Business
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 business@thestandard.com.ph
BINONDO...
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dental center with known celebrities, politicians and socialites as clients. GAOC is also active in its corporate social responsibility program that provides dental care for indigents in partnership with corporations and organizations such as JCI and Operation Smile Philippines. Gan says the expansion aims to extend its reach across the nation to further strengthen its CSR Program that focuses on educating people on oral hygiene and provide free dental services to specific target communities. The two new locations will expand its network to nine clinics with a complement of over 30 doctors. Gan says the expansion will bring the company’s services closer to clients. “We are after their convenience where a GAOC clinic will be near their location,” he says. Gan remains bullish of the continued growth of dental services in the Philippines. Gan, a former chairman of the board of dentistry of the Philippine Regulatory Commission, makes sure that the level of professionalism of Filipino dentists are raised to world-class standards, allowing them to compete globally. GAOC is now one of the biggest chains of dental centers in Metro Manila that adheres to world-class standards. Its services include dental implants and related surgical procedures, cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry.
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when shopping, next only to cash, and slightly ahead of credit cards. According to the survey conducted in one of the country’s biggest malls, 80 percent of the total respondents will pay in cash if they have enough budget or resources, while 11 percent will apply for a financing/installment loan, followed by credit cards (9 percent). While the rankings for payment options may have changed, shoppers’ gift buying (and gift receiving) preferences remain the same. Almost half or 39 percent of the respondents— including married and single men and women—cited gadgets as their most preferred gifts this Christmas season, followed by appliances and cash. On the other hand, 38 percent prefer to give their loved ones shoes and clothing as presents for the holidays. For single respondents, there were striking similarities in preferred gifts, with both males and females opting to receive high-tech gadgets as Christmas presents. The study reveals that 32 percent of married respondents preferred Christmas gifts that would be more useful in the household. Majority are inclined to receive appliances (32 percent), followed by gadgets (29 percent), from their loved ones this Christmas. With most of the respondents typically buying gifts through full cash payments, more than half of all respondents allocate a budget of almost a fifth of their monthly salary for gifts, with some even allotting almost half of their total monthly income for shopping. While shoppers have different gift preferences and spending habits, consumer finance groups such as Home Credit help many Filipinos purchase gadgets and appliances through convenient and affordable payment terms—thus freeing up more of their budget during the expense-heavy holiday season. “The preference for gadgets doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the increasing smartphone and internet penetration in the Philippines. And when it comes to purchases, budget is always a consideration, even more so during the holidays,” says Annica Witschard, chief executive of Home Credit Philippines. “This is where consumer financing services such as ours can help. Through installment financing options, especially the 0 percent interest offerings, Filipinos can have a much easier time in managing their budgets—so they have more than enough budget left for Noche Buena and other holiday activities,” Witschard says. Home Credit Philippines offers affordable loan installments for gadgets, appliances and other electronics in over 1,500 stores of 220 retail partners across key cities and provinces such as Metro Manila, Cebu, Pampanga, Batangas, Cabanatuan, Baguio and Iloilo. Since it was established in the country in 2013, Home Credit has already served over 500,000 customers. “Our aim is for greater financial inclusion in the Philippines, and we at Home Credit are focused on offering affordable loan installments that can help consumers,” Witschard says.
Rusty Lopez opens new store at Sogo Lippo Mall in St. Moritz, Jakarta. (Photo from Facebook Page of Rusty Lopez-Indonesia)
MARIKINA SHOES A HIT IN INDONESIA
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ilipino fashion retail brand Rusty Lopez has recently opened a new store in Jakarta, featuring comfortable sandals and casuals made from Marikina City, the Philippines’ shoe capital known for producing durable and highquality footwear, according to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center – Jakarta.
