAN 'AMES TRIATHLON GOLD MEDALIST *UMPEI &URUYA OF *APAN BANNERS A LARGE FIELD OF FOREIGN COMPETITORS VYING FOR QUALIFYING POINTS IN THE NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) !SIAN #UP ON !PRIL AND &URUYA CURRENTLY RANKED NO IN THE WORLD AND CHAMPION OF LAST *ANUARY S .44 !34# !SIAN #UP EVENT IN 2AYONG 4HAILAND WILL BE BACKSTOPPED

BY OTHER *APANESE TRIATHLETES Poised to crowd OUT THE *APANESE ARE #HINA S SEXTET AND (ONG +ONG WITH ENTRIES SPREAD OVER THE %LITE *UNIOR AND 3UPER 3PRINT $IS TANCE CATEGORIES 3 U P P O R T E D B Y 0HILIPPINE 3PORTS #OMMISSION .44

0HILIPPINE /LYMPIC #OMMITTEE 3TAN D A R D ) N S U R A N C E

!SIAN #ENTRE FOR )NSULATION 0HILIPPINES AND 0OCARI 3WEAT 3U")4 LURED OVER A HUNDRED FOREIGN ENTRIES #HINESE 4AIPEI HAD ENTERED +OREA -ACAO

3INGAPORE NINE 3YRIA SIX AND 4HAILAND FOUR .OT TO BE DISCOUNTED IN THE KILOMETER SWIM

KILOMETER BIKE AND KILOMETER RUN %LITE COM PETITION ARE TWO PAIRS OF !USTRALIANS AND 0ALESTINIANS AND A SOLE #ANADIAN 4RIATHLON !SSOCIATION OF THE 0HILIPPINES 42!0 0RESIDENT 4OM #ARRASCO SAID *OHN #HI CANO WILL SPEARHEAD THE 0HILIPPINE CHALLENGE ALONG WITH +IM 2EMOLINO WHILE &ILIPINO 3PANISH &ER #ASERES IS SEEN TO PULL OFF A SURPRISE IN HIS QUEST FOR A SLOT IN 4EAM 0HILIPPINES FOR THE 3%!

'AMES IN $ECEMBER )N THE DISTAFF SIDE 3%! 'AMES MEDALIST #LAIRE !DORNA !SIA 'AMES VETERAN +IM +ILGROE AND FAST RISING *# !BAD ARE THE COUNTRY S BEST BETS /VERALL CLOSE TO FOREIGNERS AND LOCALS WILL SEE ACTION IN THE ANNUAL EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE 42!0 IN COOPERATION WITH THE 3UBIC "AY -ETROPOLITAN !UTHOR ITY 4OURISM $EPARTMENT &OR DETAILS VISIT 4RIATHLON ORG PH OR EMAIL TRAPSEC RETARIAT GMAIL COM

American boxer Miller fails second drugs test LOS ANGELES: *ARRELL -ILLER WHO WAS DENIED A LICENSE BY .EW 9ORK BOX ING OFFICIALS OVER A FAILED TEST ON 7EDNESDAY HAS FAILED A SECOND DRUGS TEST THE 53 MEDIA REPORTED ON &RIDAY 3ATURDAY IN -ANILA -ILLER RECENTLY TESTED POSITIVE FOR HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE ('( WHICH IS ON THE 7ORLD !NTI $OPING !GENCY BANNED LIST -ILLER S PLANNED *UNE FIGHT AGAINST WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP A n t h o ny J o s h u a h a d a l r e a d y BEEN SCUPPERED BY THE FIRST FAILED drug test which came to light ON 4UESDAY “Salita Promotions and Greg #OHEN 0ROMOTIONS ARE VERY DISAP POINTED IN THESE FINDINGS AND FEEL AWFUL FIGHT FANS WILL BE DEPRIVED OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT FIGHT u $MITRIY 3ALITA AND 'REG #OHEN -ILLER S CO PROMOTERS TOLD !MERICAN SPORTS BROADCASTER %30.

“It’s a terrible outcome and U N F O R T U N A T E S I T U A T I O N F O R A L L PARTIES INVOLVED u -ILLER WHO IS UNDEFEATED IN HIS PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS WAS DUE to take on the Briton at Madison 3QUARE 'ARDEN FOR THE 7"! )"& AND 7"/ TITLES -ILLER PREVIOUSLY SERVED A NINE MONTH BAN FROM THE #ALIFORNIA 3TATE !THLETIC #OMMISSION AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR METHYLHEXA NEAMINE WHEN KICKBOXING IN *OSHUA STILL PLANS TO MAKE HIS 53 DEBUT AS PLANNED IN *UNE FOR WHAT WILL BE HIS SEVENTH TITLE DEFENSE 0ROMOTER %DDIE (EARN SAID HE WAS SCRAMBLING TO FIND AN ALTERNA TIVE OPPONENT “To be honest I can’t believe IT 9OU ALWAYS WANT TO GIVE AN ATHLETE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

BUT THIS LEAVES NO DOUBT u (EARN TOLD %30.

AFP

IN THE PREMIER COLLEGIATE SPORTS leagues like the NCAA and the 5!!0 AND HAS BEEN ON NUMER OUS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS (E IS widely involved in the grassroots DEVELOPMENT OF BASKETBALL IN THE 0HILIPPINES u SAID 3UPAN 4HE SIGNING OF 'ONZALES WAS IN TIME FOR *25 S CELEBRATION OF ITS CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY (E WILL be tasked to guide the Bombers IN THE &IL/IL &LYING 6 0RESEASON #UP NEXT MONTH IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT .#!! SEASON JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Casimero battles Franco today */(.2)%, #ASIMERO WILL FIGHT -EXICAN 2ICARDO %SPINOZA &RANCO TODAY FOR THE INTERIM 7ORLD "OX ING /RGANIZATION 7"/ TITLE AT THE $IGNITY (EALTH 3PORTS 0ARK IN #ARSON #ALIFORNIA 4HE YEAR OLD #ASIMERO RECORD WITH KNOCKOUTS FROM /RMOC #ITY TIPPED THE SCALE AT POUNDS WHILE &RANCO WITH KNOCKOUTS REGISTERED POUNDS DURING THE FORMAL WEIGH IN ON 3ATURDAY 4HE #ASIMERO &RANCO FIGHT IS A SUPPORTING BOUT FOR THE MAIN EVENT CLASH BETWEEN FORMER WORLD CHAMPION $ANNY 'ARCIA AND !DRIAN 'RANADOS Matchmaker Sean Gibbons said THIS WOULD BE #ASIMERO S LAST OP PORTUNITY FOR A WORLD TITLE kGHT g#OME 3ATURDAY HE #ASIMERO TAKES SECOND PLACE THEN HE LL BE BACK IN /RMOC #ITY FOR GOOD 4HERE IS NO SECOND PLACE IN THIS ONE "UT THIS GUY IS READY TO GO u Gibbons told The Manila Times VIA OVERSEAS CALL 4HE #ASIMERO &RANCO BOUT was initially a WBO interna TIONAL TITLE BOUT BUT WAS UP graded to interim world title BOUT AFTER 7"/ BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION :OLANI 4ETE WAS DE CLARED UNAVAILABLE TO DEFEND HIS CROWN 4ETE IS BUSY PREPARING FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST &ILIPINO 7ORLD " O X I N G ! S S O C I A T I O N 7 "!

BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMP .ONITO $ONAIRE *R IN THE SEMIFINALS OF 7ORLD "OXING 3UPER 3E RIES IN ,AFAYETTE ,OUISIANA ON !PRIL 4HE WINNER OF THE $ONAIRE 4ETE MATCH WILL FACE THE VIC TOR IN THE FIGHT BETWEEN 7"! bantamweight titlist Naoya )NOUE AND )NTERNATIONAL "OXING &EDERATION CHAMP %MMANUEL 2ODRIGUEZ ON -AY JOSEF T. RAMOS

Golf

Q Brooke Henderson of Canada hits her drive on the 18th hole during the third round of the LOTTE Championship on Saturday in Kapolei, Hawaii. AFP PHOTO

E1

SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019

www.manilatimes.net

Corpus banners PH Am match play cast CARL CORPUS hopes to snap a string of mediocre finishes as he shoots for back-to-back title feat in the Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Championship unfolding tomorrow (Monday, April 22) at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Corpus charged back late to turn back Aniceto Mandanas and snare the crown at the Orchard last year but the 17-year-old shotmaker faces tall odds in his bid for a repeat in the five-day championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation.

For one, Corpus has struggled in the first four tournaments in this year’s PLDT Group National Amateur Tour, finishing 10th in the PH Amateur Open Stroke Play at Riviera, sharing sixth place in the W Express RVF Cup in Canlubang, ending up tied for fourth in the PH Junior Amateur Open at Sherwood, and bowing out in the first round of of the MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championship at Cebu Country Club two weeks ago.

But the former Ateneo stalwart is all geared up for another shot at the Phl Am Match Play crown although he wound need to come up with a strong start in the stroke play elims to gain the needed momentum for the knockout matches beginning Wednesday.

The top 16 in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions after the 36-hole elims will advance to the match play phase of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and backed by the PLDT Group, Cignal and Metro Pacific.

Out to foil his bid are Kristoffer Arevalo, Tim Avramidis, Leandro Bagtas, siblings Aldo and Paqo Barro, Perry Bucay, Dylan Castillo, Zachary Castro, Dan Cruz, Jeffrey Gabe, Joaquin Gomez and David Guangko.

Young guns Josh Jorge and Sean Ramos are also tipped to contend for the crown along with Luigi Guerrero, Elmer Jayloni, Ricardo Manotoc, Masaichi Otake, Don Petil, Roberto Poblete, Gilbert Purcia, Jacob Rolida and Paolo Wong.

Boosting the cast are Koreans Ha Tae Won, Kim Tae Hoon and Kim Tae Soo. Rianne Malixi, who stunned a tough field to snatch the overall championship in the Phl Junior Amateur Open (Stroke Play) at Sherwood, banners the girls’ cast that also drew Laurea Duque, Laia Barro, Kristine Fleetwood, Kim Ga Yeon and Bang Hee Yeon.

For details, call NGAP at (02) 7065926 or Luisita at (045) 4912071 or visit www.ngaponline.net.

O

Defending champ Henderson tied for lead at Lotte Championship

AHU, United States: Canada’s Brooke Henderson took another step towards DEFENDING HER TITLE kRING A THREE UNDER FOR A SHARE OF THE LEAD HEADING INTO THE kNAL ROUND OF THE ,OTTE #HAMPIONSHIP

The 21-year-old Henderson is tied with American Nelly Korda who had a 71 to reach a total of 14-under 202 on

the Ko Olina Golf Club course. “It was really windy today,� said Henderson, who is trying to equal

Canadian legend Sandra Post for the most US LPGA Tour wins by a Canuck with eight. “Really had to stay patient.�

Korda rolled in birdies on Nos. 12, 14 and 16, before dropping a stroke on 18.

Australia’s Lee Min-jee and secondround leader Ji Eun-hee of South Korea were one shot back at 13-under.

Lee, who won this tournament

three years ago, had a 70. She was bogey-free and chipped in for eagle ON THE kFTH HOLE *I SHOT AFTER OPENing with rounds of 65 and 74.

Ariya Jutanugarn was one of three Thai golfers in the top 16. She shot a 66 to surge from nine back to two.

Her sister Moriya Jutanugarn is tied for 11th and Pajaree Anannarukarn is tied for eighth after shooting a 69. AFP

SHIN TARGETS RARE TCC INVIT’L REPEAT AFTER a record feat last year, KoreanAmerican Micah Shin eyes another piece of The Country Club Invitational history as he tries to become only the second player to win back-to-back in the blueribbon event unfolding Tuesday (April 23) at TCC layout in Laguna.

