Manila Standard - 2016 October 23 - Sunday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXX • NO. 253 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DUTERTE IS RIGHT, ESTRADA INSISTS

BLOOMING BROMANCE

PUTIN

DUTERTE

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera

avao City—After declaring in Beijing that he would align the Philippines with China and Russia “against the world,” President Rodrigo Duterte pressed his courtship of Moscow and said he cares little for the results of the US presidential elections and would rather bet on his favorite hero Russian President Vladimir Putin. day after Duterte told at least 200 business people in Beijing that “America has lost the Philippines.” “I’ve realigned myself in your [China] ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world—China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he said. While Duterte also clarified that the “separation” only meant a separation of foreign

“I cannot gamble an answer,” Duterte said here Saturday upon returning from a historic four-day state visit to China. “Either way, it would affect [the country’s foreign relations]. It might create hostility here, antagonism there so I am better off in saying that my favorite hero is Putin,” he told reporters at the Francisco Bangong International Airport. Hours before he returned, Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev said Moscow is ready to discuss “any area, any field of possible cooperation” in a bid to boost, adding that the two countries “deserve to know each other much, much better.” Pledging Moscow “would not interfere with the domestic affairs of a sovereign state,” Khovaev said the Philippines only needs to formulate a wish list of needed support. “Think of what kind of assistance you expect from Russia and we will be ready to sit down with you and discuss what can and should be done,” the envoy said, a

SPORTS / C4

SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR SCOTTIE

THROWBACK TO LAOS. President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev exchange words at the ‘family picture’ moment during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Vientiane last July when they first met.

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JAPINO IN MILAN. Japanese-Filipino model Rina Fukushi works on a street in Milan in one of her many international modeling engagements.

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policy and not severance of ties, he also underscored the value of mutual respect among sovereign nations. But Duterte said there was no need to dovetail Philippine foreign policy with that of America and said “we always follow and follow. I will not follow. It was not the first time, the Philippines sought Moscow amid displeasure at the prevailing state of relations with the United States. Shortly before the end of the Vietnam war in 1975, former President Ferdinand Marcos sought to reestablish ties with the then Soviet Union, through then Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, and formal relations commenced in 1976. Marcos visited Moscow in 1980. Duterte admitted that he was upset with the US because he felt disrespected several times in the past and blamed the US for being the cause of the terrorism being experienced worldwide.

FORMER President Joseph “Erap” Estrada backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to separate foreign policy from the United States, saying it is high time the US government be stopped from its meddling in the country’s internal affairs. But the 79-year-old Estrada, who was ousted from office in 2001, feared that Duterte’s unpopular pronouncements might have severe consequences, such as his possible removal from office similar to what he had experienced in 2001. The former leader recalled that when he was president, the US government would always try to coax him into doing what they want, like when US Defense Secretary William Cohen wrote him demanding a stop to Estrada’s “all-out war” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which was believed to be behind several terror attacks. “They meddled in my fight with the MILF. They stopped me,” said Estrada, who is now on his second term as mayor of Manila. “When they suddenly removed me, they neglected the MILF which continued in their bombings,” he pointed out. “Just because the US is helping us [through official aid] that does not mean they can meddle in our internal problems. We are a sovereign country. We have our own Constitution,” Estrada said. “President Duterte’s action is right. Why are they meddling?” he added, referring to the US. Asked if he supports Duterte’s move to realign the Philippines with China, Estrada replied:“Yes. Because China doesn’t meddle with us, with our independence.” Estrada said he understands where Duterte is coming from when he announced the country’s “separation” from the US. “I feel what President Duterte is feeling.” He stressed it was a difficult decision for the President, one that might expose him to political risks such as the US moving to oust him from office.“That is my fear because they did that to me,” Estrada said.

JAPINO WOWS FASHIONISTAS By Jennie Matthew TOKYO—Aged just 17 and still living with her family, Rina Fukushi has seen more of the world than most Japanese schoolgirls. She is the newest model sensation making waves in Europe and New York, wowing on the runway for the likes of Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs when not chowing down on hamburgers or playing with her little brother.

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Discovered at 14, hailed by Vogue as “ultra-cool” and “eye-catching” with her enormous eyes, thick eyebrows and bee-sting lips, she is already the veteran of seasons in Paris, Milan and New York—giving American models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner a run for their money. “I always believed I could be a star from the moment I was scouted. But at the same time, I still can’t believe it’s real,” says Fukushi,

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GADGETS / D4

LOVE MOTO

delightfully friendly and giggly, yet equally self-assured for her age. She arrives early for an interview with AFP, taking time out from her packed schedule at Tokyo Fashion Week to meet at a chic cafe. A girl who loves to rummage around vintage stores whenever she is traveling, she dresses for the interview in black— mini skirt from Paris, turtleneck from Japan—and brown handbag from Milan. Turn to A2

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US SHIP SAILS BY CH ISLANDS WASHINGTON—A US destroyer sailed close to a cluster of islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea on Friday, the Pentagon said, amid continued tensions in the contested waterway. The USS Decatur passed close to the Paracel Islands and “conducted this transit in a routine, lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident,” Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross said. “This operation demonstrated that coastal States may not unlawfully restrict the navigation rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise under international law.” The maneuver is the third South China Sea “freedom of navigation” operation conducted this year by the United States, which has repeatedly stressed it will ignore China’s “excessive” maritime claims. Ross said the Decatur did not sail within 12 nautical miles of the islands, but crossed through a broader swath of ocean claimed by China. Friday’s operation was the first since a July ruling by a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled there was no legal basis to China’s claims to nearly all of the sea—a verdict Beijing dismissed vehemently. China that month held a week of military drills around the Paracels in the northern part of the South China Sea, during which other ships were prohibited from entering the waters. Several other nations across the region including the Philippines and Vietnam have rival claims to various parts of the South China Sea. China has been accused of doing massive environmental damage to the sea by building artificial islands, some with airstrips, capable of hosting military facilities. The issue is a source of ongoing tension and anger in the region, and Friday’s US operation is likely to further inflame Beijing’s ire. AFP

BEIJING SLAMS SAIL-BY BEIJING, CHINA—China has slammed the US for sailing a warship near disputed territory in the South China Sea, saying the move was a “serious illegal act” and “deliberately provocative.” In a statement on its website late Friday night, the country’s defense ministry said two Chinese naval vessels warned off a US ship after it entered “Chinese territorial waters” near the Paracel Islands, known as Xisha in Chinese. China controls all of the islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The ship’s “entrance into China’s territorial waters is a serious illegal act and a deliberately provocative act,” it said, adding that the ministry had made “solemn representations” to Washington. In a separate online statement, the foreign ministry said the action had “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security interests, and had seriously broken relevant Chinese law and international law.” The Pentagon said Friday it had sent the destroyer USS Decatur close to the Paracel Islands, but that the ship had not passed within the 12-nautical mile zone that international law defines as territorial waters. The ships transited the area in “a routine, lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident,” a spokesman said. The maneuver was the third South China Sea “freedom of navigation” operation conducted this year by the US, which has repeatedly stressed it will ignore China’s “excessive” maritime claims. AFP

TRUMP: SEPARATION DUE TO WEAKNESS

SO WEAK. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in this file photo. AFP

HE United States has become so weak that the Philippines has begun distancing itself from decades of pro-American foreign policy and is now veering toward China and Russia, according to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally in Fletcher, North Carolina, Trump said the Philippines has “broken with decades of pro-American foreign policy to instead leave for the orbit of China and Russia.” The GOP nominee attacked President Barack Obama for spending too much time campaigning for Hillary Clinton instead of working. “Our economy isn’t growing at all,” he added. The firebrand leader signalled on Thursday during his four-day state visit to Beijing that he intended to end the Philippines’ 70-year alliance with the United States in favor of China and Russia. “I announce my separation from the United States,” Duterte told a group of Chinese businessmen. “America has lost. I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell

him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way.” Until Duterte took office on June 30, the Philippines had been one of the United States’ most important and loyal allies in Asia, and a key to President Barack Obama’s “pivot” to the region. But since becoming president, Duterte has done a dramatic foreign policy U-turn that has baffled Washington and US State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday the US would seek clarification from the Philippines about the “separation” remark. “It’s not clear to us exactly what that means in all its ramifications,” he said. Duterte on Saturday gave a series of comments to clarify those remarks. “Sever is to cut. Separate is just to chart another way of doing,” he said. “What I’m really saying was sepa-

ration of foreign policy, which in the past and until I became president, we always followed what the United States would give the cue.” “It’s not severance of ties. Severance is to cut diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. Why? It’s in the best interests of my country that I don’t do that,” Duterte told reporters in his hometown of Davao after returning from China. Nevertheless, Duterte launched another tirade against the United States for criticizing his war on crime, which has left more than 3,600 people dead and raised fears about extrajudicial killings. Duterte said a defense pact signed in 2014, known by the acronym of Edca and which allows for a much greater US military presence in the Philippines, remained in jeopardy. “It will affect Edca and the rest of the agreements, maybe, I will have to consult the military, the police and everybody,” he said. Duterte also said he did not care if the United States or the European Union cut their foreign aid to the Philippines, worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, over concerns about human rights abuses in his war on crime. “Assistance, USAID, you can go to

hell,” he said, referring to the US government’s overseas economic and development assistance organization. Duterte often laces his rhetoric with vulgar language, and has repeatedly referred to US President Barack Obama as a “son of a whore.” On Saturday, he let loose again at US and European critics of his war on crime. “You sons of whores. Your euro, that’s a piece of paper. You run out of toilet paper, you wipe up your ass,” he said in a rant that at times appeared not to make sense. “You guys are bullshit. Why am I saying this? It sounds the height of vulgarity. You started it.” Duterte, 71, also repeated criticism of the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, saying it was based on a lie and triggered turmoil in the Middle East that cost many lives. “If there is one thing that America has failed miserably, it is in the province of the human dignity,” he said at the end of his critique of US foreign policy in the Middle East. Duterte said he also endorsed Russian efforts to keep Syrian President Bashar alAssad in power. “If Assad is out they (the United States) will have destroyed the entire Middle East,” he said. Bloomberg, AFP

JAPINO...

From A1

NEXT GENERATION. A young girl and her brother marvel at the statues of superheroes that also once enthranced their parents at a Mandaluyong mall. Lino Santos

A silver pendant inscribed “Rina,” in Japanese script, hangs from her neck and she carries a leather jacket from Beautiful People, a Japanese label for whom she walked the previous night. Her schedule is punishing: she’s up at 7 a.m., rushes from show to show, working until 10 p.m. and finally falls into bed around 1 a.m. In between it all, she is studying, which she does online to fit around her schedule. When high school ends in March she hopes to spend more time in New York, which she loved visiting in September. “I really like the people,” she explains, laughing when asked if she thinks New York is loud and dirty compared to Tokyo. She loves the energy, the diversity and the get-up-and-go attitude. Marc Jacobs left a deep impression. She thought his spring/summer show of rainbow rastafarian locks “so cute,” although she dissolves into more laughter when asked what his towering, seven-inch platform boots were like to walk in. “I was really careful not to slip.” Wearing no make-up, her face is radiant with natural beauty, and her dark brown hair falls just below the shoulder. It used to be longer, but was cut -- without warning—backstage at Alexander Wang. As a model it pays to be professional and amenable. Fukushi is both, and besides, the soft-spoken Taiwanese-American fashion genius of New York urban cool was “so kind” to her. “He didn’t know where I was from,”

she giggled. Described in the Japanese fashion press as “exotic” Fukushi is the daughter of a Spanish-Filipino mother and a Japanese-American father. Born in Manila, the family returned to Japan when she was a baby, and she grew up in Tokyo, although she speaks Tagalog as well as Japanese. “I thought she had the perfect proportions,” says her agent Mayumi Kozakura, incredibly one of three scouts who spotted her the first day she went out shopping with a friend in Tokyo’s Harajuku district. But at 176 cm (five feet, nine inches) Fukushi is short for a runway model, by Western standards. It’s one of the reasons she admires Kate Moss so much: the British model who defied beauty norms by pioneering so-called heroin chic is even shorter. “When she wears clothes, they look fabulous,” Fukushi says of Moss. “She has inner beauty and I think that is so important.” Tokyo Fashion Week sees Japanese designers mostly shun Asian models in favor of white Western girls, albeit with catwalks in Europe and New York under increasing pressure to show diversity. “I like myself and I have confidence. What is wrong about being Asian or Japanese?” she says. “I don’t feel ‘I am sorry for being Japanese’. If I am confident that clothes look good on me, people don’t see anything wrong. So it doesn’t annoy me.” AFP

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INTERNET GROUP WANTS TELCO DEAL REVIEWED

MEMENTO MORI. Damaged infrastructures in Cagayan’s capital city of Tuguegarao are a pathetic sight, two days after powerful Typhoon ‘Lawin’ left northern Philippines with a trail of death and destruction. The Catholic Church, through its social action arm National Secretariat for Social Action/Caritas Philippines, has started using its emergency funds to support relief operations for affected families. Caritas Philippines

15 KILLED BY TYPHOON ‘LAWIN’–NDRRMC A

s the sun started to filter through the weekend clouds in northern Philippines, officials reported a trail of 15 deaths and millions of damage to agriculture and infrastructure in Cagayan when Super Typhoon “Lawin” slammed into Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ricardo Jalad told radio dzBB in an interview that many of the fatalities were killed in separate landslides in CAR, sandwiched by the Caraballo and the Ilocos mountain ranges. The NDRRMC has placed the initial cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure at P657.8 million.

AGRI, INFRA DAMAGE HITS P650M THREE days after Typhoon “Lawin” struck the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced that agriculture and infrastructure losses for the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera regions have hit the P657,800,695.49 mark. Agricultural damage was placed at P75,855,695.49 and infrastructure losses at P581,945,000. As of Saturday, relief assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the four regions amounted to P6,130,750. The NDRRMC, meanwhile, announced that 22,814 families, or 92,002 persons, are still being sheltered in 643 evacuation centers in the four regions, along with Calabarzon and the Bicol region. Meanwhile, another 12,672 families, or 57,657 persons, are getting service outside government-operated evacuation centers. The NDRRMC added those preemptively evacuated in these regions totalled 28,710 families, or 143,531 persons. Confirmed deaths from “Lawin” are still at seven, all from the Cordillera region, and all attributable to landslides spawned by the typhoon. Unofficial figures have placed the death toll at 12. Reports of additional deaths are still being verified and validated by the NDRRMC. A total 1,327 houses were damaged—235 wrecked and 1,092 partially destroyed—in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordilleras, officials said. PNA

Two more, an old man and a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, were also killed in Isabela, a catch basin province which sits on the banks of the mighty Cagayan River. Jalad said only nine of the fatalities have been validated by the NDRRMC. Meanwhile, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba, who has placed his

province under a state of calamity, pleaded for help from the national government and the private sector to help his province recover from the unprecedented devastation. Mamba said it would take several months for the province, which came under typhoon signal number 5 like adjoining Isabela, to recover from the weather pillage without the help of the national government. He said that almost all of the houses in the province, particularly in Tuguegarao City and Gonzaga town farther north, were destroyed by the super typhoon. “Lawin,” which left four people killed in the towns of Igig, Solana and Baggao, slammed into Cagayan late Wednesday with more than 200 kms per hour winds, crossing

parts of Luzon north of Manila before exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday. In its bulletin issued 8 a.m. Saturday, the NDRRMC said the super typhoon displaced 143,531 people or 28,710 families in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol and CAR. It said 92,002 people remained in evacuation centers and the rest are staying outside evacuation shelters. Cagayan province bore the brunt of the super typhoon, where hundreds of houses, business establishments and government offices were damaged. The NDRRMC said 1,327 houses were damaged by the super typhoon in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and CAR.