The store in Sogo Lippo Mall Puri located in St. Moritz central business district is the brand’s ninth outlet following the opening of stores in Seibu Grand Indonesia, Sogo Emporium Pluit,
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oil indicator and automatic water pump. A unit can cover an spray area of 85 square meters. Vazquez says misting works by forcing water through a brass and stainless steel mist nozzle, producing a micro-fine mist. Vazquez says the mist is so fine— about half the diameter of a strand of hair—that it quickly evaporates to create the cooling effect. He says the misting system can cool off different open areas, porches, backyards, gardens and patios. He says it can also be used in restaurants, hotels and resorts with open areas, sports venues, churches with open doors, gardens, playgrounds,
Sogo Central Park, Sogo Alam Sutera, Lotte Shopping Avenue, Metro Plaza Senayan, Metro Gandaria City and Metro Taman Anggrek. Philippine commercial attaché to Indonesia Alma Argayoso said the sales of the newest collection during the opening were brisk. The other stores also received positive feedback. “It is exciting to bring to the Indonesian market the Philippines’ world-famous Marikina-made shoes. This affirms our belief on the potential of fashion retail products in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy,” Argayoso said. The first overseas store of Rusty Lopez opened in Jakarta on March 6, 2016 at the Seibu Department Store of Grand Indonesia Mall and featured
event venues, concert grounds, zoos, veterinary clinics, wildlife parks, poultry farms, greenhouses, construction sites, manufacturing facilities and public places. He showcased his line machine at a station of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 last year and deployed five units of Misty Kool electric fan-type units during the recent boxing bout of Manny Pacquiao to cool off a gymnasium in Malasiqui, Pangasinan. Vazquez says for every pound of water that evaporates in the air, 1,100 Btu (British thermal unit) of heat is used out of the air. When heat is removed from the air, it becomes cooler. The Misty Kool machine can cool the air down to a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius, he says. Vazquez, who studied Commerce at San Beda College at the time President Rodrigo Duterte was taking his Law
carefully selected designs suited to the Indonesian market. DTI said the increased interest in Philippine-made shoes abroad helps revive the local shoe industry and is expected to open more opportunities for small enterprises to generate employment within their communities. As part of the DTI’s industry promotion group, PTIC-Jakarta said it would continue to support and assist Filipino homegrown brands in globalizing their products and accessing regional markets by continuously looking for potential partnerships. Aside from Rusty Lopez, other Filipino fashion retail brands in Indonesia are Karimadon, Penshoppe, Gingersnaps and Ann Ong Jewelry.
degree, says he learned his common sense from the streets of Manila and his technical know-how from his father, who was an engineer and architect. His father taught him how to fix the family car and work on the fuse box, when the lights were out. “My father told me that the day would come when he won’t be there, and I had to do what he was doing. Then somebody could not fool me, because I knew what needed to be done. All of these, combined together is one big common sense. Life itself is one big common sense,” he says. Now, he passes on his skills to his son, Edgardo Vazquez Jr., who is a chef and restaurateur. The father-and-son tandem is now promoting Misty Kool to provide comfort to millions of Filipinos seeking respite from the heat of the sun, especially
during the dry months. Vazquez says he has already obtained a patent for Misty Kool. He also owns patent for more than 200 innovations, mostly in the construction industry. “In everything that I do, in every step, I have it patented,” he says. Vazquez, a supporter of Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative, says he also wants to teach his skills to other people. “I cannot do it by myself. The only way you can see a product fly is when people look for it, and people use it. If the inventor just keeps it to himself, it is useless. But when you see everybody using it, it is not about money, but about contentment that you help mankind. The moment you start teaching people, that’s when you succeed,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz
Sports
Star Hotshots guard Paul Lee (3) displays excellent form as he unloads another outside shot.
