Manila Standard - 2016 October 2 - Sunday

'Narco-judge' identified

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera and John Paolo Bencito DAVAO CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte said Agusan del Sur Judge Hector Salise had illegal drug connections

VOL. XXX • NO. 232 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

and Salise’s name was on the narco-list he is revising.

But Duterte on Friday said the interior department will revalidate his ‘narco-list’ before he will make it public following public criticism of its supposed lapses. Next page

MAKATI IN MOTION. This dance of headlights show the weekend volume of vehicular traffic at the corner of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and Ayala Avenue.

Sonny Espiritu

UN slams Hitler gaffe LP, Trillanes plotting vs Duterte

By John Paolo Bencito THE Liberal Party is plotting with unidentified businessmen to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, according to long-time Duterte ally and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco.

“They are convincing the military and police, [particularly] Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, to join in their cause to

topple Duterte,” Evasco told journalists in Dapitan City on Friday.

“They will fail,” Evasco said, explaining that the businessmen are associated with the Liberal Party who cannot not accept that they were defeated by somebody from Mindanao.

“That’s because they look down on us,” Evasco said. “They did not know that our minds were molded by our

experiences, our studies, and our outlook of life that the elite don’t have.”

Evasco said the businessmen are paying off media men to play up the issues of summary and extrajudicial killings and the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos to encourage people to oppose the Duterte adminisration.

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Rody: Palace life makes me suicidal

GAY WONDER WOMAN. Israeli actress Gal Gadot portrays the Wonder Woman character that was introduced early this year. The writer of the series revealed Saturday that the character is bisexual.

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte jested that he may be the first President to commit suicide as he lamented the strict and rigid Palace life.

“If I were to go back in time, I wouldn’t want [to be President] anymore. You know my work is to give you hope in Malacañang. But I might be the first President to commit suicide,” Duterte said in his speech before female cops at Davao City.

“Susmaryosep, you know, everyone thinks the Palace is all glamour, with security who will follow you. But I cannot go to my other businesses, I cannot go there because they will know,” Duterte said, referring to the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

“That’s why, you Presidential Security, if I find out my girlfriend answered you, I’ll kill you all,” he jested. Next page

Wonder Woman is bisexual, comic series writer confirms LOS ANGELES—The writer of the Wonder Woman comic series has confirmed the superhero is bisexual, putting an end to a long held debate on whether she’d had relationships with other women.

Speculation has been rife for many years over the sexuality of the Amazonian princess, who hails from the island Themyscira, which is populated solely by female warriors.

Although she becomes romantically involved with a man who washes up on the island, storylines over the years have

implied, if not explicitly stated, that she has also been in love with women.

Greg Rucka, who returned to DC Comics this year to craft the “Rebirth” series commemorating Wonder Woman’s 75th year in print, told the Comicosity news website Wonder Woman was “queer.”

The word—which has several definitions—was defined by the interviewer as “involving, although not necessarily exclusively, romantic and/or sexual interest toward persons of the same gender.”

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Govt urged not to stop war games

Holocaust comparison ‘deeply disrespectful’

By John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne Fabunan

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HE United Nations on Saturday called out President Rodrigo Duterte for likening his war on drugs to Adolf Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews, calling them “inappropriate” and “deeply disrespectful.”

But Malacañang, responding to criticisms against the President, explained Duterte was merely “addressing the negative comparison that people made between him and Hitler.”

“I think any use of the Holocaust and the suffering of the Holocaust in comparison to anything else frankly is inappropriate and is to be rejected,” said Stéphane Dujaric, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, was

also alarmed by public comments by Duterte, in which he reinforced a campaign to kill millions of drug addicts in the Philippines and compared it to the massacre of millions of Jews by Hitler during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany during World War II. “Such a statement is deeply disrespectful of the right to life of all human beings,” Dieng said.

“The Holocaust was one of the darkest periods of the history of humankind and that any glorification of the cruel Next page

Palace to probe local execs' financing of personal armies

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte wants to look into how mayors and other local chief executives are spending their discretionary and intelligence funds, which he believes were being used to fund “private armies.”

Speaking before policewomen in his hometown Davao City, Duterte said many public funds were being stolen from coffers by some local chief executives.

“Look, when I came, I said, p****** i** ninyo. All the policemen should return to (their) mother unit. The Army should go home to their camps. I told the mayors [keeping private armies] I’ll give you 24 hours or I will kill you. They (policemen) returned to Crame. There. They lost their super-star status, the p****** i**, b******.”

“I said no more army army. Now they don’t have protection. Now they feel Next page

HARVEST TIME. Two vegetable farmers rush to harvest their crop of eggplants before possible bad weather brought about by the monsoon season. Sonny Espiritu

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan FORMER foreign secretary Albert del Rosario said there is no need for the Philippines to stop the joint military exercise with the United States just to appease China, pointing out Beijing has been conducting naval exercises with the US and Russia in the contested South China Sea. In his statement, Del Rosario said the administration should not underestimate the benefits and importance of joint war games with other countries, stressing the military exercises are not just for security concerns but to Next page

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and criminal acts committed by those responsible was unacceptable and offensive. Such statement was also undermining the efforts of the international community to develop strategies to prevent the recurrence of those crimes, to which all countries around the world should be committed to,” he added.

In related developments: • The German government told the Philippine ambassador in Berlin that comments by Duterte likening his deadly crime war to Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews were “unacceptable.”

The German foreign ministry in a statement said it had asked the Philippine envoy “to come to the ministry for a discussion on the issue.”

Germany, Europe’s top economy, has expressed serious concerns about Duterte’s crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 people dead in three months and threatened a breakdown of the rule of law in the Philippines.

• In Ko Olina, Hawaii, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter criticized the “deeply troubling” remarks by Duterte, in reference to Hitler’s efforts to exterminate the Jews.

Carter’s comments came during a regional security summit with Southeast Asian ally nations, where he sought to reassure counterparts that America’s ongoing commitment to its Asia “rebalance” would continue into the next US administration.

Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao: “Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. I’d be happy to slaughter them.”

Carter said the remarks were not discussed at the summit.

But “speaking personally for myself, I find those comments deeply troubling,” he added.

The “informal” meeting of the Asean countries, held on Oahu in Hawaii, focused mainly on longerstanding regional issues such as continued unease over China’s growing reach across the South China Sea. • Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine also slammed Duterte’s fresh remarks, referencing Hitler and the Holocaust to his administration, fearing such comparison would impact his police and other firearms to “lawlessly slaughter” their fellow Filipinos “without fear of arrest.”

In his statement, Kine also urged the United States and the European Union to urgently send a strong message to the Duterte

administration that the technical and financial assistance the Philippines is receiving may be at risk due to its bloody war on alleged drugs which already killed more than 3,000 alleged drug users and dealers since Duterte assumed office in June.

“Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s comments referencing Hitler and the Holocaust are on their face obscene,” Kine said in his statement, expressing frustrations over Duterte’s fresh remarks.

Kine added: “But the lesson of the first three months of Duterte’s presidency is that we should not underestimate the impact of his statements on police and others with firearms to lawlessly slaughter their fellow Filipinos without fear of arrest.”

At the United Nations, Dieng called on Duterte to exercise restraint in the use of language “that could exacerbate discrimination, hostility and violence and encourage the commission of criminal acts which, if widespread or systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity.”

He also requested the President to support the investigation of the “reported rise of killings in the context of the anti-crime and anti-drug campaign targeting drug dealers and users to ascertain the circumstances of each death.”

In Manila, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, said that Duterte appearing to draw a parallelism between his campaign to wipe out illegal drugs and the genocide of Jews

by Nazi Germany “are two entirely different things.”

“Hitler murdered 3 million innocent civilians whereas Duterte was referencing his ‘willingness to kill’ 3 million criminal drug dealers—to save the future of the next generation and the country,” Abella explained in a statement.

Abella said the Philippines was cognizant of the deep significance of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, and the Philippine government did not wish to diminish the profound loss of 6 million Jews.

“The President’s reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects,” explained Abella.

“He likewise draws an oblique conclusion, that while the Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate the future generations of Jews, the so-called ‘extrajudicial killings’, wrongly attributed to him, will nevertheless result in the salvation of the next generation of Filipinos,” Duterte’s spokesman reiterated.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio

Evasco, however, said the President was apparently jesting when he said that he’d love to emulate Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

“He was just joking,” Evasco, one of Duterte’s most trusted allies, said in Cebu.

The country’s incoming Permanent Representative to the United Nations, former Makati Congressman Teddy Boy Locsin also defended the President by insinuating that Nazis weren’t wrong and may have killed the wrong people.

“You may find this hard to believe but the Nazis were not all wrong, give or take killing millions of the wrong people. Keep an open mind,” Locsin said over Twitter.

In his Friday speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte said he had been “portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler” by critics, as he declared he was “happy to slaughter” millions of drug addicts.

Duterte also railed against Western critics of his unprecedented law-and-order crackdown.

“If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have ...,” he paused while pointing to himself.

The US State Department on Saturday (Manila time) called “troubling” Duterte’s comments likening himself to Adolf Hitler and saying he would be happy to exterminate 3 million drug users.

“America’s ... partnership with the Philippines is ... based on a mutual foundation of shared values and that includes our shared belief in human rights and human dignity,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

“President Duterte’s comments are a significant departure from that tradition and we find them troubling.”

Toner also advised the Philippine President to tone down his speech, especially so that he’s a ‘head of state.’

“As I said previously, words matter, especially when they’re from leaders of sovereign nations, especially sovereign nations with whom we have a long and, as I said, valued relations with (sic).”

Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan on Saturday said killings by state forces of unarmed civilians, even if they are suspected criminals, goes against the principle of due process.

“We do not subscribe to the President’s referencing of Hitler in relation to the war on drugs and the killings of so-called drug addicts. Killings by state forces of unarmed civilians, even if they are suspected criminals, goes against the principle of due process,” said Renato Reyes, Bayan secretarygeneral.

“The president is correct in de-

nouncing US and EU hypocrisy in relation to human rights. He, however, should not let human rights violations by state security forces continue under his own watch, much less condone them by invoking the enormity of the drug problem,” he added.

International human rights group Amnesty International (AI), meanwhile, criticized Duterte for his speech, where he drew parallel between the executions of drug addicts in the Philippines and the killings of Jews by Adolf Hitler.

“With this latest outburst, President Duterte has sunk to new depths.

Governments—both in the region and around the world—should speak out immediately and condemn these outrageous statements,” said Josef Benedict, AI’s deputy director for President Duterte Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in a statement.

Rafael Baraan and provincial board “They serve no discernible purmember Raul Sison to the illegal pose other than to put more lives drug matrix he claimed was existFrom A1 at risk.” ing inside the national penitenAI, which has slammed Duterte He said he heard that Salise was tiary. for his shoot-to-kill order against Malacañang, however, played ambushed by unknown perpetraofficials suspected of being intors last week, was clueless about down the President’s admission volved in the drug trade, noted that he made a mistake, saying the the reason behind the ambush. the rise in human rights violations “I’ll name him publicly, I heard people trusted Duterte, not the list. since Duterte’s election.

“Maybe more than trusting that he was ambushed some“Since coming to power, there where, his name is on the list. the list, let’s trust the President. I has been a surge of state-sancJudge Hector Salise. He is involved mean after all, he has publicly said, tioned violence and unlawful in a case-fixing related to drugs I made a mistake. I apologize. I’m killings across the Philippines. Insorry,” Abella said in a Palace press and bungling,” Duterte said. stead of stopping and condemnSalise was wounded after un- briefing.

Abella also said there was no poidentified men fired his SUV in ing these human rights violations, Barangay Lemon, Butuan City on litical accommodation of Espino, and ensuring those responsible after the President cleared him of September 23. are held to account, he has vowed “I will not name you if I am not involvement in illegal drugs. to escalate them,” Benedict added.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Agusure about it. If I named you pub“Mass killing under President licly it will stain your name forever,” irre II on Friday revealed that the Duterte must end.”

Peter “Jaguar” Lim listed as one of he said.

In August, the US Embassy in the top drug lords in the country Duterte said his list contains a Manila announced the $32-milwas slain drug lord Jeffrey “Jagthousand names of government lion assistance was now subject officials, police officers and judicial uar” Diaz, and not the prominent to “rigorous vetting,” urging the Cebuano businessman Peter Lim, members.

Duterte government to observe He earlier said he would make saying “Peter Lim” alluded to in the rule of law and due process. his third and final “narco-list” upon President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug The Philippines is recipient of his return from Vietnam. He said matrix is dead. the US fundings of $32 million to Jaguar, Central Visayas’ top drug he wanted to weed out wrong promote human rights and secuinformation to prevent his repeat- personality, was gunned down by rity. ing earlier mistakes that he had to police in Las Piñas City on June The EU, on the other hand, is 17, two weeks before Duterte asapologize for in public. giving the Philippines P3-billion “This will be the last that I would sumed his post. assistance every year to improve Aguirre admitted that there was read publicly,”Duterte said on Friday. health and justice system.

“I revalidated this until the last a mistake in the July drug matrix The P3-billion funds this time office was the DILG, from the mili- released by the President.

“When the drug matrix came tary to the police to the National will be spent to improve drug Bureau of Investigation,” he added. out, Jaguar was already dead betreatment practices in the counThe President had previously im- cause his death happened on June try, said EU ambassador Franz plicated former governor Amado 19, even before the President asJessen.

Espino but retracted his accusation sumed office,” he added.

“The Philippines and the EU Duterte earlier accused Wu Tuan because he could not establish the are part of the international comalias Peter Co, Herbert Colanggo incumbent Pangasinan congressmunity where we learn from each alias Ampang and Peter Lim alias man’s links to the illegal drug trade. other, we share experiences and “The problem is the NBI, the Jaguar of being big-time drug we work together to address Philippine National Police and lords. shared problem. Drug abuse is Duterte also tagged Senator the Philippine Drug Enforcement a shared problem, and it has inAgency seems to be fighting each Leila de Lima, her former driver ternational and national dimenother,” Duterte added. “I will not go Ronnie Dayan, former justice unsions,” he said. into this challenge if I’m not certain dersecretary Francis Baraan and The mentioned funds are just because if I name you publicly, it former Bureau of Corrections chief one of the many assistance that Franklin Bucayu in the so-called would stain your life forever.” the Philippines has been receivOn Tuesday, he said he found “Muntinlupa Connection,” the syning from the US, EU and other decertain “gaps” in the intelligence dicate which allegedly condoned veloped countries. information linking Espino, Pan- the illegal drug transactions hap-

'Narco-judge' ...

gasinan provincial administrator

Wonder...

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“When you start to think about giving the concept of Themyscira its due, the answer is ‘how can they not all be in same sex relationships?’ right?

It makes no logical sense otherwise,” said Rucka, who worked on the character throughout the 2000s.

“You’re supposed to be able... to have a fulfilling, romantic and sexual relationship. And the only options are women. But an Amazon doesn’t look at another Amazon and say, ‘You’re gay.’ They don’t. The concept doesn’t exist.”

The announcement was mostly welcomed as good news on social media, although not all fans were happy.

“I just found out some people are actually upset Wonder Wom-

Palace...

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naked. Then I will be looking into how they used their intelligence and discretionary funds,” he added.

Duterte said the funding intended to eradicate crime in their towns instead went straight to politicians.

“Why are the public funds lost? I will look into this,” Duterte said.

During the campaign, Duterte was apparently ‘silent’ on how he will dismantle the private armies in the Philippines with some human rights groups linking him to the Davao Death Squad (DDS), believed to be the former Davao

an is queer. As if—what—you’re paranoid Wonder Woman might not date you?” tweeted Mike Drucker, a television comedy writer.

There were no clues to Wonder Woman’s bisexuality when Warner Bros screened the first trailer for the upcoming standalone “Wonder Woman” at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

The Amazonian heroine, played by Gal Gadot, is seen leaning over soldier Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) after he has washed up on her island.

“You’re a man?” she asks him, and he replies: “Yeah, do I not look like one?”

“Wonder Woman” is scheduled to hit theaters on June 2, 2017, focusing on a character who was introduced earlier this year in the widely-panned “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” AFP Mayor’s own private army.

Several politicians maintain a huge arsenal of sophisticated and high-powered guns and ammunition more lethal than what the police and military have.

Duterte also reiterated the ill effects of politics, which can make or break a public servant.

“You know, politics can destroy a person. If a mayor has five police bodyguards, add up three military men, he moves around like a… warlord really,” he added.

Duterte earlier said he wanted to look into the discretionary and intelligence funds of mayors around the country because they “are not doing anything” to rid their towns and cities of garbage.

Rody: ...

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Duterte said he is not afraid of a possible impeachment over the policies that he will implement to make sure that he will be able to deliver his campaign promises. “Go ahead. I’m old already,” he said.

Expressing his openness to subject himself to a “garbage” probe by human rights bodies, the President had earlier vowed to step out of office if his critics can prove that there were indeed state-sanctioned killings in the country.

“If there were no killings— this is official—I will resign tonight. Come back here. I’ll give

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improve Philippine response to disasters too.

“In June this year, China joined naval exercises hosted by the United States. This month, China conducted naval exercises with Russia in the South China Sea. The Philippines has not interpreted any of these moves provocatively, and China should do the same,” Del Rosario said.

“The Philippines has conducted and joined military exercises with international partners for years, and these should not be interpreted provocatively by any one country,” the retired diplomatic official added.

When he was in Hanoi, Vietnam for his official visit, Duterte said he wanted to stop the joint military exercises with the US

you my resignation. I’m not a fool to keep the Presidency.

Truth to tell, I don’t want [the presidency],” Duterte said in his speech before members of the Malacañang Press Corps.

“Criminals? They are attributing it to us? And even if there were killings, look at your statistics. Look at the statistics before I assumed office. Look at them very well,” Duterte said.

Duterte said he is willing to lose life, presidency to fulfill his vow to eradicate crime, drugs, and corruption in the country.

“So let’s solve the riddle. I’m not handsome. So let’s work to fulfill the mandate the people gave us... In this presidency, I don’t have any illusions,” he added.” because “China does not want.”

“You are scheduled to hold war games again, which China does not want. I would serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise.

Jointly, the Philippine-US [exercises would be], the last one,” Duterte said.

The President reiterated his stance to stop sea patrols with the United States, which he sees would only complicate the already testy relationship between Manila and Beijing.

“I will not join any patrol in the [South China Sea],” he said, noting the distinction between gray Navy ships and white Coast Guard vessels.

“There will never be an occasion that I will send gray ships there, not because I’m afraid.

[But] I have this ruling by the International Court of Justice that says that in the South China Sea,

pening inside the NBP.

“Sad to say, there are a lot of media practitioners who succumbed to the temptation of money. And we are talking of millions of pesos here,” Evasco said.

The President earlier accused forces loyal to former President Benigno Aquino III of fanning intrigues against him by blaming him for the killings of nearly 3,000 people in his tough campaign on illegal drugs.

He said “yellow” people whom he did not name are now laying the groundwork for his impeachment but he will press on because he was ready to lose his life, honor and the presidency.

