VOL. XXIX NO. 220 3 Sections 24 Pages P18 SUNDAY : SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph
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LP TWITS POE CAMP: MERE PROPAGANDA By Maricel V. Cruz
A LIBERAL Party official denied on Saturday that 200 of its members have jumped ship to the Nationalist People’s Coalition and dismissed the story as mere propaganda of the camp of Senator Grace Poe who declared her intent to run for President in 2016.
“That is only propaganda of the camp of Senator Poe and Senator [Francis “Chiz” Escudero]. We all know that Senator Chiz’s camp is good at that even before,” Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said in Filipino during an interview over radio station dzMM on Saturday. Erice, the LP political affairs adviser, said the NPC, the second largest political party in the country, has repeatedly tried but failed to recruit LP members.
“It’s true that they have been talking to many members of the Liberal Party, but up to now, they have not succeeded in turning the members of the party. Yesterday [Friday], they said 200, but they didn’t even mention their names,” Erice said. The LP leader also criticized the supposed attempts of the NPC to pirate and turn members of legitimate political parties. “That is such a bad practice, to pi-
rate and turn members of legitimate political parties. Does that mean, party membership is only for convenience and not for principles?” Erice asked. But NPC spokesperson and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga confirmed that 30 percent of NPC’s 200 new members were from LP while 50 percent are from the National Unity Party and the rest from the United Nationalist Alliance. Next page
PINOY FIESTA IN TOKYO. Filipino performers dance on the streets of Tokyo as part of a parade for the Philippine fiesta that was organized by the Philippine Embassy and attended by world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. AFP
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DIET OKS TROOP DEPLOYMENT ABROAD TOKYO—Japan’s parliament passed contentious security bills into law early Saturday, in a move that could see Japanese troops fight abroad for the first time in 70 years. Lawmakers approved the bills to ease restrictions on the country’s tightly controlled military, but the changes will not see Japanese troops dispatched
to war zones any time soon because the laws may still be overturned by the supreme court. Unable to muster support to amend clauses enshrining pacifism, Abe opted instead to re-interpret the document for the purpose of his bills, ignoring warnings from scholars and lawyers that they are unconstitutional.
But the Philippines, one of the few countries that supported Tokyo’s plan to amend its constitution, welcomed Japan’s landmark legislation. “The Philippines welcomes the passage of legislation on national security by the National Diet of Japan. We look forward to efforts that strengthen our Next page
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Enverga named Rep. Nonoy Andaya of Camarines Sur and Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac of Muntinlupa City as among those who took their membership oaths to the NPC. “We are bent on fortifying our strength and the forces throughout the country. We will be expecting much more oath takings in the coming weeks,” Enverga said in a separate interview with dzMM. Enverga said most of the former LP members are local officials from Batangas while the others are from Laguna, Quezon and Muntinlupa. Most of these officials have long expressed their desire to join the NPC in apparent frustration at the LP. “There is no need for us to brag. Those who were inducted yesterday [Friday] had long signified their plan to join our party,” Enverga said, adding that the party did give out a list of the new inductees. Enverga said that while the NPC has yet to officially decide who to support in next year’s elections, it is likely that it would support the vice presidential bid of Escudero because he was a former member of the party until 2010. “Although Senator Chiz has already left our party, he remains close friends with most of our members simply because of the length of his association with many party members,” Enverga said. The NPC has also earlier heaped praises upon Poe’s accomplishments and stressed that questions about her citizenship is not an issue for their party.
Security meaSureS. Japanese lawmakers applaud after they passed two bills that would effectively allow Japanese troops to fight overseas for the first time in 70 years. aFP PHOtO
Palace: no govt funds sPent for lP candidates By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
AMID criticism that government resources are being used to promote the candidates of the ruling Liberal Party, the Palace claimed it has never used public funds to campaign for the Liberal Party and it would not start doing so for next year’s elections. “We never used government resources before and we don’t intend to start now. Plus, we an-
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Strategic Partnership with Japan and those that would contribute further to shared goals of greater peace, stability, and mutual prosperity in the international community,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement. But outside the Japanese Diet, thousands rallied in a last-ditch show of opposition to laws they fear could fundamentally reshape the proudly pacifist nation. The changes, which would allow Japanese troops to fight in defense of allies, have drawn tens of thousands of people from across society onto the streets in almost daily protests, in a show of public anger rarely seen on such a scale. Outside parliament protesters, estimated at over 10,000, raised
swer because we are asked about the administration’s candidate for President and Vice President,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said when asked why the Palace was answering for LP candidates. Lacierda made the assurance a day after he started a social media campaign to convince Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonor Robredo to run for vice president under former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas through the Twitter hashtag #jumpwithleni. “You know, we’re running on a platform of Daang Matuwid [Straight Path]. We have committed ourselves to good governance. Leni’s late husband Jesse was our
their voices louder as news of the decision spread through the crowd, chanting: “Protect the constitution.” One sign read: “Spread peace not war.” “I’m ready to stay here all night. The government cannot ignore such a demonstration,” said 60-year-old farmer Yukiko Ogawa. “It is vital that we make our opinion known, that we are here.” Seiji Kawabe, 49, vowed the movement would live on, adding: “We have enough natural disasters, typhoons, earthquakes... we don’t need any man-made disasters.” Organizers said more than 40,000 had gathered for Friday night’s rally, while police estimated the size of the crowd at some 11,000. Nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the changes were a normalization of Japan’s military policy, which has been restricted to self-defense and aid missions