RED CROSS CARAVAN DEPLOYED A HUMANITARIAN caravan loaded with assets, equipment and emergency relief items was sent by the Philippine Red Cross to Isabela and Cagayan to bring emergency aid to communities affected by Super Typhoon “Lawin.” The caravan was composed of a rescue van, Doosan wheel loader, dump truck, 6x6 multi-role truck, a 4,000-liter fuel tanker and a 10,000-liter water tanker, Hot Meals on wheels van, rescue van, 2 Humvees, two ambulance units and two 10-wheeler trucks loaded with emergency relief items like sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, tarpaulins, jerry cans and hygiene kits good for 1,500 families, as well as clothing, shoes and ready-to-eat meals.. A total 1,141 Corrugated Galvanized Iron sheets and other shelter repair materials were also loaded in the caravan for distribution to families whose roofs were blown off by “Lawin.“ Initial assessments by PRC teams estimated that in affected areas, particularly in Cagayan and Isabela, 80 percent of houses and community infrastructures had roofs blown off. “There have been three devastating typhoons [Meranti, Sarika and Haima] that have struck Northern Luzon one after the other,” said PRC chairman Richard Gordon. He added: “Mercifully, the effects of the typhoons were not as severe as [those of ] Haiyan [Yolanda in 2013]. We have averted a humanitarian crisis, but it is still a humanitarian challenge nonetheless. We need to give priority to those who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and stocks.” PRC staff and volunteers, with personnel from the county delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), have been deployed in some of the affected areas like Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Eci-

ja, Abra and Isabela. Gordon said: “Our volunteers and staff in the affected areas have been activated for monitoring and assessment of the situation and the needs of the affected population. “We are constantly communicating with our teams on the ground in order for us to assess which areas need aid the most and for us to provide the assistance that the affected population needs.”

tablished welfare desks in Cagayan and Nueva Ecija and have provided hot meals to families in evacuation centers in Cagayan and Mt. Province. PRC’s Operation Center reported almost 3,000 people have been provided assistance by the PRC through search and rescue, distribution of hot meals and biscuits, blankets, welfare services like psychosocial report and referral, and hygiene promotion activities.

INCREASING ANXIETY. Isolated village residents in Peñablanca, Cagayan, whose houses were ripped apart by the ruthless Super Typhoon ‘Lawin,’ sit on a destroyed bridge while waiting for transport to the town on Friday as strong winds and landslides destroyed tens of thousands of houses and hectares of rice lands weeks into harvest time. AFP Aside from monitoring and assessment, PRC rescuers and emergency responders have conducted rescue operations amid Lawin’s wrath. Based from initial ground reports from PRC teams, Red Cross staff and volunteers have rescued 82 individuals (28 in Isabela, 3 in Ilocos Sur and 51 in Mt. Province) from flooded homes and areas. PRC’s welfare teams have also es-

Gordon said: “Although the general damage caused by Lawin is yet to be assessed and reported, we are already anticipating massive damage in the affected areas. “Humanitarian aid is needed now more than ever and it needs to be delivered in the fastest possible time to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable and affected population. We at the Red Cross cannot do it alone.”

AN INTERNET rights advocacy group is asking the government to urge the Philippine Competition Commission to review the telecommunication deal of PLDT, Globe Telecom and San Miguel Corp. and provide guidelines that will reallocate radio frequencies to allow the entry of new competitors in the industry. Democracy.Net.PH explained an open competition in the telecoms industry will provide consumers more options for faster and affordable Internet access. Engineer Pierre Tito Galla, cofounder and co-convenor of Democracy.Net.PH, said the present telecoms industry is dominated by PLDT/ Smart and Globe Telecom which together control radio frequency waves or spectrums crucial in operating mobile Internet services in the country. The group said that with the acquisition deal of Globe and Smart of the 700MHZ frequency band of SMC, they already own nearly 80 percent of the total available spectrum, according to the National Radio Frequency Allocation Table (RFAT). The remaining 20 percent of spectrum cannot be allocated as some of them are considered as guard bands to prevent interference of radio signals. “With the existing spectrum available for allocation, there is not enough spectrum to be attractive for the entry of just one potential new player,” according to Galla. Thus, the PCC is reviewing the PLDT/Smart-Globe-SMC deal and the PLDT/Smart-Globe spectrum co-use agreement as there is not enough spectrum that would allow the entry of a new competitor. However, this was delayed by a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals 12th Division even as another CA division already ruled that the PCC is mandated to conduct a review. PNA

PARKED VEHICLES TOWED FROM MABUHAY LANES SOME 5,454 illegally parked vehicles were seized and towed in less than four months of sidewalk clearing operation on the 17 Mabuhay Lanes, pushed by the government as alternative routes for private vehicles affected by the revised number coding scheme. Some of the towed vehicles were impounded at the site managed by the Metro Manila Development Authority at the University of Life (Ultra) Pasig City while the others were brought to the impounding area of Land Transportation Office in Tarlac City. Aside from illegally parked cars, members of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) were also able to take into custody more than 200 unregistered public utility vehicles in various parts of the metropolis as part of the government’s intensified measure to ease traffic in the National Capital Region. “A total of 23 vehicles were towed while 28 tickets were issued for various traffic violations,” the MMDA said in its report on the latest anti-colorum and sidewalk clearing operation at the corner of Gil Puyat Street and Taft Avenue in Pasay City. The I-ACT team, composed of personnel from the MMDA, Land Transportation Office and Police - Highway Patrol Group (HPG), also enforced the suspension of the no window hours in the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or the Number Coding Scheme, and the No Helmet, No Travel Policy. Covered by the number coding scheme are Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road), Alabang-Zapote Road, Roxas Boulevard, and in the cities of Mandaluyong, Makati, and Las Piñas. The government also agreed to add 15 more roads to be covered by the scheme—Rizal Avenue, Claro M. Recto Avenue, Taft Avenue, Del Pan Street, President Quirino Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Marcos Highway, MacArthur Highway, Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard, Aurora Boulevard, A. Bonifacio Avenue and South Luzon Expressway. Joel Zurbano

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Francis S. Lagniton, Issue Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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CAR IMPORTER TOLD TO EXPLAIN SHIPMENTS By Francis S. Lagniton

NE of the country’s largest luxury car importer was ordered to explain duty and tax deficiencies amounting to P233.821 million accumulated throughout 2015, the Bureau of Customs said Saturday. Acting Collector of the Manila International Container Port Antonio Meliton officially wrote Auto Nation president Felix Ang that his company was found to be deficient of approximately P233.821 million in unpaid duties and taxes, accumulated throughout 2015. Auto Nation imported 138

units of Mercedez-Benz units (comprised of A250, B180, B200, E250, E400, CLS400, CLA200, GLA200, S400L, and S500 models) in 15 shipments last year, and only paid P196.529 million in customs duties. Based on the standard rules and computation of the BoC, however, the amount should

have been close to P432 million. In line with the BoC’s continued drive to improve collection revenues and to hold errant taxpayers accountable for their past offenses, the agency recently sent a demand letter to the Auto Nation Group Inc. (formerly CATS Motors Inc.). Auto Nation is the exlusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram automobiles in the country. The questioned shipments coincide with Auto Nation’s designation as a “premium mobility partner” that provided vehicles for delegates to the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. For the 2015 Apec, Auto Nation supposedly provided MercedesBenz S-Class and E-Class sedans

for summit delegates, but it was not clear whether the questioned shipments were part of the ones made for the Apec summit. In 2013, Auto Nation’s predecessor CATS Motors Inc. was recommended for closer investigation for possible tax evasion by six officers of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, but the Memorandum was never signed by then BIR Commissioner Kim Henares. For the month of September, the Manila International Container Terminal posted a collection revenue of P10.583 billion based on initial reports, close to its target of P10.601 billion. The BoC as a whole netted P33.95 billion last month, missing its P35.79-billion goal by 5.14 percent.

VIP RIDE. File photo shows an S-Class Mercedes-Benz, one of the kinds of luxury sedans that were used by delegates to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year. It is also one of the kinds of vehicles for which the Bureau of Customs is dunning a car importer for supposedly unpaid duties.

SOUTH METRO TRAFFIC WORSENS By Joel E. Zurbano

Almost along Edsa avenue experience heavy traffic on both directions due to holiday rush season. Manny Palmero

IN PARAÑAQUE City, it will take one and a half to two hours to traverse the 4.8-kilometer Sucat Road before reaching the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “Because of the monstrous traffic here in Sucat, we’re thinking of bringing pillows so we can get sleep while taking a ride on a jeep,” said Benjo Santos, 23, an airport employee and among the commuters who are complaining the worsening traffic condition on the now called Dr. Arcadio Santos Avenue. Motorist Raul Fernandez, a resident of Merville, is also complaining the lack of police personnel managing traffic along Sucat. “Are they afraid of the heat of the sun or getting wet during rainy days?” The city government of Parañaque City attributed the traffic gridlock from the expressway projects and other road projects undertaken by the national government to ease traffic in Metro Manila. According to Mario Jimenez, city chief information officer, the construction of the multi-billion expressway project which will be moved first quarter of next year will cause heavy traffic not only in Sucat Road but also in the areas of Merville, Andrews Avenue and Airport Road.

City Hall officials advised commuters and motorists to brace for the anticipated traffic in major thoroughfares until 2020 because the construction of the first phase of the Cavitex C5 Link Expressway faces delays because of the rightof-way issue. San Miguel Corp. and the Citra group of Indonesia, operator of South Luzon Expressway have yet to sign the memorandum of agreement, while the three other signatories—Public Works Department, Transportation Department and Cavitex already signed the deal. Construction of the first phase of Cavitex C5 Link was supposed to start in July, to link C5 and Merville, Parañaque by way of a flyover. The second phase, which would start in 2017 to link Merville and Cavitex, would cost P9.5 billion. Also, the local government earlier came up with a decision suspending the reimplementation of its number coding scheme in the city following strong clamor from drivers complaining the absence of window hours in the scheme. Mayor Pablo Olivarez said the reimposition of the unified vehicle volume reduction program, or the number coding scheme, on all roads of the city has been moved next month after members of the city council amended the earlier approved ordinance.

HOUSE BARES TRAFFIC POWERS REPORT THE House committee on transportation bared on Saturday the findings of the proposed emergency powers after 10 hearings on the proposed Traffic Crisis Bill which seeks to grant emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the traffic crisis in the country. The committee, chaired by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar V. Sarmiento, concluded the traffic crisis is concentrated in metropolitan areas only, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby Metro Cebu and Davao City, and the crisis is limited to land transportation. Other committee findings were the need to harmonize various traffic laws and traffic regulatory powers, inter-agency cooperation, driver competence and vehicle roadworthiness and that immediate solutions may be implemented even without a Traffic Crisis Act or any emergency powers. These findings are the reasons why the committee wanted foremost to limit the scope of the bill to the particular areas mentioned and to cover only land transportation. Sarmiento said in crafting the substitute bill, they will also support the mechanisms for those who will be displaced in the form of existing programs of various government agencies, among them the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas and Employment Administration, Development Bank of the Philippines, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education. Sarmiento further said that a single traffic authority and unified traffic system are also needed and must be supported by all concerned agencies and local government units working in unison. Meanwhile, all solutions which could be implemented right away, through sheer political will, should be executed at once. He also led the House panel in seeking opinions from concerned government agencies to identify the problems related to funding and procurement, the different local traffic regulations affecting the overall traffic condition in metropolitan areas, and the immediate plans they can effect prior to the substitute bill’s approval into law. Lawyer Maria Paula Domingo of the Department of Budget and Management Legal Service said that in reference to the Supreme Court rulings on the Belgica case or the Priority Development Assistance Fund, Malampaya Fund and the Presidential Social Fund, the funding provision for the proposed emergency powers should contain a determinable amount of what is needed, its specific public purpose, and specific fund sources. The DBM Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Service (GPPB-TSS-DBM) likewise conveyed support for the bill but reminded that, as previously intended by Congress, there should be one legal framework on government procurement, with the existing emergency procurement coverage under the law to be revisited and further studied.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion

EDITORIAL

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SHIFTING PUBLIC OPINION

TRUE FRIENDS

By Pecier Decierdo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s justconcluded visit to China is perhaps one of the best early moves of the administration.

MANY literate and educated people expect others to behave rationally. That is, they expect the public to form opinions on the basis of fact. Obviously, educated people also expect the same of themselves. When the balance of facts swings to one side, educated people expect public opinion to reflect this change. So imagine the dismay of scientists in the United States when, after decades of spreading information about human-made climate change, public opinion on the issue has barely shifted. It seems that Americans’ views on climate change are dictated not by access to scientific information, which is what the scientists hoped, but rather by allegiance to a political position—either liberal Democrat or conservative Republican. What’s even more dismaying is that education and intelligence simply worsen the gap in opinion rather than close it. That is, the most educated Republicans are the strongest in their denial of humanmade climate change, while the most educated Democrats are the loudest at asserting it. The political polarization of a scientific issue is greatest among the most educated. Scientists are left at a loss on how to take this. What gives? Fortunately, but also unfortunately, we don’t have that same problem here in the Philippines. It is hardly surprising, since we are in a country that is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the Philippines has its own share of public opinion problems. To give a very current example, many Filipinos strongly support an approach to the issue of drugs that is very unscientific. Decades of research on drug addiction have shown that it should not be approached as an issue of crime but rather an issue of health. Blaming drug dependents for being hooked on drugs, “because it was their choice anyway,” is inconsistent with the scientific consensus on the neuroscience of addiction. Furthermore, the experience of countries that implemented a war on drugs, such as the United States, Colombia, and Thailand, have shown that it is not an effective approach to problem. It is therefore surprising to many educated people that public opinion in the Philippines is overwhelmingly

Joint exploration of resources will also be helpful to us, because by ourselves we do not have the capability to see how rich our own resources could be. Finally, it is a relief to know that the animosity shown by the previous administration to the Chinese has now been tempered by Mr. Duterte’s more amicable approach. This definitely reduces tension in the area and allows us to coexist with our neighbor—talk about geopolitical security. And what of the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration saying that China’s claim does not have basis in law? We don’t know. Maybe it is too soon to rock the boat by ensuring that it is enforced. After all, our friends the Chinese did not even acknowledge the jurisdiction of the PCA over the matter. President Duterte was on his best behavior during his China visit. No curses, no expletives —telling us that he is no loose cannon, that he can calibrate his message and his manner if he wants. And as he was all praises for our giant neighbor, he also took the time to announce a complete break from an erstwhile friend, the US. We shudder to think about the implications, but then again, our minds may just be too finite to fathom the President’s intent. The men whose job it is to speak for the President and put his words in context have their work cut out for them in the next few days. We try to heed the call to be creative or imaginative—but we fail spectacularly.

He did not come in a jet ski, as he had once joked, to assert our claim over territory that our giant neighbor says has been its own for centuries. Rather, Mr. Duterte visited as a tried and tested friend, ready to bend over backwards and alienate all others just so we could show how loyal we are to China. Just imagine the wonders that warming relations between our two countries will bring. Filipino fishermen will now have access to the waters off our own territory now that the Chinese appear more willing to allow them there. There will be billions of dollars in soft loans that available for the Philippines—this would be great for the various infrastructure projects that the Duterte administration has planned for the Philippines. His statements on being mendicants do not apply to China. Our fruit exports, previously banned from China, are allowed in again. This is wonderful news for our banana and pineapple farmers.