Shin bucked the odds and upstaged the country’s top guns to snare the crown last year, nipping Miguel Tabuena by one to BECOME THE kRST NON &ILIPINO WINNER OF WHAT has long been considered a major championship outside of the Solaire Philippine Open for its stellar cast and prize fund.

Only the top 30 players in last year’s Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit ranking are vying in the 72-hole championship, thus making It an all-star cast, with the event offering P5 million in total prize, including P1.5 million purse to the winner.

Five former champions will be spearheading the locals’ challenge to Shin’s

ambitious bid, each coming into the event in top form following stints in the Phl Open and the recently concluded ICTSI Luisita Championship.

But one thing going for the reed-thin defending champion, who honed his skills and talent in Davao, is the momentum needed in such kind of a test, having turned in a joint third place effort in last week’s PGT Asia event in Tarlac.

Still, the lure of making it to the elite circle of TCC Invitational winners is enough to drive each bidder to dish out their very best even under the most adverse conditions and against the best players in the fold.

That should guarantee another wild, unPREDICTABLE kNISH THAT HAS BECOME THE NORM in this annual event kicking off the milestone 10th PGT season and put up by ICTSI chairman Ricky Razon to honor the memory of his father and ICTSI founder Don Pocholo. &OR ONE !NGELO 1UE THE kRST BACK TO

back winner in 2010-11 who also reigned in 20017, and Juvic Pagunsan, winner in 2006, 2008 and 2012, are going for a record fourth championship, Clyde Mondilla is out to complete a sort of back-to-back feat at the TCC after winning the Phl Open diadem three weeks ago, while a host of others are seeking redemption from poor campaigns in the last two big-time tournaments linking the 2018 and 2019 PGTA seasons.

Others competing are former winners Tony LascuĂąa and Frankie MiĂąoza, and a number of young guns out to prove their worth, including Jobim Carlos, the reigning PGT OOM champion hoping to recover strong from a hand injury, along with PGT leg winners Jhonnel Ababa, Korean Kim Joo Hyung, Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Jerson Balasabas, Jay Bayron, Aussie Tim Stewart, Justin Quiban, Joenard Rates, Elmer Salvador, James

Q Micah Shin CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Ryan Lam, Albin Engino; American Lexus Keoninh, Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia, Michael Bibat, Reymon Jaraula, Zanieboy Gialon, Arnold Villacencio, Nico Salahog, Rene Menor, Keanu Jahns, Mhark Fernando and Anthony Fernando.

E2

Golf

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

Tiger a major champion again, and race to Nicklaus back on A UGUSTA, Ga.: No comeback by Tiger Woods was ever going to be complete without a major.

Now the question becomes how many more he can win.

So much appeal of that red shirt beneath a green jacket involved looking back at all Woods had to overcome to reach that moment — a Masters champion once again — that so many thought would never happen.

The fourth surgery to rebuild his left knee. The private affairs that became public, shattering his image. The balky back that required four more surgeries, the last one out of desperation because he could barely walk, much less play golf. And a new generation of stars he inspired who were younger, stronger and capable.

That’s why Woods celebrated his 15th major like never before ‡ kST PUMPS without a club in his hand, because he couldn’t help himself walking off the 18th green. “Overwhelming,� he said with a voice still hoarse from all that screaming.

He went 28 majors over 11 years without winning, and no sooner did he stretch his arms into that familiar green jacket ‡ g!H IT kTS u HE SAID IN "UTLER Cabin — was he asked about the 18 majors Jack Nicklaus won to set the gold standard in golf. “I don’t know if he’s worried or not,� Woods said. “I’m sure he’s

home just chilling and watching.�

Whether the record is in play, Nicklaus can expect plenty of questions. For years, he could rarely get through any conversation without someone asking him whether he thought Woods could top his mark. “I thought for a long time that he was going to win again,� Nicklaus said Sunday night on Golf Channel. “The next two majors are at Bethpage, where he has won, and at Pebble Beach, where he has won. So, he has got me shaking in my boots, guys.�

last part was delivered in jest.

4HE kRST PART WAS FACTUAL 7OODS WINNING HIS kFTH -ASters was not entirely out of the blue. He capped the year of his great comeback last year by winning the Tour Championship in typical Tiger fashion, by building a lead on a tough, fast course at East Lake and not giving anyone much of a chance to catch him. He also briefly led Sunday in

the British Open, and was one shot behind on the back nine at the PGA Championship. “The win at East Lake was a big CONkDENCE BOOSTER FOR ME BECAUSE I had come close last year a couple times,� Woods said. “Still have to GET IT ACROSS THE kNISH LINE AND ) didn’t quite do it.�

So, imagine the effect of winning the Masters, especially the way this one played out. Six players had at least a share of the lead at one point on the back nine — four of them major champions ‡ AND THERE WAS A kVE WAY TIE FOR THE LEAD WHEN THE kNAL GROUP WAS in the 15th fairway.

It was anyone’s game until Francesco Molinari, who earlier hit 8-iron in Rae’s Creek on the 12th hole for double bogey, hit a wedge off a tree limb and into the water on the par-5 15th that led to double bogey.

And then it

became Woods’ game — a twoputt birdie to take the lead, an 8-iron that rolled down the slope next to the hole for a signature moment at this Masters. “Well, I can win majors now,�

Woods said with a laugh.

The PGA Championship is a month away at Bethpage Black, where Woods was dominant as ever in going wire-to-wire in the 2002 U.S. Open, and was right there with a chance in the 2009 U.S. Open except for a putter that refused to cooperate.

And then it’s the U.S. Open in June at Pebble Beach. If the Masters is the most memorable of his 15 majors, Pebble Beach remains his greatest performance. Woods won there in 2000 by a record 15 shots, even with a triple bogey in the third round.

Ten years later, he tied for fourth at the U.S. Open

The

Q Tiger Woods reacts as he wins the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. AP PHOTO

at Pebble, three shots behind.

The courses are familiar. Woods is familiar with winning majors.

But it’s not that simple.

Woods was 24 when he won the US Open at Pebble, and 26 when we won at Bethpage Black.

Now he’s 43.

As dynamic as this Masters was for Woods, it was hard work and he needed help — from Molinari on the 12th and 15th holes, from a couple of good bounces out of the trees. That’s not unusual.

E ve r y m a j o r champion needs a break or two.

Getting to 18 is only easier because Wo o d s is one major closer, a conversation caddie Joe LaCava said they have shared. “We’re on 14 and I said, ‘Let’s get to 15.’ You can’t be on 14 and thinking about 18,� LaCava said. “But now we can start talking about 16. So we’re getting closer.�

Nicklaus can only watch and admire, which he has done all along. And part of him is cheering. “I don’t ever pull against anybody,� Nicklaus said. “Nobody wants their record to be broken.

But I certainly wouldn’t want Tiger to be hurt and not to be able to do it. Of course, he is now pretty healthy and playing well. I wish him well, I always wish the guys well and I want them to play their best.�

That’s what Nicklaus saw at Augusta National.

And that’s probably what everyone will expect from Woods the AP rest of the year.

New-look Tour Championship approved for world ranking points

BY DOUG FERGUSON AUGUSTA, Ga.: The player who takes the fewest strokes might not win the Tour Championship because of the radical scoring change for the FedEx Cup in which the top seed will start at 10-under par with a two-shot advantage.

The PGA Tour will continue to keep a traditional score, even if it won’t be published, so that world ranking points can be awarded.

The Official World Golf Ranking board met last week at the Masters and approved a PGA Tour proposal that awards full ranking points based on where players would have finished without the staggered start.

The No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup starts the tournament at 10 under, with the No. 2 seed at 8 under, and then 7 under, 6 under and 5 under. The next five players start at 4 under, all the way down until Nos. 26 through 30 begin at even par.

Last year at East Lake, Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship at 11-under par, and Justin Rose, who finished tied for fourth at 6 under, won the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus.

Under the new system, Woods would have started at 2 under as the 20th seed, and thus finished at 13 under. Instead of winning and getting 62 ranking points, he would have finished second. Rose was at 6 under, but he would have started at 8 under as the No. 2 seed and finished at 14 under.

The world ranking could not have given Rose points for “winning� when his real score had him tied for fourth.

The Tour Championship has such a strong field that not awarding ranking points could have cost players endorsement money, because most contracts have an incentive tied to the world ranking. It’s even more critical now because of how tight it is at the top.

Brooks Koepka finished the year at No. 1 by an average of 0.02 points.

Already this year, there have been four changes at the top of the ranking among Dustin Johnson, Koepka and Rose.

majors when he won the Masters for his 15th major title, and his first in nearly 11 years since the 2008 US Open.

His better chance is a race no less prestigious — Sam Snead and his record 82 career PGA Tour victories.

The PGA Tour already has begun preparing for such a moment by publishing “Tiger Woods, Chasing 82� on its website. Along with a look at various

GOLF NOTES

TIGER AND SAM Tiger Woods officially resumed his chase of Jack Nicklaus and his 18 professional

segments in Woods’ career — when he held all four majors, through swing changes, returning from various injuries — the tour goes deep in explaining how Snead reached 82 victories. He was once credited with 84 and then his total was reduced to 81, before the British Open was added.

It should come into view the next time Woods plays, which could be the Wells Fargo Championship the first week in May. Woods first was asked about Snead’s record in 2012, when he was at 73 victories.

For so much of his career, the topic was always Nicklaus and his 18 majors. “I was aware of it, but at the time, everyone focused on Jack’s record,�

Woods said at Congressional in 2012. “But as I delved more into the game and was probably in high school, I started understanding Sam’s contributions to the game of golf and his consistency.

The fact that he won at age 52, when he won Greensboro, and to do it for that long is amazing. Truly amazing.�

AMATEUR BATTLE

DIVOTS

Lost in all the excitement over Tiger Woods winning the Masters for the fifth time was a battle to the end to be low amateur.

Viktor Hovland of Norway, a junior at Oklahoma State, made bogey on his final hole, the par-4 ninth. That dropped him into a tie with Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico, who finished his college career at Arkansas.

Ortiz then finished with a bogey at No. 9 to finish one back of Hovland.

They were among four amateurs who made the cut and were vying for the sterling silver cup, and a spot in Butler Cabin for the green jacket presentation to the winner, which turned out to be Woods. “I’m pretty happy with my performance, just making the cut and showing that I can play out here,� said Hovland, who finished at 3-under 285 and shot par or better all four rounds.

Ortiz thought 4 under was required to be low amateur, and after a birdie on the par-5 eighth to get to 3 under, he played aggressively to a left pin and went into a bunker, failing to save par.

He shot 69 and finished at 286. “At the end of the day, I know that I played great golf and I gave myself a chance and I’m just proud of the way I came back from the round yesterday and played some excellent golf,� Ortiz said.

He congratulated Hovland and said, “I really like that guy and I think he’s going to go far in his career.�

The other two amateurs to make the cut were Devon Bling and Takumi Kanaya, who shot 68 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday.

Tiger Woods became the ninth player to win major championship in his 20s, 30s and 40s. The others were Ernie Els, Hale Irwin, Raymond Floyd, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, J.H. Taylor and Harry Vardon. ... Leona Maguire of Ireland has received a special exemption to the Women’s PGA Championship this year at Hazeltine. Maguire was an All-American all four years at Duke and tied for 21st in the 2016 Olympics. She also played three times in the Curtis Cup. ... Woods has gone 22 years between his first and most recent major victory. It’s an even longer drought for his caddie, Joe LaCava, who went 27 years from when he was on the bag for Fred Couples in the 1992 Masters and Woods this year. ... The PGA Tour Champions has two former Major League Baseball pitches in the field this week outside Atlanta — John Smoltz and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who pitched for the Mariners and Angels.