Foton Tornadoes players, led by their two imports Lindsey Stalzer and Ariel Usher (6), celebrate after winning a point during their match against Petron Blaze. Roman Prospero
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PSL GP CHAMP FOTON? By Reuel Vidal
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S there a Foton dynasty looming on the horizon? Could be. After the way the Foton Tornadoes dominated the field to rule the past 2016 Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix the team looks poised to dominate the competition in the following months. Petron was supposed to put up a good challenge. But they were brushed aside by the Tornadoes who tallied back-toback victories to sweep their championship. After a controversial first game victory Foton didn’t take any chances to post a decisive victory over Petron Blaze in the second game. Foton thus repeated as PSL Grand Prix champions. In game two Foton dominated Petron. They won the first two games convincingly, 25-20 and 25-20. Foton stumbled in the third set, 22-25 after Petron’s Stephanie Niemer came alive. But the Tornadoes put it all together in the fourth to prevail, 25-17. Foton’s American import Ariel Usher tallied 19 points for the Tornadoes. Lindsay Stalzer scored 14 markers. Jaja Santiago, eventually chosen Most Valuable Player, chipped in 10. As dominant as Foton already has been, its head coach Moro Bra-
nislav insists the team will be even better in the coming months. Petron’s American imports, Niemer and Serena Warner, were equally prolific with 31 and 10 points, respectively. It wasn’t quite so easy for Foton in the first game when Stalzer delivered 26 kills and three blocks for 30 points. Foton climbed out of a two-set deficit to escape with a five-set, 20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9 victory to take Game 1. Foton leaned on Stalzer who delivered 26 kills and three blocks for 30 points. Stalzer unloaded crucial hits down the stretch in the fifth and deciding set that powered the Tornadoes from a 3-8 deficit to a 12-8 advantage in the electric fifth set. Stalzer won her personal duel against the prolific Niemer. The Blaze reinforcement outscored her Foton rival by finishing with 32 points. Stalzer confessed her team was shaky in the first two
Petron spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas (8) powers a quick spike over the blocking hands of Foton Tornadoes blocker Dindin Santiago-Manabat (16) while Ariel Usher (6) tries to close out. Roman Prospero
sets but finally sorted everything out starting in the third set to win the final three sets. It was Usher’s turn to support Stalzer in the first game. She contributed 19 points while Santiago finished with seven. Santiago didn’t see as much action after sustaining a sprained ankle midway in the second set.
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 reuelvidal@yahoo.com
As winners of the PSL Grand Prix, the Tornadoes earned the right to represent the Philippines in the 2017 Asian Women’s Club Championship in Kazakhstan. But that’s still a long way off. In the meantime, there’s the PSL conferences to dominate as the Tornadoes establish a new volleyball dynasty.
LEE FACES OLD TEAM ONE of the biggest trades of the past off-season was the Paul Lee for James Yap exchange which had the two players swapping teams. Lee went from the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters to the Star Hotshots in place of Yap who left the team he has played for the past decade. All eyes will be on the pair when they face off today, Sunday, December 18 especially after Lee’s outstanding performance of the past week. After struggling to get his game going in Star’s first two games this season, Lee managed to regain his deadly form by leading the Hotshots to back-to-back lopsided victories. The feat earned him the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week. The six-foot Lee finally overcame his shooting woes when he drained four triples as he finished with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead Star past the NLEX Road Warriors, 99-75. The victory allowed Star to bounce back after starting the Philippine Cup at 0-2. It was new coach Chito Victolero’s first win as a Star Hotshots mentor. Lee had the last laugh when he faced off against his former mentor Yeng Guiao, who is now NLEX coach. Three days later, Lee scored 18 points, issued four assists and collected three boards as he led Star’s vicious first-half explosion on the way to a 44-point destruction of Phoenix, 123-79 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Lee was the no. 2 overall pick in the 2011 PBA Draft. The past week he averaged 19 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists as he was chosen as the Player of the Week. After such a stellar week people are looking forward to Lee playing against his former team Rain Or Shine when the Star Hotshots take the floor against the Star Hotshots for the first time this season today, Sunday, December 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
CATALAN CHALLENGES DANGEROUS INDONESIAN FIGHTER VETERAN Filipino fighter Rene Catalan wants to string up more wins when he battles ONE Strawweight Indonesian Tournament Champion Adrian Matheis (3-1) at ONE: Quest for Power in Jakarta, Indonesia on January 14, 2017. The 38-year-old Filipino Wushu veteran sees his marquee match-up against Matheis as an opportunity to extend his success inside the ONE Championship cage. “This is my chance to establish my first winning streak in ONE Championship. It’s not impossible. That’s why I am exerting a tremendous amount of effort in training. I want to keep on winning,” Catalan said. Winning has been closely associated with the Filipino in international Wushu tournaments after he brought home numerous gold medals for the Philippines. However, having his hand raised as the winner in mixed martial arts (MMA) has been elusive since he transitioned to the world’s fastest-growing sport in 2013.