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FAMOUS WRITERS ON ICE CREAM, KEBABS, GAMBAS, AND MORE POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

THERE are many writers who love food and its attendant actions—eating, drinking, and cooking. Conversely, there are cooks and gourmands with the talent for writing about their passions, so that the genre of food writing has

developed over centuries, ever since the first cookbook was written around the first century CE— De Re Coquinaria (On the Subject of Cooking). It’s interesting when authors whose works are primarily in other genres

write about the food that inspired or disgusted them; it gives us a peek into their private lives. Perhaps that’s also what New York Times columnist Amanda Hesser thought when she compiled 26 food-

related recollections of some of the most well-known American writers. “Food,” she says in her introduction, “is the royal road to the unconscious…” The succinct way for a writer to portray a person, she Turn to B2

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in support of the current ‘war on drugs.’ What’s even more surprising is that many equally educated people strongly support this war. In fact, just as in the climate change issue in the US, the level of education merely strengthens rather than diminishes support for the drug war, despite decades of evidence showing its lack of merit. To try to sway public opinion, what many critics of the drug war do is to share information about the ineffectiveness of such an approach. But if the experience of other countries is to be trusted, we know this is not the way. This brings us back to the question: what gives? If accurate scientific information cannot sway public opinion, then what will? And does the inability of accurate information to change opinion indicate that the masses are stupid? Oddly enough, to answer these questions, we must turn to science again. What many people forget is that Homo sapiens is a species with tribal tendencies. We have evolved in the plains of Africa, where strong community ties were as important as having accurate information. The lives of our ancestors depended not only on whether they can remember where the pride of lions are, it equally depended on whether they can count on their tribe members to help them when the lions attack. This story explains decades of findings summarized by John Zaller in his book The Natures and Origins Mass Opinion. In the book, Zaller points out that people are more loyal to their ingroup (their “tribe”) than to the truth. In fact, most people are selective about which facts they take in. If the fact is consistent with their in-group’s position, they will use it form their opinion. When it is contrary, they will rationalize why that fact is irrelevant or invalid. This is called ‘motivated reasoning’. When forming opinions, most people don’t act like scientists. They don’t start with gathering data, and then proceed to making a conclusion only once there is enough data. Instead, most people act like lawyers. That is, they begin with a position, usually the position of their in-group leaders. They then gather data to build a case for that position. While this is a grim prognosis for the species, all is not hopeless. They key to swaying public opinion to reflect the most up-to-date scientific understanding is also in science. In his book, Zaller points out shifts in public opinion start with changing what the elites are talking about. This ‘elite discourse’ includes coverage by the media, discussions among top academics, opinions of public figures, and portrayals in mass media (such as film and TV). The most informed members of ingroups are usually the first ones to reflect this change in elite discourse. The change then spreads to the rest of the group. Once a topic is a prominent part of the in-group conversation, then opinions about it, research shows, are easy to change. Scientists say that the topic has become ‘salient’ in the minds of people. What the elites say about these salient topics then become easily shared to the rest of the in-group members. If we are to change public opinion to reflect the scientific consensus on drug abuse, we must use the same mechanism to shift public opinion away from its currently violent and unscientific tenor, to a more humane and scientific one. So for those who want to change public opinion, there’s a vast scientific literature out there to help you. Read! (Pecier Decierdo is the resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum.)

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adds, is to describe the way they eat. There are memories, says Hesser, that are “accompanied by a taste” — filet mignon at a restaurant with her father, toast in her parents’ kitchen, sweet plums and peppermint tea at the births of her children. “Each of these ordinary tastes, when amplified by powerful feelings, becomes a sensual beacon that illuminates a whole swath of my life.” The writers whose works are in this volume interpreted the theme in their own fashion, thus not all the stories go into detail about food or cooking, but almost all of them end with a relevant recipe.

CLINTON CAN AFFORD SOME TRUMP-LIKE FISCAL CRAZINESS By Paula Dwyer HILLARY Clinton often boasts that her policies wouldn’t add a penny to the national debt. She says that’s because she offsets every new spending proposal and tax break with a budget cut or tax increase. Her fiscal rectitude contrasts with Donald Trump’s fiscal craziness. He ignores accounting niceties to slash taxes and protect entitlement programs. In doing so, he would add at least $4 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Here’s a heretical thought: Clinton could be a little crazier. She could even steal a page from Trump and propose more deficit spending to rev up the economy in her first few years in office, if she wins. This somewhat surprising recommendation draws from a new economic model that

mimics the effects of tax cuts on behavior. The model, unveiled this week by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with an assist from the Tax Policy Center, seeks to explain how much individuals and corporations work, save, invest and spend when taxes go up or down. It shows that Trump’s tax plan would produce faster economic growth in the short term while Clinton’s would dampen growth. After 10 years, though, the reverse would be true: Gross domestic product would be slightly lower under Trump and slightly bigger under Clinton, compared with current law. In today’s environment of slow growth, minimal inflation and too many labor-force dropouts, Clinton could do more to jolt the economy with short-term tax cuts or more spending increases than she has proposed.

And she shouldn’t be looking for budget cuts, which would erase the stimulative effect. Why not go for the best of both worlds— short-term stimulus a la Trump, combined with long-term fiscal probity, a la Clinton? Clinton seemed to be on the verge of suggesting something like that when her campaign whispered over the summer that she would soon unveil a middle-class tax cut. It never appeared, possibly because she ran out of offsetting tax increases elsewhere. Spending more now to help everyone become more efficient—better roads and airports, faster trains, smarter electric grids— translates into a more robust economy in the future, one that will generate higher tax revenue to pay down debt. Hillary Clinton, if elected, can heed the numbers and go a little crazy. Bloomberg

Hillary Clinton speaks briefly with Donald Trump while attending the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on October 20 in New York City. AFP

TRUMP IS A LESSON IN DIGNITY AND DEMOCRACY By Francis Wilkinson DEMOCRACY requires dignity to sustain itself. This shouldn’t surprise. The ruling system that democracy replaced had been divinely chosen; the royals had God-given dignity, with all the trappings. For democrats to compete, they had to prove first that the electoral rabble could govern its passions and temper its prejudices, and next that their leaders would be chosen from the highest common denominator, not the lowest. Democratic dignity is mutual dignity. That requires mutual respect and something more. The dignity of democratic institutions must be safeguarded even when the dignity of individuals collapses. Richard Nixon can be discarded if

In “Paris Match,” Ann Patchett recounts a fight she and her lover Karl had in Taillevent, but forgets what she ate. As a reader, I was frustrated— you were at Taillevent, a legendary Michelin-star restaurant, for heaven’s sake! —but she confesses, “The bill—I do remember that much—was $350… It was the best meal either one of us had ever had in our lives, and we missed it.” Ah, but we all know about love and its attendant dramas, so we forgive Patchett and move on to someone who was paying more attention to their meal. Chef Dan Barber tells, in “The Great Carrot Caper,” an amusing story of how he once tried to grow almondflavor-infused carrots (long story) but failed. To appease customers who had come in to his restaurant to try

necessary, the presidency must be saved. Since he began his campaign, Donald Trump has waged a sustained assault on democratic norms and democratic dignity. The first phase attacked individuals, Mexicans followed by Muslims. Trump targeted vulnerable minorities, as demagogues do, but he also belittled and taunted his Republican primary opponents, who felt compelled to adopt his schoolyard tactics in turn. As the campaign progressed, Trump’s past comments were afforded new scope, and gravity, by proximity to new transgressions. A Fox News host’s recount of Trump insults directed at women inspired a vivid new attack on the host herself. Trump’s lashing of Megyn Kelly—was she out of his

the new vegetable, he faked it with almond oil. He was declared a genius and he sold 66 almond carrot salads that night. At first I was irked by Billy Collins’ poem “The Fish” —it was like cheating because it was a short poem, not an essay—but the verses drew me in for their truthful view of a situation that’s all too familiar. “As soon as the elderly waiter / placed before me the fish I had ordered. / it began to stare up at me / with its one flat, iridescent eye. / I feel sorry for you, it seemed to say / eating alone in this awful restaurant / bathed in such unkindly light / and surrounded by these dreadful murals of Sicily…” It sounds absolutely like that pasta place we’ve all been to. George Saunders weighs in with “The Absolutely No-Anything

league?—provided the cathartic template for the general-election campaign against Hillary Clinton, which reached Peak Nuremberg with the spectacle of mobs chanting, “Lock her up.” It’s impossible to calibrate the cost of this. The racism and misogyny and xenophobia, the deployment of falsehoods as a first resort, wear down a culture’s defenses. The virus seeps not only into the political arena, where hangers-on repeat Trump slanders and defend Trump outrages, but into schools and workplaces and homes. Democratic culture is self-referential, a perpetual mirror on itself. It cannot accommodate Trump’s rhetoric, or normalize his politics, without acquiring some of his ugliness. Trump is a walking, talking violation of democratic virtue. He fraudulently

calls the election, democracy’s foundational institution, rigged, and makes no promise to abide by its results. He attacks the free press and encourages his most thuggish followers to threaten journalists. He places himself at the center of national life—“I alone can fix it”—while absolving himself of his pernicious effects on democratic norms and decency. If public polling is correct, we will emerge from the election with Trump far removed from executive power. If he slinks off into the night, we will be long scrubbing the toxins he released. If, as seems more likely, he seeks to monetize resentment, and exploit the moral vacuum in the GOP, Trumpism may not fade for years. This campaign has disgusted and exhausted many. It may not end in November. Bloomberg

Diet” where, in his typical dark and speculative tone, he talks of eating nothing but air—to save the planet, to lose weight, to gain the moral high ground. The accompanying recipe is just as surreal. Gary Shteyngart’s “The Sixth Sense” is an ode to garlic, spices, and food with zing and character; Colson Whitehead tells in “I Scream” how he loved ice cream—until he worked in an ice cream store; Yiyun Li describes the time when Tang powdered juice was a fad in Beijing. And so they go, story after story of how some foods and tastes trigger memories of childhoods happy or sad, lovers lost or gained, homes in Berlin, Nara, Delhi. As with most anthologies, it is uneven in the sense that the reader

might not get what they expected. It would also be more entertaining (and money-for-value) if it were longer; as it is, it’s too short— “bitin”—and that’s never a good thing, whether in food or books. I’d like to see a similar anthology put together here. A couple of years, ago, novelist Krip Yuson sent out a call for manuscripts and recipes for such a book. I hope a publisher shows interest so that this project gets off the backburner. Imagine food stories and recipes from the likes of Yuson, Butch Dalisay, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, F. Sionil Jose, and other literary luminaries—that would be a treat! Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

55 KILLED IN CAMEROON TRAIN DERAILMENT

IRAQ FORCES HAVE KILLED 48 IS ATTACKERS IN KIRKUK

irkuk, Iraq—Iraqi security forces have killed 48 of the gunmen who stormed parts of Kirkuk in a shock attack claimed by the Islamic State group, the city’s police chief said.

DEADLY CLOUD. A picture taken on October 21 shows smoke billowing following a car bomb attack as Iraqi forces units hold a position near the village of Tall al-Tibah, some 30 kilometres south of Mosul, during an operation to retake the main hub city from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. AFP

“Forty-eight Daesh (IS) terrorists have been killed in the clashes,” Brigadier General Khattab Omar Aref told AFP, adding that some of them blew themselves up when the security forces cornered them. Special counter-terrorism and intelligence units were hunting down some of the dozens of IS fighters who stormed public buildings in the early hours of Friday. Clashes have been taking place almost uninterrupted since and the city, which lies some 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, remains under curfew. A senior interior ministry official said that at least 46 other people had been killed in the IS raid and ensuing clashes, mostly members of the security forces. “The security forces control the situation now but there are still pockets of jihadists in some southern and eastern neighbourhoods,” Aref said. “We have foiled this large Daesh plot, which was to take control of government buildings, including security headquarters,” he said. “They were denied just like they are being defeated on the outskirts of Mosul,” the police chief said, in reference to the ongoing offensive by tens of thousands of Iraqi forces to wrest back the city of Mosul, IS’s last major stronghold in Iraq. AFP

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Environment and Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

INVITATION TO BID FOR CONTRACT OF SECURITY SERVICES (16 GUARDS) FOR CY 2017

INVITATION TO BID CONTRACT OF JANITORIAL SERVICES (8 JANITORS) FOR CY 2017

The DENR-NCR, through the GAA-CY 20171 intends to apply the sum of FOUR MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY TWO PESOS & FORTY FOUR CENTAVOS (PhP4,365,842.44) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for CONTRACT OF SECURITY SERVICES OF SIXTEEN (16) GUARDS FOR CY 2017. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DENR-NCR, through the GAA-CY 20171 intends to apply the sum of ONE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTEEN THOUSAND PESOS (PhP1,813,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for CONTRACT OF JANITORIAL SERVICES OF EIGHT (8) JANITORS FOR CY 2017. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DENR-NCR now invites bids for CONTRACT OF SECURITY SERVICES OF SIXTEEN (16) GUARDS FOR CY 2017. Delivery of the Services is required from January to December 2017. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents.

The DENR-NCR now invites bids for CONTRACT OF JANITORIAL SERVICES OF EIGHT (8) JANITORS FOR CY 2017. Delivery of the Services is required from January to December 2017. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 -5:00 P.M.

Interested bidders must submit their Letter of Intent from October 19 to November 22, 2016 and may obtain further information from and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 -5:00 P.M.

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID PROCUREMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR CY 2017 The DENR-NCR, through the GAA-CY 20171 intends to apply the sum of TWO MILLION PESOS (PhP2,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for “Procurement of Motor Vehicles for CY 2017”. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The DENR-NCR now invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to submit Letter of Intent (LOI) and to Bid for the following project, to wit: Purchase Request (PR) No.

Quantity

2016-____

3 unit

Description VEHICLE Body Type Transmission Type Engine Size Displacement Number of Cylinders Transmission Category Power Train Max. Output Max Torque Fuel Type Fuel Capacity Length Width Height Wheel Base Turning Circle Number of Doors Number of Seats Wheel Size Wheel Metal Type Air-conditioning System Entertainment Power Steering and Windows

Approved Budget for the Contract (PhP) PhP2,000,000.00

: AUV : Manual : 2.5L : 2.477 cc : 4 : 5 Speed : Rear Wheel Drive : 75 hp @ 4,200rpm : 149 Nm @ 2,500 rpm : Diesel : 55 L : 4,320 mm. : 1,650 mm. : 1,800 mm. : 2,620 mm. : 10,4 : 5 : 5 : 14 in. : Steel : Mit Air CFC Free Dual Air Condition : 1-DIN Single in Dash CD/MP3 with 2 speaker

Delivery of the Goods is required as indicated in the Bid Data Sheet of the Bidding Documents. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the project in the last five (5) years. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. Interested bidders must submit their Letter of Intent from October 19 to November 22, 2016 and may obtain further information from and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 -5:00 P.M. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on October 19 to November 22, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 10, 2015, at 2:00 PM at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City which shall be open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before of 10:00 a.m. of November 23, 2016. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents. Office of the Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee 2nd Floor, DENR-NCR Building National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Bid opening shall be at 10:30 a.m. on November 23, 2016 at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City The DENR-NCR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat Procurement Section, 3rd Flr, DENR-NCR Bldg. National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 3740091 October 18, 2016.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on October 19 to November 22, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 10, 2016 at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City which shall be open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before of 10:00 a.m. of November 23, 2016. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents. Office of the Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee 2nd Floor, DENR-NCR Building National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Bid opening shall be at 10:30 a.m. on November 23, 2015 at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City The DENR-NCR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat Procurement Section, 3rd Flr, DENR-NCR Bldg. National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 3740091 14 October 2016.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on October 19 to November 22, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 10, 2015 at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City which shall be open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before of 10:00 a.m. of November 23, 2016. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents. Office of the Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee 2nd Floor, DENR-NCR Building National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Bid opening shall be at 10:30 a.m. on November 23, 2016 at the Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City The DENR-NCR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat Procurement Section, 3rd Flr, DENR-NCR Bldg. National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 3740091 October 14, 2016.