He began his remarks after

the swearing in of dozens of new government bureaucrats by hitting the United States and calling American leaders “hypocrites” for meddling in his war against crime.

“It was good they did it because it was an opportunity for (President) Duterte to enunciate his independent foreign policy,” Evasco said, adding that the President’s rivals are now saying that Duterte is a communist enticing“armed adventurism.”

“By being rich, America or the European Union or the UN, have no right to tell us what is good for us. In pursuing an independent foreign policy, you must be a friend to everybody. And if the President is resisting the bullying of our supposed friend, the United States, it doesn’t mean we are already aligning with the opposite, China or Russia,” he added.

the entitlements there are ours.”

Del Rosario, however, argued the Philippines should not underestimate the importance of military exercises with the US because it helps not only maritime security, such as strengthening anti-piracy capabilities, addressing internal concerns such as counter-terror and counter-insurgency capabilities.

“The Philippines should not underestimate the importance of military exercises, not only for the strengthening of ties between nations and armed forces, but in developing the capabilities of our military to independently deal with a wide variety of challenges,” Del Rosario said.

He also said the same exercises are also used to improve the military’s ability to respond to humanitarian challenges dur-

ing natural disasters, as well as conduct search-and-rescue operations.

The annual Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise will be held from Oct. 4 to 12 in multiple locations in Luzon, including Palawan, closest to the disputed waters subject to an ongoing sea row between Manila and Beijing.

This will be the first largescale combat exercises war games between the two treaty allies under the Duterte administration, who repeatedly called out the United States for meddling in his war on illegal drugs.

The military exercise involves more than 1,400 US military personnel and 500 Philippine Marines in amphibious landing and live-fire exercises affirming the PH-US Visiting Forces Agreement, which the Supreme Court upheld last January.

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News Inflation indexed tax rates pushed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Sonny Angara has urged the government to prioritize the indexation of income tax rates, which entails correcting and adjusting the tax brackets to inflation, to provide immediate tax relief and raise the take-home pay of Filipino workers.

“While we give full credit to the Duterte administration for prioritizing income tax reform, I suggest we first work on the indexation of our existing tax rates to give our ordinary taxpayers immediate relief that is truly long overdue,” said Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee and the Senate’s leading voice in pushing for tax reform.

The Department of Finance has submitted to both houses of Congress a draft bill, the first of six packages, that seeks to lower personal income taxes while broadening the value-added tax (VAT) base and adjusting excise taxes of petroleum products and automobiles.

During a tax forum organized by the Senate Tax Study and Research Office on Thursday, Angara commended the DoF for coming up with a “lengthy and meaty” set of recommendations for tax reform within the first 100 days of the administration.

He said he expected extensive debate over the comprehensive tax reform package since different sectors will be affected by the proposal.

Under the current tax system enacted in 1997, individuals with taxable income of over P500,000 are taxed with a fixed amount of P125,000 plus the 32 percent of the excess over P500,000.

The lawmaker pointed out that P500,000 in 1997 does not have the same value today due to inflation. P1 in 1997 when adjusted for inflation is now worth only 44 centavos.

Middle-income earners, who were mostly taxed at 20 or 25 percent in 1997, are now pushed into the top tax bracket at 32 percent together with the billionaires of the country because of the outdated tax system.

“Instead of delaying further the tax relief of our workers, why don’t we pass first the indexation of our unjust tax rates? I appreciate the thought and work the DoF has put into this. These reforms are nice in theory but in reality, they have to be funnelled through a political medium which is the legislature,” said Angara, author of Senate Bill 129 that seeks to adjust tax brackets to inflation.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Just do job right, Duterte tells cops

By John Paolo Bencito

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte encouraged policewomen to continue strengthening the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, as he vowed to support them until the end.

“Just do your job. I will back you up, not only as a mayor but as a President. If you do it legally, fine. I will support you to the end,” the President said in his speech at the 9th National Biennial Summit on Women in Community Policing in Davao City

Friday.

“Just do it in the performance, in the fulfillment of a duty. Just do it right,” he said.

Duterte urged the cops not to listen to human rights groups, saying that they are the antithesis of government even as he

claimed that the crime rate is already going down because of his war against drugs.

“Do not listen to human rights because human rights is always the antithesis of the government,” Duterte said, as he scored critics who do not even look into the number of policemen who die in the performance of their function.

“That is something that human rights advocates do not see... I lose two policemen a day.

Two policemen on the average, every day,” Duterte said.

Duterte, who encouraged the police force to continue strength-

ening the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, claimed that the crime rate in the country is already down by “almost 50 percent since he took over office.

Duterte also reminded the police that their loyalty should be to the country, the flag and the Constitution.

“If this problem [of drugs] would outlast me for one reason or another… this is one request from your commander-in-chief: Do not neglect the country,” he said.

“I expect that you will do your duty and that you have to sur-

vive, you have to kill. I can understand that. And I am just at your side, at your back and you will be protected,” he added.

The President, meanwhile, slammed his critics who disregard the number of policemen who die in the performance of their function.

Talking about the scourge of drugs in the country, the President showed a folder containing a list of names of persons suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade, among them congressmen, mayors, judges, barangay captains and police officers.

IN BRIEF PH scores more in VN

THE Philippines captured two silver medals from pencak silat at the 5th Asian Beach Games at the Bien Dong Park in Da Nang, Vietnam on Saturday.

The medal haul of Jaciren Abad and Princesslyn Enopia brought the country’s medal tally to two golds, three silvers and 15 bronzes.

Abad lost to Vietnamese Vu van Kien, 0-5, in the men’s 50kg.-55kg. division while Enopia bowed to Thailand’s Firdao Duromae, 0-5, in the women’s Tanding (45kg.-50kg.) division.

Wrestler Noemi Tener delivered the country’s 15th bronze medal after placing third in the classification round of the women’s under 60kg. division. PNA

Senate limits presentations

SPREADING THE LIGHT. Policewomen light up candles during a ceremony at the 9th National Biennial Summit on Women Community Policing in

Davao City. Palace Photo

Evasco mobilizes 5,000 Digong supporters

By Junex Doronio CEBU CITY—Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. on Saturday led the oath-taking at the Cebu Coliseum of some 5,000 community leaders in Cebu and neighboring provinces as volunteer members of a people’s movement supporting President Rodrigo Duterte in his war against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

The Kilusang Pagbabago successfully gathered community

leaders and member volunteers coming from Cebu province and other regions in the Visayas.

Doris Isubal-Mongaya of Kilusang Pagbabago said the people’s movement will serve as Duterte’s partner for change by serving as a watchdog that fights corruption and ensure that government does not stray from a pro-people agenda.

“Kilusang Pagbabago will also be an educator that raises awareness on Duterte’s change agenda and reforms and a defender of

the republic ready to help during calamities and against criminality and threats of destabilization,” Mongaya said.

Mongaya said the movement shall work with the administration in the fight against crime, drugs, and corruption through monitoring, documentation, reporting, and advocacy campaigns and ensure effective delivery of government services to intended communities.

A former rebel-priest, Evasco was the chief of staff of then

Davao City mayor Duterte who later served as mayor of Maribojoc, Bohol and Duterte’s national campaign manager last presidential elections.

Earlier, Evasco and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña led the inauguration ceremonies of the Kilusang Pagbabago Cebu-Visayas office. The office is located inside the Opascor building. Opascor members formed the core of the DuterteOsmeña supporters during the campaign.

THE Senate has limited to 30 minutes video presentations at plenary sessions after it adopted a resolution seeking to regulate the time spent on film, video and other multimedia presentations.

Senate Resolution No.165 was approved with no objections during the plenary session presided over by Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. The resolution, authored

by Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, provides a maximum length of 30 minutes of film clips, multimedia and other similar devices per speech, motion or question of any senator.

Sotto’s resolution explained that the move is done “in order to make efficient use of the time of the Senate,” noting that more and more senators are using multimedia presentations to help explain their ideas to the public while at the Senate floor.

Multi-faceted businessman focuses on relevance for MMDA

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER businessman Thomas Orbos can no longer enjoy chilling with friends on rainy day.

“I have no more hang-outs because when it rains, I always end up thinking of floods [in Metro Manila],” said the 51-year-old general manager and officer-in-charge of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

But there’s more to Tim, as he is called by friends, than just dispatching free rides to commuters stranded by floods and working around the problem known as Metro Manila traffic.

“Actually, I am a businessman. I was in advertising. I was in media. I brought many things here to the Philippines. I used to be the distributor of ESPN, MTV, Disney and Fox News. I am more on distribution,” Orbos said.

Before entering public office, Orbos served as chief operating officer of Asian Cable Communications Inc. from 2004 to 2005. The company is the cable distribution and advertising sales partner for several global program providers, such as AXN and Nickelodeon.

He was also president of Ireland Brothers Advertising, an advertising agency catering to top companies like Philippine Airlines, Carlsberg, Mazda, Kia Motors, Aji-no Moto, Samsung, BMW, Subaru, Carl’s Jr., Avis Cars, among others.

Orbos also served as assistant to the president and marketing executive of television network GMA-7 aside from being the owner of basketball team Pangasinan Presidents (later renamed Pangasinan Waves) in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.

Tim is the youngest in a brood of five, including former transportation secretary Oscar Orbos and popular Divine Word missionary Jerry Orbos.

Orbos’ sisters Melita is now a deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs while Thelma is a teacher in the United States.

A graduate of Bachelor of Arts Interdisciplinary Studies from Ateneo de Manila, Thomas also took Business Economics studies at the University of Asia and the Pacific.

In 2011, Orbos served as head of the Management Information Service at the Office of the President and became Advisory Council member of the Department of Justice-National Justice System, and of the Interagency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council and Presidential Task Force on Values Formation.

He also provided technical work and handled special concerns projects for the Office of the President.

Then President Benigno Aquino III also appointed Orbos as assistant general manager for Planning of the MMDA under the supervision of former chairman Francis Tolentino.

“I was appointed by the President as head of planning.

This is the department in charge of overall urban planning for Metro Manila,” said Orbos, who also served as board member of the Light Railway Transit Authority, Laguna Lake Development Authority and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Orbos was also part of the Presidential Climate Change Commission and Presidential Committee on the Mining Industry, and was given the task to head the rules and selection committees of the Metro Manila

Film Festival during his term as MMDA chief planning officer.

After two years, he left the MMDA and returned to his multi-faceted business concerns but two months ago, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him MMDA general manager and OIC, replacing lawyer Emerson Carlos, who resigned as chairman on Aug. 19.

Being the general manager, according to Orbos, is a difficult task.

“The intention really is to manage the whole agency and there are many things to work on. We have to focus,” he said.

Right now, Orbos is in the process of addressing three management problems—the lack of document tracking system, asset management system and the personnel information system.

“We have no document tracking system, even if they said there is, but there is none. We also don’t know our assets. We don’t know where they are. We don’t know how many they are and we don’t know the conditions where they are in.

“Another is the personnel information system. We know the personnel but we don’t know the exactly the data of that personnel,” said Orbos.

So far, the MMDA has initiated numerous reform programs to better improve public service, like a reorganization of key personnel and department heads and a onestrike policy on extortion and other irregularities in the agency.

Orbos certainly has a full plate but he remains clear on what he wants to do.

“We try to cut the path, try to make it clear and try to see where we can be cost effective. So, we have to look the process and how the money was spent. So far, as I see it, these things are just along those line,” Orbos said.

“Let’s go back to basic. What is the agency really intended for and are its activities still relevant,” he added.

A4

News

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

THE PLACE TO BE.

Despite the monsoon weather, local and foreign tourists are still flocking to Puerto Princesa City and its islands on Honda Bay. Sonny Espiritu

IN BRIEF ‘Igme’ here, Pagasa says PARTLY cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its 24-hour forecast released Saturday afternoon.

“Moderate to occasionally strong winds blowing from the northeast to northwest will prevail over the eastern section of Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough,” Pagasa also said.

According to Pagasa, severe tropical cyclone “Igme” (international name ‘Chaba’) was 1,305 km east of Aurora province’s Casiguran municipality at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“Igme” packed maximum sustained winds of up to 100 kph and gustiness of up to 125 kph and is moving northwest at 25 kph.

Troops seize arms cache THE Western Mindanao Command have seized two automatic weapons, assorted ammunition and explosives during law enforcement operations conducted in Tuburan, Basilan Friday morning.

Seized were an M-14 carbine with eight magazines containing 39 rounds, an M-16 automatic rifle with targeting scope and 88 5.56mm. bullets packed in two long and eight short magazines, four rifle grenades, a binocular, two bandoliers, a pair of combat boots and one hammock.

Maj. Filemon Tan, WMC spokesperson, said these weapons and other items were seized at about 10:30 a.m. during operations in Barangay Katipunan.

Troops who participated in the operation are from the 7th, 14th and 3rd Scout Ranger Companies.

The military personnel were patrolling the areas when they sighted a suspicious-looking person who fired at them before making his escape, prompting troopers to search the area. This led to the recovery of the weapons and other equipment. Florante Solmerin

DoT budget cut concerns solons

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

he Tourism department is facing a huge cut in its budget for 2017, raising concerns among lawmakers the agency may not be able to meet its goal of bringing in more foreign tourists to the country.

Under House Bill 3408, or the 2017 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), the DOT has a proposed P2.457 billion in 2017 and P3.61billion budget this year.

This year’s budget is 44 per-

cent higher than the DOT’s P2.5billion budget in 2015 while its proposed budget for next year is 39.7 percent lower.

Rizal Rep. Michael Jack Duavit, during his sponsorship defense

for the DOT budget during the plenary deliberations on the 2017 GAB, said the budget for the office of the Tourism Secretary amounting to P800 million got the biggest slash in the 2017 proposed budget of the agency.

House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said of all agencies of government, DOT does not get an increase im budget every year.

“The increasing budget seems to be the trend, but not for the DOT next year,” said Suarez.

To address the issue, Suarez

proposed that Congress and the DOT work for a more responsive budget of the latter in the coming years.

“There should be enhanced, better relations between Congress and the DOT for the latter to have better allocations in the future, given the projected hike of tourists coming to visit the Philippines every year,” said Suarez.

Meanwhile, Davao del Sur Rep. Mercedes Cagas reiterated her suggestion that the DOT also focus its resources in promoting agri-tourism.

Gordon laments deterioration of Clark, Subic

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Richard J. Gordon lamented the deterioration of the Subic Bay International Airport and Clark International Airport which he said have been turned into“non-performing assets.”

“We let the wolf near the sheep or we allowed the snake to come near the chick-

ens,” said Gordon, who served as Olongapo City mayor and Subic Bay Metropolian Authroity chairman.

Gordon said the government is using only the Ninoy Aquino International Airport which has come to a “very sorry state” that brings constant damage to the reputation of the country.

Had the government used SBIA and the

CIA, Gordon said the Philippine government would have eased traffic woes, trade and economic losses when APEC was held in the country.

Because of this, the senator called for an investigation on how both SBIA and CIA, considered as two of the country’s crown jewels, have reached their present state of deterioration.

Bello eyes ‘win-win’ labor pact

By John Paolo Bencito THE Duterte administration will propose to labor groups on Monday what they called a “win-win situation” to stop labor contractualization as suggested by trade and labor officials, business leaders and lawmakers.

“This Monday, we will be talking to labor groups and we will be laying on the table a proposal coming from the management. Whatever their position, we will raise them as soon as employers and workers meet soon,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a radio interview over dzRB. “Secretary Ramon Lopez of [the Department of Trade and Industry] and I met with management groups. They have a ‘win-win’ proposal,” Bello said.

Lopez had earlier said that in the “win-win” setup, workers will be hired by service providers and agencies as regulars, receiving full benefits such as leave credits, 13th month pay as well as retirement, social security and health insurance plans, among others.

MMDA pushes night markets

By Joel E. Zurbano METRO Manila Development Authority officer-in-charge Thomas Orbos urged local government units to consider putting up night markets to provide sidewalk vendors a venue for their businesses during the holiday season.

Orbos came up with the idea as the agency resumed its campaign clearing sidewalks and major roads of illegal vendors and other obstruction which contribute to the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila, especially with the onset of the Christmas season.

“During Christmas season, we have plenty of shoppers and merchants but definitely we need to clear the roads for the majority. So, our focus is to clear the sidewalks. We don’t want them to miss that livelihood opportunity but they need to be regulated,”he said.

The MMDA, according to Orbos, will assist Metro Manila mayors in setting up night markets and provide proper places for merchants to keep them off the sidewalks.

The agency is considering the areas of Balintawak and Cubao, both in Quezon City, and Rotunda and Baclaran in Pasay City as among the places where they can put up the night markets.

TIGERS OF THE TIMES. Zoo owner Manny Tangco shows off Tiger Duterte and Tiger Leni to celebrate World Animal Day on Oct. 4 and World Teachers Day on Oct. 5 at the Malabon Zoo and Aquarium. Andrew Rabulan

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Slaughter-happy

W

e wonder how the President’s spokesmen and spin doctors can turn this one around. If they still can.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday likened himself to Adolf Hitler who exterminated six million Jews during World War II. Perhaps he got his facts wrong, or perhaps he was trying to soften the blow when he said the number was only 3 million. Three million is also the number of drug

addicts in the Philippines he said he would be “happy to slaughter.”

According to the President, he would exterminate the millions of drug addicts to finish the problems of the country and save the next generation from perdition.

Already the reference to Hitler has raised concern among Filipinos and foreigners alike. The vow to kill criminals who are also likely drug dealers and drug users is one thing. The expression of desire to kill

millions could well be seen as intent to commit genocide.

Already many have described Duterte’s evocation of Hitler’s unspeakable deeds as unacceptable, obscene and troubling. We agree with all these and with a little more trepidation because this man will determine the course of our nation for the next six years. We are bound by what he says and does.

Then again, this President does not appear to care what anybody thinks of the words coming out of his mouth.

We thought the Holocaust deniers—those who would not recognize that this tragedy even occurred in the first place, much less acknoweldge the lessons humankind has to learn from it—were bad enough.

Now with a jolt we are made aware that our own President does more than deny the extermination of the Jews. He actually believes he could do as Hitler does.

If this is the case, why even construct drug rehabilitation centers? Why

even employ professionals to help treat and restore those who by their wrong choices became dependent on illegal drugs?

There is bound to be some clarification. There always is, after an explosive statement such as this one. We doubt, however, if anything can still erase the initial impact of Mr. Duterte’s words, or the lasting impression that our President is controversial, unpredictable and, on so many counts, just plain wrong.

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

‘Smaller and Smaller Circles’ soon to be a movie

A horror story LONG STORY SHORT ADELLE CHUA I WOULD like to testify in Congress. It was me in the sex video.

These are the words that have made their way into the status updates of some Facebook users in the past few days. The words convey indignation and outrage over the fact that some lawmakers are even considering playing the sex video, allegedly of Senator Leila de Lima and her paramour, during a hearing at the House of Representatives.

The hearing is supposed to look into the senator’s links to the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. De Lima, as justice secretary during the

previous administration, had direct supervision over the national penitentiary. Some high-profile convicts in the maximum security compound of the prison have tagged De Lima as their protector so they could continue their trade—in exchange for huge amounts of money that funded her senatorial run and allowed her to lead a life of luxury.

