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Business
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick T. dela Cruz, Issue Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com
Facebook disrupts PH businesses
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ACEBOOK says it is out to disrupt Philippine businesses in the same way it has changed how people communicate.
“We want to disrupt the way things actually are by making the way that people, friends and companies connect to each other. We are very frictionless and are riding on this great new technological disruption which is basically all about mobiles,” says Facebook country director for the Philippines Digs Dimagiba. Facebook, the California-based company founded by Mark Zuckerberg which posted a $3.7-billion profit and $17.9-billion revenue in 2015, is now looking at the Philippines from a business perspective. With 54 million registered users and more than 30 million active daily Facebook users based on TNS Research, the Philippines is considered as one of the most engaged Facebook communities in the world, according to Dimagiba. It now wants to monetize the huge following it has in the country. “We have grown the platform beyond a social media platform to one that is a true business solutions platform,” says Dimagiba. Facebook offers business solutions to enable Philippine companies to reach out to their target audience. Dimagiba says Facebook business solutions can help in the areas of brand building, generating demand, driving leads or sales and integrated campaigns on TV and Facebook and Instagram. He cites a study showing that three out of five Filipinos purchase a product after discovering it on Facebook. “The world has changed. The consumer has changed. The biggest disruptor in that change is that we have gone mobile. The Philippines is a mobile first country. It means that for a lot of Filipinos, their first contact with the Internet and going digital is actually their mobile or smartphone,”says Dimagiba. “For a lot of Filipino businesses, they ought to recognize that insight—that most Filipinos are already on mobile, they are always connected and spending 2 hours and 20 minutes everyday on smartphone mostly on Facebook. What they can do to reach people and connect their brand and business is that they can use the variety of solutions that Facebook actually has in order to connect. All the resources are actually online,” he says. Dimagiba, who was appointed to the post at the same time Facebook opened an office in the Philippines in April this year, says the rise of smartphones led to the dramatic growth of Facebook users in the country. TNS Research shows that the top 5 digital services used by Filipinos are Facebook (95 percent), YouTube (92 percent), Facebook Messenger (87 percent), Twitter (54 percent) and Instagram (50 percent). Filipinos use Facebook 1.7 times more often than television, 4.5 times more than radio and 8 times more than print media, according to the study. Dimagiba says Facebook’s lead is expected to become even wider as mobile phone penetration rate increases in the country. “We have to accept the fact that we have gone mobile. It is a digital
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg From his Facebook page
world. Some of the things we have learned in school at least from my generation is not the same as this current generation. The best thing is you can actually embrace the change and ride on it,” he says. “The nice thing about disruption is that it is a positive disruption. We learn that we suddenly move into a completely new space that is not incremental, it is exponential. That is the kind of positive impact that we want to bring to our partners and create value for the Philippines,” says Dimagiba. Filipinos spend two hours and 20 minutes on smartphones every day, he says. The Philippines is a mobile-first nation with 92 percent of people on Facebook accessing it via mobile devices. Dimagiba, who studied at Ateneo de Manila University and worked for Samsung and Unilever before joining Facebook, is in charge of working closely with businesses and agencies to help them get more value out of Facebook’s solutions. Six months into the job, Dimagiba is preparing the Facebook Philippine team to take advantage of the expected spike in online activities of Filipinos during the Christmas and New Year festivities. He says Filipinos now spend most of their media consumption time on Facebook and Instagram, exceeding the time spent on traditional media. Particularly during the months of October to December, there is significantly more activity across all demographics, he says.
