Manila Standard - 2018 September 16 - Sunday

VOL. XXXII • NO. 213 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

RACE FOR LIFE.

A slippered father runs double time while cuddling protectively his sick child, with a companion holding high the dextrose bottle, as they transfer to another car when their ambulance is checked along the national highway by toppled electric posts caused by unforgiving winds from Super Typhoon 'Ompong' after it slammed hours earlier into Cagayan Valley at dawn Saturday. AFP

'DEATH AND DESTRUCTION' 'OMPONG' LEAVES 10 DEAD, MASSIVE DAMAGE TO PH

'IT FELT LIKE END OF THE WORLD'

By Francisco Tuyay and Joel Zurbano

TUGUEGARAO—Bebeth Saquing has seen dozens of storms in her lifetime, but nothing prepared her for the terror of Super Typhoon ''Mangkhut'' as it roared over her Philippine home Saturday packing winds of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour.

The most powerful storm to hit the region so far this year left a trail of battered homes, landslides and fallen trees in its wake.

At least four people were killed as the typhoon smashed across the rural north of the country, a farming area home to millions.

“It felt like the end of the world... that was stronger than Lawin,” said Saquing, 64, referring to a powerful super typhoon which hit the region in 2016.

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S

UPER Typhoon ''Ompong,'' the 15th and strongest storm to hit the country this year, ferociously whirled away towards the West Philippine Sea before sundown Saturday, leaving in its swathe an undetermined value in destroyed agricultural crops and infrastructure and an initial ten people dead and six others missing.

The typhoon struck the northern tip of Luzon and threatened the lives and homes of nearly four million people of the country’s 106 million population. Turn to A2

RODY ON 'STORM WATCH' MODE

By Nat Mariano

FACES OF DESTRUCTION. Several power posts are knocked down Saturday (top photo) like this frame in Barangay Del Monte in Quezon City after Typhoon 'Ompong' caused violent winds and strong rains in the metropolis, with a relief center warehouse (top left) being prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. In Manila (top right) motorists traverse flooded Roxas Blvd. along Manila Bay Saturday morning while families take shelter at an evacuation center (below) in Delpan in Manila’s Tondo district.

Manny Palmero, Norman Cruz

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who normally spends weekends in his home city of Davao, is in Manila during the weekend monitoring developments in areas affected by Typhoon ''Ompong,'' Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Saturday.

“He’s in Manila. He did not leave and is monitoring,” Roque said in a command conference at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council office in Quezon City.

“Knowing him, he will be the first to go to the affected areas as soon as the weather will allow his choppers to take off,” the Palace official added.

Duterte tasked six of his Cabinet officials to be his “alter egos”in the provinces in Northern Luzon to facilitate government response to Ompong. Roque, meanwhile, was ordered to monitor information dissemination about the typhoon.

According to Roque, the President did not give any last-minute directive about Turn to A2

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100 WORKERS GET CASH AID FROM DFA CLARK FREEPORT—An estimated 100 overseas Filipino Workers whose flights were canceled by typhoon Ompong here were given P5,000 each by the government Saturday.

The government’s financial assistance will cover their meals, accommodation and other expenses while awaiting the resumption of flights at Clark International Airport.

The cash assistance is being processed by the consular offices in the cities of Angeles and San Fernando upon the instruction of Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, DFA assistant secretary Elmer Cato said.

Cato and personnel of the Clark International Airport Corp. are now assisting since Saturday morning the processing of the financial assistance to the workers.

Glicelito Nelmida, an OFW from La Union, thanked the government for the assistance.

The assistance reached P500,000 based on the daily 100 OFWs using CRK as their gateway for their destinations.

Aside from Business Process Outsourcing, the OFWs working abroad are also major contributors to economy with annual remittance of estimated $25 billion, according to officials. Romeo Dizon

'IT FELT...

From A1 “I did not sleep,” she told AFP by phone from her home on Luzon, which withstood Mangkhut’s pounding.

Evidence of the massive storm’s passage was everywhere on Saturday.

Wind-struck power poles bent from the ground at odd angles, while uprooted trees blocked roads. Corrugated steel roofs shivered and bounced in the continuing gusts.

Authorities were just beginning their surveys of the damage on Saturday afternoon.

Convoys were heading out on the winding roads of the rural area, which produces a significant portion of the nation’s corn and rice.

‘Twice as strong’ Fe a r w a s w i d e s p r e a d among many of the estimated four million people in the storm’s path long before it made landfall.

Thousands of people evacuated high-risk areas following major flooding and landslide warnings.

Myrna Parallag and her two young grandchildren fled their home a day before Mangkhut struck.

“I’m afraid that the floodwaters will be high and will reach our house,” the 53-yearold told AFP on Friday as she looked for shelter near the city of Tuguegarao.

This was not her first storm.

Parallag survived 'Lawin,' also known as Super Typhoon 'Haima,' but it destroyed her house.

“The newscaster said the typhoon now is twice as strong,” added Parallag, who makes money selling street food.

Her worries and those of thousands of others were well founded.

The storm claimed its first victims on Saturday, including two women who were buried when a rain-soaked hillside collapsed.

“As we go forward, this number will go higher,” said Ricardo Jalad, head of the national civil defense office, referring to the death toll.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty. AFP

PRICE SPIRAL FEARED IN OMPONG'S WAKE

By Maricel V. Cruz

Party-list Rep. Michael Romero lingering impact on the supply of of 1-Pacman said the adverse ef- rice and vegetables that would be fect of Typhoon Ompong will have felt shortly.

That will cause retail prices of the commodities to jump yet again this month and inflation this will cause will be felt for months to come, he said “To steer the country out of the inflation rut it is in, I suggest to President Rodrigo Duterte that he constitute a presidential task force to combat inflation,” Romero, assistant deputy majority leader, said.

He said the Filipino people want to see a coordinated attack on inflation by government agencies whose mandates affect various components of the consumer price index.

“Our inflation problems started

during the lean months for rice last year. With the peso depreciating even further this year, imported fuel will become more expensive and worsen inflation. The people want swift action now,” Romero added.

“We could have a bleak Christmas if the task force on inflation is not formed now and pushes inflation back to below 4 percent,” Romero warned.

He made the recommendation following inflation rising to 6.4 percent, continuing shortage of discounted rice for the poor, rising utilities charges, and discord among agencies with the mandates to address inflation.

tion of the government as Ompong was pummeling the country.

Duterte designated presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino as his conduit for preparations and disaster response during the typhoon.

He also ordered Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad, and Tolentino to closely monitor the particular provinces in Northern Luzon in the typhoon’s path.

“May I ask Atty. [Francis] Tolentino just to be my conduit. I may be around somewhere, I may decide to go out, I really do not know. Just get the information that is available and the things that we wanted to know along the way,” said Duterte.

“Be my conduit so that it’s only one [person]. Then I can have the whole gamut of information from there. So, he would represent the Office of the President because I’m away, I will be cut off,” added the President.

Duterte explained that every department already designated field officers in the areas.

He deemed it proper to pinpoint

the six secretaries to closely monitor the calamity-prone areas.

“It’s only proper. What they told me was right. I would need a face there. But I cannot be everywhere and anywhere. So, since they were locals of those provinces, I told them to go there,” said Duterte, assuring the public that the government was ready for Ompong.

He explained he had dispatched government officials and already prepositioned food, medicine, and assistance.

Asked whether the country plans to seek aid from foreign countries, Duterte said it’s “too early” to ask for help from the international community.

According to Tolentino, there was no report of casualties as of posting time but an increased number of evacuees was reported in affected areas.

Tugade said the Tuguegarao Airport was closed to the public after some facilities were damaged due to the typhoon.

Lorenzana, who joined Roque in the press conference, clarified that although some facilities were damaged, it was still open for humanitarian

services.

“The facilities are damaged but the runway itself is okay. The runway can be used for humanitarian services,” Lorenzana said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, meanwhile, said roads from Metro Manila to Cagayan Valley remained passable and communication signal remained strong.

However, there was reported damage on agricultural products in Cagayan, he said.

He also assured that relief goods and donations were arriving in affected areas.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said although power outages in some affected areas were reported, the government is working to partially restore them.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said his department had set up command centers to ensure the flow of basic commodities, while Social Welfare Acting Secretary Virginia Orogo said 31,631 families in the llocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera regions have been affected by the typhoon, and many of them were already in evacuation centers. With PNA

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HE expected spike in the price of food and other prime commodities following the devastation wrought by Typhoon ''Ompong,'' the continuing slump in the value of the peso against the US dollar as well as spiralling fuel prices highlight the need for the creation of a presidential commission to fight inflation, a legislator said on Saturday.

RODY...

From A1

the calamity, stressing that Duterte’s only mandate was to give information to the public.

According to Roque, the President did not give any last-minute directive about the calamity, stressing that Duterte’s only mandate was to give information to the public.

“Well, the directive is to conduct this command conference, we were tasked to handle information dissemination,”Roque said.“[That’s why] many of the department secretaries are here, coordinating delivery of services.”

Some Cabinet secretaries who were present during the interagency briefing were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who acts as the chairman of NDRRMC, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Virginia Orogo, and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

On Thursday, the President led a briefing, attended by several government officials, to ensure the prepara-

'DEATH...

From A1 The violent and unforgiving winds, accompanied by torrential rains, triggered massive landslides and knocked down power lines, leaving posthaste communities in its beaten path without power.

“As we go forward, this number will go higher,” Ricardo Jalad, head of the national civil defense office, told reporters, referring to the death toll.

The two lifeless bodies of the two responders in Baguio City—identified as Shaina Mae Laroco Pascua, 19, and Grace Ganabe, 45—were pulled from the soil of a hillside that collapsed after the storm’s torrential rains, police said.

The third was an unidentified girl in Marikina City in the metropolis.

In Nueva Vizcaya, four members of a family, including a two-year-old toddler and an 8-month old infant, were killed after their house caved in, presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino said.

Three others were killed in Benguet, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said in a radio interview.

In related developments: • Nine airports in the country were ordered closed on Saturday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines already sent notice to airmen (Notam) that the airports in Basco, Cauayan, Tuguegarao, Lingayen, Laoag, Itbayat, Vigan and Palanan were closed for commercial operations until late afternoon today.

"So far, these are the airports covered by our Notam," said CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio in a text message to Manila Standard.

In Manila, the Manila International Airport Authority media affairs division said 53 flights were suspended Saturday.

Today, PAL, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Air Swift, Air Asia and CebGo also suspended some international and domestic flights. Most of those cancelled were flights to and from Hong Kong.

Tomorrow, Cebu Pacific Air and Cathay Pacific suspended their Manila and Hong Kong flights.

• The Department of Health in Tuguegarao, Cagayuan is looking for additional physicians to attend to the 87,000 residents who have fled to evacuation centers.

Dr. Rio Magpantay, Director IV, Re-

gional Office 2 of the DOH said doctors from the regional office would not be enough.

He said he had asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for augmentation from the Health Emergency Management Bureau and from the Epidemiologist Bureau.

• In Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, disaster volunteers reported that heavy rains in Nueva Vizcaya had rendered stretches of the Maharlika Highway in Cagayan Valley not passable to traffic since Saturday noon.

Enciong Guballa, a Red Cross volunteer has shown a video footage of road section in Santa Fe where existing flood control dikes failed to contain water from the river to overflow in the road.

As planned by the PDRRMC, Gov. Carlos Padilla sent heavy equipment and personnel to start clearing operations.

• In Pampanga, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in Central Luzon distributed a total 79,889 emergency food packages to the residents affected by Ompong in the region Saturday.

Initial reports from disaster council showed a total 19,850 affected families composed of 79,889 persons were served by the Department of Social Service Development and the local government units in the region.

Bobby Manalo, operation officer of the RDRRMC, said the emergency operations center inside the headquarters of Philippines Air Force in Clark was reactivated Saturday.

Manalo said the operation center was equipped with land, sea and air transport system like helicopters and vessels to speed up the relief and rescue and boost the capability of the disaster agencies in helping the victims.

• In the southern part of Metro Manila, more than 6,400 people were evacuated, according to Supt. Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the Southern Police District.

He said the evacuues were brought to 140 evacuation centers set up in the cities of Taguig, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Makati, Pasay and in the municipality of Pateros. ¨In Muntinlupa, the police community precinct 3 conducted police assistance for the distribution of relief goods to the evacuees at Alabang Elementary school. As of this time, there are 495 families and 2,400 individuals in the evacuation center,¨ said Tecson.

The Metro Manila Development Authority also reported that four vehicles

were damaged after a Meralco post was knocked down at the westbound lane of Connecticut near Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

MMDA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said no one was reported injured in the incident.

• The UNICEF pledged assistance to the government in any and all capacities the government would require.

UNICEF Representative Lotta Sylwander said “Children are the most vulnerable in any emergency situation.

UNICEF stands ready to provide support and assistance to the Philippine Government; and to local government units in the affected areas to respond to this brewing storm.

“We also call on parents and local communities to heed the governments’ call to evacuate to safe spaces, to ensure populations, especially children, pregnant mothers, and vulnerable families are safe from possible damage brought about by Ompong.”

UNICEF has prepositioned emergency supplies for about 12,500 families to respond to affected people’s needs for safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, and child protection. Sylwander said “The agency is also ready to distribute supplies on very short notice and activate partners for more emergency supplies for immediate distribution. Additionally, UNICEF said it has a cross-sectoral contingency already developed for areas on typhoon’s track.”

As Ompong left the Southeast Asian archipelago and barrelled towards densely populated Hong Kong and southern China, search teams in the Philippines began surveying the provinces that suffered a direct hit.

“We believe there has been a lot of damage,” said Social Welfare Secretary Virginia Orogo as thousands of evacuees took refuge in emergency shelters.

Ompong was packing sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 260 km per hour as it left the Philippines.

An average of 21 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty.

Thousands of people fled their homes in high-risk areas ahead of the storm’s arrival because of major flooding and landslide risks.

Ompong has also left a trail of destruction to agriculture, particularly in the corn capital of Isabela and Nueva Viscaya and the rice granary in Nueva

Ecija, inundating low-lying areas as the whirlwind smashed the rest of Luzon.

Capt. Jefferson Somera, spokesman of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said Ompong had incurred widespread devastation in Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Apayao, Kalinga and Abra.

He said several roads connecting Ifugao and Mountain Province were not passable. A total 1, 882 families from Region 2 had been evacuated to shelters.

CAR Office of Civil Defense director Ruben Carandang said 28 roads were closed due to landslides, rockslides, obstructed to fallen trees and eroding soil.

Japan Meteorological Agency forecaster Hiroshi Ishihara told AFP on Friday, "Among all the typhoons this year, this one (international name Mangkhut; Philippine name Ompong) is the strongest.”

“This is a violent typhoon. It has the strongest sustained wind (among the typhoons of this year).”

“They (authorities) said this typhoon is twice as strong as the last typhoon, that’s why we are terrified,” Myrna Parallag, 53, told AFP after fleeing her home in the northern Philippines.

“We learned our lesson last time.

The water reached our roof,” she said, referring to when her family rode out a typhoon at home in 2016.

The country’s deadliest on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013.

Poor communities reliant on fishing are some of the most vulnerable to fierce typhoon winds and the storm surges that pound the coast.

“The rains will be strong and the winds are no joke... We may have a storm surge that could reach four storeys high,” Michael Conag, a spokesman for local civil defense authorities, told AFP. As the storm headed for China’s southern coast, Cathay Pacific airline said it expects more than 400 flight cancellations over the next three days.

The Hong Kong government said Mangkhut would pose “a severe threat to the region” as many residents in the city and neighboring Macau stocked up on food and supplies.