Q Tiger Woods reacts with his caddie Joe LaCava as he wins the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. AP PHOTO The last time four amateurs made the cut at the Masters was in 1999, and two of them went on to wear green jackets — Sergio Garcia, who was low amateur that year, and Trevor Immelman.

RETURN TO ERIN HILLS Now it’s the women’s turn to take on Erin Hills, the site of the 2017 U.S. Open that was built for wind and held during a week without much of a breeze.

The USGA announced Tuesday the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open will be played at Erin Hills, where Justin Thomas shot a 63 in the third round and Brooks Koepka won his first U.S. Open title at 16-under 272. Scores were so low that week that a record seven players finished at 10 under or better.

The US Mid-Amateur also is going to Erin

Hills in 2022. Previously, the US Amateur in 2011 and the US Women’s Amateur Public Links in 2008 were at Erin Hills. “To bring these championships to a public facility all golfers can enjoy is especially exciting for us,� USGA chief executive Mike Davis said.

It will be the third time the US Women’s Open goes to Wisconsin. The other two were at Blackwolf Run, where Se Ri Pak won in 1998 and Na Yeon Choi won in 2012.

Still to be determined is whether Erin Hills gets back on the map for a US Open.

It was the second time in three years the US Open went to a new course open for public play. The other was in Chambers Bay outside Tacoma, Washington, in 2015, where unseasonable weather and fescue greens led to uneven putting surfaces.

Chambers Bay is getting the US Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2021.

STAT OF THE WEEK Tiger Woods’ victory in the Masters guarantees that he will be fully exempt into every major championship for the first 27 years of his pro career.

FINAL WORD “What happened during the last year for Tiger is an inspiration for everyone. He’s a good example of passion for sport, discipline in terms of hard work. And love for the game, no?� — Rafael Nadal.

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.)

E4

Golf

FOR announcements on tournaments, rankings and other golf-related events, email the sports editor at pgs_mallari@manilatimes.net es net

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

˜ The Sunday Times w w w.manilatimes.net

Q Winners of the 2019 MAP Golf for CSR hoist their trophies with MAP President Riza Mantaring (fifth from left).

Q MAP sports fellowship and wellness committee chair Rac Cagurangan (right) leads the opening rites of the MAP Golf Cup at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday afternoon. Also in photo are MAP President Riza Mantaring (second from right), MAP SFW Committee Vice Chairman Peng Perez de Tagle (left), and Business Mirror editor Mike Besa (second from left).

Q Overall champion Brian Yamsuan (second from right) with MAP’s Ebot Tan (left), Riza Mantaring (second from left), and Peng Perez de Tagle (right). PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

Yamsuan tops 2019 MAP Golf for CSR snare the lowest gross plum in the one-day tournament backed by BRIAN Yamsuan scored a two- major sponsors Globe Business under par 70 to emerge as overall and Business Mirror.

0OPOY DEL 2OSARIO kNISHED WITH champion in the 2019 MAP Golf for CSR last April 16 at the exclu- 72.4 net to rule MAP Division, sive Wack Wack Golf and Country Class A followed by Bobby de Ocampo with 74.8 and James Ileto Club in Mandaluyong City.

Yamsuan, a 12-handicapper, had with 75.2.

Jeremy AbaĂąo sizzled with 70.4 A GROSS TO kNISH WITH A NET IN the tournament organized by the to top Class B followed by Willie Management Association of the Villanueva and Ed Pangan with 74 and 75.8, respectively.

Philippines (MAP).

Bobby Batungbacal topped Mike Besa punched in a 75 to

BY JEAN RUSSEL V. DAVID

Class C with a 75.2, one stroke ahead of first runner-up Joe Magsaysay (76.2) and second runner-up JJ Moreno (77).

In the Guest Division, Victor Ang carded a 71.6 net to cop the #LASS ! PLUM .ANI !LMEDA kNished second with 72.2 and Miguel Alquiros third with 72.4.

Eduardo Catacutan won Class B with a 72.6 followed by Gottfried Bogensperger and Raul Ilagan with 73.2 and 74.4, respectively.

Jobo Bo-ot notched a 74.6 net to best Louie Martinez (76.6) and Boy Lacia (76.8) in Class C. Ladies champion Khristine Brennan scored a 77 to cruise past Aurea Nazareno (79) and Tracy Piamonte (79.4).

Nearest to the pin winners were David Ong (hole No. 3), Noel Rapadas (No. 8), Jesper Jenseen (No. 11), and Victor Ang (No. 14). Joms Gomez had the longest drive at 314 yards at No. 10 while Alex Magno had

the most accurate drive with top of the line at No. 12.

The annual charity tournament generated P1.97 million to fund MAP’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives among them Teachers Training Program, Educated Marginalized Entrepreneurs Resource Generation, Case Book Project and the Children’s Hour.

For this year, half of the funds generated will benefit MAP’s Sports Development Program

that aims to help Filipino athletes competing internationally. “We are very happy that we had the highest net which is close to P2 million to fund our various CSR initiative this year. I know that this initiative will go the extra mile,�

MAP President Riza Mantaring told The Manila Times .

The tournament gathered a total of 104 players mainly participants from the business sector, sponsors and friends of MAP.

Quintanilla outshines PAL Interclub reaps big economic benefits rivals in 2019 Livelihood Boost Southern Junior Open GRACE Quintanilla punched in a four-over 148 to snare the overall championship in the 2019 Southern Junior Open held April 15 to 16 at the Cebu Country Club in Cebu City.

The 11-year old Quintanilla, competing in the girls’ 13 to 14 division, posted a pair of 74 to rule the 36-hole competition.

She also topped the girls’ 13 to 18 division, followed by Martina Marie Miùoza (158) and Ahsley Llena (171).

Completing the Top 5 in the girls’13-18 were Ma. Pilar Aguirre (194) and Jordan Paige Ouano (228).

In the boys’13-18 division, Jacob Victor Cajita had ROUNDS OF AND TO kNISH with a 156, beating Franco Rafael Rivera (160) and David Guangko (162).

Niùo Miguel Miùoza had a 163 followed by Rho Hyun Ho (164) to settle at fourth and kFTH PLACES RESPECTIVELY Abby Abarcas, meanwhile, won by playoff against Alethea Paige Gaccion after both players scored 159s in the girls’12under division. Francesca NiCOLE 'AN kNISHED THIRD WITH 174 followed by Tashanah Balagauan (194) and Chloe Nicole Rada (203).

Clement Ordeneza posted 160 to top the boys’ 12-under followed by Cliff Richard Nuùeza (170). Third placer Anhan Chan won by countback over Geofrey Drew Tan at 171.

Rey Del Rosario completed the TOP kVE PLAYERS WITH The two-day Southern Junior Open organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) gathered 52 participants.

The event is a JGFP ranking event, where the scores of all participants in the 13-18 years old categories will be recorded as part of the Leaderboard Ranking System to be used in determining the JunGolf Order of Merit.

The girls age group winners were: 15-18 - Martina Marie Miùoza (158) and Ma. Pilar Isabel Aguirre (194); 13-14 – Grace Quintanilla (148), Ashley Llena (171), Jordan Paige Ouano (228); 11-12 – Abby Abarcas (159), Alethea Gaccion (159), Amanda Chongbian (246); 10-under – Francesca Gan (156), Tashanah Balangauan (194), and Chloe Nicole Rada (203).

The boys age group winners were: 15-18 – Jacob Victor Cajita (156), Franco Rafael Rivera (160), David Guangko (162); 13-14 – Rho Yhun Ho (164), Bryan Choi (171), John Gabriel Canlas (175); 11-12 – Cliff Richard Nuneza (170), Rey Del Rosario (176), Jun Ochiai (196); 10-under – Clement Ordeneza (160), Ahn Chan (171), and Geoffrey Drew Tan (171).

Q Grace Quintanilla (third from left) with other winners and Cebu Country Club board members Bayani Garcia (left) and Menchit Martinez (right) during the Southern Junior Open on April 16 in Cebu City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

THE Philippine Airlines Interclub Golf Tournament — or PAL Interclub — is acknowledged as the longest-running amateur team golf championship in the Philippines.

The 72nd edition held in Cebu this February and March 2019 assembled a record 101 teams for the Seniors Tournament, breaching the one-hundred MARK FOR THE kRST TIME AND TEAMS FOR THE -EN S Regular Tournament.

A total of 60 “International� teams — whose players hail from far away countries — represented more than half of the teams at the Seniors Tournament, indicating the global lure of the PAL Interclub. The roster for both Seniors and Men’s tournaments included teams and golfers from San Francisco, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Riyadh, Guam, Sydney, Honolulu, New York, Hong Kong, Guam, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, Auckland, Haneda and Toronto.

Economic dividends for the country

Men’s Regular tournament championship last March).

%YEING THESE ECONOMIC BENEkTS FROM SPORTS TOURism, local governments look forward to hosting the PAL Interclub. Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia said “Whenever we’re told the PAL Interclub is coming to Bacolod, it creates so much anticipation. Every time PAL comes here for the Interclub, IT IS kESTA TIME IN "ACOLOD u "ACOLOD #ITY WAS THE triumphant venue for the 71st Interclub in 2018.

Tomas IĂąigo, the new general manager of Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao, said — “The PAL Interclub always has a positive impact on Davao – from the food industry, to hotels, to CADDIES EVERYONE BENEkTS FROM THE ARRIVAL OF GOLFERS in Davao. Activities are abuzz not just at the golf courses but throughout the city. The city comes alive, much like a two-week festival.â€?

The golfers are not the only contributors, as QuiĂąones points out: “How about the hundreds of other people, who come to the venue for related activities, like media who cover the event, the tournament organizing staff, the caddies, waiters, staff, etc. Income earned by the locals [is] in turn spent at the grocery stores and other businesses, which ALLOWS THE EFFECT TO TRICKLE AND BENEkT MORE PEOPLE u

adjacent communities. When the Interclub goes to Bacolod, caddies from nearby Iloilo hop on the ferry to ensure golfers get ably assisted at the courses. In Cebu, souvenir makers and hawkers from as far as $ANAO 4ALISAY .AGA OR #ARCAR lOCK TO -ETRO #EBU to offer their wares during the Interclub.

That’s the magnitude of the economic ripple of the PAL Interclub to these host cities; one side of the Interclub legacy that local communities appreciate. It is thus no surprise that the Philippine Sport Tourism Awards nominated the PAL Interclub for the International Event of the Year as well as Event Sponsorship of the Year awards in 2018, while awarding the 2018 Airline of the Year top honors to host carrier Philippine Airlines.

For Players: Honor, Glory and Fellowship From the start, the PAL Interclub has been about GATHERING GOLF AkCIONADOS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY and overseas for an annual reunion, where they could renew old friendships and gain new ones. Participants return year after year, not merely to win the championship - though that is a principal goal - but to bask in the warmth of fellowship and tradition.

The PAL Interclub’s stature derives from two factors: the high level of competition - it is a showcase

With its huge following, the PAL Interclub has helped to boost the local economy in the Philippine cities that serve as tournament venues - Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Clark. More than a thousand participants converge yearly in the designated host city, engaging in various tourism activities before, during and after the tournament.

This is what we now call “sports tourism�, as local and foreign players and their families pour welcome revenues into the coffers of the local governments, the host communities and their respective tourism and entertainment sectors. Golfers, traveling with families and friends, help support the livelihood of Filipino workers and businesses at hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, resorts, golf courses, tour organizers, car rentals, souvenir stands, event venues, airports and more.