(SGD) DIR. SOFIO B. QUINTANA, Ph.D, CESO IV. Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services and Chairman, Regional Bids and Awards Committee Office of the Assistant Regional Director, Technical Services DENR-NCR Building, National Ecology Center Compound, East Avenue, Quezon City In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184) (MS-OCT. 23, 2016)

DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 1116 Tel. Nos.: 927-15-17, 928-37-42 Email : emb@emb.gov.ph Visit us at http://www.emb.gov.ph

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon—Fifty-five people were killed and almost 600 injured when a packed Cameroon passenger train derailed on Friday, leaving debris strewn across nearby tracks as carriages swung off the rails. The train, travelling from the capital Yaounde to the economic hub Douala, was crammed with people due to road traffic disruption between the two cities and came off the tracks just before reaching the central city of Eseka, transport minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o said. The minister, via state broadcaster CRTV, said 55 people had been confirmed dead and a further 575 were injured in the incident, updating an earlier toll. “The cause of the accident is not yet clear,” he said, adding that several of the injured were in a very serious condition. “Intervention and security teams have been mobilised,” the rail company Camrail, a subsidiary of French investment group Bollore, announced. Emergency services had been sent from the economic capital to reinforce teams closer to the scene of the accident, while firefighters were coming from Eseka, Doula regional governor Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua said. Transport ministry officials have also rushed to the accident site. The train left Yaounde at around 11:00 am and derailed around midday some 200 kilometers from the capital, the transport minister said. The train route was particularly busy after a bridge on the road linking Yaounde and Douala collapsed in heavy rain overnight Thursday, paralysing traffic and sending extra waves of travellers onto trains. The effects of the rains also impeded the arrival of emergency aid. The road is one of the busiest in the country and one of the main commercial routes in central Africa, carrying trade towards landlocked Chad and the Central African Republic. AFP

In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184) (MS-OCT. 23, 2016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 mstdaydesk @gmail.com.ph

Officials unveil the restored exterior panels of “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” – revealing the long-lost detail and splendour that helped make the altarpiece one of the world’s most stolen artworks. AFP

FLEMISH ‘MYSTIC LAMB’ MASTERPIECE RESTORED

FINAL GOODBYE. Mourners rest at a Buddhist temple near the Grand Palace, where thousands of people have been gathering to pay their respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok on October 22. AFP

TRUMP TO MAKE ‘CLOSING ARGUMENTS’ D

onald Trump will lay out plans Saturday for the first 100 days of his presidency, in what his campaign is calling his “closing arguments” in one of the most bitter election campaigns in US history. The 2016 election cycle pitting the Republican nominee against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has turned increasingly toxic, with Trump fueling wild conspiracy theories about vote “rigging” and Clinton warning that the provocative billionaire was straying into authoritarianism. Clinton excoriated Trump as a threat to American democracy Friday for not pledging to honor results of the upcoming presidential

election, as the rivals battled for supremacy in battleground states. “We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart,” Clinton told a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the key swing states up for grabs on November 8. “Donald Trump refused to say that he’d respect the results of this election. By doing that, he’s threat-

ening our democracy.” Her comments marked a stern rebuke to Trump’s bombshell suggestion during their third and final presidential debate that he may not recognize the election result – a surprising rejection of political norms. Trump, 70, then told a rally crowd that he could launch a legal challenge if Clinton prevails. His remarks follow weeks of Trump warning about the likelihood of a “rigged” election including massive voter fraud, despite members of his own party disavowing the comments and Trump drawing condemnation from President Barack Obama. Despite isolated allegations of voter fraud, controversy over the tight 2000 vote and rampant ger-

rymandering, US elections have been regarded as free and fair. Invigorated by both her commanding poll numbers and Trump’s eyebrow-raising declarations, the candidate vying to become America’s first female president was in Ohio aiming to block Trump’s efforts to claim the blue-collar heartland state. Trump, well aware that no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, campaigned in the Buckeye State Thursday. He is due to head back to the state on Saturday, with running mate Mike Pence. On Friday, the Manhattan real estate mogul hosted rallies in the battlegrounds of North Carolina and Pennsylvania. AFP

SUSPICIOUS ENVELOPE FOUND AT CLINTON CAMPAIGN OFFICE NEW YORK, United States—An envelope containing a white powdery substance was sent to one of White House hopeful Hillary Clinton’s campaign offices in New York, though police initially ruled out any danger. The envelope was first delivered to Clinton’s offices in Manhattan, where campaign workers then transferred it to her Brooklyn headquarters, New York Police Department Lieutenant Thomas Antonetti told AFP.

“The preliminary investigation determined that it was negative in terms of containing a hazardous substance,” he added, noting the Department of Health was conducting further evaluation to determine the nature of the substance. Antonetti said the envelope also contained writing, but no death threats. “We’re trying to determine what the substance was. For right now, we can at least rule out any poisonous or deadly nature of the substance,” Antonetti said. AFP

HOLY FATHER. Pope Francis arrives in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican for the Special Jubilee Papal Audience on October 22. AFP

GHENT, Belgium—A painstaking restoration of a 15th-century Flemish masterpiece is revealing the long-lost detail and splendour that helped make the altarpiece one of the world’s most stolen artworks. “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by the Van Eyck brothers was unveiled 600 years ago at Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, but since then its full glory has dimmed, after being split into pieces, seized by Napoleon, then the Nazis, and nabbed by thieves. “You could say it is like the rediscovery of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel after its restoration,” Marie Postec of Belgium’s Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage told AFP. “The original was hidden by layers of dirt and alterations, the colours had completely faded. Today, the same thing is happening here, and we have the chance to witness its rebirth,” Postec said. The giant altarpiece, which measures 4.4 metres by 3.4 metres (15 feet by 10 feet), is attributed to Hubert Van Eyck and his better-known brother Jan, and was completed in 1432 when Ghent in modern-day northern Belgium was the wealthy powerhouse of the European wool cloth trade. AFP

UN : SYRIAN ARMY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN QMENAS UNITED NATIONS—The Syrian army attacked the village of Qmenas with chemical weapons in March 2015, UN experts said in a report released Friday. But they were unable to determine who was responsible for two other chemical weapons attacks -- against Binnish in Idlib province in March 2015 and Kafr Zita in Hama province in April 2014. The report was presented Friday to the UN Security Council. The UN-led joint investigative mechanism (JIM) in late August reported that Syrian government forces had carried out at least two chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State jihadists had used mustard gas as a weapon. Of the nine total alleged chemical attacks it is considering in its ongoing probe, the JIM has now attributed three to the Syrian government and one to the Islamic State group. In its fourth report, investigators concluded that there is now “sufficient information” that the attack on Qmenas “was caused by a Syrian Arab Armed Forces helicopter dropping a device from a high altitude which hit the ground and released the toxic substance that affected the population.” AFP

Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph

FILIPINO EXECUTIVE IN GLOBAL BEST LIST G

lobe Telecom’s Ernest Cu is one of most powerful telecom executives in the world, according to an international magazine. Cu has been the president and CEO of Globe Telecom since April 2009. Before this, he was the chief executive of SPI Global Technologies, the business process outsourcing arm of the PLDT Group. He graduated from De La Salle University with a BS degree in Industrial Management Engineering in 1982 and obtained a Master in Management (Finance) from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management in 1984. Global Telecoms Business, an international magazine, included Cu the Global Telecoms Business Power 100 for 2016, a list of the most powerful telecommunication executives in the world. Cu is the only Filipino executive to make it to the Power 100 and among the top 10 in Asia. Similar to the new selection process it adopted last year, inclusion in this year’s list of Power 100 was divided into a number of different categories such as operators in various parts of the world, over-the-top and content providers, hardware companies, handsets and chips. Cu was listed in the Top Ten Operators from Asia. Cu has been passionately driving a sweeping transformation across the company, including modernizing its network and IT infrastructure, creating a collaborative and serviceoriented culture and product

innovations in its mobile business. Under his visionary leadership, Globe has outperformed industry growth with the company breaking records across all key product groups, brands and market segments by making the Globe brand as the purveyor of Filipino digital lifestyle. Cu is currently leading the company in elevating the state of internet in the Philippines by maximizing the newly assigned 700-Mhz spectrum to provide a faster mobile internet experience to customers and by investing heavily to improve the fixed-line internet to connect 2 million families nationwide by 2020. With this, Globe managed to drive the mobile internet speed ranking of the Philippines in the top 6 in Asia Pacific with an average speed of 8.5 Mbps according to the 2nd quarter Akamai State of the Internet report. The country has now a mobile internet connection speed faster than Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Aside from Cu, other telecom executives included in the Top Ten Operators from Asia are Mukesh Ambani, managing director of Reliance Jio; Alex Jinsung Choi, CTO of SK Telecom; Chua Sock Koong, CEO of Singtel; Li Ka-shing, chairman of CK Hutchison; Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel; Andy Penn, CEO of Telstra; Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank; Hiroo Unoura, CEO of NTT; and Shang Bing, chairman of China Mobile. Global Telecoms Business is the only magazine and website dedicated for senior executives of telecommunication companies worldwide.

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TOP CEO Globe telecom president and chief executive Ernest Cu

JAPAN GROUP BUILDS PH HUB MITSUBISHI Hitachi Power Systems Ltd. has launched its newest global service center in the Philippines at Insular Life Corporate Center, Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The GSC aims to service thermal power plant operators in Southeast Asia, in fulfillment of its goal to solve energy and environmental issues on a global scale. “Our vision is [to provide] power for a brighter future,” MHPS president and chief executive Takato Nishizawa said. “As the population increases, energy consumption also increases, creating more environmental issues that need to be resolved. We want to do this through the most advanced environmental technologies.” MHPS Asia Pacific chief technology officer Hiroshi Fujii affirmed this, explaining that the company aims to provide, through the GSC, optimal operation and maintenance of thermal power plants by harnessing the company’s extensive knowledge and expertise on thermal power systems, and utilizing the latest information and communication technologies. Fujii said GSC would serve as a thermal power generation base in Southeast Asia, which would reduce maintenance costs and help prevent unplanned downtime and power plant outages. “MHPS hopes that through the center’s improvements in power plant availability and efficiency, its client’s asset value will increase,” Fujii said. Trade Undersecretary Rowel Barba stressed the significance of the new center’s presence in the country. He said this new development “attests to Japan’s confidence in the Philippines and in the current President Duterte administration.” Barba said “the DTI is counting on the global service center to make a massive contribution, not only in support of the energy and power sector but also in support of our trade and industry as well.” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa echoed this sentiment, saying the GSC will strengthen the partnership between Japan and the Philippines by the former’s sharing of advanced knowledge on thermal power generation. “The Philippines faces challenges on energy, security, reliability, and availability within the existing power infrastructure. I see many opportunities for the MHPS global service center to share its expertise and experience with the Philippines,” he said. MHPS’ global service center, located on the 21st floor of Tower 1, Insular Life Corporate Center, is the company’s third remote monitoring center, following those in Takasago, Japan, built in 1999, and Orlando, Florida, in 2001.

OPPA SETS THE STAGE FOR FILIPINO TALENT

The Original Pilipino Performing Arts Foundation announces the first batch of young artists to receive educational grants to pursue careers in the performing arts. Shown are (from left) Emma Rose Almario, majoring in Vocal Performance at St. Scholastica’s College; Orion Flynn, a Music Production freshman at College of St. Benilde; and September Gempesaw, who will be taking up Theater Arts at Meridian International College.

THREE young, aspiring performance artists have been named as the pioneer batch of scholars of the Original Pilipino Performing Arts Foundation. Receiving full scholarships for performance arts courses in OPPA partner schools are Emma Rose Almario, a second year Music Major in Vocal Performance at St. Scholastica’s College; September Gempesaw, who will be taking up Theater Arts at Meridian International College; and Orion Flynn, an incoming AB Music Production freshman at College of St. Benilde. The selection committee is headed

by renowned theater director and OPPA Foundation vice president Michael Williams. The selection panel for the pioneer batch was composed of leading luminaries in the local performance arts industry, such as Philippine Opera Company Artistic and managing director Karla Gutierrez, Manila Philharmonic Orchestra musical director, Maestro Rodel Colmenar, musical theater and opera director Jaime Del Mundo, theater icon and OPPA Foundation president Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, along with Resorts World Manila chief opera-

tions manager for entertainment Alou Almaden. “We looked for individuals who have both the drive and the talent for performance arts,” Lauchengco-Yulo said. “It wasn’t enough for somebody to just have the natural ability to sing, dance, or act, but we looked for that special spark that we feel could one day uplift the local theater industry.” With help from Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., owner and operator of RWM, the foundation aims to cultivate Filipino talent by supporting Turn to C2

Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 business@thestandard.com.ph

STORM RESHAPES OFFICE MEMOS HUMAN resource technology innovator Storm (formerly Storm Flex Systems Inc.), developer of Storm Flexible Benefits and incentives platform Storm Kudos, launched its latest product, Squares. Squares is a corporate communications tool built to engage today’s mobile workforce. This app enables employers to communicate quickly, effectively and directly with their employees through smartphones. Squares is designed to be a much better bridge between employer and employee, leading to greater engagement and productivity. With Squares, companies may relay important updates, announcements and memos to employees across different worksites in the most efficient way possible.

Squares is a corporate communication tool and mobile app developed by Storm to enable employers to communicate quickly with their employees through smartphones.

Instead of manually filling up and filing forms, employees may now request documents via Squares. Employee surveys and other feedback data can also be sent out and answered very quickly via the app. Useful information about company events, policies, HMO coverage, and government benefits will be made accessible on a single device. A subsidiary of leading Filipino software and IT solutions developer Xurpas, Storm is best known for its unique flexible benefits platform. This allows employees to convert benefits such as sick leaves, vacation leaves and food allowances into monetary points called FlexPoints. Employees may then use their points to purchase gadgets, clothes, travel and dining packages, and other benefits in kind from Storm’s exclusive online marketplace. Storm’s second product, Kudos is a total motivation platform that combines external rewards and intrinsic motivation. Managers award top-performing employees with digital points which they can use to purchase their rewards of choice on the Storm online marketplace. Kudos’ wishlist feature enables employees to identify the rewards they want to receive and work harder to achieve them. Employees can also exchange affirmation for good work done, which are displayed on their profile pages for an increased sense of achievement.

Weather Philippines Foundation Inc. general manager Dave Michael Valeriano

PH COMPANIES INVEST IN WEATHER FORECASTING

private sector-led organization has deployed nearly 800 automated weather stations across the Philippines to provide “localized” weather forecasts and help people make “wiser” decision.

“We are here to complement the government’s effort in disaster reduction. Our advocacy is #WeatherWiser Nation. Our role is to provide people more lead time to prepare,” says Dave Michael Valeriano, general manager of Weather Philippines Foundation Inc. Valeriano says WPF complements the role of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or Pag-Asa in weather forecasting. “Our forecasts are localized. That is our difference from Pag-Asa. For example, here in Taguig City, we have two weather stations—one at SM Aura and one in Bicutan. If you have ideal topographical condition, the range of weather station is 15 kilometers. But for an area with a lot of buildings, it could be as low as two km,” says Valeriano, who is based in Fort Bonifacio commercial business district in Taguig. “There are times that within a city, there are varied weather conditions. That is what we try to capture with our forecasts and what you would see in the readings. That’s the gap that technically we would like to fill up by having these weather stations,” he says in an interview. Valeriano, a civil engineering graduate from University of the Philippines-Diliman and a former investor relations officer at Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and Manila Water, says WPF has a website and a mobile application that delivers accurate weather forecasts to the Filipino community, with the hope of improving nationwide disaster preparedness and timely response to variable weather conditions. He says the Abotiz Group teamed up with other corporations to finance the operation of WPF as a credible weather information provider with a mid-term goal of operating 1,000 automated weather station/devices across the country.

Valeriano, who manages a team of 10 professionals at WPF, says 777 AWS and five lightning detection systems are currently operational, providing people localized readings in most provinces and cities. WPF has four meteorologists, three people on the operation side and three on the sustainability group. He says data generated by WPF can help people make better decision, such as if travelers should bring an umbrella when going to a city, if local leaders should suspend classes in case of an extreme weather, where a cloud seeding team should conduct its operation, or what crops farmers should cultivate in an area. Valeriano says companies decided to invest in weather forecasting after the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy in September 2009. He says while the storm was not as strong as predicated in terms of wind intensity, it brought a lot of rain that submerged a wide swathe of Metro Manila.

“After Peping and Ondoy several years back, it kind of made people think within the Aboitiz group to put more resources in disaster prevention rather than recovery. As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” he says. WPF was established in February 2012 by Aboitiz Foundation, UnionBank and MeteoGroup, a leading full-service weather business with operations in 15 countries. Other companies eventually joined as platinum and gold sponsors, such as Ayala Corp., LBC Express, Vista Land, Nickel Asia Corp., ICTSI, SM Group, La Filipina Uy Gongco Corp., Sumitomo Metal Mining Corp., iAcademy, Hedcor Inc., Cebu Pacific, Visayan Electric Co., Davao Light & Power Co., Cemex Philippines, Aboitiz Power Corp., Syngenta, Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, Mountain Hardware, Marco Polo,

OPPA...