The president of neighboring Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, told citizens to be ready.

“The typhoon is powerful and even it’s not expected to make a landfall in Taiwan, we should be well prepared and not... take it lightly,” she wrote on Facebook. With AFP, Abe Almirol, Romeo Dizon

News PASSENGER WITH FAKE PASSPORT DEPORTED

UPLB STAGES ‘GAPASAN’ 2018 ARTS, CULTURAL FESTIVAL

By Joel E. Zurbano andVito Barcelo Guatemala. Her passport was likewise AIRPORT and immigration authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport barred an African national from entering the country for using spurious travel documents.

Clarisse Nankia, 43, a Cameroonian, disguised herself as a Guatemalan national upon arrival aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

NAIA immigration officer Marc Red Mariñas said Nankia was immediately excluded and booked on the first available flight back to her port of origin after immigration officers discovered that the Guatemalan passport and other travel documents she presented were “fraudulent.”

Immigration personnel manning Terminal 1 doubted Nankia´s identity when she could not converse in Spanish, the official language in

unreadable by the passport scanners.

Airports officials eventually determined that the passenger presented a fake Guatemalan passport and a Guatemalan identity card, which were both declared as fraudulent by immigration´s forensic document laboratory.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente reiterated his earlier warnings against illegal aliens attempting to enter the country.

“Our officers are highly trained, and we have high-tech equipment that can detect fake documents. Do not even attempt to use illegal means to enter the Philippines,” he said.

Airport authorities recently installed high-tech cameras in each immigration counter at the NAIA to capture images of all departing and arriving passengers in line with the heightened security measure being enforced at the airport.

OMPONG’S WRATH. Rescue workers clear a road of debris and toppled electric posts caused by strong winds due to Super Typhoon ‘Ompong’ as they try to reach Baggao town in Cagayan province, north of Manila Sept. 15, 2018. ‘Ompong’ slammed into the northern part of the country with violent winds and torrential rains, as authorities warned millions in its path of potentially heavy destruction. AFP

BOC TIGHTENS ALERT VS CRACKERS, X’MAS LIGHTS

By Joel E. Zurbano

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HE Customs bureau has heightened its alert against the so-called anti-social goods such as firecrackers, substandard Christmas lights and decorations, and used clothing which are expected to arrive for the holiday season.

The close watch is also doubled against plastic toys with high lead paint content, gun replicas and frozen meat products that may pose health risks.

According to Customs officials, the “ber months” period is critical for the agency because unscrupulous traders will try to find the

opportunity to sneak in their illegal goods in time with the high volume of imports at the ports.

Shipments intended for the holiday season will start coming in from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Last Thursday, Subic port collector lawyer Rhea Gregorio led the destruction of P1.5 million worth of used clothing, locally known as ukay-ukay, and other abandoned goods in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

The prohibited items were shredded and disposed of at Epy Eco Auction and Waste Disposal Services, the accredited service provider of the Port of Subic for the condemnation of contrabands and abandoned goods.

Gregorio said the used clothing and used tires as well as the assorted merchandise were abandoned by the consignees and have been consequently forfeited in favor of the government. ¨While the commercial proliferation of ‘ukayukay’ and ‘used tires’ is popular, the law prohibits

its importation as provided by the Republic Act 4653 (RA 4653),” said Gregorio.

RA 4653 entitled “An act to safeguard the health of the people and maintain the dignity of the nation by declaring it a national policy to prohibit the commercial importation of textile articles commonly known as used clothing and rags” prohibits the importation of ukay-ukay while the Letter of Instruction No. 1086, s. 1980 prohibits the importation of used tires.

The importation of “ukay-ukay” (used clothes) was also banned to protect the consumers from the risk of catching contagious diseases from contaminated smuggled used clothing smuggled from abroad.

Aside from the health risks that come with the importation of used clothing, the local garment manufacturing industry is also complaining that the proliferation of “ukay-ukay” in the local market is affecting the viability of their industry.

EXPIRED SMUGGLED GOODS DESTROYED

THE Linang Arts and Culture Network Inc., in partnership with National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog, Inc. (Artist, Inc.) will bring Gapasan Habi ng Luzon, a national festival on contemporary arts at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna on Oct. 3 to 6, 2018.

The event consists of three components: Paragos, Palihan, and Habi ng Luzon; all with the same aim of showcasing Luzon’s contemporary arts rooted from the region’s cultural heritage and opening an avenue for collaborations on art and culture.

Paragos is a run of theater productions by Artist, Inc.; and for this year it will feature a play, entitled “Bagong Sigwa”, written by multi-awarded playwright, Bonifacio Ilagan. The said play was supposed to be staged through the direction of multifaceted director Prof. Leo Rimando, on September 22, 1972 but did push through when Martial Law was declared.

In Palihan, parallel workshop on applied art, mural making, film production and devised theater will be held. The workshop on applied art encompasses topics in pottery, jewelry making, fashion and interior design.

The Habi ng Luzon Exhibit will highlight three sub-components, namely (a) Tabi-Tabi Po, a site specific storytelling about local heritage; (b) Pinilakang Tabing, film showing that centers in women; and (c) Turo-Turo, a showcase of the actual cooking of selected Filipino delicacies highlighted with a fora on how food represents on culture and identity.

Meanwhile, Artist, Inc. will also bring Bagong Sigwa, to be premiered on Oct. 3 at the DL Umali Hall of UP Los Baños.

The show is a theater production offered by Artists, Inc. on its Paragos Performance Season.

Paragos, a Tagalog word which refers to wooden-sledge, is a season of performances by home-grown talents that features different theater productions of various genres along the theme Heritage-history, ecology and biodiversity, and the rights of women and children (HER).

TAU OMEGA MU OFFERS FREE CLINIC, SURGERIES

By Vito Barcelo SMUGGLED chocolates, creams, coffee creamers, juices, chocolate spreads and air fresheners worth P4 million were destroyed by the Bureau of Customs in Laguna after the items were found expired and not fit for human consumption.

The expired assorted foodstuffs were destroyed at the facility of Tritek Reverse Logistics Corp. located in San Pedro, Laguna.

Port of Manila District collector Erastus Austria said the four shipments of smuggled goodies was consigned to I.T. Malingco Trading, which arrived on May 15, 2017 at the Port of Manila from the United States.

The seized items were not covered by any certificate of product registration from the Food and Drug Administration.

Shipments without the required FDA permit are automatically seized by the Bureau pursuant to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) in relation to RA 9711, otherwise known as FDA Act of 2009.

Austria said that the forfeited items were “unfit for human consumption, have no commercial value, or the release thereof was contrary to law,” thus he ordered the condemnation of the articles by way of composting, rendering and pouring.

The condemnation was witnessed by the personnel of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Division, Enforcement and Security Division, a representative from the Commission on Audit and the local government unit of San Pedro, Laguna.

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SOCO PROBE. Scene of the Crime Operatives conduct an investigation of a shooting incident which happened outside a coffee shop in Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City where a civilian was gunned down by an unidentified suspect at around 2 p.m. of Saturday, Sept. 15. Ey Acasio

PASIG RIVER COMPETES FOR ASIA ‘RIVERPRIZE AWARD’ THE Philippines’ Pasig River, the cradle of early Manila civilization, has been selected as a finalist in the first-ever Asia Riverprize by the prestigious International River Foundation which recognizes and rewards organizations which are making a difference through effective river basin restoration and management programs.

It is a back-to-back nomination for the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission which is coming off a successful campaign in the 2017 Thiess International Riverprize competition where the Pasig River was hailed as runner-up to the winner, San Antonio River of Texas, USA. PRRC executive director Jose Antonio “Ka Pepeton” E. Goitia said that “the consecutive entries of the Pasig River as a finalist in the 2017 and 2018 Thiess International and Asia Riverprize, respectively, is proof that the world recognizes the efforts of the Philippine government to restore the Pasig River and its environs since PRRC was established in 1999.”

Initially, the competition was called the Asia-Pacific Riverprize Awards

which was opened to entrants from New Zealand, Australia, and 45 other countries. However, according to the IRF, due to the high number and quality of entries received, they decided to split the promoted Asia-Pacific Riverprize into two: Asia Riverprize and another category for the Australasia Riverprize.

After a series of tedious deliberations, the IRF has announced and congratulated the organizations chosen as Asia Riverprize finalists with the highest honors in river restoration and protection namely the Pasig River and the Yangtze River in China.

“Last year, the Philippines is the only third world and developing country that made it into the international finals and bravely competed with the US and the United Kingdom.

In this year’s Asia Riverprize, we will be facing another super power—the red dragon, China. However, with an indomitable spirit, we remain steadfast and optimistic that we will stand triumphant in the end,” said Goitia.

In behalf of the IRF’s board of river

basin experts, IRF director professor Bill Dennison said that “these different river stories are united by a common theme: excellence in river management.”

The River Prize is not a competition about which river is more beautiful or cleaner. This is the reason why the IRF, comprised of river management experts and professionals from around the world, has given importance and consideration to the rehabilitation efforts of the PRRC to bring back the Pasig River system to life. It has acknowledged PRRC’s commitment in delivering quality projects, programs, and activities in easement recovery, housing and resettlement, riverbanks development, waste and water quality management, and public awareness.

Compared to the 1990s when it was declared “biologically dead,” the Pasig River’s condition now has significantly improved. Although the Pasig River development is a work in progress, many areas along the historic river have already shown signs of aquatic life and it has already become conducive for transport, recreation, and tourism.

THE Tau Omega Mu Fraternity and Ladies Circle is holding medical missions in key cities and towns in Eastern Visayas as part of activities to mark the organization’s foundation 46 years ago at the University of the Philippines.

The medical missions will include free surgeries, such as thyroidectomy, hysterectomy, myomectomy, herniorrhaphy, cholecystectomy, along with cyst, lipoma and uncomplicated breast mass incisions, as well as cataract removal, circumcision and other general surgeries.

In coordination with the Department of Health and concerned local governments units, the initial phase of the medical missions kicked off last Aug. 6 through the simultaneous conduct of pre-surgery evaluations of potential surgical patients in designated DoH regional health units in the cities of Catbalogan and Calbayog in Samar.

The medical missions culminate between Oct. 8-12, 2018, when preevaluated indigent patients undergo the free surgical procedures at the RHUs in Catbalogan (for various surgical issues) and Calbayog (for cataract problem only). The surgeons in Catbalogan will be led by volunteers from Memphis Outreach, a US-based non-government organization; while Filipino doctors will perform the free cataract surgeries in Calbayog.

As part of culmination activities, other medical volunteers will hold free consultations and distribution of free medicines and reading glasses in RHUs in Calbayog (Oct. 9); Pinabacdao, Samar (Oct. 8 and 10); Alang-Alang, Leyte (Oct. 11); and Baybay also in Leyte (Oct. 12).

The last day of the medical mission coincides with the organization’s foundation day on Oct. 12.

Tau Omega Mu was established on that day in UP in 1972. It has since established chapters in various schools all over the Philippines, as well as overseas alumni organizations, known collectively as Tau Omega Mu International.

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7 ASG KILLED IN SULU ENCOUNTER

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. A woman holds her umbrella, which turned upside down, during heavy rains caused by Typhoon ‘Mangkhut’ in Manila on Sept. 15. Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines, with violent winds and torrential rains, as authorities warned millions in its path of potentially heavy destruction. AFP

US ENVOY DENIES CIA HAND IN COUP PLOT

UNITED States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim has denied accusations that the US Central Intelligence is involved in the alleged destabilization plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I can assure you with great confidence and conviction that there is actually no effort in the US government, including the CIA, to come up with some effort to undermine President Duterte’s administration,” Kim said in a rountable discussion with journalists.

On the contrary, Kim said the two countries’ military cooperation has never been stronger, pointing out the US initiative to work closely with government forces in combatting human trafficking, piracy, and terrorism.

“We have a very strong cooperation with all the security agencies and it will continue,” the US envoy added.

The President’s recent statement hinting at US interference with the country’s internal affairs, Kim said, will not affect the military cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries.

Duterte earlier claimed the CIA wanted him dead.

The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have both denied receiving information on the alleged CIA plot against the President.

Lance Baconguis

ARROYO: PASS DDR BILL INTO LAW

By Maricel V. Cruz

S

PEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has pushed for the creation of a Disaster Management Department in a bid to minimize the country’s vulnerability to natural calamities.

Arroyo endorsed the proposed measure authored by Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez which is up for second, and third and final reading approval at the House of Representatives.

Arroyo stressed the need for the government to have a Disaster Management secretary who will focus on risk reduction and management concerns.

“We need to have a permanent and full-time Secretary of Disaster. Who’s the head of the Council? [Defense] Secretary [Delfin] Lorenzana. Well, he is busy fighting insurgency. He is busy fighting terrorism. So how can he be there full-time?”Arroyo said during the

distribution of relief goods to some 1,000 families in Marilao, Bulacan who were affected by previous typhoons.

“So now, what happened is since the typhoon is going to hit the North, four secretaries are there. If there was a full-time secretary, then you don’t need four secretaries to be there,” Arroyo added.

She said the creation of a Disaster Management Department will maximize government efforts to respond to natural calamities while at the same time minimize casualties.

“They are doing the best that they can. I am satisfied with what they’re

doing within the limitations of a coordinating council, but this really proves we should have a Disaster [Management] Department,” the former president said.

The consolidated DDR bill is currently pending for plenary action.

The House committee on government reorganization chaired by Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo and the House committee on national defense led by Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino approved the consolidated DDR bill while the House committee on appropriations chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles gave the green light for the funding requirement of the measure.

Romualdez’s House Bill No. 7968 was a revised version of her original HB 344 that she earlier filed following President Rodrigo Duterte’s renewed call during his third State of the Nation Address for Congress to expedite the passage of the proposed law.

NO MATCH FOR TYPHOON ‘OMPONG.’ A barangay outpost is destroyed due to strong winds brought by Typhoon Ompong at Sct. Borromeo in Quezon City.

Manny Palmero

SEVEN suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while six others were wounded in an encounter with government troops on Friday.

At least 17 soldiers were also wounded in the clash in Patikul.

The military said the encounter involved troops from the Task Group Panther and Scout Rangers and at least 100 ASG bandits.

Among the wounded ASG members was sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who was hit in the stomach.

The military recovered an M-16 rifle, four 5.56 mm magazines, one bandolier, one touchscreen cellular phone, and assorted war materiel and ammunition.

The Armed Forces likewise dispatched more soldiers in the area to hunt down the ASG members who have escaped.

HIGH VALUE TARGET ARRESTED IN BACOLOD BACOLOD CITY—Three persons were arrested while P407,000 worth of suspected shabu (crystal meth) were seized in two separate buy-bust operations in this city over the weekend, the Bacolod City Police reported.

In Barangay Singcang-Airport, Kristoffer Zuñiga was arrested for allegedly selling a sachet of the prohibited substance for P500 to a poseurbuyer of the Police Station-8 Drug Enforcement Team in Villa Mercedes.

Policemen also seized from Zuñiga, 36 and a resident of Barangay Pahanocoy, at least 11 sachets containing suspected shabu valued at P167,000.

Operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit arrested Khominee Dimasancai and his common-law wife, Salvacion Simpao, at their residence in Purok Chico, Barangay 28.

Dimasancai, a high-value target who is out on bail for possession of illegal drugs, reportedly yielded 13 sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P240,000.

The target-suspect sold a sachet worth P1,000 to a poseurbuyer during the operation.

Senior Insp. Adrian James Albaytar, assistant team leader of CDEU, said in a radio interview Saturday that Dimasancai was included on their watchlist. PNA

GAME OF THRONES DUEL WITH HANDMAID’S TALE FOR EMMYS

File photo shows Emilia Clark, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, in Game of Thrones.

