Manila Standard - 2016 October 16 - Sunday

MILF joins war vs drugs

By Florante S. Solmerin

VOL. XXX • NO. 246 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

GOVERNMENT security forces and Muslim rebels joined forces and nabbed 13 henchmen of the notorious “Masgal drug group” in a sustained

week-long collaboration in Midsayap, North Cotabato, an official statement released Saturday by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said.

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WET WEEKEND. As Typhoon 'Karen' barreled toward Luzon Island, motorists were confronted with this watery skyline of Makati City as seen through a car’s windshield.

Sonny Espiritu

‘Karen very destructive’ T

HE state weather bureau raised Signal No. 3 over eight areas as Typhoon “Karen” [international name: Sarika] barreled toward Luzon with weathermen fearing it could be “the most damaging” storm this year.

MILLENNIAL ATHLETICISM. Three young men show off their athleticism during their regular work-out time at Bonifacio Global City playground in Taguig City. Sonny Espiritu

“We can see from the radar that the storm is very destructive. It can destroy wooden houses, it can topple trees. It can possibly rip off roofs... This could so far, be the most damaging typhoon this year,” said forecaster Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

While the storm is not the most powerful to hit the country this year, it could cause the most damage as it will cross heavilypopulated areas just north of Manila, Estareja said.

“This one will have an impact because most of the people are in [that part of] Luzon. Even Metropolitan Manila will be affected,” he warned.

Karen, packing maximum winds of 180 kilometers per hour, has already knocked out

Beijing to lift advisory during Rody’s state visit

By John Paolo Bencito CHINA will lift its two-year-old travel advisory against the Philippines when President Rodrigo Duterte visits Beijing next week, according to Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua.

“The Chinese side has already decided to lift the travel advisory,” Zhao said in a forum on Friday.

Asked by reporters when the advisory will be lifted, the Chinese ambassador said: “During your President’s visit.”

Zhao noted that 10 million Chinese tourists go to Thailand every year while only 500,000 Chinese people visit the Philippines.

During the first half of 2016, 360,000 Chinese tourists have already visited the Philippines, he said, adding that the number is expected to go up to one million Chinese visitors by the end of the year.

With Chinese tourists estimated to be spending an average of US$1,000 per person for their trips, Zhao said this would translate to US$1 billion in income for the Philippines from Chinese tourists.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines had earlier issued a travel warning to its citizens after the deadly Davao City explosion in early September and in 2014 when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Chinese citizens not to go to the Philippines because of an alleged plot to bomb the Chinese embassy, Chinese businesses and Manila’s international airport.

The alleged bomb plot was linked to the dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), which heated up in 2012 and soured relations between the Philippines and China.

Zhao likewise said China is keen on forging a fisheries cooperation agreement

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CH mixing key issues, Carpio says

ANTONIO CARPIO

S

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SUPREME Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has raised alarm signals that China is attempting to reframe the South China Sea dispute between Beijing and Washington, only three days before President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Beijing for a state visit.

The 66-year-old Carpio, born in Davao like the incumbent President, warned the chief executive China might ask the Philippines to concede the latter’s rights in the South China, upheld in July by an international arbitral tribunal, before agreeing on any exploration deals in the disputed maritime area.

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all power and telephone lines on the eastern island of Catanduanes, the civil defense office said.

It is forecast to hit the province of Aurora on the east coast of the main island of Luzon before dawn Sunday and is expected to cross Central Luzon before heading out to sea Sunday evening, he added.

Pagasa raised Signal Number 3 over Camarines Norte, northern Quezon including Polillo Island, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Aurora and northern Zambales.

These areas will experience strong winds and heavy rains, with coastal areas at risk of storm surges of up to two meters (more than six feet), the forecaster said.

Signal Number 2, on the other Next page

US: China trip ‘positive thing’ THE US Department of State conceded on Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s upcoming state visit to China will be in the best interest of the Philippines and viewed the blooming relationship between Manila and Beijing as a “positive thing.”

“The Philippines’ relationship with China is an important one,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said in Washington D.C. “ It’s important to the region, and strong relations between China and the Philippines... is important to regional security.”

“So we don’t view it as any type of slight in any way or overlooking the importance of our own relations, our own bilateral relationship with the Philippines. We view it as a positive thing,” he added.

“Certainly, it’s in the Philippines’ interest to have strong relations in the region. As much as this is an effort in that direction, we would support it,” Toner said.

Duterte will make the state visit with at least 250 businessmen in a bid to reverse Philippine foreign policy after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Next page

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Duterte signs EO on rehab facilities P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed Executive Order No. 04 providing for the establishment and support of drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers DATRCs across the country.

Under the EO signed last Oct. 11, an Inter-Agency Task Force will be created to oversee the establishment of the rehab centers primarily to help drug dependents who surrendered to authorities amid the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The task force will be chaired by the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, with the health secretary as co-chairman and secretaries of social welfare and budget, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director general, and a representative of the Office of the President as members.

To address the congested rehab centers, the task force shall establish DATRCs in the available space of military reservations, subject to the approval of the memorandum of agreements between and among concerned agencies.

MILF...

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But Director Carlos Sol Jr. of the combined secretariat of the government and MILF Coordinating Council on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), said the drug group leader Samad Masgal alias Commander Madrox eluded arrest.

The AHJAG, a mechanism which seeks to isolate and interdict lawless elements that take refuge in or near MILF communities, was initially formed during the May 2002 Joint Communique between the government and the MILF in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

Involved in the week-long operations starting Oct. 5 were the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade and joined by leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Security authorities said those captured had been turned over to police for detention and filing of criminal charges.

“We’ve seen in the last week the determination of the MILF and the government forces to enforce the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to launch an all-out campaign against illegal drugs and criminality,” Sol said.

“We can see now people responsible for the criminality and the proliferation of illegal drugs especially methamphetamine in the areas of operation,” Sol added.

A similar operation was conducted last August by the AFP and the MILF against the group of Samad Masgal, alias Commander Madrox, which resulted in the death of four of his followers while three from the Philippine army were killed in action.

The government and the MILF earlier signed in July the Agreement of Cooperation and Coordination in the Campaign against Illegal Drugs in MILFcontrolled areas.

The agreement allows for “information exchange/sharing which includes, but not limited to, the submission of the MILF of a list of drug

The EO also encourages all departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the government to provide support and assistance in establishing rehab centers.

The initial funding shall be sourced from the appropriations of the members of the task force which aims to determine the type, capacity and suitable locations of the centers with the long-term goal of having at least one center in every province.

It will also establish the needed centers and provide support for their operations with the authority to call upon any concerned agencies for assistance.

For the first three months of the intensified campaign against illegal drugs of President Duterte, more than 700,000 drug dependents have surrendered themselves to authorities. PNA personalities identified in its area subject to validation of the law enforcement agencies” as well as to allow the MILF to “conduct information drive on the ill-effects of illegal drugs in the MILF affected areas as part of its demand reduction activities” among others.

“I would like to commend this new administration for its strong commitment to end illegal drugs in our country. I would also like to express my gratitude to those who have been part of the operation which includes the operating troops and coordinating body,” MILF leader Gordon Sayfulah said.

The 13 arrested were: Ali Masgal Buat; Guiamalodin Kalay Palakad; Guiama Milikano; Mandag Mamalinta; Nandi Pagao; Taokie Habip Lumilis; Kenny Gumbila Dima; Ronnie Ferrer Catulogn; Morem Masgal Milicano; Omar Masgal Angking; Sari Alim Lumilis; Mantoa Amal Gombila and Tiyabong Mamalinta. Madrox, himself, remains at large.

Also recovered during the operation were two grenade launchers; two M16 rifles; an M14 rifle; a homemade shotgun; a .30-caliber Garan rifle; a homemade .50-caliber sniper rifle; one rocket propelled grenade launcher ammunition; and two fragmention grenades alongside a handful of short firearms.

Several shabu-containing heat-sealed sachet packs as well as other drug paraphernalia were also recovered during the operation.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., 6th Infantry Division commander, said the successful law enforcement operation also served as “another building block toward reaching a permanent peace with the Moro rebel groups.”

He said: “Let us guard the opportunities we have at hand...if we can continuously work with the same enthusiasm and commitment, we can finally put an end to the decades- or centuries-long conflicts that have been happening. Now is the time for us to unite and fight together this drug problem,” he said.

FIRST TIMER. President Rodrigo Duterte is welcomed by thousands of residents and officials as he arrived in Batanes on Friday to inspect the damage wreaked by three typhoons. Malacañang Photo

Aftershocks seen after Agusan quake

By Catherine J. Teves THE government is expecting more aftershocks from the magnitude 5 earthquake that struck Saturday below waters off Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

“Aftershocks can further occur where the earthquake hit,” said senior research analyst John Deximo of the state-run Philippine Institute of Volcanol-

ogy and Seismology.

He noted such temblors may or may not be as strong as the two aftershocks of minor intensities that resulted from the 2:29 a.m. earthquake.

“The forthcoming aftershocks can be stronger,” he also said.

Such aftershocks might be felt as well unlike the two others that occurred in the earthquake’s aftermath, he continued.

'Karen...

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hand, was raised over Catanduanes, the rest of Quezon, Quirino, Camarines Sur, Rizal, Bulacan, the rest of Zambales, La Union, Pampanga, Tarlac, Ifugao, Benguet and southern Isabela.

Low-lying areas will be at risk of flooding while mountainous areas could suffer landslides.

US:...

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The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over the South China Sea maritime dispute.

Duterte, in various speeches, gave all praises to China for not interfering on how he runs the country, and his fight against the illegal drug menace.

China has never recognized the Philippine case, but has been outraged by it, leaving much of the region on edge and fearing retaliation by a country with a rapidly expanding military and coastguard.

Toner also admitted that they are mindful about Duterte’s often-changing rhetoric, amid his threats that he may cut off ties with the Western power.

“While certainly we don’t want to discount some of the rhetoric and some of the things said by the leadership in the Philippines, what we look at most closely is at a working level whether the cooperation and the receptivity of the Philippine government is still there,” Toner said.

The top US diplomat for East Asia, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, had earlier admitted that he was unsure what Duterte’s “panoply” of conflicting

CH...

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Citing the increased Chinese encroachment in disputed waters just to affirm their nine-dash line claims despite the adverse Hague-based tribunal ruling, Carpio warned against what he described as the true enemy in the South China Sea. “China is trying to reframe the dispute by saying it’s a battle between US and China. No, it’s between the Philippines and China,” Carpio told a media forum in Makati on Friday.

In his five-day trip to Hong Kong last August, former President and Special Envoy to China Fidel V. Ramos met with Professor Wu Schicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, who stressed that making the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal

According to Phivolcs, Saturday’s earthquake of tectonic origin occurred 11 km. north 40 degrees east of Nasipit at a depth of 26 km.

“That earthquake was a shallow event,” Deximo said.

Phivolcs noted the earthquake was reported at intensity 5 in Agusan del Norte’s Nasipit and Carmen municipalities as well as in Butuan City; and intensity

Although the storm did not hit the eastern region of Bicol, that area experienced heavy rains as it passed nearby on Saturday, said civil defense spokeswoman Rachel Miranda.

It has already left more than 246,000 residents of Catanduanes island without electricity and telephone lines, she told AFP. More than 400 people were evacuated from their homes and sea and air travel in these areas has been suspended as a safety precaution, officials said.

All units of the Armed Forces of the

4 in Cabadbaran City as well as Mainit, Placer, Las Nieves, Remedios Romualdez and Magallanes in Agusan del Norte.

The earthquake was reported at intensity 3 in Surigao City, Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental province, Mambajao in Camiguin province as well as in Sison, Bacuag and Taganaan in Agusan del Norte province, Phivolcs continued. PNA

Philippines were placed on alert Saturday as part of the mitigation efforts for Karen.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Ricardo Jalad said all military units in regions that will be affected by Karen have been ordered to pre-position equipment for disaster rescue and recovery operations.

Jalad said NDRRMC Operations Center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City has been placed on “blue alert” to constantly monitor the tropical storm’s progress and impact.

statements would mean for Manila’s future security cooperation with Washington.

Toner added that it is his prerogative who to deal with after Duterte plans to pursue various trade and economic deals with China.

“It’s the Philippines’ prerogative to make its own choices in terms of who it engages in these kinds of deals with,” he adds.

Meanwhile, amid Duterte’s rhetoric on stopping the joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US, their Manila embassy announced Friday that they delivered new military equipment to the Philippine Marines to help in counter-terrorism efforts.

“The military equipment was transferred under a US grant program aimed at assisting security forces conducting counterterrorism operations,” the embassy said.

“This equipment will help enhance the communications, situational awareness and protection of Philippine security forces actively engaged in counterterrorism operations in the southern Philippines.

The Philippine Marines will also receive radio training as a part of the US grant program,” it added.

The Philippine Coast Guard and

the Philippine National PoliceSpecial Action Force also received six pallets of the new communications equipment from the US government, which included tactical Harris radios, ballistic helmets, and diving gear, among other items, the embassy said.

The US Embassy has said that the ties between the two countries remained warm despite the unsavory words from Duterte.

Also on Friday, outgoing US Ambassador Philip Goldberg assured that the result of the US presidential elections in November will not change US relations with the Philippines.

Goldberg said US-Philippine alliance is strong regardless of whoever between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democrats’ Hillary Clinton will win in the presidential race.

“I think our commitment to the Philippines is clear. We have been good allies, we will remain good allies,” he pointed out.

“I think that whatever government is in, the United States will value the Philippines as an ally and friend. We have 3.5 million FilipinoAmericans and a rich tradition and history, and as allies and friends I don’t think the changes of administration in the US affects that,” he added.

during Duterte’s visit and was confident a solution could be found so the two countries could create “a sea of peace and cooperation.”

“The Chinese side is very much interested in fisheries cooperation. That is the kind of response to your President’s concern about fishermen,” Zhao said.

“We would like to explore the possibility of how we can handle it properly. I think both sides are going to be able to work on a possible solution to this problem,” he added.

Zhao adds though that China is willing to cooperate with the Philippines on common interests in the West Philippine Sea, as what happened during the Arroyo administration, including ensuring peace and stability in the disputed waters, development of maritime resources and oil reserves, fighting pirates and maintaining freedom of navigation.

in the South China Sea open to fishermen from both Beijing and Manila could help reduce the growing bilateral tensions caused by the maritime territorial dispute.

But Wu said before any joint exploration should take place, the Philippines should first acknowledge Beijing’s dominion over the Shoal.

“There are various cooperation plans the two countries can discuss.

Fish-farming technology is not advanced in the Philippines, and China can help with that,”Wu added.

According to Wu, Ramos’ fiveday trip to Hong Kong for negotiations with Chinese government officials could help reduce the rising tension in the region.

Ramos, whom Duterte credits for helping him win the presidency in the May 9 elections, said the government was “losing badly” by prioritizing a war on drugs at the

expense of issues such as poverty, living costs, foreign investment and jobs calling it a “huge disappointment and letdown.”

Sources earlier revealed to Manila Standard that Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip after he advised the incumbent President not to push through with the trip to China if they do not comply with certain conditions.

Instead of heeding Ramos’ advice, sources said Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip and personally took control of talks with Chinese officials without even consulting or informing concerned Philippine counterparts.

Carpio warned Duterte, who will be making a four-day state visit to Beijing starting Oct. 18, that China might ask the Philippines to “concede” its rights over the South China Sea before agreeing on any exploration in the South China Sea

or bilateral trade deals.

“If we first concede that they own it, we will share with the bounty, 50-50. And President Duterte will go there, and the Chinese will have the same condition,” Carpio said, reminding the President this has always been China’s position since then-President Benigno Aquino III infuriated Beijing by filing an arbitral case.

“So when the President comes back and say that we have signed all these agreements, we want to know what are the terms,”he added.

Carpio reiterated his opposition to Duterte’s decision to stop jointpatrols with the United States, saying only the US can counter China’s continued encroachment among disputed waters and continued patrols is the only way to protect the country’s EEZ. Or exclusive economic zone.

John Paolo Bencito

Beijing...

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Rody insists on FM burial

By John Paolo Bencito

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte maintained that he was only following his duty to enforce the law in deciding to bury the former President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“That is a law. It is very clear stick to what is the law,” Duterte to me that my decision was cor- was quoted as saying by Ilorect. As a lawyer, I could only cos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos,

a daughter of the former president who died in exile in 1989.

“He was a soldier. He was a president. And nobody can deny that,” Duterte added.

Duterte met briefly with the governor at Laoag International Airport after visiting calamitystricken victims in Batanes.

The President made the remark as some 500 Ilocanos began the four-day Kailian March from Ilocos Norte to Metro Manila.

“Using the word kailian im-

plies being part of the same barangay or sitio, growing with and around each other… a much stronger and close-knit relationship,” explained June Arvin Gudoy of northern Ilocos.

Two unity masses were held at the San Agustin Church in Paoay and then at the St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Badoc, both in Ilocos Norte.

“This should have been finished in September but for the cases [that were filed before the

Supreme Court],” Marcos said.

Six cases were filed before the high court protesting Marcos’ burial at the Libingan, but the temporary restraining order (TRO) the SC issued against any preparation for Marcos’ burial at the Libingan is set to expire on Octoner 18.

The Kailian March left the Paoay church past 6 p.m. Friday and arrived at the Badoc church before 8 p.m. An hour later, the group left Ilocos Norte and ar-

IN BRIEF

DAR eyes Cagayan land row settlement THE Department of Agrarian Reform recently conducted a dialogue with its partner agencies, landowners and agrarian reform beneficiaries to resolve a dispute involving an 800-hectare parcel of land in Piat, Cagayan.

DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Office Marcos D. Risonar Jr. said the dispute involves political issues between the towns of Piat and Solana and issues on ownership as different certificates of title cover the land.

He said representatives from Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Register of Deeds, Department of Interior and Local Government, Provincial Government of Cagayan, Municipal Government of Solana, Municipal Government of Piat, the landowners, and the farmer-beneficiaries attended the dialogue.

Risonar said the parties, after thorough discussion, resolved the dispute, concluding that there was no political boundary issue as the map creating Piat town showed the land in question is within the jurisdiction of Piat.

Land Bank of the Philippines Legal Adviser Gilbert Barsaban said the landholding is a unique situation as it involves one lot but two claimants, two towns and two titles.

Barsaban said their office would proceed with the determination of the valuation of the subject land.

Assistant Regional Director Wilfredo Malvar of the DENR committed to release a new town map by yearend upon completion of all documents.