From C1

From left: Storm Squares product head Dodge Ronquillo, Storm founder and chief executive Peter Cauton and Xurpas Inc. chief executive Nix Nolledo

the local industry with an initial funding of up to P100 million. The resources will be channeled to grants and scholarships providing artists with avenues and opportunities for development and elevating standards and capabilities by providing global expertise and resources. “Beyond thrilling the world, we at RWM are also committed to social responsibility and corporate citizenship. One of the ways we achieve this is by nurturing the performing arts, especially for homegrown talent,” Owen Cammayo, RWM director for corporate

Globe Telecom, Sarangani Energy Corp., The Net Group, Pilipinas Shell, Anvaya Cove, SN Aboitiz Power Group, Ocean Adventure and Pisig Worldwide. WPF also has partnerships with non-government organizations, local government units, government agencies, the police and the military. Alvin Tobias, operations manager of WPF, says the first weather station was installed on the resort island of Amanpulo in Palawan. WPF’s network of weather stations now stretches from Batanes to Sulu, he says. Of the 777 AWS currently deployed, 124 are located in Mindanao. Tobias says an AWS measures the amount of sunlight, a location’s rainfall, temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. The data are processed through weather specialist MeteoGroup’s systems and uploaded as accurate five-day weather forecasts on WPF’s website www.weather.com.ph and WeatherPhilippines mobile app for both Apple and Android devices. “According to Pag-Asa, 1 mm of water is equivalent to 1 liter of rain in a one square-meter area,” Tobias says, referring to the amount of rain captured by an AWS. An AWS has a 15-watt solar panel that enables the SIM device to transmit data every 15 minutes, he says. Tobias says an AWS costs about P60,000. Most AWS used by WPF were made in Germany and the United States, he says. An AWS installed in Leyte province was able to capture the strength of Yolanda at 350 kph, before it was destroyed by the strongest typhoon that came out of the Pacific Ocean in November 2013. Valeriano, a former varsity football player at La Salle Greenhills and now a father of two, says he decided to join WPF in 2015, because he missed working in the field. “There was a part of me that wanted to return to the operational side. When this opportunity opened and my predecessor [Celso Caballero] returned to Therma Mobile, I took the opportunity,” says Valeriano. “One thing we really need to stress is the keyword ‘complementation.’ Truth of the matter is, there is no one with better mandate, resources and authorization to do certain things than the government [Pag-Asa]. We are here not to compete, but to complement. That’s basically our role,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

communications said. Assured by the foundation’s support, the OPPA scholars can focus on reaching their full potential and use their talents and passion to contribute to Philippine arts and culture. The OPPA Foundation is now accepting applications for scholarship for the 2nd term of the current academic year. RWM is the first one-stop, non-stop entertainment and leisure destination in the Philippines that features recreational thrills, world-class performances, unique events, and exciting lifestyle options. Conveniently located across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, RWM is an instant gate-

way to world-class Philippine hospitality and is home to four lodging brands: Maxims Hotel, Marriott Hotel Manila, Remington Hotel and Belmont Hotel. A three-story convention center houses the country’s largest hotel ballroom (Marriott Grand Ballroom), while two more hotels (Sheraton Hotel Manila and Hilton Manila Hotel) are currently under construction. Also home to RWM is Newport Mall which features international luxury brands, state-of-the-art movie theaters at Newport Cinemas, an awardwinning, ultra-modern Newport Performing Arts Theater and a cozy, 24/7 entertainment hub at Bar 360.

Sports

FOLAYANG WANTS TO TEACH OTHERS By Reuel Vidal

duard Folayang is one of the most successful homegrown Filipino martial artists. Fighting for ONE Championship, he is easily the face of Mixed Martial Arts in the Philippines. But more than just fighting and making a living as a combat athlete his life’s goals include teaching the youth proper values such as hard work and discipline. “I learned many lessons through my study of martial arts. I want to share these lessons especially with the youth. I want to be a positive influence among them. I want them to develop a sense of discipline through their training in the martial arts. I believe the youth can learn many helpful life lessons when they train to become fighters,” Folayang said. Folayang, a mainstay of Team Lakay Wushu in Baguio City, is actually a former high school teacher in the Mountain Province and it’s not surprising that his life’s ambition includes teaching and helping the youth. Before turning to MMA Folayang won international Wushu tournaments, including a gold medal at the 2011 South East Asian Games. Before that he won a silver medal in the 2006 Doha Asian Games and bronze medals in both the 2005 World Wushu Championship as well as the 2002 Busan Asian Games. In his latest bouts Folayang scored impressive backto-back victories, over Adrian Pang and Tetsuya Yamada, earning him a title shot for the ONE Championship Lightweight title. “I feel good. Finally all the preparations and even the setbacks that I encountered have become lessons for me to become better. I am happy with my performance. I’ve been working hard. I know I will be ready for my coming fight,” he said. Folayang expressed his gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings in life. He is also thankful for the support of his family, friends and especially his teammates. “I want to thank God for everything that he has given me. Of course my coach and my family have been very helpful. My teammates. They are the biggest reasons for the way my career has grown,” said Folayang. He is also grateful for ONE Championship, the biggest fight promotion in Asia, for all the opportunities he received from the company.

Eduard Folayang (left) trade punches with Vincent Latoel during their battle at ONE Fighting Championship: Moment of Truth. Folayang beat Latoel by unanimous decision. ONE Championship

“It’s a great thing to have the promotion One FC. There are regular MMA fights. They have so many regular events. The arrival of ONE Championship has been opportune especially for the fighters. So many aspiring fighters are given the opportunity to showcase their skills,” Folayang said. Folayang fights ONE Championship Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki for his championship belt at the ONE Championship: Defending Honor on Nov. 11 in Singapore. Folayang is ready to face the daunting challenge. He’s worked hard while preparing for the title bout. “My next opponent Ayoki will pose a tough challenge. He is one of the better fighters competing in the Asian Martial Arts scene. This will be an exciting fight. It is a great opportunity for me,” said Folayang.

Eduard Folayang (left) and Brandon Vera demonstrate the proper execution of combat moves during an open workout. Folayang wants to teach others proper values including hard work and discipline through training in the martial arts. Kent Clever Cruz

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2016 KNOW YOUR STATUS FUN RUN HELD IN MARIKINA THE ‘’Know your status now’’ fun run was successfully held last weekend in Markina attracting 670 participants and hundreds of observers and watchers. Lel Kipatirchir from Kenya won the men’s 5k category while Joneza Mie Sustituedo took the women’s category. Rustom Nava ruled the men’s 3k category while Mirasol Amarga took won the women’s category in the same distance. “Our objective is to raise awareness regarding the HIV-AIDS epidemic. We succeeded by making the youth aware of the dangers of HIV infection through the fun run. The Marikina Health Office helped with the distribution of educational materials and with messages from doctors, guests and persons living with HIV. We believe that education and proper information dissemination will help curb the HIV menace,” said Delos Reyes. Other male winners in the 5k distance are Kurt Jomar Lamparas and Joe Marie Javelo. Other female winners in the same distance are Catherine Bristol and Janette Lumidao. Other male winners in the 3k distance are Philip John Gongob and Nick Cortes. Female winners in the same distance are Mae Ann Gongob and Marlyn Godoy. Race organizer Adi Delos Reyes said they accomplished their objective of educating the public about the dangers of HIV and AIDS. “Student and professional representation was at its height. Neighboring cities and municipalities of Marikina were well-represented. Even the Kenyans participated in the event,” said Delos Reyes. Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro was represented by Assistant Health Officer Dr. Honielyn Fernando. Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College’s Dr. Mida Salvador Samaniego delivered a short message in regards to the HIVAIDS Advocacy Program. “The education sector is a powerful arm in supporting advocacies of the government like the anti HIV-AIDS campaign. Our role is to generate awareness, knowledge and understanding of this issue,” said Samaniego. There was also a free rapid testing for interested parties. After the successful run organizer Delos Reyes says there will be a follow up bike ride and pride march on Dec. 4 also in Marikina.

Participants line the start arch of the Know your status now fun run which was successfully held in Marikina.

UNTV CUP: A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WITH A HEART

1Pacman Party-list Representative Mikee Romero of the HOR Solons evades the block of BOC’s Gherome Ejercito. The Solons will try to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Transformers.

A BASKETBALL tournament with a heart. The UNTV Cup, now on its fifth season, continues its noble campaign of donating to the chosen charities of all 13 participating government teams. It is giving away more than P12 million in total prizes this season. Slam-bang action also continues today, with the Senate Defenders and NHA Builders needing to win at the Pasig City Sports Center to keep their hopes alive in order to advance in the next round of the UNTV Cup. Senate (0-3) battles it out at 2 p.m. with

an inspired MMDA (1-2), which is coming off a come-from-behind win over the Ombudsman team last Sunday. Group A is composed of six teams and only four squads will advance to the second round of eliminations. MMDA, currently stands at fourth place, while Senate is at the sixth and last spot, the only winless team in the group. Meanwhile, the NHA Builders also need to win its game against the HOR Solons at 5 p.m. to stay alive going to the next round. The battle for Group A leadership be-

tween unbeaten teams Malacanang (2-0) and BFP (2-0) is set at 3:30 p.m. The games will be aired live on UNTV News and Rescue channel as the Liga ng Public Servants. Games Sunday (Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. MMDA vs Senate 3:30 p.m. Malacañang vs BFP 5 p.m. NHA vs HOR

Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

SKY’S THE LIMIT F R SCOTTIE By Jeric Lopez

fter eight long and agonizing years, Barangay Ginebra just recently got back on top and ended its dry spell in the Philippine Basketball Association. One major reason why the Gin Kings were able to reach the Promised Land again was the quick emergence of rising star Scottie Thompson. The former NCAA Most Valuable Player and the fifth pick from last year’s draft was a vital cog in Ginebra’s journey towards reclaiming glory as he was consistently effective as a starter in Ginebra coach Tim Cone’s new and dynamic attack. He was entrusted with a big responsibility right away and though he is shy as a person, he didn’t shy away from taking the challenge and helping the Gin Kings end their championship drought by winning the recently concluded 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup crown. In just his first season, the do-it-all guard from Davao had already showed what he’s capable ofand there’s no wonder why Ginebra coaches, teammates and fans are very high on him. The product of University of Perpetual Help not only made the All-Star team, but he was also named as a starter in the annual affair, where he also became the first rookie since Johnny Abarrientos to register a triple-double. He did it again in the big stage, in Game 3 of Ginebra’s semifinal clash against San Miguel. All of that was only topped by Ginebra’s championship win several days ago, making Thompson a champion in just his first year as a pro.

Just recently, Cone, the one responsible for picking Thompson for the Gin Kings in the draft, commended the young Thompson and stated that he indeed is a star in the league even this early. “Scottie is being Scottie,” described Cone, pertaining to Thompson just playing up to his potential and abilities. “His basketball IQ along with his skills are really special. He’s playing like a veteran for a rookie.” The work ethic of Thompson is one thing that gets his game consistently going, according to Cone. “Everything that Scottie is enjoying now, he’s definitely earned it. I can tell you that.” Moving forward, Cone said that he wants Thompson to even be more aggressive as he knows that he has a lot more to flaunt. “We all really want Scottie (Thompson) to be aggressive even more. Sometimes, we beg him to take more shots and be more assertive. We all know he can show more than what he is already showing at this point.” Now, it seems that Thompson had just cemented himself as the heir apparent to the Ginebra throne once legends Mark Caguioa, Jayajay Helterbrand and LA Tenorio are all done with their careers. It is now clear that sky is the limit for Thompson. And thousands of Ginebra fans are counting on him to help continue the team’s rich legacy moving forward.

EVEN ON BAD DAY, PACMAN LOOKS GOOD By Ronnie Nathanielsz FILIPINO senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was scheduled to fly out to Los Angeles Saturday evening to conclude the second phase of his training camp at the Wild Card Boxing Club of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “I am excited to climb and fight atop the ring once again. I really miss boxing,” Philboxing.com quoted Pacquiao. The eight-division world champion and his team, headed wife Jinkee Pacquiao and the Pacman’s trainer Roach. will take the 9 p.m. PAL flight to Los Angeles. Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Michael Koncz said the Filipino was scheduled to jog early morning Saturday, eat his breakfast afterward then take a nap to obtain reserve energy. Koncz who has been Pacquiao’s adviser for some nine years said: “He will go to the gym early, say around 1 p.m. to have ample time to prepare for his flight around 9 p.m.” This will be the last sparring session of Pacquiao in the Philippines. “There were a lot of new challenges. However, I am very happy and pleased with Manny’s training,” Koncz told the Manila Standard early Saturday. During his thrice-a-week sparring sessions with unbeaten 5’10” Jose Ramirez, Pacquiao at times looked flat, according to Roach and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune, because of working long hours in the Senate and doing his job diligently. But on other days, he was “devastating,” prompting Roach to express the hope that “Manny will catch Vargas on a good day.” Before he left for LA last Monday, Fortune told Manila Standard, he had watched some sparring footage and “Manny was ridiculously fast and even on a bad day, looks good.”

One major reason why the Gin Kings were able to reach the Promised Land again was the quick emergence of rising star Scottie Thompson. The Gin Kings ended an eight-year title drought. Manny Pacquiao Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea

UP COMPLETES THREE-PEAT

The University of the Philippines Lady Fighting Maroons had to scramble but persevered and eventually completed a rare three-peat, winning their third consecutive University Athletic Association of the Philippines Women’s Badminton championship last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall. The Lady Fighting Maroons fought an uphill battle against the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers in the best-of-three championship. UP lost the first game of the best-of-three and had to scramble to salvage a victory in the second game to set up a sudden-death third game. Ateneo team captain Bianca Carlos then took the first singles match with a straight-set

conquest of UP’s Bea Bernardo. That was as close as Ateneo would get to the title with UP sweeping the rest of the matches. UP’s Gelita Castilo swept past Samantha Ramos in the second singles match. Eventual MVP Poca Alcala and UAAP Season 77 MVP Jessie Francisco of UP then blanked Ateneo’s Trixie Malibiran and Ramos. In the second doubles match, Ateneo’s Carlos and Geva De Vera won the first set against Castilo and Lea Inlayo. But the UP tandem came roaring back to take the next two sets and the game. Inlayo, who won all her matches during the tournament, said she and the rest of the squad

were overwhelmed with their victory. “We were so happy. We achieved our goal which was the three-peat. And all our sacrifices... it was all worth it. The one thing I learned this season: until the final point, as long as the score has not yet reached 21 points, regardless of a big lead, there is always hope to win. Just keep on fighting,” Inlayo said. Inlayo recalled the second game of their best-of-three playoff against Ateneo. Ateneo won the first one and led in the second 2-1. Inlayo and Castilo trailed their match 0-1 and UP probably would have lost the title to Ateneo if the pair lost. Reuel Vidal

Players of the University of the Philippines Women’s badminton team celebrate after winning their match against the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers to capture the UAAP badminton title. Timothy Jansen Nolasco

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ART TRIPS IN THE METRO By Edgardo S. Tugade

ome art lovers say Metro Manila and other urban centers have lost touch with creation and creativity because of commercialization and high technology. To balance this extreme skepticism, an art enclave in Quezon City has launched several art tours in the region that makes art, history and culture a part of modern city life again.

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Erehwon Center for the Arts in Old Balara was established in 2012 and has hosted exhibits and performances by both well-known and aspiring artists from the country’s cities and provinces. It said it “seeks to be the living hub and nerve center of the arts in the Philippines and further inspire the development and promotion of Philippine art.” Its four-story building houses gallery spaces, a dance studio, a music hall, an outdoor stage, a conference hall and a rooftop for outdoor performances. The tour, which was launched in 2016, caters to individuals or groups. Airconditioned vans take local or foreign tourists to museums, heritage sites and landmarks, galleries and even artists’ studios. Whole-day, half-day and special tour packages are offered that cover transportation, entrance fees, lunch and snacks, a souvenir photo and tour guides. Those who opt for whole-day packages can choose among 1. the National Museum and Intramuros tour, which includes Casa Manila, the San Agustin Church, Bahay Tsinoy and Fort Santiago; 2. the Manila and Intramuros tour, that covers the University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Malacaan Museum and the Intramuros attractions listed above; and 3. the Rizal Province Art tour that visits the Blanco Art Museum, the Nemiranda Art House and Cafe, and the Pinto Art Museum. The half-day Metro Culture tour stops at the Ayala and Yuchengco museums in Makati. There are three special tours, all in the City of Manila. The first will drive tourists to the Malacaan Museum, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Metropolitan Museum. The second option will let them experience the Coconut Palace, the CCP and the Met Museum. The third package will admit them to the National Museum, the Met Museum and the Bangko Sentral Money Museum. Interested parties may log on to www.erehwonarttours.com, www. erehwonartcenter.com. They may also call (02) 294-5286 or (02) 218-2618, or e-mail travelandtours@erehwonarttours.com.