LOS ANGELES—Hollywood’s A-listers gather Monday to honor the best in television at the Emmy Awards, with record-breaking fantasy epic “Game of Thrones”back in the competition and once again looking to slay its rivals.

But winter could come early for HBO’s bloodspattered smash hit if it fails to snare the coveted best drama series prize, with last year’s winner“The Handmaid’s Tale”hotly tipped to defend its crown.

Both shows have already picked up some Emmys hardware: “Game of Thrones” won seven statuettes in technical categories at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, while “The Handmaid’s Tale” scooped up three.

And both are likely to add to that haul at Monday’s glittering gala in downtown Los Angeles, but the race for the top prize still seems to be a crapshoot, with dark horse pick “The

Americans” also in the hunt.

Can “Handmaid”—Hulu’s bleak take on a totalitarian America where women are oppressed, based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel—again win over voters, especially in the #MeToo era?

Will“The Americans”– the gripping FX thriller about Soviet sleeper agents in the United States during the Cold War—finally earn some Emmys love after a critically acclaimed six-season run?

Or will “GoT,” the cinematic tale of noble families vying for the Iron Throne, reign supreme once again, on the back of its whopping 22 nominations?

Others in the best drama category include HBO’s futuristic western“Westworld,”Netflix favorites“The Crown”and retro sci-fi mystery“Stranger Things,” and NBC family saga “This is Us.”

The Television Academy’s 22,000-plus members have already cast their ballots for the 70th Primetime Emmys, the small-screen answer to the Oscars—so it’s time for red carpet glamor and heartfelt speeches.

For Robert Thompson, professor of pop culture and television history at Syracuse University in New York, there are no “obvious winners” on the drama side—but a plethora of innovative, quality comedies.

“As peak TV settles into middle age, halfhour comedies are television’s red Corvette,” Thompson said—a shiny new toy for viewers.

With perennial heavy hitter “Veep” out of contention this year, FX’s “Atlanta”—a quirky look at the rap scene in the Georgia capital—is squaring off with Amazon’s“The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” for top honors. AFP

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

HONOR, MORE THAN MEDALS

A

GAINST the drubbing by current incidents jabbing the Filipino from every direction and at any time of day —like the reported anti-government destabilization moves and unrelenting weather disturbances—there is the swing rocker where the ordinary man can feel a certain sense of amour-propre to lift the spirits up.

Take the case of the Filipino medalists from the 272 Filipino athletes who participated in the recently concluded continental and quadrennial event, the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, who met up recently with President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang, the chief executive’s riverside official residence.

This sports-inclined nation of 106 million people harvested a total 21 medals—four golds, two silvers, and 15 bronze medals —which allowed the athletes from the Land of the Morning to dash home as 19th overall in the 45-country multi-sports event where competitive physical fitness capacity shone under the Indonesian sky.

INDIAN MAN FILLS POTHOLES OUT OF LOVE FOR DEAD SON

The President, following the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, awarded these recent heroes medals and cash incentives, under which law gold medalists are entitled to P2 million, silver medalists P1 million and bronze nedalists P500,000.

A felicitous opportunity that was for a presidential pat on the athletes’ shoulders, who gave honor to their country as they held their heads high, with pride and confidence, as they stood up against thousands in the different sports activities in the Games.

The gold medalists are skateboarder Margielyn Didal, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, and golf players Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go. Didal’s gold raised the Philippines’ total to 4 in these Games in Jakarta and in Palembang, equaling the country’s output in 2006 in Doha, 1986 in Seoul, and 1978 in Bangkok.

The Philippines hasn’t won more than 4 gold medals since the 1962 Games in Jakarta, where the carriers of the tricolors brought home seven.

But more than the medals, the Filipino athletes gave honor to their country.

We take pride and honor in their blue-chip feat.

By Peter Hutchison

THE LINK BETWEEN STORMS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

By Pecier Decierdo

is that the more refined our answers to these questions get, the clearer it AS OF this writing, Typhoon “Ompong” becomes that these two issues are (international name Mangkhut) best addressed together instead of is affecting millions of people in separately.

The first question is what climate northern Luzon. In addition to those directly affected, millions more are scientists call the question of being exposed to hazards such as attribution. That is, how much of a flooding and landslides as Ompong storm’s effect can we attribute to enhances the effects of the Southwest climate change?

As recently as decades ago, Monsoon (Habagat). Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Hurricane scientists have been very hesitant to Florence is raging across parts of the attribute the impacts of a particular eastern United States, forcing millions storm to climate change. Previously, the most that scientists said was that to evacuate.

In the coming days, as we assess the for any given year, the likelihood of a impacts of these two storms in their very strong storm forming is increased respective affected areas, a couple because of climate change.

This statement is backed by at least of questions will repeatedly come up. First, how much of these storms’ two lines of evidence.

First, one of the fundamental rules of damages are a result of human-caused climate change? Second, how can atmospheric thermodynamics predicts understanding climate change help us that as the oceans get warmer, there better prepare for the effects of future will be more energy and moisture in the storms and other extreme weather air. This in turn means that developing storms will be more intense and have events?

What we have now come to realize more water to suck in.

“Just as summer heat waves on land are greatly increased in frequency and intensity by even modest overall warming, so too are these ocean heat waves becoming more frequent and more extreme as the oceans continue to warm,” Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center, told The Guardian. “All else being equal, warmer oceans mean more energy to intensify tropical storms and hurricanes,” says Mann.

Second, several studies suggest that very strong storms are occurring more frequently, a trend that will probably continue into the future. In other words, we must brace ourselves for more super typhoons.

Recently, however, an increasing number of climate scientists have suggested that we might be able to trace certain aspects of individual storms to climate change. In one pioneering study, Kevin Reed and his colleagues at Stony Brook University in New York argued that up to 50 percent of the rainfall due to

Hurricane Florence might be traced to warmer temperatures caused by human activities. Reed’s team did this by simulating the behavior of Hurricane Florence first with humancaused global warming, and then without it. Their simulations showed that the storm is stronger (and also 80 km wider) because of global warming.

The study by Reed’s team comes on the heels of several pioneering studies published last year showing that three of the extreme weather events in 2016 were outside the bounds of natural variability and were therefore due to climate change.

One such event was the heat wave that hit South and Southeast Asia in April 2016. According to the studies, while heat waves hit the said region from time to time, some of them quite extreme, the 2016 event was beyond the natural range and can therefore be attributed to human-caused climate change.

As is usually the case in science, the scientific community is initially cautious in quickly embracing this new approach of attributing individual extreme weather events to climate change.

However, an increasing number of scientists are joining the effort to change this by improving the science of attributing extreme weather conditions to climate change. Such improvements will have many benefits, including helping local governments and communities better prepare for future events that are beyond the bounds of the previous normal and encouraging climate scientists to localize the methods that have worked elsewhere.

As the science of attribution of extreme weather condition is still being debated and refined, some have argued that preparing for future storms cannot, and does not need to, wait for improvements in the science.

After all, we already know that the sea level is rising because of global warming. This sea level rise makes the storm surge of even normal storms much worse.

Furthermore, many have argued that the only thing we need to know to prepare is how bad things can get, and we already know that the worst will only get worse. This means our preparation should involve everything, from laws that enable government agencies, local governments, and communities to prepare for the strongest storms to come, to systems in place to help those affected by disasters.

Lastly, we can use scenarios backed by sound science not only to prepare for the worst that is to come but also to help us fight in avoiding them in the first place.

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

MUMBAI, India—Dadarao Bilhore smoothes the road surface, rests his shovel, looks to the sky and prays for his son, one of thousands of Indians killed every year in accidents caused by potholes.

Prakash Bilhore, a promising student, was just 16 when he died in July 2015 in Mumbai, India’s hectic financial and Bollywood capital of 20 million people.

To help deal with his grief, Prakash’s devastated father Dadarao decided he would do something about Mumbai’s roads, which like much of India’s, are notoriously shoddy.

Using sand and gravel collected from building sites, Bilhore has filled in almost 600 potholes across India’s financial capital in the past three years.

The 48-year-old vegetable vendor does it to pay tribute to his beloved son and in the hope that it will save lives.

“Prakash’s sudden death left a huge void in our lives. I do this work to remember and honor him. I also don’t want anyone else to lose a loved one like we have,” Bilhore tells AFP at the modest apartment he shares with his wife, daughter and extended family.

Prakash Bilhore was traveling pillion when the motorbike he was on with his cousin hit a deep pothole, sending them both flying through the air.

Prakash, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, suffered fatal brain damage.

His cousin, who was wearing a helmet, walked away with minor injuries.

The tragic accident occurred during Mumbai’s summer monsoon when heavy rains are blamed for causing crater-like holes on the teeming coastal city’s roads.

Potholes are so common that a campaign is under way to have Mumbai featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the city with the most potholes.

Navin Lade, a resident, claims to have recorded more than 27,000 holes on the website www. mumbaipotholes.com, although local officials dispute his findings.

Government statistics show that potholes were responsible for the deaths of 3,597 people across India last year, an average of 10 a day.

Citizens blame government apathy, accusing local authorities of failing to maintain roads properly.

Activists say contractors hired to repave roads do a bad job on purpose so the work will need to be done again the following year.

“The government needs to take responsibility and create better infrastructure,” urges Bilhore.

He says he has repaired 585 potholes, many of them alone, others with the help of volunteers who are inspired by his story.

Bilhore has been featured in countless Indian newspaper articles and received several awards, earning him the nickname “pothole dada,” an affectionate term in India for a respected male.

“Recognition of our work has given me strength to deal with the pain and wherever I go I feel Prakash is standing with me,” says Bilhore.

“As long as I am alive and can walk, I will get rid of all of these potholes.”

AFP

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Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

TOUGHER RESPONSE TO UN PEACEKEEPER MISCONDUCT EYED NEW YORK—The United States has presented a draft Security Council resolution aimed at toughening the United Nations response to failures by peacekeepers in their mission to protect civilians, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday.

UN peacekeeping missions are facing a damaging wave of allegations of sex abuse and of failing to come to the aid of civilians caught up in violence, notably in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

The draft text, seen by AFP, would reinforce measures such as repatriating peacekeepers, replacing units and withholding UN payments for soldiers involved in misconduct -- penalties that have irked troop-contributing countries.

“We hear far too many stories of civilians who are vulnerable, who put their trust in peacekeepers, and our peacekeepers fail to protect them,” Haley told a council debate on peacekeeping.

The draft resolution will “accelerate progress on improving peacekeeping performance,” she said.

The United States, which is the number one financial contributor to the UN’s peacekeeping budget of $6.9 billion, has moved to cut funding amid concerns over misconduct and poor performance of some missions.

But Russia and China cautioned that the views of troop-contributing countries must be taken into account and called for improved training of peacekeepers, instead of penalties.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the council should not become involved in “micro-management” of missions and suggested that the council could show support for improved performance through a statement instead of a binding resolution.

Pakistan, one of the top three troop contributors to peacekeeping, spoke out against a public “name-andshame” approach and pointed that a lack of resources was undermining peacekeepers in their missions.

Negotiations on the draft were continuing and a vote has not been scheduled.

The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to allegations of misconduct against the blue helmets and has appointed a victims’ advocate to oversee the handling of cases of sexual abuse.

His predecessor Ban Ki-moon took the unprecedented step of firing the commander of the mission in the Central African Republic over his handling of dozens of cases of sex abuse and misconduct by the peacekeepers. AFP

MOTHER, BABY VICTIM OF FLORENCE’S WRATH

INNOCENT ART. A visitor looks at an artwork entitled ‘The massacre of the innocents’ by Russian contemporary artists Igor and Ekaterina Pestov during their retrospective exhibition at the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg on Thursday. The exhibition runs from September 13 to October 29. AFP

CANADA WORKING ON WTO REFORM O TTAWA, Canada— Canada is working on a project for reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and aims to organize international talks on the subject next month, Canadian sources said Friday as American pressure on the body mounts.

United States President Donald Trump threatened late last month to pull his country out of the WTO, which arbitrates trade disputes, if it does not “shape up.”

He has previously criticized the WTO’s dispute settlement system as being unfavorable to the US, although the body most often rules in favor of the United States when Washington brings cases before it.

“We recognize the challenges at the heart of the WTO and believe it is necessary to find the means to do the necessary work to advance reforms,” a spokesman for Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of International Trade Diversification, told AFP.

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President

PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

PDEA Bldg., NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan Quezon City 1100, Philippines www.pdea.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID ACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR CY 2019 Bid Ref. No. 2018-28-1 1.

ThePhilippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), thru its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), intends to apply the sum of SIXTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE PESOS AND 4/100 (P16,681,595.04) through General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2019being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)to paymentsunder the contractfor theACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR CY 2019.Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected duringbid opening.

2.

The PDEA - BAC now invites bids for theACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR CY 2019.Delivery of the goods is 365 CALENDAR DAYS UPON RECEIPT OF NOTICE TO PROCEED. Bidders should have completed, within three (3) 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, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement 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.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours (8:00 am to 5:00pm).

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on September 17, 2018 from the address given below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 25,000.00).

The Invitation to Bid and Checklist of Requirements may be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and PDEA Website at www.pdea.gov.ph, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

The PDEA-BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on September 20, 2018, 9:00 AM at PDEA ODDGA Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City, 1100 which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before October 2, 2018, at 9:00 AM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be October 2, 2018, at 9:00 AMat PDEA ODDGA Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Pinyahan, Quezon City, 1100. 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.

8.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat Mr.Armando B. Macalalag Jr. at the PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City from 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMonly, Mondays to Fridays starting September 17, 2018 (excluding holidays)at Tel No. (632)920-8082.However, any queries relative to the contents of the bid documents and the project requirements can only be made by bidders who purchased the bid documents not later than Ten (10) days prior to the Submission and Opening of Bids.

9.

PDEA reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to: Mr. Armando B. Macalalag Jr. PDEA-Logistics Management Service PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City Tel No. (632)920-8082

(MS-SEPT. 16, 2018)

(SGD) ISMAEL G. FAJARDO JR, PhD Deputy Director General for Administration Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

“This work has started,” he said, adding that “the WTO can overcome some of its historic challenges and make progress.”

A small group of like-minded trade ministers will gather in Ottawa October 24 to 25 “to discuss WTO reform,” a Canadian government source told AFP, requesting anonymity given the sensitivity of the discussions.

The group will “identify concrete means of improving the WTO over the short, mid and long term,” the source said, adding preparatory work has already begun.

Australia, Brazil, Chile, the European Union, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland will be part of the working group, the official said.

A European diplomatic source said the Ottawa gathering is “not totally confirmed” because a meeting of trade ministers from the G20 group of major economies was taking place, and Canada is still verifying if it has enough support for steering WTO reform.

At their meeting Friday in Argentina, the G20 trade and investment ministers recognized “the urgent

need to discuss current events in international trade and ways to improve the WTO to face current and future challenges,” a communique said.

In July, Trump won a commitment from visiting European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker to work together for WTO readjustment to address some of the US leader’s complaints about China over the theft of US technology, the behavior of state-owned enterprises, and overcapacity in steel.

Trump complained in April on Twitter that the WTO considers China a developing nation, despite its economic might.

“They therefore get tremendous perks and advantages, especially over the US,” he said. “The WTO is unfair to US.” WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo has agreed with a call from French President Emmanuel Macron “on the need to strengthen the WTO and to make it more effective in addressing the trade challenges of today,” as the protectionist US administration imposes tariffs on allies and trade disputes have multiplied. AFP

WILMINGTON, North Carolina— Taking cover as Hurricane Florence unleashed fury on the US port city of Wilmington, Adam Sparks heard “a loud pop.”