He says there is around 30 percent more activity on Facebook during the festive season, beginning as early as September and continues until January of the next year. Early in January, Facebook sees the biggest spike in consumer goods related topics including household, baby and toys, food and beverage, and beauty and personal care, he says. Dimagiba says companies that have tried Facebook’s business solutions saw dramatic results. “In the Philippines alone, the results are really fantastic. Whether small or big clients, once they embrace the platform…suddenly it doubles the number of people who are interested in their business. Big clients say that in just a couple of months, they have received more leads to their business than they have ever had in the past. About 1000 percent or 100 percent, the kind of growth that is not just incremental in single digit, but really exponential. You can really see the return on businesses. We have helped a lot of our partners. I would say it is exponentially successful in driving business solutions,” he says. Memo Moreno, a principal partner at Mindshare, an agency that works with Facebook in the Philippines, says in this digital age, clients need to shift their traditional thinking to be more mobile first. “Before we used to spend 99 percent of our budget on TV, but here right now, we have to shift our investments more on mobile, more on digital, because it is all about that,”she says.
From left: ZipMatch chief executive John Dang, Facebook Philippines country director Digs Dimagiba, MindShare principal partner Memo Moreno and Shangri La Hotels and Resorts director of digital marketing Vincent Fajarda
DISRUPTOR. Facebook Philippines country director Digs Dimagiba
“We have actually seen this. They have shifted. We have big clients who have shifted a little more money on Facebook and other digital platforms, most of them mobile,” says Moreno. Moreno says an automotive company that used Facebook business solutions drew thousands of business leads in just two months. “In a span of two months, we were able to increase the number of leads by 4.3 times. That’s how effective the platform is,” she says. Vincent Fajarda, director of digital marketing at Shangri La Hotels and Resorts, says a recent online sales campaign for Shangri La Mactan has generated a significant increase in bookings. “We just used Facebook Carousel. We used Instagram Carousel as well. We are doing efforts like that so we have more channels to spread, or more channels to touch especially for consumers who are visual, who are actually looking into travelling. Slowly, we want to change the traditional image of Shangri La into something that is more progressive, cohesive and relevant,” Fajarda says. Fajarda says the online campaign also generated a lot of inquiries from interested guests through Facebook Messenger. “We receive 100 messages everyday. They are asking for price, room nights, etc,” he says. “On the brand side, we have observed that there is a 60-percent increase in web traffic because of the Facebook app referrals to our own website. We conducted an online sales last month and we saw an increase of 140 times than what we actually get from Google search ads. It is a good platform to convert peo-
ple,” he says. Dimagiba says Facebook can also supplement the traditional media in generating leads. “TV and Facebook are better together. When advertisers use Facebook and TV together, they get 8 percent more reach. They are able to reach more people, particularly the light viewers and it is also a very cost-effective and combination for them,” he says. Dimagiba says Facebook, despite its dominant size, is expected to get even bigger in the Philippines in the coming years. “In April, when we opened the office, there were only 49 million active monthly users on Facebook. Now in October, we are happy to announce that there are 54 million Filipinos on Facebook. If you look at a span of six months, there are five million Filipinos who are now more active and engaged,” he says. “I believe that we Filipinos really love connecting to each other. When we do business, it is all about connecting with people. The reason why you go to Facebook as a business or as a person is to make sure you keep having those connections that matter to you and share. You always have some kind of content or opinion and you use Facebook as the most effective medium to share that,” he says. “Our mission is to make the Philippines more open and connected. We believe it is going to keep us growing. If you look at the Philippines, there are still 46 million Filipinos that we believe should be connected to the other 54 million. We continue to grow. Our population continues to expand. We want a big Filipino family on Facebook,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz
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Business
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com
By Jasmine Mira M. Dy and Aries F. Fallorina
Serial entrepreneur backs PH start-ups
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HE Aboitiz family which runs one of the largest and oldest conglomerates in the Philippines has drafted a constitution to ensure the sustainability of its wide range of businesses.
Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz
Constitution guides Aboitiz conglomerate Jon Ramon Aboitiz, the 68-year-old chairman of publicly listed holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., cites succession and loyalty as major factors behind the success of the business group, which now employs over 30,000 Filipinos. “I think that succession is very important in a family [business]. First of all, the most important in a family corporation is that you have to build up rules and regulations for the family and the business. We have, for example, built a constitution. We have a family council. We have rules of engagement, who can join the family [business] because not every family member is entitled to work for the company. He has to try; he has to go through different processes,” Aboitiz says. He says this helps, as people leaving the business happen many times. “If you have the constitution, if you have the understanding of the rules of engagement, then it makes things easier because it is very clear to everyone what are the dos and don’ts,” Aboitiz says during the Anvil Business Summit 2016 organized by the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs at Marriott Hotel Manila in Pasay City. AEV is one of the fastest growing business groups in the country, with net income climbing 34 percent in the first half of 2016 to P10.5 billion from P7.8 billion a year ago. AEV and Aboitiz and Company Inc., the private holding company established by Aboitiz patriarch Don Ramon, have stakes in various industries such as power generation and distribution, transportation, food and flour milling, banking, remittances, cement and infrastructure, construction, shipbuilding, real estate, tourism, aviation and water distribution. Major subsidiaries include Aboitiz Power Corp., Visayan Electric Company Inc., Davao Light & Power Company Inc., Union Bank of the Philippines, Cebu City Savings Bank, PetNet Inc., Pilmico Foods Corp., Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corp., Aboitiz Land Inc., Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc., AEV Aviation Inc., Aboitiz Jebsen Group, Aboitiz Construction Group, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu) Inc., AseaGas PRIORITY GRADUATES. IBEX Global, the world’s fastest growing business process outsourcing company, pursues a partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as they strengthen their commitment to the education of the Filipino youth. Under the partnership, PUP students will be prioritized for employment in IBEX Global. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., IBEX Global delivers onshore, nearshore and offshore solutions in seven countries across 24 sites in seven countries and employs over 15,000 sales, tech support, and customer service professionals. Shown are (standing, from left) IBEX Global reports analyst Clarice Jane Flor, recruitment associate Samantha Joy Garcia, marketing supervisor Joey Odulio and recruitment supervisor Jessa Cabral. Sitting are (from left) PUP faculty member Jane Pulma, IBEX Global Shaw site director Mark Anthony Munsayac, Engineer Florinda Oquindo, PUP vice president for administration Alberto Guillo, PUP CMO director Kristine Viray and IBEX Global senior marketing manager John Moses Azarcon. Aries F. Fallorina
Corp. and Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. Aboitiz Power Corp., its energy unit, is one of the most active power players in the country and plays an important role in the economic growth of southern Philippines. “Mindanao is going to have an excessive power [by] middle next year or early next year up to maybe 2025. There are so many plants that are being built now so it would just be normal if you move from a shortage, you get to an [average]. It’s always a matter of reaction. I think they’ll also get to a point in time to rehabilitate the big hydros that we have,” Aboitiz says. “If you look at the Philippines now, Luzon is not going to have a problem. Right now, we have some minor problems but over the next 10 or 15 years, there are [more] plants to be built. Within Visayas, it’s the same way. So as a whole, with the issue of power shortages in the Philippines for the next 10 or 15 years, I don’t think there’s going to be a problem,” Aboitiz says. Aboitiz Power started as a renewable energy producer in Davao in the 1970s when they would just let water pass into a turbine and return it, without leaving storage. “Thirty-six percent of our power portfolio is renewable. And we expect to move our portfolio from 2,000 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts by 2020. And we expect that the renewable course will stay at about 36 percent to 38 percent [of the total],” Aboitiz says. Aboitiz is optimistic about business prospects under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte. Aboitiz says Duterte’s“vibrant personality” will not hurt investors’ confidence in the country. “We are optimistic. I think many times people are asking me about our president, and my answer to them is always give him time. I think he’s a decisive person, and I think that over time we will see results,” Aboitiz says. “I think if people would get to know how the president is, a lot of the things he says is not a personal thing,” says Aboitiz. AEV’s roots go back to the 1800s when Aboitiz’s grandfather, the com-
pany’s patriarch, and family moved to the Philippines from Basque Country in Spain. Aboitiz says his grandfather is the type who “would get into any business.” “We got into businesses that we knew nothing about like raising fish. We had these fish nets. We got into air cargo, we got into a number of other businesses that we didn’t know too much about,” he says. The family reinvented the business 20 years ago and focused on industries it could excel in. “We tried to focus on the businesses that we believe we can excel in. Over the last 20 to 25 years when we focused on our businesses, we basically focused on businesses which we felt would give us a long-term [turnaround] but most importantly that we knew how to run the business,” Aboitiz says. Going public, or offering shares in the stock exchange, gave the conglomerate a good reputation and financial resources. “When we went public, it really added to the professionalization of the group. Because before that, you can get [away] with things. You don’t have to make reports. But once you become a public corporation, you have responsibilities, and you have the transparency, and you need to make sure that your systems are all in order,” Aboitiz says. “Stock markets’ prices of commodities and prices of shares of stock go up and down. That’s natural. At the end of the day if you have a strong vision of what you’re going to be doing and you show the results, the people will come back to you,” Aboitiz says. AEV and Aboitiz Power stocks are among the best performers in the Philippine Stock Exchange in recent years. Aboitiz says going public is “one of the best decisions we ever made because it truly transformed us into a more professional group of companies.” Aboitiz says the group had its share of setbacks in business. On such instances, Aboitiz says: “You pick yourself up and you learn from it because I guarantee [that] you learn from your mistakes.”