DAR Regional Director Marjorie P. Ayson, RARAD Atty. Annabelle Oandasan, Director of the Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement Leandro Caymo, and the PARPO II of all the provinces in Region 02 were also present during the dialogue.

Delva Rose M. Ligwang

rived at Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, at around 10 p.m.

By 2:30 a.m. Saturday, they were already in San Fernando City, La Union and was headed for Pangasinan yesterday afternoon.

“Thank you very much for your support. I am certain that with our continued prayers, we will finally bring peace to my father, to my family, to this province, and to the entire country, the Republic of the Philippines,” Marcos said.

Window cleaning ban moved THE Philippine government has postponed the implementation of a prohibition of Filipino household workers in Hong Kong from cleaning the windows of flats in high-rise buildings.

Upon the request of Hong Kong government, the Philippines moved the October 15 implementation order to November 15, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said, adding that the “Hong Kong government requested more time to work out the details of the issue. The suspension is for 30 days.”

The memo was made two months after Filipino domestic worker Rinalyn Dulluog fell to her death while cleaning the windows of her employer’s flat on the 48th floor of a high-rise building in LOHAS Park.

“Please ensure that employers read this part and understand it before they sign the contract you will submit to us for verification and authentication,” the memo, which was signed by Philippine Overseas Labor Office attaché Jalilo dela Torre, stated.

The original memo dated October 1, stated that starting October 15, all employers should implement this and clause banning them from cleaning the exterior of windows should include in the written contracts of all Filipino household workers in Hong Kong.

The clause in the contract should state that “for safety purposes, cleaning the exterior of windows is not part of the domestic helper’s duties.”

Dela Torre said the memo was issued to all accredited employment agencies in the city “pursuant to POLO’s mandate to protect the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.” Sara D. Fabunan

GEARING FOR HALLOWEEN. Mall workers in Mandaluyong City arrange colorful jack-o-lanterns and other Halloween paraphernalia. Lino Santos

Solon backs 100-day maternity leave

By Maricel V. Cruz LEYTE Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez has welcomed the passage of a substitute bill before a panel in the House of Representatives seeking to grant 100-day maternity leave with 30-day extension without pay for working pregnant women in public and private sectors.

Romualdez, a registered nurse who gave birth to her daughter Maddey on Sept. 1, 2015 by Caesarian delivery, lauded the House committee on women and gender equality, chaired by Democratic Independent Workers’ Association party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, for approving the measure.

“This is a very important proposal that deserves the support of Congress. This would definitely give ample time for mothers to nurture, take care and breastfeed

their newborn for the first 100 days,” said Romualdez in lauding Aglipay-Villar, one of the bill’s principal authors.

The substitute bill, as approved, seeks to increase the maternity leave of a pregnant working mother from 60 days to 100 days.

“I am very supportive of the bill because this will provide better benefits to ordinary working women. It’s really difficult to recover, especially if the delivery is through Caesarian, I can relate to this experience,” said Romualdez, a mother of four and former Binibining Pilipinas International 1996.

She recalled that her late grandfather, Democrito “Kito” Mendoza, founder of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines who passed away on June 12, 2016 at the age of 93, had been championing the rights of the labor sector.

The Leyte lawmaker said her

husband, former House Independent Bloc Leader and ex-Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), and her uncle, TUCP party-list Rep. Democrito Mendoza have been advocating increased maternity leave benefits.

Romualdez said the measure should not be used as an excuse to discriminate women in the workplace.

“We should remain steadfast in fighting discrimination against women, especially our Constitution recognizes the role of women in nation-building and promotes equality for them,” Romualdez explained.

For her part, Aglipay-Villar, wife of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, said her panel approved the committee report for the substitute bill on the exapanded maternity

benefits.

“We approved the substitute bill and the committee report to help pregnant women nurture their babies during the first 100 days. On top of the 100 days, an extension of 30 days without pay will be permitted,” Aglipay-Villar said.

Aglipay-Villar also said her proposal will help alleviate the issue of mothers leaving their babies for work.

“Unfortunately, in many cases, the economic pressure for both parents to earn a living forced mothers to work before their newborn are well nurtured,” said Aglipay-Villar.

“Mothers have to go back to work after two months of giving birth and this makes it difficult for them to continue to breastfeed their babies. This forces them to feed their babies using infant formula, which is not best for their babies’ health,” Aglipay-Villar added.

MMDA after litterbugs, jaywalkers THE Metro Manila Development Authority vowed to go after and arrest litterbugs and pedestrians who wantonly disregard street regulations.

In a statement, the MMDA said it will intensify enforcement of anti-littering and anti-jaywalking drive and will be deploying more than 100 personnel on the streets of the metropolis.

The MMDA will apprehend people who will be caught indiscriminately throwing their garbage anywhere.

Street vendors are number one violators of every cities’ cleanliness ordinance. They just throw their garbage right in the streets, the MMDA said.

MMDA general manager Tim Orbos said the agency has upped the ante on operations on these discipline-driven programs.

He said he wants to continue to instill discipline among pedestrians and commuters alike, adding that “following rules and regulations on the roads should be second nature to us all.”

He said he wants the stringent implementation of the anti-littering and anti-jaywalking measures to ensure that pedestrians and commuters alike in Metro Manila follow the law.

The MMDA warned the public of the stiff consequence of these violations as the names of violators will be forwarded to the National Bureau of Investigation for inclusion in its alarm list or red flag unless they pay the penalty for their infractions.

Further, their names may be included in the NBI’s hold departure order.

Hasten Grab, Uber review, LTFRB told

WORKING THE STREET. A vendor pushes a cart carrying merchandise for motorcycle riders and other gadgets along Vito Cruz Street in Manila. Lino Santos

A HOUSE leader has called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to act swiftly in reviewing the policies of transport network firms like Grab and Uber to strengthen existing measures and ensure the safety of passengers and protect them from exorbitant fare “surge” rates.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said Saturday the LTRFB should come up with a formula that would put a cap on the “surge” or higher pricing scheme done by Uber and Grab during rainy days and peak hours to protect passengers from being “virtually scammed” by these car booking companies.

“Their surge pricing makes them even worse than taxicab drivers who victimize hapless passengers by resorting to the ‘kontrata’ scheme during rush hours or rainy days. The LTFRB should do something fast about the exorbitant rates charged by Uber and Grab during bad weather or peak traffic hours,” Villafuerte said.

He added: “While we acknowledge that Grab, Uber and other online transportation network companies are filling the service gaps not being provided by taxis, they should be regulated and not end up copying the bad practices of some taxi operators and drivers who overcharge passengers during rush hours and rainy days.

“I understand Uber and Grab resort to surge pricing during peak hours and rainy days to encourage more drivers to go on the road, but the

increase should be reasonable and should not take advantage of the desperation of their passengers to get a ride at times when they need it the most.”

Villafuerte said the LTFRB should come up with measures to further tighten the screening procedures for drivers joining Grab, Uber and other car-booking firms to ensure the safety of passengers using these services.

“I’m happy to learn that the LTFRB is now reviewing its guidelines governing these companies before the onset of the holiday rush. But the LTFRB should do it sooner than later and immediately address the mounting complaints against Grab and Uber,” Villafuerte said.

He cited media reports stating that even LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III had a relative of his complaining about being charged P1,000 for a ride from Bonifacio Global City to Quezon City on a rainy day.

Villafuerte also noted complaints about untidy cars, arrogant, reckless drivers and even some who sexually harass their passengers.

“These are serious charges that require immediate action from the LTFRB. Passengers choose these car-booking firms because they want to be ensured of their safety. The LTFRB should come up with stringent measures to screen drivers joining Grab, Uber and other car-booking companies,” Villafuerte said. Maricel V. Cruz

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RELAXING GREEN.

State visit to Brunei up Oct. 16

Street cleaners share a moment unwinding after a hard day’s work under the relaxing greenery at the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge. Sonny Espiritu

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will make a three-day state visit to Brunei Darussalam beginning October 16 after canceling a visit originally scheduled for early September because of the Davao City night market bombing.

Duterte will be officially welcome on Monday at the Istana Nurul Iman followed by bilateral talks with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah that will be held at the king’s residence with a state banquet to be held Monday evening.

Duterte is also scheduled to meet the Filipino community at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex shortly after arriving at Brunei on Sunday.

Duterte will be flying to Brunei on October 16 from Davao City before heading on to China on October 18, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ambassador Charles Jose said.

“Both [state] visits are expected to enhance our friendly relations with both countries and to ensure them that the Philippines continue to be their partners in the region,” Jose said in a Palace briefing.

Brunei has strong defense relations with the Philippines and gives active support to the peace process in Mindanao. Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Royal Brunei Police Force personnel continuously take part in the International Monitoring Team’s peacekeeping mission in Mindanao.

In December last year, Brunei and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of information and communications technology and multimedia.

The MoU aims to promote cooperation in ICT and multimedia initiative and help both countries’ aspiration to achieve economic and social development, connectivity and shared prosperity in the BIMP-EAGA region towards realizing the Asean economic integration.

Palace: No state killings

By John Paolo Bencito

T

HE Philippines’ war against drugs is aimed at correcting the mistakes of previous administrations which failed to resolve the illegal drug menace, Malacañang said on Saturday as it denied the claim of a prosecutor of the International Criminal Court that killings “may warrant prosecution.”

“What is being waged is a social revolution of making right the wrongs that have been embedded over generations and past administrations,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said, reiterating President Rodrigo Duterte’s openness to subject himself to any probe.

Abella made the statement after ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda expressed “deep concern” to the public statements of Duterte that seem to condone the killings and encourage state forces and civilians alike to continue targeting drug personalities with lethal force.

Malacañang, however, denied the allegations, saying that should the probe prosper, these will help the government to “focus on the second phase of the

matter,” which is a public health, social and economic issue, Abella said.

Abella noted that the recent investigation of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights showed that there was no proof to suggest that Duterte knew or ordered of any of the supposed extrajudicial killings when he was still mayor of Davao City.

“The Chairman [Senator Richard Gordon] himself has been quoted as saying, “there is no proof that the killings were state-sponsored,” Abella said.

Since July, Duterte has overseen a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands of people dead, both at the hands of police as well as in unexplained circumstances,

according to official data.

In his speeches, Duterte specifically stressed that he sees nothing wrong with his threats to kill drug lords and pushers, citing the gravity of the country’s drug problem calls for it.

Duterte also vowed to step down from office if his critics could prove there were state-sanctioned killings.

During the campaign for the presidency, the thenDavao City mayor threatened to dump dead criminals’ bodies into Manila Bay to fatten the fish there.

The President has made no qualms about the cruel fate awaiting drug lords and pushers who choose to resist arrest instead of surrendering to authorities, saying policemen can shoot them if necessary.

PNP reports toll in drug war OPLAN Double Barrel, as the country’s war against drugs is officially called, has resulted in the killing of 1,645 drug suspects in police operations while 1,967 more drugrelated deaths are under investigation since July 1, the Philippine National Police announced on Saturday.

The PNP said 29,331 drug suspects were arrested in 30,845 operations from July 1 to 6 a.m. of October 15 while 13 policemen were killed and 40 more wounded in anti-drugs operations. Three members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines were also killed in action while eight were wounded in anti-drug operations.

The PNP said a total of 744,916 drug personalities—54,229 pushers and 690,687 users —surrendered in 2,120,139 home visits under the Project Tokhang.

Meanwhile, the PNP said that it has subjected 156,286 policemen in random drug tests conducted from January 1 to 1:50 p.m. of October 12 and a total of 157 policemen and seven non-

uniformed personnel tested positive for use of illegal drugs.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa had earlier claimed the Duterte administration is winning the war on drugs as evidenced by the price of shabu having gone up from P3,000 to P25,000 per gram due to scarcity of supply.

Dela Rosa said the supply of shabu in the market has been reduced by 70 to 80 percent and the price of shabu sold by street level pushers continued to rise.

In the past, authorities said a kilo of shabu cost P5 million. But based on Dela Rosa’s assessment, a kilo of shabu is currently valued at P25 million.

Various groups have criticized the government as bodies of drug suspects continued to pile up in the streets.

“It’s challenging. We need the support of the public in the campaign against illegal drugs. We cannot succeed without your help,” Dela Rosa said, adding that the drug war will continue until all barangays in the country are drug-free.

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor / Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor

Opinion mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Cheerleading killings’

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AST week, President Rodrigo Duterte signed an administrative order that created the Presidential Task Force on Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of the Members of the Media.

According to the order, the duty of the task force is to ensure a safe environment for media workers.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been an encouraging development.

The practice of journalism in the Philippines is seen as one of the most dangerous in the world, next only to conflict zones.

Unfortunately, the President’s antagonism toward members of the media, which he perfectly articulated in the ear-

ly days of his administration, gives us reason to wonder how sincere he is in protecting the lives, liberties and security of media workers.

Who would, for instance, be able to brush aside his comments implying that murdered journalists likely had it coming because they were corrupt?

A few days later, Mr. Duterte qualified these incendiary statements saying that there were various groups of media workers in the Philippines: the true advocates, the paid hacks and the corrupt.

He meant to say that his previous statements applied only to the third group.

Media workers and organizations will not deny that some among us do give the profession its bad name. Measures are being done to address this at the core. Nonethe-

less, it does not give anybody any reason to justify their killing—something that has entered a gray area like many other things in this organization.

Already international watchdog Human Rights Watch, through a statement by its deputy Asia director Phelim Kine, said journalists have reason to be skeptical about the integrity of a Duterte government inquiry.

Kine said: “Not just because Duterte has himself justified the ‘assassination’ of journalists he deems ‘corrupt’ but also because the government has been cheerleading killings without consequence in its so-called ‘war on drugs’...”

And indeed since the start of the Duterte administration until the first week of October, more than 3,000 have been killed via

either ‘legitimate’ police operations or vigilante-style assassinations.

We can almost hear how the now-notorious presidential mouth will respond to this latest expression of doubt by a representative of an international body—if he has not, already. But Mr. Duterte cannot blame Kine, or anyone for that matter, for thinking that the belated creation of the task force may just be some form of damage control given the earlier damning statements the President has issued on the matter.

He may choose to respond to this latest reaction in another way, for a change. We wonder if it is really beyond the President to not take offense and instead assure journalists and the entire public that he respects forthrightness and constructive criticism.

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

Should Bob Dylan have won the Nobel for literature?

you show that you care about results more than your image or ego.”

Follow through. Overnight success is not success at all. A 1985 study of 120 world-class pianists, neurologists, swimmers, chess players, mathematicians and sculptors showed that just a few of them were regarded as prodigies by teachers, parents or experts in their younger years.

“Rather, accomplished individuals worked day after day, for at least 10 or 15 years, to reach the top of their fields.”

This is akin to the minimumrequirement rule described by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. To be really good at something, he posited, you have to work on what you do for no less than 10,000 hours.

Resilience. Author Andrew Zolli defines resilience as “the ability of people, communities and systems to maintain their core purpose and integrity among unforeseen

THERE is no doubt that Bob Dylan has had tremendous impact on the development of music and musicians over the years.

His plain style of folk music that melds lyrics sympathetic to the common man with melodies plucked from an acoustic guitar was an inspiration to activists in the 1960s who took some of his songs as rallying anthems, and to subsequent generations who read messages of hope and encouragement in his music.

Dylan has received many accolades over five decades, including 12 Grammys, an Oscar, and a special Pulitzer in 2008 for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”

On Oct. 13, the Swedish Academy bestowed the Nobel prize for literature on the musician for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

This is the first time in 112 years that a songwriter has been so honored. The last American to win a Nobel for literature was novelist Toni Morrison (The Bluest Eye, Beloved) in 1993.

This is not the only Swedish prize Dylan has received. In May 2000, King Carl XVI of Sweden gave him the Polar Music Prize.

The announcement of Dylan as the Nobel winner was a shock to many. A week before, on Oct. 6, New Republic news editor Alex Shephard wrote a piece with the head “Who Will Win The 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature?” The subhead was, “Not Bob Dylan, that’s for sure.”

Shephard shared Ladbrokes’ list of personalities in the betting.

Syrian poet Adonis drew odds of 6/1, Haruki Murakami 4/1, Joyce Carol Oates weighed in at 14/1, and our own F. Sionil Jose was at 100/1. Dylan was another longshot at 50/1.

The furor erupted immediately. Critics debate whether song lyrics can be considered as poetry of a literary nature. That’s going to be discussed far into the future by ivory tower academics, but putting poetry and lyrics side by side on paper, it’s clear the lyrics take the form of poetry, albeit intended to be set to music and sung. This was the

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Hail the gritty LONG STORY SHORT ADELLE CHUA ALL parents want their children to be successful in their chosen field.

This is why we work hard —so we can create an environment and give them the tools we think they need to achieve just that.

We want to know what exactly what predicts success. Is it talent?

IQ? Being born in a certain socioeconomic class? Attending a good (expensive) school? Having a conventional, relatively peaceful, family life?

All these do bear on how children eventually turn out, but recent research shows there is something else that is a far better predictor of whether children will actually find meaning and happiness in what they do. It is called grit.

Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

It is carrying on despite distraction, temptation and failure.

“Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over the years despite failures, adversity and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advatage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course,” so say Angela Duckworth, Christopher Peterson, Michael Matthews and Dennis Kelly in their paper “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals” published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2007.

One of the authors, Duckworth, has gone on to become a more vocal advocate, publishing her own book, Grit, and becoming a famous TED Talk speaker.

*** So why do different people, of generally equal intelligence or talent, achieve different levels of success? The answer lies on good old grit, which characteristics are summarized by Forbes Magazine’s Margaret Perlis as courage, conscientiousness, follow through,

Grit predicts success more than talent or IQ can. resilience and excellence.

Courage. Courage, we say, is not the absence of fear. It is pushing ahead despite it. Fear of failure, for instance, is debilitating— many would rather not try than risk trying and thereafter failing.

But gritty people know that we

are all bound to fail at one point, or several. They acknowledge that failure is part of the learning process and that the important thing is, as the song goes, is to “pick [themselves] up, dust [themselves] off and start all over again.”

As parents, we often try to shield our kids from the consequences of their actions or omissions. We don’t want them to feel pain or frustration. What this tells us is that we just might want to adopt the “let them fail” approach, not so that we can punish them and say “I told you so!” but so that they can learn to deal with failure which is, they will eventually find, inevitable.

Conscientiousness. To be conscientious means to be careful, painstaking and meticulous, and being accountable for one’s actions no matter what. Travis Bradberry writes for The Huffington Post: “By holding yourself accountable, even when making excuses is an option,

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Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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The fiesta saved from terror

By Arizza S. Nocum IN JUST a few moments, my excitement turned into fear.