President Rodrigo Duterte swears he is in possession of the damning sex video establishing the relationship between De Lima and the paramour who also supposedly acted as her bagman. He also swears that the senator will go to jail for screwing the nation.

House leader Pantaleon Alvarez seems to agree there is nothing wrong with showing the video during the probe.

But why? Even if it were De Lima in it, it would not establish the drug connection. It will show two consenting adults having sex, but there will be no conversations about money from drugs.

By all means, haul her to court and, if found guilty, throw her in jail.

Until then...

The physical attributes of the characters are also immaterial.

Consider these inspiring words from two lawmakers, styling themselves as beacons

of morality and good taste: “You did not yet see the video? You are lucky; you did not see a horror story,” the prolife, Buhay Party-List Rep. Lito Atienza reportedly said. “I have seen it, and the performers were ugly.”

Rep. Danilo Suarez, who was all praises for the male partner, is said to have chimed in: “If it were pleasing to the eye, it would be all right. Otherwise, let’s not show it.”

Ah, these macho men. De Lima is branded a slut for carrying on with a married man.

How many stories do we hear, on the other hand, about male officials having more than one partner? It’s a badge of honor, of course, a stamp of virility. The double standards are revolting.

And on Wednesday, when De Lima called a press conference

and aired her sentiments, she is said to have “lost it.” She was hysterical, no longer able to hide her anger and frustration at being singled out in this crazy, crazy war against drugs. And just because she does not look like a movie star, her outburst mostly elicited ridicule, not sympathy.

But when the chief executive lashes out at anybody, threatens to slaughter millions and generally says what he wants even without regard for the sensibilities of others, he is applauded: This is the nononsense, take-no-prisoners, macho man we all need in our lives. Aren’t we so lucky to have him? *** In this fight against corruption and illegal drugs, the gender, Turn to next page

“THERE are no serial killers in the Philippines.”

So says one of the characters in F. H. Batacan’s Smaller and Smaller Circles, adapted for film by Ria Limjap and now in post-production.

Regarded as the first Philippine detective novel, SASC was first published in novella form in 2002. It received the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, the Philippine National Book Award, and the MadrigalGonzalez Best First Book Award. Many millennials will recognize it as required reading in some college literature classes.

Last August 2015, it was released internationally last August 2015 by Soho Crime, New York, after Batacan expanded her award-winning work into a novel.

The novel’s protagonist is Father Gus Saenz, a sensitive and intelligent Jesuit.

Because of his expertise in forensic anthropology, the head of the National Bureau of Investigation asks him to investigate a series of grisly murders.

Saenz follows the track of a serial killer who preys on young boys and leaves their mutilated bodies at the Payatas dumpsite. In his investigation he is aided by fellow priest and protégé Jerome Lucero, a psychologist.

As a reflection of Philippine life and society, the characterizations are accurate. Saenz with his advanced education and sophisticated interests, is of the upper-middle class, his looks a nod to the colonial presence: He is “tall, a little over six feet… he has angular mestizo features… [and] rock star hair.” He reads Lacan and Malinowski, listens to Glenn Gould and The Clash. Yet his sojourn abroad and eclectic tastes do not divert him from the religion of conservative Filipinos of his class.

With class guilt comes altruism: his main frustration is the lack of true justice in a country swayed by influence and politics.

Turn to next page

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Shimmers of hope

The people’s currency

By Justina Lee CHINA is an economic giant, but its money is still a bit of a runt.

Unlike the US dollar, euro and British pound, it’s little used away from home. The No. 1 exporter has kept its currency off world markets in the past and still restricts buying and selling. That’s walled off China from boom-and-bust capital flows and kept its goods cheap. Now it has reason to loosen the grip on the renminbi, which means “the people’s currency,” and is better known by the name for its biggest unit, called yuan.

To fuel a slowing economy, attract foreign capital and back rising political ambitions, China is promoting the use of the yuan throughout the world, a slow-moving process known as internationalization. It’s one of the biggest changes since the creation of the euro, a beckoning bonanza for bankers and traders —as well as a threat to China’s stability.

The situation

Playing on a swing made from remnants of exploded rockets, Douma, September 2016. AFP

By Sameer al-Doumy, Abd Doumany DOUMA, Syria—Photographing daily life is an escape. It takes me away from the reality of war.

My favorite is taking pictures of children playing and laughing.

It helps me forget the horrors of war.

My favorite picture is of children playing on swings on Feb. 27, 2016. It was the first day of the ceasefire in Syria. It was the first day that we didn’t hear the sounds of bullets and airplanes, the first day we didn’t see images of bombings and blood.

I wish I didn’t have to take pictures of massacres. I wish no massacres were taking place, so that we wouldn’t have to even consider photographing such horrific things.

Seeing people suffer is a

huge burden for me. It’s not something that you see once and then forget, it’s something that stays with you for the rest of your life and weighs heavily on your heart.

Photographing people when they are enduring the worst suffering of their lives is not a pleasure for me or for them. They are scared, panicked, and worried about their loved ones. All they want to know is whether their relatives are dead or alive.

Having someone photograph their fear and misery isn’t exactly a pleasure.

After months of continued bombardments and massacres, and days of dead and wounded children, I never would have imagined that I would see children’s faces with smiles on them. I was so happy when

I saw them having fun and playing without a care.

Of course there is a big difference in the way people react to you, depending on the situation. In daily life situations, people react positively to me, they show their happiness.

When I am covering destruction and bombing, they react differently, as they are living through a rough moment. I understand and respect their feelings. Daily life photography gets me closer to people and helps me share their happiness and pain.

To me, photographing “ordinary” things is a remedy for my wounded soul. War has shattered my country. These small “normal” images help me piece together that shattered image of a “normal” life, a life that we no longer know.

I carry my camera with me wherever I go so that I can capture these rare moments.

There’s so much beauty in my country, despite the war.

I think that daily life pictures have more of an effect on people living inside Syria, than pictures of war. Syrians are tired of this war. They live it daily and they are in dire need to take their minds off the hard times they are living through.

When the war ends, I would like to finish my studies, but I will continue to work in photography, which has become my passion. I think I will focus on people’s lives after the war, how the war affected them psychologically and physically and how they are living with that. I’d like to photograph rebuilding Syria from scratch.

AFP

From Oct. 1, the yuan will join four other currencies in the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights, a kind of overdraft account it holds for global central banks. It is a milestone that analysts have estimated could trigger a $1 trillion switch into Chinese assets. Yet there’s a long way to go for the currency: China accounts for more than 10 percent of world trade, but less than 2 percent of global payments are made in yuan. Private investors —both Chinese and non-Chinese—can legally move their money in and out of the mainland only through approved programs and in limited amounts.

The weaker economy has put downward pressure on the yuan in 2016, prompting China to step up intervention and its central bank governor to make a rare public declaration supporting the currency. China had surprised global markets in August 2015 with its first major devaluation since 1994, prompting speculation that it would further weaken the yuan to support exporters. That speculation has continually tested a pledge by China last year to give market forces a bigger role in determining the exchange rate.

The country has burned through foreign reserves and reversed a trend of loosening capital controls in a bid to halt the yuan’s slide and stem capital outflows.

In potentially its most extreme step, the central bank drafted rules for a tax on foreign exchange transactions. In a bid to become less tied to the US dollar, authorities this year began using a basket of trade partners’ currencies to help determine the yuan’s daily fixing, a move that has made the exchange rate more predictable.

The background

China has been reluctant to open its doors throughout history; a scornful 1793 letter from the emperor to King George III dismisses all requests to ease restrictions on British traders.

The economy was closed to non-socialist countries under Mao Zedong for 30 years and then China started liberalizing at its own pace, an approach the late leader Deng Xiaoping called “crossing the river by feeling the stones.” In 1994, it set a fixed rate for the yuan against the US dollar, a peg that endured for a decade.

Why science should be for everyone EVERYMAN

By Pecier Decierdo IN 1883, the English philosopher William Whawell coined the term “scientist.” Up to that point, many of the historical figures we now call scientists called themselves “natural philosophers.”

Almost all of those natural philosophers, and even many of those who would later identify themselves as scientists, did not get paid to do science. For them, science was a hobby.

Antoine Lavoisier, considered the“father of modern chemistry,” was a tax and customs administrator who used the wealth he accumulated to fund the research he did with his wife Marie-Anne at their home. Ada Lovelace, considered the “first computer programmer,” was a countess whose affluence gave her the leisure to pursue her research in mathematics and computation. Charles Darwin was a paying passenger aboard the HMS Beagle. He was not even the official naturalist of the ship; the title goes to the surgeon Robert McCormick.

Instead, Darwin served as the gentleman companion of the ship’s captain. This gave him the free time to roam and muse over what would later become the theory of evolution by natural selection. The ship’s captain, by the way, was Robert

Book...

From B1 As Saenz and Lucero seek to unravel the mystery, they are hampered by political infighting.

Acting against them out of envy and ambition is NBI lawyer Ben Arcinas, whose manicured nails, badly-dyed hair, and arrogant manners make him recognizable as a cliché bureaucrat. But such people are all too common in the realities of Philippines society; Arcinas is drawn from real life.

FitzRoy, a pioneer of modern meteorology; he coined the term “forecast.”

The central role science plays in our daily lives makes it hard for us modern people to imagine that world, not so long ago, when pushing the boundaries of the unknown was something ladies and gentlemen did during their free time. The concept of a professional scientist, a person who earns a living by advancing our knowledge in a specific aspect of nature, is a very new one, newer even than the word “scientist.” As far as concepts go, however, it is a very powerful one.

The establishment of science as a profession allows for the more focused training of specialists and more concentrated funding of their activities. It also allows society to expect from its scientists a certain level of competence and dedication in their field. By accelerating the growth of knowledge and its application, the concept of the professional scientists essentially helped in created the modern world.

It is therefore not surprising why professional scientists, from astronomers to zoologists, enjoy a special status in modern society. We look up to them, respect them, and, ideally, listen to their advice on their field of expertise. Recently, we even started finding them cool.

As someone who has some training in science, I think it is warranted (for the most part, at least).

But for all its value, we shouldn’t let this development blind us from some very important facts: First, that the desire to know how the world around us works is a deeply human desire, and that we can and should all participate in it, whether we are paid to do so or not.

Second, that the project of figuring out our place in the scheme of the things and improving our collective lot is undertaken by our species as a whole. Every time a child asks a question such as why the sky is blue or where babies come from, they are revealing how innate the desire to understand how the world works is.

Our distant ancestors who looked up into the night sky and wondered what the stars were made of often came up with myths and legends instead of scientific theories.

Their contemporaries who experimented with breeding plants and animals were right on many things but were wrong on more.

But theirs were the first, stumbling steps in a journey that took us to the particle accelerators of CERN and the space probes of NASA. We have gone a long, long way from the myths, legends, hits, and misses of

our predecessors. We still have a long way to go, but we will only get there if we, as a society, understand science as a human endeavor we should all care and be interested about, whether we’re professional scientists or not.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege to be entertaining such interests.

As it was in the 18th and 19th century, science is still often for those who have the leisure to think lofty thoughts. For so many people, the desire to know is overshadowed by the desperation to survive. In a world where many of our day-to-day decisions require an understanding of science, having so many people ignorant of science is a tragedy.

That is why the work of making the public appreciate science cannot be separated from the work of giving everyone equal opportunity to appreciate science.

Perhaps the answer to this problem also lies in science.

Maybe we can start gathering the tools to chip away at this mountain of a problem from fields ranging from game theory to neuroscience to behavioral psychology. If we can, then we should. Because, as I hope you agree, science should be for everyone.

Saenz and Lucero are not alone in their quest for the truth.

Joanna Bonifacio, a former student of Saenz’s, works for a major media network and supplies Saenz with crucial information.

Batacan depicts the murders as brutal and gruesome as any in the genre. Saenz’s appeal is that he treats each body not merely as a victim, but as an individual, and it is his humanity that provides a contrast to the malevolence of the crimes.

The pace starts slow but picks up after the first quarter of the book. This expanded version fleshes out the psychological motivations of the antagonist and shows that serial killers could very well be active in the Philippines, especially in vulnerable communities.

In SASC, Batacan point out that because no murder cases have been identified as serial killer cases, this does not mean there are no serial killers in the Philippines. Her novel is a

sharp indictment of the present situation and an advocacy for an effective, just, and incorruptible investigative system.

The other mystery that we want answers to is when Batacan will follow up this sterling debut with a sequel.

While waiting, we can satisfy ourselves with the book, and in time, the movie.

(Pecier Decierdo is a science communicator for The Mind Museum.)

Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember

After China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, selected foreign institutional investors were permitted to buy yuan-denominated stocks in limited amounts. The yuan’s peg was dropped in 2005 and then unofficially slapped back on in 2008 to insulate China from the global financial crisis. In 2010, China’s economy overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest and yuan use took off.

The country’s leaders aim to make the yuan convertible by 2020.

More than a dozen countries are vying to become yuan trading hubs and have signed emergency swap agreements. China is also leading the charge to create the first new international development bank in decades. Inside China, the yuan can trade 2 percent above or below a daily fixing set by the government; a freely traded offshore rate tracks it.

The argument

The yuan’s advance into global markets demonstrates President Xi Jinping’s ambition to challenge the hegemony of the dollar and a global economic order dominated by the US and Europe.

Inclusion in the IMF’s reserve-currency basket is expected to accelerate the pace of reform. The US, which had scolded China on and off for decades for keeping the exchange rate weak to boost exports, no longer calls the currency “significantly undervalued” and backed its bid for reserve status.

A more widely used currency would raise China’s influence in setting prices of commodities from oil to iron ore and give individuals and companies on the mainland more choice with their savings. As the yuan makes the long march to convertibility, China becomes vulnerable to swings in the currency and money flows that could aggravate its economic slowdown. Bloomberg

A horror...

From B1 sexual preference and physical attributes of the accused should not even be an issue.

By all means, prosecute De Lima and get to the heart of her supposed involvement in the drug trade. Do this, not through the testimonies of witnesses who have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude, but through an irrefutable money trail that points to her and her alone.

By all means, if this were true, shame De Lima for her hypocrisy in championing the so-called Daang Matuwid. Say this is her comeuppance for fiercely going after former President Gloria Arroyo and the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona even if she had to come up with tales and defy the highest court of the land.

By all means, bring her to court. But ensure a swift and fair trial that relies on evidence

and not the whims of politics and personal vendetta.

And if she were indeed guilty, then send her to jail and keep her there.

But do not ridicule her because she is with this or that particular partner, or because she is neither young nor attractive, or because she chose to show what she was truly feeling when we are so tolerant of, and so quick to make excuses for, men who are/do the same.

The country’s drug problem is serious, and the manner in which we need to address it has become divisive. Think about all the other equally critical and far-reaching concerns we are facing. And then ask: To what depths have we descended?

That we should spend an inordinate amount of time and effort wallowing in sleaze amid all these is the horror story we must all survive. adellechua@gmail.com

World UN probes Syria aid convoy bombing UNITED NATIONS—UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced he is setting up a board of inquiry to investigate the bombing of an aid convoy in Syria last week that killed 18 people.

US officials have said that Russian planes carried out the air strikes on September 19 that hit the 31-truck convoy bringing aid to a town west of the besieged city of Aleppo.

Moscow has denied the accusation and the Russian military is carrying out its own investigation of the bombing that destroyed 18 trucks and damaged a warehouse.

The internal UN panel “will ascertain the facts of the incident” and report to Ban, who will “decide what further steps to take,” said a UN statement.

Ban urged all sides to fully cooperate with the probe.

The United Nations has warned that the attack on the aid convoy could amount to a war crime.

UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien told the Security Council on Thursday that the area around the convoy that was “clearly marked UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent” became a “killing zone” during two hours of heavy bombing.

The strikes on the convoy in Urum al-Kubra claimed the life of the local head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Omar Barakat, as well as 12 volunteers and five drivers.

Another 15 drivers were wounded, many civilians were killed and wounded, and the warehouse as well as a nearby medical clinic severely damaged, O’Brien said.

The aid chief stressed that all actors on the ground were informed of the convoy’s movement in line with UN procedures for all deliveries of humanitarian assistance.

“We do not yet have all the details,” O’Brien said. “However, it is not too early to make clear the consequences of this shameful attack.” AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TODAY

Palestinian, Israeli leaders shake hands J

ERUSALEM—The gathering of world leaders for Friday’s funeral of Israel’s ex-president Shimon Peres featured a rare show of Israel-Palestinian detente, US President Barack Obama’s attempt at Hebrew and just a touch of humor.

MOURNERS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) shaking hands with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at the funeral of Israel’s former president and prime minister Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Friday. AFP

On arrival at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl national cemetery, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who knew Peres well and had negotiated with him, shook hands with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu before exchanging pleasantries with him and his wife, Sara.

The last substantial public meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu was in 2010, though there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then.

The rare gesture sparked debate among Palestinians.

Under heavy security, with roads closed and thousands of officers deployed, dozens of world leaders descended on Mount Herzl accompanied by a small army of officials, aides and bodyguards.

Before proceedings began, the master of ceremonies felt compelled to remind the distinguished gathering as they greeted each other that they were at a funeral.

Britain’s Prince Charles was present, though not in an official capacity, and no Arab leader save from Abbas attended.

Netanyahu acknowledged that he and his “political adversary” Peres had not always seen eye to eye but the prime minister was soon overcome with emotion.

His brother Yoni was killed 40 years ago during an operation to free Israeli hostages in Uganda.

Yoni was buried at Mount Herzl by then-defense minister, Shimon Peres.

as the “most beneficial and most practical” for Hong Kong.

“One country, two systems needs each and every Hong Kong resident to defend it to their utmost,” Leung said.

He also encouraged young Hong Kongers to visit China, saying there was “deep kinship” between the two sides.

A group of pro-democracy lawmakers interrupted the speech shouting: “CY step down!”. Security escorted them from the hall at the harbourfront convention centre, with one district councillor carried out.

Veteran Democratic Party legislator James To, among the protesters, said Leung had “caused divisions in the city and has made Hong Kongers feel they can’t go on (with Leung in charge).”

Several new legislators who won seats in elections last month and are calling for self-determination and independence for Hong Kong boycotted the event.

Former protest leader Nathan

Law, who at 23 is the youngest ever member of the Legislative Council, said he stayed away because of what he described as China’s human rights violations.

“As long as they don’t recognise that what they are doing is wrong, we shouldn’t go and celebrate this kind of holiday,” Law said, listing the Cultural Revolution and the disappearance last year of five booksellers from Hong Kong as among the incidents.

The booksellers worked for a publishing house known for salacious titles about Beijing leaders. All surfaced in detention in China.

Law led mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 which failed to win concessions from Beijing. He is now calling for self-determination for the city.

Since the 2014 rallies, there have been increasing demands for a break from China.