He went to the door to see what had happened, but “it was still pitch black at that time,” he said. Power had gone out just before the powerful storm’s eye touched down in his state of North Carolina early Friday morning.

It was only an hour later, when fire trucks had taken over the street, that he realized the worst had happened: a mother and her infant had died after a tree struck the back of their house.

“Most of the neighborhood had evacuated,” Sparks said.

“Only myself, themselves and a few others decided to stay.”

Their small home with red brick walls appeared intact from the street -- but the back offered a grimmer view.

A section of wall had completely collapsed, with a few belongings in view bearing witness to the violence of the crash.

Later in the day, Wilmington Police confirmed the mother and child were the first fatalities resulting from Florence’s onslaught, adding that the father was taken to the hospital with injuries.

“The tree line they have behind their home is very tall, very old trees,” their neighbor said.

“It’s always a gamble with trees like that.”

“Who could be prepared for this? It’s the worst-case scenario.”

A yellow police cordon now encircles 24 Mercer Avenue, in a residential area of Wilmington.

According to firefighters, the area had not been in the zone under orders to evacuate as Florence began assaulting the US east coast with torrential rains and heavy winds.

Under the pummeling rain rescue workers spared no effort in attempting to save the victims trapped under the felled tree’s branches. AFP

ICC CASE DEFENSE OF UGANDAN WARLORD OPENS THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Notorious Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen’s lawyers open their defense Tuesday at the International Criminal Court, where their client is charged with conducting a reign of terror in northern Uganda in the early 2000s.

Known as the “White Ant,” Ongwen faces 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role from 2002 to 2005 in the sinister LRA rebel group, led by its fugitive chief Joseph Kony.

Ongwen is also the first accused before The Hague-based ICC to face the very same charges of which he is also a victim.

Born in 1975, Ongwen was abducted as a young boy while walking to school and was soon trained as a child soldier within the LRA. Prosecutors said he grew up to become a “ferocious” senior LRA commander in charge of Kony’s infamous Sinai brigade—which among many crimes committed also abducted young girls and women to serve as domestic workers and sex slaves.

Ongwen was “enthusiastic in adopting the LRA’s violent methods and eager to show he could be more active and more brutal” than others, prosecutors said as his trial opened in January 2016.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda at the time played a gruesome video depicting the aftermath of an LRA attack on a refugee camp, shocking the courtroom with images of disemboweled children and charred bodies of babies in shallow graves. AFP

PREVENTIVE DESTRUCTION. A Bangladeshi worker knocks down a house to prevent it from being swept away from the banks of the Padma River at Shariatpur, some 40 kms south of Dhaka, on Thursday, after aggressive erosion of land close to the river in Bangladesh. More than 2,000 houses, 500 business centers, several schools, mosques and other establishments have been washed away by the consequences of aggressive river erosion in recent times. AFP

HUNGARY’S ORBAN REMAINS DEFIANT AFTER EU SETBACK BUDAPEST, Hungary—The European Parliament’s threat to unleash sanctions against Hungary over democracy concerns was a stunning political blow against Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but his dominance at home means defeat can still be spun as a win.

A resolution passed in Strasbourg Wednesday ruled that the Hungarian government posed a “systemic threat” to the EU’s founding values of democracy and the rule of law.

The vote, backed by Manuel Weber, the head of the European People’s Party—the grouping Orban’s Fidesz party also belongs to—could in theory lead to Budapest being stripped of its EU voting rights.

But Orban has pronounced himself unconcerned, telling domestic radio Friday there was “no danger” for Hungary in the vote and that in any case he would help remove what

he called the “pro-immigration majority” at European Parliament elections next May. After the vote, headlines in pro-Orban media outlets accused a coalition of liberals and allies of US billionaire George Soros of wreaking revenge against Hungarians for daring to oppose migration.

“The pro-immigration side took revenge by cheating,” said Magyar Idok, a daily newspaper considered a government mouthpiece.

According to a TV channel owned by Orban ally and Hollywood film producer Andy Vajna, the premier was “cheered across Europe” after the ruling.

In a debate prior to the vote, Orban portrayed the charges as an insult to the honour of Hungarians, but a poll in the left-leaning Nepszava newspaper Friday indicated some 57 percent of respondents pinned the blame on government policies. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WEEK

THREE QUEENS. Filipinas stood tall on the world stage last week. Zara Carbonell (right) was crowned Miss Tourism Worldwide 2018 on Sept. 9 in the inaugural edition of the beauty pageant, making her an ambassador for tourism and culture around the world. One day later, Hannahlei Cabanilla (main photo) emerged victorious in Season 15 of the US television show ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ besting four other dancers. Finally, on Sept. 8, model Kelsey Merritt (left), a Filipino-American like Cabanilla, received confirmation that she would be the first Filipina to walk in the famed Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show scheduled in late November. Photos from their Instagram pages

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PHOTOS OF THE

WEEK

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PLAYTIME. Young men make use of the ‘active play’

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Reira U Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

SASO-BANNERED PRADERA OUT TO EXTEND REIGN

D

AVAO—With the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso leading defending champion Pradera Verde, the Lubao, Pampangabased squad is seen as the odds-on favorite to repeat as winners of the Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub starting Sept. 19 in Davao City.

Aside from Saso, Pradera Verde will be backstopped three other Malaysian age-groupers going all out to extend the team’s streak in the tournament slated at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

Malaysians Zulaikah Nusiana Nasser, Charlayne Chong, and Vinisha Gunaseelan will complete the Pradera team with holdovers Annika Cayabyab, Nicole Abelar, Rhianne Malixi, and Luna Shin. No longer with the champion team are Harmie Constantino and Tonita Arejola.

“The long hitters will have an advantage there. But, you can never be too sure. All the good players will be there and we always have to be at our best,” said Saso, who is coming off a double gold medal effort in the Asian Games in Jakarta less than a month back where she rallied from four strokes down in the last round to win the individual gold over Liu Wenbo of China.

Standing in the way of the champion is the Manila Southwoods-Masters squad.

With seasoned internationalist Sofia Chabon and the returning Sunshine Baraquiel, the Carmonabased club hopes to bounce back from a thorough beating suffered at the hands of Pradera last year in Cebu where its five-year reign was snapped.

“I’m very confident of our chances,” non-playing skipper Claire Ong said as her charges prime up for a return clash with Saso and the revved-up Pradera roster.

Southwoods is so keen on returning to the winner’s circle that the entire team is already here, playing in a big amateur tournament where they can test the

rolling layout in its best shape.

“Our players have been together for more than a month now and are playing fairly well,” Ong said.

“The players are in high spirits and raring to go.”

Annika Guangco, Tin Torralba, Mafy Singson, Laurea Duque, Mariel Tee and Samantha Dizon are the other members of the squad which is the other half of the most successful amateur team program in the country in recent years.

Southwoods has also lorded it over the Men’s Interclub for the last four years and would like nothing better than to have its ladies occupy the top of the hill once again.

Cebu Country Club is the third force in the Championship Division.

Major sponsors for the 13th PAL Ladies Interclub include Airbus, Bombardier, People Asia, UM Broadcasting Network and Primax Broadcasting Network.

Other sponsors are TFC, Mastercard, SEDA Hotel, SM Supermalls and Banco de Oro. Donors are Asia Brewery and Philippine National Bank.

Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso (center), shown here with fellow Asiad golf champions, will spearhead the bid of defending champion Pradera Verde in the PAL Ladies Interclub at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

FIL-CHINESE TEAMS FALL SHORT IN THAILAND HAT YAI, Thailand—Filipino-Chinese Veterans Basketball Association lost its grip in the ASEAN Basketball Veterans Tournament after its fancied 60-and-under team suffered its worst defeat in years here.

Showing none of the brilliance that enabled them to win their first four games with an average winning margin of 17.25 points, the 60s absorbed a crushing 86-69 defeat to the Pontianak Meteors (Indonesia) Friday at the Prince Songkla University gym here.

After a tight first half action, the Indonesians started to pull away from the misfiring FCVBA dribblers after coming through with a decisive run midway in the third quarter.

The Indonesians, who played only two games in the elims, then took a sizable 64-47 lead going into the payoff period after outscoring the FCVBA dribblers, 21-11, that proved too deep a hole for them to snake out.

Meantime, the 65s, also backed

by Rain or Shine’s Terry Que, Freego’s Eduard Tio and Ironcon Buikders’ Jimi Lim, consoled themselves by repeating over Miri of Malaysia, 47-37, to finish third— thanks to the stellar showing of Conrad Siy, Bong dela Cruz, James Chua, and Achit Kaw. It did not help that FCVBA missed so many free throws—even former Philippine team star Elmer Reyes struggled offensively as fatigue finally caught up with him Like Reyes, ex-La Salle star Kenneth

Yap, Danny Ching, Aries Franco and Elmer Latonio also fared badly.

In sharp contrast, the Indonesians shot respectably from the field aside from moving the ball pretty well to spoil FCVBA’s bid for a four-peat.

This marked the second time since the association was born in 2009 that FCVBA will be going home almost empty-handed—the first was four years ago in Bangkok when they also settled for runner-up finishes in the 40-and-above and 50and above divisions.

STA. ELENA EDGES CLOSER TO WGAP CROWN STA. Elena kept the momentum of its big surge at Wack Wack with a victory and a runner-up finish in Canlubang to wrest the overall lead after seven legs of the 2018 WGAP Circuit at Cangolf’s North course recently.

The Sta. Elena ladies topped Class B in big fashion and placed second in Class C for a crucial fivepoint output that shoved the latecharging team past a faltering Villamor side heading to the final stop of the eight-stage circuitin Forest Hills next month.

Sta. Elena moved within three points off Villamor in the overall race with two victories in the sixth leg last month but now found itself on top of the heap with 21 points as Villamor went scoreless for the second straight tournament and dropped to second with 19 points.

Many-time champion Tagaytay Highlands likewise sustained its attack with a victory in Class A and a third place effort in Class C, hiking its total to 17 points. With Camp Aguinaldo, which placed third in Class A, improving to 16 points and final leg host Forest Hills staying within striking distance with 15 points, a wide-open finish is seen in Antipolo.

Still in the hunt for a top five finish – for spots in the annual WGAP Cup – are Alabang and Canlubang, which tote identical 11 points while Eagle Ridge has nine points in the annual event organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Ella Vonau fired 47 Stableford points while Nancy Ortiga, Misako Ogihara and Jenny Ligones backed her up with 44, 40 and 38 points, respectively, as Sta. Elena assembled a 169 for a whopping 12-point victory over Cangolf in Class B. The hosts, led by individual winner Terry Parala’s 42 points, scored a 157 while Alabang placed third with a 147 followed by Forest Hills (146), Villamor (144), Wack Wack (138), Tagaytay (137), Eagle Ridge (131) and Orchard (121).

Tagaytay, behind Sophia Blanco’s 40 points, Sandy Romualdez and Gilda Medestomas’ identical 37 points and Virginia Bote’s 35 points, ruled Class A with a 149, four points over Forest Hills, which pooled a 145 and nipped Camp Aguinaldo in the countback for second. Cangolf placed fourth with a 144 while Sta. Elena and Alabang scored 143 and 129, respectively. Aguinaldo’s Ruby Hamis took the individual plum with 40 points.

Cangolf dominated Class C with a 159 as Christine Kelley turned in 43 points, Theresa Enriquez and Grace Vicencio shot 39 points apiece and Charo Buencamino added 38 points. Sta. Elena, led by individual champion Techie Leonio’s 45 points, scored a 154 and edged Tagaytay in the countback for second while Villamor ended up fourth with a 150 followed by Alabang (148), Forest Hills (142), Aguinaldo (136), Wack Wack (127) and Eagle Ridge (110).

PH PADDLERS SEIZE 2 SILVERS IN ICF WORLD DRAGON BOAT MEET GAINESVILLE, Georgia—The Philippines continued to shine on the world stage after grabbing two silver medals in the 2018 ICF World Dragon Boat Championships at the Lake Lanier Olympic Park here.

Always a strong contender in the small boat, the paddlers from the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation came close to bagging another gold in the 10-seater senior men’s 500 meters before Hungary wrestled the title away near the finish.

The Hungarians clocked 2:05.021 to nip the Filipinos (2:06.18) in the last few meters before the Czech Republic checked in third, more than three seconds after the winner, followed by Italy, Germany and Ukraine.

In the 20-seater senior mixed 2000m, the PH paddlers were also

in contention for the gold but blew the chance after the United States cut them on the final turn, allowing the Czech Republic to secure a trouble-free finish. ``We were forced to take a longer route because we might bump the boat of the United States on the last turn,’’ said head coach Len Escollante.

They were released third out of seven teams from the starting line and chased down the Americans midway into the race.

When the Filipinos were ready to overtake, the Americans took the inner lane on the final bend that wasted several precious seconds off the Philippines. ``That costed us approximately 4-5 seconds. Still, we were able to earn a medal and I’m proud of what this team has accomplished,’’ said

Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation president Jonne Go. Backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Go For Gold, the team earlier bagged a pair of golds in the 20-seater senior mixed 500m and the 10-seater senior mixed 500m.

The Czech Republic ruled the 2000m in eight minutes and 42.47 seconds while the Philippines clocked 8:43.98. Hungary, which overtook Germany in the last 500m, crossed the line in 8:46.22 for the bronze.

Paddlers Mark Jhon Frias, Jordan De Guia, Arche Baylosis, Loberstan Duayao, John Lester Delos Santos, Jerome Solis, John James Pelagio, Miflone Puzon and Franc Feliciano form the core of 20-seater 200m senior mixed category.

Filipino paddlers for the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation cross the line in the 20-seater senior mixed 2000m race.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net

FILIPINO TEAM MOBILIZES VALETS FOR AUTO SERVICES A

N ALL-FILIPINO team, led by the former country head of restaurant directory Zomato, has developed a mobile app for automotive services that can deploy valet drivers to assist motorists in all their needs—from car wash to repair to registration.

“If you need towing ser vice, batter y replacement, oil, gas, car wash or auto repair, you can call our hotline 24/7. If you are among a lot of people who lock your cars with keys inside, we can help you. We also provide roadside assistance service. It is the first of its kind here,” says Anton Ojeda, the chief executive and one of the six founders of BeepBeep.ph.

“You won’t find another company doing everything for cars. Our valet service is the first in the world. Nobody does that,” he says.

BeepBeep.ph is a specialized online directory for auto needs that offers valet services including pickup and delivery of the vehicles as well as roadside assistance, says Ojeda, who used to be the country manager of Zomato.

Ojeda says he left Zomato, a multinational IT conglomerate based in India to start another company from the group up. “I left Zomato last year. We built it to a certain point and for me, I wanted to do something else. Sometime last year, we were thinking about what else we can modernize. What other industries need that kind of renovation or bringing into the digital age. And we found that people have the hardest time to maintain a car. I talked to some people in the industry and they all had the same opinion,” he says.

Ojeda says he and his partners built an online directory for 7,000 car service establishments in Metro Manila in January this year, but eventually launched more features to make the life of car owners easier, better and hassle-free.

“As a customer, you don’t have a lot of power because you don’t have a lot of information. The idea for BeepBeep is we put all the information in one place. We went out and sent our own guys to each street in Metro Manila and count all car service establishments. We put all the information in our website. Right now, we have 7,000 in our list,” he says.

“We have 50,000 users already. The idea is to use technology to make lives easier for car owners,” says Ojeda. He says that in Metro Manila alone, there are more than 3 million motorists who do not have enough information on different types of repair shops, location of car wash providers and prices of towing and other services.