My mother, my father, and my five-year old brother— our bunso—boarded a plane from Manila headed to our hometown, Zamboanga City, a few days ago to join the mad festivities of the yearly Zamboanga Hermosa festival.

Each October spent in Manila is torture for our family when the closest thing we can come to the festival is through Facebook. It was not enough just to see the flood of photos and videos of the extravagant vinta races, the wild street parties, the Chavacano song concerts, the colorful parades, and—most importantly—the delectable abundance of seafood and native delicacies. We had to be there.

Naturally, when my parents and brother freed up their calendar this year to fly to our beloved city, I was terribly excited for them.

Unfortunately, that excitement evaporated when news came in of an imminent terrorist threat right at the peak of the month-long festival. Last October 8, authorities discovered an improvised explosive device in Plaza Pershing—one

of the city’s central landmarks.

Threats purportedly came from Abu Sayyaf, the internationally linked terrorist organization that has recently been making headlines due to its kidnap-forransom activities.

Since the device was discovered to be designed for remote detonation, local authorities requested the National Telecommunications Commission to shut down all telecommunication services—including mobile phones—to prevent communication among terrorists that could lead to tragedy. Starting Sunday, signal lock-downs have been going on for several hours in a day.

If anything, the incident highlights the very real threat of terrorism that continues to persist in Zamboanga. It pains me to imagine what could have transpired had the explosive device detonated right in the middle of a celebrating crowd.

Zamboanga is not blind to these threats, and neither is the national government. Thousands of troops have been sent to Sulu and other parts of Mindanao to combat the Abu Sayyaf as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s mission to completely annihilate its membership base.

However, not many understand that the problem of ter-

rorism in particular areas of Mindanao is linked closely to the 400-year-old struggle for self-determination of Muslim Filipinos. After several colonial governments, a number of administrations, the rise of groups such as MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), the establishment of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), various military campaigns to squash the insurgency, and the bid to create the Bangsamoro entity, there is still no clear end in sight to the violence.

If these political and military solutions have not been working so far, then that must mean they are not enough. A multi-dimensional problem such as this conflict begs an equally multidimensional solution that cuts across the economic, social, historical, cultural, and religious aspects of the challenge as much as the political and military aspects.

For instance, killing off Abu Sayyaf members one by one may squash the group effectively, but this may also create more grievances and revenge plots that will merely lead to an Abu Sayyaf spin-off group. Rather than relying on a responsive campaign in the aftermath of these terrorist

attacks, we should be focusing on preventing the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists in the first place.

One question that the government should be asking is, what motivates people to fight for the Abu Sayyaf? Answers will range from following a jihadist mission to heeding the call of the groups’ charismatic leaders.

However, one oft-overlooked answer is economic in nature.

With Muslim Mindanao experiencing extremely low per capita income and lacking ample access to attractive opportunities in education and employment, many may simply want to join to get a piece of the milliondollar price tag on each kidnap victim’s head.

Another angle that the government should be looking at is age. While Abu Sayyaf’s leaders are relatively old, its membership will be strikingly young.

In my hometown, many will agree that groups such as the Abu Sayyaf are notorious for recruiting child soldiers. With this piece of information, surely the government can create counter-terrorism programs in schools and local government units to prevent young people from falling into the cracks.

The response to terror cannot be one that relies solely on

war and violence. That way, we are merely fighting fire with fire. Asking the right questions, understanding people’s needs, and designing creative solutions should be able to attack the problem at its roots and make sure the Abu Sayyaf’s job advertisements go unanswered.

Ultimately, fear—and hatred of the enemy—must be replaced with empathy.

My own fears became a forgotten interruption as the grandiose fiesta celebrations continued in Asia’s only Latin City.

I breathed a sigh of relief (and envy) upon seeing my parents post pictures of themselves on Facebook celebrating in Zamboanga’s iconic Garden Orchid Hotel, eating fresh crabs and spicy Satti, and enjoying the breezes of Paseo del Mar. There is really no place like Zamboanga, and that gives me even more reason to fight for its safety and protection from any modicum of terror.

Arizza Ann S. Nocum graduated this year from UP Diliman, BS in Industrial Engineering (magna cum laude). She is overall director of KRIS Library, one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines and has represented the country in various international youth forums.

Why we are all prisoners facing a dilemma

By Pecier Decierdo THIS is the story of two prisoners with a dilemma. But this is also the story of all of us, so listen closely.

It starts with the story of two prisoners. Let’s call them Pedro and Maria. The authorities have enough evidence to implicate Pedro and Maria in a minor crime. They suspect them of committing a greater crime.

However, they can only implicate Pedro and Maria of the greater crime if either provides testimony against the other.

How can the authorities make them rat each other out?

One clever prosecutor came up with the solution—give them an offer they cannot refuse. To understand the beauty of this offer, let us analyze the situation using game theory.

Game theory is the study of how different rational actors will decide on a situation given the possible outcomes.

(In game theory, the situation is called a ‘game,’ the actors ‘players.’) In game theory, the situation Pedro and Maria are in is called the prisoners’ dilemma. It goes like this.

If Pedro and Maria both refuse to testify, they each serve five years for the minor crime.

In the language of game theory, we say that they cooperated with each other. Now, if Pedro cooperates and Maria rats on him, then Pedro rots in jail for 20 years while Maria goes free after 3 months. In the language of game theory, we say that Maria has defected. If Pedro defects and Maria cooperates, then Pedro goes free after three months while Maria spends 20 years in jail. If both defect, each will spend 10 years behind bars for their major crime.

But what if they both keep mum? Let’s look at the options open for Maria. If Pedro cooperates, Maria is better off defecting because spending three months in jail is better than serving five years. If Pedro defects, Maria has even more incentive to defect, because serving 10 years is better than serving 20.

Whatever Pedro decides to do, Maria is always better off defecting. And the same is true for Pedro. Hence, by pursuing their best interests, Pedro and Maria

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shocks and surprises.” Grit, or hardiness, he says, has three marks: the belief that one can find meaningful purpose in life, the belief that one can influence one’s surroundings and the outcome of events, and the belief that both positive and negative experiences will lead to learning and growth. It’s all a mix of optimism, confidence and creativity.

Excellence. Gritty people are not perfectionists. They recog-

will testify against each other and end up serving 10 years.

But surely serving five years is better than serving 10. Why wouldn’t the prisoners agree to cooperate? After all, mutual cooperation brings them to the win-win deal of serving five years. The answer is simple and has already been given—each prisoner is always better off defecting. In other words, the rational decision for each prisoner is to defect.

Letting the prisoners talk to each other just makes it worse, because then Maria will just think that Pedro is trying to get her to cooperate so that he can go free after three months while she rots in jail. In game theory, the technical term for a person who cooperates against his best interest is ‘sucker.’

But what if one prisoner loves the other? Then he will be a sucker for love and potentially serve 20 years. At any rate, his decision will not be a rational one.

But how is the prisoners’ dilemma important if few of us will ever be Pedro or Maria? This is where the power of game theory comes to the fore. Game theory is not interested in the content of the game, only its form. From the standpoint of game theory, prisoners’ dilemma is not about the prisoners but about a game whose structure is such that players who act on their best interest end up in a situation that is less than ideal for everyone involved.

Here’s one example. If both you and your roommate clean the room, then you both get a very clean room. But if you clean but your roommate doesn’t, then he gets a clean room without exerting the effort. To avoid being the sucker, you don’t clean the room. If he cleans, then good. If he doesn’t, then at least you did not waste your effort serving a free loader.

The examples are not always as mundane. Sometimes, it can be explosive. For instance, if both United States and Russia disarm their nuclear warheads now, then the world becomes a safer place. That’s a win-win.

But, acting on their best interest, both US and Russia keep their nuclear warheads; both countries defect, because they are better off doing so. The

world is less safe as a result.

Similarly, our roads are clogged with cars, our forests are disappearing, and our seas are running out of fish, all because no one wants to be the sucker.

Even the biggest challenge of our time, addressing humanmade climate change, is made even more challenging because of its prisoners’ dilemma structure. This explains why countries are slow to act on climate change despite the fact that our survival depends on quick action. In the competitive global economy, no one wants to be the sucker who cooperates while the rest goes on business as usual.

How do we beat the prisoners’ dilemma? By changing the game. Specifically, we beat it by making the rational decision the one that also leads to the best possible outcome. We design the outcomes so that cooperation will not be for suckers, and defection will not go unpunished.

That’s easier said than done.

It’s also easier to say in broad strokes than to outline in detail.

But we know that with some effort and political will, it is possible. For example, the US and Russia have found a system to simultaneously decrease their number of live nuclear weapons. Some cities have found regulations that work to discourage car use and encourage the use of public transportation, biking, and walking.

When it comes to climate change, we’ve discovered a few game changing strategies. One would be to make renewable energy cheaper. However, we still have a long way to go, and to reach our goal we need more strategies to convince more countries to cooperate on the goal of saving the world. (How funny it is that the world needs encouragement to save itself, but that’s the way it is.)

One step in figuring out what those strategies are is to learn game theory. Only once we realize that we are prisoners of the prisoners’ dilemma can we begin to hack at bars that keep us from being free.

nize that there is so much imperfection in the world, and pursuing perfection can just lead to negative, counterproductive results like low self-esteem, obsessivecompulsive tendencies, depression and sometimes substance abuse.

What the gritty aim for is excellence—which they see as an attitude, a disposition, and not an end in itself. Excellence is a way of life, done every day in the big things and the small. *** But how do parents instill grit

in their children, especially given the penchant of today’s generation to work “smart” instead of working hard, their apparently limited attention span, the abundance of distraction, and the general tendency to tread the easy path?

Duckworth shares that she and her husband enforce The Hard Thing Rule in their home for their teenage daughters—and themselves as well. All members of the family have to be doing a difficult thing. They should be interested in that endeavor, sure, but it re-

Pecier Decierdo is the resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum.

Don’t throw it away. Bloomberg

The cashless society is a creepy fantasy

By Elaine Ou IT’S fun to imagine a world without cash.

Liberated from the burden of physical currency, consumers could make purchases from the convenience of a mobile device. Every transaction would come equipped with fraud protection, reward points and a digital record of its time and location. Comprehensive tracking could help the Internal Revenue Service reclaim billions of tax dollars lost to unreported income, like the $80 I made selling a used refrigerator on Craigslist. Drug dealers, helpless without an anonymous medium of exchange, would acquire wholesome professions. El Chapo might become a claims adjuster.

Such is the utopia recently described by Nathan Heller in the New Yorker and by a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Kenneth Rogoff, in a new book, “The Curse of Cash.” But this universe is missing one of the fundamental aspects of human civilization. A world without cash is a world without money.

Money belongs to its current holder. It doesn’t matter if a banknote was lost or stolen at some point in the past.

Money is current; that’s why it’s called currency! A bank

deposit, however, grants custody of money to the bank.

An account balance is not actually money, but a claim on money.

This is an important distinction. A claim is only as good as its enforceability, and in a cashless society every transaction must pass through a financial gatekeeper. Banks, being private institutions, have the right to refuse transactions at their discretion. We can’t expect every payment to be given due process.

This means that politically unpopular organizations could easily be deprived of economic access. Past attempts to curb money laundering have already inadvertently cut off financial services for legitimate individuals, businesses, and charities. The removal of paper currency would undoubtedly leave similar collateral damage.

A cashless economy violates the basic laws under which currency has operated since before the Industrial Revolution. The justification for giving up a fundamental freedom is that it would clear the way for an experimental policy designed to place a tax on currency.

Money may be a shared illusion, but cash abolitionists are in a hallucination all their own. Bloomberg

quires sustained daily effort and they are not allowed to quit for a given period just because they are bored or frustrated or feel they are no good at it.

Some parents bombard their children with “reminders” that they should be doing this or that, but experience tells us this hardly works especially since it is so easy for children to just tune out, however valid and priceless the message is.

Some try to simply set a good example by exhibiting the traits associated with grit, in the hopes

that the kids will pick up the clues and live them, themselves. But this could be all too subtle.

The challenge to instill grit in our children—and the consequent feeling of confidence that because they have it, they will be fine when we are gone and wherever they eventually choose to go—is in itself a goal that requires perseverance and passion on the part of parents. And so we try, shunning the fearing of failure, carrying on despite stumbling blocks, and tirelessly beginning anew each morning.

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work of bards such as Homer, also recognized as a poet and historian.

Dylan’s lyrics are inarguably poetical. In “Tambourine Man,” he sings, “Though I know that evening’s empire has returned into sand / Vanished from my hand / Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping / My weariness amazes me, I’m branded on my feet / I have no one to meet / And the ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming…”

However, if one posits that song lyrics are also literary verse, then Dylan’s lyricism can be matched by Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and other musicians who similarly have the gift for loading meaning in a turn of phrase.

In “Queen of the Slipstream,” Morrison sings: “You’re the Queen of the slipstream with eyes that shine / You have crossed many waters to be here / You have drunk of the fountain of innocence / And experienced the long cold wintry years / There’s a dream where the contents are visible / Where the poetic champions compose / Will you breathe not a word of this secrecy/ And will you still be my special rose…”

Cohen’s “Alexandra Leaving” is expressive and elegant: “Suddenly the night has grown colder / The god of love preparing to depart / Alexandra hoisted on his shoulder / They slip between the sentries of the heart / Upheld by the simplicities of pleasure / They gain the light, they formlessly entwine / And radiant beyond your widest measure / They fall among the voices and the wine / It’s not a trick, your senses all deceiving / A fitful dream, the morning will exhaust / Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving / Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost…”

The difference among the three, perhaps, is the theme of their content—the latter two, more often than not, are troubadours of romantic love, while Dylan is a historian of social issues.

This reflects what many perceive the Academy’s new direction to be, as evinced in recent years—a moving toward artists who have political themes in their work, and a moving away from the elitism they have been criticized for. Once the field for writers of note, the Academy’s broadening of the definition of literature can be hailed as a step toward inclusivity.

There is no dispute that Dylan’s powerful hold on the imagination that has lasted for decades is worthy of recognition. But the Nobel was envisioned to honor and incentivize writers of books. There are other, equally prestigious prizes for musicians, and Dylan has won them all and more. (Dylan himself has not yet commented on his Nobel.)

This year’s choice by the Swedish Academy is controversial. While awarding the prestigious prize to a doyen of pop culture widens the Nobel field, it also withholds the honor from writers whose bodies of works are overdue for recognition.

Dylan is known the world over as a musician. The prize is for writers; as stated in prize founder Alfred Nobel’s will, the award for literature is to be given to “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.”

Altering the definition of literature this year calls into question the Academy’s credibility and judgment.

Here’s novelist Gary Shteyngart’s reaction: “I totally get the Nobel committee. Reading books is hard.”

Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember *** The Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands, HAPI for short, is holding its annual Philippine Homeschool Conference this Saturday, October 22 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the SMX Convention Center, SMX Aura Premier in Taguig.

This year’s theme is “From Roots to Wings: Homeschooling through the Stages.”

Visit www.educatingforlife.co for details. adellechua@gmail.com

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TODAY

2 Sino films top Busan fest B

USAN—Chinese movies have taken the two main prizes at Asia’s premier film festival, with judges lauding their portrayal of two very different versions of modern reality in their country.

Wang Xuebo’s “The Knife in the Clear Water” and “The Donor,” from Zang Qiwu, were Saturday morning announced as winners of the New Currents award at the 21st Busan International Film Festival.

The directors are set to collect the two prizes of $30,000 that come with the award when the festival officially closes on Saturday night.

“These films were incredible,” said veteran African director Souleymane Cisse, New Currents jury head.

“They were very ambitious

and out of the ordinary.”

Wang’s first feature presents a lyrical look at the often-stark realities of life in a mountain village and judges praised the debut director for his “extremely photogenic” production that “serves as a backdrop to a poetic parable on grief and freedom”.

For what is also his first film as a director, Zang--who for a number of years worked alongside acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou (“Curse of the Golden Flower”)--turned his attention to the controversial is-

sue of organ transplants.

“The filmmaker creates a portrait of humanity and sacrifice that is restraint yet boiling with underlying emotion,” said Cisse.

“The excellently scripted film plays as much on the images as on the immaculate timing and superb acting. The conclusion is heartbreaking: when you fight destiny you will lose.”

The decision to hand the awards to two Chinese films comes as relations between Beijing and Seoul appear strained following moves in South Korea to set up a missile defense shield with the aid of the United States.

Korean television shows-wildly popular in China--have since August vanished from broadcast in China while a se-

ries of planned K-pop events have been canceled.

There were 11 films from sevens nations and territories in the running this year for the New Currents award and Cisse said judges had been impressed by them all.

“We could really feel the passion of the directors,” he said.

The strength of the main competition this year proved the perfect tonic both for the festival and the thousands of film fans who make the annual trek to South Korea’s second city.

BIFF had arrived looking to rebuild its reputation after two years marred by accusations of political interference, and with former festival head Lee Yongkwan facing sentencing for his

charges of embezzlement on October 26.

There were shows of support throughout the 10-day event for the beleaguered Lee. A photo wall in the main festival building displayed messages to him from around the world and many guests wore badges decrying what some in the film industry have labeled persecution following his decision to screen a controversial documentary about the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014.

Despite those troubles--and a slashed budget--the BIFF program managed to reflect the growth of an Asian film industry that seems, on this evidence, to be in rude health.

Hollywood stars Miles Teller (“Whiplash”) and Aaron Eck-

Chat with White House via Facebook WASHINGTON--It’s now easy to chat on Facebook Messenger with the White House--or more accurately through the presidential “bot” released by the Obama administration on Friday.

The White House unveiled what was touted as “the firstever government bot” on the messaging application--bringing the US government into the age of artificial intelligence.

“Hi, it’s great to hear from you--and we’re excited to learn what’s on your mind,” the bot tells users signing up to chat.

Users can send messages, 10 of which will be read each day

by President Barack Obama, according to the White House.

Jason Goldman, chief digital officer of the White House, said the new bot is another way for the public to communicate with the administration and the president.

Monet’s haystacks to be sold

“While receiving messages from the public isn’t a recent phenomenon--every day, the White House receives thousands of phone calls, physical letters, and submissions through our online contact form--being able to contact the president through Facebook has never been possible before,” Goldman said in a blog post.

“Today, it’s able to happen because of the first-ever government bot on Facebook Messenger.”

Goldman said the White House has gone a step further by making the bot open-source for other developers to use.