Like capturing the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, one unforgettable moment in his illustrious fighting career was when Catalan finally claimed his first victory as an MMA competitor last September. With an incredible work rate and accurate striking, Catalan dominated Chinese combatant Zhang You Liang to win the three-round strawweight encounter via unanimous decision at ONE: Unbreakable Warriors. Catalan said he is inspired to win against his Indonesian foe because this gives him another opportunity to give honor to the Philippines. “I am inspired to win the fight because I am representing the Philippines. It is always an honor to fight for my country. My goal in this fight is to win and bring pride to my nation,” he said. Although both men possess superb striking pedigrees, Catalan believes that he still has the upper hand in the stand-up department.
“I still believe that my striking is better than his stand-up game. I am very comfortable in that aspect. If he wants to strike with me, it will be my pleasure,” he said. Catalan revealed that he worked extensively on his ground game in training camp. “For this fight, I added more emphasis to my ground game. Even though I am coming off a win, I shouldn’t be complacent. I trained with the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the country to hone my grappling skills,” he said. Catalan hopes that if he secures a decisive win over Matheis, it will grant him a date with Yoshitaka Naito for the ONE Strawweight World Championship belt. “Every fighter dreams of becoming a world champion. I really hope that ONE Championship will give me an opportunity to fight for the title in the future. This fight might be the door to a world title fight. Let us all hope for the best,” he said.
Veteran Wushu fighter Rene Catalan (left) unloads with a left-legged side kick at opponent Zhang You Liang. ONE Championship
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
ELITE’S BELO: GOOD AS ADVERTISED
With a wider audience watching, expect Blackwater’s Mac Belo to live up to his billing as the best in his class.
By Peter Paul Duran
A
LL the hype on this guy is certainly legit and after only five games into his Philippine Basketball Association career, expect so much more from this soft-spoken rookie.
Mac Belo, arguably the best among the crop of new recruits in the 42nd season of the PBA, is certainly as good as advertised. But don’t take just my word for though as his numbers are a living proof. Lifting his team to fourth place with a 3-2 winloss record, the Midsayap, North Cotabato native has been averaging 21 points, eight rebounds and an assist for the Blackwater Elite. Although his lowest output was a
measly nine points in his team’s win against the NLEX Road Warriors on Wednesday, this just goes to show how squads from around the league are beginning to become wary of his potential. And who wouldn’t? The former Far Eastern University Tamaraw has been named this season’s first PBA Player of the Week after carrying his team to a surprising 2-0 start for the season The no. 1 pick in the Gilas draft pick put the Elite on his shoulders as they copped their first win via a 94-87 opening-day triumph over Phoenix. Then, the 6’4” forward registered 25 points to help Blackwater escape past the Meralco Bolts, 86-84, for their second straight win in the Philippine Cup. His team might have lost twice already in this conference, but the 23-year-old standout still managed to average near double-doubles in the Elite’s losses to Rain or Shine and Talk ‘N Text with 17 points and nine rebounds. Leo Isaac, Blackwater’s head coach, also feels
that in the games to come, teams will start ganging up on his top ward. “Teams have started taking notice of him. He has been scouted so we have to make adjustments and he also has to improve his craft,” Isaac said in an interview after seeing Belo get limited numbers in their win against NLEX that sent the Road Warriors to three straight losses. The Elite’s next game on Dec. 21 will be against catapulting GlobalPort, which is currently second in the standings as of now with a 3-1 record. Belo will also be part of the Christmas Clasico match-ups as their game against skidding Mahindra Floddbusters will open the Dec. 25 affair between the Purefoods Star Hotshots and Baranggay Ginebra San Miguel. The twinbill will once again be held at the massive Philippine Arena. And with a wider audience watching, expect Belo to live up to his billing as the best in his class.