Cebu-based blogger Nimrod QuiĂąones, who is currently general manager of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, estimates that more than P36 million was pumped into the local economy during the recent 72nd PAL Interclub in Cebu. “Sports is one of the best ways to bring people together and when people gather, it means money will be spent,â€? said QuiĂąones.

As QuiĂąones explains: “There are 101 teams of eight players each playing in the Q The PAL Interclub is the longest-running amateur team golf championship in the Philippines, popular Seniors’ division, starting from the threeamong local and foreign golfers for more than seven decades. Photo shows Luisita Golf and Country Club day practice rounds onto the four-day winning their third championship title in 1973 during the 26th PAL Interclub at the Capitol Hills Golf Course. tournament proper. Let us round it off to The team has won several Interclub championships through the years. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO 800 players plus probably 400 more people Then there is the repeat market that promises future FOR THE COUNTRY S BEST GOLkNG TALENT AND THE STRONG travelling with them. Let us not include the cost of their airline tickets, and just have a conservative business opportunities. “We fly in golfers from all team spirit and fellowship among its players.

Many golfers who reach the age of 55 after years estimate that each of the 1,200 people gathered for around the world, and many of them fall in love with the event will spend Php 30,000 for the week. That the Philippines and treasure their adventures in the of playing at the Men’s Regular, refuse to abandon alone is already Php 36 million spent at the golf PAL Interclub host city or province,� said PAL’s Bong their cherished annual reunion and choose to courses, hotels, restaurants, department stores, on Velasquez, PAL Interclub executive committee chairman. continue coming back as Seniors golfers. “They come back to visit, and would then bring their Come back they do, through the last seven detransportation, bars, medicine and many more.�

Nimrod adds: “The Men’s tournament follows families and friends, eager to share the experience with CADES NOT MERELY FOR THE TROPHIES AND RAFlE PRIZES after [for another week after the Seniors competi- their loved ones. We believe that the PAL Interclub is of PAL tickets and other goodies, but for the bragtion]. Starting also with practice rounds and the thus a special opportunity for the Philippines to win the ging rights and the unbeatable spotlight.

There are no grand prizes at the PAL Interclub. There tournament proper, you have another 800 players approval of more and more tourist visitors, a long-term and another 400 companions with them for an- TOURISM DRIVER THAT GOES WELL BEYOND THE WORLD OF GOLkNG is only the knowledge and honor that one has competed and competitive sport,� added Velasquez. other 1,200 people.� with some of the best amateur golfers in the land. This, Contending with fully booked hotels and restau- plus the remarkable camaraderie among its players and Quiùones’ Alta Vista Golf and Country Club was one of the venues of the 72nd PAL Interclub, along with Club rants as well as entertainment venues, some commu- its hallowed history of over 70 years, have imbued the Filipino de Cebu, Mactan Island Golf Club and Cebu nities have their hands full in catering to PAL Interclub PAL Interclub with a unique character and made it an Country Club (home base for the team that clinched the business and thus resort to importing workers from enduring institution in the annals of Philippine golf.

The Sunday Times

Inspiration.

Celebrity.

Style.

April 21, 2019 Volume 118 | No. 88

Balut for Easter and beyond A new beginning for Pateros and its famed exotic produce •

LITERARY LIFE

FILIPINO CHAMPIONS

ARTS AWAKE

Coming-of-age story that soars

A golden Radio Veritas

National Museum showcases ‘Circa’

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Literary Life SUNDAY April 21, 2019

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BOOK REVIEW

Blackbird Fly: Comingof-age story that soars

BY FAYE VALENCIA

“F

ILIPINO moms shit on their kids’ dreams,�

Filipino-American stand-up comic Jo Koy said in his Live from Seattle comedy special in 2017.

In it, he related how his mother cried when he told her he wanted to be a comic. She had wanted him to be a nurse instead, telling him, “All your aunties are nurses, your cousins are nurses. Do you see any clowns in this family?� +OY S SELF DEPRECATING RAPID kRE DElivery makes his Filipino nurse-mom spiel funny. However, its effect on kids whose dreams have been “shit on� may vary. As the comic explained: “I’m just saying, if you’re a nurse, God bless you.

But you know there are some nurses out there who didn’t follow their dreams.

There are some nurses working at the hospital who wish they were a Jabbawockee.�

The heroine of Erin Entrada Kelly’s well-crafted young adult (YA) novel Blackbird Fly (Greenwillow Books; 2015), 12-year-old Filipino-American Analyn Pearl “Apple� Yengko, may not want to be part of the Jabbawockee dance crew, but her dream of becoming a musician is shit on by her nurse-mom Amihan, nicknamed “Glo.�

The Yengkos relocated to America right after Apple’s dad died. Young as Apple was then, she still can recall it: “On the day we moved to America, it snowed in Chapel Spring, Louisiana FOR THE kRST TIME IN TWENTY YEARS -Y mother said it was a sign that the seasons of our lives were changing.

Even though I was only four years old, I can still remember how she hugged me close and said we had something wonderful to look forward to: a life as real Americans.�

All Apple has left of her dad is a cassette tape. It is her most treasured keepsake from the Philippines: “I had an old postcard and a Beatles cassette tape. Abbey Road, to be exact. My father had written his name on it in black marker a long, long time ago. H. Yengko, it said. Some of the letters had rubbed off, but his name was as clear as ever to me. I grabbed the tape quickly before we left our barangay, because IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD kT IN my pocket.�

Apple held on to the tape, even when she couldn’t listen to it until she

bought a tape player from a garage sale when she was around 11. After that, she was hooked: “Once you listen to the Beatles, you can’t go back. They’re the best rock band that’s ever lived, in my opinion.�

In fact, the book’s title takes inspiration from “Blackbird,� a song from The Beatles’ self-titled 1968 double album, also known as “The White Album.�

At any rate, Apple — whose favorite Beatle is George Harrison and dreams of becoming a guitar player just like him — knows more about the Fab Four than her OWN FATHER "UT 'LO IT SEEMS STILL kNDS IT too painful to talk about him.

Another thing that Glo avoids talking about is Apple’s dream of becoming a musician. “I used to count the number of times that my mother refused to get me a guitar. Last time I counted, it was up to twenty-two. Twenty-two times,� the middle-school protagonist says. “I can’t remember the first time I asked, but from then until now, it’s been twenty-two times. You’d think that after twenty-two times, she would know how serious I am. But she doesn’t care.�

With emotional landmines at home, Apple tries to seek refuge from her eighth-grade friends Alyssa Tate and Gretchen Scott, who are both as American as apple pie. (Pun intended, of course.) Unfortunately, Alyssa and Gretchen are mean girls who like hanging out with equally mean boys.

The misguided Apple does her best to CONFORM TO THE SUPERkCIAL REQUIREMENTS of the group, even when one of the boys — a cocky little misogynist named Jake Bevans — turns racist on her and calls her a dog-eater, among other things.

5NFORTUNATELY RATHER THAN lEE FROM the group, Apple still seeks their approval, to the point that she becomes a bully by association because she stays silent even when her friends pick on a girl named Heleena Moffett.

Apple learns a very painful lesson later ON WHEN SHE kNDS OUT THAT SHE IS .O on a disturbing list called the Dog Log, which supposedly features “the ugliest girls� at Chapel Spring Middle. “The Dog Log isn’t actually written down,� Apple explains. “It’s spread, guy to guy, until any guy who is ‘in the know’ knows.� She adds in all seriousness: “The only thing worse than being on the Dog Log is being one of the top kVE ON THE $OG ,OG u Fortunately, she meets Evan Temple, a new student at Chapel Spring Middle.

Evan, who is from California and whose parents are “woke� (aka Absolutely Not Racists), is the kind of kid who is not impressed by the Alyssas and Jakes of the world. Thanks to him, things take a turn for the better for Apple.

It may be a YA novel, but Blackbird Fly could easily cross over to the adult section.

It may be a deceptively easy read, but it’s really a very complex book that deals with death, cultural confusion, racism and the petty-but-damaging power struggles in school that may scar you for life.

The best thing about the book is Apple, who is perfectly imperfect and real. Kelly should be commended for having an excellent command of her character’s voice. Her interpretation of Apple’s voice is as masterful as in Judy Blume’s 1970 bestseller Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Sue Townsend’s 1982 hit The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13ž.

Clearly, this proves that Kelly isn’t a Newbery Medal winner for nothing.

She deserves a spot on our reading list.

Blackbird Fly costs P765 in hardcover and P249 in tradepaper and is available in leading bookstores.

Scribes, sketches and stageshow at DĂ­a del Libro INSTITUTO CERVANTES, the cultural arm of the Embassy of Spain, will again hold exciting activities to celebrate DĂ­a del Libro (International Book Day) at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City on April 27.

During DĂ­a del Libro, thousands of books will be up for grabs at the Book Market. Top bookstores and publishing houses will be selling a wide array of books at 20-percent off. Following Spanish tradition, everyone who buys a book will be given a rose.

Instituto Cervantes will also hold several cultural activities. One, the “Rewriting of Don Quijote,� commemorates the Day of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote de la Mancha. In this activity, visitors are invited to copy Don Quixote by hand.

Every year, about 500 book-loving volunteers hand-write an excerpt from Cervantes’ classic novel. Participants in the handwriting chain will receive a rose.

Another is the poetry reading of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Mi Ăšltimo AdiĂłs.â€? Each reader gets to recite a line from the famous poem, which Rizal wrote before his execution on Dec. 30, 1896. Each recitation will be RECORDED 4HE kNAL CUT WILL BE UPLOADED on Instituto Cervantes’ social media pages.

Readers will also be given a rose.

A number of organizations are joining the celebration. From 9:30 a.m.

Q A visitor tries rewriting by hand an excerpt from Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote de La Mancha during last year’s DĂ­a del Libro. onward, one of these, Kyusi Sketchers, will invite visitors to sketch their favorite scenes during the DĂ­a del Libro. At about 3 p.m., the sketches will be displayed. Those good at drawing and interested to join must email their names and contact numbers to cenmni@cervantes.es with the subject “Sketching at DĂ­a del Libro.â€?

Visitors can also catch a sneak preview of acclaimed Spanish playwright and poet Federico García Lorca’s tragedy, Blood Wedding. The play, to be shown

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),

in July, will be performed by students in the Theater Arts program of De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde.

A book-signing session by prize-winning author Jessica Zafra and the launch of the new volume of the celebrated Filipino comic saga Trese (Thirteen) will also take place during the DĂ­a del Libro.

And to truly emphasize the love for books and reading, Instituto Cervantes will hand out hundreds of books for free. Visitors must purchase a shirt featuring an excerpt from a Spanish poem,

and as a reward they would get not only a book, but also a rose.

First introduced in Manila by Instituto Cervantes in 2006, Día del Libro began in Barcelona, Spain to celebrate St. George’s Day on April 23. During this day, men and women exchange roses and books. The date also honors two of history’s greatest writers, Cervantes and William Shakespeare, who both died on April 23, 1616.

These prompted the United Nations %DUCATIONAL 3CIENTIkC AND #ULTURAL /Rganization in 1995 to declare April 23 as “World Book and Copyright Day� to instill the love of reading among young people youth and promote respect for the rights of authors over their literary and artistic works.

April has also been declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as National Literature Month, as it is also the birth month of the renowned Filipino poet laureate and Florante at Laura author Francisco Balagtas.