“We’re open-sourcing this White House technology, with the hope that other governments and developers can build similar services--and foster similar connections with their citizens--with significantly less upfront investment,” he said. AFP

Bangkok’s parties out, black clothes in BANGKOK—With soldiers closing down Bangkok’s notorious go-go bars and tourists forced to sneak sips of beer from paper cups, Thailand is dialling down its raucous party scene out of respect for the country’s late monarch.

Furthermore, Thailand’s government has warned of a national shortage of black clothing, which is flying off shelves as a distraught nation mourns beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The passing this week of 88-year-old Bhumibol Adulyadej has thrust the Buddhist nation into a period of profound mourning, with masses of tearful Thais filling the streets to pay respect to a king worshiped as an exemplar of moral virtue.

Like nearly all of their compatriots, Thai bar girls swapped their normally racy attire for more modest black dresses and shoes when they showed up to work Friday night.

In Bangkok’s Soi Cowboy--a famed alleyway of luridly lit gogo bars and a barometer of the city’s adherence to temperance during coups, street protests and religious days--patrons who trickled through were soon disappointed.

At around 10pm soldiers pulled the plug on the blinding neon lights as they enforced an

early closing time in compliance with government orders to “tone down” celebrations as the nation grieves.

“Suddenly the army came. It was a group of five guys,” said Geroem Bonami, a 31-year-old tourist from Belgium.

“We were asked to pay and they started to tidy up everything and the girls disappeared.”

Minutes after the ailing monarch’s passing was announced on Thursday, Thailand’s junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha took to national television to declare a one-year official mourning period.

He also asked the public to refrain from celebrations for at least 30 days, and dozens of events -- from concerts to fun runs, wedding parties and religious festivals--have been canceled since.

Television networks are also under orders not to broadcast any overly joyous images--such as dancing--with one major channel saying it would not be airing its roaringly popular soap opera series.

While the military regime has not issued an all-out ban on alcohol, which is common on Buddhist holidays, many shops have opted to stop selling drinks and bars around the capital are taking special measures to show that no one is having too much fun. AFP

MOURNERS. Buddhist monks pray for the late Thai King Bhumibol

Adulyadej in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat on Saturday. AFP

hart (“The Dark Knight”) were in town with the Ben Younger-directed boxing biopic “Bleed For This”--and sent the fans wild-but much of the focus was split between engaging art house fare and commercial Asian films that look set to travel the globe.

Na Hong-jin’s thriller “The Wailing,” all murder and mystery, was a case of the latter, flying the flag for Korea’s ever-growing industry, while a preview screening of this year’s closing film--Iraqi’s director Hussein Hassan’s family drama “The Dark Wind”--was an example of the former, and left critics buzzing.

“We have had some hard times but we have remained focused on identifying Asian talent,” said BIFF executive director Kang Soo-youn. AFP

MINSTREL. Scottish singer Rod Stewart stands with his wife Penny Lancaster, as he poses for a photograph with his insignia of Knighthood medal, after being presented with it during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on October 11. AFP

Greenhouse gases banned soon KIGALI—World envoys were Friday putting the final touches to a deal in Rwanda to phase out potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a major step in curbing global warming.

Tough negotiations have seen major developing nations such as India put up a fight over the timeline to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and the financing of the transition.

However some delegates were already praising an early agreement in principle, and were hammering out the final details in late night sessions.

“Country representatives are now negotiating the final details of the amendment,” read a tweet from Rwanda’s natural resources ministry.

“This is a huge win for the climate. We have taken a major concrete step in delivering on the promises we made in Paris last December,” said Miguel Arias Canete, a commissioner with the European Union in a statement ahead of the adoption of the agreement.

“The global phase-down we have agreed today could knock off up to half a degree of warming by the end of the century.”

However thrashing out the nitty-gritty of the deal could take talks into the early hours of Saturday.

HFCs were introduced in the 1990s to replace chemicals that had been found to erode the ozone layer, but turned out to be catastrophic for global warming.

However swapping HFCs for alternatives such as ammonia, water or gases called hydrofluoroolefins could prove costly for developing countries with sweltering summer temperatures, such as India.

These countries want a later date for the phase down to begin.

“There are issues of cost, there are issues of technology, there are issues of finances,” said Ajay Narayan Jha of India’s environment and climate change ministry.

“We would like to emphasize that any agreement will have to be flexible from all sides concerned. It can’t be flexible from one side and not from the other.”

Last month, a group of developed countries and companies offered $80 million (72 million euros) to help developing countries make the switch away from HFCs. AFP

NEW YORK—The Christie’s auction house in New York will offer for sale one of Claude Monet’s celebrated “haystack” paintings, valued at an estimated $45 million, which should reconfirm collectors’ appetite for Impressionist art.

With wealthy Chinese collectors expressing keen interest in such works, the painting--part of a series of haystack pictures painted

by Monet during the winter of 1890-91 from his French home in Giverny--will first be presented next week in Hong Kong. It will then be shown in London before returning to New York in early November.

This canvas, representing a simple cone-shaped haystack at dusk, is one of the rare works in this series to still be in private hands, Christie’s said.

Most of the others are in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or the Art Institute of Chicago. This painting, to be auctioned on November 16, was acquired in September 1891 by the Knoedler & Co. art gallery, which brought it to the United States.

In recent years, prices for works by Monet or other celebrated Impressionists have shot through the roof.

The record for a Monet was set in June 2008, when a work from his “Water Lilies” series-”Le Bassin aux Nympheas”-was sold by Christie’s in London for 40.9 million pounds ($80.1 million). AFP

SECURITY PLANT COMPLEX (SPC) DISPOSAL COMMITTEE NOTICE OF AUCTION The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Disposal Committee, invites bidders to participate in the auction for the sale of the following: Item ITEM DESCRIPTION LOCATION FLOOR PRICE No. 1 1 Unit Komori Sheet Fed double PHP47,503,698.85 deck 6 x 6 colors offset printing press with rainbow printing device 2 1 Unit Automatic Assembly and Bldg. B 13,809,284.57 Finishing Machine 3 1 Unit Automatic Folding Machine 318,897.00 4 5

2 Units Fornigrafica Pressing Machine 1 Unit Special double semiautomatic book pressing machine

4,960.00 301,339.42

The schedule of activities is as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Room 405, 4th Floor, Building A, Starting date: 17 October 2016 BSP SPC, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Date/Time : 17 October 2016 to 2. Inspection of Items for Auction 21 October 2016 at 9:00 am and 1:00 p.m.

Date/Time: 20 October 2016 3. Pre-bid Conference at 9:00 am 4. Opening of Bids 3/F Staff Dining Date/Time: 26 October 2016 Room at 10:00 a.m.

The BSP reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to declare the bidding a failure, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any given time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the bidders.

Furthermore, the BSP reserves the right to waive any minor defect or formality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the Bank.

(MS-OCT. 15,16 & 17, 2016)

(SGD) ROUENA L. ROSAL Chairperson

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Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick T. dela Cruz, Issue Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com

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Pampanga food

company wins

foreign consumers

Mekeni Food Corp. president Prudencio Garcia

By Othel V. Campos

A

PAMPANGA-BASED food company that started as a backyard venture in the 1970s is now making inroads into foreign markets.

Established by two public school teachers and their five sons, Mekeni Food Corp. has expanded its portfolio of products from the traditional tocino and longaniza into internationally-accepted processed meat products such as sausage and bacon.

Now a world-class meat processor, Mekeni exports regularly to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. It also exports to Australia and will soon reach the supermarkets of Japan, Canada, New Zealand and European countries.

“This time we will showcase our products to the European market. We believe that we already have that certain level of global competitiveness that has sustained us all these years of struggling to be the best we can be,” says Mekeni president Prudencio Garcia who flew to France recently to receive an-

other global award on behalf of the company.

Garcia received the “world commitment to quality award” diamond category at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris.

Mekeni is currently busy preparing the product packaging for two kinds of sausages that will be exported to Japan.

“We are the first processed food company accredited by the Japanese government to export to Japan. And because of that, we have been receiving calls from many Japanese businessmen as they inquire about our company and our products. We consider this another feather on our cap considering the very stringent food quality standards Japan requires from exporters like us,” Garcia says.

Export target

He says in the next two years “we see our company export-

ing far more than 3 percent [of total sales]. We want to be able to penetrate further the global market by increasing our export target to 40 percent of total sales while keeping the rest of 60 percent on the local front,” says Garcia.

“We hope to engage companies to do business with us. Toll packaging is a business model that we are also open to do with multinationals. We can do it in their country with the support they will give us or we can also do toll manufacturing here in the Philippines. We follow what multinationals do here,” he says.

Mekeni, a Pampango word that means “come here” has an ISO 2200 certified food facility in the Philippines that won for three consecutive years as the best meat processing plant “AAA” category and the 2014 MVP Bossing Award.

It is the first food company in the Philippines to get food safety system certification and the first in Asia and the Philippines for food safety management system from the International Safety Organization.

Globally, it won the International Arch of Europe Frankfurt Germany Platinum Award in 2013 and Century International Quality Era Award gold category in Geneva, Switzerland in 2012.

Mekeni is also preparing to penetrate the Asean market in the next few years.

Garcia says state-run Development Bank of the Philippines supported the company’s expansion overseas.

“As we gear for expansion and in need of financial assistance, the only financial institution willing to give us the loan was the Development Bank of the Philippines. In one of their conditions, they said we should go into exports to help the country gather more foreign exchange.

This is on top of environmental concerns and of coaxing us to be the leader in our field. The DBP window came at a time when no financial institution was willing to give any Pampanga company loans of more than P10 million because of the lahar tragedy.

Now, I think the bank has extended to us about P300 million worth of assistance. We are still paying for that, mind you.

But we are definitely glad that somebody has that enough confidence in us that we will make it through despite our grim situation,” says Garcia.

The initial loan of P50 million in 2001 was used to put up stateof-the-art manufacturing plant.

Today, Mekeni is building a hive of companies to support its core business which is pro-

cessed food production. It set up a company of merchandisers to promote its products in supermarkets, groceries and other vending outlets.

Power plant

A third company it plans to create is a power generation company with a 2-megawatt facility to supply the power requirement of the business. The power plant will run on pelletized garbage that will be supplied by households within the immediate radius of the company site.

Garcia is the second in a brood of five male siblings. He received his basic education in Porac, Pampanga and made his way to Manila to take Accounting in one of the well-established universities.

A consistent honor student from grade school to college, Garcia graduated cum laude and worked as an accounting manager in a cement company in Damam, Saudi Arabia.

However, he says the challenges he encountered in running a business could not be found in any of the books he read in school.

When he return from the Middle East, Garcia made a mental note to pursue his career as accountant, this time in the US

Wellness guru visits PH BOXING and working out at the gym seem to be hot trends nowadays. For an increasing number of people, these are more than fleeting trends.

In the Philippines, a handful of companies in the health and wellness arenas are slowly but steadily realizing that offering quality natural products and services geared towards health and fitness can be lucrative endeavors.

At the forefront of inspiring people to embrace health and fitness is wellness guru Dr. James Rouse, who is set to visit Manila and enthrall Healthy Options’ loyal customers and the public-atlarge.

The occasion: the 2016 Healthy Options Talks dubbed “Vitamins of Life: Eat, Think, Move, Thrive” is slated on Oct.18 at Shangri-La at The Fort.

The wellness event is being staged

by Healthy Options in cooperation with Kerry Sports Manila. One of these big lifestyle and leisure facilities is Kerry Sports Manila, which recently opened at Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Kerry Sports Manila occupies over 8,000 square meters of dedicated recre-

ation space. The massive fitness facility has four dedicated studios for group exercises, namely the Yoga Studio, Pilates Studio, Multipurpose Studio and Spin Studio. At Kerry Sports Manila, there are spaces to move, explore, compete, relax and indulge.

On Oct. 18, participants of the “Vi-

tamins of Life: Eat, Think, Move, Thrive” can try some activities such as meditation, yoga or spinning class at Kerry Sports Manila. In the evening, the live seminar featuring Dr. Rouse will be followed by book signing.

The Philippines’ fast growing natural products retail store chain has been

teaming up with wellness experts who have demonstrated ability and commitment to help empower people to improve their health, well-being, and overall lifestyle through positive mindset and natural strategies.

Partnering with wellness and lifestyle experts with proven track record and charisma not only spurs business but leads to a more enlightened and empowered populace.

Dr. Rouse has inspired and advised businesses, organizations and individuals on how to achieve vibrant, highperformance living. During wellness events, he urges audiences to eat and move mindfully.

He is a highly sought-after speaker, awarded author, naturopathic doctor and human performance clinician. He has worked with established companies including Google, Whole Foods, the NFL and NBA. Dr. James is also an entrepreneur who has developed nutritional products.

In his book “Think Eat Move Thrive The Practice for an Awesome Life,” he advises readers to think big, eat well and move with passion and thrive everyday.

where most of his co-workers in Saudi Arabia moved on, if his family would support his proposal to close the family business because of the foot-and-mouth disease that affected local livestock.

“We started little like a backyard business. It was in the 90s when the foot-and-mouth disease hit the Philippines. With 40 or so manpower and our business being pork-based, I told my brothers that it’s either we close the business or lay-off people.

That’s something we agreed on but our father, Tatang Felix made us rethink this decision. He reminded us that the reason we came back from abroad was to provide employment to people, so shutting down the company was never an option for him.

From there we talked to our workers and with them offering a solution to work part-time on a shifting basis, we started again,” he recalls.

Garcia says while it was tough during that time when FMD broke out, it was tougher to know that your people or at least half of your workers would not be able to provide for their families.

“That made me realize, by heart, the purpose why Tatang called on us to continue the business they started and nurtured us, fed us and provided for us until we studied in college.

Imagine, at that time, my parents’ salary as school teachers were only P200 per month for each of them. When I was studying in Manila, I needed to pay for my dormitory that was P200 per month, just about the salary of my father. Our small business of poultry and egg production provided for our education. My parents also butchered pigs on weekends and loaned people pork that they would pay the next payday,” says Garcia.

Garcia recalls that as young student, he was helping his parents in their backyard business by waking up 4 in the morning to prepare and deliver eggs to the market before going to school.

Hard work

“This is the same dedication and hard work we have for our company. Me and my brothers have cultivated the same level of dedication to our people in what we call ‘family-oriented’ business.

Ours is a system that involves the family of our workers. We share the blessing, we do corporate social activities for those outside the organization. We are open to the family members of workers who want to be part of the business,” he says.

In 1986, the Garcia siblings incorporated Mekeni with P5 million capital. Today, the company is worth over P800 million with annual sales of not less than P1.2 billion. It employs about 1,300 people from Pampanga to Laguna.

What used to be a small backyard business started by their parents in the early 1970s is now a major competitor in the food processing sector with global presence in major markets.

Tatang Feliz remains the Garcia family’s strong-willed patriarch while Imang Idang, the matriarch passed away eight years ago, the same year Garcia’s first and only child was born.

The Garcia brothers still consult their father when there are major decisions to be made. Lito, the eldest, is the company vice president for finance and administration; Adrian, the third, controls supply chain management as vice president; Nardo, is the vice president for marketing and sales; and Doods is the vice president for manufacturing.

Keeping in shape, Garcia never fails to do his morning jog with his favorite canines. He previously owned and trained 14 dogs but now keeps only four.

Garcia says he is happy with what the world has offered his family and is prepared to confront the challenges ahead.

“My father used to tell us and I remember it quite well. Real happiness is when you share a big portion of your life. What you enjoy you enjoy because you share something in excess,” says Garcia.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business

South African executive: PH has ‘fantastic’ future

T

HE South African managing director of enterprise software giant SAP is excited about the “fantastic” growth opportunity the Philippines has in the digital age.

“I have never been so excited to work with SAP Philippines and that goes not only for the company but for the region as well. I think we have fantastic opportunity in Southeast Asia and the Philippines specifically to make a material difference, to live up to our vision,” SAP Philippines managing director Ryan Poggi says in an interview at a restaurant in Fort Bonifacio commercial business district in Taguig City.

“With 7 percent GDP growth and a young digital economy, we [SAP Philippines] should be leading and driving as one of the growth engines for SAP,” Poggi says.

SAP, a German multinational corporation, is considered the world’s largest business software company whose vision is to help companies of all sizes and industries run better. Poggi says SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition.

“We have grown exponentially. We started SAP Philippines in 1995 with three employees and one customer [San Miguel Corp.]. We now have more than 1,500 customers across the Philippines. We have over 1,600 employees, if you count Concur,” says Poggi, referring to SAP’s recent acquisition of Concur Tech-

nologies.

SAP now has four offices in the Philippines spread in Fort Bonifacio, Makati and Ortigas CBDs. “With the recent acquisition of Concur, we have about 1,600 to 1,700 employees that is split between our Concur, as well as SAP. Our shared services centers [in Makati and Ortigas] serve our customers globally.

What we have here [Fort Bonifacio] is the typical operations, sales and delivery office,” says Poggi, who has over 12 years of international management experience.

Poggi who was assigned to lead SAP Philippines operations last year was previously assigned in Singapore and Dubai.

“My family is from South Africa.

I moved to the Middle East to look for the Middle East region from a commercial standpoint.

About five years ago, I moved to Singapore again with SAP. About a year and a half ago, I got the exciting opportunity to lead the Philippines,” he says.

He settled at Fort Bonifacio along with his wife and his daughter. Aside from the economic potential of the Philippines, Poggi was impressed by the country’s natural beauty. “I have been to Cebu, Camiguin, Dumaguete, Coron, and I really want to go up to Batanes,”he says.

Poggi says SAP can help Philippine companies in their digi-

SAP Philippines managing director Ryan Poggi tal transformation. “If you look at the economy of today and economy of tomorrow, software is going to be the enabler for the way people live. I don’t think there has ever been a better time for SAP or any other software company to actually enact that vision,” he says.

He says an unprecedented convergence of technology and trends is changing the world, ushering in digital transformation. Poggi says digital transformation requires a complete rethinking of current operational processes.

“In the digital economy, we see the traditional lines between industries get blurred. Telcos are not just telcos. Retailers are not just retailers. Utility companies are moving into services. What we have been able to do, and

the strength that what I believe SAP has is we have deep industry expertise across 25 of the world’s largest industries,” he says.

He says traditional companies need to evolve to take advantage of the digital economy.

“It is a fundamental mind shift to what is possible. Companies don’t yet understand the possibilities that are available in the digital economy,” he says.