TRAINERS. Now that Pokemon Go is going out of fashion, millennials may opt to hunt for art treasures in Metro Manila itself through Erehwon Arts Center’s whole-day or half-day tours. The art center also offers tours to other local government units. Erehwon Arts Center

REGIONAL WRITING, A REVISIT By Honor Blanco Cabie ACADEMICS and observers of the country’s literary landscape, which has several major languages apart from Filipino, are agreed there should be a pool of good and efficient translators of the literature outside of the national capital. And they should also take note of the fact that much of the marginalized literature—most often folk— has been purely oral, suggesting the time was ripe to catch and preserve them on tape. For instance, before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century, West Visayan literature was purely oral and was in Kinaray-a, suggesting, in the view of scholars, that this must have been the language of the region in folk literature of the 10 Bornean datus. Folk literature ranges from brief riddles, proverbs, ditties, ritual chants to expansive love songs, tales, and extensive epics. It also has poetry called binalaybay and the tale is the asoy or sugilanon. The asoy may be a legend or a tale about a folk hero or a local happening. Among the Panay epics are the Labaw Donggon and the Hinilawod. Ritual chants are delivered by the babaylan or healer to please the diwata or supernatural beings or spirits in exchange for good health and luck in the home and the fields during planting and harvest climes. The arrival of the Spaniards and the eventual conversion of the inhabitants to Christianity produced new forms of folk literature and saw the beginning of written literature, initially with translation of Spanish texts of prayers and lives of the Catholic saints. With the arrival of the Americans before the turn of the 19th century came the locally described Golden Age of Hiligaynon literature. But the orientation was still heavily Spanish—didactic and Roman Catholic despite strong nationalistic orientation. Tagalog literature, nurtured and nourished in the provinces of Southern Luzon, parts of Central Luzon, and Metro Manila, is considered by some scholars as the birthplace of a rich tradition of Filipino culture in language, politics, economy and literature. Other scholars, while not openly disagreeing with such commentary, argue that other regions can lay as much claim to such a rich tradition. They note the wealth in chests of other literary zones— the Ilocanos, the Pampangos, the Bikolnon, the Visayan languages down to the locales in Mindanao, and others. Particularly outstanding oral literature in Tagalog-speaking provinces are the bugtong (riddle), proverbs and native songs. This discipline is always in poetic forms, usually seven-syllabic rhymes which, according to some scholars, is truly Asian in form and perspective. Poet and fictionist Domingo Landicho, commenting on the history and tradition of Tagalog literature, observes that the tradition of Tagalog literature “has been bequeathed upon the national consciousness of the Filipinos all over the Philippines.”

BONSAI CULTURE TAKES ROOT IN BACOLOD

It’s utter sublimation, A feat, this heart’s control Moment to moment To scale all love down To a cupped hand’s size. From “Bonsai” by National Artist for Literature Edith L. Tiempo

THE 1st Bacolod Bonsai Society’s Bonsai Exhibit and Workshop held at the Annex Building Grounds of the New Government Center from October 17-23 was a success, the society’s president Anthony Michael Merin announced. “Considering that it was the club’s first exhibit, I’m happy and proud because through the art of bonsai, we brought together people from all walks of life,” Merin related. The show is an official activity of the month-long Masskara festivities, he said. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Moises dela Cruz who represented City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Rufo Jover from the

CULTURED. Bonsai enthusiasts in Bacolod are growing in number. Chris Xanthy Abuan Philippine Bonsai Society Inc. inducted the officers of the Bacolod society. Three People’s Choice winners were chosen on Saturday from more than 90 trees entered by the society’s members, but their names and entries were not made available as of presstime. Merin, who maintains a small farm

and was a previous employee started learning bonsai 10 years ago. He revealed that the group plans to have more shows, workshops, garden visits and skills upgrade of bonsai culturists. Herden Pedrajas also conducted a lecture and demonstration workshop, together with PBSI members Jun Sera-

pio, Rufo Jover and Jess Cabrera. The workshop was free admission and open to the public. The participants were allowed to sell their entries to the exhibit and a certain percentage of the sales proceeds was allotted to the group. Since it was the group’s first exhibit, they have no buyer profile yet but they are optimistic that potential buyers may come from outside Bacolod City. A statement narrates that with the advent of social media, particularly Facebook, the founding members of the Bacolod Bonsai Society got acquainted with Bonsayista Inc., a group registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and recognized by the PBSI. Bonsayista’s Uyehara shared his knowledge of

Local Gov’t Units

bonsai culture through the Internet and reached a wide audience here and abroad. Because of this, his group attracted members in Guam, Puerto Rico and Spain, in addition to local members from Luzon, Viasayas and Mindanao. Bonsayista Inc., whose name was coined by Pedrajas, was instrumental to Bacolod Bonsai Society’s creation. Inspired by the ideals and techniques taught by Uyehara, members of Bonsayista based in Bacolod came together and formed the core group. The core group invited all known bonsai artists and collectors within Bacolod City and quickly spread all over the region as far as San Carlos City. Currently, the Bacolod group has more than 50 official members. Edgardo S. Tugade

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FRESNEDI GIVES FREE E-JEEP RIDES TO YELLOW CARD HOLDERS By Alena Mae S. Flores MUNTINLUPA Mayor Jaime Fresnedi is treating the city’s yellow card holders to a E-Jeepney for Free program in line with its bid to be the greenest city in the country by deploying electric vehicles. With this program, Muntinlupa clinches the title “E-jeepney Capital of the Philippines,” having the most number of e-jeepneys in a city, the environment-friendly transport being promoted by both the local government and the private sector. Quiet but efficient e-jeepneys take residents from the hustle and the bustle of the city to the vast expanse and corporate ambiance of Filinvest City Alabang and to the cool and quiet surroundings of Ayala Alabang Village. The city government uses a special card reader that keeps track of the yellow card holders who use the free green public transport system. If the passenger is not a yellow card holder, all he has to do is sign a logbook and the ride is free. Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, said “it truly is a remarkable effort by the local government to introduce green transport to more commuters and gain acceptance for them. Their operations template is definitely something worth emulating by other LGUs in other parts of the country.” At the Barangay Hall in Muntinlupa are 10 yellow e-jeepneys parked on their respective charging bays in a charging station. Just right across the Barangay Hall inside the South Star Jeepney Terminal, there are two Jeepney slots allotted specifically for e-jeepneys. Two additional e-jeepneys are fielded in Ayala Alabang Village. But the biggest e-jeepney fleet in Muntinlupa is the public transport system being managed by the Electric Vehicle Expansion Enterprises Inc. inside Filinvest City Alabang. EVEEI was permitted to operate a green fleet of electric jeeps within the 240-hectare Filinvest City, the flagship real-estate development of the Filinvest Development Group.

DAVAO OPENS SWINE INSEMINATION LAB

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

DAVAO CITY—The City Veterinarian’s Office opened its artificial insemination laboratory for swine located at the Davao City Animal Breeding Center in Malagos, Baguio District. The lab features state-of-the-art technology that helps pig farmers produce high-genetic-quality breeds. Dr. Ester Rayos, the assistant city veterinarian, said the facility was set up to boost the growth and development of pig farming in the city. “We encourage livestock farmers to avail our services so that we can help upgrade the quality of their stocks,” Rayos said. Before the establishment of the new facility, one boar semen production was only good for one sow or adult female swine. “With the technology we have now, we can extend one semen production to 10 to 15 different sows,” Rayos said. “A boar semen can be distributed to different farmers,” she added. The project is in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and UNAHCO, a private firm that specializes in animal health care and sells animal products. Rayos thanked the DA and UNAHCO for helping put up the laboratory.

PAGEANT. Miss Earth 2016 candidates from Sweden, Japan, Colombia, Nigeria and Russia paid a courtesy call to Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez Wednesday. The candidates visited Yolanda sites around the city and spearheaded a tree-planting activity at the city hall grounds. Mel Caspe

SUBIC PORT TO SHIP LNG TO CHINA

By Butch Aquino

ubic Bay Freeport—China’s leading clean energy service provider Jovo Group Company Ltd. Guangdong on Wednesday said it is ready to engage in ship-to-ship operations in Subic Bay.

Under the STS transfer operations, liquefied natural gas from the Asia Pacific will be transferred from oil tankers to smaller vessels bound to ports in China. STS brings petroleum products to China, most of whose ports cannot accommodate bulk carriers because their waters are not deep enough. In a public consultation, Jovo international business general manager Yuan Lu said the LNG will be brought to Subic Bay from Australia and Indonesia by a Belgium-flag carrier, a 94,000-ton bulk carrier. The cargo will then be transferred

at sea to a smaller 47,000-ton ships bound for China. Lu said the STS operations of Jovo in Subic will be assessed after five years, to determine if a regional hub should be established in the freeport for the delivery of LNG to the local market and the rest of Southeast Asia. He said Jovo’s long-term plan is to introduce LNG to local markets in the Philippines, especially those in the transport sector since that fuel is safe and environment-friendly. Lu said Jovo has decades of comprehensive experience in clean en-

ergy shipping, storage, processing and sales with zero accidents, and assured that LNG and the STS operation will be environmentally safe. The consultation attended by local fishermen, members of the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police Maritime Group and workers of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority was held at the SBMA Seaport Administration Building. “We are thankful for the invitation of SBMA headed by its new chairman Martin Diño and Jovo for this consultation for them to hear our concerns and enlighten us on this ship-to-ship operation that might affect our livelihood,” said Subic Bay Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council chairman Laureano Artagame. Artagame noted that large ships oftentimes occupy the fishing areas of small fishermen in Subic Bay, but with the consultation, accidental “intrusions” can now be avoided.

Meanwhile, China Classification Society senior engineer Fan Hong Jun compared highly combustible gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas against LNG which has lesser greenhouse effects and is lighter than air, making it safer in case of spillage. With a property temperature of -162 C, LNG is hard to burn but evaporates rapidly, Fan explained, adding that if it spills into our oceans or even into our water source, it will not affect marine life, and our water remains safe to drink. “It burns slowly, and does not mix with water nor kill fish or any other marine life. LNG is very environmental friendly,” he said. Fan said the Port of Subic will earn tens of millions of pesos from services, including tug boat services, port services and anchorage. This does not include indirect revenue from payments for tugboats, chandlers, bunkering and food supplies, he added.

PAINTING

THE HUMAN FAUNA THIRTY-THREE artists from across the regions released their inner anima in a show at the Erehwon Center for the Arts in Old Balara in Quezon City. The theme of the show, “Unleash the Beast Within,” allowed the painters free scope to reconnect with their brute nature and harness its artistic potential. The exhibit was organized by Caloocan-based painter Rodrigo Aniag, who has exhibited here and abroad. Aniag told the Manila Standard that the show was a mix of old blood from the University of the East and new blood from the University of the

Philippines. The ribbon was cut by businesswoman and socialite Aida Posadas who helped set up the exhibit, he related. The participating artists decorated the venue and Aniag himself took charge of maintenance work. Of those who submitted paintings, the more familiar names are Demi Padua, Sam Penaso, Richi Yee and Aniag himself. Some of the works on display until October 29 tell a fuller story. Edgardo S. Tugade

EXHIBITORS. Emmanuel de Guzman ‘Human wheel’ / Bianca Garido ‘Villaines’ / Bianca Garrido ‘Wander Lost’ / Eddie Santillan ‘Faith’ / Jesse Esplana - Sanctuary

Gadgets & Games

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FULLWAVE SUMMIT BOOSTS STARTUP FOLKS

Waves of attacks incapacitated a crucial piece of internet infrastructure, hampering or outright blocking access to popular online venues, including Twitter. AFP

CYBER ATTACKS CRIPPLE TWITTER, NETFLIX, OTHERS

an Francisco—Cyber attacks pounded the underpinnings of the internet Friday, crippling Twitter, Netflix and other major websites with the help of once-dumb devices made smart with online connections. Waves of attacks incapacitated a crucial piece of internet infrastructure, hampering or outright blocking access to popular online venues. “When I see something like this, I have to think state actor,”said Carbon Black national security strategist Eric O’Neill, a former “spy hunter” on the FBI counter-intelligence force. “This is not some hacker sitting in his basement typing away on a keyboard.” The attack was said to put a troubling new spin on an old hacker attack known as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), where millions of devices in the fast-growing internet of things took part in the cyber onslaught. Armies of computers infected with malicious code are typically used in DDoS attacks intended to overwhelm targets with simultaneous online requests. Hacker software referred to as Mirai that takes control of IoT devices was evidently linked to the attack, with the broad range of devices making requests helping get past Dyn defenses. “We are seeing attacks coming from a number of different locations,” Level 3 Communications internet services company chief security officer Dale Drew said in a video posted online. “We are seeing attacks coming from an internet-of-things botnet that we identified called Mirai also involved in this attack.”

Possible probe

Heavyweight cyber attacks that seem to yield trouble but no apparent payoff could be probing defenses to refine tactics for use on high value targets such as utilities or transportation systems, according to O’Neill and other computer defense specialists. The attack could also have been meant as a message from a foreign power, cyber security analysts told AFP. The onslaught commanded the attention of top US security agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. “DHS and the FBI are aware and are investigating all potential causes” of the outages, a spokeswoman said. The outages left internet users unable to post messages, shop, watch videos and play games online for parts of the day. Dynamic Network Services Inc, which manages internet traffic, said around 1100 GMT that its infrastructure had been hit by a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack in the eastern part of the United States. The initial attack was resolved within about two hours but the company, known as Dyn, was slammed with a second DDoS wave. DDoS attacks involve flooding websites with more traffic than they can handle, making them difficult to access or taking them offline entirely. Domain name servers are a crucial element of internet infrastructure, converting numbered Internet Protocol addresses into the domain names that allow users to connect to internet sites. The DDoS attack hit what is akin to a directory assistance service used to route online traffic to the right addresses, meaning that even though networks such as Level 3 were running normally they couldn’t be reached. A map published by the website downdetector.com showed the effect was felt across the US and into Europe. “The critical point is how fragile our internet is that these attacks can happen,” O’Neill said. AFP

LENOVO YOGA BOOK: TECH AND ART MEET LENOVO ups the ante on tablet design with the release of the Yoga Book, a thin and light 2-in-1 tablet that allows users to take notes and even sketch their own artworks using a stylus with real ink. Housed in a unique form factor that inspires creativity, the Yoga Book gives users the freedom to let their imagination roam free. “Lenovo is committed to create innovative devices that help today’s shakers and makers create better and achieve more in their daily tasks. Featuring a Halo Keyboard and Real Pen input device for taking notes, drawing, and browsing the web, the Lenovo Yoga Book is the book of today’s digitalsavvy millennial generation,” said Michael Ngan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Philippines. Equipped with a Real Pen input for note-taking, a Halo Keyboard for easy typing, and a Book UI for seamless multi-tasking, the Yoga Book distinguishes itself as a “Create Pad” that inspires imagination. The tablet uses Lenovo’s now-familiar watchband hinge to weave the touchscreen and a Wacom-powered touch-sensitive surface together. The Yoga Book’s first productivity feature is also what makes the thin and light design possible: the halo keyboard, a full touch screen backlit keyboard that weaves soft-

Lenovo Yoga Book is an open book for digital-savvy millennials who love to write and sketch

ware and hardware into one fluid interface. The touch screen is made with glass that was meticulously chosen to give a rough, matte feel and finish, along with antiglare coating to ensure the best possible touch-typing experience. The keyboard lacks any physical keys, showing up as a solid white outline on the Yoga Book’s second panel only when it’s needed. While the touch-sensitive surface acts as a keyboard with light-up keys, it also accepts input from a stylus. The Yoga Book Real Pen allows users to swap in an ink cartridge into the

included stylus and take notes on real paper. The Yoga Book will then automatically copy and digitize their notes in real time. Users can then seamlessly organize, merge, and share their notes instantly with friends or colleagues.They can even use the included Book Pad clipboard to magnetize their papers and keep them in place. Featuring two panels that open up like a book, the Yoga Book breaks

free from the conventional tablet paradigm. At 9.6 mm thick, the 690-gram

Yoga Book packs a punch in its svelte frame, allowing users to easily bring it along with them while in transit. Fully furnished with the Android Marshmallow operating system and the latest Intel Atom processor, the Yoga Book supports multi-tasking, allowing users to simultaneously work across multiple applications effectively while keeping their workflow in check. It even has a 15-hour battery life, so Yoga Book users can stay productive all day. And if users don’t feel like working, they can still enjoy world-class entertainment, thanks to the Yoga Book’s 10.1-inch IPS FHD screen, high-quality sound enhanced with Dolby Atmos®, and 64GB of memory. The Yoga Book is now available in select PC Express stores from Oct. 15 to Nov 15 at a starting price of P23,999 for Android version and P28,999 for the Windows version after which it will be available in all LES nationwide.