Newly elected pro-independence lawmaker Yau Wai-ching also boycotted. AFP

FULL-DRESS. South Korean honor guards stand to attention during a commemoration event marking South Ko-

rea’s Armed Forces Day at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province on Saturday. AFP

2 Qaeda members

ADEN—A drone strike has killed two suspected members of AlQaeda in central Yemen, a local government official said on Friday.

The official said the two men were lying under a tree in Rada, Bayda province, on Thursday when they were hit by an air strike.

Washington is the only government to operate drones over Yemen, but the United States only sporadically releases statements on its longrunning bombing campaign against the country’s powerful Al-Qaeda branch.

On Wednesday, it acknowledged conducting drone strikes against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) last week, killing four members of the group -- two of them in Bayda.

The United States considers Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based franchise AQAP to be its most dangerous.

“US Central Command continues to protect the US, its allies and partners from these threats by denying Yemen as a haven for AQAP,” Army Major Josh Jacques, US Central Command spokesman, has said.

AQAP and the Islamic State (IS) group have exploited a power vacuum created by the conflict between the government and Iran-backed Huthi rebels to expand their presence in Yemen, especially in the south and southeast.

In main southern city Aden, where the government has its headquarters, gunmen killed an intelligence officer as he left Friday prayers, a security official said.

The source said the attackers were believed to be IS militants, adding that the killing came a day after an airport officer was wounded when a bomb planted in his car exploded in the city. AFP

Former US president Bill Clinton, a black kippa cap atop his white hair, welled up as he fondly remembered Israel’s elder statesman.

“He started off life as Israel’s brightest student, became its best teacher, and ended up its biggest dreamer,” he said.

Two decades ago, Clinton’s memorable eulogy at the funeral of assassinated Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin -- who along with Peres won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Oslo Accords -- ended with the words “Shalom Haver” (“Goodbye, my friend”).

Peres’s favorite prayer, “Avinu Malkeinu,” was performed by Israeli artist David d’Or. Chemi, one of Peres’s two sons, broke down within the first few bars, hiding tears with hands pressed to his face.

His other son, Yoni, used his comments to poke gentle fun at his father’s advanced age, saying the 93-year-old former president was “too young to die.”

Peres’s daughter Tsvia recalled her father’s favorite dish, a tomato and cucumber salad prepared by his wife Sonia, who died in 2011.

“Toda Raba Haver Yakar,” US President Barack Obama said during his turn at the lectern -“Thank you, my dear friend.”

Also wearing the traditional Jewish kippa, Obama invoked a parallel between his path and that of Peres, who was born in a tiny Jewish “shtetl” in rural Poland. APF

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal

HK leader urges unity with China Drone kills HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s leader called on the city to unite behind its current political system Saturday in the face of increasing calls for independence from China, as protesters were bundled from the auditorium where he was speaking.

Leung Chun-ying was giving an annual address as part of National Day celebrations which mark the founding of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Zedong in 1949, after communist forces won a civil war on the mainland.

Hong Kong is governed under a semi-autonomous “one country, two systems” arrangement -- a deal made when the city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.

The agreement protects Hong Kong’s freedoms for 50 years, but there are growing fears those liberties are being eroded by Beijing, leading to increasing tensions.

Leung described the system

B3

Manila

Standard

INVITATION TO BID The Department of Education, Region IV-A, through the 2016 General Appropriation Act intends to apply the sum of Twenty Seven Million Nine Hundred Ninety Eight Thousand Four Hundred Pesos (Php27,998,400.00) only being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to eligible payments under the contract for the provision of venue for the Board & Lodging of the participants to the School Heads Development Program Foundational Course - 2nd Tranche. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Cluster A

ABC Php15,321,600.00

Batch

No. of Participants

No. of Training Management

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Batch 1

312 (6 classes)

24

Nov. 6 - 12, 2016

Nov. 20 - 26, 2016

Dec. 4-10, 2016

Batch 2

312 (6 classes)

24

Nov. 13 -19,2016

Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2016

Dec. 11 - 17, 2016

Batch

No. of Participants

No. of Training Management

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Batch 1

258 (5 classes)

20

Nov. 6 - 12, 2016

Nov. 20 - 26, 2016

Dec. 4-10, 2016

Batch 2

258 (5 classes)

20

Nov. 13 -19,2016

Nov. 27 - 30, 2016

Dec. 11 - 17, 2016

Cluster B

ABC Php12,676,800.00

The Department of Education Region IV-A, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), now invites bids for the herein-mentioned Goods. Bidders must have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project with an amount of at least 50% of the ABC to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, i.e ., in Section II, Instructions to Bidders. Bids received that exceed the ABC shall be rejected at bid opening .

Contract duration------------November 6, 2016 to December 17, 2016 Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be inspected or purchased at DepED IV-A BAC Secretariat, located at Supply Office, Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal upon accomplishing a bidder’s information sheet and payment in cash of a non-refundable fee by interested bidders in the amount of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (PhP15,000.00) to the DepED IV-A Cashier. Only bidders who purchased the Bidding Documents will be allowed to submit bids.

It may be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS), www.philgeps.net. and the website of the Procuring Entity, www.depedcalabarzon.gov. provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The schedule and venue of the procuring activities are as follows: Activity

Date and Time

Venue

Issuance of Bidding Documents

From October 4, 2016 to October 20, 2016 8:00am to 5:00pm (Mon . -Fri.)

DepED IV-A Director’s Conference Room

Pre-Bid Conference

October 7,2016 -10:00 a.m.

-same

Submission and Opening of Bids

October 20, 2016-10:00 a.m.

DepED IV-A Director’s Conference Room

Prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to order or download the electronic copy of the Bidding Documents from the PhilGEPS website: www.philgeps.net. for them to be included in the Document Request List of the project The pre-bid conference is open-to-all interested parties who may have or have not bought the bidding documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address and on the date and time stated herein. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the ITB Clause 18. A valid Bid Securing Declaration must accompany the bid(s) in lieu of a bid security.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the opening of bids at the address, date and time stated herein. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The DepED Region IV-A reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract(s), or annul the bidding process without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Ann Geralyn T. Pelias BAC Chairman Virginia o. Bagacay BAC Secretariat DepEDIV-A Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal 6458406 (SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS BAC Chairman M S - O C T. 2 , 2 016)

B4

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 mstdaydesk @gmail.com.ph

World SERVER

Hillary beats Donald in Fox poll

The Democrat and former secretary of state bested her Republican rival by three percentage points in a Fox News poll which showed her ahead 43 to 40 percent.

Although Clinton’s lead is within the poll’s three percentage point margin of error, it shows a bump for Clinton, who beat Trump by only one percentage point in the same poll two weeks ago.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein polled at eight and four percent respectively.

The nationwide results come as Clinton’s numbers improve in a number of critical swing states following the debate.

Florida -- with its prodigious number of electoral votes -- has swung back toward Clinton since Monday’s political showdown, polling shows, offering her a tantalizing opening to reach the White House.

Meanwhile a Detroit NewsWDIV-TV four-way matchup conducted in the battleground state of Michigan found Clinton leading Trump by seven per-

centage points after the debate.

The first of three, the debate was the most watched in US history with 84 million people tuning in, according to a Nielsen tally.

During the clash the Democrat frequently forced her prickly opponent on the back foot over judgment, taxes, foreign policy and terrorism.

But American voters do not particularly like either candidate and many are still undecided.

The Fox News poll found that 53 percent had an unfavorable opinion of Clinton, while 55 percent view Trump in a negative light.

The number of voters who find Trump honest and trustworthy, meanwhile, sank eight points since mid-September to 31 percent.

Clinton’s numbers remain relatively unchanged: 35 percent now find her honest and trustworthy compared to 34 percent two weeks ago.

The Fox News poll interviewed 1,009 registered voters, and includes results among 911 likely voters. It was carried out Tuesday through Thursday. AFP

Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks on national service at Sunrise Theater on Friday in Fort Pierce, Florida. AFP

W

ASHINGTON--Hillary Clinton has pulled ahead of presidential rival Donald Trump in a new national poll out Friday, just days after her strong showing in the first televised debate.

Orchestra goes on strike at gala NEW YORK—Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra went on strike Friday moments before donors opened a black-tie gala, in the latest labor unrest in the tightbelted US classical music world.

With dramatic timing, the musicians’ union voted to strike as guests arrived for an annual opening night gala to support the institution, traditionally considered one of the big five orchestras in the United States.

The musicians held up picket signs at the door rather than play at the gala, where they would have performed a selection under its star conductor Yannick Ne-

zet-Seguin, a Canadian recently named as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

The musicians’ union in a statement said that the performers were not “greedy” but wanted to end a “downward spiral” and attract top talent who could instead go to other orchestras.

“We make no apology for wanting to be well compensated when we have devoted countless hours of hard work to achieving a level of musicianship which has placed us at the very top of our profession,” the union said in a statement.

The musicians said that they reluctantly accepted multiple

Infra funding urged after train crash NEW YORK—This week’s train crash at a major transport hub to Manhattan -the fifth deadly US rail accident in under three years -- spotlighted safety concerns and chronic underinvestment in America.

One woman was killed and more than 100 people injured when a commuter train traveling “at a high rate of speed” plowed into the station at Hoboken, New Jersey during the morning rush hour on Thursday.

Experts said it was miraculous that more people were not killed given that the train was carrying 250 passengers and the first carriage flew into the air before slamming into the interior wall of the terminal, collapsing portions of the roof.

Investigators said Friday that it could take days before they can comment on the cause of the crash, but experts highlighted safety problems and sluggish investment in upgrading railroads in a country where most people travel by car or plane.

Thursday’s destruction marked the fourth deadly rail crash in less than three years on the East Coast alone.

New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie, a prominent ally in Donald Trump’s race to become president, in July temporarily shut down $2.7 billion worth of New Jersey Transit projects in a political dispute with state Democrats.

His transportation official denied any culpability in Thursday’s crash, saying that no safety or maintenance expense had been affected.

But New Jersey Transit, which ferries hundreds of thousands of commuters to and from work each week, has suffered from poor investment for years. AFP

wage cuts even though the orchestra came out of bankruptcy more than four years ago.

The management said it offered a package that included annual pay increases of two percent for the next three years off annual base pay of $127,608.

Orchestra president Allison Vulgamore said in a statement that the strike was “naturally disappointing” but said the institution was making progress and hoped for a deal soon with the union.

US classical music institutions, which rely heavily on donors in contrast to European counterparts which enjoy substantial

public funding, have struggled to stabilize their finances since the 2008 financial crisis.

The Minnesota Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in recent years have both locked out their musicians amid contract disputes.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the most internationally minded US classical institutions, in 1973 becoming the first US orchestra to perform in China.

It went on another extensive tour in May of China and Japan and next year plans to be the first Western orchestra to perform in Mongolia. AFP

FAIREST Actress AnnaLynne McCord attends Knott’s Scary Farm Black Carpet Party, in Buena Park, California, on Friday.

AFP

Jolie grants Pitt visit rights to 3 children LOS ANGELES—Angelina Jolie has reached a temporary agreement with Brad Pitt giving her custody of their six children and granting him visiting rights, reports said on Friday.

Several celebrity gossip outlets reported that the divorcing couple were persuaded to agree to the detente by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Both will both get one-onone counseling while Pitt has to undergo drug and alcohol testing, TMZ said, despite already voluntarily submitting to a test which came back negative.

Jolie will have physical custody of the six children -- three of whom are adopted -- while Pitt gets a first visit under the supervision of a therapist who will decide how to proceed in the coming weeks.

“This is a completely voluntary agreement, and it is not an order or a mandate of any kind, nor is it any determination of custody,” entertainment website People quoted an unnamed source as saying.

It said the plan was effective

up until October 20 and that the children would remain with Jolie at a rented LA house.

Jolie, 41, filed for divorce on September 19 citing irreconcilable differences and seeking permanent custody of their children.

The A-listers -- given the celebrity monicker “Brangelina” -- wed in France in August two years ago, but had been a couple since 2004.

The FBI has said it is gathering information before deciding whether to launch a federal probe into an alleged incident on a plane carrying Pitt and his children back from vacation in France.

It has not offered any details of the allegations but several US media outlets reported that Pitt had been involved in an angry outburst with at least one of his children.

Celebrity news organization “Entertainment Tonight” said on Thursday that Jolie’s team had brought in well-known crisis manager Judy Smith -- who was the inspiration for Kerry Washington’s character on “Scandal.” AFP

Hopeless French hail retro designs PARIS—Confident in style and lavish in its use of materials, French interior design from the 1950s and 60s exudes the postWorld War II era, with its boundless hope and prosperity.

For decades, this work has lingered in the shade but today -- when optimism seems to be in short supply -- it’s being hailed as a classic.

Design by the so-called French masters is commanding higher prices at auction than big Scandinavian names from the same era such as Finn Juhl or Peder Moos, says Paris auction house Artcurial.

In one extraordinary case, a“Trapeze” table made of folded metal

by Jean Prouve sold last year for 1.29 million euros ($1.45 million).

Since the 1950s, the table had stood in the canteen of a large student residence near Paris.

In 1983, the institute’s director decided to get rid of it, asking for “all the metal tables in the refectory to be replaced to make the cleaning easier,” recalls Emmanu-

el Berard, director of the design department at Artcurial.

“He didn’t even know who had made these tables!”

Equally sought after are the aluminium-and-wood bookshelves of Charlotte Perriand, which were designed to furnish student digs. A recent example of her work sold for $223,000.

Underpinning the design of the “French mas ters” is the need to combine flair with social needs, say art historians.

“These are people who worked in mass production, whose career was helped by the post-war reconstruction, in an era when they had to build a huge number of homes and fill them with mass-produced furniture,” explains Berard.

Pieces from Chandigarh, the city in northern India which was designed and built in the 1950s

by Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier -- and was recently listed as a World Heritage Site -- generate a similar passion. AFP

C1

Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick T. dela Cruz, Issue Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com

Golfer wins F

business deals on the greens

OR businessman Salvador “Buddy” Zamora II, golf is the language of business.

“In golf, that’s where you transact the most business. I learned this from the Japanese. I have been partner with Japanese [businessmen] for more than 40 years. You close more deals in the golf course than in the boardroom,” Zamora says in an interview at Shangri La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City during the announcement of an exhibition match between Filipino-Australian Jason Day, the world’s number one golfer and former number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

Zamora says foreign businessmen—particularly Japanese, Chinese and Koreans—prefer to talk business on the greens and the fairways. “When they find out that you are a fellow golfer, they warm up to you right away. It is like you speak the same language,” he says.

“The Japanese call it the ‘field meeting’,” says Zamora. He says it is easier to deal with foreigners in golf courses because “most of them are golfers.” Japan alone has 11 million golfers, says Zamora, a former president of Nickel Asia Corp., the country’s largest nickel producer which has Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. as a partner.

“It is different when you play with them because you develop camaraderie and it is not purely business in the boardroom,” Zamora says.

Zamora, who currently owns the Philippine license to the 2018 European Tour, is the promoter and executive producer of ‘Jason Vs Rory: Battle for a Cause’ presented

by PLDT Inc. and Smart. The golf champions will face off in an 18hole medal play exhibition match at the 36-hole Pradera Verde Golf Course in Lubao, Pampanga on Nov. 29.

Zamora—whose businesses span mining, fertilizer, renewable energy, hotel and resort development and real estate—is an avid fan of the game who travels the world following the greatest golfers to see them play. His two children and five grandchildren share

his passion for golf. His son actually volunteered to serve as a caddie and carry the golf clubs for Jason Day during the exhibition match.

Day, whose mother is from Leyte, lost a number of relatives during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. Proceeds of the entire event will be donated to local charity Alagang Kapatid.

Buddy, the younger brother of mining magnate Manuel “Manny” Zamora Jr. and politician Ronaldo “Ronnie” Zamora, is the chairman of Menlo Renewable Energy Corp., chairman of Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp. or PhilPhos, president of Cagdianao Mining Corp., former president of Nickel Asia Corp. and former chairman of Universal LRT Corp. Another company, Baguio Leisure Corp., used to own the Hyatt Terraces Hotel in Baguio City. He is also into property and resort development.

Recently, Zamora has signed a deal with Boulevard Holdings Inc. chairman Jose Marcel Panlilio to redevelop the 70-hectare Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club and build a 300room hotel in Ternate, Cavite.

Aside from being a businessman and a golfer, Zamora is a music lover. He has a huge collection of guitars and other musical instruments. “I love music and I actually have my own band,” he says.

Buddy Zamora considers Jason Day, being half-Filipino, as his favorite golfer, and plans to help other Filipinos achieve success on the greens.

Zamora, whose handicap is 18, is putting up a golf academy at Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club to train young Filipino golfers. “My vision is to continue bringing in world-class golfing events to the Philippines to thrill our golf enthusiasts and fans, giving them access to the game and the players that they love.

More than that, I want to nurture and support our next generation of Filipino golfers by creating opportunities and venues for them to obtain the funding and train-

ing that they need,” he says.

“You have to start them young, as young as 12. Once they qualify, you can see a lot of support from businessmen,” he says.

Zamora says the academy will start with 10 to 20 junior golfers.

“We have plans already. We will just duplicate the Golf Academy in the European Tour, which is based in Wentworth in England. I visited both the Wentworth facilities of the European Tour as well as the European PGA Tour in The Belfry,” he says.

Zamora plays golf at least twice a week at the exclusive Manila Golf & Country Club in Makati City, Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Mandaluyong City, Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City or Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

“When I started, I used to play three times a week. But golf is so time-constraining. So you have to make it sort of a business deal when you play, to make it worthwhile. I have a whole group. Requirement is that they play golf,” Zamora says.

He says a lot of Filipino businessmen already play golf in Manila Golf and Wack Wack, where they close business deals.

Zamora, 70, remains active in business with plans to revive Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club as a major tourist destination. He is in talks with hotel management companies for the development of a 300-room hotel in the area.

“Hopefully, with the redevelopment of the whole golf course, the real estate development will restart. It [Puerto Azul] is really a good tourist destination,” he says.

PhilPhos, the largest fertilizer company in the country, is also on its way to recovery, after incurring severe damage from typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. Zamora says he is in talks with an Indian company to rehabilitate the 128-hectare PhilPhos complex located in the 435-hectare Leyte Industrial Development Estate in Isabel, Leyte.

“We were hit by Yolanda. We are a victim of Yolanda. Our plant was leveled. We filed for the biggest

GOLFER.

Businessman Salvador Zamora II says he closes more business transactions in golf courses than in the boardroom.

insurance claim in Southeast Asian history—about $300 million. But we have yet to be paid,” he says.

PhilPhos is negotiating with 23 insurance companies and Lloyds of London, a major market for insurance products. “It is under negotiations, but they should be paying.

There are 23 insurance companies involved. This is reinsured with Lloyds of London,” he says.

Meanwhile, his newest company—Menlo Renewable Energy Corp.—plans to develop one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Luzon. “We have a big hydroelectric project in Quirino—about 320 megawatts. We are achieving financial closing already. It will be one of the biggest hydros in Luzon,” he says.

Menlo is also developing a 100MW solar facility that will supply part of the energy requirements of Clark Green City in Tarlac province.