Poggi says Cloud technology plays an important role in transformation. “Cloud is a delivery mechanism to simplify how businesses operate. What cloud necessitates is for companies to be simple in their operations. Cloud enables the simplification of the way companies operate, the way they communicate to themselves and to the broader world.

It frees up resources, assets,” he

says.

Poggi says SAP can help Philippine companies expand beyond national borders. “The reality is we have a lot of companies in the Philippines that are expanding globally. In order to do that, they need to simplify the way they operate. Taking a business that has been traditionally Philippine-based or any countrybased, and expanding globally either through acquisition or organic growth, you need to have a very simple core operation in order to ensure that all other divisions that you are running or buying out globally are able to run at the same pace, or run with the same flexibility,” he says.

Poggi considers the Philippines as an extremely important market for Southeast Asia and for Asia-Pacific. “If you look

at the global growth of regions, APJ [Asia-Pacific including Japan] and Southeast Asia, it [the Philippines] is at the forefront of global growth. If you look at the Philippines with 7 percent growth in GDP, it is one of the fastest growing economies anywhere in the world, certainly in Asia,” he says.

“You combine that sort of underlying growth with the fact that the Philippines has the highest Internet adoption growth rate of any country, at 530 percent, one of the highest Twitter and Facebook penetration rates at 80 and 90 percent, [respectively]. You combine the adoption of digital technology from the consumer standpoint that the Philippines has with the growth in the economy, I think the opportunity here is endless,” says Poggi.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

Canadian pizza chain expands PH presence STEVESTON Pizza, an artisanal pizzeria from Vancouver, Canada which arrived in the Philippines in 2013, has recently opened a third branch at the Corinthian Gardens Clubhouse in Quezon City.

“Steveston Pizza does not create ordinary pizzas. Our pizzas are not made but are crafted.

Our ingredients are chosen in such a way that together they produce a harmony of flavors and it is almost a re-imagining of what a pizza may taste like,” says Richard Go, owner of Steveston Pizza Philippines.

Traffic congestion now a crisis ROADS in Metro Manila and other urban centers have become more congested in recent weeks ahead of the holiday season, as vehicle sales continue to rise at a rapid pace.

The traffic congestion, according to a congressman, is now a crisis that can cost the economy up to P6 billion in lost productivity each day by 2030, if it is not carefully addressed.

Rep. Strike Revilla of the 2nd district of Cavite province says the Philippines is projected to lose up to P6 billion a day by 2030 due to traffic congestion in the National Capital Region and other urban centers, based on a study by Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Jica study found that the national economy was losing P2.4 billion in lost productivity each day in 2012, a

Drastic traffic reduction measures are necessary to be undertaken through traffic management reforms. number that was expected to dramatically rise in the next decade.

This prompted Revilla to file House Bill No. 1666 also known as the “Public Thoroughfare Crisis Act of 2016.”

Traffic congestion in Metro Manila has direct impact on nearby urban local government units like the city of Bacoor, he says, as millions of workers of Metro Manila

reside in these LGUs and the big volume of commuters to and from these localities also contribute to the crisis experienced in the NCR. “Drastic traffic reduction measures are necessary to be undertaken through traffic management reforms,” Revilla says in a statement.

“This bill wishes to address the crisis, stop economic losses as a result thereof, and provide relief to the millions of commuters, by granting emergency powers to the president of the Philippines, empowering him to implement emergency measures and mechanisms for the same,” Revilla says.

Automotive companies sold 323,928 cars and SUVs, on top of hundreds of thousands of motorcycles in 2015. Industry groups expect to sell another 370,000 vehicles in 2016.

He says Steveston Pizza has elevated the humble and ordinary pizza into a work of art.

He says upon setting eyes on a pizza and after taking their first bite, guests will know the difference between an ordinary pizza and a Steveston pizza.

“The pizza crust is light, fluffy and chewy, not thin, crunchy or crispy; it is neither thick, starchy nor gummy. All our ingredients must be fresh and of the utmost quality. For example, our pineapples are always fresh and never canned,” says Go. Steveston Pizza has become a destination in itself, due to the multitude of unique and delicious pizza flavors it offers, of which there are currently more than 30, according to Go. Among the best-sellers are the Princess Pizza which has tiger prawns, crab meat, cheese, shrimp, essence of Pernod and tomato salsa; and the C2 pizza which features Prosciutto ham, brie, semi-dried roma tomatoes and a dollop of roasted garlic mousse. There is also the C0 pizza, which has smoked salmon that is smoked in-house, fresh spinach, golden baked potatoes and a sour cream dressing.

Other offerings are (elements) water, fire, earth, wind; (colors) black, blue, green, pink, orange; (journeys) Canadian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Hawaiian, Mediterranean, French,Italian; and the all-time favorite the Caveman.

“Our guests love the Caveman because of its generous all-meat toppings and the Japanese for its unique flavor profile. The blue pizza featuring Stilton blue cheese mousse is also notable. Even if you are not a blue cheese fan, you will love our blue pizza,” Go says.

Steveston Pizza Philippines is the first international franchisee of the original Steveston Pizza in Vancouver, Canada. Located in the picturesque fishing village of Steveston, the pizza house is considered by locals andtourists alike to be one of the main attractions in the area.

Go, who frequents Vancouver, says he fell in love with the pizzas the first time he tasted it. Nader Hatami, owner of Steveston Pizza in Canada, is a celebrated chef who created the original recipes. Steveston Pizza had been consecutively awarded as the Best Pizza by the Richmond Review from 2008 to 2015.

Various international publications hail Hatami’s pizzas as “pure poetry,” with “ingredients that sing freshness,” and that his “pizzas are not made but crafted.”

Steveston Pizza is known for creating the most expensive pizza in the world that is commercially available. The pizza, which costs $450, features thermidor of lobster and black Alaskan cod with a side of Russian Osetra caviar and must be ordered a day ahead.

Go says Steveston Pizza is quite affordable despite the quality and exotic nature of its ingredients. All pizzas come in 12 slices and prices range from P350 to P1,899.

Go says they are mulling over expansion plans and are open for franchising to other Asean countries. Steveston Pizza branches at UP Town Center, the Corinthian Gardens Clubhouse and Circuit Lane in Makati.

“The best pizza of Canada is here in town,” he says.

Sports

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

By Homer Vidal

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UVALI continues its advocacy of a balanced lifestyle and a sustainable community by hosting the 2016 Dirt Weekend Bike Festival, the biggest and best offroad bike event of the country this year to be held November 11 and 12.

“Mountain biking and the balanced lifestyle we promote here in Nuvali naturally go together. This is close to our heart. Biking is something that is promoted well in Nuvali.

We hope to change the attitude of Filipinos about transport. Riding bicycles is a good alternative to driving cars. It is economical and socially sensitive,” said Nuvali General Manager John Estacio.

The race in November marks Nuvali’s eighth year of assembling cyclists of varying skill levels from the country’s different provinces as well as from other countries to participate in the Dirt Weekend Bike Festival.

Nuvali again partnered with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body on sports cycling events. This year the race also serves as Asia’s qualifying leg for the 2017 Cross Country Marathon World Championship on Nov. 11 to 12.

“Nuvali is known as a popular destination for mountain bikers with its natural traits and dedicated lanes that encourage biking as a sport and a mode of transportation. We would like to take this a step further and serve as venue for world-class competition in order to recognize local talents as well as give our athletes a chance to compete globally,” said Estacio.

Over 2,000 enthusiasts and elite level riders are expected to take part in the weekend bike festival.

The Nuvali executive explained that the Dirt Weekend Bike Festival has grown over the years and has become much more than just a race.

“It’s a community event. We have participants from across all social and economic strata. This is because the race welcomes everyone. It’s a bicycle race not just for the elite riders but also casual and weekend riders,” said Estacio.

The bike festival is not just a race for corporate executives and businessmen but also for company employees and members of the middle class according to Estacio.

The Nuvali GM said the experience gained from holding the race over the years has helped them grow and improve.

“Dirt Weekend is a platform for us to demonstrate the sustainability of the community. The route is 45 kilometers which participants will traverse twice. After the race you can expect that the trails remain there.

The trails will be permanent features of the course for everyone to use in the years to come,” said Estacio.

The race is accredited by both the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body for the sport, and its local affiliate, the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (Philcycling).

Estacio said the race has grown over the years to become one of the country’s premium mountain biking events. It has been held yearly since 2009 at the 2,290-hectare Ayala Land estate. The first race in 2009 drew about 500 participants. This year, Estacio said they expect 2,000 to join.

According to Athena Mendoza, member of the organizing committee, one of the country’s top riders Alvin Benosa will make a bid to improve on his performance last year in this race when he placed third overall.

Benosa was third behind eventual

By Reuel Vidal STRIKER Joshua Pacio practically beat up ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito in the first two rounds of their title fight at the ONE: State of Warriors at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar last week.

Pacio was piling up points as he hit Naito almost at will and stuffed every one of the champion’s many takedown attempts. Everything was going Pacio’s way until Naito spun him to the ground in the third round then clamped a rear naked choke on his neck to submit the brash challenger and retain the title.

The loss would have discouraged a lesser man. Instead Pacio believes the bitter loss has taught him a valuable lesson in humility which has made him a better fighter.

“I was really taken by surprise during that fight. I learned a valuable lesson.

Bicycle riders kick up a cloud of dirt as they ride off the road and into the bicycle trails of Nuvali.

Nuvali hosts country’s biggest trail bike race 2015 Dirt Weekend Bike Festival women’s category winner Ilda Pereira negotiates a Nuvali bicycle trail.

Nuvali General Manager John Estacio talks about the 2016 Dirt Weekend Bike Festival. With him are PhilCycling Deputy Secretary General Kamilla Sumagui (right) and Athena Mendoza who is a member of the Nuvali race organizing committee.

men’s champion Milton Javier Ramos Gomez of the Honduras and second placer Jerra Vatchatam Tawatchai of Thailand.

In the women’s category local rider Melissa Jaroda placed third behind first placer Ilda Pereira of Portugal and second placer Yazid Kuzmawati of Indonesia last year.

Their podium finishes qualified them for the 2016 World Mountain Bike Championship in Laissac, France.

The ever-improving race is world class and has attracted some of the best bicycle riders all over the world.

“We put our best foot forward. There are the best amenities for the contestants including air-conditioned toilets.

We prepare for the comfort and safety of the riders. Even the foreign riders appreciate all the attention to detail,” said Mendoza.

Registration is all online. Participants can register at nuvali.ph/dirtweekend2016 or m.nuvali.ph/dirtweekend2016 for mobile devices. There will be registration booths for assisted

online registration in selected events and bike shops to be announced on Facebook.

Registration fee is P925 for Dirt Weekend Cross Country Fun Race and P1,300 for the UCI marathon World Series qualifying race.

Participants should be at least 15 years old to join Dirt Weekend. Those who wish to join the UCI Marathon World Series qualifying race must be at least 19 years old.

All riders to cross the finish line will be given finishers’ medal while cash prizes will be given to the top three finishers at the Fun Race. The top 20 and 10 finishers for the Cross Country Marathon Men Elite and Women Elite will likewise receive cash.

Since it started in 2009, the Dirt Weekend Bicycle Festival has grown tremendously. It is now an annual platform for local cyclists not only to showcase their skills but more importantly improve their performance as they eventually become globally competitive.

Three riders chase after each other as they race along a bicycle trail which climbs up a steep hill.

Pacio learns bitter lesson

You can’t afford to be careless in a fight.

You have to be aware of what’s happening even when you’re ahead. You should always have that presence of mind. Your opponent also trained and prepared hard for the fight. He is also ready to fight and win,” Pacio said in a phone interview with Manila Standard.

Before the Naito fight Pacio strung up eight consecutive abbreviated victories. He won three via knockout and then prevailed in the other five via submission.

Pacio is now back in Baguio practicing in his home gym Team Lakay.

“I started training again. I’m just there working out. Regarding my next fight I don’t really have any preference. Whoever they put up is Joshua Pacio taps out after Strawweight champion Yoshitaka Naito okay. I need to prepare hard for my wrapped his arm around his neck to lock in a rear naked choke.

ONE Championship next fight,” said Pacio.

Pacio grew up in La Trinidad, Benguet. He had to overcome oppressive odds all of his life. His father left the family, relocating to Israel for work when he was only six years old. This forced his mother to raise him as a single parent.

He said he was fat at the age of 10. His weight at the time was 65kg.

He was so fat that when he stood up he could not see his feet because his belly was too big.

He was introduced by his uncle, an exMuay Thai fighter, to the martial arts. Pacio was immediately inspired in large part because he found a new father figure in his uncle.

He said Martial arts changed his life. His attitude improved, his health improved and he learned the value of discipline.

At 11, Pacio began training in Muay

Thai and kickboxing under the tutelage of his uncle. Because of all the activity he dropped his weight quickly.

By 13 he moved on to wushu and then competed at the 2010 Wushu Nationals just a year later.

He joined Team Lakay after entering high school. He watched hometown hero Honorio Banario elevate his professional career in Filipino MMA and followed in the footsteps of his idol.

Because of his Team Lakay experience Pacio improved his game immensely. He racked up wins as a professional paving the way to the shot at the ONE Championship title showdown where he learned difficult but valuable lessons.

For more updates on ONE Championship, visit onefc.com, or follow them on Twitter and Instagram @ ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at facebook.com/ ONEChampionship.

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Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel S. Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

RACING, WINNING IN THE BLOOD. Jacq Buncio scoots home to victory in the PH Pirelli Superbike Championship Final Round.

S

O YOUNG, but so fast. And she’s a girl!

Sixteen-year-old Jacq Buncio fortified her status as the racing scene’s newest darling with scintillating wins in the 2016 Philippine Pirelli Superbike Championship Final Round, and the 2016 Shell Advance IR-CUP Series and Moto-IR Championship, all held at the Clark International Speedway recently.

Buncio, youngest sister of the late superbikes’ great Maico, made history as the youngest and first female motorcycle circuit racer to win the overall championship in the 2016 Philippine Pirelli Superbike Championship last Oct. 1 and 2.

The O.B. Montessori student captured the Pirelli Cup Lightweight Class A division using her entry level sports bike, a Yamaha R-3 against numerous 300cc and 390cc machines and male opponents at that.

On the same day, the lady racer who was born and raised in Mandaluyong City, also secured the overall 1st runner-up finish in the 2016 FDR Philippine 115 Underbone King Championships and the third overall in the 130cc Philippine Scooter Racing Championships – a triple-feat of sorts that will be very hard to duplicate.

The following Sunday at the same race track, Buncio was at it again in the finals of the 2016 Shell Advance IR-CUP Series and Moto-IR Championship.

Buncio again proved her talent and skills by becoming back-to-back champion (as the only Rose among the Thorns) in the Moto-IR 2 Rounds 8 and 9 using her Top-1 Oil CBR, while

MOTOR RACING’S newest DARLING

Jacq (right) and older sister Des give their father Yoyong a big hug before their races.

bagging 1st place on the same day in the 180cc Backbone Category using her dependable Yamaha STX, another triple-feat in a day.

During the Awards Banquet night at Hotel Stotsenberg, Clark, Pampanga, Buncio was awarded as the 2016 overall Vice Champion in Moto-IR 2 and 2nd Overall Champion in 180cc Backbone Category, a culmination of her development as a racer with two and a half years of circuit-racing experience.

With her tremendous growth, Lady Jacq’s backers YRS Motorcycle Modification Inc., owned by her dad Yoyong Buncio, Walter Aw of TOP-1 Oils Philippines, Jay Sipin of MotoScoot and Reginald Burila of KojieSan Philippines, are committing another round of sponsorships.

Des Buncio, Jacq’s older sister who also races in Pirelli Cup Lightweight A division, settled for second place in 180cc Backbone Category using her efficient Yamaha YBR 125 and claimed 3rd place in the 180cc backbone overall.

Was it just a coincidence or is winning on the track really runs on the Buncio’s blood?

Cliché as it may seem, racing is in the

Buncio family’s genes.

Patriarch Gregorio “Yoyong” Buncio was a winning motocross rider in his youth. His sons, Maico and Barny, were motorcycle racing champions until Maico died of crash-related injuries in May 2011, while Barny opted to retire and start a family. Now, Yoyong’s two daughters – Maria Lourdes (Des) and Jacquelyn (Jacq)– are tracing the championship steps of their father and brothers.

The Buncios believe that racing has made their family whole again.

“With Jacq and Des out on the track, I still feel nervous like I did when Maico was racing,”confessed Mylene. “But watching and supporting my daughters’ races made our family whole again. We can feel Maico’s presence when we’re in a racing circuit and he’s watching over his sisters.”

Yoyong added: “And we feel that we are here back on the track for a purpose and that is to preach safety in racing. The need for speed is achieved on the race track and not on the streets. That is one of the philosophies that we are preaching, that’s why we are here.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED IN VIETNAM

By Lito Cinco NEWLY elected Philippine Association of Sepak Takraw president Karen TanchancoCaballero was the Chef de Mission of the lean Philippine team that joined the 5th Asian Beach Games in Da Nang, Vietnam, a four-kilometer beach shoreline serving as the games’ battlegound.

And what an experience turned out to be for Karen as the athletes surpassed her expectations.

The 67-athlete delegation competed only in 11 out of the 22 events contested, but went home with 21 medals, composed of two golds, four silvers and 15 bronzes—good for 17th place overall out of 42 countries.

There were two events where the gold slipped out from the hands of two Filipino athletes.

Jiu-jitsu’s Gian Dee had a lock on his Iraqi opponent going into the final seconds of the bout, but he lost his hold and with it went a possible gold.

Another was in the beach athletics, where triple jumper Mark Harry Diones was leading going into the final jump, but lost out to his opponents and had to settle for third place.

The Philippines could have even finished eighth had Dee and Diones won those gold medals.

The overall standings based on total medals won saw host Vietnam as expected, on top with 52 golds, 44 silvers, and 43 bronzes, with Thailand a far second at 36 - 24 – 30.

China placed third (12 - 18 - 19), followed by Iran (9 - 6 – 6) and Mongolia (7 - 4 – 8).

“It was total collaboration for all, the medical team was very efficient and were

there when needed. The secretariat took care of the little things for the athletes like getting their accreditation and meal cards, and other things ready without efforts anymore from the athletes, while I was the orchestrator of everything that the athletes only had to focus on their respective events,” said Caballero.

It was jiu-jitsu which delivered the gold medals for the team and the fact that it was Margarita Ochoa, who won the very first gold for the Philippines was not a surprise for Caballero as an hour before that, she was struck by the thought that it was going to be a female athlete who would deliver the first gold.