Admission to all DĂ­a del Libro activities IS FREE ON A kRST COME kRST SERVED BAsis. For more information, visit http:// manila.cervantes.es or www.facebook. com/InstitutoCervantesManila, or call (632) 526-1482.

and saved in either .doc or .rtf format. Each short story and creative nonfiction piece should be between ten (10) and twenty (20) pages (double-spaced), while each poem should be limited to only one (1) page (single-spaced).

Works littered with glaring grammatical and typographical errors will not be considered. Send your works to the literary editor, Alvin I. Dacanay, at literarylife[at]

Anvil, Wattpad form Bliss Books ANVIL Publishing Inc., one of the leading book publishers in the Philippines, and Wattpad, the global multiplatform entertainment company for original stories, have teamed up to create Bliss Books, a groundbreaking new youngadult (YA) imprint for Filipino booklovers.

Targeting Filipino YA and romance fanatics who have found a home reading and writing on Wattpad, Bliss Books will publish hit titles from the platform. The new imprint will bring some of the platform’s biggest stories and authors to bookshelves across the country. “Over the years, Anvil has published a wide range of titles in diverse genres and categories in several imprints,�

Anvil General Manager Andrea Pasion-Flores said. “We think this exciting new partnership with Wattpad will allow us to serve a large segment of the reading population and discover new voices for a new generation of readers.� “The Philippines has become one of our most successful markets, because Filipino readers and writers have embraced the limitless possibilities of storytelling on Wattpad,� said Ashleigh Gardner, deputy general manager at Wattpad Studios, Publishing. “We’re thrilled to work with Anvil to bring more hit Wattpad stories to bookshelves all over the country.� she added.

The Philippines is one of Wattpad’s largest markets, and home to some of its most passionate users and successful writers. Millions of Filipino Wattpad users have shared more than 13 million story uploads on the platform.

To date, hundreds of Wattpad stories have been turned into books, TV shows and films in the Philippines.

One of Wattpad’s biggest successes in the Philippines was the hit TV5 series Wattpad Presents. Running from 2014 to 2017, the series aired 250 episodes representing 76 Wattpad stories, and reached millions of viewers across the country.

Since its inception in 1990, Anvil has published more than 2,000 titles, with a wide variety of bestsellers and award-winners.

The 2019 Bliss Books list will be released this summer. Titles from Bliss Books are expected to hit stores in mid-2019.

GenSan to host SOX Summer Writing Camp SOX Writers, in partnership with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), will hold a SOX Summer Writing Camp in General Santos City from April 29 to May 2, 2019.

The camp aims to contribute to the growing literary scene in Region 12 (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces and General Santos City, or Soccsksargen or SOX). It also aims to develop and promote the writing talents of young writers in the region, as well as encourage them to produce literary works that represent and highlight the diversity and richness of the cultures in SOX. “The camp will provide a big opportunity for young writers in our region to hone and improve their craft,� camp director Kurt Comendador said. “It will [give] them more exposure to experienced writers who will serve as their mentors in this four-day activity. It will give them a taste of what it’s like to live a writer’s life and experience dwelling in a community that shares the same passion as them. It is a rare vibrant event for us who live in the region, which is only beginning to appreciate local literature,� he added.

During the camp, there will be a plenary lecture, titled “Introduction to Writing and Literature;� specialized LECTURES ON POETRY ESSAY AND kCTION AND A ZINE MAKING activity and zine fest.

High school, senior high school and college students from different parts of the region will undergo general and specialized creative writing workshops.

They are expected to write creative works and publish them in zines.

For the past few years, there have been several literary events to help grow the literary scene in the region. Still, it is undeniable that access to bigger writing opportunities remains outside the region. The SOX Summer Writing Camp not only aims to develop the creative writing skills of young writers, but also encourage institutional support from concerned agencies and writing communities in the Philippines. “We hope this inaugural event will be successful and open numerous opportunities for writers in the SOX region. We hope that this will garner the support of our local institutions toward literary efforts in the regionand give SOX literature a chance to prosper,�

Comendador said.

manilatimes[dot]net. Kindly put the genre and title of the work in the email’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 April 21, 2019

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R A D I O V E R I TA S T U R N S G O L D E N L E A F

50 years of bringing words of truth and hope to the faithful

BY CHRISTINA ALPAD

I

T’S a milestone worthy of grand celebration as 2ADIO 6ERITAS !SIA AND 2ADIO 6ERITAS m THE kRST Catholic radio station in Asia – commemorated their 50th founding anniversary on April 11.

Members of the Federation of Asian %LVKRSV¡ &RQIHUHQFHV )$%& 2IILFH of Social Communication flocked to Manila to celebrate the milestone in three separate occasions.

First was the Thanksgiving Mass and Luncheon at the University of 6DQWRV 7RPDV 867 RQ $SULO Presided by Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Giordano Caccia, D.D., with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, D.D. as homilist, the celebration highlighted the conception of Radio Veritas Asia at the UST Central Seminary through Conventus Episcopatum Asiae-Autro-Orientalis.

7KH IHVWLYLW\ FRQWLQXHG RQ $SULO with the unveiling of the Commemorative Marker; the inauguration, blessing and ribbon cutting of the RV Asia Museum and the anniversary program.

Archbishop of Freiburg, Most Rev. Stephan Burger, D.D. alongside the FABC Chairman, Cardinal Charles

0DXQJ %R ' ' RI 0\DQPDU RIĂ€FLDWHG the event, followed by the awarding of LQGLYLGXDOV DQG LQVWLWXWLRQV WKDW have contributed to the ongoing social communications apostolate of both Radio Veritas Asia and Radio Veritas 846.

A rchbishop Tagle will end the celebration today through a solemn Easter Sunday mass followed by a thanksgiving fellowship of Radio Veritas Asia and Radio Veritas 846 anchors, together with all the loyal listeners and benefactors. “A s we r ek i nd le ou r pa st , we need to remember, we need to look back. We need to have come from and where we are going. We could attribute the growing importance of this tradition for us to many things: more years under our belts, more wisdom and more l ives we have touched,� noted Radio Veritas President Father Anton Pascual. “We pray for the grace that this an-

‘Sharing Christ with Global Asians,’ the commemorative marker of Radio Veritas Asia's 50th anniversary. PHOTOS BY

JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE niversary will be an occasion not only to look back, but also to renew our commitment, to embrace truth, and to really be able to reach as many brothers and sisters around Asia, to be able to serve them and be able to proclaim the good news to them,� he added.

Meanwhile, RVA General Manager Fr. Victor Sadaya noted, “This celebration marks the convergence of all the various sponsors, coordinators, producers, and it also serves as a way RI H[SUHVVLQJ RXU SURIRXQG JUDWLWXGH to those who continue to support Radio Veritas Asia station and to those who commit to the vision mission of Radio Veritas Asia, being the voice of Christianity, in Asia and the world.�

Honoring history

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle (second from right) led the celebration at Radio Veritas Asia Compound.

For its 50th anniversary, the station inaugurated the Radyo Veritas Museum to honor its rich history.

H

AVE you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and asked yourself, “Where have I gone to?� Of course, on the outside, we may still be the same people: we carry the same smile, our eyes, though weathered, still belong to us and yet, there is just something about the person we see is no longer someone we recognize.

Writing this Easter piece this year VHHPV D ELW GLIÀFXOW IRU PH DQG RQO\ because I am in the middle of that moment of asking where the little girl has gone to? And just like any moment of VHOI UHà HFWLRQ WKLV PRPHQW DQG VHDVRQ in my life is peppered in chaos – no upheaval or change is ever tidy and if it is, you are doing it wrong.

I have moved out of my homeland two years ago and I am still in a constant state of change and beginnings.

It’s like getting on a balance beam OLNH , KDYH EULHà \ ZKHQ , ZDV VL[ DQG steadying yourself one crucial step at a time and just as you think you’ve got it GRZQ ERRP \RX IDOO à DW RQ \RXU IDFH Every day you fail, whether in a small or big way, and each day you get up and

,Q LWV WK DQQLYHUVDU\ SURJUDP it was recalled that Radio Veritas $VLD 59$ ZDV EXLOW WR SURFODLP and propagate God’s truth in homes through airwaves. It was during DQ DVVHPEO\ RI ELVKRSV DFURVV Asia and Australia at the central VHPLQDU\ RI 867 LQ 0DQLOD LQ when the concept came about. $SSURYHG E\ 3RSH 3LXV WK EHIRUH his death, his predecessor Pope John UG FDUULHG RXW WKH SODQ DQG VHQW delegates to discuss the challenges of Communism to the Church in Asia.

It was Rufino Cardinal Santos who proposed the Philippines, being the only Catholic country in Asia, as the home of such radio station.

And so nine years since it was conceptualized, Radio Veritas — which stands for truth — began its broadcast LQ IURP )DLUYLHZ 4XH]RQ &LW\ 3KLOLSSLQHV )LQDOO\ RQ $SULO WKH ÀUVW RYHUVHDV EURDGFDVW YLD VKRUWZDYH 6: WHFKQRORJ\ EHJDQ (YHQWXDOO\ LQ WKH GRPHVWLF and overseas services were separated

and became two independent units.

The Filipino broadcast became the commercial station called Radio Veritas to differentiate itself from the overseas service of Radio Veritas Asia.

Perhaps, Radio Veritas became familiar with Filipinos for the big role it played during the Martial Law and eventually, the People Power Revolution.

On the fateful day of opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy� Aquino Jr.’s assassination, only Radio Veritas presented a detailed account of everything that took place after during the historical event and continued WR GR VR IRU D PDUDWKRQ RI KRXUV Years after, Radio Veritas became the voice of truth and contributed in the unfolding of the People Power Revolution. Upon the defection of then-General Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to Cory Aquino’s camp, the late Ma n i la A rch bi shop Ja i me Si n’s appeal to the Catholics to protect them again aired on Radio Veritas.

And the rest, they say is history.

To commemorate this contribution as well as the station’s rich history, RVA also launched the Radio Veritas Museum LQ LWV FRPSRXQG LQ 4XH]RQ &LW\ “I would like to invite everyone to visit the museum because one of the highlights of our museum is the role that Radio Veritas played during Martial Law, how Cardinal Sin’s message eventually called people to the streets and brought the downfall of dictatorship,� Fr. Pascual shared during the press conference DIWHU WKH FHOHEUDWLRQ RQ $SULO

Looking forward Besides honoring RVA’s rich history, the golden celebration also unveiled the new logo of RVA and the rebranding of Radio Veritas 846

as Radyo ng Simbahan. “We want to be more visible and we want the brand to stick nang sa gayon , people would know na pag may kailangan ka , especially spiritual, at least there is a place where they can hear words of hope, of wisdom, they can find solace, consolation, even prayers, prayers of healing. Ito po ang nais naming i-offer sa tao sa pamamagitan ng Radyo ng Simbahan ,� Fr. Pascual related regarding the rebranding of Radio Veritas.

In addition, the celebration further highlighted the adaption of RVA to the changing times. Since 59$ KDV EHHQ RQ WKH URDG of reinventing itself as an online broadcast platform and has forgone the use of shortwave broadcasting. “The reason for Radio Veritas adapting to digital communication precisely is because the shortwave is obsolete and YHU\ H[SHQVLYH WR PDLQWDLQ ZKHUHDV using social media in particular, is less H[SHQVLYH $QRWKHU WKLQJ VRFLDO PHGLD is more interactive, while shortwave is not,â€? Fr. Sadaya shared. “Social media is able to reach more people globally, whereas shortwave LV MXVW FRQĂ€QHG WR D SDUWLFXODU ORFDOity. And above all, we are into digital communication and the Church should embrace this inevitable change in order to be relevant,â€? he added. “Dati po ang gamit ng Simbahan ay single preaching, sa podium, nagprint po tayo, even nga yung art, g inagamit nat in and eventually yung radyo, TV, cinema and theater.