BeepBeep.ph links motorists to dealerships (casa), fuel stations, repair and paint shops, parts and accessories outlets, detailing joints, car wash facilities, battery distributors, wheel and tire stores, towing services and even the Land Transportation Office for registration.

Car owners have the option to tap its valet service to do all those all those tasks or chores for them, he says. “Our primary business is the platform, the website. We also run advertising on the site. We make money from the aggregation of services,” says Ojeda, who leads a team of 60 professionals based in Eastwood, Quezon City and another 60 drivers who serve as valets for different services.

“We have a dedicated call center. We have valet drivers who are regular employees. We partner up with several people for car wash services,” he says.

“Car maintenance takes your time. You don’t want to waste your weekend in a car shop. We will schedule your car when you can take it, and we will eliminate the hassle for you. We will send a driver to pick up your car and bring it to the casa or car shops for repair or maintenance services.

Fortinet Philippines country manager Mario Luis Castañeda

IT VETERAN TO LEAD PH EXPANSION OF FORTINET

From left: BeepBeep.ph CEO Anton Ojeda, chief operating officer Gianpaolo Acosta and marketing manager Enah Baba

When it is done, you can pay everything online.

All communications happen over your phone.

Somebody will call you or you can use the app.

If you are in the office, we will bring your car to your office,” he says.

Gianpaolo Acosta, a former advertising executive, serves as the chief operating officer, while Enah Baba, a communications executive in the hotel industry, is now the PR and marketing manager of BeepBeep.ph.

“We are backed by Filipino investors. It is a young team. I and Paolo are the oldest. Everybody

else is in their mid 20s,” says Ojeda.

“Commercially, the roadside assistance has been running for about a month and a half now. The platform itself, with the directory, has been opened the whole year. We are slowly introducing the valet service to the market,” he says.

Ojeda says BeepBeep.ph also offers car wash services through third-party partners. “A little over 10 percent of our visitors are people looking for car wash. We can bring the car wash to you. We will send a bike there fully equipped, to do the car wash, detailing, vacuuming, exterior and interior,” he says.

He says BeepBeep.ph validates all its partner establishments. “It is a lot of learning for us. We work very closely with the dealerships, car shops to make sure that the experience is correct. We are ready to start doing it more commercially,” says Ojeda. “We also plan to do car registration for car owners. Let us take care of it and everything is legitimate.”

“Our plan is to be nationwide.

After Metro Manila, we will introduce it in the Visayas and Mindanao, probably in Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. We are also looking at Luzon—Bulacan and Pampanga in particular,” says Acosta.

Ojeda says once BeepBeep.ph completes its expansion nationwide, it will bring the same model overseas. “We will be off to another country, most likely in Southeast Asia, probably Thailand or Indonesia. We already have people who are interested and we are talking about it,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

FOR TINE T, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, appointed M ario Luis Castaneda to lead Fortinet Philippines as country manager.

Castaneda has three decades of experience in the IT industry and will take charge of Fortinet’s overall business operations, growing market share in the Philippines.

Prior to Fortinet, Castaneda has worked in senior sales and channel management roles in global technology companies like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and Fujitsu.

He was also country manager of Cisco Philippines. A licensed electronics engineer, Castañeda has engaged in systems and network engineering, IT planning and design, pre-sales and technical consulting earlier in his career.

New and more advanced threats are emerging ever y d ay. Fro m I oT t o t h e c l o u d, enterprises need an architecture that can integrate, synchronise and automate cyber defences across the entire organisation.

F o r t i n e t ’s s e c u r i t y f a b r i c architecture foundation enables the vendor to deliver a broad portfolio of advanced solutions to organisations, helping businesses secure their networks and gain competitive advantage.

“This is an exciting time to join Fortinet,” said Castañeda. “In the Philippines and globally, there are tremendous opportunities to drive greater cybersecurity demand and adoption with the unique value propositions offered by our Security Fabric.”

Castañeda reports to Peerapong Jongvibool, Fortinet’s regional director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

“Governments and enterprises across the region are waking up to the importance of cybersecurity and are heeding the call for digital and security transformation,” said Jongvibool. “I am confident that Louie with his rich industry experience can lead his team to help customers revolutionise their networks and better defend themselves against advanced threats.”

Castañeda graduated from Don Bosco Technical College with a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering.

He also completed the academic requirements for his MBA at De La Salle University.

PHILJETS APPOINTS NEW CEO TO SUSTAIN GROWTH

PhilJets Group CEO Willyn Villarica

PHILJETS Group appointed Willyn Villarica as its new chief executive.

Thierry Tea, the founder of the company, steps down as CEO to assume the role of chairman of the board.

Established in 2013, PhilJets has experienced rapid growth over the last five years under the management of Tea, growing its fleet from 0 to 12 aircraft including 9 helicopters and 3 business jets.

Villarica steps in as CEO for PhilJets Aero Services Inc. and PhilJets Aero Charter Corp.

“I have been following the growth of PhilJets and there are great

challenges facing us. I aim to continue to professionalize and strengthen the company, to bring in new ideas, develop practical solutions and develop our team.” Villarica said.

Villarica, an MBA graduate from the Asian Institute of Management, who has a successful multi-sector background, from real estate, law, gemology, food and beverage, micro lending, private equity and venture capital, is taking a more active role in PhilJets’ operations. She has been the president of PhilJets Aero Services for the past five years.

“It’s a new era for PhilJets. Whilst

I’m proud of the accomplishments PhilJets achieved in the past 5 years, I feel that we can take the company to newer heights by bringing in someone who sees the Philippine aviation industry from a different point of view and at the same time, has the ability to lead our management team as we go through our transition from being a young player in aviation to an emerging leader in the field of business aviation,” said Tea. “We look forward to the succeeding years with great enthusiasm,” he said.

PhilJets hopes to enjoy continued growth by offering new services,

innovative products, increase its existing fleet and expand its operations by opening new branches in other parts of the Philippines.

Tea, as chairman of PhilJets, will oversee the regional development and PhilJets’ expansion in Southeast Asia.

PhilJets is an aviation company which offers general aviation services such as chartered flights, aerial tours, fleet management and aircraft sales. As part of its expansion plans in 2018, the company is venturing in partnerships to enter the MRO sector, have larger coverage of destinations and set up new bases.

Business

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

GLOBE UNIT EMPOWERS PAWNSHOPS PAWNSHOP owners are expected to grow and improve their business as well as prepare themselves for industry challenges through the help of innovative solutions from Globe myBusiness, the micro, small, and medium-enterprise arm of Globe Telecom.

Pa w n s h o p o w n e r s h a d t h e opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurs during the annual midyear conference of the Chamber of Pawnbrokers of the Philippines supported by Globe myBusiness.

They also learned about new technologies that could help them address the challenges confronting the pawnshop industry such as the need to manage multiple branches, a u to m ate p ro ce s s e s a n d t a k e advantage of the internet.

“Globe myBusiness can help businesses like pawnshops become more efficient by providing them with the most up-to-date and relevant products and solutions for better management and communications and worry-free operations. This way, they will be able to enhance their daily operations, promote better customer experience and increase their competitiveness,” said Derrick Heng, senior advisor for Globe myBusiness.

Due to the low bank penetration in the country, the pawnshop industry continues to thrive - primarily serving the unbanked members of the population for remittance and easy credit, with personal items as collateral. Pawnshops are also being tapped to pay bills and exchange foreign currency.

Danny Co, Pro Pawnshop owner, said: “Business owners should be open to [the use of ] technology. Especially at this time, we should be abreast with technological tools and gadgets and do our research well.”

Co used to work in the banking and aquaculture industry before starting his own pawnshop which began operations in Cebu in 1994. He shared that being hands-on, knowing when to delegate work, and using technology are essential to how he operates his business.

The same applies to Geraldine Sangao of Milova Pawnshop. With multiple branches under her care, Geraldine noted the importance of having a strong and reliable Internet connection which Globe myBusiness, provides. “ The internet is vital to our operations. You need a great internet provider to be able to operate and partner with big companies. Since the beginning, I’m happy with Globe’s level of customer care and service,” Geraldine said. With Globe as Milova Pawnshops’ connectivity provider, the company was able to improve inter-branch operations and communication.

AdSpark, a digital and mobile marketing solutions company fully owned by Globe Telecom, informed pawnshop owners how they could use digital marketing to their advantage in today’s Internet-savvy world, to which Maryann Padrilannan, owner of SMSP Pawnshop, agreed to.

According to Maryann, her team’s research efforts led to the creation of SMSP’s website and social media page, and the use of cloud technology for better operations. Still, she admits they need help in maximizing their digital assets. “ We h ave m o re t h a n 4 , 0 0 0 customers per month, but 4,000 more could be looking for our services in other locations. That’s why we are looking for ways to use technology in reaching out to more people. We want to smoothen out our processes and pour our best efforts in digital marketing after,” she said.

Among the solutions being offered

by Globe myBusiness for pawnshops are the Software-Defined Wide Area Network which will enable them to get secure real-time information across all branches and Globelines which provides quality voice services from basic direct lines to multi-channel line services.

Globe myBusiness also keeps its clients on top by informing them of trends, providing tips and bringing together communities through regular workshops and seminars for business owners where the company has established itself as an expert and guide in the industry.

Henry & Sons Trading and Manufacturing Co. Inc. CEO Michael Harris Conlin unveils The Giving Cart, the latest giving platform under the Foundation for Sustainable Excellence’s social enterprise called TGC.

HENRY & SONS DEPLOYS GIVING CART TO MRT STATION H

enry & Sons Trading and Manufacturing Co. Inc. has deployed The Giving Cart, a brand-new platform that serves premium coffee and quick meals to help spread its cause among commuters and expand its social enterprise’s reach.

A pop-up concept formed under the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence’s social enterprise TGC, The Giving Cart is expected to be the average commuter’s go-to spot for feel-good indulgences prepared for a cause.

Like other TGC platforms, The Giving Cart will not only reward people with the simple delight of coffee but will also support programs that benefit the coffee farming communities of Benguet. It will offer caffeinated drinks to help uplift the mood of urban travellers across Metro Manila.

“We all know how stressful commuting is,” said FSCE director and Henry & Sons chief executive Michael Harris Conlin.

“We thought of how wonderful an opportunity it would be to welcome all our dedicated road warriors into our cause in the best and most delicious way possible,” he said.

Amidst the bustle of the urban commute, The Giving Cart hopes to make ordinary trips more meaningful and reward people with a chance to indulge in giving as they unwind and savor the simple delight of a satisfying meal or an invigorating beverage priced at P80.

The Giving Car t is set to feature local selections that capture the flavors of the city’s diverse locale, starting with Taytay’s signature Budbod, a delectable medley of fried rice topped with minced tapa, tomato, onion spring and scrambled eggs. Meanwhile, beverage options offered at The Giving Cart include Espresso,

Americano, Latte, Timplado, Coffee Quake, Choco Quake and Hot Choco.

One of TGC’s three platforms businesses can adopt—the other two being The Giving Café, a safe haven of comfort and indulgence, and The Giving Caravan, a roving mobile café that brings communities a taste of genuine compassion—The Giving Cart will direct its proceeds to fund programs by FSCE as part of its mission to make the lives of our coffee farmers in Benguet easier.

This includes The Giving Well (atmospheric water generators, water gallons, and filtration tablets), Cup to Seed (livelihood programs and

post-harvest facilities), Coffee for Great Minds (educational assistance and trainings), Beans for the Little Ones (mosquito nets, booster vaccines, dental treatment, and basic hygiene kits), and Beans within Reach (programs that promote traceability and connect local farmers to global buyers).

FSCE is a foundation built around the concept of bringing the Philippines back into the global coffee spotlight starting with the empowerment of coffee farming communities of Benguet.

Commuters are set to be rewarded with the break they deserve as the first Giving Cart was deployed at the MRT Cubao Station on Sept. 15.

FRUITAS LAUNCHES NEW BRANDS, EXPANDS NETWORK RIDING on the economic dynamism of key cities and provinces outside the capital, Fruitas Holdings Inc., a leading food cart chain operator, expanded its network in the Visayas and Mindanao with 70 new stores, bringing its total store count to 849.

In keeping with its goal to serve the fast-growing food cart industry, FHI opened more than 70 new stores this year. Its growth was driven by its entry into new markets outside Metro Manila including locations in Cebu, Davao, Dagupan, Leyte, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro, as well as the opening of new food brands.

Further driving the expansion was the launch of food brands serving various market segments, which include Cascades Lifestyle Park, UVA, Chikenini and LA Steak.

“Fruitas Holdings plans to further strengthen our footprint outside Metro Manila. We have been doubling our

number over the past years and would like to sustain this momentum,” said Fruitas Holdings president and chief executive Lester Yu. In 2017, FHI reported P1.2 billion in consolidated sales, a 130-percent increase from its half a billion sales in 2016 which was driven by aggressive expansion and opening of stores for the year. The company has been almost doubling their stores for the past two years. In 2016, FHI capped the year with 415 stores, a 60-percent increase from 2015. Last year, FHI ended with over 750.

Alongside its expansion, Fruitas Holdings also teamed up with GCash to integrate the Scan-to-Pay feature into their payment system, which allows their customers to do cashless transactions in 45 pilot stores. The company is targeting to launch the mobile payment system in all FHI brands nationwide by end of 2018.

Fruitas Holdings Inc. opens its third lifestyle park, Cascades, on Tomas Morato Ave. in Quezon City.

“To advance the growth of our physical stores, we also plan to grow with technology through GCash.

It will be an opportunity for us to provide an easier and more efficient payment system and create a better

experience for our consumers,” Yu said.

Fruitas Holdings currently has over 20 brands under its portfolio including Fruitas Fresh From Babot’s Farm, Buko Loco, Juice Avenue, Buko Ni Fruitas, Fruitas Ice Candy, De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar, The Mango Farm, Johnn Lemon, Black Pearl, Cindy’s Candy Cloud, Tearex, Shou La-Mien Hand-Pulled Noodles, Friends Fries, 7,107 Halo-Halo Islands, The Pub, Munifico Pizzeria, Fancie, Fruitas House of Desserts, Uno Cinquenta The Lifestyle Park, Le Village The Lifestyle Park and Cascades The Lifestyle Park.

Fruitas Holdings Inc. is the leading group in the food cart industry in the Philippines. Since its first stall opened in 2002, the group now has over 800 stores all over the country and over 20 brands in its portfolio.

Tech & Gadgets

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“Today’s business owners and workgroups demand greater productivity and reliability—all while keeping running costs low. With Brother’s latest mono laser printers and Multi-Function Centers, they won’t have to compromise,” said Glenn Hocson, Brother Philippines President.

“With outstanding print speeds, cost-saving innovations and user-friendly mobile printing capabilities, this series delivers a compelling blend of cutting-edge features and renowned Brother reliability that they can depend on for years to come.”