FILIPINO serial entrepreneur and investor Jose “Joe” Maristela III announced through his venture capital firm, Katalyst.PH, a new wave of investment fund amounting to $1 million. The ecosystem still faces many barriers in the Philippine startup scene despite the emergence of local startup accelerators, innovation hubs, venture capitalists and angel investors as capital flowing in is too small compared to other markets. The government roadmap in creating 500 startups with total funding of $200 million and valuation of $2 billion by 2020 is quite a stretch, but not impossible because of the limitless possibilities that tech start-ups have, he says. Maristela’s outlook in the Philippine start-up economy is very positive adding to his high regard for the talents and skills of Filipino entrepreneurs, a series of investment rounds coming from his pocket is imminent. With Satoshi Citadel Industries’ recent undisclosed amount of seed funding from Korean web giant Kakao’s venture capital arm KVG, Maristela is currently driven to replicate this through the new wave of investment fund he is putting in. “In order for a start-up to really grow exponentially, they need to have strong strategic partners and investors. It is only after almost a year that I found the right partner for SCI. John Park, the CEO of KVG and I simply agreed that there is a very promising future for finance in the Asean region and we believe that SCI will play a critical role in unearthing these potentials,” says Maristela. SCI is one of the first start-ups he invested in that started out as a remittance business through its platform, Rebit.ph. It now continuously strengthens its list of products and services and is well on its way with a clear roadmap, a clear market and a new strategic partner. “They said a start-up couldn’t take the ‘enterprise’ approach—in that I mean; many critics of SCI said that they couldn’t pull off so many products at the same time at such an early stage, but that is what’s being innovative is all about. The team of course is also a key component, with SCI, you will really see that they’re not afraid to try things; fail, learn, and adapt quickly. It’s what’s makes them a ‘cockroach start-up’—or a start-up that is very resilient,” Maristela says. Corporate venture partner, 500 Startups, saw a big potential In order for for growth in one of Maristela’s venture— a start-up to Qwikwire, where he really grow was second to invest in. Kntnt Inc., another exponentially, start-up where they need to have Maristela poured in strong strategic some fund is making it big in the digital partners and media and marketing investors. space. Kntnt is earning a reputation for being able to close blue-chip accounts in its first few months of operation, making the company the official branding and marketing partner of industry giants like Samsung Philippines, Singapore Airlines and Rustan’s. “I believe the additional $1 million will go a long way out here given the talent and strong spirit of Filipino entrepreneurs. It will allow us as well to get into several niches that we have not considered investing in yet in the past. These companies don’t need to be in the tech businesses. I believe that there are businesses that are non-tech that can still have great impact and by that I mean start-up businesses that are ready and available to engage 90-percent of the market within a year or two in operation,” Maristela says. Aside from angel investing, his thrust is also geared towards helping the government develop a startup ecosystem for an inclusive economy—making sure that there is a chance for every aspiring entrepreneur in the Philippines to make it big. Maristela is also backed by a new network where he is a co-founder, the Manila Angel Investors Network. It is the brainchild of Rene Benitez, a concurrent member of Sydney Angels. Benitez wants to replicate of the Australian based group in the Philippines. Maristela finds great confidence in having MAIN behind him. “I used to do all of this heavy lifting on my own before; reporting back to my partners the progress of my venture builder office with minimal progress every week was a tough challenge, but now that I have MAIN with me, it’s been easier to access resources with due diligence. MAIN also assists me in properly assessing deals,” Maristela says. MAIN’s reciprocal members include Business Angel Network South East Asia Ltd, Sydney Angels and New York Angels. “I’m always on the lookout for opportunities. If people have ideas that they think can make it big out there, they can always apply for funding through www.katalyst. ph. I always check out the submissions and get in touch directly with the founders if I see a great potential in their ideas. I use my personal money in all my investments and course it through Katalyst, my private investment firm. I do not take outside funds, I carry all the risk that’s why I need to carefully assess every start-up I come across with looking for funding,” says Maristela.