“We are also going into LNG [lique-

fied natural gas]. We have a British partner,” he says.

Zamora advises other businessmen to pick up golf as a hobby.

“Everybody should be picking up golf because you can play golf at the end of your lifetime,” he says.

“Golf is lifetime. You are always learning. You don’t stop learning.”

The game, he says, also teaches discipline. “You have to be disciplined. You have to wake up at 6 in the morning. You have to find the time to play golf,” he says.

He says the discipline of golf can also be applied in business. “That’s where you learn the true personality of your business associates— their honesty or propensity to cheat or like how they treat their caddies, how they move in the golf course and comfort themselves.

That’s where you can find the genuine character of a person,” he says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

C2

Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Third-generation CEO sustains family business

By Jasmine Mira M. Dy and Aries F. Fallorina

C

ONCEPCION Industries Corp. chief executive Raul Joseph “Jojo” Concepcion says a strong focus on people is what sustains the growth of the 54-year-old company, considered the largest provider of cooling solutions in the country today.

“Our strategy is very simple. Position our business to capture growth when it happens and do what we need to build our capabilities ahead of the curve.

With an accelerating business growth, we need to start building capabilities.

Equally important is raising the bar in our commitment to service excellence to our customers, as well as developing engagement to our company,” Concepcion says during the Anvil Business Summit 2016 organized by the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs at Marriott Hotel Manila in Pasay City.

CIC is considered the largest manufacturing R&D investment facility in the Philippines. “Last year, our total revenues reached just under P11 billion with a market capital of P20 billion,” he says.

The Concepcions are now a vast business family. “We have 21 COOs [child of the owners], 69 of what I called COCOOs [children of the child of the owners], 3 COCOCOOs [children of the children of the child of the owners],” he says.

Concepcion, 54, says only 30 percent of the family business survived the transition from first generation to second, only 12 percent from second to third. Now, it is only four percent from third to fourth. He quotes the Chinese saying that “wealth does not pass three generations.”

“This means based on the law of average, the odds are that the statistics are against us. I belong to the third generation of Concepcion—the generation that will destroy the wealth or what we call ourselves the ‘destructors or destroyers,’” Concepcion says.

He succeeds his father who took over after the company patriarch Jose Concepcion Sr. Concepcion, who obtained a business administration degree from Simon Fraser University, says that “the third generation of Concepcion are still very close, believe in the same thing, share common values and still have family equities.”

“Our status in the business is always updated and so we form a family council that consists of different heads of the families to ensure the succession of the business,” Concepcion says.

Apart from his reassurances, Concepcion and his company’s positions and status show CIC as a booming business.

Jojo Concepcion, as what he is known, is the chairman of the board and CEO of CIC. He is also the chairman emeritus of Philippine Appliance Industry Association and president of Concepcion Carrier Air-conditioning Company, Concepcion Midea Inc. Phil-

ippines, Concepcion Durables Inc. and Concepcion Industries Inc. Concepcion Industry Inc. in 1962 has been taken over by siblings Raul (Jojo’s father), Mary and Rene during the ‘boom and bust’ times of the 80s and 90s and has since become Concepcion Industrial Corp. “We are the largest manufacturing R&D investment facility in the Philippines. Supported by nationwide sales, we are allied with two of the largest corporations in the world—United Technologies and Midea. We are the market leaders not only in numbers but also in minds of the customers. We are currently rated as the most trusted brand in the Philippine market,” Concepcion says.

In revenue, CIC went from P5 million in 1962 to P10.6 billion in 2015, which Concepcion describes as a “a big bulk, sizable growth in the past years.”

Concepcion reveals the four phases of the group’s journey starting 2011.

He says the first step is “building the strong foundation.”

“Before you can even think of growing, it is essential to build a strong foundation. The transfer of leadership to the next generation of owners and managers is critical for us. It is very important for the Concepcion family to threshold the 5th generation,” Concepcion says.

He says they focus to build leadership, highly-competent professionals, both local and people from abroad mixed with experienced family members. The next step is “redefining a purpose as well as setting guidelines.”

“We look closely in our businesses by examining our business models, redefining what our core businesses were, as well as our market strategy. Key pillars of the foundation that we need to put in place in order to grow our business are equally important so that the growth is sustained,” Concepcion says.

He says it’s important to know how to go to Point B. This will give “a better understanding on where we are now and the steps that we need to take,” he says.

“It’s about beginning with the end in mind. It is about understanding our destination. More importantly, the key to success is higher because you know what has to be done. Less distractions, less mistakes, better focus,” Concepcion says.

For CIC, he says they have already laid out their vision, “big and ambitious goals that will differentiate [them]” for 2020.

The real challenge, he says, is how to get there—the last phase. It is about “developing a road map to plan and the discipline to see the plan

Concepcion Industries Corp. chief executive Raul Joseph “Jojo” Concepcion through to the end.”

“Getting the organization and yourself to believe in your dream is the first challenge. It is important that you believe the journey to Point B is possible. We change as we go through the pursuit of our goals. The ability and the speed of growth is directly correlated in the organization’s ability to embrace and accept change,” Concepcion says.

Concepcion says CIC charted a road map to guide how they will change their plans, which includes strategic directions and different business models.

He is optimistic about the future.

There was never a time when the Philippines’ future is as bright as it looks

Businessman launches hybrid rice revolution SL AGRITECH Corp. launched Rice Revolution, a campaign dedicated to exploring how hybrid rice can be a sustainable choice for the Philippines.

Rice Revolution is SLAC’s effort in gearing farmers to convert from inbred to hybrid seeds as a solution to the challenge of attaining rice self-sufficiency and increasing rice yields in limited space.

“A rice revolution is just what we need. If we use hybrid, we can be competitive and self-sufficient in terms of rice production. We won’t have to import rice in the days to come,” said SLAC chairman Henry Lim. Lim, dubbed the ‘father of Philippine hybrid rice,’ developed the first hybrid rice variety in the Philippines, SL-8H. He is coming forward to share his knowledge and expertise to Filipino farmers to grow nutritious rice varieties and help generate adequate rice supply.

“Hybrid rice farming is key to creating a strong agricultural sector. Even for the same amount of fertilizer, hybrid rice seeds can yield more compared to inbred. And because hybrid seeds are deeply rooted in the soil, they are more resilient during floods allowing farmers to grow rice seeds during dry and wet

seasons and earn more while producing high-quality rice for consumers,” said Lim. While it requires greater attention, a key advantage of hybrid rice farming is that it uses 15 to 18 kilograms of seeds per hectare and 60 percent less water compared to traditional rice varieties that use 80 to 120 kg of seeds per hectare and 5,000 liters of water per kilo produced.

“The revolution already began changing the rural landscape in Central Luzon and it needs to keep going if we really want to be self-sufficient,” said Lim. SLAC is working in collaboration with entities from neighboring Asian countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea and also began exporting rice seeds to the United States and the Middle East.

SLAC is also the country’s pioneer in hybrid rice research and development, producing the popular hybrid rice seed SL-8H, which has helped uplift the lives of many Filipino farmers through higher rice yield.

It produces the Dona Maria premium SL Agritech Corp. chairman Henry Lim rice varieties Miponica and Jasponica.

Bobby Murphy

today, and that the Philippine economy will achieve further growth within the next few years, he says.

“We reached the inflection point— the point where the business and market dramatically change. We expect the Philippine market to triple over the next five years. Already in 2014, 2015 and 2016, we see the market growth accelerate to territories not seen before [15 to 25 percent growth rate],” Concepcion says.

He says the last four to five years saw an expansion of the business, and it will only further increase as the number of families who live without basic appliances remains high but their potential to have one is great.

Concepcion says this is the most

exciting time in Philippine history. He encourages young entrepreneurs to explore these opportunities. “There is no such formula or secret but it is the focus in building the foundation to growth. In short, focus on growth, strong foundation and sustainable profit,” he says.

Concepcion says to sustain the growth of the business, it is important that the family passes on strong values to the next generation.

“The only thing you can pass on to the next generation is really strong values. Next one is the education. They need to study. I think that’s what you can pass on to them. It’s not money but it’s the values and education,” he says.

Ten outstanding maritime students WESTERN Union, a leader in global payment services, recognized the ten outstanding maritime students of the Philippines this year.

Every year since 2010 and during National Seafarer’s Day, Western Union awards ten top students chosen from a pool of maritime school nominees across the country who have shown academic excellence, competence in practical skills, good moral standing and engagement in serving the community “Western Union has always believed that Filipino seafarers are some of the best in the world. They’ve made a huge contribution to this country and thus, we honor these outstanding students and future seafarers,” said Western Union country director for the Philippines Jeffrey Navarro.

This year’s ten outstanding maritime students are Mark Kelvin Abarado and Andre’ Chad Acosta of Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific-Kamaya Point (West Campus), Prince Noel Cainap of John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod, Jan Carlos Carpio of Southwestern University Maritime Regiment and Nani Prince Co of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Molo.

Also in the list are Manasseh Disto of University of Cebu-Lapulapu and Mandaue, Juelle Espiritu of Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific-Kamya Point CGSO

Campus, John Marwin Palma of Technological Institute of the Philippines-Manila, John Carl Tagulalap of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo Inc. and Sabrina McCoy Villaruz of Colegio De La Purisima Concepcion.

Aside from doing well in class, these students also show excellence in helping to make their communities better.

“With the theme, ‘Filipino Seafarers: Excellence moves communities for better,’ Western Union awarded the students who showed commitment to improve the lives of others. As Western Union moves the Filipinos for better, we also want the winners to move their communities for better,” added Navarro.

The winners underwent a stringent screening process including interviews, exams and an essay writing contest. The outstanding students were each awarded a trophy and P15,000 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City in celebration of the 21st National Seafarers’ Day. “More than the prize money and trophy, the TOMS winners embody the qualities of future exemplary seafarers, an honor that is truly priceless,” said Navarro.

National Seafarers’ Day is celebrated every last Sunday of September as declared in Proclamation No. 1094 signed

by President Ramos in 1997.

Sports

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Triathlete, model and fitness enthusiast Kim Kilgroe - here being welcomed at the finish line by Sunrise President and CEO Wilfred Steven Uytengsu (right) - completes another triathlon looking as fresh and lovely as when she started the race. Jamil Buergo

Male age groupers make a big splash as they charge into the surf at the start of another triathlon race. Triathlon has experienced an explosive growth because millennials are not just watching the races but are actually joining in. Jamil Buergo

Millennials fuel triathlon boom

By Reuel Vidal / Photos by Jamil Buergo

W

HAT truly differentiates millennials from the older generation of baby boomers and Generation Xers is that they want to do more. Millennials are young. They are curious. They are vital and alive. They won’t be satisfied with just watching. They need to be part of the action as well.

Take a look at triathlon, one of the fastest growing sport in the world and especially in local shores. The sport has experienced an explosive growth because millennials are not just watching triathlon races but are actually joining in.

New adherents of the sport include fitness enthusiasts looking for a new challenge that will extend them to their limits. Then there are Gen Xers looking to recapture their youth after seeing images of triathletes their age or even

older than they are competing in the sport.

But the biggest percentage of triathlon enthusiasts are millennials looking to do something that will hold their interest and fascination in an activity that will fully engage their youthful physiques.

High-powered, modern executives are increasingly turning from golf to triathlon as the sport of choice. The multidiscipline race comprises of a swim, bike and a run leg.

Three different disciplines

are incorporated into a grueling athletic competition that appeals to driven, motivated people who are used to clawing their way to the top.

A long distance run, an intense prolonged game of basketball or any extended physical activity releases stress-relieving endorphins that reward participants for their work an sacrifice.

Triathlon, a three-sports-inone paradigm, requires a higher level of commitment and perseverance which in turn gives participants that higher level of satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.

And not talked about, but the high cost of equipment and comparatively expensive joining fees en-

sure that participants are often similarly inclined high-income earners which means a triathlon event provides the best networking opportunities for entrepreneurial, corporate or social interaction.

The millennial generation includes children born between 1982 and 2002. These are individuals who are in college and in the workforce. This is the generation that will replace the baby boomers. This is the generation that is increasingly embracing triathlon.

Triathlons are so popular that races are regularly held all over the Philippines.

The races range from the world class Cobra Ironman 70.3 and Xterra races organized by Sunrise Events to other races not as well organized and held in provinces for participants who are just as enthusiastic as those participating Iron-

man 70.3 or Xterra.

As far as local triathlon races are concerned, the Cobra Ironman 70.3 is the gold standard. It is actually more than just race. It is an event to be experienced.

To join you have to pay the registration fee and join online. The race is so popular that 2,500 slots were sold out in four hours by participants coming from 45 countries worldwide in their past race.

Over 500 others wanted in and settled to be included in the waitlist.

The race is in Cebu. The swim starts at the beautiful Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa beach with its crystal clear water.

The bike ride traverses four cities, showcasing urban Cebu. The run is along the roads of Punta Engano with 100,000 townsfolk lining the r o u t e cheering every single participant.

Tr i a t h lon has indeed come of age in the Philippines.

Participants are categorized into age groups so that no one holds an unfair

Corporate executive Vanj Endaya manages a smile while completing the run part of the triathlon. She used to just run but leveled up into multisport triathlon.

advantage because everyone competes against those of similar age.

And to make triathlon even more accessible the races even have a competition for relay teams with a different person racing in each of the three parts of the race.

A good swimmer takes the swim part, another person rides on the bike and the best runner finishes the triathlon race in the run part.

The sport is engaging, ubiquitous and accessible.

It’s not really surprising that millennials are turning to triathlon as their sport of choice.

Celebrity, product endorser, TV and movie personality Piolo Pascual navigates his bicycle across a bridge during the bike portion of the triathlon race.

Mavericks lead two divisions in the 2016 JML 7s League

Three thousand participants of the San Mateo Fun Run for the Watershed occupy every available space on General Luna Avenue, San Mateo’s main street which runs in front of the San Mateo Municipal Hall.

San Mateo Fun Run held to save watershed BABY-boomers and members of Generation X like to be entertained by sporting events. While the younger Millennials are not satisfied with just watching, they need to participate as well.

With this in mind San Mateo Mayor Tina Diaz and Vice Mayor Paeng Diaz called on the public of San Mateo to help save their watershed and promote fitness and health as well by joining the San Mateo Fun Run for the Watershed.

Three thousand an-

swered the call and joined the fun run which is now on its sixth year. The run is part of San Mateo Festival which also happens on September every year.

The run aims to promote the preservation of the San Mateo Watershed and encourages residents of San Mateo to be health conscious by joining physical activities.

Vice Governor Rey San Juan Jr. came to represent Governor Nini Ynarez.

Richard Salano of team Bulacan ruled the Boys’category

as he finished the distance in 15 minutes nine seconds.

Others who finished in the top five are Mark Anthony Oximar, Banaba, 15:24; Nikko Cortez, Ampid, 15:26; James Kevin Cruz, Ampid, 16:07; and Rodrigo Patag, Ampid, 16:21.

Top finishers in the girls’ category are: Luisa Rater, Laguna, 18:58; Jessa Mae Jaromay, Montalban, 20:35; Janette Lumidao, Novaliches, 20:53; Emily Nillusguin, Banaba, 23:53; and Andrei Bernadette Enriquez, Cainta, 24:94.

THE CBRE Mavericks vaulted to the top of the standings of two divisions of the 2016 JML 7s League after winning three out of their four games last weekend at the Southern Plains, Canlubang.

The Mavericks now sit on top of both the Plate (2nd) and Bowl (3rd) divisions.

In the Plate division, the CBRE Mavericks decisively defeated the Manila Hapons 31-0 and followed with another win overcoming the Alabang Ibons in a close and exciting match up.

Philippine Volcano Alexander Aronson, along with Philippine Residents XV representative Damien Fouracres led the way for the Mavericks. Three teams have nine points in the Plate. The CBRE Mavericks are on top with a better point’s difference over Alabang Ibons and Makati Chiefs.

In the Bowl division, CBRE Mavericks rose to the top of the table after round 2. They held Quezon City Polytechnic University to a 5-5 draw an then tripped the Alabang Loros to take top spot.

The Subic Sharks are currently sitting in second place after beating both the Manila Carabaos and the Makati Chiefs. The Alabang Loros also lost to Quezon City Polytechnic University and subsequently dropped from first place to fourth.

The Alabang Eagles Men’s and Women’s first division teams dominated the top divisions having won all their games.

The Lady Eagles took the field first winning both games against Miriam College. In the Men’s division Federico Krause set up a shock first try for the Manila Nomads straight from the kick off.

It didn’t take long for Tim Bweheni and the rest of the Alabang Eagles to show their dominance in the Cup division running away eventual winners in both games: 19 to 5 in the first, and 25 point to nil in the second. The Clark Jets return for week 3 after a scheduled bye. They will

however be without their Captain and Philippine Volcano Jovan Reyes Masalunga who suffered a season ending injury in the Philippine Residents XV game last week. The young Jets, who will miss their leader for the rest of the league, face a huge task ahead of them.

The JML 7s League is held weekends at Southern Plains, Canlubang. It consists of six weeks of competition, followed by a finals week to determine the champion teams for all four divisions.

Former Philippine Rugby Union Finals MVP Jovic Paypon desperately holds on to the ball while sprinting past a defender as he rushes forward the pitch to try to score in another rugged game of Rugby.

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Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel S. Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

FOCUSED Milo Rivera is a picture of concentation prior to the Taiwan Gymkhana race. At left, Milo and veteran racer Carlos Anton celebrate at the winners’ podium.

Rivera, Anton crowned Gymkhana Taiwan kings

M

ILO Rivera is a karting, circuit and slalom champion rollead into one.

He was selected by the Automobile Association Philippines to represent the Philippines in the 2014 Asia Pacific Selection Event of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy at the Federation of Automobile Sports of China Training Base in Beijing, China.

Milo was also invited by Jenzer Motorsports, a team based in Switzerland, to race for them in the 2016 FIA German and Italian Formula 4 Championships-a series that serves as a feeder program for several premier championships, among others, Formula 1.

Aside from these, Milo is also a certified motorsports instructor and is part of the AAP National Motorsport Development Program team of driver instructors.

And he’s just 20 years old.

And so when Milo, together with veteran racer Carlos Anton represented the Philippines in the FIA Taiwan Auto Gymkhana Prix last week in Taichung, Taiwan, you just knew the country’s bid was in good hands.

This was despite the fact that 32 of the world’s best slalom/ gymkhana drivers from 12 countries, took part in the prestigious race, that lured the big names such as the Japanese pair of 9-time All-Japan Gymkhana Champion Masaki Nishihara and 15-time All-Japan Gymkhana Champion, 7-time All-Japan GT Champion “Mr. Subaru” Tetsuya Yamano; 13-time Indonesian Slalom Champion James Sanger and 5-time reigning Indonesian

Slalom Champion Demas Agil Ramadani, aside from champion racers from Taiwan, Korea, Australian and Malaysia.

True enough, Milo and eighttime Driver of the Year Carlos pulled off a rare feat in Taiwan, besting a tough field to clinch top honors in the Team Knockout competition.