Ngayon may bagong lugar kung nasaan tumatambay ang mga tao, yun po ang online, so kung nasaan po ang tao ay present din ang Simbahan doon for them to continuously hear the words of truth and hope,�

Radio Veritas Corporate Secretary Fr. Roy Belen finally offered.

Easter brings reawakening THE THOUGHT JUNKIE CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM try again. Thankfully, I have transitioned from “surviving� to the little in-between before you fully thrive.

The act of survival truly makes you a different person and if you are not cautious, it will turn you into a bitter person or just a person who no longer dreams because you’ve been disappointed too many times. Fortunately, I have become more aware of my patterns to be either one. But we cannot stay in survival mode forever, we must move forward to it and try our best to survive.

Being plucked out of survival may have led me to the moment that I am currently having, the steadiness of my recent life has caused me to question where I was in life and what important things I have lost sight of.

I cried over The Unicorn Store because I realized that survival has

made me stopped dreaming and living.

The emotional trauma of recent events made me stop feeling and made me stop believing that hey, maybe something good will come to me. I was settling to just survive but in truth, the universe wants all of us to thrive for as long as we have the courage to do so.

And for me, this year, this is what (DVWHU VLJQLĂ€HV ,W VLJQLĂ€HV UHELUWK redemption, and reawakening. Easter sometimes becomes a routine of some sort, something we “celebrateâ€? mindlessly but we must take a moment to take it all in – to remind ourselves of the priceless gift we have been given and what we must do with it. Jesus VDFULĂ€FHG DQG RYHUFDPH GHDWK VR KRUrendous because He wanted to give us life and not just a life that happens after death but life here on Earth, as broken as it may seem.

Jesus came to give us life and, in His VWUHQJWK ZH PXVW ÀQG RXU RZQ OLJKW KHUH RQ (DUWK :H PXVW ÀJKW WR EHFRPH the people we have always wanted to be and do the things that make our heart sing. This is the greatest praise

Easter is a reminder of the priceless gift we have been given and what we must do with it.

to Jesus, to not just live this life in drudgery and routine but to really live and to thank Him every day that we are able to do so.

I hope you get a restart this Easter and I hope you remember, that it is never

too late to be who you dream to become. )LQG WKDW OLWWOH JLUO LQ WKH PLUURU ÀQG her, hug her, and make her dreams come true – today is the day you can be who you want to be, regardless of where you have been, you can begin again.

Cover Story The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY April 21, 2019 Pateros celebrates Balut Sa Puti Festival some weeks before Easter Sunday, with its 31st edition this year marking a new beginning for its famous exotic produce, with the first major step in promoting the municipality as a major attraction for culinary tourism.

Balut for Easter and beyond A new beginning for Pateros and its famed exotic produce

BY ARLO CUSTODIO

F

ollowing images of the Risen Christ, eggs are the most popular symbol of new beginnings on Easter Sunday. According to history, this Christian symbolism started in erstwhile Mesopotamia where eggs were stained with red coloring “in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at His crucifixion.” The custom was eventually adopted by the Roman Catholic Church as a symbol of the resurrection of the Lord.

Through time, the meaning and uses of eggs at Easter evolved in many ways, among them how some Christians link the cracking open of Easter eggs with the empty tomb of Jesus. In Orthodox churches, meanwhile, the priest blesses the eggs at the end of the Paschal Vigil on Black Saturday, then distributes those to the faithful the following day to be accepted as new life sealed within the shells.

To make Easter celebrations more fun for children, the Western tradition of the Easter egg hunt eventually came to be ʊ first as hard boiled eggs and eventually as chocolate egg treats ʊ which, like the majority of American celebrations, crept into Philippine

Easter celebrations too.

But today, for a different spin on enjoying eggs on this joyful day of commemoration for Christians, The Sunday Times Magazine goes to Pateros, famous for its abundance of the shelled Philippine delicacy balut .

Even as the town – the only remaining municipality in Metro Manila – celebrated this year’s Balut Sa Puti Festival some weeks before Easter Sunday, its 31st edition truly marked a new beginning for its famous exotic produce as the Department of Tourism-National Capital Region (DOT-NCR) took the first major step in promoting Pateros as a major attraction for culinary tourism.

COVER PHOTO AND INSIDE PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE AND DEPARTMENT OF TOURISMNATIONAL CAPITAL REGION Resilience and commitment With hardly a tourist spot to call its own, Pateros still held its own for over a century taking pride in its thriving

duck-raising industry.

Sadly in recent decades, the Pateros River which was highly conducive for the town’s signature trade diminished into a two-meter creek from its origi-

nal 15 meters, practically killing its source of livelihood.

A resourceful and resilient town nonetheless, Pateros maintained its renown as balut producer with duck eggs supplied from neighboring provinces like Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. A major boost is how the local government encourages the growth of the industry with tax exemptions given to balut vendors in Pateros.

“We may have lost the duck-raising industry but balut -making in Pateros continues to thrive. We have been very active in reviving our balut industry, that in maybe a year or two, balut making will take its position as the municipality’s main industry again,” Mayor Ike Ponce said to visiting media during the Balut Sa Puti Festival held at the Pateros Church grounds.

But while there is no contest that the best balut is produced in this town, with production reaching thousands each day, the traditional system has been a bane more than a boon to stakeholders. As such, the government has come up with the innovative incubator technology under the experimental guidance of Andy Concio, who initiated the Balut Sa Puti Festival and started the preserved balut -in-jar business.

Continue to F5

Modern balut-making using incubator lowers mortality rate by 30 percent, compared to the traditional way of sorting where every egg has to pass through the hands of balut producers.

The Sunday Times

magazine TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY Literary Editor

Easter Sunday in Pateros “EASTER egg-hunting is not a tradition in Pateros,” Balut sa Puti founder Andy Concio informed The Sunday Times Magazine, even with the abundance of duck eggs in town.

Nevertheless the municipality is probably the only place where the tradition of salubong is still practiced religiously albeit enhanced with touches of modernity.

CHRISTINA ALPAD IZA IGLESIAS Staff Writers

forward to the grand spectacle even if they have to wake up early to see it. The downside is that less people would join the procession because they want to save good spots on the patio to get a better view of the salubong,” a local artisan shared in his blog “Munting Tinig Ng Pateros” on how Easter is celebrated in his hometown.

But for sure, in every home and every Easter gathering in and around Pateros, delicious balut is served on the table to celebrate the Risen Jesus.

Pateros in focus

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 • 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

Whereas two different barrios served as the starting point of the Risen Christ and the grieving Mother Mary in the past, a tradition began in the 1990s where a grand tableau is built for the reunion of mother and son on the church patio, depicting a chosen theme each year.

“It has taken on the identity of a grand theater production, complete with lights, sound and smoke. Each year is different from the last and people actually look

The belfry of Pateros Church, which is also known as San Roque Parish Church, was built in 1815.

FROM the Spanish origins of its name – pato for duck, and pateros for duck-raisers, the town could well have gotten its tag for its duck-raising industry. History also notes that the early 19th-century US diplomat Edmund Roberts used “Duck-town” as another name for Pateros and was quoted as saying he has “never seen so many ducks before” in a single place.

One lesser-known conjecture is that the name of Metro Manila’s smallest domain came from the bijou shoe-making industry – sapatos from the Spanish word zapatos for shoes, and sapateros for shoemakers.

However it got its name, Pateros remains famous for producing the best balut in the country, earning the moniker “Balut Capital of the Philippines.”

Besides balut, the municipality is also known for itlog na maalat (red salty duck eggs), local rice cake called inutak, and alfombra – tsinelas or footwear with carpet-like fabric on its top surface.

According to latest census figures (National Statistics Office, 2015), Pateros has a population of 63,840 people within the 15-64 years old range.

From the 2016 Population Density Report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Pateros has the smallest density of 6,138 persons per square kilometer of land, with the City of Manila as the most densely populated at 71,263 per square kilometer and the Metro Manila median at 20,785.

Bordered by Pasig to the north, Makati to the west, and

Taguig to the south, Pateros was only a barrio of Pasig before 1770, until the Spanish Governor General issued a decree making it an independent municipality. One of its original five villages, Mamancat, is now part of Fort Bonifacio under Taguig.

Pateros became one of the towns in the newly created Province of Rizal in 1900. Three years later, it was united with Taguig and Muntinlupa into one municipality under Pateros, but was renamed Taguig in 1905 through Philippine Commission General Order 40 Act 1308.

On February 29, 1908, Executive Order 20 separated Pateros from Taguig, gaining independent municipality status on January 1, 1909 under Executive Order 36. The town became part of the new Metropolitan Manila Area through Presidential Decree 824 on November 7, 1975.

Like the other municipalities in Metro Manila that became cities through Republic Act 7160 as enacted by both Congress and the Senate, Pateros attempted again to convert the town into a city (like San Juan which gained cityhood in 2007) upon the assumption of former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency in 2016.

Through the collaborative efforts of the local government spearheaded by Mayor Miguel Ponce 3rd and the passage of a House Bill sponsored by Rep. Arnel Cerafica of the Lone District of Pateros-Taguig City, the proposal remains unacted as of this time though.

Cover Story The Sunday Times

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

F5

Pateros may not be known for tourits spots but food tourism is alive and well with its famous balut eggs.

Each year, the number of contestants grows.

A boodle fight always follows after the announcement of winners of the culinary contest.

The project is in its early stage in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, but already shows promise with much less mortality rate for the fertilized eggs.

During the tour of the modern and traditional balut making systems, The Sunday Times Magazine witnessed a huge difference in handling the duck eggs.

Concio explained that under the electric bulb or “silaw,” unfertilized eggs – which turn into either penoy or abnoy – can immediately be sifted without having to handle the rest.

The process lowers mortality rate by 30 percent compared to the traditional way of sorting where every egg passes through the hands of balut producers.

There is also a plan to establish and maintain a duck farm somewhere in Rizal province (Angono, Taytay or Cainta) which is closer to Pateros to do away with transportation cost for vendors thereby raising their profit margin.

All these great plans complement the formation of the Pateros Balut Sa Puti Commission, which the town has tasked to promote, supervise, move and sustain revival projects for the industry.

Balut is it!

The Balut Sa Puti Festival was established three decades ago but little is known about this important celebration in Pateros’ annual calendar. The 31st edition this year, however, served as a kick-off to raising awareness for the festival given the maiden support of the DOT-NCR. The agency announced its goal as to make Pateros a culinary tourism destination the whole year round beyond the one-weekend affair where locals, visitors and stakeholders gather to savor duck meat and balut sa puti dishes.

Emphasizing that tourism is all about experience, DOTNCR Officer-In-Charge Cathy Agustin related, “We want people to experience something authentic, so the balut of Pateros is it. We want to push for the promotion of balut both as a community business and culinary tourism product.”

In agreement, the municipality’s acting tourism officer Renato Bade chimed in, “Pateros’ tourism industry is basically focused on balut so it is clear that food tourism is well alive here. We may not be known for tourist spots but it is our balut that makes Pateros

Shelled balut sa puti ready to be turned into a culinary masterpiece.

stand out.”

People prefer to eat balut sa puti when the duck embryo is still small [16 or 17 days fertilized] and wrapped in egg white. As a rule, the bigger the puti portion, the better the balut sa puti is.

Besides balut, DOTNCR is also pushing for the promotion of itik or dark-colored duck species specialty dishes as a staple menu in restaurants, local eateries and among catering services from Pateros.