Sports
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
The all-star Philippine team of the JrNBA/JrWNBA presented by Alaska including five young females namely: Florence JilTalas, Ma. Cecilia Quilendrino, RozieAmatong, Aloha Marie Betanio and Carly Kaye Monreal, the 10 young boys including Julian Alfonso Jugo, Fritz Felix Valencia, Harold Alarcon, Isaiah Miguel Blanco, RicOzner Gates, Andrei Philip Lechoncito, Tracy Carl Dadang, Jericho Nunez, Miguel Roy Luis Tan and Kai Zachary Sotto as well as the two coaches of the year EliginoChollo and ArayiEwon are joined by the Alaska Marketing team during the send-off at the NBA Cafe.
Dreams come true for young ballers By Homer Vidal
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HE dreams of the 10 best boys basketball players and the five best girls basketball players in the country came true last October 6 when they were sent off to Shanghai, China to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime NBA experience JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska. The players were selected in a nationwide search through Regional Selection Camps in Baguio, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Makati. The final 10 boys and five girls were named members of the Philippine All-Stars during the National Training Camp at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. They will join 90 other boys and girls from JrNBA Programs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to watch the NBA Global Games China 2016 between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. “I’d like to congratulate our JrNBA Philippine All-Stars on their success. Through Alaska Milk’s Nutrition. Action. Champion. Program and our partnership with the NBA, we have been able to help fuel the basketball dreams and life aspirations of thousands of children across the country,” said Alaska Milk Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Wilfred Steven Uytengsu.
By Reuel Vidal THE San Beda Red Lions and Red Cubs have long dominated the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the college and high school basketball. Their counterparts in women’s volleyball hope to likewise step up as the Lady Red Spikers continue their intensive preparations for the coming season. The Lady Red Spikers are aiming to establish a milestone by reaching the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history. Members of the starting unit, which includes outside hitter and star player Cesca Racraquin, middler blocker Satrriani Espiritu, outside hitter Nieza Viray, opposite hitter Ella Viray, middle blocker Criselle Amador, libero Daryl Racraquin, setter Rebecca Cuevas and Coach Mesio Gavino, are one in saying that they hope to fulfill the hopes of the San Beda community to advance to the Final Four and beyond this coming NCAA season. The veteran Racraquin said this year’s team has the chemistry to do really well. “We’re coming back this season stronger than ever. Our chemistry has never been better. There is camaraderie and tight bonds of friendship. Hopefully it’s enough to propel us to the Final Four,” she said.