The duo also finished 1-2 in the individual qualifying competition against 32 champion drivers, with Rivera gaining the top spot in 170.184 seconds. Anton posted 171.184 seconds.

“It was a very surreal moment for me. I did not expect to win such a prestigious championship on my very first try, especially going up against the best of the best when it comes to slalom and gymkhana racing.

For me, the feeling of knowing I was the overall champion was indescribable. I was lost for words and actions for a while.

But once everything sunk in, the first thing I did was to inform everyone back home for they have all been a big part of my success,” said Milo, thanking parents Sammy and Fanny, and little brother Estefano, himself a karting/slalom racing champ.

Indonesian champion Ramadani placed third in 174.533, followed by “Living Legend” Yamano (176.524) and Taiwan’s champion Kai-Cing Yea (180.341).

In the team competition, Milo and Carlos knocked out Team Nepal and Team Taiwan-D to make it to the semifinals, where they upended fancied Team Ko-

Milo Rivera takes his racing machine for a spin at the track.

rea, which beat powerhouse Japan.

The two struggled past the Korean drivers to reach the finals against Team Taiwan-A. “The odds were stacked against us and it was intimidating with the hometown crowd cheering for them. But it was such a wonderful experience to race along the most elite drivers from across the region, and to come out on top is such a blessing from Above. I am very thankful to the Lord for blessing me not only with the victory, but with the opportunity to represent my country and to enjoy it with the people around me,” said Milo.

Team Philippines bucked the odds, with Rivera holding his own against Taiwanese racing legend Wei-Sheng Lian, who cracked under the intense pressure and hit a post.

Anton then took it home, keeping Rivera’s lead against Di-Jun Lin. “It’s a dream come true. The Philippines is No. 1 in Asia Zone Gymkhana,” said Anton, who teamed up with his current teammate’s uncle Noel when they finished third 11 years ago. “I thank my teammate Milo, who is a talented driver.”

In return, Milo also praised his teammate for the guidance.

“A huge thanks to my teammate, Carlos Anton for being a father-figure during the whole weekend. We pulled each other up towards a common goal. And together, we succeeded. He is truly one of the country’s finest race car drivers and it was such an honor to race side-by-side with him, and to win it all for the country together,” said Milo, who is just warming up.

“Our immediate goal is to continue to set our sights on singleseater racing in Europe, as I am still keen on my dream to land on the Formula 1 grid. It may be a very steep mountain to climb, but with persistence, determination, and Faith, who knows what the future holds,” said Rivera.

“Massive thanks to the Automobile Association Philippines for selecting me and for moulding me to become the race car driver I am today. To RACE Motorsports Club for being a catalyst of slalom racing in the country, Gulfspeed and Placewell International. Since this is a yearly championship, I look forward to next year as I defend the world title for the first time,” said Milo.

We look forward for that, too.

No limits for these blind triathletes

Brothers Jerome and Joshua Nelmida with triathlon guides Anthony Lozada and Jun Deloso

By Lito Cinco THE multi-disciplined sport of triathlon, a grueling swimbike-run event, by itself, is already a difficult sport for any one to take, needing a lot of effort and a high level of commitment.

But then consider 15-year-old twin brothers Jerome and Joshua Nelmida, who have formed their own “No Limits Tri Team” to join triathlon races and its variants like aquathlon and duathlon.

There is nothing extraordinary really when you look at these two, until one learns that these boys were born without corneas and have not seen the light of day since birth.

Still, they chose a sport like triathlon with the dream that one day, they can represent the country in international competitions for para-triathletes like them.

Manila Standard was at the 1st National Aquathlon Championship, a run-swim-run event, orga-

nized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines held recently at the Camayan Beach Resort inside the Subic Freeport.

Among the list of participants were Jerome and Joshua, though in their case, they only did a short swim-run course, which they both finished practically dead last in around 30 minutes, with the crowd at the finish line cheering them on as they neared the end of the race, thanks to their guides, national triathlon coach Anthony Lozada and triathlete Jun Deloso.

The blind brothers hit the finish line with big smiles on their faces, basking in the crowd support they felt.

Lozada, who had to train for over a year on how to be a guide to blind athletes, even blindfolding himself to know exactly how one feels being blind, said his heart goes out to these two.

He described them as among the best athletes he has trained in terms on attitude, not caring

how cold the water is for their swim training, or how long a road or a bike training will last.

“It is more difficult on the part of us guides because we always have to be aware that our partners do not see and will not automatically avoid a rut on the road or in a bike turn, swing to the same side as the guide, not knowing when those things will happen. Communication is very important between us,” said Lozada.

Annette Nelmida, the mother of the twins and who had to undergo training herself in order to to take care of her two sons properly, said: “The whole family is supportive of Jerome and Joshua. We want them to grow up as normally as possible. In the past, we have even brought them to a camping trip with Boy Scouts. They have also learned to play the piano, can sing and even are PBA and football fans with their own idols,” she said with pride in her voice.

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LGUs

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Local Gov’t Units SKYWAY. The rice terraces in Barangay Bangaan in Banaue have been in the UNESCO World Heritage List since December 1995.

Teddy Pelaez

The music of a gentler era

By Honor Blanco Cabie

I

F ONE were a senior citizen today, one would definitely remember the serenatas of the 1950s and the 1960s played by at least a 25-piece small town band in the countryside.

If a person were newly married in his 20s in the 1970s, he would as well remember the concerts at the Rizal Park, colloquially called Luneta, by the Manila Bay, where bands from towns in the city’s outskirts played martial music to the delight of afternoon strollers.

The concerts at the Rizal Park are now few and far between, and the serenatas in the country have been overtaken by CDs and DVDs bought from the nearest department stores or gifted by homecoming kin

from overseas if not brought in from the metropolis.

A northerner, himself a trombonist in his youth in the 1960s, still remembers the weekends in Paoay, the town which at the time had three major bands of at least 40 members each, doing afternoon serenatas beside the two-story concrete town hall.

Their weekend repertoire included overtures and martial music which always gave great pleasure to the population, mostly farmers and fishermen Turn to D2

COVERED. The audience at the renovated Rizal Park auditorium wait for the evening’s performance. NPDC website

Davao wildlife stars BCDA to redevelop John Hay ecozone in full-length film

By Dexter A. See

VARIOUS native wildlife are featured in a full-length film shot in Davao City, which will be screened in this year’s Quezon City International Film Festival 2016 or QCinema 2016.

The film titled “Baboy Halas: Wailings of the Forest” tells the story of forest dwellers coping with the unusual changes in their environment with the intrusion of tribes from the plains.

Filmmaker Bagane Fiola said he shot most of the film in Marilog, in one of the remaining forests in Davao City, deep inside the ancestral domain of the Matigsalog indigenous people.

“Among the wildlife to be featured in the film includes the wild boar or baboy halas, Philippine deer, Philippine civet, flying Lemur, owls and for-

WILD. Filmmaker Bagane Fiola

est frogs,” Fiola said.

“They will be shown in the movie except for the kagwang (Flying Lemur) which escaped when we were shooting the film.” Fiola said.

Parts of the wildlife shoot for the film was also made at the Philippine Eagle Foundation center in Malagos, Calinan district where aside from the majestic Philippine Eagle various species of endemic animal species are also kept.

Fiola said he wanted his viewers to experience the forest in his film, the people and the wildlife living in it.

Eschewing professional movie actors, the cast of the film are from the indigenous Matigsalog community, the protagonist of the film is a reallife hunter in his tribe.

Marilog district in the upland area of Davao City is home to remnants of old-growth forests threatened by logging and encroaching human development.

Fiola says he wants to show the Davao of old, when the place was still blanketed with forests and the indigenous people depended on the jungle for their shelter and sustenance.

His film is one of the two films from Mindanao to be featured in an annual film festival held in Quezon City. Fiola’s production is a recipient of a grant from the organizers to help fund his film.

The other film from Mindanao is Sheron Dayoc’s Women of the Weeping River which was shot in Zamboanga. PIA

BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the determination of the new leadership of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to realize the 247-hectare John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ) by renegotiating the 50year development contract will benefit the local government and the people of the city.

Domogan welcomed the decision of the new BCDA board to pursue the development of the declared special economic zone, saying this will create more employment opportunities for qualified local residents and increase the income of the city, among other direct and indirect benefits.

From ecotourist spot to ecozone

“In 1992, Republic Act 7227 was enacted conveying stewardship of Camp John Hay to the BCDA to facilitate its conversion into the country’s premier eco-tourist destination,” the BCDA website relates. “Through Presidential Proclamation 420 in 1994, 301.86 hectares of the 695-hectare Camp was designated as the JHSEZ.” “Today,” the website says, “the former military camp is a premiere eco-tourism haven with its panoramic vistas and crisp mountain air that show the classic charm of Baguio City. Among much-loved places in the Camp are the world-class Manor Hotel, the Camp John Hay Historical Core, the Bell House Museum and Bell Amphitheater; and the

WOODSY. A log cabin in Camp John Hay. BCDA website

Honeymoon Cottage.”

The BCDA says the ecozone is “nestled 5,000 feet above sea level in Northern Luzon” and “is accessible from Manila via an hourlong airplane flight to the Loakan Airport or a four-hour drive via the NLEZ and SCTEX. It is a gateway to the scenic beaches of La Union, the historic landmarks of Ilocos Sur, among other popular tourist destinations.”

In 2006, Proclamation 1191 “assigned the JHSEZ under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority as a Special Tourism Economic Zone.

On March 20, 2007, RA 9399 and RA 9400 were signed into law, according locators with tax amnesty and duty-free incentives,” the agency adds.

New investors who wish to establish their businesses inside the

zone (under RA 7916 or the PEZA Law) are exempted from taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code and from local taxes except real property taxes. They can avail of zero-rated transactions, fiscal incentives provided under PD 66 and EO 226 and the five-percent preferential income tax treatment on gross income earned within the zone, the website enumerates.

Hope for renegotiation “The pendency of the arbitral case deprived the local government of huge potential income from the supposed businesses that could have been established if the development of the economic zone was pursued.

We cannot understand why the previous administration was closed to the idea of the renegotiation of the lease agreement that could have come out with better terms,” he stressed.

The mayor that noted Camp John Hay Development Corp. was only able to develop some 25 percent of the identified areas over an 18-year period since the agreement was signed between the contracting parties in 1997.

He hoped that the new BCDA administration fix the mess created by the previous leadership to bring back a healthy and harmonious relationship between the government and the developers.

Domogan explained that the local government is only a stakeholder in the development of the JHSEZ because the contracting parties were the BCDA and the CJHDevCo, thus, it is best for both parties to go back to the drawing board to iron things out and discuss the possibility of resuming the stalled development project.

D2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016

LGUs

Ilocanos unite to preserve Vigan T HE province of Ilocos Sur is famous for its historical landmarks and scenic spots that attract foreign and local tourists.

But since the selection of Vigan City as one of the New 7 Wonder Cities of the World, this former Ciudad Fernandina is now the center of attraction because of its “Balay Kastila” or Castillan Homes.

Tourism Assistant Secretary Daniel Angelo Mercado has commended the Ilocanos for their unity, solidarity and teamwork in the preservation and restoration of Vigan which was cited among the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

The DoT official as keynote speaker during the Street Food Festival in the Heritage City in connection with the Tourism Week celebration admired the Ilocanos for preserving such historical landmarks and their identity as a race.

With the support of the provincial government headed by Gov. Ryan Luis Singson and the city government of Vigan under the stewardship of first-timer Mayor Juan Carlo Medina, tourism, cultural programs and projects are prioritized which are hoped to boost the economy of the province and can stir local employment.

Mercado encouraged all Filipinos not only the Ilocanos to promote the Heritage City of

Vigan for its uniqueness in history and preserve it for future generations.

The Heritage Village and the newly erected Vigan Conservation Complex will bring back the hands of time during the Spanish era as the DOT official assured the support of the agency in its tourism campaign to promote the city.

The provincial board, through board member Efren Rafanan, chairmain of the Committee on Living Treasures, also filed a resolution to preserve the “abel” or loam weaving, furniture and jar industries and other traditional industries in the province as he commended the old “agab-abel”, “agpanpanday” for their ingenuity and artistry.

Vice Gov. Jeremieas Singson also reported that the provincial government will also revive the 6 p.m. Angelus ritual of the Ilocanos and the “pagmamano” and wearing of the belo o “dallungdong” in church to preserve the Ilocano traditions.

HISPANIC. A street in Vigan City takes visitors back in time to the Spanish period of our history.

Further, according to Vigan City Vice Mayor Lourdes Baquiran, more educational tours are being scheduled from vari-

ous local government units to city in the heritage preservavisit the city on a weekly basis tion and management. or even daily during festivals to But the greatest assets of the study the best practices of the province and the Heritage City

Valenzuela kids get free college tuition

By Jun David VALENZUELANOS will have an opportunity to pursue their studies at the tertiary level in public schools after the local council passed the “Valenzuela City Free Higher Education Ordinance.”

The local government passed the measure in support of the advocacy of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and the campaign of City Mayor Rex Gatchalian for free education.

First District Councilor Rovin Andrew Feliciano, author of Ordinance 297, said that under Section 17 of the Local Government Code, the government must provide basic services in-

cluding a free education in government-owned schools.

Rep. Wes Gatchalian also voiced out his support for the ordinance, citing the wide range of assistance it can offer to the students, especially the poor.

At present, the city has two college public schools: Valenzuela City Polytechnic College (ValPoly) and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV), established in March 2000 and June 2002, respectively.

Based on a study by the Asian Development Bank the number of students enrolled in public schools decreases every year, due to financial issues.

Among the councilors which approved the ordinance in-

clude; Councilors Tony Espiritu, Jennifer Pingree-Esplana, Marlon Paulo Alejandrino, Ricardo Ricarr Enriquez, Ramon Encarnacion, Kimberly Ann Galang, Crissha Pineda, Lailanie Nolasco, Kristian Rome Sy and Fernando Francisco.

“All Filipino citizens and Valenzuela residents who are either currently enrolled or shall enroll in courses in pursuance of a bachelor’s degree, associate degrees or non-formal trainings in the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela or Valenzuela City Polytechnic College or such other city university or college in the future shall be exempt from paying tuition fees for any units enrolled, unless they are

disqualified under the provisions of this Ordinance,” the ordinance stated.

“For purposes of this Ordinance, full tuition subsidy shall cover tuition fee and miscellaneous fee only. All other fees not mentioned herein shall not be covered by the full tuition subsidy. The subsidy shall be sourced from the General Fund of the City Government of Valenzuela. To this end, the City Government of Valenzuela, through the City Budget Office shall ensure that appropriate amount for the implementation of this Ordinance shall be charged against city funds in accordance with the pertinent provisions of RA No. 7160,” it added.

There was also Serradel’s “La Golondrina,” “Csárdás,” a traditional Hungarian folk dance— the name derived from csárda (old Hungarian term for tavern), and was popularized by Roma music (Cigány) bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat Bulgarians, including those in Bulgaria. ”Csardas,” like “Poet and Peasant,” and “La Virgen de la Macarena” were very popular in that generation, who danced to the beat of Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood” and Tommy Dorsey’s “Song of India” as well as Harry James’ “Ciribiribin” during town fiestas.

In Manila, the Philippine capital, bands in colorful uniforms of red and white, blue and white, or the original khaki outfit, played “Stars and Stripes,” a patriotic American march widely consid-

ered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa.

They also played Sousa’s “National Emblem,” “Under the Double Eagle,” “The Washington Post,” which has remained as one of the composer’s most popular marches throughout the United States and foreign countries, including the Philippines.

Or they would play Sousa’s “El Capitan” or the locally composed “Dalagang Naic” or the “El Palikero.”

Or the bands would play ballroom beats like “La Cumparsita” as interpreted by the country’s trumpet king Anastasio Mamaril of Pangasinan, or “Cerezo Rosa”

by Perez Prado as interpreted by Amy Galinato of the Jolly Boys of Ilocos Norte, the notes on his trumpet frolicking like some ice cubes falling on the pavement, doing one better than the own version of Cuba’s mambo king.

But Prado’s nearly eightminute “Mosaico Cubano” was

always a winner, punctuated by healthy and vibrant applause from the audience, sitting on kind summer’s green grass.

Concerts at the Rizal Park had members of the audience feeling more comfortable as they —young men and women and their grandchildren—enjoyed the two-hour gift of sights and sounds on benches while the sun was reluctantly setting on the placid Manila Bay. The concerts, now with other brands of cultural performances, are provided for free to the general public by the National Parks Development Committee.

Many old hands are agreed the performances in the metropolis, and notably in the country, have started fading out.

The weekend serenatas in the countryside have likewise gone to a moderately slow pace—and are on the last tied note of the last bar, no thanks to the lack of funds and local government support.

AIDERS.

SM Sta. Rosa employees are trained to administer first aid to casualties during an earthquake drill on Wednesday.

Roy Tomandao

The music...

From D1

and some professionals.

It was soothing to hear any of the three bands—The Majestic, the Smart, and the Rhythm Masters—play, on alternating weekends, Franz von Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant” and other operettas, a genre of light music in terms of subject matter.

And they always heard, among many familiar classic compositions that were part of the culture of that generation, “Concerto in E flat Minor,” the first movement of the opus of Austrian-born Franz Joseph Haydn.

The small town bands’ supply of soothing music for their captive listeners included Rafael Hernandez’s “El Cumbanchero,” Lara’s “Solamente Una Vez,” and “Quien Sera” by Ruiz and Gimbel, where a listener can easily be won by the sighing reeds and the hugging trombones.

of Vigan are its people, their unity, and solidarity in preserving and promoting its cultural heritage. PIA

Pangasinan’s POGI Kalusugan Karaban

By Dexter A. See LINGAYEN—The province of Pangasinan rolled off its 1st Kalusugan Karaban to barangay Barlo, one of the most remote barangays in Mabini town with more than 1,000 residents benefited from various health services including free vaccinations to the senior citizens.

The activity, which was held recently, has carried its theme “Pangkalusugan Serbisyo na Organisado ng Gobyerno Hatid sa Inyo,” or POGI, after the governor’s nickname, one of the eight series of mobile health caravan to be conducted every Friday in the most disadvantaged barangays of the province.

The health promotion activity complements Gov. Amado Espino III’s call for a wider coverage of more effective and efficient implementation of the continuing development thrust programs.

Pangasinan First Lady Karina Espino led the health caravan team composed of provincial health workers and the Western Pangasinan District Hospital headed by Dra. Anna Theresa de Guzman and Dra. Susan Merino, respectively.

The United Nations Population Fund and Australian Agency International Development (AUSAID) represented by Geri Armamani also joined the team.

Mrs. Espino, speaking on behalf of the governor, encouraged the Barlo residents to stay healthy everyday as she pointed out the efforts of bringing the health services to the most needy have always been a priority of the provincial government.

“Our governor have always wanted to have healthy Pangasinenses and this is the very reason why we are reaching out to you by way of giving the health services that you and your family needed,” Mrs. Espino told the residents in Ilocano dialect.