Featuring a thin and light design, 15-hour battery life, and a 360-degree watchband hinge, the Yoga Book offers extreme productivity in a form factor that matches the mobility of a smartphone.

FULLWAVE, a collection of millennial entrepreneurs from New York City that have successfully created companies from bootstrap to acquisition, is bringing its expertise to the Philippine technology scene through a summit that seeks to boost the startup community in the country. FullWave Tech and Startups Summit, recently hosted by Mapua Institute of Technology, serves as an avenue for entrepreneurs, investors, and developers to expand their horizons and build their network. The summit championed the idea of breaking free from the traditional structures of building a startup business, encouraging millennials to seek out opportunities wherever possible. Ace Velarde of STW believes that the summit will help young Filipinos explore their potential and gain insight on tech entrepreneurship, as high-calibre influencers and business owners from New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Philippines among others, come together to shape the Philippine tech startup landscape. With three simultaneous events, Rising Tide Expo of various tech startup companies, a multi-day Amped hackathon competition of developers and tech enthusiasts, and a series of techcentered seminars dubbed the Tow-In, FullWave Summit is expected to gear the local startup community towards innovation. Through panel discussions, Velarde, together with Elite Daily co-founder Jonathon Francis, Golden Gate Ventures principal Justin Hall, Sole Slam founder and CEO Antonio Aguirre, Jr., and many others, drove students andprofessionals to create a tech-based culture that will challenge the future worldwide. Participants will also have a broad overview on topics including one of the newest technology advancements called the Internet of Things, the opportunities presented by the emergence of disruptive technologies, and a host of other relevant issues regarding the development of tech startup from ideation to acquisition. “We believe that the Philippines has the talent and the tools necessary for successful entrepreneurships,” Velarde said. “We aim to spur the local tech startup community into action by having a celebration of everything tech, development, and startup-related, showcasing their potential and help cultivate their success.” One of the core objectives of FullWave is to provide platforms that initiate entrepreneurial action. Given Mapua’s vigorous efforts in equipping its students with programs centered on technology advancements, the collective saw it fit to partner with the Institute and hold the two-day event at its Intramuros campus.

Private Sector Director of the Startup Ecosystem Development Program of the Department of Trade and Industry Atty. Kristine Alcantara; STW Family of Companies Founder Ace Velarde.

Mapúa President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea; Elite Daily Co-founder Jonathan Francis; and Tech Entrepreneur Adrian Goris

Gadget & Games

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Reira U Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

LOVE MOTO P

romoting a product massively by hiring celebrity endorsers is just the first part of the equation. Bottom line is still the quality of the product. Moto boasts of both.

Moto surges its way into the Philippine shores, in a comeback that offers incredible gadget choices, industry-first features, and customized user experiences. Jazzing up Moto’s renaissance is the announcement of James Reid and Nadine Lustre as Moto Ambassadors. Moto recently introduced three smartphones series: The Moto Z + Moto Mods Family, Moto’s flagship series whose singular feature is its modularity; Moto G Family, which redefines user functionality; and the Moto E Power, its entry-level lineup. “Moto’s return to the Philippines solidifies Lenovo’s strong business momentum. With Lenovo’s Moto acquisition, Lenovo adds a premium smartphone portfolio that features top-tier hardware and software innovations such as the Moto Z and a customized experience with Moto Mods. With the exciting launch of the newest Moto lineup, we hope to highlight our smartphones’ sophistication, performance, and versatility through the hottest couple in entertainment, JaDine, which best exemplifies the Moto spirit with their youthful vibrance and charm,”said Dino Romano, Country Manager, Lenovo Mobile Business Group Philippines.

Moto Z: Stunning, thin, and svelte

it features a Qualcomm® Snapdragon TM 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage to address users’ memory requirements, and up to 24 hours of battery life. Pricing for Moto Z starts at Php33,999. It comes with a free Moto Style Shell so that customers can experience Moto Mods immediately.

Moto Z Play: Power on the go

Heavy smartphone users can now power through their day, and then some, on a single charge with Moto’s longest battery life ever. Packed with the same uniquie modularity features of the Moto Z, Moto Z Play ups the ante with a brilliant 5.5” 1080p Super AMOLED display, up to 50 hours of battery life, and an industryleading 16MP camera that offers laser and phase detect autofocus for capturing crystal-clear photos in any light. And with TurboPower™ charging, users can get up to 10 hours of power in just 15 minutes of charging. Pricing for Moto Z Play starts at Php22,999. It also comes with a free Moto Style Shell.

Motor G Family: A streamlined design that redefines sleekness

The fourth generation Moto G4 Plus may be 7.9 mm thin, but it is a powerCrafted from military air- house: it has a 3000 mAh battery and a craft-grade aluminum and blazing-fast Octacore processor to help stainless steel, Moto Z users handle work and recreational needs combines durabil- with ease. It even offers a vivid 5.5” Full HD display ity with a svelte build and a and a 16MP camera that takes sharebrilliant 5.5” worthy crystal clear photos. The Moto G4 Q u a d H D Plus’ large ƒ/2.0 aperture lets in more light A M O L E D and allows users to take beautiful photos display. At even when it’s cloudy. Offering advanced 5 . 2 m m , color balancing features, the dual LED the smart- flash automatically makes adjustments so p h o n e photos display natural-looking skin tones p a c k s a and consistent colors. And for those who punch: love to take groufies, the wide angle lens on the 5 MP selfie cam makes it easy to fit everyone in the picture. Its exclusive camera software also allows users to adjust professional settings such as ISO and aperture so they always come up with great photos. The Moto G4 Plus retails at Php13,999. The Moto G4 Play is free and exclusive at Smart SurfPlus Plan 999, while the Moto G Turbo Edition is free and exclusive at Globe MyLifeStyle Plan 799.

Moto E Power: More than what meets the eye

Designed to keep up with today’s millennials’multi-faceted lifestyle, Moto’s entry-level smartphone Moto E Power offers a quad-core processor and 4G VoLTE capabilities, so users can seamlessly enjoy web surfing, video streaming, and updating their social media accounts. It features a 3500 mAh battery so users can watch videos, play games, and call friends & family without looking at the battery bar so often. Pricing for the Moto E Power starts at Php6,999.

iREPORT: STRAIGHT TO THE INTENDED AUDIENCE By Peter Paul Duran ALMOST everything can go viral nowadays, from Pens and Apples to, cat videos or anything in between. A share and a like can go a long way. But not all posts in social media get noticed, and with it, the chance to be heard by the intended audience, specifically the government. That’s why Cormant Technologies Inc., launched free mobile application iReport for concerned citizens to reach directly to the government. Posts in Facebook or Twitter will most likely be noticed only if it goes viral,” said Cormant Tech Enterprise Solutions Manager Alma Rivera during the mobile app’s launch at the SMX in SM Aura, Taguig. “With the use of iReport, there is no need for that to happen.Your concerns and ideas will be forwarded to the proper authorities,”added Rivera of the app which can be downloaded via Google Play or the App Store. The easy-to-access smartphone application provides an easier way of reporting issues, suggestions or commendations. Also, the reports received through the app will be forwarded to the proper government agency in near real time. Users can add photos to their incident/issue report to add credibility. In addition, the app can still be used even in offline mode, and once a connection is established, it will automatically submit the report. iReport has an easy-to-use design interface and utilizes general types of issues (e.g. traffic and transportation) in the menu, the system then determines the appropriate agency to send it to. “I would like the Filipinos to always remember the hashtag ‘#iReportNaYan’, which means you want to send a report to the government, anytime, anywhere,”said Application Manager Melvin Lopez. iReport, an internally-funded CSR project of Cormant, ‘empowers citizens to participate in policy creation’ while eliminating the arduous process of reporting an issue to the government. According to the creators, the structured reports that the government will receive will be able to monitor which issues have been addressed, and which are still pending.

Jazzing up Moto’s renaissance is the announcement of James Reid and Nadine Lustre as Moto Ambassadors, shown here holding their preferred Moto models. Cormant Solutions Manager Alma Rivera

DEVANT MANIFESTO WANTS FAMILIES TO BOND

HAVE we really become slaves to technology? Well, it depends how you see it. Although one can’t deny the addicting appeal of having and doing everything at a touch of a finger, there’s also the side of technology that offers us such amazing convenience. Technology offers everything—an avenue to shop without leaving the house, ways to share memories with loved ones living far away, easy communication, and the availability of information wherever you are. It is this convenience that Devant, aims to tap and promote by delving deep into

what matters most—one’s family. Driven by the tagline “Changing lives in a big way,” Devant hopes to instill the importance of strengthening personal ties by simply enjoying a simple habit—watching TV. Through the project 7:30 p.m. TV Get Together, Devant hopes to create moments where people can take a break from their busy schedules, and spend some quiet, quality time with people they love the most—and what better way to bond than watching your favorite shows together on Devant’s Big Screen TVs?

Through the 7:30 p.m. TV Get Together, every night becomes a bonding night when families and friends get to enjoy their favorite shows together. The experience, is of course enhanced via Devant’s Ultra HD Big Screen TV’s complemented with surround sound to make bonding nights more memorable.

The Devant Manifesto

Home entertainment is a big part of Devant’s product line-up. For the brand, a family television plays an important role and symbol of making people come together, and for them, it is a response

to neutralize and enhance the growing influence of technology. With this, Devant aims to promote the 730 PM TV G2G -- Every night at 7:30, Devant encourages everyone to spend time with the people they care about. And at the center of it all, are the convenience and quality of experience behind every Devant Big Screen TV. Because there’s no better way to connect than to relax and bond over your favorite shows with the people you love. For more about Devant and its superb products, visit http://devanttv.com.

Young Life

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

A TRAVEL BLOGGER’S PARTNER

Scan this icon to view the PDF

Trisha Velarmino

THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE AT

ENCHANTED KINGDOM By Bernadette Lunas

Photos by Sonny Espiritu

ill you answer the call? Fortunately, you don’t need to be a physicist or carry a proton pack or ride an Ecto-1 to be a ghost buster, but you sure need to be courageous enough to face the monsters as you walk through Enchanted Kingdom’s latest horror house inspired by supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters.

The Ghostbusters Adventure Live! walk-through attraction is a first of its kind in the Philippines as it marks the first time the Sta. Rosa amusement park partnered with global brands. “We have had our own horror houses before, but this time around it’s different,” begins Enchanted Kingdom chief operations officer Dr. Cynthia Mamon. “Different because this is the only of its kind here in the country.” The said attraction concept, which opened to the public on Oct. 15, allows guests to relive the thrills and chills of the popular Hollywood franchise. Ghostbusters Adventure Live! appeals to young and young-at-heart horror house goers as it combines the elements of the first movie which came out in 1984 and the reboot that premiered this year. To make the attraction happen, EK partnered with Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company (the official licensee of live interactive Ghostbusters attraction), Columbia and Sony. Dr. Mamon says the move to tap foreign companies aims to take Enchanted Kingdom up a notch by offering world-class facilities to its guests. “We are blazing the trail and leading the industry.” Inside the space, suspense and excitement await guests with the halls and corners showing memorable scenes and characters of the movie. Dominic McChesney, the director of Live Attractions Worldwide of Sudden Impact!, prefers to call the experience inside the walk-through “scary fun” instead of “horrifying.” “With Ghostbusters attraction at EK, all the action happens around you and you are actually moving through the different scenes and iconic moments in the movie. The actors are near you and interacting personally with the audience. They have to make sure that the audience has a good time, that even though it is scary, it is not to the extreme. There is a feeling of being in an adventure,” explains McChesney.

McChesney trained the EK scare actors to perform their roles effectively (to scare guests, obviously) while ensuring the guests’ safety. He says that the audience can go through the ride without worrying about physical harm. “It is the guests knowing that they can let go and enjoy the experience because the attraction has been built safely and the actors are trained,” he adds. In essence, the golden rule in horror houses applies to Ghostbusters Adventure Live! as well: Don’t touch the ghosts, because the ghosts won’t touch you. Because the attraction doesn’t intend to be an intensely scary walk-through, much like the movie, it’s considered “family friendly.” The adults can go in and enjoy the ride with kids. In fact, EK officials state that it has no age limit “as long as the child is accompanied by an adult,” and it is even open to persons with disabilities because “we put ramps instead of steps.” According to EK Chairman and President Mario Mamon, the Ghostbusters Adventure Live! will be open for the next three years, “but if it became popular, we will renew the contract.”

NO GHOST ALLOWED. Local amusement park Enchanted Kingdom, led by its COO Dr. Cynthia

Mamon (second from left) and Chairman and President Mario Mamon (sixth from left), opens Ghostbusters Adventure Live!, a walk-through attraction inspired by the supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters. EK presents its own version of Ecto-1, called EKto-1, and Ghostbusters monsters.

THE nomadic life of travel bloggers requires them to have multi-purpose, durable and portable devices that would help them document and share their pursuits to the public but won’t drag them as they go from one place to another. While smartphones address portability and mobility, they are usually not powerful enough to support a travel blogger’s content creation needs. While tablets, on the other hand, are packed with great features, they occupy a lot more space in the backpack. Travel blogger Trisha Velarmino of “P.S. I’m On My Way” knows these pains all too well. Reason why she’s thankful there’s a mobile device that solves the challenges of living a jet-setting lifestyle. Lenovo PHAB Plus, which doubles as a smartphone and a tablet, solves Velarmino’s dilemma of having to carry different gadgets while in transit. She no longer has to bring her bulky laptop along, as the phablet fulfills her speed and productivity requirements in a snap. Equipped with an octa-core Qualcomm processor, the Lenovo PHAB Plus allows her to create and edit blog posts easily on the go. The phablet’s big screen makes it easy for the travel blogger to review blog entries, answer e-mails, and browse the Internet to learn more about tourist attractions she’d like to visit. It’s also smaller than the average tablet, which make it easy to fit into Velarmino’s hand carry luggage. Thanks to its 3500mAh battery, Velarmino can enjoy a standby time of up to 20 days and a talk time of up to 24 hours. This means she won’t have to worry about her gadget “dying” on her as with the case of her smartphones whenever she needs to post an important social media update or take a selfie during her travels. Speaking of selfies, Velarmino uses the Lenovo PHAB Plus’ 13MP rear camera along with its 5MP front camera, which feature a Panorama Selfie function along with dual-LED flash, to make her travel photos look as natural as possible. In fact, she used the phablet’s camera to capture images during her recent press trip to Indonesia. At 0.49 lbs., the svelte phablet is a joy to carry for Velarmino, who is a fan of packing light. Featuring a brilliant 6.8” full HD screen, the Lenovo PHAB Plus also doubles as her mobile entertainment hub as she streams movies from Netflix during long train journeys and bus rides. Its 4G LTE fast connectivity allows her to stay connected to her readers when she travels from country to country, while the phablet’s dual-sim functionality make it convenient for Velarmino to communicate with people back home.

It’s best to bring durable, portable and multi-purpose equipment to reduce baggage weight when traveling

Young Life

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

MILLENNIALS ARE SO COOL THEY DON’T PAY WITH MONEY

6 REASONS

WHY YOU SHOULD DITCH COMMUTING AND START WALKING

he terrible traffic and mass transit situation in Metro Manila has pushed many individuals to leave their automobiles at home and forego public transportation in favor of biking or walking. Book tickets online using YAZZ card

ARE we getting closer to the day when wallets will be reduced to one card? Possibly. According to several studies and surveys, the millennial generation is paving the way for digital currency to replace conventional payment option: which is paying for products and services using money. Vision Critical, a Canadian customer research firm, reveals that 43 percent of Gen Y consumers have at least tried using digital currency to make a purchase. The always on-the-go folks also prefer alternative financial products like prepaid cards and check cashing services over ATM and credit cards. The instantaneous capability of cash cards conforms with the fast-paced lifestyle we are all living in today. Fortunately, many financial institutions are in tune with the demands of this generation. Metrobank Card Corporation offers YAZZ card, a versatile financial product that “meets the needs of the youth as they carry on their dynamic lives.” YAZZ card is an all-around prepaid

Now, while venturing out to get from point A to point B can be exhausting, not to mention time-consuming, one cannot discount the many benefits of this activity. In fact, here are six of the many reasons why you should walk to work.