“This collaboration is an important element of our long-standing Nutrition. Action. Champion. campaign. By leveraging on this initiative, Alaska Milk was able to proactively educate families and children on the important role of drinking milk and getting into sports to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle.” The JrNBA Program is presented by Royal Friesland Campina in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam through its Alaska Milk, Frisian Flag, Dutch Lady and Foremost brands and conducted in Singapore through partnership with Sport Singapore. Alaska Marketing Director Blen Fernando expressed her gratitude to the NBA for the partnership that has helped tens of thousands of children achieve their basketball dreams. “I am really grateful to the NBA for always being there for the past nine years. We started with a thousand children dur-
Carlo Singson
ing our first year. Now we’ve reached the lives of 20,000 participants,” said Fernando. She also called on the players who will fly to China to represent not only themselves but their families and the country as well. She advised them to enjoy the experience that they will surely cherish for a lifetime. JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska
promotes the importance of regular physical activity, trains participants in the fundamentals of basketball and teaches the importance of core values, including sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude and respect. NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson called on the participants to make the most of the opportunity that they’ve been blessed with. “This is the culmination of the activity that started with the NBA camps nationwide. For the children, this is a once in a lifetime experience. So I ask you to enjoy the experience. Soak in as much as possible. And conduct yourselves accordingly because you represent not just yourselves but the country as well,” said Singson. The JrNBA program has touched the lives of more than 1.5 million children, parents and coaches across Southeast Asia by conducting camps, clinics, and NBA Cares community outreach activities. The JrNBA/JrWNBA players will also meet NBA players and legends, receive additional basketball training and tour the city. Alaska Basketball Power Camp Director Jeff Cariaso likewise praised the children for their hard work and sacrifice which made the experience possible. “It was a long journey. From first day of the basketball clinics to now. From thousands who participated
Blen Fernando
you guys are the chosen 10 boys and five girls. When you get to China you will not only experience the sights of the country but also get to watch a real live NBA game. You will also get the chance to train with some of the best NBA trainers and play with your counterparts from other countries in Southeast Asia. Work hard. Always give your best but always enjoy. And take lots of pictures,” said Cariaso. For more information visit Alaska Milk’s sports channel www.playph.com and like @PlayPH in Facebook and Instagram for inspiring stories on Filipino sports fans of all ages and skill levels. Fans can also visit the official website at www.jrnba.asia for more information on the JrNBA programs. “Friend” the NBA’s official account on LINE by adding @nba_global. Follow the NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nba and Twitter at @NBA for all the latest news and updates. For all things NBA, visit http:// www.nba.com./
Lady Red Spikers are ready to roar
The starting unit of the San Beda College Lady Red Spikers are ready to roar this coming NCAA season. The starting unit include, from left: Nieza Viray, Ella Viray, Criselle Amador, Cesca Racraquin, Satrriani Espiritu, Daryl Racraquin, Rebecca Cuevas and Coach Mesio Gavino. Brosi Gonzales
Espiritu believes that this year’s SBC women’s volleyball team is the best-prepared ever. “We hope to fulfill the wish and aspiration of the San Beda community that we advance to the Final Four. We have really prepared hard. We joined other tournaments so that we could gain more
experience in preparation for our major league which is the NCAA. We are prepared and we are confident,” said Espiritu. Nieza, one half of the Viray twins, said they will give their all even as they aspire to crack the Final Four for the first time ever. “We will do our best. We don’t
want to expect too much. We will just play hard. We will just show our best,” she said. “We will do everything in order to win. We will support our teammates. We will help each other out inside the court,” echoed twin sister Ella. The rest of the Lady Red
Spikers include Iris George Domingo, Carmina Rebolledo, Abigail Dumpit, Pham Garcia, Nicole Laguna, Noheli Cerdeña, Daisy Manuel, Joycee Baluarte, Deborah Zamudio and China Tannagan. They are led by coach Messio Gavino. The Lady Red Spikers benefitted from exposure in the past Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference where they were helped by veteran Wenneth Eulalio who helped Laoag win the 10th edition of the Shakey’s Reinforced Conference. “Participation in the Shakey’s V-League gave us good exposure. The participating teams were among the best in the country. The competition is keener. It served as our foundation for the coming NCAA season,” said coach Gavino who added that he expects every one of his players to step up and contribute. “I told all my players that they need to deliver. We can’t rely on just one or two players to step up. I expect my veterans to lead the way. Then the rookies and the newcomers will follow their lead. We want to give back to the school which has given us so many privileges.” The stint in the Shakey’s V-
Middle blocker Satrriani Espiritu practices her spiking. Brosi Gonzales
League Reinforced Conference has given the Lady Red Spikers invaluable experience and confidence which will no doubt serve them in good stead in their quest to make the Final Four and beyond this coming NCAA season.