When she was informed about it, she was in the middle of a meeting with other CDM’s and she shocked everyone when she jumped up in joy upon hearing the news.

“From what I was told, she was already on her last gasp in that bout and it was only her determination not to lose that enabled her to escape from an early lock on her by her Thai opponent. It was a different story for the other gold medalist, Annie Ramirez.

I was there at the fight and when she went up the ring, the way she stood there, oozing with confidence, it told me she was going to win, and she did in overwhelming fashion, “ said Caballero.

Ramirez actually duplicated her goldmedal finish when she competed in the previous Asian beach games in 2014.

The country’s three other silvers came from pencak silat, with Princesslyn Enopia, Jaciren Abad and Jefferson Loon delivering the medals.

It was Loon who impressed Caballero most when the athlete told his coach prior to his semifinal bout that if he loses, the coach should take him out of the team.

What happened was Loon sent his Thai opponent to the hospital in winning the bout.

“We saw a lot of national athletes, even some Olympians in the swim events fielded by other countries.

The competition was tough, but with a better preparation in terms of selecting the athletes to be sent, we really could have done better. As it was, not all our NSAs were into it. The 3 x 3 men’s basketball could have given us a very good opportunity for another gold for instance,” added Caballero.

Caballero believes that local sports officials should start changing their way of thinking of their participation in the Asian Beach Games.

“This is not a minor event anymore and we should look more towards nonOlympic sports. A lot of the events here are non-Olympic ones and we were going up against the region’s powerhouse countries in non-Olympic martial arts events.”

But she paid special tribute to her 18man medical team composed of doctors, nurses, masseurs and psychotherapists, led

by Dr. Pilar Villanueva, who subbed for Dr. Felix Brawner as he had to rush back to Manila because of the death of a sibling.

“Our medical team members knew what they were doing and organized themselves very well, I just told them to let

Gold medalists Margarita Ochoa (center) and Annie Ramirez (right) display their gold medals. At left is a national athlete carrying the Philippine flag.

me know what they need and I will provide but they had to be wherever and whenever they were needed, and they delivered just as our athletes did, “ related Caballero. “ I believe even as I was a neophyte CDM, I was fortunate that I had a very

good team with me, and they know that I am willing to learn. I ask questions, I admit mistakes and given the chance, I would welcome being a CDM again. It was a very good learning experience for me,” said Caballero.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

LGUs

Local Gov’t Units ETERNAL FLAME.

By Honor B. Cabie

H

ALLOWEEN in the Catholic areas of this Southeast Asian archipelago, its marked variations despite, is among the country’s ageold religious traditions that date back to the 16th century.

In Metro Manila and nearby provinces, residents refer to the celebration as the “undas,” or “araw ng mga patay” called by those in Central Visayas as “kalag-kalag,” or “piesta dagiti natay” among Ilocanos, who also have “semana ti ar-aria” for the weeklong bash to All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. In the Christian areas of the Philippines, Halloween can be said to be actually more of an observance than a “celebration” or a day to remember the dead.

During the Halloween season, Filipinos go to the cemeteries to visit their dead, clean their tombstones, sometimes repaint them, light candles, and offer flowers and prayers for the dead.

In the runup to the two days, by law non-working regular holidays in this predominantly Christian country that received the Cross in 1521, people who hack out a living in the metropolis but have their roots in the provinces begin a tension-filled exodus back to the countryside—by buses for northerners and boats and aircraft for southerners.

It is an annual trek that has become a solemn affair when the living visit the graves of their departed dead in public or manicured private memorial parks.

Halloween in these parts is marked differently by the communities—one tradition in a Central Luzon town being the kin of the dead gathering in the graveyard on All Saints’ Day for some prayers, feasting, and merry-making.

Most often, masses are offered in the graveyards where the priest, beyond the request of a grieving kin nearby, also prays for those who have been forgotten, their resting places abandoned for years.

Some kibitzers have seen whole families camping in cemeteries and sometimes even spending the whole night or two near their dead relative’s tomb.

During this time, card games are played, ghost stories are told, and there are eating, drinking, singing,

Victims of the 2013 Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ rest in a common grave in a memorial garden in Barangay San Joaquin in Palo, Leyte. Mel Caspe

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Undas: A feast of filial love and merriment in commemoration of the departed loved ones. The occasion is more like a family reunion or banquet or family picnic.

Halloween also coincides with the day, often on October 31, when relatives clean up the tombstones and graves— repainting the stones or uprooting covering wayward grass, including the “cadena de amor” which is a familiar sight in Philippine cemeteries.

Some in Cebu, like Mary Jane and her siblings and their father, will go to Tindog on the northern side of the island prov-

ince to visit the grave of their mother for prayers before they drive back to Minglanilla town south of the capital city for additional prayers at home.

But in some areas of Negros Oriental, orphaned relatives visit the graves of their dead kin for an overnight stay— on shifts—at the cemetery for what they call the “kalag-kalag,” which is also practiced in Negros Occidental, as the family of Jeanie in Sagay City does.

In some towns in Ilocos Norte, the “piesta dagiti natay”—literally feast of the dead—is marked by nine masses

Hallowing the most basic instincts THE Erehwon Center for the Arts is hosting an art exhibit on the theme “Unleash the Beast Within” featuring the works of 33 painters from October 1529, painter Rodrigo Aniag announced.

Many of the participating artists are members of the Freedom Art Society that held its first plein air/onthe-spot painting session with Rafael Maniago, a California-based, multiawarded, internationally acclaimed Pinoy artist/educator, at the La Mesa Eco Park in Fairview, Quezon City on October 8.

The society is a coalition of several local Philippine Art Groups that envision a community of self-reliant, empowered, and world-class Filipino artists to help bring about a more culturally and artistically appreciative and socially aware nation, painter Jesse Esplana said.

It was launched at the 1st Freedom Art Society Artists’ Conference at the Marabella Palace Resort, Antipolo City on July 18 and joined by artists, other art groups, respected individuals in the arts, legal, business and publication scenes, Esplana added.

Guest lecturers gave seminars on The Legal Side of Art, The Business of Art, Philippine Art Trends and Compe-

SKYSCAPE. A groufie at La Mesa Eco Park titions and On Preparing and Preserving Art For the Future.

An on-the-spot painting with 10 Artworks of the Day winners was also held, and a mini-exhibit, art exchanges and medical supplies distribution with the help of the Bakusi Foundation.

FIlipino artists and artist groups united again at the 1st FAS group exhibit in September at the Conspiracy

Garden Bar in Visayas Avenue with its partners and fellow art groups like 4S, Artipolo, Artistree, Philippine Pastel Artists, International Watercolor Society, Let’s Paint, Munting Sining, Sining Obando, FilArts, Central Bank Artists’ Group, Buenas Artes Art Group.

For more information, please visit the Freedom Art Society page on Facebook. Edgardo S. Tugade

at home or masses arranged to be celebrated in churches, either Aglipayan or Catholic, with the ninth culminating on All Saints’ Day. The practice is replicated in many towns in Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya, especially in the Ilocanospeaking towns of these provinces of the Cagayan Valley, which lie on the western side of the Sierra Madre.

In the Visayas, as in some towns in Negros Oriental, some distinct Halloween customs and beliefs are observed, including the burning of candles on the

‘Bossing’ serves only Chooks-to-Go roasters VETERAN actor and TV show host, “Bossing” Vic Sotto has always chosen to endorse to his small-screen viewers and moviegoers products that are affordable but whose quality he has personally tested.

Thus, Sotto agreed to lead Chooksto-Go’s “Hindi ka Nag-Uuwi ng Ulam Na Basta-basta Lang” campaign” to bring ready-to-go, oven-roasted chicken to more families.

“When you bring home food to replace home-cooked meals, it has to be something really special for the family.

That’s important because the family expects more than the usual take-out fare,” he said. “When the family wants chicken, Chooks-to-Go is the number one choice. It’s juicy, delicious from the skin to the meat, and most of all good even without sauce. That levels up your lunch or dinner.”

Sotto admires hardworking moms

Small farmers eye Asean free trade A PROGRAM of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture aims to usher small Filipino food producers in rural areas into market integration and enable them to take advantage of ”borderless trade” in the Association of South East Asian Nations.

While Singapore and Thailand take advantage of the more liberalized

Asean free trade, the Philippines’ poorer agricultural producers still have to learn to exploit trade tariff eliminations.

The Asean Merchandise Trade Statistics Database indicated that as of June 2016, Philippine intra-Asean exports stood at $8.536 billion, or only 14.6 percent of intra-Asean exports.

However, its intra- Asean imports to-

taled $17.063 billion, a higher 24.3 percent of intra-Asean imports.

The Philippines had a share of 19.9 percent or $25.6 billion in intra-Asean trade in the same period. Those that enjoyed higher export from intraAsean trade were Lao, 71.2 percent; Malaysia, 28.1 percent; Myanmar, 37.5 percent; Singapore, 32.3 percent; and Thailand, 28.9 percent.

family altar from 6 p.m. shortly before Angelus until past 8 p.m. when the Church bells ring.

Observers say this is done to welcome the souls of the dead who, given the folk belief, are free to roam about on Halloween night.

Some say a quick look at the altar and the number of lit candles there can give the impression how many have passed on from the family.

The nine days of prayer for the departed souls in the Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley are believed to help the souls in Purgatory gain “a seat in heaven and a sight of the Lord.”

The nine days of prayer, which end with some food feast and merrymaking, are believed by some Catholics and Aglipayans to bring back to life reunions with those who have answered God’s summons.

The dead at this time are believed to be visiting their surviving relatives in their ancestral homes—but many say that in fact the living are the ones who enjoy the food festival.

While the practices may differ, they point to one axiom: belief in the afterlife.

Sotto

who whip up delicious food for their broods. “That’s why for the times when they can’t cook and kids want delicious food, just pass by Chooks-to Go, and you’re good to go!”

Chooks-to-Go’s oven-roasted chicken goodness brings a fresh and savory white-meat fix to Filipino households. “Personally, I didn’t think twice about promoting this product because Chooks-to-Go is also my wife Pauline’s favorite,” Sotto admitted. “It’s the taster’s choice that gives value for money.”

“We are very excited to have Vic as our endorser because he really believes in the products he promotes,” said BAVI president Ronald Ricaforte Mascariñas. “With Chooks-to-Go and Bossing together, we have a great opportunity to support hardworking moms with a go-to take-home ulam of choice that’s affordable, healthy, and delicious.”

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016

WORLD FOOD DAY

Climate change forces a rethink in food security On World Food Day 2016, nations have to deal with the impact of the Earth’s harsher weather on food and agriculture

By Jimbo Gulle

F

OOD, glorious food; humans can’t have enough of it, but the cruel irony of this age of climate change is that humans are also partly responsible for the lack of it.

With human activities pinpointed as the reason for increasing global temperatures that in turn have sparked longer droughts, fiercer storms and evaporating water supplies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called on global leaders to address food security as one of the biggest issues related to climate change.

As the United Nations (UN) agency tasked to combat international hunger, the FAO made the call on World Food Day 2016 with a global message that goes: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.”

Celebrated each year on October 16, which is also the FAO’s birthday, World Food

Day this year also shines a light on the plight of the people who produce the food and yet suffer the most from climate change.

“The world’s poorest – many of whom are farmers, fishers and pastoralists (sheep or cattle farmers) -- are being hit hardest by higher temperatures and an increasing frequency in weather-related disasters,” the agency says.

The FAO notes that the world’s population is growing steadily, and expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. To meet such a heavy demand, the UN body says agriculture and food systems “will need to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and become

transport, infrastructure, market mechanisms, as well as institutional and legal frameworks,” the FAO adds.

World Food Day 2016 and its focus on worsening weather comes a month before the

UN holds its next Climate Change Conference, COP 22, from November 7 to 18 in Marrakech, Morocco. There, the FAO will call on countries to address food and

more resilient, productive and sustainable.”

“This is the only way that we can ensure the wellbeing of ecosystems and rural populations and reduce emissions,” the FAO says.

Growing food in a sustainable way, according to the UN org, means adopting practices that produce more with less in the same area of land and use natural resources wisely.

“It also means reducing food losses before the final product or retail stage through a number of initiatives including better harvesting, storage, packing,

agriculture in their climate action plans and invest more in rural development.

“By strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers, we can guarantee food security for the planet’s increasingly hungry global population and also reduce emissions (that lead to climate change),” the UN org says. (end)

What is World Food Day? Why fight hunger?

WORLD Food Day is a day of action against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. Because when it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero.

World Food Day celebrates the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on October 16, 1945 in Quebec, Canada.

First established in 1979, World Food Day has since then been observed in almost every country by millions of people.

Across the globe, grassroots events and public awareness campaigns engage diverse audiences in action against hunger. From hunger walks and World Food Day dinners to meal packaging events and food drives, there are many ways for people to be a part of solutions to hunger.

Each year, advocates come together to raise awareness and engage people in the movement to end hunger, introducing them to organizations, universities and companies that are working to achieve a zero hunger world.

Why care about hunger?

Because the right to food is a

basic human right. In a world of plenty, 805 million people, one in nine worldwide, live with chronic hunger, according to the FAO’s “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014” report. The costs of hunger and malnutrition fall heavily on the most vulnerable.

60% of the hungry in the world are women, according to a UN Economic and Social Council study in 2007; Almost 5 million children under the age of 5 die of malnutritionrelated causes every year, says the FAO in a 2012 report 4 in 10 children in poor countries are malnourished damaging their bodies and brains, per a July 2014 report on thousanddays.org.

Every human being has a fundamental right to be free from hunger and the right to adequate food. The right to adequate food, says the FAO, is realized “when every man, woman and child has the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.”

Because we can end hunger in our lifetime. It’s possible. The world produces enough food to feed every person on the planet. In September 2000, world leaders signed a commitment

to achieve eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

MDG #1 is eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and includes three targets. Since then: Forty countries have already achieved the first target, to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015, says the FAO in another 2014 report.In addition, over the past 20 years, the likelihood of a child dying

before age five has been nearly cut in half, which means about 17,000 children are saved every day, the UN MDG report says.

Extreme poverty rates have also been cut in half since 1990, the UN adds.

The challenge is significant, but these results show us that when we focus our attention, we can make big strides.

Because the cost of neglect

is too high. No one in the world should have to experience hunger.

In addition to the cost of human suffering, the world as a whole loses when people do not have enough to eat.

Hungry people have learning difficulties, are less productive at work, are sick more often and live shorter lives. The cost to the global economy because of malnutrition is the equivalent of

US$3.5 trillion a year, according to the FAO’s “The State of Food and Agriculture 2013” report.

Hunger leads to increased levels of global insecurity and environmental degradation.

Ending hunger is not just a moral imperative, but also a good investment for society.

Because it can happen to anyone. Even in the United States, one of the richest countries in the world, one in seven Americans -- 14.3 percent -- does not have enough to eat, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Household Food Security report in 2014. Nutritious food can be expensive, making a balanced diet a luxury for many. Loss of a job, a family tragedy, poor health, or an accident can make anyone anywhere go hungry in a moment.

Globally, extreme climate events, war, or even financial crisis can dramatically affect a person’s ability to feed themselves and their families. Without social safety nets, resiliency measures and good policy in place, these small and large events can set off a cycle of hunger and poverty.

(Editor’s Note: This article, with minor adjustments and corrections, is taken from the website http://www. worldfooddayusa.org/what-is-wfd)

WORLD FOOD DAY

Current food issues in the Philippines and what the WFP is doing

By Anthony Chase Lim, World Food Programme

A

LOWER-middle-income country, the Philippines has a food deficit that is exacerbated by the combined effects of man-made and natural disasters that include earthquakes, typhoons and armed conflict.

As one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, it ranks third out of 171 countries on the 2015 World Risk Index and fourth out of 188 countries on the 2016 Global Climate Risk Index.

The Mindanao region has suffered from over four decades of armed conflict, resulting in internal displacements and overall deterioration of living standards.

The people of the Central Mindanao region are the country’s poorest.

The World Food Programme (WFP) works closely with the Government of the Philippines, other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and communities to support poor and vulnerable people in the Philippines, particularly those affected by the conflict in the Mindanao region.

WFP focuses on increasing long-term food and nutrition security while assisting people and communities to build resilience to be better prepared for the consequences of disasters.

What are the current issues in the Philippines?

Armed conflict: Armed conflict in the Mindanao region between the Philippine Government and the separatist groups known as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continued for more than 40 years before a 2010 peace deal. The longrunning violence has harmed living

standards and contributed to the country’s high rates of poverty.

Between 2000 and 2010, over 40 percent of families were displaced at least once because of the conflict.

Natural disasters: A study in 2012

by Danilo Israel and Roehlano Briones for the Philippine Institute of Developmental Studies (PIDS) entitled “Impacts of Natural Disasters on Agriculture, Food Security, and Natural Resources and Environment in the Philippines” analyzed the impacts of typhoons, floods and droughts on these areas using available secondary data.

In general, the study found that: a) typhoons, floods and droughts have an insignificant impact on overall agricultural production at the national level -- yet typhoons have a significant negative 35 impact on paddy rice production at the provincial level; b) typhoons, as exemplified by Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009, have a significant negative impact on the food security of the households in the affected areas; c) households have varying consumption and nonconsumption strategies to cope with the impacts of typhoons; and d) the different impacts of typhoons, floods and droughts on the natural resources and environment have not been quantitatively assessed in detail, but available evidence suggests that these are also substantial.

Poverty: Although national levels of poverty have been decreasing since 2006, decades of armed conflict

have left the Mindanao region with some of the country’s poorest people. This is seen in significantly lower rates of primary-school completion and stunted growth (caused by chronic malnutrition) among children under five years old in this region, compared with the rest of the Philippines.

According to the 2015 Global Hunger Index, the food and nutrition situation in the Philippines is rated as “serious” - despite steady improvements since the 1990s, positioning the country at 53 out of 104 countries. Prevalence of undernutrition remains an issue of public concern.

What is the World Food Programme doing in the Philippines?

Although WFP’s work in the Philippines dates from1968, WFP re-established its presence in 2006 at the request of the Government to support the ongoing peace process in the Mindanao region.

• Rebuilding lives: WFP helps communities affected by conflict and natural disasters to rebuild their lives by encouraging selfsufficiency through food and cash assistance programmes. People are given food or cash and vouchers in exchange for their participation in asset-creation activities and vocational skills training aimed at strengthening their livelihoods and building resilience to shocks.