The activity started with the feeding of more than 500 students of Barlo Integrated School and Surod Elementary School in which they were given bowl of lugaw with egg dispensed with nutrient supplements to boost their immune system.

School supplies have also been distributed to the preschoolers and Grade 1 pupils.

One of the features of the

Espino

health caravan activity is the fully equipped and air conditioned dental mobile bus where it served more than 100 students. It was donated to the province by the Department of Health last year.

Other services offered during the one-day activity include x-ray services, medical and skin disease consultations, random blood sugar test, blood typing, and provision of flu vaccine for senior citizens.

Free medicines were also given to adults who were diagnosed of having hypertension and skin diseases while underweight children were given vitamins.

However, referrals for further monitoring and hospital care were given to three special children suffering from “marasmus,” a severe condition of malnutrition.

Showing compassion to the health conditions of the children, Mrs. Espino advised the pregnant women to breastfeed their children saying that mother’s milk keeps the baby from any illnesses in the future.

As such, the pregnant women were given a Dignity Kit courtesy of the UNPF and AUSAID for their use before and after giving birth. It contains handy book on pregnancy and lactating mothers, ‘skirt’, diaper, toothpaste and toothbrush.

In addition, the health team promotes the province’s health services to the mothers and pregnant women through a lecture about the maternal and neo-natal health care, facilitybased deliveries, child health, nutrition and family planning, and dengue and rabies awareness.

Village chief Rowena Salas thanked Gov. Espino and his wife including the health team for choosing her barangay as the first to be visited by the province’s Kalusugan Karaban.

Gadgets & Games

D3

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Spotify-Tinder hookup adds to music, romance

JinJoo Lee, Jack Lawless, Joe Jonas and Cole Whittle of DNCE perform onstage at the Spotify Opening Gig during 2016 Advertising Week New York in New York City. AFP

S

AN FRANCISCO—Spotify and Tinder said Tuesday they are hooking up to give people a little extra help in the dating game, by adding music preferences to the matchmaking application.

As they swipe through the app looking for love interests, Tinder users can now tap into Spotify too—using music to help show who they are, and find like-minded souls.

“Tinder, now powered by Spotify, not only gives you the capability to show your favorite artists and music preferences, but also to pick the anthem that defines you, listen to other people’s anthems and maybe make a little music with someone new,” the popular dating app said in a statement.

“It’s that one single track that tells your story,” Tinder said of its “anthem” concept.

“That one song you can’t get out of your head. Where the lyrics of your life meet the rhythm of your soul,” it added with flourish.

Tinder already suggests potential matches based on swiping preferences, mutual friends and common interests.

“With Spotify, we’re fully integrating music into the swiping experience in a brand new way —at a massive, global scale,” Tinder founder and chief executive Sean Rad said of the match-up.

Anyone connecting to Tinder can play song previews on people’s lists of preferred tunes, but users’ Spotify accounts need to be linked to the service to reveal common tastes in music, the companies explained.

Spotify’s website claims more than 40 million subscribers as of this month.

Some 27 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 reported using online dating, up from just 10 percent in 2013, according to Pew Research Center survey results released early this year.

Much of that growth comes from the use of mobile applications like Tinder, which has gained a reputation as a “hookup” app. AFP

Tinder users can now tap into Spotify too—using music to help show who they are, and find like-minded souls.

A feast

...

From A1 But WAV technology isn’t just about selling. It also cuts into a lot of industries.

“We have hotels, wherein the lobbies are scented and lounge music is provided. We have fastfood chains, wherein we want the turnover of tables to become faster with the upbeat music. We have malls from Greenbelt 1 to 5, wherein the shoping experience is there. We also have casinos, gaming wherein we provide also the music. If it’s a Japanese restaurant, it’s Japanese music playing. If it’s a fine-dining restaurant, fine dining music is played. We are also into gyms, wherein music

is conducive to working out,” said Hinolan.

“This is not just about standing there, looking good and expecting to sell. You cannot just win customers by smelling and looking good.

It’s a chain of experiences that we’re trying to complete. And we go back to technology allowing us to do that,” said Hinolan.

Hinolan added: “It’s a world of good vibes. We are creating positive consumer spheres that when you enter a shop, WAV and our partner take care of you. And in just a few minutes, you experience something positive.”

Bosch’s starlight technology is here BOSCH starlight cameras deliver the highest quality of relevant video surveillance, even in extremely low light conditions.

From October, the starlight portfolio will be even further enhanced with improved light sensitivity, superb front and backlight compensation; higher frames rates as well as a wider choice of resolutions and form factors. Another compelling enrichment is that all Bosch IP 6000, 7000 and 8000 starlight cameras will feature Bosch video analytics at the edge as standard, instead of an optional feature requiring no additional investment or license fees from the customer.

Bosch feels that the offering of video analytics at the edge as standard is now a necessity to cater to the ever-increasing demand for details and the proliferation of cameras. Bosch video analytics adds sense and structure to video data already at the point of capture (at the edge), enabling users to effortlessly search through large amounts of video data and to pinpoint the information that matters most to them. In this way users can take appropriate action faster, easier and more efficiently. It also enables them to reduce network strain and storage requirements by streaming only the data needed.

The complete IP starlight camera portfolio from Bosch offers a wider selection of resolutions (720p, 1080p, 5 megapixel) and form factors including fixed box, fixed dome or moving dome cameras; as well as extremely

rugged moving cameras for when conditions get tough. The starlight portfolio also offers higher dynamic ranges of up to 120 dB for perfect exposure in all lighting conditions regardless of front and backlight, as well as frame rates of up to 60 frames per second to easily capture fast moving objects.

In addition, the latest sensor technology, combined with

Bosch’s video analytics at the edge enables starlight cameras to interpret data and to decide what and when to stream based on configurable triggers minimizing bandwidth requirements if needed. The end results are relevant alerts and key statistics which enhance the accuracy of the video surveillance system, providing relevant data for numerous security and non-

The ultimate 24/7 IP video surveillance cameras just got even better

sophisticated noise suppression, results in a light sensitivity of 0.0069 lux in color and 0.0008 lux in monochrome for the 1080p models. This enables starlight cameras to produce full color images in the dark beyond the point where other cameras have switched to monochrome. Where other cameras fail to show any image at all, starlight cameras are still capable of delivering detailed monochrome images.

security applications and substantially reducing the margin of error that comes with time consuming and labor intensive 24/7 human surveillance.

A full suite of Essential Video Analytics will be provided as standard without additional license fees on the DINION IP starlight 6000 fixed box and FLEXIDOME IP starlight 6000 fixed dome cameras at competitive price points.

All IP 7000 and IP 8000 starlight cameras will come equipped

with the state-of –the-art Intelligent Video Analytics from Bosch; a full suite of robust video analytics algorithms offering highest accuracy for the ultimate in video analytics. Like with Essential Video Analytics, Bosch Intelligent Video Analytics requires no additional investment or license fees from the customer.

Essential Video Analytics offers 15 different video analytics algorithms that can be used for advanced intrusion detection and enforcing health and safety regulations. It also possesses business analytics capabilities, such as people counting and crowd density information for retail environments.

Intelligent Video Analytics is specifically designed for the most demanding environments. It has the added capacity to deliver the highest level of accuracy for mission critical applications such as perimeter protection for airports and critical infrastructures, ship tracking and traffic monitoring.

Intelligent Video Analytics offers 17 different video analytics algorithms and can do everything that Essential Video Analytics does. What makes Intelligent Video Analytics stand out is its ability to differentiate between genuine security events and known false triggers such as challenging environments where snow, wind, rain, water reflections and distance could make images even more difficult to interpret. Thus minimizing costly false positives and enabling us-

Systems, data security investment a must CORPORATIONS must consider data as a valuable asset and strengthen data integrity to fill the security gaps in their systems, said David Piesse, Ultimate Risk Solutions Managing Director, who was among the speakers at the recently held Malayan Insurance’s Forum on Cyber Insurance in Makati City.

Encouraging companies to invest in greater data security, Piesse cited reports that hackers’ capabilities to breach and steal data have been improving by 300 percent each year, while companies’ cyber security improvement rate stands at just 20 percent.

According to Piesse, this increasingly worrisome scenario is due to the lack of integrity in most systems, networks, processes and data.

“Ninety five percent of the cyber security budget goes to anti-virus and encryption, and the other five percent goes to data integrity. Every time you put in new

software for anti-virus, though, you open up more hacking goals for data integrity,” he explained, suggesting that 50 percent of this budget should be spent looking after the data, and the other half should be allocated on the security of the information technology infrastructure.

Reportedly, about 2.5 billion data across the globe were exposed due to data breach in the past five years, with nearly 800 incidents in 2015 alone. The Philippines, on the other hand, recorded an estimated number of 1,200 cybercrimes from 2013 to 2015.

Malayan Insurance has partnered with one of the world’s largest and most innovative reinsurance companies, Munich Re, to address this concern as it urges Philippine businesses to further amplify their cyber risk management programs through cyber insurance.

The Insurance Commission has recently

ranked Malayan Insurance as the no. 1 insurance company in the Philippine nonlife sector.

Malayan’s cyber insurance product protects businesses against risks associated with increased digital connectivity, covering a variety of both liability and first party losses that may result when engaged in electronic activities. Included in the coverage are non-tangible assets such as data information and non-tangible property damage such as identity theft following data privacy breaches.

Munich Re Chief Underwriting Officer Thomas Peter, however, said that cyber exposures grow with the evolution of technology, thus cyber insurance will progress along with these factors.

“Cyber insurance won’t be a static product. It has to develop with the technology, the companies, and the insurance clients,” he said.

D4

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets &Games

LIKE THE REAL THING.

Visitors try virtual reality lenses during the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. AFP

A feast for the senses

C

ONSIDER this. You walk into a store, a shop or a mall. And instantly, you are captivated by the experience. The visuals are striking. The smell is enticing.

And the sound catches your attention.

It’s a multi-sensory experience and it is being used as the new courtship language of tech retailers.

AudioWav Media, Inc. or WAV, the pioneering technology company in the Philippines, has been helping brands move their customers’ eyes away from the screen through a customized multi-sensory experience.

WAV’s propriety platform allows technology companies and brands to shift their marketing efforts away from mobile screens by creating a complete brand experience, which focuses not only on visuals, but sound and scent as well.

“We are constantly innovating the

technology to make stores intelligent,” said Caloy Hinolan, President and CEO of WAV. “Mobile campaigns often come with two-pronged results: they provide a great potential for customer engagement when successful, but it’s precisely for this reason that everyone is trying to grab their customers’ attention through mobile screens.”

Hinolan adds: “Through WAV, technology retailers can

break past the visual barrier and penetrate the market of screens and streams by curating and expanding consumer spheres using exclusive multisensory marketing.”

A self-made technology expert, Hinolan has been spearheading WAV since its inception in 2003, equipping tech retailers such as Globe and PowerMac with the advantage of customized multisensory solutions.

or strengthen the visual elements of the brand experience.

“At WAV, our goal is to empower tech retailers with the capability to seamlessly and simultaneously synchronize the music, scent and signage according to the precise branding requirements of their businesses,” Hinolan said. “Through our atmospheric branding services, these digital-driven companies can reach out

Scent diffuser

CALOY HINOLAN

WAV’s strategic innovations include instore scenting and hardware installation (such as directional speakers), which can be utilized to complement

and strengthen their connections with customers—even when they’re busy tinkering on screens and pondering on gadget features— thus creating brand awareness and establishing brand equity.”

And ultimately, sell the product.

Turn toD3

Vivo’s feature-packed take on Android with Funtouch VIVO Mobile, the top 5 global smartphone brand, highlights its unique approach to the Android operating system with its custom flavor to the popular OS. Called Funtouch OS, this extensively customized operating system is present in Vivo smartphones, and allows users to enjoy features that are usually found on more expensive, higher-end phones.

Vivo’s Funtouch OS was first launched on December 28, 2013.

Since then, it has been through the hands of more than 50 million Vivo smartphone users.

“Vivo’s Funtouch OS provides users with a simple, highlyintuitive, yet feature-packed take on the Android operating system. With these features, we provide users with a powerful device that can help them become more productive with functions that are useful in their everyday lives,” said Vivo Brand Director Annie Lim. The Funtouch OS was developed around the idea of a simple user interface that places intuitive controls within easy reach of its users. At present, Vivo’s V3Max, V3, and Y51 smartphones use Funtouch OS 2.5—Vivo’s most powerful smartphone OS yet.

Full control for faster operations

One of the strengths of the Android operating system is its high customizability. Vivo’s Funtouch OS preserves this feature with the i Theme application.

This enables users to down-

While the available themes provide users with customizability on their Vivo phones, Funtouch OS also offers several hardware management tools to complement the high-performance processor and RAM available in the V3Max, V3, and Y51 smartphones. With the i Manager application, users can easily clean their smartphones of unwanted files, manage installed applications, monitor their data and battery consumption, and set up privacy filters such as the private space and call and message blocking features. The i Manager serves as the Funtouch OS-powered Vivo smartphone’s control center that helps users optimize the performance of their phone.

Funtouch OS’s i Theme app allows users to download themes for their Vivo smartphone

load various themes online that match their preferences, and even create their own by changing the wallpapers, fonts, and lock screen set-ups.

With Funtouch OS, Vivo decided to do away with the traditional Android OS app drawer, which is now replaced by a desktop that can easily be organized with app folders.

Vivo’s Funtouch OS also introduces the Quick Control Center, accessible with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen, which contains quick shortcuts including sound levels, brightness control, recent apps, and toggles for Wi-Fi, Mobile Data, Flashlight, and more.

Smart Features

Vivo’s Funtouch OS is also packed with smart features that take advantage of the faster than faster performance of its smartphones. Smart wake gestures allow users to draw patterns on the screen of their Vivo smartphone to wake it and access apps such as the i Music app, camera app, phone app, and the internet browser.

Funtouch OS also features several productivity-boosting functions. Users can toggle onehanded operation, accessible by sliding their fingers from the side of the screen, to the center, and back to the side, to allow them to resize the screen—useful for individuals who find it challenging to use their smartphones with one hand.

Lenovo YOGA 900: The right tool to make your masterpiece PAINTER Henri Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage.”

Perhaps it also takes the right kind of help, such as the right tools for the job. This could be especially true for digital natives, who create from their gadget of choice as well as from inspiration. Enter the Lenovo Yoga 900.

Powered with the latest Intel® Core™ i processors and advanced specs despite weighing very little, the Lenovo Yoga™ 900 is an ideal device for creative spirits in need of an ultrabook for work and play.

10 laptop, allows the user to conveniently download audio, photo and video editors and other useful applications from the Windows App Store. With a 13.3” QHD+ panel that displays true-to-life colours, a 3200 x 1800 native resolution, and an Intel HD Graphics 520 graphics card, users can precisely edit images and videos without worrying about messing up the resOne-device Studio olution. It is also equipped with JBL® Stereo The Lenovo Yoga™ 900, being a Windows Speakers and Dolby® DS 1.0 Home Theater®

for high quality audio output.

To draw closer inspiration from nature, take your Lenovo Yoga™ 900 outdoors. Whether you wish to work under the sun or under the stars at night, the Lenovo Yoga 900 has got you covered with its bright display and light keyboard.

This laptop is light in weight yet heavy on performance. It can manage audio, photo and video editing simultaneously because it is powered by a 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and a 16-GB RAM. Users can expect

nothing less than a powerhouse performance from the Yoga 900.

With the Yoga 900, creativity and productivity will be the constant theme of your days.

It weighs only 2.8 pounds and has a remarkable 0.59-inch thinness, making it the world’s thinnest Intel® Core™ i device. This lightweight laptop is so easy to tote around, you can switch to photo opp mode anytime without straining a muscle.

The Lenovo Yoga 900, enclosed in an aluminum magnesium case, comes in three stylish colors: Clementine Orange for those with pep, Platinum Silver for the minimalist and Champagne Gold to project luxury. Totally #OOTD-friendly!

E1

Young Life

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

By Bernadette Lunas

“I

DON’T like taking selfies.”

A five-word statement that would surprise many 20-somethings.

“Really? Does it mean you don’t take at least one photo of yourself a day?” “Show us your phone!” “You must be lying.”

This exchange is somewhat inevitable among the younger set considering that millennials, individuals between ages 18 and 35, are tagged as narcissists, self-absorbed and entitled. But are they, really?

As a millennial myself, I can attest that majority of this generation can be quite deliberate in showing the public how much they “love themselves.” A quick look on Facebook or Instagram means being subjected to at least three or five selfie photos your friends have posted.

In fact, according to a survey of an American teeth whitening brand, an average millennial could take about 25,700 selfies in his or her lifetime— nine selfies a week on average. The said survey, with 1,000 young adult respondents, also revealed that 95 percent have taken at least one such photo of themselves.

Here at home, selfie-taking is prevalent so much so that in 2014, TIME Magazine declared Makati City the “Selfie Capital of the World.” For every 100,000 people in Makati and Pasig, there were 258 selfie-takers, according to TIME analysis.

Experts posit that millennials are “dedicated” to chronicling their lives with selfies. Parties, travels and other important milestones and events never happened if not one selfie was posted on social media. Status updates and tweets no longer cut it without an accompanying photo.

It’s fine if the objective of said photo is to record a memory, but when it is used to gauge a person’s relevance in terms of the number of “likes” or “hearts” his photo got, that’s when it becomes dangerous.

Narcissistic and no identity

In an article posted on elitedaily. com, clinical psychologist Dr. Bart Rossi said that “If someone is obsessed with taking selfies it is most likely because the individual is selfabsorbed and narcissistic.”

Such assertion could be extreme, sadly however, Dr. Rossi is not alone as many psychological professionals fear that we are in the age of selfie-addiction—and the generation in the middle of this, which is composed of young adults, is turning into attention-seeking human beings with no identity.

Selfie, and its perceived value to a person’s worth, is influencing individuals to create and curate a version of themselves deemed acceptable by the public.

Scan this icon to view the PDF

SMILE! A study revealed that an average millennial could take about 25,700 selfies in his or her lifetime—could this be a sign of narcissism?

Are MILLENNIALS so full of themselves?

Generation Y is being called narcissist for taking too many selfies

Apps that help enhance and “correct” the images—smoothing out the skin, erasing dark eye circles, whitening teeth and slimming facial features, among other “beautifying” options— are used to come out with nearly perfect, if not perfect, picture.

‘The Selfie Expert’

Recently, Chinese electronics company Oppo launched in the Philippines its mobile phone that is primarily geared towards people who love to take selfies. The Oppo F1s features a 16-megapixel front camera, higher than its 13-megapixel rear snapper.

The 5.5-inch smartphone, which runs on the latest ColorOS and MT6750 octa-core processor, boasts of the built-in Beautify 4.0 software that allows users to tweak their pho-

tos—giving selfie lovers “a satisfying photo experience.”

“We came out with a phone that has a very good front camera because we are very passionate of our day-to-day life, we like to document it that’s why we take a lot of selfies,” Oppo Brand Marketing Manager for the Philippines Stephen Cheng told Manila Standard.

Recognizing youth’s love for taking selfies, Cheng revealed that F1s along with other mobile phones the company offers target the younger market.