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Sports
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel S. Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
PADYAK PALAWAN. Romi Garduce (in yellow shirt) with members of the UP Mountaineers.
Eco-tourism by bike tour By Peter Atencio
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OMI Garduce, who is preparing for two bigger adventures following his conquest of Mt. Everest 10 years ago, is embarking on a quest to raise to awareness on the sights, sounds and the wildlife of the island of Palawan. On Oct. 10 to 23, Garduce and a group of UP Mountaineers will be off to Palawan for a fundraising bike tour. Dubbed as Padyak Palawan, the tour will showcase some of the country’s most impressive heritage sites, as well as highlight wildlife advocacy by promoting different stunning wildlife locations throughout the region. “This is to promote eco-tourism by bike,” said Garduce in an interview with the Manila Standard during the launch of the tour at the Bikers’ Café at the SHUTTER bug Gaps Sabuero made it as one of the 55 finalists, but eventually fell short in the Red Bull Illume 2016 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Out of 34,624 images from 120 participating countries around the globe, Sabuero’s photograph of a surfer at Siargao Island made it as one of the top 55 finalists in the Masterpiece by Yodobashi Category. “It’s ridiculous that I see my name there and I feel so out of place. All shots are from professionals (photographers) on big assignments, while mine’s taken with a GoPro at quicksilver not knowing what I was doing. I’m so stoked to have my name be on the list with the people who inspired me,” said Sabuero on his Facebook post. The winners are: Close Up: Denis Klero, Russia with his black and white shot of climber Rustam Gelmanov showing his chalk-covered hands in Fontainebleu, France. Energy: Luke Shadbolt, Australia for his black and white image showing the power of nature. Surfer Renan Faccini is set against a huge swell in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Enhance: Dean Treml, New Zealand and his image of cliff diver Jonathan Paredes jumping from the 28-meter platform on the roof of the Copenhagen Opera House during the Red Bull Cliff Div-
SM by the Bay. The tour kicks off in Bataraza and culminate in scenic El Nido. Garduce said he was planning to go to the ends of Palawan via a kayak. But logistical issues came into play. In between their tour, the group will enjoy traversing beautiful places like the Talbon cave, which is said to be the site of some of the world’s oldest human bones dating all the way back to 50,000 years. Then, there are also plans to go to Estrella Falls in Aborlan, Puerto Princesa, the Matan-
glaw and Umalad Falls in Roxas, and UNESCO sites like St. Paul’s underground river in Sabang, and Sta. Isabela in Taytay, a wellknown spot for kayaking, diving and snorkelling. “Maraming sumama dito,” added Garduce, who went up the 22,349-foot Ama Dablam in Eastern Nepal last year, which was his preparation for a possible expedition to K-2, the second highest peak in the world. He is also setting his eyes on hikes in the South Pole and North Pole, which is called a Grand Slam in the world of mountaineering. Padyak Palawan, according to Garduce, will not just to promote adventure tourism in Palawan, but also to spread awareness on wildlife conservation to protect endangered species, interact with local communities unique to each region, and further appreciate the exquisite resources of the country. The tour will encourage followers to do their part and give back to Center for Conservation Innovation’s Palawan Pro-
gramme: Oplan Tandikan. Oplan Tandikan, the advocacy chosen by Garduce himself, which is a biodiversity conservation project that is committed to increasing the area of land conservation management and building conservation capacity, specifically of high profile endemic species and their rapidly diminishing habitats. Padyak Palawan 2016 is presented by C.O.R.E., in partnership with the UP Mountaineers. This event is for the benefit of Center for Conservations Innovations Inc. and made possible by the following major sponsors: R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange), Department of Tourism Mimaropa Region, Tourism Promotions Board, Cebu Pacific as the official Airline partner, and minor sponsors: The North Face, FOX, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island, and Powerman Philippines. Padyak Palawan 2016, along with media partners: Business Mirror, Business World, Business World University Edition, and Manila Standard.