To prove t he goal is possible, local cooks and chefs proudly presented their best concoction of Afritadang Balut and Pickled Itik as part of a huge buffet of balut dishes. Best had via a boodle fight, the rich and varied flavors that had the exotic Philippine delicacy as the star definitely has a future of pleasing palates at the festival, during Easter and beyond.

Winners of the Afritadang Balut and Pickled Itik Culinary Contest.

THE LEGEND BEHIND ‘ROSAS NG PATEROS’ SANTA Marta de Pateros is the patron saint of duck-raisers and alfombra/abolorio makers. The shrine is located at the Pateros Church, alternately called San Roque Parish Church, on B. Morcilla Street, built in 1815.

According to folklore, Saint Martha (who tamed Tarasque – a fearsome legendary dragon-like mythological hybrid that inhabited Provence, France – with hymns and prayers) in 1700s was invoked by the people of Pateros to vanquish a giant crocodile that attacked their ducks in the nearby river.

One evening, under a bright full moon, a brave local decided to slay the monster. On his way, at the banks of river, he saw a brilliant light surrounding the figure of Saint Martha; the giant crocodile was never seen again after that and the duck-raising industry flourished.

People of Pateros attribute this miracle to their patron saint and a grand fluvial procession is traditionally held in memory of the miracle. Thus her image shows crushing a crocodile with her dainty feet.

Variably, the local feast in honor of Santa Marta de Pateros was held in the months of January, February

or March – based on the abundance of balut and rice harvests, coinciding with a full moon that illuminates the surroundings as there was no electricity yet.

However, the feast was fixed to second Sunday of February in the 1960s, following economic and environmental changes to the municipality. Moreover, there was a move from the parish priest to change the date to July 29, Saint Martha’s liturgical feast in the Catholic Church.

The church is the only major shrine dedicated to Saint Martha in the whole of Southeast Asia to date, and there is a proposal to elevate it to the status of National Shrine of the Philippines.

Even with the loss of a fluvial procession, the Sta. Marta de Pateros Fiesta remains an old-fashioned fiesta in urban Metro Manila. Devotees form a long line to offer their petitions and touch the image of the town’s patron saint in the church patio. After the mass, a roving band of musicians play fandango music while a group of strong men carrying the image dance to the beat, as the crowd chant the song for “the savior” of their livelihood.

31st Balut Sa Puti Festival organizers led by Knights of Columbus-Pateros Chapter, with DOT-NCR officials and personnel and members of the media.

The image of Pateros’ patron saint, Santa Marta, is shown crushing a crocodile with her dainty feet based on what was believed to be miracle in 1700 that led to the rise of the town’s duck-raising industry.

Sources: Department of Tourism-NCR, Wikipedia, www.pateros.com, Philippine Statistics Authority, citypopulation.de, muntingtinigngpaterosblogspot, pateros.metronewscentral.net

The City of Pateros in Okanogan County, Washington, USA took its name from the town known for ducks and balut in the Philippines and was officially recognized on May 1, 1913.

Food tourism abounds in Pateros featuring balut sa puti and duck meat.

Pickled Itik meat presented as a gourmet dish.

Trivia: There is a ‘Pateros City’ in the USA THEE first TH f irirst stt ccontingent ontiting on ngen entt of o American Ame me rica i ca cann volunteers volu vo lunt lu ntee nt eers rs ffrom rom ro m Washington Wash Wa shin ingt gton on during dur urin ingg the the Philippine-American Phililip Ph ippi pine ne-Ame Ameririca cann War War arrived arririve ar vedd in Pateros in March 1899. Eventually soldiers won the battles and established a temporary camp in the locality. Throughout this period, the Americans experienced Pateros culture and the duck-raising livelihood of the locals – including roast duck for meals.

The postcards about Pateros sent back home made Lieutenat Charles Nosler, a member of the contingent, rename the City of Ive’s Landing in the State of Washington

in in 1900 190 9000 after aff terr the afte thhe town toown ooff Pa PPateros teroos inn the te he PPhilippines. h lipp hi ppin pinnes es.

Pateros Pate Pa tero ross Ci City City, ty, Ok Okan Okanogan anog ogan an CCounty, ount ou ntyy, W Washington, ashi as hing ngto tonn, UUSA SA w was as officially recognized on May 1, 1913.

A century after Ive’s Landing became Pateros, former Mayor Jaime Medina visited the Washington component to sign the “Sister City Memorandum of Understanding between the Municipality of Pateros, Metro Manila and Pateros City, Okanogan County, Washington State, USA.” Although there was no application through Sister Cities

International, Inte In tern rnatio tiona nall, the the two two Pateros, Pat ater eros os, ac os acco according cord rdin ingg to tthen henn Mayor he Mayo Ma yorr Gail Gail Howe, How owee, sshare hare ha re tthe he ssame amee go am goal goals alss of ppromoting romo ro motiting ng cculture ultu ul ture re and and exchanges turning sisterhood into reality.

Much of the Washington city was destroyed by the Carlton Complex wildfire on July 17 and 18, 2014. No injuries or fatalities were reported from its almost 700 population, but at least 95 homes and one business were destroyed.

The city’s population today is 565, and the current mayor is Carlene Anders.

(From left) Municipal Acting Tourism Officer Renato Bade, Vice Mayor Gerald German, Department of Tourism-NCR OIC Cathy Agustin, Mayor Ike Ponce and Balut Sa Puti Festival founder and business development officer Andy Concio.

Fun Times The Sunday Times

F6

»horoscope

THE SUNDAY CROSSWORD

I, Gluteus

By Merl Reagle April 21, 2019

...Some Greeks and Romans you may not have heard of This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series 1 4 9 12 15 16 17 20 22 24 25 27 28 31 32 34 35 36 37 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 49 51 53 54 55 58 59 61 63 66 69 70 72 73 75 76 77 78 83 85 86 87 89

ACROSS Meas. of a hurler’s talent Fable followup Power for Tower of Power Digs, dig?

Stick that humans chew on Nixon crony Bebe “Still living at home, ___?”

“Care to join us, ___? (as if I have to ask)” “That’s quite a dress, ___” A devil of a name Sets foot Has ___ (is favored) “You seem bitter, ___” Cheer, to Che “On the same bill ...”

Hunk of corn Class with perspective Not in contemp. usage “Eat something, ___” Concerning Relief for Death Valley Fast crowd Korean soldier ___ in the life Suggestions Huggers or killers “Remember me, ___?”

“How was lunch, ___?”

In the style of Hither’s opposite Word after hall, head, or high Have debts Ma ___ Kettle “Is it me or is it getting crowded in here, ___?”

TV Dr. “How are Tom, Dick, and Harry, ___?”

Things to grind “Another cold coming on, ___?”

Kings, in Madrid Fancy pot Knowing Prefix meaning “self” The Bucs stop here: abbr.

“You may find this hard to swallow, ___” “How do you get your windows so clean, ___?”

Cameraman Nykvist It can precede “pede” Offhand Gave grub

90 Radioactive run-throughs 92 Number, often 93 Wind in the Willows Mr. 94 “Assert yourself, ___!”

96 Pint-sized 98 Across-the-board ruling 99 Easy letters 100 Role for Marlon 101 Taylor of fashion 102 “Your exploits are so fascinating, ___” 104 Undo a smidge 106 Ray of GoodFellas 108 Gal of song 109 “Don’t stand so close to me, ___” 112 “Have you changed your sandals lately, ___?”

117 “I’ll be there in less than a second, ____?”

118 King Kong’s world 119 Cry of disgust 120 Firms: abbr.

121 Ali feats, briefly 122 Gawky group 123 Protein source DOWN 1 McMuffin stuffin’ 2 Metal-man work 3 “Look! This hotel has free breakfasts, ___!”

4 Cousteau milieu 5 Geisha’s wrap 6 Chicken George chronicle 7 Côte d’___ 8 ___ cool (get mad) 9 Author Kingsley 10 Bus. degree 11 Lulu 12 John’s instrument 13 Puberty woe 14 Intestine sections 16 Communicating device 17 Cow feature 18 Tibet’s capital 19 Sweet 21 Semisolid stuff 23 Withered 26 Copious amounts 28 Civil War photographer 29 Receiver of a vb.’s action 30 “___ directed” (label dictum) 32 Impulse carrier 33 “What’s a nice girl ___ ...”

Gift givers! For info on Merl’s books, visit www.sundaycrosswords.com.

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65 Hardly amicable 35 Reminiscent of the Kalahari 67 Spacy 37 Not ___ (fewer) 68 George or Keanu 38 Humorist-mom 71 Essayist Charles 39 Wash.-Mont.

74 Vowelless gammaseparator ray unit 41 Romantic Italia city 77 Generic dog 43 Qualifying race 79 Last words heard in a events huddle, often 45 Japanese aborigine 80 “Nice lava lamp, ___” 47 Tie up a few loose 81 Arm bones ends?

82 MERGE, for one 49 John Sebastian tune, 83 Funding, often “She’s ___” 84 Nautilus builder 50 Uses a sponge on 85 Hollywood risk taker 52 Dress flounce 87 “I fall down, ___” 53 “Trouble sleeping, 88 Terse ___?”

55 Honeycomb makeup 90 Day-care don’t 91 Theol. school 56 Excellent 93 Tailor’s “chalk” 57 “Most assuredly” 94 Slight coloring 60 Cute Little Rascal 95 Mrs. Gorbachev 61 Bands after bandits 97 Downs or salt 62 Hawaiian porches 63 Where to see P.O.V. 100 Salome’s septet 102 Less colorful 64 Dave Bowman’s 103 Shell pusher computer

82

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Quality shines in the details. Once the basic foundational structures are solid, focus on finer aspects. Keep practicing to strengthen your work, health and fitness.

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French battle town Director Buñuel Cassette content Familiar relative Fab Four’s fifth?

Quite queer

114 It made Bill Gates billions 115 Actor Tognazzi 116 Unassertive

T E A T A R T I I N T E A L AGG I GR I N H E R E AWL H L A K E A Z A L DUR E L RON E E L WC S NOR K I J E A C T S T OY S E L L S E A

I C R I E D C A B E R

M U F F S F O V E A

R A I F I T R OU A L H E UR

EMOV I L A T I N E R E NC E ME A S P I N B L O T A I R Y S T A C E S MA D WO N R A N T T A T T E E V E R E L E RON E L D S ME R E E DO S T P S A E S T R R B E A S A WH

E G E R A I B R O L U I NN D E E R R S S D D E A V K I T S A I RN I G

A L A D C E D E H Y DR A D A R L B E X E E N T R A J UWO R A S S E R S A R S P R S SO I T E N S ME RC E I X I E C A F J A S DU S P A S L E P T L E RH I E D I NC MA L E E

N O T E V E N C L O S E

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P O S E R S

H E X E S

A S Y E T

D I C T A T O R

O M A R

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CH ME I E

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Apply wit and charm to a creative project. Put your love into it.

Connect with current news. Opportunities arise in conversation. Share your view.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Bring in the money over the next few days. Have faith in your own imagination. Fire up your financial engines and get ready to race.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re growing stronger. Water your roots. Take care of your personal priorities. Make changes as necessary.

Nurture yourself, and then you can better support others.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Rest and recuperate. Beauty and nature feed your spirit. Postpone travel or important decisions. Organize and revise your plans. Enjoy your favorite rituals.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Get together with your team to adapt plans for recent changes.

Collaboration enables otherwise difficult tasks. Acknowledge and encourage others. Share the love.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is a 9 -- A professional dream lies within view. Go for it! Schedule carefully, and postpone what you can. Stay focused, determined and on purpose. Dress for success.

(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)

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Enjoy a domestic comfort phase. Settle into your warm nest.

NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

SUDOKU

Solution: ¶*UDE %DJ RI *RRGLHV· (Apr 14)

Feather and line it for your family. Use your imagination.

Tend your garden.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Plan some fun today and tomorrow. Prioritize romantic escapes, games and sports. Creative work pays well. Play with friends and family. Fall in love again.

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GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Love and clear communication flow easily between you and your partner.

Collaborate to fulfill your plans and possibilities. The outcome outshines expectations. Express your appreciation.

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TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Put away provisions for the future. Review your reserves and stock up. Budget to grow shared assets. Bring in additional profits. Draw upon hidden resources.

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ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Educational opportunities present themselves. The next two days favor travel, investigation and exploration. Get out and discover cultural, artistic and natural beauty. Share your findings.

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To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

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Today’s Birthday (04/21/19). Collaborative ventures get lucrative this year. Careful coordination eases the journey. Self-discovery sparks. Your creative muses sing to you this summer, before a shift in travel destinations. Make a magical discovery next winter, potentially inspiring a shift in your story.

Find new views and solutions.

SUNDAY April 21, 2019

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 April 17, 2019

Arts Awake SUNDAY April 21, 2019

The Sunday Times

Director Loy Arcenas

F7

Justine Narciso as Irene

Jeremy Domingo as Oxenby

‘The Dresser:’

A passionate homage to theater

F

OR the third play of its 2019 season, Repertory Philippines (Rep) takes audiences behind the scenes of the theater, exposing its vivid inner workings and hidden secrets.

Teroy Guzman (left) and Audie Gemora as Sir and Norman, respectively.

Missy Maramara as Her Ladyship

Jaime Del Mundo as Geoffrey

Tami Monsod as Madge

Running from May 3 to 26 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1 is “The Dresser,� Rep’s production of the critically acclaimed British play that has been staged on both West End and Broadway.

The story follows Sir, a troubled thespian, and his loyal dresser Norman. The Dresser takes place during a wartime production of King Lear.

Sir arrives on set in a delusional state, while Norman does all he can to ensure that the show goes on, much to the disapproval of the company, who have had enough of Sir’s erratic behavior. As the theater fills up and an air-raid commences, Sir steps onstage as Lear while the company crosses its fingers. Meanwhile,

Norman and the other characters question whether their dedication to the theater — and even the people they love — is worth the hardship and heartbreak.

The Dresser is drama at its finest, bringing together brilliant writing, directing, and acting to tell a story about devoting your entire life to your craft.

Having been interpreted by the best actors and directors around the world, The Dresser has been adapted into a ÀOP VWDUULQJ $QWKRQ\ +RSNLQV DQG Ian McKellen.

REP’s production of the acclaimed play will star none other than legendary veterans Audie Gemora (as the gentle Norman) and Teroy Guzman

(as the tormented Sir). These two thespians’ experience with Shakespeare make them ideal fits for the layered script, which celebrates classical theater.

Sitting in the director’s chair is Loy Arcenas, whose movie musical Ang Larawan, an adaptation of Nick Joaquin’s A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, won Best Picture at the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival.

Completing the cast are Justine Narciso as Irene, Jeremy Domingo as Oxenby, Missy Maramara as Her Ladyship, Tami Monsod as Madge, and Jaime Del Mundo as Geoffrey.

After The Dresser’s run, catch “The Quest for the Adarna� in September.

Perfect for kids and kids at heart, this original Rep play transforms the beloved Ibong Adarna tale into a colorful English musical.

For tickets, call Rep at 451-1474, Ticketworld at 891-9999, or visit www. ticketworld.com.ph.

PH theater company recognized in Czech Republic THE 29th SetkĂĄnĂ­/Encounter Theater Festival, a gathering of selected emerging thespians from art institutions across the globe, recognized the Philippine representative De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) resident theater company Dulaang Filipino and its member Uzziel Delamide with the Swag of SetkĂĄnĂ­/ Encounter Award.

7KH ÀYH GD\ HYHQW UHFHQWO\ FRQFOXGed at the Janåcek Academy of Music and Performing Arts Brno (JAMU) in Brno, Czech Republic.

Delamide was part of the ensemble of Dulaang Filipino’s award-winning production “Oedipus of the Greek� tragedy by Sophocles, which was noticed for its “original use of unconventional staging resources or for the originality or a distinctive generational statement dealing with current cultural, social, political and ethical topic.�

Led by the Theatre Faculty of Janåcek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, this year’s celebration connected theater companies from Czech, Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Russia, Poland, Slovakia and the Philippines.

Setkåní/Encounter Theater Festival was originally designed as a non-competitive event but the participating jury, which consists of foreign and local experts in the performing arts and theatre education, recognized the batch’s most innovative performances.

The Mantra Award went to Peter Martincek from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia as the outstanding actor; Maja Wolska from the National Academy of Theater Arts in Krakow, Poland as the outstanding actress; Pamela Butane from the Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia for scenography; and Ă–linger and Andre Menrath from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria for the scenic music.

Meanwhile, industry expert and event head Michal Zetel granted the Award of the Festival Director to Petr Erbes a Boris JedinĂĄk from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic for category directing.

'XODDQJ )LOLSLQR¡V ´2HGLSXV ¾ ÀUVW presented in 2014, is a one-hour re-

Dulaang Filipino’s award-winning play ‘Oedipus.’

duction of Sophocles’ Theban trilogy, consisting of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, in Filipino translations by Rolando Tinio and Onofre Pagsanjan.

Directed and choreographed by Riki

Benedicto, the production has been performed at the UP Theater Council’s Curtain Call play festival in 2014, where it received the Special Citation for Outstanding Production Design, DQG ZDV D ÀQDOLVW DW WKH 0RQW /DXULHU International Theatre Festival in Quebec, Canada in 2015.

Dulaang Filipino’s “Oedipusâ€? has garnered a number of awards and citations from all over the world including Best Performance by Amateur Theatre and Special Prize from Jury for Best Physical and Sound Solution at the Teatralny Kufar in Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus and Premios EscenAmateur at the International University of La Rioja, Madrid, Spain for Best International Show in the IV “Juan Mayorgaâ€? de las Artes EscĂŠnicas in 2017.

Q Rina Reyes and Ricky Davao in ‘Baka Naman Hindi.’ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/KIKO CABUENA

CCP restages ‘Baka Naman Hindi’

The theater company represents the Philippines in SetkĂĄnĂ­/Encounter Theater Festival in Brno, Czech Republic.

“BAKA Naman Hindi,â€? the Filipino adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s play “La Puce L’Oreille (A Flea in Her Ear)â€? returns onstage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. $ FODVVLF IDUFH Ă€OOHG ZLWK LQQXHQGR physical comedy and snappy dialogue, “Baka Naman Hindiâ€? features Ricky Davao and Rina Reyes, together with other notable names in Philippine theDWHU WHOHYLVLRQ DQG Ă€OP QDPHO\ 5DID Siguion Reyna, Tex OrdoĂąez-De Leon, Nazer Salcedo, Randy Villarama, Raffy Tejada, Wenah Nagales, Lao Rodriguez, Mosang, Jonathan Tadioan, Marco ViaĂąa, Jef Henson Dee, Felipe Martinez, Kathlyn Castillo and Aldo Glenn Vencilao.

Feydeau’s “A Flea in Her Ear� is known for being an archetype of the well-made play. First staged at the CCP in the 1970s under the direction of CCP President Arsenio “Nick� Lizaso, this new production brings back the rollicking sexual comedy popular

during the period.

Set in 1907, this humorous tale deals with jealousy, love and lust between long time couples and friends. In this play, set during the “belle epoque,� a woman, suspecting her lawyer husband of having an affair, plots to catch him in the act.

A presentation of the Cultural Center of the Philippines with CCP President Lizaso as producer, “Baka Naman Hindi� was adapted by Virgilio Beer Flores. The play also taps set designer Ohm David, costume designer James Reyes, sound designer TJ Ramos, and director and lighting designer Dennis Marasigan.

The play is running at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) from April 25 to 28, 3 and 8 p.m.

Tickets at P1000 and P1200 (with discounts for students, senior citizens, PWDs, government employees and groups) are available through the CCP %R[ 2IĂ€FH DQG 7LFNHW:RUOG (891-9999).

Arts Awake The Sunday Times

F8

April 21, 2019 SUNDAY

‘CIRCA’

Impy Pilapil unveils 'path to the future' sculptures

R

ENOWNED sculptor l IImpy Pil Pilapil's il' llater off works k are currently in view at the National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA) choosing April 11 Earth Hour, as opening day. The date was meaningful to the artist who is an active member of Earthwatch, an international advocacy group to save trees.

Titled "Circa," Pilapil's exhibit consists 16 mixed media work, sculptures made of armor wood, stainless steel, and Romblon marble done between 1994 to 2017.

Pilapil has contemporized her past work by recontextualizing them for the exhibition as “a path to the future.� It is as well biographical as she implicates the role of her sculptures in her personal growth, having to engage and adopt the natural qualities of her media as one would adapt to the processes of everyday life.

Also included are her works from her “Earth Cyclesâ€? (2019) collection, which features whole and unfragmented “rocksâ€? collected over the years. These echo her beliefs, leaving their characteristics which “nature has shaped‌

with incomparable detail over eons.�

Likewise she selected works from her “Saturn Cycleâ€? series (2009), which EXLOW RQ KHU DIĂ€QLW\ ZLWK ZDWHU HVSHcially the sea. Her thoughts, dreams and memories of the sea are materialized through these sculptures.

7KLV H[KLELWLRQ Ă€OOV WKH JDS LQ WKH 1Dtional Fine Arts Collection in which she is represented by two pairs of artworks that portray her artistic growth from graphic artist to sculptor. “Dreamers Zone 2â€? and “Dreamers Zone 3â€? are serigraph monoprints she made in 1982 and presently displayed in one of NMFA Philippine Modernists gallery.

On the other hand, “Fiesta 1� and “Fiesta 2�, installed at the ground

Fashion meets art in interactive exhibit

'Grit'

'Gesture of Life 3'

f loor gallery, are light sculptures made of steel and glass — considered inadequate depiction of her life’s work.

Circa runs until Sept. 29.

AN immersive and experiential exhibition recently delighted fashion denizens of Manila.

Dubbed “Uniqlo Summer: An Interactive Exhibit,� the Japanese global apparel retailer opened its second floor to a unique display that exemplifies the brand’s LifeWear philosophy.

The exhibit walked visitors through various summer experiences with the help of creatives Vince Uy and Daryl Chang. As colorful as it is immersive, each theme allowed fashion and art savvy passers by to be as creative as they wish in their unique poses. “We really wanted share this interactive experience with our customers,â€? shares Masayoshi 1DNDPXUD &22 8QLTOR 3KLOLSSLQHV ´$V WKH Ă€UVW of its kind for Uniqlo Philippines, we hope that this exhibit helped visitors discover our lineup of func-

Sculptor Impy Pilapil. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVENX VERDOTE

tional and colorful pieces for the summer season.�

The exhibit themes included:

ÂŤC Color iin n the Air

Fe Featuring balloons in a striking assortment of colors, this me installation alluded ins to the playful nature of the season and the youthfulness of the brand’s neck tees.

Floating Free ÂŤ

T he wh i m sic a l or i ga m i

cranes and shapes mirrored the clean lines and smooth characteristics of the brand’s collection of linen items and shorts.

A Wa lk in the Clouds ÂŤ

Filled with an array of cloud s , t h i s room e x uded the l i ght g ne s s a nd br eatha ble q ua l it ie s of Uniqlo’s Un Dry-Ex.