A visual diary

Is it that bad many millennials take selfies on the daily and are concerned about the way they present themselves?

Psychologist and author Dr. Kelly McGonigal avers “being overly concerned about pictures of yourself doesn’t make you a narcissist.”

She justifies the a c t

by saying that “it’s entirely normal to be obsessed with gossip about yourself, pictures of yourself or responses to you online” when you are part of a society.

On the flip-side, selfies can be used to have some fun and show good traits of individuals exploring life, according to Dr. Rossi.

For 26-year-old Roxanne, her selfies are not posted on social media for her to fish for compliments, but rather serve as an online visual diary where she can look back and see what she looked like or where she had been at a particular time.

Besides it’s not only younger generation who share selfies on social media. A 2014 study by Pew Research Center showed that while major-

ity or 55 percent of its respondents who share their photos are millennials, trailing on second spot with 24 percent are Gen X followed by Baby Boomers at 9 percent.

While the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is seen high among individuals in their 20s, according to National Institutes of Health, it’s unfair to say that millennials are full of themselves just because they are taking selfies.

One could look at selfies as the ultimate symbol of the narcissistic age, but it could very well be just a form of self expression of the generation that is regarded the most optimistic despite of the conflicts and challenges they face.

So don’t frown, and smile for the camera and the rest of the world.

Members of Generation Y have been tagged as narcissists and self-absorbed

Different individuals argue whether selfie is the ultimate symbol of narcissistic age or a tool for self expression.

One thing’s for sure though, its meaning depends on the person who takes them.

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

5 ‘80s fashion trends on a comeback trail THE groovy decade of bold style and colors is making a stylish return, and the young loves it.

Here are five clothing items in the ‘80s that are finding a space in the closet once again.

Off-the-shoulder

Parties in the 80s meant women in off-the-shoulder dresses. This cut emphasizes the neckline and allows the wearer to show some skin in a chic way.

Crop tops

OPEN YOUR HEART. Ray-Ban believes that doing something, even if it is deemed basic, takes courage.

Madonna loved baring her midriff in a crop top.

Today, crop tops are worn by mostly everyone— regardless of body frame.

It works well with high-waist skirt, pants or shorts.

Eyewear brand pushes youth to be

courageous H

AVING courage is not limited to doing something considered scary or dangerous.

“Opening your heart to somebody takes courage, fighting perfection takes courage.”

Neelam Gopwani, division marketing manager of Branded Lifestyle, Inc., stresses that it takes courage for someone to do even those deemed basic things in life. Branded Lifestyle is the official distributor of eyewear label Ray-Ban in the Philippines.

And for Gopwani, courage happens “when you wear a pair of Ray-Ban.” From its nine-year “Never Hide” campaign, the eyewear label now calls on the youth to be courageous with its new message “It Takes Courage.”

Assistant Trade Marketing Manager Sabu Cabahug explains that courage can be found in the most mundane daily activities, and “doesn’t necessarily have to be as grande as going sky diving or getting up on stage.”

In essence, the brand simply stands for having the courage to be original instead of following the status quo.

The #ITTAKESCOURAGE campaign tackles six courageous acts that encourage the youth to step out of their comfort zone, and features five new styles in Ray-Ban’s latest collection: Clubround, Gradient Flash, Double Bridge Story, Metal Heroes and Active Lifestyle.

Fight Perfection

Ray-Ban believes that #ITTAKESCOURAGE to ignore society’s definition of what’s attractive and instead appreciate being different. Featuring the Aviator with Gradient Flash Lenses, the brand encourages their consumers to fight perfection in a society that pressures the youth to fit into a certain mould that is deemed “perfect.”

Face Critics

#ITTAKESCOURAGE to be outspoken and passionate despite the negativity and criticism out there. Highlighting the classic Round, the second act reminds people how courageous it can be to pursue a dream without fearing judgment.

Start New

Cabahug predicted that by this year, metal will be the newest trend that everyone will be wearing. In fact, most of their collection is going full on metal.

Metal Heroes comes in three different

Denim jacket

From acid-washed to bedazzled, denim jackets were all the rage in the ‘80s. It has made a comeback as casual outerwear that keeps one warm during chilly months but stylish enough to be worn on summer.

Metallic fabric

Metallics remain trendy in this modern age.

But from shimmery materials, this trend is used more sparingly, most popularly as accent.

It takes courage to be passionate despite the negativity and criticism

designs: A Clubmaster-inspired model, Erika metal and rimless caravan. The message behind this is that #ITTAKESCOURAGE to leave all the negativity and baggage behind and start new, preferably in stylish metal shades.

Push Yourself

Ray-Ban introduces the new Flash Lens—putting a twist on the classic flash lens by adding a gradient. Just like the message behind this act of courageousness, the Gradient Flash pushes the boundaries by continuing to surprise Ray-Ban consumers with new and innovative style. Outlined by black rims that emphasize the shine of the mirror shades with a metal frame, a pair of Flash Lens now makes it easier to break through barriers.

Unplug

In this day and age of social media and online dating, Cabahug explained that “something as simple as ditching the screen to have a real conversation” takes courage. Ray-Ban, along with their featured Round frames, encourages the youth to unplug and experience life outside social media.

Open Your Heart

Cabahug explained that this act doesn’t just apply to lovers and romantic partners. #ITTAKESCOURAGE to be transparent and vocal when it comes to expressing emotions, may it be towards a sibling, a complete stranger or a friend. This sixth act of courage features the newest and latest Ray-Ban legend—the Clubround, a combination of the brand’s two most successful trends: Clubmaster and Round models. Created with premium quality acetate and metal, the phantos sun-shaped frames guarantee protected and clear vision.

The recent launch of Ray-Ban’s new campaign, held at Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery, served as a showcase of the brand’s latest collections along with older models—to give the guests a preview of how far the eyewear brand has come.

The gallery was decorated with neon red lights that gave off a grungy and youthful vibe that Ray-Ban represents. An electrifying performance by Filipino rock band Pupil and lead singer Ely Buendia capped off the event. Natalia Alexa Sy

Graphic tees

The wild graphic abandon to which the ‘80s were best known returns on t-shirts of today’s younger generation. SM Youth offers white shirts in graphic stripes, plain black tees and vintage-washed shirts stamped with pop culture icon Mickey Mouse himself; an ostentatiously orange T-shirt bears rough illustrations of fast food; the classic military in soft pastels; and handwritten typography expresses youth slang in singleword statement shirts.

Photos: Off-the-shoulder from Zara; crop top from Mango; denim jacket from Levi’s; metallic dress by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; graphic tee from SM Youth

Showbiz

E3

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Why do

CELEBRITIES want to be AUTHORS, too?

T

The Pambansang Bae is now a published author with the release of ‘Alden Richards: In My Own Words,’ which delves deeper into local showbiz’s Golden Boy’s life

here’s a new trend in showbiz circle, suddenly every celebrity insists on being authors and wanted to be taken seriously like any other literary geniuses.

Just recently, actress Claudine Barretto announced that she’s going to publish a tellall book, which will coincide with her showbiz comeback.

Once published, Barretto will be part of the roster of celebrities who use their personal brands to sell books, ostensibly they wrote personally (or with the generous assistance of a ghost writer, we suppose).

Now, answering the question as to why celebrities want to encroach on a territory initially known only to wordsmiths who have the luxury of time to be in front of their computers weaving words and sentences, it’s simple – they want validation and they want to prove that they are more than just pretty faces.

This Sunday’s “listicles,” we are having a rundown of showbiz personalities who have become published authors this year. It’s good to note that some of them even landed on the bestselling list of the country’s major bookstores.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, October 2, 2016

ACROSS 1 Neutral color 6 Camel relative 11 Mamas’ bandmates 16 Fix up 21 Aunt in “Oklahoma!”

22 Not apathetic 23 Fridge maker 24 Card-game expert 25 There you are!

26 Reverie 27 Chest protector 28 Hypnotized 29 Ecol. bureau 30 Not barefoot 32 Pegs 34 Good farm soil 36 AAA suggestion 37 Speaker’s prop 39 All through 40 Fakes out 41 Medieval defense 42 W-2 collectors 43 Mountaineer’s tool (2 wds.)

44 Ruining a nylon 46 — all she wrote!

49 Jaywalk 50 Revenuers 51 Breadthless?

55 Dragster 56 Fleeces 57 Camp furnishings 58 Deep crack 59 2001, to Livy 60 I-beam lifter 61 Clarified butter 62 Tuneful Turner 63 A thousand G’s 64 Oppositeness 66 Favoritism 67 Tempo 68 Form glaciers 69 Naive 70 Shrill bark 71 Talks to a beat 72 Sea swallows 73 Mare’s morsel 74 Mountain hazard 76 Took the title 77 Immunity shot fluid 80 Mortgage 81 CD- — 82 Shorten 86 Lump of clay 87 Greenhouse supply 88 Kind of school 89 Mistletoe, to a tree 90 Sunburned 91 Resume cousins 92 Genuine 93 Poker hand 94 “— Rosenkavalier” 95 Unvarying 97 Drum sound 98 Clammy

99 Deejay’s disc 100 Kind of bike seat 101 Instance 102 Ms. Zellweger 103 Foamy 104 Roundabout ways 106 They may shock you 107 Romaine lettuce 108 Teeth holders 111 Journalist — Ducommun 112 Regatta lineup 113 Cruddy wheels 117 Med. plan 118 Tacks on 119 Why? (2 wds.)

120 Actress — Powers 121 Through 122 Buenos — 124 Duck down 126 Caterpillar foot 128 Mallards’ kin 130 Errands 131 Web, for example 132 Ham it up 133 Chinchilla habitat 134 Trapshooting 135 Looks after 136 Pauses 137 Like watermelons DOWN 1 Cut obliquely 2 Flee to the JP 3 Of the pelvis 4 Hair goop 5 Mistake correctors 6 Lured (2 wds.)

7 Frying medium 8 Mature 9 Spite 10 Mighty fleets 11 Measured off 12 “Rag Mop” brothers 13 Waterlily leaf 14 Some watches 15 Lamour’s attire 16 Baba au — 17 Many millennia 18 Clean energy source 19 Prince Val’s wife 20 Jaunty lid 31 Paycheck abbr.

33 Neighbor of Guat.

35 Totally stupid 38 Broz 39 Pierre’s school 40 Heels 41 Baseball VIPs 43 Sarcasm 44 Leap in a tutu 45 Apollo acronym 46 Florida bay 47 Mood 48 With lance in hand 49 Suit pieces 50 Opposing sides 52 Scuttlebutt

53 54 56 57 58 60 61 62 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 85 87 88 89

Hunter constellation Rural necessities Arm part Thicket Is the right size Dairy product Breathing organ Duct — Not in a whisper Coffee source Gridiron shouts Dollar fractions Montand of film Sgt. Preston’s group Rabbi’s reading Dots on maps Eggnog time Berlin sausage Cancel a launch Helen, in Spanish “The Thinker” sculptor Tower over Reason Lent a hand Gossip tidbits “Bad, Bad — Brown” Copied illegally Volcano goddess Tissue layers

91 92 93 96 97 98 99 101 102 103 105 106 107 108 109 110 112 113 114 115 116 118 119 120 123 125 127 129

— up (review) Antarctic sea Tahoma et al.

Temporary trends At a premium “The Velvet Fog” (2 wds.)

Nightfall Literally, “kitchen” Oven pan Piano pieces Most ancient Oath — -de-sac Steps to the Ganges Kayak’s kin Dah-dit man Long-winded ones Green minerals Hem and haw Miffed Smart-mouthed Type of prof Drover’s charge Dillon or Helm Just scrape by Comic Aykroyd Sister of Helios Compass pt.

Alex Gonzaga After coming up with a bestselling book last year, the witty and talented host authored her second book entitled Dear Alex, We’re Dating. Tama, Mali?!

Love, Catherine. It is a breakup survival guide that aims to help broken-hearted readers let go and move on from their heartaches, and help them on their journey to a happy single and independent life.

Kathryn Bernardo Fueled by her endeavor to inspire every girl to be her best self, the 20-yearold shares everything she’s learned about fashion, beauty and friendship in a book entitled Everyday Kath: Kathryn Bernardo’s 365 Ways To Be A Teen Queen. The book is a token of appreciation for those who have been supporting her career. Kathryn’s book is also about how to be stronger in life and how to stand on your own feet – something that she herself realized when she celebrated her birthday this year.

Vice Ganda The colorful personality of the box-office actor and comedian is the essence of President Vice: Ang Bagong Panggulo ng Pilipinas, a book he released in July. He was convinced to write this book

James Reid and Nadine Lustre coauthored ‘ Team Real,’ which sold over 100,000 copies upon release proving that JaDine loveteam is a force to reckon with

because he was inspired by the current president’s message of change. In an interview, Vice shared, “Ang librong ito ay pang pa-good vibes lang.

It has nothing do with the government. Para lang ito sa katuwaan ng lahat.” So there, don’t take it seriously.

JaDine There’s no better way to celebrate the “realness” of their relationship than immortalizing it through a book they co-authored.

Entitled Team Real: Your AllAccess Pass Into James Reid and Nadine Lustre’s World, it focuses on how their actual selves won the hearts of many people that support them. The book also talks about travel and adventures, money talk and life hacks. Most importantly, Team Real is about teaching a reader to love himself, embrace his uniqueness and endeavor to reach his ultimate dreams. The book sold 100,000 copies upon release.

Andrea Brillantes The 13-year-old Kapamilya, who has more a million fans on Facebook, shared that her book #GOALS: Your Journey To Be The Best You contains a combination of entertaining stories, tricky comics and advice for the youth to be confident in their own skin.

Through her own words, she encourages young people her age to be proactive and go for they really want to achieve in life. If there more 13-year-olds out there who have the same passion to influence people,

this world will be such a better place.

Judy Ann Santos Busy playing her important roles in life as an actress, a wife, and a mother, she gave herself a chance and pursued her passion in cooking when her husband Ryan Agoncillo encouraged her to go to culinary school.

Now armed with “delicious knowledge” to share, the celebrated actress published a book entitled Kitchen, which highlights 44 recipes categorized in five sections: Comfort Food, Friends, Kiddie Parties, Wifey Duties, and Health & Discoveries. You see, Judy Ann is no longer just the Ula, Mara or the Esperanza that made her a TV darling.

Alden Richards The book Alden Richards: In My Own Words, reveals everything there is to know about the reluctant celebrity who was born Richard Faulkerson, Jr. It recounts the path the 24-year old actor, singer, and TV host took before hitting showbiz gold with Aldub—a history that includes male pageants and failed auditions. The book then delves deeper into Alden’s life as an ordinary guy by spilling revealing truths and endearing facts about the down-to-earth star. Alden, an old-fashioned romantic, also sets readers’ hearts aflutter by candidly letting his views on love and dating be known. Conchita Edwards and Denise Amador

E4

Showbiz

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

POP QUEEN As the brightest recording star of her generation, Sarah G believes that she’s already at a stage in her life where she is ready to start giving back; (inset from the top) Sarah G with the kids of Gawad Kalinga in an event organized by Manulife

By Nickie Wang Images by Sonny Espiritu

S

arah Geronimo has changed so much from the time she burst onto the entertainment scene after winning the television-singing contest Star for a Night in 2003. She subsequently rose to fame with the release of her debut album Popstar: A Dream Come True.

Since then, the country’s new Queen of Pop continuously reinvents herself to keep her star in the limelight. And with numerous accolades under her belt, 49 Platinum and 8 Gold Record Awards in a span of 10 years, selling more than a million albums, Sarah has crafted one of the most successful recording careers on the local music scene.

With her reinvention comes her endeavor to provide something new to her fans. And in the latest music video for her single “The Great Unknown,” her collaboration with the band Hale, we see a very different Sarah singing an unconventional song and portraying a more mature image.

For people who have been following her recording career, it’s a pleasant surprise that Sarah G opted for a more mature sound, not even pop or R&B. It’s a glaring testament that she is really after for musical reinvention.

“As a music artist, I still have a lot of dreams. I want to record more original material. I want to keep on surprising my fans. I don’t want to limit myself because I know I can do more,” the pop star told the Manila Standard in a recent interview.

The 28-year-old actress and recording superstar is aware that she’s part of a very dynamic industry that the only way to keep herself relevant is to become aware of her limitations and strengths. By doing so, she can work on her weaknesses and further improve on what she’s already good at.

“It’s all about overcoming your fears. I remember my father telling me when I was young that I can’t expect for something to happen tomorrow if I didn’t do anything today,” she shared.

She related her father’s advice when she was still a virtually unknown singer trying to win all the singing contests available. It actually took her three attempts before she was accepted as a Star for a Night contestant.

“I almost gave up after my second try. But my family pushed me to go for another try. I told them I’m not cut out to be a singer. Then when I went for that third try, I was told I’m already in,” she narrated.

And as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Realizing how fortunate she is to have been able to fulfill a lot of her dreams at such a young age, Sarah has started doing philanthropic efforts. The most recent being is her visit to Museo Pambata where she met with kids of Gawad Kalinga.

“I have been given so much early in life that I want to give back this time around. I am fortunate that I was able to invest my blessings in a trusted financial partner.

Now that I am confident of a secure future for me and my family, I can start helping others follow their own dreams,” said the pop star who’s also one of Manulife’s celebrity ambassadors.

Sarah furthered that with most of her ambitions fulfilled, she is at a stage of her life where she wants to start giving back.

“Sometimes, even if you have achieved success, you feel empty. I think we can find a lot of joy in being able to reach out to those who have not been as fortunate and interact with them, as we are doing with the GK kids,” she mused.

A bright star called

SARAH G Everybody is hitching on the ‘PEN-PINEAPPLE-APPLE-PEN’ bandwagon

Japanese comedian Kazuhiko Kosaka, the man behind the ultra catchy song ‘Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen’

YouTube had to upgrade its counter when the “Gangnam Style” video from South Korean superstar PSY surpassed the “view” limit.

And everybody thought that it would take a while before another crazy song comes to take its place.

But just a few days ago, a video posted by the entertainment portal 9Gag on its Facebook page took over the entire wired universe. Yes, even Justin Bieber calls it his most favorite video on the Internet.

With a hilariously simple dance that goes with a catchy lyric that talks about a pen, a tropical fruit and a sweet pomaceous fruit, the video went viral amassing over 60 million views, a million share and half a million comments to date.

The lyric goes like this: “P-P-A-P. I have a pen. I have an apple. Uhh! Apple pen. I have a pen. I have pineapple. Uhh! Pineapple pen. Apple pen, pineapple pen… Uhh! Pen-pineapple-apple-pen. Pen-pineapple-apple-pen.”

The infectious song, which is sure to be stuck in your head for hours (for some, it’s days), is sung by Japanese comedian Kazuhiko Kosaka, under his fictional personality of DJ Piko-Taro. The caricature was first invented by the 40-year-old comedian at one of his live shows, but the DJ quickly became a personality in his own right.

The DJ has already been dubbed the next Psy, after the “Gangnam Style“ singer, while hundreds of covers have been cropping up on the web.