This new series features the HL-L2375DW mono laser printer and two Multi-Function Centers, the DCP-L2550DW and MFC-L2750DW. Performance and enhanced features for this new series include:

lower cost-per-page Save paper automatically—Reduce your paper wastage by half with automatic 2-sided printing, which allows you to set all print jobs to print on both sides of the document unless otherwise stated Cut down on toner cost—The Toner Save Mode gives you the option to print using less toner, while producing clear and legible text at the same time

Enhanced Connectivity

Effortless mobile printing—Print directly from your iPhone, iPad, Android™ or Windows® Mobile device through Brother’s iPrint&Scan, Apple Airprint, Mopria and Google Cloud Print Print without wires—Enjoy fuss-free wireless printing of documents, presentations, and emails from your notebook PC, smartphone, or tablet across your office5 Scan and print without network access— Wi-Fi Direct6 enables you to print or scan directly from your mobile device without access to your network. This also allows you to offer temporary printing or scanning access to your visitors Optimized Productivity NFC Printing and Scanning—Near Field ComOutstanding print speed—Improved print munication makes it simple to access a Brother speeds of up to 34/36 ppm (A4/Letter) and first- device directly from a compatible device using the page-out-times of up to 8.5 secs iPrint&Scan app7 Larger memory and processor—Handle high Award-winning legacy volume print jobs with processer speeds of 600MHz Brother’s uncompromising dedication to and increased memory of up to 256MB2 quality is what makes it stand out from its Advanced paper handling—Spend less time competitors. Brother has won PC Mag Readers’ loading paper with the 250 sheets default paper Choice Award for an unprecedented 8 years in a tray, handle a variety of papers up to 230g/m2 with row, as well as PC Mag Business Choice Awards the multi-purpose tray3, and easily scan documents for 4 years in a row, scoring the highest in overwith the 50 sheets Auto Document Feeder4 all customer satisfaction and reliability, as well as Low operating noise—At only 49 dBA, this se- likelihood to recommend. ries is quiet enough for comfortable desktop and Series Line-up and Availability small team use All prices are inclusive of the prevailing taxImpressive mono print quality—Create im- es and include a 2-year warranty. These new pactful, professional-looking documents with crisp Monochrome Laser Printer and Multi-Functext and graphics at high quality resolution tions are already available at all authorized Effortless two-sided scanning—With Dual CIS dealers nationwide.

ADF Scanner technology, you can automatically scan For more information on these models, visit two-sided documents without having to flip the doc- www.brother.com.ph.

DCP-L2550DW

HL-L2375DW

MFC-L2750DW

REALME EXPANDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA REALME, the smartphone brand that specializes in providing high quality smartphones, recently announced its expansion into Southeast Asia, putting a strong focus on products that integrate strong performance and stylish design.

Founded as a sub-brand of OPPO, Realme is now an independent brand targeted at global youth to deliver affordable technology equipped with the latest features.

Established in May 2018, Realme looks to bring performance and design that the young generation need from a smartphone. Young people across the globe may have different habits and aesthetic views but their demands are similar in terms of what they would need from a smartphone. Realme is focusing on providing smartphones of the future that offer strong performance and modern designs to young people, at affordable prices.

With this in mind, Realme has surpassed business expectations with the launch of its first smartphone— the Realme1. Immediately after its launch in India at the same time, the Realme1 was sold out two minutes after it was made available, making it onto the Amazon ‘Best Seller’ list.

400,000 units of the Realme1 were also sold just two months after the launch; a testament to its excellent performance and appearance.

Realme’s latest series, the Realme2, set a new record during its launch in India when a total of 200,000 units

the global smartphone market.

“With very few options available in the market to meet the ever-changing customer demand, Realme is focusing on bridging the gap by providing products with the latest innovations along with strong performance and stylish designs. As Realme is targeting the global market, we aspire to inject fresh momentum into the global smartphone industry,” said Sky Li, Founder and Global CEO of Realme.

Speaking at the launch of the Realme2, Madhav Sheth, Chief Executive Officer, Realme India said: “Being a young smartphone brand in the most diverse and thriving market in the world, we have witnessed unprecedented demand for our smartphones since launching Realme1. In just 30 days, we gained 4% of the online market share, and were ranked 4th in the fastest growing online smartphone market. As a youth-centric brand, we will always thrive to offer customers with the best at optimum prices.”

The Realme 2 is expected to exceed were sold in under 5 minutes. Inspired by the brand’s ‘Power Meets Style’ the Realme1’s achievement. Equipped product philosophy to take it ‘A Notch with prime features such as a Notch Full Above’, the Realme2 was built based Screen and Diamond-cutting Designs, on extensive field research and in- consumers will soon be able to get their depth interactions with customers— hands on the smartphones and enjoy a proving that it is set to further disrupt lot more at surprising prices.

HONOR PLAY ANNOUNCES PACTS WITH TOP MOBILE GAMES HONOR, a leading smartphone brand, announced today that it is teaming up with PUBG MOBILE and Asphalt 9: Legends to revolutionize the mobile gaming experience of users, starting with the Honor Play’s unprecedented speed and performance powered by its groundbreaking GPU Turbo upgrade and powerful Kirin 970 flagship chipset.

This partnership comes after the Honor Play’s successful launch in the Philippines last August 11, with the phone being sold out only days after its release.

With the all-new Honor Play, gamers get to experience enhanced graphics quality and extended battery life, plus an exciting series of all-star gaming experiences.

Emerge victorious on PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends with Honor Play As a trend-setting brand in the smartphone industry, Honor is proud to announce PUBG MOBILE as the

Honor Play’s Official Gaming Partner, a gaming title that was awarded the Trending Game of the Year by SXSW Gaming Awards this year and has over 10 million daily active users around the world.

Through the partnership, Honor and PUBG MOBILE will co-create amazing gaming experiences for Honor fans globally, starting with customized in-game

graphics performance. On PUBG MOBILE, the AI 4D Smart Shock function is also enabled for 30 different scenario vibrations, and will respond according to the direction of approaching enemies or gunfire, and you will even feel the kickback as you pull the trigger.

Honor and PUBG MOBILE will also host more online tournaments and of-

Experience the best of Honor Play’s game-specific customization with PUBG MOBILE and Asphalt 9: Legends

fline campaigns across Western Europe, CEE & Nordic, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Russia and India.

Honor is also working with Asphalt 9: Legends, the most popular carracing mobile game in the world created by GAMELOFT, to take gamers to a new level in their mobile car-racing experience with Honor Play.

Always a “game on” moment with Honor Play The Honor Play represents a “Game On” moment for mobile gamers. This game customization achieves a close to full frame rate and smooth experience even for graphic intensive gameplay.

Its Histen 3D audio technology offers an ultra-wide 3D sound field for gamers. This virtual surround sound provides a cinematic experience from different directions, allowing gamers to locate enemies and gunshot direction with precision.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

5 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PLDT HOME PREPAID WIFI HOME Prepaid WiFi, the first prepaid service of the country’s No.1 broadband, is here and it is allowing more Filipino families to finally get their own high-speed Internet connection and enjoy their favorite online activities in the comfort of their own home.

Powered by Smart, the country’s fastest mobile network as certified by global internet testing leader Ookla, the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is now available at PLDT Stores and retailers nationwide and comes with FREE 10GB data for a one-time payment of only P1,995.

Here are five tips to make sure you get the best experience with your PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi: • Place it strategically. Place the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi near a window to get the best signal. As much as possible, keep it away from household items and fixtures that can cause interference such as metal objects, appliances like microwave oven, LED lights and concrete walls and dividers. Even water and moisture—which can come from unexpected places like plant pots, flower vases, air-conditioners, or an open bathroom door—can weaken wireless signals.

• Use it indoors. Unlike the regular Pocket WiFi which you can carry on the go, PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is specially designed for home use, and works best in a fixed and stationary location indoors. The device supports the LTE 700MHZ band, a low frequency that easily penetrates houses and buildings, so it is able to deliver high-speed connection inside the house—as opposed to the regular Pocket WiFi. • Set a secure password. PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi connects up to 5 WiFi-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets, or laptops. To avoid WiFi-hoggers that slow down your connection or, worse, use up your data, make sure you set a strong and secure password that only your family knows.

• Set a budget for top-ups. One of the best things about the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is lets you control your usage based on your family’s budget. For a much better experience, make sure you set a monthly, weekly or daily budget for regular top-ups, so you won’t go beyond your intended usage.

• Take advantage of Home Boost 15 add-on. With PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi, you can enjoy PLDT Home’s pinakasulit data offer of 1GB for 1 day for only P15 via Home Boost 15, which you can get as an add-on top promos like Home Boost 50. Depending on your family’s needs, take advantage of this add-on for greater savings.

To know more about PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi, visit www. pldthome.com and follow PLDT’s official accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PLDTHome) and Twitter (@PLDTHome).

VIVO..

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screens without compromising on security options. Incorporating this cutting-edge technology in V11 is the latest testament to Vivo’s efforts to solve consumer pain points.

The V11 maintains Vivo’s sleek and stylish design.

The accuracy of Face Access has also been enhanced using infrared light, which now accurately scans 1,024 facial feature points to unlock instantly, even in the dark.

Vivo has created two trendsetting fusion colors inspired by the exciting mysteries of the universe— Starry Night and Nebula. Starry Night’s blend of black and blue and Nubula’s stunning blue and purple hues invoke glistening stars in distant galaxies that heightens the futuristic design of V11.

Availability V11 with In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology in Starry Night and Nebula is now available for P19,999.

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

VIVO V11: PERFECT SHOTS, IMMERSIVE, SLEEK DESIGN

V

IVO continues its tradition of producing smartphones that create perfect shots and boast of an immersive design with the unveiling the all-new Vivo V11 and V11i during a lavish launching ceremony at the Shangri-La, BGC recently.

This new AI-powered addition to the popular V series comes with an AI camera that helps users capture the picture-perfect moment in any scenario, as well as also AI services to enable smarter and simpler living.

Vivo’s V11 features key design breakthroughs, with the new Halo FullView™ Display paired with Starry Night and Nebula fusion colors, all enclosed within a curved 3D body to provide a seamless and immersive user experience. The V11 is the first in the V series to incorporate In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology, continuing Vivo’s technology leadership in biometric security, while maintaining a sleek and stylish design.

“Innovating with consumers in mind is our priority. We are excited to introduce the AI-powered V11 to create a more intuitive and personal mobile experience for our users,” said Annie Lim, vice president for PR Strategy and Partnerships. “With that in mind, we have made the perfect shot much easier to take with our AI Camera, added smarter AI services, and introduced our industry-leading In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology to the V series for the first time. We will strive to bring trend-setting innovations and the best experience to more consumers around the world.”

V11’s AI Camera Creates Perfect Photos with Ease The V11 continues Vivo’s pursuit of the perfect shot. Following the success of the V9 earlier this year, Vivo has stepped up its development of AI to answer the consumer demand for more powerful photography features which adapt to any scenario.

V11 features a 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera combination with a large f/1.8 aperture and 1.28μm pixels, as well as a 25MP front camera. The 12MP rear camera boasts

Dual Pixel Sensors with 24 million photosensitive units for higher light sensitivity and DSLR-standard DualPixel Autofocus technology that can lock focus in just 0.03 seconds.

Perfect selfies anywhere anytime.

Taking perfect photos has never been easier with these groundbreaking features that remove many of the typical photography challenges and instantly turn amateurs into near-professional photographers. V11’s AI Backlight HDR and AI Low Light Mode use AI algorithms to capture multiple frames for greater detail, and combine them to create perfectly exposed photos, even for difficult lighting environments such as sunsets. Adding to the list of AI photography features is AI Scene Recognition, which identifies different objects, elements and scenes, and applies specially customized enhancements to make your photos really “pop”.

For perfect selfies anywhere anytime, V11 introduces all-new AI Face Shaping technology, with an AI face-modelling algorithm that adds individual treatments to your facial features, creating beautiful yet natural selfies. The improved AI Selfie Lighting feature also offers more lighting effects with AI algorithms that understand how the user’s face interacts threedimensionally with light. On top of that, AI Portrait Framing makes framing the perfect shot easier

than ever, by using artificial intelligence to guide you. It prompts you on how to hold your phone in the optimal position, effortlessly producing perfectly framed portrait shots every time.

Smarter Experience, More Powerful Performance Beyond photography, the V11 expands the AI mobile experience across the board with Vivo’s AI assistant Jovi, with features like Jovi Smart Scene, Google Lens and Google Assistant. Jovi Smart Scene makes everyday life easier by recognizing user scenarios and acting accordingly, including checking the weather and providing real

Vivo V11creates a more intuitive and personal mobile experience for our user

time information. Google Assistant helps with everyday situations like map navigation, online shopping, travel arrangements, music, video and even social media, while Google Lens, backed by advanced deep-learning algorithms, lets users search for what they see.

Annie Lim, Vivo executive

V11 is the first model in the V series to incorporate In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology.

Supporting these incredible AI features, V11 is powered by the Snapdragon 660AIE processor with 6GB RAM + 128 ROM, ensuring ultra-smooth performance. The latest Funtouch OS 4.5 (based on Android 8.1) and Vivo’s Jovi AI Engine also work together to allocate CPU and memory resources efficiently to handle multiple complex operations.

Futuristic Immersive Design with the V series’ first In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology The V11 features a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 6.41-inch Super AMOLED Halo FullView™ Display with a 91.27% screen-to-body ratio. The ultra-thin 1.76mm side bezels, paired with the 3D curved body design blends the edges of the phone into the display, creating an immersive viewing experience that fits perfectly in your hand.

V11 is the first model in the V series to incorporate In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology, which eliminates the visible fingerprint pad to create a seamless design from front to back. The technology first debuted in CES earlier this year and has effectively created bigger Turn to C3

BIG THANKS, BIGGER PERKS ON GLOBE 917 DAY THE number 917 is turning out to be the most favored number of the year as Globe celebrates its iconic 917 prefix with a day overflowing with gratitude for all its customers.

Inspired by last year’s massively successful celebration, the country’s leading mobile brand commemorates the wonderful connections it has made by rewarding its customers with upgraded offers, surprise treats, and not-to-miss events leading up to Sept. 17 (9/17).

Now on it’s third year, 917 Day is all about giving back and letting loyal customers and partners feel the love and gratitude that everyone at Globe has for them. 917 Day is one big thank you from Globe for being part of our family all these years. We are #GratefulEveryday for allowing us to create and share experiences with you.

The countdown to 917 Day begins with a weekend of sweet deals and giveaways. On Sept.

15, Saturday, dine at KFC or shop at Bench or Marks & Spencer stores nationwide. Use your Globe Re-

wards points as cash and receive delightful surprises from these partner establishments!

It’s the VIP treatment for long-time Globe customers. As a little extra thank you for those who have been with us through the years, Globe is giving exclusive perks like free data for longtime TM and Prepaid customers, at least 100 Rewards points for Postpaid and Platinum customers depending on tenure, free volume/speed boost, Rewards points and other goodies for Globe At Home, Globe Business, and Globe myBusiness customers.

Have fun, get pampered on the best 917 Day yet From September 17 to 23, Globe Prepaid will visit select schools nationwide and will bring fun booths, movie screenings and free snacks for students. Want Globe Postpaid also gets in on the 917 fun. True to enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends instead? TM has you covered at its tambayan nooks to its promise of delivering extra value, ThePLAN in public parks for film screenings and free bags of PLUS customers will get a special coffee surprise on September 17. chips to enjoy.

BRITISH COUNCIL LAUNCHES IELTS ON COMPUTER IELTS (International English Language Testing System), the world’s most popular English test for higher education and migration can now be taken on a computer from Sept. 1 onwards, continually enhancing the test to improve the experience for takers and stakeholders.

Computer-delivered IELTS will not replace paper-based IELTS, but rather offer a choice in delivery and more availability.

Test takers can now choose the option and time to take IELTS that best works for them.

They can also get their results faster, with results typically available between five to seven calendar days after the test has been completed.

The test content and structure remain the same in both options and, importantly, the Speaking test remains face-toface with a certified IELTS Examiner. Whether test takers take IELTS on paper or computer, they can be confident that they are taking the same trusted English language test.

It’s the same IELTS, at the same price, but with more choice.