PH surfing photographer is Red Bull Illume finalist
Gaps Sabuero’s entry
ing World Series, 2013. Lifestyle: Jody MacDonald, Canada with her mesmerizing image of her brother Ken MacDonald sitting atop a train during their adventure through the Sahara Desert. Masterpiece by Yodobashi: Lorenz Holder, Germany showing Senad Grosic ride his bike over a bridge in an autumnal Gablenz, Germany.
New Creativity: Ale Di Lullo, Italy for his fun shot of Aaron Chase riding his mountain bike on the windshield of a NYC cab. Playground: Lorenz Holder, Germany showing BMXer Senad Grosic ride a rusted viewing platform in Senftenberg, Germany. Sequence by Sony: Daniel Voch, Czech Republic with his shot of Flying Bulls pilots Miroslav Krejci, Jan Rudzinskyi, Stan-
islav Cejka and Jan Tvrdic in Jarom, Czech Republic. Spirit: Dean Treml, New Zealand for his image showing kayaker Josh Neilson being supported by fellow paddlers Barnaby Prees, Sam Sutton, Tim Pickering, Ben Brown, Jamie Sutton and Jaren Seiler after a bad landing off Mat’s Drop, Storulfossen, Norway. Wings: Micky Wiswedel, South Africa with his shot of climber Jamie Smith mid-fall as he attempts a new route on Table Mountain, Cape Town. Vegard Aasen of Norway won the Mobile Category, the newest photography category at Red Bull Illume, for his black and white mountaineering image taken in Hakuba, Japan. The images of the top 55 finalists and the top 275 finalists of Red Bull Illume can be seen on www.redbullillume. com and @RedBullIllume Facebook fanpage. The finalists” entries are published on a limited edition Coffee Table Book that can be purchased on www.redbullillumebook.com.
Vargas confident of beating Pacman
Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas do the traditional staredown.
By Ronnie Nathanielsz WORLD Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas is very confident in his ability to knock out Philippine Senator and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao when they clash in a title fight at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 5 (Nov. 6) in Manila. Vargas’ confidence stems from his ninth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Olympian Sadam Ali to capture the vacant world title last March in a dominating performance. The 27-year-old Vargas said he wants to avenge the defeats suffered by his Mexican idols Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales at the hands of the “Fighter of the Decade.” “A month before the biggest fight of my career so far, I feel good, really. I feel sure of myself, I feel very strong. We are working hard and that’s been the difference. I feel quite sure what I’ll do in this fight,” Boxing Scene quoted Vargas. “I want to keep climbing, this is the fight I was expecting since I was a child. I will fight with a well-respected and wellknown figure, one of the best in the world, and this is my chance. Once I beat Pacquiao, I will be given a lot of respect and receive recognition to my career. There is a very small list of fighters
who have become legends by beating Pacquiao. Morales beat Manny in their first fight and Marquez in their fourth. Vargas added: “From what I saw in his last fight with Bradley, I think he was still at his best. I’m glad Manny is in good time in his career, because then no one will have any excuse. I want to beat the best Manny Pacquiao. I like challenges and I want to prove to people what I’m made of and that’s why I’m happy with this fight.” Vargas believes that he’s capable of getting a knockout victory. He hurt Tim Bradley very badly last year, but lost a 12-round decision. Vargas then showed off his growing power by knocking out Ali. “If given the opportunity, if I see an open window, I’ll go for [the knockout] - that’s the plan. I feel very good with the experience I have now, but I will not come in there with the mentality that I can only win by knockout. I’m coming in there with the mentality of winning every second, every minute of every round. But I will not miss. I have the strength to knock him out, so there shouldn’t be any surprise [when it happens],” said Vargas. The Pacquiao-Vargas and the Nonito Donaire-Jessie Magdaleno title fights will be telecast by Solar Sports over GMA 7.