• School meals and nutritional support: WFP provides school-age

children in conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao with hot, nutritious meals, giving them one-third of their daily micronutrient needs. Every school year, over 65,000 children in Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur are supported with school meals.

Teachers and parents prepare the meals that let children concentrate on their studies rather than their stomachs.

• Preparing for disasters and emergency response: WFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016

works with the Government and other organizations to help the Philippines strengthen its resilience to natural disasters and climate change. WFP’s work helps vulnerable and disasterprone communities prepare for and respond to shocks through local community projects, innovative scientific technology, and capacity enhancement of logistics and supply chain management through the establishment of

D3

disaster response centers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

To support its nutrition intervention in the Philippines, WFP has pioneered innovations to improve children’s health, such as a special micronutrient powder for children aged 6 months to 23 months. WFP also developed a locally-produced fortified food for children aged 6 month to 36 months, in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

D4

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets &Games

SPOTIFY GETS COMPETITION.

Kelvin Mercer and Maseo of De La Soul performs at Advertising Week New York 2016 Spotify Opening Gig in New York City. AFP

Music streaming

Go Bear: Products within reach IN A span of 6 short months, GoBear has built a strong foundation in the Philippines with 200,000 active monthly users and a 70% increase of new users month over month, who compare personal loans, credit cards, and travel insurance online.

This financial technology startup from Singapore has not only touched base with the need of Filipinos to find relevant information online, but it has diligently advocated to work with all major banks in the Philippines to bring their businesses from offline to online.

Led by Country Director Rommel Torres, GoBear Philippines aims to be a different tune when it comes to startups.

“We run our business to change the financial landscape in personal banking and insurance. GoBear is different because it does not run on commission, making it impossible to influence the results on the website.

In using www.gobear.com. ph, company A and company B may offer insurance at the same price, but if you look further into the details, one offers much less benefits than the other. You get the best value for money this way when you compare before you commit,” he said.

For users, GoBear Philippines has removed all the pains of comparing online: no sign-up required before getting quotes or information and no broker or agent who will push for products with higher commissions. The brand is all about promoting financial literacy and transparency in a country where most consumers are discouraged to get a loan or credit card because of the long unnerving approval process.

For more information about GoBear, please visit gobear.com.ph and follow the #GoBearPH journey on the official GoBear Facebook page facebook.com/ gobearphilippines .

wars heat up Reenvisioning tech gadgets FILIPINOS have willingly embraced the culture of technology, enthusiastically welcomed countless innovations on telecommunications, gaming and computing and undoubtedly made mobility and social engagement an integral part of their lifestyle.

In the pursuit of all the things we are passionate about, technology has helped us thrive in the most fast-paced, cuttingedge world we live in.

Promate Technologies, a multi-awarded Dubaibased digital accessory brand, is bringing reinvisioned technology products to the Philippines ranging from computer peripherals to mobile and car accessories. The company has received numerous design and product awards from IF Product Design Award (Germany), Good Design Award (Japan), Taiwan Excellence (Taiwan), Computex D&I Awards, just among a thousand of its awards.

“We are reenvisioning ’lifestyle technology’ to break down the barrier between the impact of the high-tech world and the normalcy of everyday life, delivering the most pioneering accessories whether that be for the home, the office, in the car or just absolutely anywhere people are virtually connected in their waking hours,” says Dimple Condes, Promate Philippines Country Manager.

“Our job at Promate Tech-

nologies is to know what our clients want before they even know it. We find a niche in the market, identify what the end user needs and fill that gap. We feel we’ve done a pretty good job at it because Promate Technologies has been accorded quite a number of global awards for over a thousand of our products. Most recently, we’ve been awarded

country to share their diverse line-up of products that adapt to the needs of the avid digital adapter this side of the world.

Seeking out an adventure trip (again!) soon?

Never get drained with Promate powerbanks, adapters and car accessories.

With Promate Provolta-21, 20800mAH powerbank, make sure your devices are

Silicon Valley Execs Mike Orbeta, Joel Pe, Christine Tan and Promate Technologies Country Manager Dimple Condes display Promate products.

this year for three—the linkMate.MUI and auraBox both awarded by the Distree EMEA Diamond Awards and bikerMate awarded by iF Design Awards. This is what we want to bring to the world —where Promate innovation is creativity at its finest—and the Philippines has become our next stop because really, the Filipinos’ hyper-connected lifestyle is complemented by many of our products.”

Promate Technologies has opened shops and are hooking up with the best tech retailers in the

always powered-up and ready even at flight. Bring along loads of music to play on Promate Groove, 20-watt wireless speaker with a built-in 8800mAH battery because your trips are always fun with a roadtrip playlist and get every angle right in your cruise with the Promate Monopro-12 selfie monopod for heavy weight cameras.

Finding time to workout? Promate changes the way you live a healthy lifestyle with its cool wearable tech products.

With the countless OO-

TDs, SOTDs, FOTDs and BOTDs that have become a staple among the techsavvy Filipinos, surely, their world has been conquered by many of the world’s biggest brands.

Meanwhile, fitting into those stylish OOTDs drove many to get fit and fab in fitness centers where some are even open 24/7.

Ah, the Filipino way of life has truly evolved—and now even your gadgets will keep up with you with Promate liveBelt-2 sporty belt band case at the gym or that Promate SnugRide waterproof case with bike mount and waterproof headsets like Promate Solix-1 when you bike out!

Tired of organizing workspace? Promate lets you experience next generation technology with its professionally designed gadget accessories. There’s a neverending goal to decluttering our workspaces to boost productivity and get more things done. Great thing to be able to have access to sleek, compact gadget hubs like the plug and play Promate MacHub-12 hispeed USB hub for your Mac to enjoy multiple seamless connectivity, or the Promate bluClass-2 wireless multipoint headset for hands-free calling and music streaming.

Promate is available at Promate concept shops in SM North Edsa Annex, SM Clark, Ayala Cebu as well as at Lazada (http://www. lazada.com.ph/promatestore/), Silicon Valley & Tomiko stores nationwide.

Torque’s Ego brings smartphone use to the next level ENGINEER Chris Uyco has envisioned a smart phone that should be at the summit of three key features—simplicity, reliability and value for money.

And this is what he has for Torque Mobile, which has been living up to expectations and come a long way to become the leading maker of Androidbased tablets in the Philippines.

Now, there’s no stopping the fastest-rising Filipino digital and mobile brand as it came up with another major breakthrough with the launch of Torque Ego series.

Called Boost Edition, the vastly improved series prides itself of features that allow users to easily take a smartphone use to the next level and truly embrace the age of smartphone.

“Much like the human ego, we view the now-ubiquitous smartphone as something that is here to stay,” said Uyco, CEO and chief innovator at Torque Mobile.

“The long-term vision for the Torque Ego series is for it be treated much like a person’s pride, identity or self-esteem.

Something that will always be around, being shaped by personal decisions and circumstance, needing the occasional boost every once in a while.”

The Ego series was officially launched recently at 111 Makati and introduced Ellise Joson as its celebrity endorser.

The compelling upgrades to the Boost Edition phones for its Ego series, will boost one’s view as normal, typical or acceptable. It’s about getting to the

next level.

Complementing the technology behind the phone is an exclusive platform built for the Torque community to enjoy interaction among its users—the Torque Ego Speaks.

It’s a centralized user-forum on the internet that allows posting under wide-range of topics to relate users’ everyday experiences related to smartphones. The Ego Speaks forum offersTorque a quick way to voice the users’ concerns, give feedback and simply connect with each other.

The entire Ego Series smartphones, including the Torque Ego tablets, are now available with price ranging from P999 to P3,499 at your nearest Torque kiosk or concept store.

Randy Caluag

Torque Ambassador Ellise Joson displays a number of new Torque units. Ey Acasio

N

EW YORK —Online giant Amazon entered the streaming music wars Wednesday, taking on rivals like Spotify and Apple with a subscription service that offers discounts to those using its voice-controlled speakers.

Amazon Music Unlimited will offer “tens of millions of songs” to subscribers, the company said, a step up from the two million available on its existing Amazon Prime streaming service.

The new service costs $9.99 a month for US customers—the same as rivals Spotify Premium, Apple Music and Google Play—but Amazon is offering a discounted rate of $3.99 for subscribers who limit use to its Echo, Dot or Tap speakers.

Current Prime customers can get the new service for $7.99 a month or $79 a year, Amazon said.

The new service is available to US customers, and will launch later this year in Britain, Germany and Austria, the company said in a statement.

“Amazon Music Unlimited brings real value to the millions of people who are already Prime members,” said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

“And if you want a sense of the future of voice-controlled music, go ahead and ask Alexa [Amazon’s digital personal assistant] for a free Music Unlimited trial, and play around on your Echo,” Bezos said.

“If you don’t know the name of a song but know a few lyrics, if you want to hear songs from a specific decade, or even if you’re looking for music to match your mood, just ask.”

Tie-in to Echo

Dan Rayburn, a Frost & Sullivan analyst who follows streaming media, said the new service offers “a nice tie-in to Amazon’s Echo, something that the other services don’t have.”

Rayburn noted that streaming music is “a challenging market, with nobody making money” but that Amazon can afford to offer lower prices with incentives for its hardware and Prime—a service which offers discounted shipping, access to online video and other content.

“It’s very hard to make money when you’re a standalone service like Spotify,” Rayburn said.

“Amazon doesn’t need to make money on this because they can push their other devices. They’re using it as a catalyst to sell more stuff.”

Echo is Amazon’s home hub, powered by artificial intelligence to answer questions, control smart appliances, order merchandise from the online giant and play music.

Music streaming has boomed this year, with the number of streams more than doubling in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to trade specialists BuzzAngle Music.

In the United States, streaming services had 18.3 million subscribers in June, up from 9.1 million at the same time last year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, Amazon’s new US offering comes a month after Sweden’s Spotify said it had passed 40 million paying subscribers, consolidating its position as world leader in the streaming sector.

Spotify stands well clear of its nearest rival Apple Music, which had some 17 million paying subscribers as of September, but it has yet to post an annual profit, spending most of its revenue on compensating artists and rights-holders.

Streaming music services are also offered by Google, Pandora and a number of other groups.

Pandora this week debuted its latest offering, a $5 per month service which lacks some of the features of Spotify and others but is ad-free and allows users to skip or repeat songs.

Last month Norwegian media said the Tidal streaming service, owned by rap megastar Jay-Z, had posted heavy losses and was having problems making payments on time.

Tidal had a major boost earlier in the year when Beyonce—who is married to Jay-Z—eleased her album “Lemonade” exclusively on the service. AFP

E1

Young Life

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

ADAPTABLE

Waking up from their

Majority of Gen Y employees are not keen on climbing up the career ladder, but rather make the most of the opportunities in their current jobs.

dreams

Millennials make it work in their current careers while aspiring for their dream jobs

By Bernadette Lunas

O

UR parents told us that if we wanted to become a school principal, we must be a teacher first. Or that if we aspire to one day become a CEO, we should start from the bottom of the office food chain.

It’s always been a one-way career ladder that we must climb up in order to get to our dreams.

“My current job is senior editorial executive in a business intelligence company for financial institutions, but to have a research firm is my dream. My current job allows me to explore different set of skills, I will just have to work harder, learn from my work experience and save enough capital to start my dream business.”

-Angelito Bautista Jr., 26

“Right now, I work as a community manager cum social media manager for a New Yorkbased company. Before I dreamt of becoming a top notch journalist because I relished the thought of seeing my name on a byline. I think I made the biggest life-changing decision when I chose to detour from the path to becoming a journalist. Now that I’ve already made a decent set of credentials and a strong understanding of my present role in my chosen field, I think I no longer see myself going back.”

-Candido Villanueva III, 25 “I am a PR practitioner but my dream was to become an international journalist covering news, politics and war in the Middle East, etc.

Probably I will no longer pursue that dream because there are things that are just not meant to be and I realized that I have a different calling.”

-Anonymous, 26

“Now that I am working as PR and Media Relations professional, I realized that I could have pursued being a dentist. I don’t know [if I’m going to pursue it] but maybe I’m just scared to start all over again, I’m not sure if it’s a great move for me right now. I am uncertain now that I am in the busy world of PR. PR has been my comfort zone for five years and it has been my life now.”

-Pao Oga, 27

“I’m a shift supervisor for a coffee shop and dreams of becoming a store manager. I believe I’m on the right track.

My passion for coffee is still overflowing and I think that’s my secret weapon why I really love this job.”

-Samuelle Tubiera, 24 “I’m a Public Relations practitioner but my lifelong dream is to be a fiction writer. I would [pursue my dream] if I could, and if there’s an open door/window for me, I would probably grab that chance.”

-Kristine Mae Bernardo, 28 “Before I wanted to be a sound engineer, but I stumbled upon photography and realized I love it better. They say it’s never too late to learn something new, but as of now, I’m enjoying my current job and I’m pretty satisfied with it. I’m not closing doors, though.”

-Roumelle Sabroso, 30

“I’m a radio DJ but I want to be a director or a pilot.

I’d love to pursue directing but I don’t want to give up my current job, so I guess I’ll just let my dream job be my greatest ‘what if’.”

-Yen Mempin, 27

But the millennial generation, which makes up more than a third of today’s work force, has a different perspective when it comes to work.

Several surveys reveal that Gen Y employees prefer companies that place a premium on workers welfare, flexible schedule and building a community and a sense of purpose. According to research and data provider PayScale, this generation’s young professionals

value work/life balance more than their older folks, and look for jobs that offer opportunities for career advancement.

Perhaps these priorities are the reason why the oft-studied generation are tagged as ambitious and entitled jobhoppers who go from one company to another whenever they see fit.

But good salary and job security are also important for millennials, according to a multiple-country survey of

ManPower Group. That while purpose is a priority, they are ready to move up with the same employer as long as they are provided with the benefits that will maintain their standard of living.

But are these factors enough of a reason for them to veer away from their dream jobs? Are dream jobs still being achieved?

Young Life asked 14 Filipino millennials on their career path and whether they will still pursue their aspirations.

“I’m an HR assistant of an Ad agency, but my dream jobs are to become a filmmaker, court-side NBA reporter and an NBI agent. I’m willing to do everything to achieve at least one of my dream jobs. In my opinion, it is never too late to achieve anything in life. Although I know that I will start from the bottom or take a different path, the things on the way this path can teach me to develop and enhance my skills. Pursuing the things that you love to do is for me considered a dream come true.”

-Felicia Moira Longman, 22 “[I’m] content editor for a startup online travel agency. [I wanted] to be a journalist when I was growing up.

To be honest about it, I’d prefer my current job as it has opened me to an industry which is very much in keeping with the times. We live in the digital era right now. And I feel that I am exactly where I want to be.”

-Anonymous, 33

“I’m currently a contract illustrator for Facebook. My dream job is to do visual development for an animated TV series or an animated film. I’m still very interested in pursuing my dream job. In my free time I’m taking up workshops and doing personal work that would hopefully take me there.”

-Niccolo Balce, 35

“I’m currently an accountant which is in line with my dream job of being an auditor. Right now, I don’t have any plans to change my job but if there will be a chance I will pursue a different career which is Computer Programming.”

-Ray-Mart Sumilang, 24

This casual survey reveals that millennials are adaptable to their current work situations. While some are on the right track toward their goals, some have embraced the different path that they have taken—and making it work for them.

Gen Y employees remain optimistic about their future—whether to move on or move up from their current jobs. They are willing to take detours to get to their destinations, or take side trips before finally going to their last pit stop. The responses also show that millennials are not all crazy job-hoppers, and given the circumstances they are willing to stay in a company.

Forget about climbing up the career ladder or traversing a one-way career path. Millennials are all about branching out, gaining experience and broadening their horizons.

“I’m a PR practitioner but when I was very young, I wanted to be a businesswoman. In high school, I wanted to become a journalist, which I did after graduating in college. However, a few years ago, I realized that my calling is to build and foster genuine relationships. These days, my thoughts gravitate toward doing what I am doing now, while planning to have my own business on the side. Perhaps this a thing of my generation—wanting several things all at the same time.”

-Anonymous, 28

“Being a Communications graduate, I can honestly say that [being] part of the Media Affairs Group of one of the country’s top conglomerates is my dream job. Not only do I get to utilize the things I learned in college, but I also get to work for and learn from people who I believe are the best in the field.”

-Anonymous, 27

Grab jobs through your phone JOB hunting can be a tedious and ex- among a couple more others. hausting task even for those who finOne of its founders, who has worked ished a degree or had previous work ex- with several food and beverage estabperience. Luckily, job seekers today have lishments, cites the unreliability and digital partners that make this endeavor a inconsistency around staffing in F&B whole lot easier. industry as the primary reason for creatFilipino job hunters and employers ing the said app. in the retail and service industries have “GrabJobs was created in response a new way to connect with each other to staffing issues faced by employers in through jobs marketplace app Grab- F&B, retail, hospitality, events, logistics, Jobs, which was launched recently in warehousing and BPOs, among others,” the country. shares GrabJobs CEO and co-founder GrabJobs is a light, portable Emmanuel Crouy. app that provides opportuniAfter receiving seed funding ties in retail, service and other from private investors in June blue collar industries. Since its to expand regionally, the comlaunch in Singapore in Janupany decided to first tap into ary this year, the app has rethe Philippine job market. corded over 25,000 downloads “We wanted to get GrabJobs and has enlisted big clients to the Philippines first and foresuch as Foodpanda, Brotzeit, most, primarily because we Scan this icon to view the PDF know there’s an ever-growing GrabJobs connects employers and job seekers in retail and service industries H&M, Club21 and Holiday Inn,

demand here,” says CCO and co-founder Mark Melo.

What sets GrabJobs apart from any other job platform available is its features.

Employers can broadcast job posts with push notifications, search and filter candidates directly, and contact potential workers through chat right on the app.

Job seekers, on the other hand, can easily apply to job posts with a tap of a button. They can also be easily notified when a new job ad has been posted or if an employer has selected their profile.

Within the first week of its soft launch in the Philippines, GrabJobs has already garnered over 1,000 registered job seekers.

Meanwhile, companies that have already gotten on board include SM Retail, Metro Retail, The Peninsula Manila and Jollibee Foods Corporation, to name a few.

Visit www.grabjobs.co for more information.

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

DRESSED TO WORK

T

HEY say you have to dress for the job that you want, not the job that you have. But if your current position requires you to be in leather shoes and button-up shirt, you better not come in to work wearing beat up sneakers and statement tee. Same goes if work puts you in a situation where protective and comfortable outfit is mandatory, it’s best to don the proper attire. Here are a few wardrobe staples that are work-appropriate for whichever industry you’re part of.