Walking makes you fit

Walking is as good a workout as running. Unlike fast-paced cardio exercises like running and cycling, walking puts less impact on the joints. It helps you shed unwanted pounds, because when you walk, you use up more muscles since you carry the weight of your body, making it easier to burn calories.

Walking relaxes you

You can literally walk the stress away, if you brisk walk that is. Quick-paced walking increases endorphins in the body which help reduce stress hormones. So if you need time out from a stressful day at work, take a stroll outside to clear your mind and feel more at ease.

Walking makes you socially aware

When you walk, you get to see different people every day whom you might eventually come to know and be friends with. It also exposes you to the outside, making you updated with the newest establishments and hangout spots that just opened, things you can’t actually do when you’re sitting at the backseat of a car.

Walking boosts your energy

More people are now paying for their purchases using digital currencies

VISA card that allows cashless transactions with over 40 million accredited VISA merchants and ATMs worldwide. This means, cardholders need not bring paper bills and loose change as they pay for their purchases. The prepaid card can be used to foot the bill at various restaurants when dining with the squad, it also comes in handy when purchasing online or buying tickets over-the-counter for the latest movies, concerts and other shows. Security and protection is assured as the card is EMV-enabled, the same technology used in credit cards. To avail the card, one only needs to buy it for P300 at loading partners and convenience stores nationwide. Activate it on the spot by providing essential details for registration. The card may be used immediately after activation. Moreover, YAZZ card can also be used to withdraw cash at any VISA accredited ATM. Reloading is easy via Web POS loading site, accessed through mobile phone, tablet or loading kiosk. The minimum load amount is P100 per transaction, while maximum load is P10,000 with a set of P20 loading fee automatically deducted from each transaction. To maximize the shopping experience, the YAZZ card allows an agregate load ceiling of P100,000 per month.

You might not always wake up happy and full of life, but you can easily boost your energy by walking. By the time you get to the office, you won’t find yourself tempted to take a nap and instead feel ready to take on the day. If you’re sitting for extended hours at work, it also helps to take light walks every half hour to avoid feeling sluggish and tired.

Walking is eco-friendly

You get to contribute to preserving the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. Try walking when going to nearby places to help lessen the greenhouse gases churned out by vehicles. *****

NOW, the idea of walking is one thing but doing it the right way is another. That said, it’s important to keep in mind how you can walk properly and comfortably, here’s how: * Keep a good posture. Stand straight, don’t lean forward or backward, chin up, and don’t look down while walking.

* Wear the right footwear. Wearing heels or ill-fitting shoes will only result in blisters, discomfort and more serious injuries down the line. Opt for a lightweight pair that’s made for city walking like the Skechers GOwalk line, the number one walking shoe in the US. It has slip-on, lace-up and sandal versions which all

feature GOga Mat Technology with high-rebound cushioning that ensures every stride is effortless for a comfortable walk. * Try not to focus on your smartphone while you’re at it. You can always pause or sit down when you need to check your phone, but avoid this when you’re on the move to prevent accidents.

WALK TO WORK. Getting a few minutes of exercise and contributing to the preservation of the planet are some of the reasons why you should start walking rather than wait in the car for the traffic to subside. Cash-less transaction is becoming the hip way to pay

Showbiz

YOUNG FILMMAKER TURNS MISFIT INTO SCREEN HERO

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

KEEPING UP WITH CELEBRITY

IDOLS

ho would have imagined how far a China-made digital 4MB SD card palm camera could take a young dreamer’s filmmaking dreams? In the case of Anthony Diaz V, a Filipino American actor and filmmaker, it is quite far indeed. Before he was 20, the brawny Diaz has completed dozens of short films. His independent filmmaking spirit has been evident early on with his multitasking, taking on screen writing, directing, producing, acting, and editing duties. By the time he reached 20, he has already graduated at the University of Las Vegas Film School (UNLV), making him the youngest graduate in the history of the program. In 2012, he put up a film production company called Kaizen Studios in Las Vegas, USA. The following year, he established a satellite studio in Shibuya, Japan. Now at 26, Diaz is promoting his debut full length film entitled Break, which had a private screening in Japan in April. It will soon hit the Philippine shores before it heads off to Sundance Film Festival early next year. The film is a unique blend of American storytelling with Japanese cinema infused with hip-hop. It revolves around the alienation and angst of Japanese Ameri-

can lad who is thrown into the underworld while he deals with personal issues as an outsider trying to fit into Japanese society. It is, in a way, a throwback to Diaz’s childhood when he was watching movies that wouldn’t strike a chord with children his age. He was like a misfit then, as his character in Break is. There is a need to find his place in an environment that isn’t very welcoming. Then he loses the girl he loves and the downward spiral begins. “It’s the first time to my knowledge that a film has simultaneous English and Japanese language throughout the movie with supporting subtitles. But most importantly, the overall theme is of a foreigner trying desperately to fit in. It is what most of us have experienced in some form or another,” the young filmmaker says. On screen and in photos, Diaz strikes you as a kind of millennial James Dean, but this time a rebel with a cause, and with a more relatable Liam Neeson-ish vibe. In the movie Break, he even does breakdancing in one scene. Clearly, Diaz is the new kind of screen hero who has a good head to match the well-toned physique. And somehow, you sense that there is a tenderness that lies beneath the swagger and the action star gait. But Anthony assures that the similarities between him and his movie character end there. “The movie is not autobiographical at all. I t ’s a c t u ally inspired from a short film I made when I was 17 years old called Lunch Break, which I shot with my high school friends in Vegas. The premise of the story is similar, but I expanded the universe and characters against the backdrop of Japan,” he points out.

MISFIT NO MORE. Meet Fil-Am Anthony Diaz V, an actor and budding director who grew up watching films kids his age wouldn’t be interested in. He was raised in California and now based in Japan where he shot his debut film “Break.”

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, October 23, 2016

ACROSS 1 Coil of yarn 6 Bank protector 10 Warty critters 15 Adventurer — Quatermain 20 Ventricle neighbor 21 Downy fruit 22 Montezuma, for one 23 Nephew’s sister 24 Slightly damp 25 Flood barrier 26 Hot dip 27 Stare balefully 28 Frozen rain 29 Miss a syllable 30 Wedding attendant 32 Wildcats 34 Quick looks 36 Equator segment 37 Mouth part 40 It borders the Atl. 41 QB objectives 42 40-cup brewer 44 Frighten a fly 48 Kitchen meas. 49 Hundreds of mins. 50 Leaf source 53 Fabulous time 55 Pet shop sound 56 Walking on air 58 Tobacco wad 59 Bus alternative 61 Pull — — one 63 Kind of panel 64 Faint glows 65 Slightest trace 66 Guns, in cop shows 67 Apparel 69 Pesky bug 70 Jai — 71 Venue 74 San Francisco hill 75 Leaning on 78 Springlike 81 Friend of Henri 82 Firecracker part 83 Half of zwei 84 Resorted to 86 Water-power org. 87 Rubicon crosser 89 — and goings 93 Chilly comment 94 Beg pardon! 95 Salt or smoke 96 Good Queen — 97 Serves (2 wds.) 100 Clock watchers 102 “She Loves You” refrain 103 Insurance giant 104 Lavish country home 108 Groovy 109 Eric Clapton classic 110 Trudge through mud 111 Counted on 112 Shot meas.

113 115 116 117 118 120 121 123 124 125 127 129 131 136 138 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153

Natural fabrics Liniment Nick or scratch Jellyfish abode Kachina doll carver A raven visited him Boastful knight Centurion’s 14 Filmdom’s — Grant Glasgow turndown They may climb the wall In rational fashion Raspberries (2 wds.) Pluck a guitar In a foul mood Part of RFD “The Zoo Story” penner Be a match for No longer feral Die down Bread choice Battery terminal Dismantle a tent Monica of tennis Brick bakers Inca Empire, once Oater extras

DOWN 1 Shepard and Walton 2 — & the Gang 3 Huron neighbor 4 An end in — 5 Well-groomed 6 Antenna 7 Geena or Bette 8 Clinched, as a deal 9 Twitter 10 Took a sip 11 Branson’s range 12 Globe substitute 13 Hubby of Lucy 14 Flip through 15 Raise hackles 16 Fragrant shrubs 17 Bard’s tragic king 18 Land measure 19 Poet’s contraction 21 Nerve network 31 Outlaws 33 Brain, maybe 35 Cousteau’s summer 37 66 and I-80 38 Anagram for solo 39 Fall birthstone 42 Radius’s companion 43 Funny Charlotte — 45 Spring bloomer 46 Seine tributary 47 Makes choices 49 Greek Juno 50 Pivot 51 Gaucho’s rope 52 Newsroom VIPs 53 Quilt stuffing

54 57 58 59 60 62 64 66 68 69 71 72 73 76 77 79 80 82 85 88 90 91 92 94 98 99 100 101

Followed closely Scale button Nordiques’ home Languishing Bank transaction Misgiving Major — Hoople Patio stones Habituates Closes in on Marsupial pocket — — changed man! Father’s Day gift (2 wds.) Teahouse hostess Floating downriver Forum hello Go on the — Litter of piglets Baja Ms. Woodpecker treat Is a good dog Ground corn Hunky-dory Indigo dye Fermi split it Walkie-talkie word Go slowly Retro art style

102 103 105 106 107 109 111 114 115 116 119 121 122 123 124 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 137 139 140 141

Type of lock Film speed ind. Sax-playing Simpson Ogle Call it — — London lav Scream and shout Fuel cartel Casual farewell Mix Natural From Seoul Net worth “Kubla Khan” setting Rostand hero Wheel rods Refuse to conform Purse holder Relish Glowing (2 wds.) Lingerie items Hick Like some exams Peddle Grades 1-12 Zinfandel or merlot Rock-concert need Unisex wear Verge

If Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not enough to keep up with your favorite local celebrities, technology companies like Xeleb and Appefize came up with software applications designed specifically for people who treat “fanboying” and “fangirling” almost a religion. This week, we list down some of the most downloaded celebrities apps in the market. Anne Curtis Anne Galing debuted on Google Play and App Store in July 2015. It was inspired by popular match-3 games such as Candy Crush and Bejeweled Blitz. What separates Anne Galing from other local celebrity apps is its emphasis on a generous and exciting rewards system. Often compared to Kim Kardashian app, Anne Galing has more than 200,000 downloads and is considered as the first celebrity mobile game in the Philippines, not to mention the most popular, too. Ana Karylle Yuzon The singer-actress uses her app to introduce herself to her fans. It’s an intimate gallery where users can view her photos and bio. Released in December 2014, the app has already been downloaded by Android and iOS users more than 10,000 times. Erwan Heusaff The perfect app for a foodie is Erwan Heusaff ’s Market Master. This game does not only let users prepare healthy and scrumptious dishes but it also lets them do the grocery shopping. Recipes created by the budding chef are also available for download. Introduced to fans in July last year, the app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. Isabelle Daza “Pack your bags and join Isabelle Daza as she travels the world in her first official mobile game. Collect fashion finds from different countries and show off your outfit of the day to your friends.” This is how the app called Trip ni Belle entices mobile users. Released barely two months ago, the app has already been installed by users to their mobile devices more than 40,000 times. Sarah Geronimo The pop singer invites mobile users to her virtual world where they can come along in her concert tour available nowhere else but in her bubble popping game. Users just need to clear different puzzles with unique obstacles and unlock her songs as they play along. Featuring Sarah G’s hit songs “Sa Iyo,” “Kilometro” and “Tayo,” the app has more than 100,000 downloads since it was released in November last year. - Denise Amador and Conchita Edwards

Showbiz

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

KIM

DOMINGO

IS NEW

‘PANTASYA NG BAYAN’

By Nickie Wang

lot of people suggest Maja Salvador find a new man in her life and keep things low-key and under wraps. But, is that really the case?

“For the record, I am single. I am dating but not exclusive. My heart beats and yes, it beats on its own.” That’s Maja for you. She has actually stated so (in vernacular) in an interview with some members of the press last week when she was introduced as the newest brand ambassador of AMA Online Education (AMAOEd), the country’s first full online education program. Previously, the 28-yearold Kapamilya actress was linked to actor John Lloyd Cruz, with whom she was seen hanging out a few times. The two starred in a romantic movie One More Chance, as a couple. In August, Maja surprised many when she revealed on Instagram that she went on a date with John Lloyd to watch the romantic movie How to be Yours, top billed by her ex-boyfriend Gerald Anderson and Lloydie’s perennial onscreen partner, Bea Alonzo. Fans speculated that a romance could be brewing between her and Lloydie while others commented the two just simply attended the film’s screening just to show support for their friends. “From the start, he (Lloydie) is one of the people in the industry that guides and inspires me. I used to call him Itay and he used to call me Baby Girl. And in one of our projects together, I play the role of his girlfriend, and there’s a kissing scene. So, everything was a bit awkward that’s why we decided to stop calling each other that way,” Maja explaining her Instagram post with caption ‘Goodbye Itay, Hello Lloydie.’ Apparently, Lloydie is being seen again going out with his former flame, Angelica Panganiban. And by the looks of it, Maja and Lloydie, just like most normal adult people who enjoy the company of the opposite sex other than their partners, are just really close friends. Meanwhile, on her being AMAOEd’s celebrity ambassador Maja told Manila Standard she is excited to share this life-changing experience with other actors and celebrities who are tied to their mad schedules and showbiz engagements. “I wanted to inspire other actors in the industry to find time to kick start their dream of finishing their education. AMA Online Education offers a very flexible program. You can go through to the modules whenever and wherever you are. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can log onto the site and begin to study. Who knows, with a terrible traffic on Edsa baka tapos mo yung course stranded ka pa rin rin,” she quipped.

What does a liquor brand have to do with gorgeous women posing wearing economically challenged clothing, skimpy bikinis and lingerie that leaves nothing to your imagination? Well, apart from the pursuit of excellence in image branding, absolutely nothing. Similarly, browsing the 2017 calendar checking your schedule doesn’t really make sense. But a lot of men have already started checking out their schedule for next year using the latest calendar featuring actress Kim Domingo in five calendar layouts with a “cheeky and geeky” theme The World Wide Web was flooded with her sexy photos when a giant liquor brand welcomed her as its new calendar girl. This puts Kim in the same league as Arci Muñoz, Ellen Adarna, Marian Rivera, Solenn Heussaff, Georgina Wilson and Anne Curtis, to name a few. But who Kim Domingo really is and why is she getting this too much attention of late? The sexy actress was born on Feb. 3, 1995 and was raised in Quezon City. She is of mixed French heritage (hence her striking mestiza look). She attended Our Lady of Fatima University where she took up dentistry. Best known for her roles in Juan Happy Love Story as Agatha Samaniego and in the gag show Bubble Gang, Kim started in showbiz at a tender age of 15. She started in Wil Time Bigtime in 2011 and finally signed a talent contract with GMA 7 in 2015. Two months ago, she signed a recording contract with GMA Records and released her debut song and music video titled “Know Me” featuring international rapper C-Tru (you see, she doesn’t just act, she sings, too). In previous interviews, she revealed that she was in a relationship with her boyfriend of 6 years. However, in June this year, she confirmed that she has already broken up with her non showbiz boyfriend. In succeeding interviews, she said that her main focus now is her showbiz career. Recently, however, Kim admitted that she is currently in a relationship with former PBA player and model Michael Acuña (sorry guys!).

HER MAJASTY. After her high-profile romances, Maja Salvador is now embracing the perks of singledom and is not too obsessed with finding a new man.

Don’t drool just yet, it’s only Kim Domingo in one of her photos for the popular liquor brand’s 2017 calendar