Test takers, who choose the option of computer-delivered IELTS can also access support materials with which to prepare for taking IELTS on a computer.

Since the test is the same, whether you take it on a computer or on paper, test takers can make use of the same resources offered by the British Council.

These offers include the IELTS One-day Preparation Workshop, IELTS Exceed Writing Workshop, IELTS Pre-tests, IELTS Orientations and IELTS Library. All of these can be availed at the British Council Learning Hub. Online review materials are also available for test takers.

These online resources such as the Road to IELTS online preparation course, massive open online courses and the mobile applications like the IELTS Preparation app offer a hassle-free method of practicing for your IELTS test.

IELTS is one of the world’s most popular high-stakes English language tests, with over three million tests taken in the past year, and is recognized by more than 10,000 universities, schools, employers and immigration bodies.

IELTS is the most widely used test of English for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. It is recognised by more than 10,000 universities, schools, employers and immigration bodies, including all universities in Australia and the UK and many of the leading institutions in the USA. Learn more about taking IELTS on computer: https://www.ieltsasia. org/ph/choose-test-format.

VIVO LAUNCHES X21, PARTNERS WITH SMART AS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the country’s leading ICT and digital services provider, together with top wireless brand, Smart Communications Inc., partners with Vivo to exclusively offer the latter’s newest X21 model.

The first in a series of high-end x-series phones, the X21 is designed especially for C-level executives and entrepreneurs—with features, such as in-display fingerprint scanning technology and a 6.28” AMOLED display, catering to their varied needs and interests.

As the sole mobile provider of the device, Smart will be offering the X21 exclusively to its Enterprise clients.

“The X-21 was crafted with the onthe-go lifestyle of business leaders and influencers in mind. To be able to tap this market and ensure that users enjoy the highest quality experience

with the device, we thought of partnering with Smart given that their premium plans come with a guarantee of excellence in service,” said Vivo VP for PR Strategy and Partnerships Annie Lim. To allow subscribers to fully enjoy the phone’s state-of-the-art features, Smart has bundled the offer together with its Plan 2000, which is inclusive of unlimited calls and texts, as well as non-stop surfing.

“This year, we at Smart have really focused on ramping up our LTE capabilities and have seen these activities bear fruit, being recognized recently as the country’s fastest wireless network,” said SMART AVP & Head of Wireless Corebiz and Smart Infinity Chet Alviz.

“All efforts are aimed at elevating our services and the experience of our customers. Part of this is to pro-

vide them with mobile devices like the Vivo X21, so they can fully and truly enjoy the power of Smart’s fastest LTE network,” Alviz added.

PLDT VP & Head of Enterprise Core Business Solutions Jojo Gendrano also shared his excitement for the partnership, saying, “As technology continues to improve the productivity of today’s business leaders, we at PLDT and Smart are inspired to enhance the mobile experience of our enterprise clients.

With this, we are so privileged to be able to strengthen our partnership with Vivo and offer our clients a mobile phone and plan suited to their preferences.”

To know more about the mobile plans and services offered by PLDT Enterprise, contact your Relationship Manager or visit www.pldtenterprise.com.

Vivo reps giving a demo of the brand-new phone unit (from left) Vivo Corporate Legal Counsel Atty. Carlo Bautista; Vivo VP for PR Strategy and Partnerships Annie Lim; Vivo Channel Development Manager Mark Cuevas; PLDT Enterprise Category Head for Postpaid and Wireless Broadband Christian Almendarez and PLDT Enterprise Product Marketing Officer Yna Palayapyon.

Destinations D1

sunday, september 16, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

all things tropical

@MStandardLIFE

a strategically located venue makes it accessible to more guests.

5 elements of an ideal events venue SeaSoned party planners and event organizers know there are five important things to consider in choosing a venue, may it be for Christmas parties, trade fairs, or product launches.

Location

I

SOAK IN THE SUN. SSI Group has teamed up with RCBC Bankard to reward customers a dream getaway to premier resorts in the Philippines.

T IS common knowledge that the Philippines is home to some of the world’s best tropical destinations. In a bid to celebrate and showcase these attractions, specialty retailer SSI Group has launched the Tropicale campaign.

Tropicale allows individuals to experience the best our country has to offer under one roof— at Central Square in Bonifacio Global City.

SSI has partnered with RCBC Bankard for the Tropicale getaway promo, which gives customers a chance to go on a dream vacation at a premier resort in the Philippines.

From Sept. 1 to oct. 31, shoppers at Central Square and select Bonifacio high Street stores are entitled to one raffle promo for every single or accumulated receipt of P3,000.

RCBC Bankard cardholders are also entitled to triple the number of raffle entries if they use their card.

Lucky winners of the grand raffle in november may win a 3-day/2night stay at Lagen Island Resort, a 3-day/2-night stay at eskaya Beach Resort & Spa, or a 3-day/2-night stay at Mövenpick hotel Mactan Island Cebu.

With the worsening traffic situation everywhere, holding your event in a tucked away place that requires excessive travel time is not the wisest decision, else your guest attendance and punctuality might suffer.

If you’re holding a corporate event with guests coming from different areas, your venue must be accessible enough either by car or public transportation.

Parking space

This is an overlooked but extremely important factor. a venue with ample parking space is heaven sent. It’s reasonable, saves a lot of time, and lets your guests enjoy the affair more because they won’t have to worry about their vehicles getting towed or the parking lot closing.

nestled between a lush fourhectare forest and calm lagoon, Lagen Island Resort offers a magnificent view of the Bacuit Bay and el nido sunset. The surrounding forest and limestone cliffs are natural attractions that also serve as sanctuary for a diverse variety of birds and mammals. eskaya Beach Resort & Spa on the other hand, pampers its guests with breathtaking nature views and top-notch amenities and activities that include dolphin watching, sunset cruise around Panglao Island, Loboc River cruise, sightseeing colonial churches and the iconic Chocolate hills, and tarsier spotting.

Mövenpick hotel Mactan Island Cebu boasts Mediterraneaninspired beachfront hotel paired with a myriad of fresh and fun choices, from accommodations to leisure activities.

Turn to D2

Booking an ideal venue is the first step to planning a great party.

Capacity

Guided sunset kayak tour in el nido

It’s almost customary that people invite more than their intended number of guests because usually there will be a few people who can’t make it for one reason or another. But what if everyone shows up? or some people bring a plus one but did not declare it prior? With these possible circumstances, it is valuable if the place has an option to expand the space should the need arise.

Amenities

does your event venue have a kitchen where the caterer can work in? does it have available rooms that can serve as holding area? does it provide security and housekeeping personnel? These details are important to note because if your venue has all these available amenities, you can save money and time in hiring another third party supplier.

Cost

Movenpick hotel Mactan Island Cebu offers deluxe accommodations and fun leisure activities.

Kayaking at the Big Lagoon

negotiating on costs usually isn’t likely especially for huge venues because these are usually fixed. But what you can do to make the most out of your budget is request for Turn to D2

Sailing acroSS the caribbean

made it easy for all americans to When my youngest sister, espevisit the country. Some of them ranza, who is based in Portland went by air, while the others opted oregon, told us, through our famfor the leisurely cruise. ily’s Viber group, of her plans to celI had mentioned to my ebrate her birthday in Cuba, simply sister months earlier because she hasn’t been there yet, that going on the all of us got excited. We haven’t cruise would be the been there either so, in a matter of best way to visit Cuba. a few days, 22 members of the fammercury rising The friends who have ily, from different parts of the US

By BoB zozoBrado been there were all raving about and the Philippines, signed up to their trip and told everyone that join her celebration. now is the best time to visit that There have been quite a few of my US-based friends who have visited Cuba since country while it still has its 1950s “charm,” and before Turn to D2 2016, when former US President Barack obama

Royal Caribbean's empress of the Seas

destinations

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sunday, september 16, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

5Fromelements...

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TOURISM NEWS

perks that most venues are willing to give especially if you’re holding a big event, such as complimentary additional time for ingress/egress. negotiating on additional perks lets you save money and dedicate more time to planning other aspects of your event.

Elements at Eton Centris claims to check all these factors. It’s centrally located at the corner of Edsa and Quezon Avenue, and has ample parking space. It offers fully air-conditioned spaces that can accommodate 350 guests in one hall and a maximum of 700 guests in combined halls. It has suite rooms, kitchen and pantry, and even landscaped garden areas. For inquiries, contact (02) 358-1565 or 0917-5994329.

pLdt and smart reward subscribers discounted rates on booking.com's listings.

elements at eton Centris offers fully airconditioned, spacious halls.

all...

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“through tropicale we continue to be an avenue to bring the best of the philippines to many,” enthused ssI Group president anton Huang.

He continued, “this is a true testament to the ssI Group’s mission to continuously enrich the lives of our customers by giving them only the best curated lifestyle experiences.” aside from dream vacations, tropicale also features a lineup of events featuring all things local. maker’s market this sunday highlights top handmade and locally produced products, such as macramé hangings, embroidered pillows, children’s accessories and toys, a mini sculptures, among others. meanwhile, on sept. 21-23, mommies are invited to mommy mundo, expo mom, which will showcase top lifestyle and baby products alongside exhibits and parenting workshops.

On Oct. 18-21, Filipino artisanal market Lokalidad, will showcase the best of homegrown craftsmanship.

While sept. 28-30 and Oct. 5-7 are all about awesome food finds with Let’s eat pare’s Central eats.

Finally, Oct. 13-14 is scheduled for the zero-waste and sustainable fair, Good trade, which will feature ecoconscious and sustainable essentials.

movenpick Hotel mactan Island Cebu's swimming pool

telco oFFers Discounts on Booking.com accommoDations LeadInG telco and digital services provider pLdt, Inc. and its mobile services arm smart Communications, Inc. have teamed up with travel aggregator website booking.com to give subscribers special discounts on room bookings in local and asian destinations. under the partnership, all pLdt Home, smart prepaid, and smart postpaid customers can enjoy up to 30 percent discount on select booking. com listings in the philippines and top asian destinations including thailand, south Korea, taiwan, malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan from today until dec. 31.

“Over the years, Filipinos have cultivated a passion for traveling, and

with this strategic partnership, we’re excited to provide our pLdt Home and smart customers with rewarding experiences on their getaways,” said Oscar a. reyes, Jr., senior vice president and head of consumer business market development for pLdt and smart. special deals for pLdt Home subscribers are available at www.booking.com/PLDT, while smart customers can book discounted rates at www.booking.com/Smart. using these dedicated sites, users simply have to select their country of destination, choose their preferred accommodation from the listings, and pick the rate bearing the pLdt or smart logo.

PHiteX 2018 gatHers international travel agents more than 200 travel agents and tour operators from around the world came to the country for the philippine travel exchange 2018 held from aug. 27 to sept. 4.

Organized by the tourism promotions board, the marketing arm of the department of tourism, pHIteX 2018 served as a venue for the world’s top travel and tour buyers to meet over 220 local sellers and discuss how best to promote the philippines as a premier travel destination in asia.

With the theme, “tourism is our business: Guarding our environment, reliving our Culture,” it kicked off with a pre-tour in bataan, Laguna, tagaytay, and batangas, which featured unique and interesting philippine culture and heritage. the highlight of the event was the travel exchange, an exclusive business-to-business appointment wherein foreign travel agents were introduced to the country’s best marketing trends and practices, and were able to experience first-hand the diversity of the country’s best tourism products and services that they can promote in their home countries.

On the other hand, sellers were able to offer globally competitive tour packages to the international market as well as learn other countries’ trade strategies to apply to their own practices. seminars on sustainable tourism and culture and tourism were also held for the local sellers. aside from the pre-tour and the two-day traVeX, buyers were also treated to a five-day post tour to main attractions and destinations in the country, namely bicol, davao, palawan, dumaguete-siquijor-sumilon, and Ilocos.

after several months, and hundreds of Viber and email messages that crossed both lateral directions of the vast pacific, we were sailing, across the the “modern world” makes the country Caribbean, to Cuba. royal Caribbean’s empress of the seas look like any other tourist destination. since my sister had planned to make all has been in operation for the past 29 the arrangements herself, on everybody’s years, and has a capacity of 1,840 pasbehalf, but didn’t know who to deal with, sengers and 668 crew members. It has a as far as reservations and special arrange- total of nine decks. passengers’ confusion in figuring out ments were concerned, I volunteered to link her up with my friends at arpan air, whether their staterooms (cabins) are which is the general sales agency for royal in the bow or stern of the ship is further compounded when the ship has too Caribbean in the philippines. because all of us who signed up for the many decks. Of course, after a day or two, Cuba cruise are based in different parts of passengers learn, and find their way with the world, with different documentation nary a problem. although it is the oldest and the smallest requirements and separate payment procedures, I made sure she would deal with in royal Caribbean’s fleet, the empress of the team of my friend, marilen “Len” yap- the seas is also the most awarded among tangco, president and chief executive of all the other vessels, for its culinary offerarpan air, as I know that they would make ings, and we can validate this. We had the chance to have a meal in all of the ship’s it easy for us to prepare for the trip. food and beversure enough, age outlets, and Len assigned her wherever we were, efficient assistant, YOUR weekend the food was alraquel “rocky” ways outstanding, CHUCkLe estrella, to handle whether it was the our family’s travel.

Husband COnFesses: When my buffet at Windjamshe and my sister wife starts to sing, I always go out mer, or the a la carte attended to the and do some garden work so that menu at starlight, million-and-one our neighbors can see there’s no or the fine dining at details seamlessly, domestic violence going on.

Chops Grille. even if both of every meal was a them were on opdelight, especially posite sides of the because, for five pacific. and I tell you, the requirements to straight days, the whole family celebrated enter Cuba is enough to discourage a firsttime traveler. Good thing all of us in the my youngest sister’s birthday, with our group are seasoned travelers, and were little grandnieces presenting her with a gift unfazed by the amount of documents we after each dinner. not only were the food and drinks excellent, so was the service, eshad to prepare to get a Cuban visa.

Over 200 top international tour operators and travel agents join pHIteX 2018.

sailing...

From D1

the ship's crew came from 36 countries, shown here with their respective flags.

pecially that by the Filipino crew. the ship has also received many awards for its entertainment fare, and I must say we all enjoyed the nightly presentations at the royal theater, whether they be the colorful musical extravaganzas or the comedy acts that kept us in stitches throughout the night.

It was a lot of fun at the bon Voyage party at the poolside, topmost deck, when the ship left the port of miami. almost all the passengers were there, enjoying the sea breeze, excited over embarking on a

new adventure. there was dancing to the Latin beat, lots of drinks, photo ops, and, in our case, we had the family, 22-member strong, bonding with each other and enjoying every minute of it! the following day, the ship continued to sail across the pristine waters of the Caribbean where the depths average 6,000 feet and the water temperature is a moderate 27 degrees Celsius. the whole day at sea was the perfect time for us to discover more of the ship. there were two swimming pools and

two Jacuzzis to choose from, whenever we wanted to soak in the Caribbean sun.

We could also have gone to the Vitality spa for some kneading of our knotted muscles but, instead, we decided to play bingo at the royal theater, because the jackpot prize was another cruise for two.

Of course, we never win in those things. the third day brought us to Key West, Florida, the details of which I already wrote about in last week’s column. that stopover was certainly an eye-opener for me as I never knew that such a small island-city would have so many interesting attractions. Its unique charm, which I would have wanted to enjoy more of, made our daytime shore excursion too short. the fourth and fifth days of our cruise were spent in Havana, the city untouched by time. Its cobblestone streets, old architecture, classic vintage cars in the city streets, iconic music, and very hospitable people give the city its rustic, old world appeal. Of course, it deserves a full-column feature, which I will write soon.