Corporate

The secret to professional dressing is investing in classic pieces that are easy to put together and will never go out of style.

White button-up shirt

A crisp white button-up shirt is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing. It can be worn under a suit or by itself with a tie.

This sartorial staple can even take you from conference room to classy restaurant. Uniqlo x Lemaire

Black blazer

Consider this your secret weapon when you need to transform your whole ensemble or look more professional. Marks & Spencer

Pencil skirt

Women should have one or more of this skirt solid colors. Choose skirts that are no higher than a few inches from the knee. Uniqlo

Black or nude pumps

Closed-toe pumps in black or nude match any office outfit, not to mention practically all kinds of outfit. Opt for three-inch heels to ensure comfort. Christian Louboutin

Tailored pants

Always choose a pair that is altered to fit as well as possible. Blacks and grays work well in the officesetting, reserve blues and brown for casual Fridays.

Zara

Creative

Workers in advertising, media, start-ups and other industries have the privilege not to be confined to rigid office outfit. In fact, they are encouraged to dress according to their personality. But keep in mind that even though suit and tie are not mandatory, you’re still at work, hence keeping everything professional is still important.

Fieldwork

Jobs the require long hours of staying outdoors—under various elements—call for work outfits that provide protection and are comfortable to move around in.

Polarized sunglasses

Breton top

Another wardrobe staple that looks casual when worn on its own or polished when layered under blue blazer. H&M

Cashmere sweater

Layer it over a button-down shirt for a preppy ensemble or wear it with denim pants for a more casual look. Uniqlo

Apart from its a great style statement, sunglasses protect your eyes from glare and harmful UV rays. Put them on and go back to work! Ray-Ban

Long-sleeve linen shirt

The breathable material of this shirt keeps you cool when under the sun, while the sleeves offer protection from strong winds.

H&M

Khaki pants

Loafers

Go for neutral shades or you may also opt for bold colors or trendy prints to create a statement look.

Sperry

Millennial financial advisor Ysabel Benitez

Shirtdress

Pick one in solid color and accessorize to make it more work-appropriate.

Mango

Khakis are casual and dressy enough to take you from day time grind to nighttime chill out. Gap

Leather boots

The durable, rugged and comfortable features of leather boots make them the ideal footwear when working outdoors.

Payless

Wide-brimmed hat

Workers who are constantly exposed under the sun need to always wear q hat.

Dorfman Pacific

Blue denim jeans

Classic, versatile and comfortable. Enough said. Topman

The best of both worlds:

A career that fulfills aspirations and life purpose YSABEL VICTORIA BENITEZ is just like many other millennials.

She wants to own a house and cars, and to travel once a year. She even plans to get married at age 30. She immediately drove towards her dreams right from her first day of work in the corporate field, but found herself burned out at 23 and dreading the future.

“When I look at my dream board, when I look at the things I want to achieve and the salary I’m getting every single cut-off, I knew it would take me years and years and years to actualize them,” relates Ysabel.

Her restlessness eventually grew, compelling her to explore other career options.

Ysabel didn’t have to look far, though, as she only needed to turn

to her mother Elvie for career inspiration. “My mother is a single mom.

Life insurance has been her bread and butter. All three of us siblings went to private schools and no one was left wanting. On Sundays we even eat out in nice restaurants,” she shares.

She has experienced first-hand the honesty, sincerity and real impact of the insurance business on the lives of its partners. Now, the 27-year-old child of insurance agent experiences the industry’s generosity as an employee of Insular Life.

In less than three years with the company, Ysabel has earned her qualification to the Million Dollar Round Table—an elite organization composed of the top 5 percent of the world’s financial advisors. Suffice it to say, she is

now living her life goals.

Ysabel currently leads a team of 25to 39-year-olds, all of whom are building a career in insurance. She has big hopes for her team, as she sees in them her own drive for success.

“We’re a very passionate generation.

There are a lot of things that we really want to do and I think these are bigticket items. With big-ticket dreams, you need a career to support them,” avers the millennial financial advisor.

With Ysabel’s coaching, her team of fellow millennials is making their personal finances a model for their clients. They further hone their know-how with the help of conventions and trainings offered for free to Insular Life advisors.

Most of their team members are themselves Insular Life policyholders,

baring their trust in the products and the company that they now share with their clients. Just recently, their team has committed to make the journey to 10,000 — an effort to reach 10,000 millennial clients in three years’ time.

But aside from material wealth, the young financial advisors also enjoy the priceless accomplishment of being able to help other people achieve their goals.

“A child will be going to college, a couple will get to retire comfortably, there’s that fulfillment that you can rest your head at the end of the day and feel that your clients achieved their goals. They were able to plan for the quality of life that they wanted, and I played a part in making that happen,” Ysabel says beaming with pride.

Showbiz

ALDEN RICHARDS

gets a Diamond M

USIC downloading and streaming may have taken the entire music industry, but these alternative ways of enjoying music did not stop local showbiz’s Golden Boy from convincing his legion of fans to buy his record.

Alden Richards has just earned a Diamond Record award for his album Wish I May. The album was certified by PARI (Philippine Association of Record Industry) after it sold more than 150,000 physical copies.

The Kapuso actor received his 9th and 10th Platinum awards during the Oct. 9 episode of Sunday Pinasaya, where the 24-year-old actor is one of the regular hosts and performers.

“Never in my wildest dreams and imagination that this album would reach Diamond Record, I’m speechless. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the people who continuously support my recording career,” said Richards.

Just last month, Richard’s sophomore album received the 8x Platinum Award, and people predicted that the record would reach Diamond

status before the year ends. But everyone was not surprised when Wish I May exceeded everyone’s expectation.

In 1990, PARI began certifying recorded music in the Philippines. Constant Change by Jose Mari Chan was the first ever album to be certified Diamond on Nov. 10, 1990. Since the awards program was launched, only seven albums were certified Diamond by PARI. Aside from Constant Change, Chan’s Christmas in Our Hearts was also certified for selling more than 800,000 copies.

Now that Richards has released another record, which is currently topping iTunes Philippines’ music chart, will he make another music history for being the second OPM artist to receive two Diamond Record award? Our guts tell us it’s highly likely to happen.

Local music’s best-selling records IN LINE with the incredible milestone in Alden Richards’ recording career, we look back to the big records that made indelible mark on the local music scene.

And in our effort to inspire more local artists to create original material and music that appeal to global audience, we are listing down local music’s most successful records of all time:

including “To Love You More,” and Sarah’s cover of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.”

Drawn, R2K and Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw The Asia’s Songbird is in a league of her own. In 1998, 1999 and 2000, she released the records Drawn, R2K and Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw. Each record was certified 6x Platinum by PARI for selling more than 240,000 copies Cutterpillow each. These albums are popular for producing all-time Eraserheads is not called The Beatles of the favorites “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw,” singing contest staples Philippines for nothing. The band’s third studio album “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” (an Aerosmith cover), and released on Dec. 8, 1995 by Sony BMG Music sold more the Jeffrey Osborne original “On The Wings of Love.” than 400,000 copies. Based on our history books, the record turned Gold on its first day and Platinum with firstA Wonderful Christmas week sales of more than 125,000 copies. The album was Christian Bautista’s A Wonderful Christmas includes certified quadruple platinum in 1996, having shipped heartfelt renditions of “Nakaraang Pasko,” “Gloria,” more than 175,000 copies in just under a month after its “Little Drummer Boy,” “Christmas Shoes,” and “What release, becoming the fastest selling album in ‘90s era. a Wonderful World.” It was released a year after he Additionally, Cutterpillow became a highlight in Pinoy dropped Romance Revisited, an album inspired by the music as it introduced classic songs such as “Huwag songs of two-time Diamond record awardee Jose Mari Mo Nang Itanong,” “Overdrive,” and the anthemic “Ang Chan. A year after the release of the Christmas album, Huling El Bimbo.” In 2012, it was certified 11x Platinum by PARI certified the record Diamond after it sold more the PARI catapulting Eraserheads as the country’s most than 200,000 units. successful band.

Araw Oras Tagpuan Nina Live!

Sponge Cola’s fourth studio album is also the band’s The country’s Soul Siren famed for her extraordinary most successful record to date. Released under Universal vocal range, released a live album in 2005. After a week Records, the album is composed of 12 tracks, the most of commercial release, the album immediately reached popular of which is “Tambay.” The single amassed more gold status and was certified platinum after three than six million views on YouTube since it was released. weeks. It is considered to be the biggest-selling album The album received its Diamond Award certification in by a female artist in the Philippines, certifying for selling 2011 for selling more than 150,000 units. more than 300,000 copies or 10x Platinum using PARI’s certification level between 2005 and 2006.

Julie Anne San Jose Julie Anne San Jose’s self-titled album was certified Popstar: A Dream Come True Diamond by PARI in 2014 after it sold more than 150,000 The Pop Queen’s debut album released on Sept. 11, copies. Released in 2012, Julie Anne’s debut album 2003 by VIVA Records is one of the most controversial defines her career as one of the most successful female albums in the recent history. In a report by Journal Online, recording artists of her generation. The album’s first citing PARI as the source, Sarah G’s Popstar: A Dream single, “I’ll Be There,” was used as the theme song for the Come True is said to have sold almost 300,000 units as of South Korean TV series Lie To Me by GMA-7. The single, 2008. To date, Popstar: A Dream Come True has shipped which was certified 4x Platinum by PARI, is also the first more than 310,000 units, which is equivalent to 20x OPM single to reach the “Platinum Digital Single Record Platinum (or double Diamond) using PARI’s certification Award” for the outstanding digital sales exceeding measurement as of 2012. The album spawned pop hits 245,000 downloads.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, October 16, 2016

ACROSS 1 Shore up 6 “Uncle Miltie” 11 Agave 16 Humphrey to Bacall 21 “Bad, Bad — Brown” 22 Winter constellation 23 Organic compounds 24 Showers with praise 25 Stand for 26 Transparently clear 27 Meat jelly 28 Whales like Shamu 29 Like a niche 31 Bete — 33 Norms 35 Amigo of Fidel 36 Dash 37 “Mila 18” novelist 39 Cause havoc 41 Ardor 43 Louisa May’s family 46 Wagers 48 Curly’s friend 49 Short on iron 52 Berlin article 54 Preclude 56 Strong silent type?

60 Four-bagger (2 wds.)

62 Tiny stream 64 Letterman et al.

66 George Bernard — 67 Flight board info 68 On a rampage 70 Survey chart 72 Amazon port 74 Coffee brewer 75 A chunk of the globe 77 Worm or minnow 79 Late tennis great 81 Ready to pick 82 AAA suggestion 83 Toy-store stock 85 The good guy 87 Small job 89 Kept going around 91 Meadow murmur 93 Aliens, of a sort 96 Fritz’s sigh 97 Quick trips 101 Mongol dwelling 102 Ubangi tributary 104 Sonnet segments 108 Aloha token 109 Pith helmet 111 Inoculants 113 Hunger for 115 Limerick writer 116 Tax prep pro 117 Sports complex 119 Ties up the phone 121 Slant 123 Realty ad item 124 Martial — 126 Consumer advocate 128 Lantern part 130 Bram Stoker novel

132 Polar explorer — Amundsen 134 Floats to the top 136 Eggnog time 138 Drove a semi 139 — Wiedersehen 141 Energy 143 Gumshoes, often 145 Port authority?

149 Sponge features 151 Aswan Dam site 152 Like a trampoline 156 “— — Road Runner” 157 War movie river 159 Pat’s hostess 161 Canned fruit brand (2 wds.)

163 Speculate 165 Wife’s dad (hyph.)

167 Citrus center 169 “— vincit amor” 170 Crowbar 171 Delay on purpose 172 Police van 173 Domain 174 Waugh and Baldwin 175 Throw for — — 176 Cooks slowly 177 Ocean fliers DOWN 1 Traffic-jam noise 2 Buck the system 3 Chile’s northernmost city 4 Spy’s alias (2 wds.)

5 Gazes at 6 Ravel favorite 7 Well-read 8 Rocker — Ocasek 9 Pork selection 10 Finance 11 Kind of sale (hyph.)

12 Ousted from power 13 Cagney or Lacey 14 Barrette 15 Show biz org.

16 Iris or violet 17 Rowboat need 18 Handbag logo 19 Utah neighbor 20 German steel town 30 Give in 32 Rollover subj.

34 Woolly animal 38 Commotion 40 Shish — 42 They make waves 44 Onetime Trevi Fountain coin 45 Prune back 47 Pack rat 49 Out in front 50 — — fast!

51 Inbox filler 53 Cinder ender 55 Heirloom 57 Oafish one

58 59 61 63 65 69 71 73 76 78 80 84 86 88 90 92 94 95 97 98 99 100 103 105 106 107 110 112

“Ah Sin” playwright Bought Webster or Beery Tipping point (2 wds.)

Tintype hue Chicken style Bangkok native Danke, in Dijon “Dark Angel” star Low card Hairy twin — Fe Obligation Felt certain Bloke Festoon Heavy hydrogen discoverer Thick piece of bread Dana of “MacGyver” Copy, briefly Lariat Asparagus tip Oklahoma town Ski slope bump Blues street in Memphis Famed viol.

Town near Palm Springs Comparable

114 118 120 122 125 127 129 131 133 135 137 140 142 144 145 146 147 148 150 153 154 155 158 160 162 164 166 168

Chapel Hill native Fabled teacher?

Glasgow citizen Moselle feeder Wooden strip Evictions Composer Jerome — Patron Donuts, often Urban problems Hid out (2 wds.)

Hardly any She-lobster Mops up Cello kin Strong-arm Wet behind the ears Mrs. Gorbachev Comes down white Kofi of the U.N. Of some worth Ball clubs Part of IBM Room to swing — — Hoarder’s cry Toshiba rival Philosopher — -Tzu Birthday count

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Alden Richards’ Wish I May album has been certified Diamond by the Philippine Association of Recording Industry

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Showbiz

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

AMAZING BEAUTIES Beauty queens Parul Shah and Maggie Wilson-Consunji showed their competitive side as they tried to survive the physically and mentally challenging reality show, The Amazing Race.

By Nickie Wang Photos by Sonny Espiritu

P

RIOR to joining their respective international pageants, beauty queens Parul Shah and Maggie WilsonConsunji underwent physical and mental trainings. Maggie competed at Miss World 2007 while Parul represented the Philippines at Miss Grand International 2015.

They might look glamorous on the catwalk but their final appearance was achieved through a series of punishing workout routines and numerous personality development exercises.

And just like how these “women of substance” put it: We train like athletes, only our arena is the pageant stage.

“A lot of people don’t realize how competitive beauty queens are. People have this perception that we are high maintenance. I kind of like how people think of us that way because they expect us to be like divas but when we perform in other fields, that’s when they get surprised,” said the 27-year-old Maggie in an interview with Manila Standard.

And they are out to prove that they are more than just pretty faces as they tried to survive the physically and emotionally challenging reality show, The Amazing Race Asia, which starts its Season 5 run on Thursday night at 9 p.m. on AXN. “No one will ever understand what we went through unless they’ve become part of the race. I used to watch the show and didn’t think how challenging the tasks were until it was me doing those challenges. I think we’re going to talk about this experience for a very long time, many years maybe,” said Parul.

Asked about how they survived the month-long competition and what their game plan was, both queens said that before they embarked on this mentally and physically challenging journey, they agreed to play it safe.

“We decided that we’re going to be the underdog in this competition. Like joining pageants, you don’t have to give everything in one go. In most tasks, we see to it that we wouldn’t finish first or last. It’s a challenge when people underestimate you because they wouldn’t know what you are capable of,” explained Maggie.

The two beauty queens are bosom buddies in real life.

Maggie was the one who trained Parul before the latter joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2014 where she won the Tourism crown. She was handpicked to represent the Philippines at Miss Grand International 2015, where she placed Miss Grand International 2015 Third Runner-up.

“Maggie was my mentor as a beauty queen and in The Amazing Race, she’s my support system. She kept on pushing me to be a competitive person like she is,” the Filipino-Indian beauty shared.

“I am drawn to people who have great passion to succeed, that’s why we instantly became friends. And I don’t think I would reach this far, talking about The Amazing Race, if I were with a different partner,” Maggie commented.

Best friends Maggie and Parul are among the 11 teams, including former It’s Showtime host Eric Tai and wife Rona Samson-Tai, who are competing for the $100,000 prize in the reality game show.

From pageant stage to

‘Amazing Race’ Reluctant singer finds his voice IN A dynamic industry where competition amongst lots of people has killed the persistency and determination of many, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jude Concon is more than ready to take the plunge.

Born in the Philippines but was raised in Brunei, the 24-year-old Norwegian-Filipino singer is currently in the country to pursue a life-long dream.

“I used to hate singing as a child. But when I grew up, music became an outlet for me. I started music as a hobby but not until when I turned 18 when I won my first competition in Brunei that I realized music has become a big part of my life as a teen, and this the thing that I would really like to do,” Jude told Manila Standard.

The young singer, who plays the keyboard, graduated with a high distinction diploma in Popular Music Vocals at NeoClassic Music School Brunei. He was part of the Philippine

Team in the 2015 World Championships of Performing Arts held in Long Beach, California USA. In the competition, considered the Olympics for performing arts, Jude took home a silver (gospel category), and two bronzes (rock and open style category).

“I was studying in Brunei and out of the blue the national director of team Philippines emailed my school principal who’s also my voice teacher, it was really random. So I got in contact with the national director and I was able to join the team Philippines,” he shared.

This year, he represented the country in Europop, a singing competition held in Germany. He made it to the grand finals being the only Asian to join the competition and won fourth place out of 17 European countries in the 18 to 24-year old category.

Heavily influenced by music greats like James Morrison, Alicia Keys, Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Etta James, Eric Bibb, and Emeli Sande,

Jude is determined to pursue a music career in the Philippines and present his own brand of music.

“There are so many good singers in the Philippines already, but I think what I can bring to the table is my being different. I don’t sound like most mainstream singers out there, but I think being different is what makes me stand out,” he asserted.

Jude shared that his music is a hybrid of four different musical styles since he’s into blues, soul, pop and gospel music. He has recently signed a record label deal with MCA Music Inc. (Universal Music Philippines) and an EP is currently in the works.

As a composer, Jude penned a song called “Time Machine” and released it via music streaming sites. The single, which according to him, is a song that a lot of people can easily relate to, is now available on major digital platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, Spinnr, and Apple Music.

Singer-songwriter Jude Concon is ready to take the plunge and pursue a music career in the Philippines