FOOT INJURY WON’T HALT THIS SKATER Mikayla Shalom ‘Misha’ Fabian decided to finish the competition and even managed to clinch third place for a surprisingly smooth longprogram execution.
ATENEO de Manila sophomore student Mikayla Shalom “Misha” Fabian rallied to the finish despite a painful foot injury to settle for fourth place at the Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge held in Kowloon Tong recently. Nursing a swollen foot sustained from a bad fall during practice on the eve of the competition, Fabian executed her short program with a good start, but could not save a fall on her second jump after landing on her injured foot on her first jump element. This resulted in a deduction in her final program score. With less than 24 hours
before her long program, the second and final leg of the competition, Fabian consulted a Hong Kong doctor who ruled out a fracture but advised her to rest for at least four weeks until the pain and the swelling subside. Fabian, nevertheless, decided to finish the competition and even managed to clinch third place for a surprisingly smooth long-program execution. Fabian’s artistry and extraordinary audience impact did wonders for her overall performance at the 2016 AJFSC. Some of her component scores which rate skaters on various aspects of performance
were the highest in her category. As testament to Fabian’s connection to her audience, an unknown spectator tossed a yellow stuffed toy into the rink as a gesture of appreciation as a tearful Fabian, overwhelmed by a miraculously clean finish, was taking her bows at the end of her long program. Sportsoho. com, Hong Kong’s top sporting portal, featured Fabian with the most number of photos of any 2016 AJFSC participant in their website. Fabian, a part time model and singer, is currently back in her studies with a full academic load.
THE RIGHT GIFT FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE AS MORE and more people are discovering the fun and excitement of life outdoors, it appears that the most ideal gifts to give our loved ones are presents that will suit the many adventures they wish to soon embark on. From relaxed weekend getaways to an itinerary packed trips with the gang, R.O.X., the country’s biggest outdoor concept store, extends a helping hand in the quest to find the right gifts for our loved ones’ next big adventure! Introducing the R.O.X. Gift Coach, a holiday campaign which seeks to help shoppers find the right gift/s for their loved ones’ adventures! With R.O.X.’s very own pool of outdoor experts—who have mastered the ins and outs of the outdoors—gift-givers are guaranteed to pick out presents that will make their loved ones’ next adventure a truly memorable experience. The best thing about the R.O.X. Gift Coach? One can easily get in touch with one online. So how does one exactly enlist the help of the R.O.X. Gift Coach? Easy! One may simply send a private message to ROX Philippines on Facebook on weekdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. From advice about well-suited gifts for different kinds of adventures to personalized recommendations based on a person’s favorite outdoor activities, the R.O.X. Gift Coach can certainly cover a wide range of topics. Apart from getting in touch with the R.O.X. Gift Coach on Facebook, one may also approach the R.O.X. Gift Coach in all R.O.X. stores daily, from 11am to 9pm. With the assistance of the R.O.X. Gift Coach, one may easily choose among the wide array of premium adventure and outdoor lifestyle products housed inside the store. Plus, exclusively available at R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street are customized cards and gift wrapping to further make one’s gift/s truly special. You can check out R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street Manila, R.O.X. Solenad 3 Nuvali, Laguna, R.O.X. Marquee Mall Pampanga, R.O.X. Camp John Hay Baguio, R.O.X. Ayala Cebu, R.O.X. Abreeza Davao, R.O.X. The District Cagayan De Oro, and R.O.X. Ayala Mall Legazpi. You can also follow @ roxphilippines on Facebook for news and updates on your favorite outdoor brands! R.O.X. is the only store that lets you in so you can get outside! R.O.X. is owned and operated by the Primer Group of Companies, Asia’s next retail giant.
The R.O.X. Gift Coach is a holiday campaign which seeks to help shoppers find the right gift/s for their loved ones’ adventures.