I pride myself on having been on a cruise for so many times now, in different parts of the world, but this one across the Caribbean to Cuba is the most memorable. the interesting discoveries in Key West, Florida; walking around “old world” Havana, Cuba with its wealth of history, plus non-stop bonding with the family made this Caribbean sailing an event to remember. now I know that not all treasures are gold and diamonds. this sailing across the Caribbean with the family is worth more than any of those precious metals and gems.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

D3

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

Pia Wutzbach and Gerald Anderson in 'My Perfect You'

‘MY PERFECT YOU’

ENCHANTS CINEMA ONE

'Limitless' concert featured artists Kyla, Radha, Angeline and Liezel

By Nickie Wang

I

N AN all-female concert and benefit dinner held on Sept. 7 at the Metrotent Convention Center in Pasig, every performer stood out. From the opening number, a Destiny’s Child medley, Cornerstone Entertainment artists Angeline Quinto, Kyla, Radha, Liezel Garcia and up and coming singer-songwriter Jayda Avanzado treated the audience with dramatic spectacle at their show.

Teen singer Jayda Avanzado electrifies the audience with her soaring vocals and stage presence.

Between songs and production numbers, they also talked about the importance of celebrating the contribution of women like themselves have made in society. They highlighted personal experiences and shared with the audience what made them feel empowered and how they could inspire others “to make a difference in the society.”

Liezel showcased her vocal prowess with some Whitney Houston classics, Radha belted out Adele’s largest crossover hit and dark blues-y gospel disco tune, Angeline performed the most popular television series theme songs, and Kyla sang her platinum hits and a Mariah Carey song. But what really caught our attention was showbiz scion Jayda, who was the first artist to perform among the five singers.

The 15-year-old daughter of Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado fired up the stage with bouncing ballads and blew the audience away with her powerful vocals and fun, infectious covers of Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa’s chart-topping songs.

The teen singer, who definitely inherited her parents love and talent for music, performed “New Rules” and “Dangerous Woman” in the women empowerment-themed concert. She also did a duet of Chirstina Aguileria’s “Reflection” with one of the concert’s front acts. And in every number, Jayda showcased her vocal runs proving why she’s the next recording star to watch out for.

The two-hour benefit concert, headlined by the five artists, honored women with moving stories that inspire more people, including SpED teachers of Antipolo City Sped Center, who dedicate their lives to teaching more than 250 differently-abled kids. These teachers empower women and children with special needs to prove their disability is not a hindrance to success.

Led by Outbox Media Powerhouse Corporation managing director Rossel Velasco-Taberna, the concert also aimed to showcase the company’s event handling expertise, spread love and joy though popular songs and timeless hits, and at the same time celebrate the impact and significance of what women can do in the society today. The concert also served as Outbox Media’s 12th anniversary celebration.

SONGS OF FREEDOM: IN JAIL, BURKINA INMATE MAKES FIRST ALBUM WEARING a black “Hate Hero” T-shirt, a large pair of headphones clamped over his ears, the young singer croons into a microphone at a simple recording studio inside a prison in Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa.

Known as Johnyto, the 25-yearold is serving two years for being an accomplice to robbery at an overcrowded prison known for its abysmal conditions in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina’s second city.

Here, he is one of 700 inmates, some of whom are looking on curiously as he works the synthesizer, the mixer and the amplifiers.

“School didn’t work out because I wanted to make music, but well, that didn’t take off... Many things happened before I wound up here,” admits the young singer, whose real name is Jonathan Sougue.

“But one day, I hope to become a real star and forget this life.”

And in March, Johnyto finally got the break he was looking for when he entered an audition run by Burkinabe reggae star Freeman Tapily who was looking for an inmate who could record an album behind bars.

In what could have been dubbed “Prison’s Got Talent” or perhaps “X-Factor Behind Bars”, four people in his jail vied for first place, and Johnyto, with his mix of rap and ballads, won.

Several months later, Tapily’s team came into the prison and set up a basic recording studio where Johnyto spent three days with them recording five songs, shooting a music video and taking a series of publicity shots.

The project is being jointly financed by the Burkinabe Office of Author’s Rights and by African Culture, an organization owned by Tapily which

invites well-known Burkinabe singers and musicians to perform at concerts inside prisons for free as a way of helping with the inmates’ rehabilitation.

“These projects are close to my heart,” Tapily told AFP. He started the initiative in 2010 with a concert performed in front of 1,400 inmates at the MACO central prison in the capital, Ouagadougou.

“Now it’s 2018 and there are roughly 2,000 prisoners. It’s going up!” he said.

But what he really wants to see is the numbers falling -- in a sign that the inmates are completing their sentences, getting out and getting on with normal lives.

“For the number to fall, we have to get on with rehabilitation. With rehabilitation, we will fight crime and repeat offences, that’s our battle. And in terms of rehabilitation, music can do a lot.” AFP

Jonathan Sougue, known as Johnyto, won a contest to record an album of songs inside the jail in Burkina Faso where he is serving a two-year term for being an accomplice to robbery.

EXPECT an unconventional romanticcomedy in the first team up of Gerald Anderson and Pia Wurtzbach in the enthralling film My Perfect You, airing on Cinema One’s Blockbuster today.

Burn’s (Gerald) perfect life turns upside down when his girlfriend rejects his marriage proposal and his boss fires him from work. Devastated, he flees from home, crashes his car, and ends up in a run-down hostel owned and managed by optimistic Abi (Pia)—and the two personalities clash.

After realizing Abi’s enthusiastic advances were just to help cheer him up, he makes up for her by helping repair the hostel, and the two grow closer. Will Burn get a second chance in love or is he destined for another heartbreak?

My Perfect You, produced under Star Cinema and directed by Cathy GarciaMolina, includes Dimples Romana, Tonton Gutierrez, Janus Del Prado, Wilma Doesnt, Darwin Tolentino, RJ Ledesma, Paolo O’hara, Marlann Flores, and Xia Vigor in the cast.

Escape to a mini-paradise in My Perfect You at 7:00 o’clock tonight.

CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE’S TWIST SET TO DELIGHT FIRSTTIME VIEWERS

'Kasal' stars Derek Ramsay, Bea Alonzo and Paulo Avelino

KASAL, one of this year’s most controversial movies starring Bea Alonzo, Paulo Avelino, and Derek Ramsey, is back, this time on television via KBO this weekend.

It follows the story of Lia, a simple lass who is about to marry the “Prince of Cebu” and the mayoral candidate, Philip (Paulo). Their so-called fairytale love story becomes complicated when Lia’s past lover, Wado (Derek) accidentally becomes the vital person to help Philip secure his win in the elections.

A plot twist, one that boldly explores gender themes, in Kasal’s story of a love triangle will give first time viewers what one critic hailed as an entertaining surprise.

“Once you settle in to watch this film, you only expect to see the ex coming in to throw a wrench into what seemed to be a dream wedding. However, this film directed by Ruel S. Bayani (who previously helmed hits like No Other Woman and One More Try) threw in a most unexpected wrench into his narrative to twist the whole “typical” love triangle story into a most unexpected, but devilishly entertaining surprise.

Especially if you’ve haven’t seen the trailer, you’d never expect how far leftfield this story would go,” wrote Fred Hawson in his review of the movie on news.abs-cbn.com.

The film went on to become a box office success earning P100 million after its run.

Don’t miss Kasal this weekend with Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman’s That Thing Called Tadhana, Bret Jackson and Ella Cruz’s Dark Room, Yassi Pressman and Sam Milby’s Ang Pambansang Third Wheel, and Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador’s My Fairy Tail Love Story.

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sunday, september 16, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

CAring For A senior dog:

Dental Care

D

ENTAL care is very important for senior dogs.

Caring for a dog’s teeth should have started way back when she was a pup. Proper dental care includes getting the pup used to brushing her teeth.

But if one did not know this as most owners, it is not yet too late to care for a dog’s teeth.

However, it is important to start now.

“Dental disease can cause unnecessary pain for your dog and can also have adverse effects on the heart, liver, and kidneys,” Petfinder says.

Regular care can keep a dog’s teeth, mouth and gums healthy.

1. Brush you dog’s teeth You can use a toothbrush or if the dog does not like a toothbrush, you can use a soft cloth wrapped around your finger and brush the teeth using a toothpaste that is specifically made for dogs.

DO NOT USE REGULAR OR HUMAN TOOTHPASTE. Some owners also use activated charcoal aside from dog toothpaste.

Mix it with water as instructed on the label, then dip the cloth or cotton in the mixture, and rub softly around the teeth and parts of the gums and mouth that you can reach. Activated charcoal helps remove bacteria from the mouth which can cause a lot of illnesses.

“Brushing your dog’s teeth is the ‘gold standard’ of dental home care. There are a number of different options that you can use to brush your dog’s teeth. Long handled toothbrushes made specifically for dogs are available as are finger brushes. Use a toothpaste made specifically for pets. Do not use your own toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth,” Petfinder says.

2. Schedule a regular teeth cleaning with the vet Petfinder says the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends that a SENIOR dog’s teeth be checked twice a year.

“When you do, your veterinarian will typically inspect your dog’s teeth, mouth and gums. A thorough veterinary dental examination is best completed under an anesthetic. This will allow your veterinarian to properly clean your dog’s teeth both below and above the gum line.

Your veterinarian will also check each individual tooth for signs of disease and, in many cases, even take dental radiographs (x-rays).

Your dog’s teeth will also be polished to restore a smooth surface to the teeth,” Petfinder says.

3. Give chew toys AAHA says chew toys help with dental care.

“Provide chew toys that help

Young or senior dogs are given chew toys and a treat that cleanses the teeth. But please remember that treats should only comprise 10 per cent of a dog's food intake. If you are brushing your dog's teeth regularly, give a dental treat only three times a week at most. All treats have preservatives and preservatives are of course not good for your dog.

EMS MALIT simply loves dogs. She knows each dog’s personality and is happy with a life colored by their presence. She is one proud furmommy.

CHOCO, now one year old and three months, is a male shih tzu and is the most behaved of Ems’ pack, she adds.

“He’s got that very innocent and soulful look,” Ems says.

Shakti, now 10 years old, was born with small teeth. Her dry dog food is soaked in natural food of boiled vegetable that are good for dogs and a little meat. This ensures that she still gets the nutrients he needs but she will not have difficulty eating her food.

massage your pet’s gums and keep their teeth clean,” AAHA says.

4. Look out for signs of dental disease “According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), pet owners should be on the lookout for signs that dental disease might already be present,” Petfinder says.

When you see the following symptoms, bring your dog to the vet: a. Bad breath. “Most pets have breath that is less than fresh, but if it becomes truly repugnant, that’s a sign that periodontal disease has already started,” Petfinder explains. b. Frequent pawing. The dog often rubs or paws at the face and/ or mouth. c. Avoids hard food. Your dog may start to avoid hard food or

dry food or is reluctant to eat dry food. Please bring to the vet and change his diet from kibble to canned (soft) food or a homemade food with lots of liquid and put some dry food which have been soaked in water or broth. d. The gums are red or swollen or the teeth are brownish or worse, both. Please bring to the vet immediately.

“Good dental care can make a big difference in your senior dog’s health and comfort so don’t hesitate…start your dog’s healthy mouth regimen today!” says Petfinder. (DC) Editor’s Note: More dental care tips will be provided for both pups, young adult dogs, and senior dogs in future issues of Sunday Pets Page.

#Adoptdontshop RESCUED puppies and dogs can be as loving as dogs who grew up in one’s home.

Though they may have been stray pups or dogs who lived on the streets on their own, looked for food for themselves, and fought to survive, they all end up a loving, sweet dog once they have been reprogrammed and one has gained their trust.

Rescued or not, all dogs love to be cuddled, to be hugged, to be shown affection. They give back by licking your face or your hand, smiling at you the instant they see you, wagging their tail and rubbing their body against you, and following your commands.

Dogs observe you, listen to you, and eventually trust you and love you. And when they do, they will love you for the rest of their lives, and even beyond.

A dog is indeed a bestfriend, one who can be a silent companion who seems to feel your every emotion. They go to you when you are crying or sad and some even go around the room seemingly in panic as to how to comfort you. They smile and look at you with loving eyes when you are happy.

They are very sensitive to your every mood, and “share” your experience silently, or in unique ways you and your best bud dog only know.

Save ALL Inc.- Save Animals of Love and Light, an animal welfare group that has been rescuing injured, abandoned and abused dogs and cats for close to five years now, has had the pleasure of seeing these wounded beings heal emotionally and mentally from the painful life they had. This, aside from healing from illnesses they got from the streets, the pounds or from the house of an irresponsible owner.

Dogs are strong beings who can fight any battle for as long as possible. They are very resilient.

My Furry Bestie

Save ALL officers and admins have seen many a dog from a physically ill, traumatized and fearful dog to a handsome or beautiful dog who trusts a human and plays with other dogs like pups just starting to learn how it is like to be a truly free dog.

This is the best reward of rescuing. It warms the heart and brings so much joy to a rescuer that one would want to save more.

Another reward is seeing a dog finally enjoying a real home live with a loving family, and treated as a member of a truly nurturing family, as one of the babies of the clan.

Even though Save ALL has learned to love these beautiful dogs, Save ALL continues to look for beautiful human souls who have a lot of love to give to another being like a dog.

This is the hardest part of rescuing. It is never easy for a rescuer to let them go and trust another human to take care of a dog who Save ALL saw fight for his/ her life and become one trusting being.

But if Save ALL can find a loving home for the rescued ones, gratefulness fills the heart. Another wondrous sight to behold is a picture of a rescued dog sleeping on the adopter’s bed, watching television with his new furdad, walking around the neighborhood and playing with his new fursiblings…

Save ALL has a number of adorable young dogs ready for adoption. They are fixed (spayed or neutered so that they will no longer reproduce), have complete vaccines, and their preventive meds like heartworm prevention are updated.

To adopt a dog from Save ALL, please contact admins in the Save ALL Facebook page, or directly message admins Maricel Mondejar, Joanne Zamora, and Julie Rodriguez.

The photos show two adoptable young lovely dogs.

LILY, a three-year-old beauty, is the most sociable among Ems’ dogs. She interacts with all the members of the family, Ems says.

Ems however says Lily is one to throw tantrums too. “She knows how to make tampo, “ Ems says, laughing.

PRINCESS was only around eight weeks old when she almost got hit by vehicles along the busy San Mateo road in Quezon City.

She was trying to cross the street, apparently looking for food. Save All admins Tani Benedito and Ruby Bautista pulled over, and ran after the fearful, shaking pup.

She was born with one “bad” eye or an eye that never developed, the vet said. She is a playful pup who is now one and a half years old. But she is shy when it comes to humans. Save ALL believes her interactions with humans while a baby were not nurturing at all. She observes a human first and trusts a human after she has been convinced the human will not hurt her. Then she transforms into a the most sweet doggy.

ELLA was only 10 months when she was given up by her owner to a friend of a former admin of Save ALL. A pure beagle, Ella had a skin problem, thus she was given away. The former admin contacted Save ALL for fear Ella might end up with someone who might just breed her for money. After two months, she was cleared of the skin disease which turned out to be ringworm and fungal infection which are treatable and not a lifelong condition. These skin diseases develop in a dog due to a dirty environment or a cage that is not cleaned well. Ella, now one year old, seems to have been in a cage since birth as she is insatiable when it comes to roaming freely in the foster home. Add the fact she is still a pup, she loves to be in the garden or sala or garage, alone or playing, and goes around exploring. She does not destroy things. She just sniffs and runs, almost jumping in joy when she does. She can mix well with other dogs. She is also spayed.