Cabinet member. He was known for good governance,” Lacierda said in a radio interview over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan. “What better tandem can we have than to see Mar Roxas and Leni Ribredo, both principled players of good governance. Both who shared the vision of President Aquino in Daang Matuwid to be together,” he added. Lacierda then urged the public to browse not only his Facebook account but also other Facebook posts showing people’s desire to “jump with Leni” as vice president in 2016. “It’s a leap of faith not just by Leni Robredo and her daughters. It is also a leap of faith for all of us
by a pacifist constitution imposed by the US after World War II. He and his backers say the laws are necessary because of threats from an increasingly belligerent China and unstable North Korea. Opponents argue they go against both the constitution and the national psyche, and could see Japan dragged into far-flung American wars. Speaking after the vote, Abe said the changes were “necessary in order to protect people’s lives and peaceful way of life.” “This is designed to prevent wars,” he told journalists. The decision came after days of emotional debate and delaying tactics by the opposition, which in Thursday erupted into scuffles as politicians physically tried to block a committee approving the bills. President of the upper house Masaaki Yamazaki said the bills
passed with 148 lawmakers voting in favor, compared to 90 against. Abe has faced fierce criticism for both the laws themselves and the way he has driven them through in the face of public opposition. There are growing signs this is taking a political toll—opinion polls show the vast majority of Japanese are against the changes, and Abe’s once sky-high approval rating is dropping. In protests outside parliament earlier in the day, Yoko Fujiwara stood among the crowds with her six-year-old daughter, who carried a handwritten sign saying: “We do not forgive. Children are angry, too.” “I came to the protest together with my daughter to show what real democracy is like,” said the 40-year-old graduate law student. Opponents of the laws, including a Nobel Prize winner, popular
who share the vision of good governance because we believe that a Mar Roxas and a Leni Robredo tandem will move the country forward beyond 2016,” Lacierda said. But Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that that does not mean the Palace would spend for Robredo if she decides to become Roxas’ running mate. “That’s a jump in logic. I was asked a question regarding Congresswoman Leni’s background and I responded. How can that even be considered promoting the party’s candidates when she is not even a candidate yet?” Valte said on Saturday. musicians and other prominent figures, say the changes could fundamentally alter Japan. Washington has backed the changes, but regional rivals China and South Korea have expressed concern at any expansion of Japanese military scope. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Friday called on Japan to “listen carefully to voices inside and outside the country calling for justice” and called on lawmakers to “take real actions to protect regional peace and stability.” Security experts say the laws will force a reevaluation of Japan’s place on the world stage. “The bills are a psychological message to the world that an era in which Japan should not be involved in conflicts because of its exclusively defense-oriented policy is over,” said Hideshi Takesada, a professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo. aFP
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palace rejects chr tack by Sara Susanne d. Fabunan
DESPITE the declaration of the Commission on Human Rights, Malacañang insisted on Saturday that reports of abuses against tribesmen in Mindanao are not true and even reiterated military claims that most communist rebels are indigenous people, called lumad.
Stop the killingS. tribesfolk from mindanao hold up signs expressing their beliefs at a forum in Quezon city on the same day commission on human rights chairman chit gascon declared that the killings in mindanao that were being blamed on the military are actually extrajudicial killings. lino SAntoS
japan gives p58m to storm victims THE Japan International Cooperation Agency turned over to Yolanda-stricken fishermen in Eastern Samar ¥150 million (P58 million) worth of equipment as part of a ¥4.6-billion aid program for areas devastated by the typhoon in 2013. JICA Philippines Chief Representative Noriaki Niwa in a statement on Saturday said they hope to contribute to the restoration of “economic opportunities in typhoon Yolanda-affected areas” as the Philippines’ development partner. JICA turned over a total of 86 types of equipment for production of fish seedlings and algae to the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Development Center and also helped farmers reestablish grouper farms and rehabilitate the public
fish market. JICA also gave milkfish and oyster racks to fishermen in Tanauan, Leyte as well as submersible typhoon-resistant fish cages in Basey, Western Samar. The Japanese aid agency announced the donations after a civil society group urged a congressional probe into the “pathetic and slow progress” in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in areas battered by Yolanda, and the lack of transparency in how funds were being spent by the government. “We are now seeking Congress’ decisive action to address this alarming inefficiency and absence of clear plans to bridge the gaps in the recovery and reconstruction for Yolanda areas,” said the head of Social Watch Philippines and former national
treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, leader of the House independent minority bloc, also lamented the delay in the releases of funds and urged the government to accord some urgency in the construction of “resilient and buildback-better compliant housing for Yolanda-affected families.” Some 132,000 families who belong to the poorest of the poor remain homeless and are still living in tent cities and bunkhouses in Tacloban and other areas devastated by Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ as President Benigno Aquino III has yet to approve the release of P54 billion for housing resettlement, Briones said. UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka
Beyani recently expressed surprise that despite huge resources spent or earmarked for infrastructure projects, basic services including water, sanitation and electricity are lacking almost two years after Yolanda, Briones said. “He found that some families remain in substandard ‘bunkhouse’ accommodations or have fallen entirely through the protection net,” Briones said. “When Yolanda struck in 2013, we saw an unprecedented demonstration of heroism and basic humanity in humanitarian response. Government efforts were ably supported backed by complementary efforts from non-government organizations and the private sector,” said Isagani Serrano, SWP co-convenor.
“A crime happened there. It’s a law enforcement issue. The [Philippine National Police] is investigating and the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] says [allegations of abuses] are totally not true. In fact, General Hernando Iriberri said so,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in an interview over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan. “It is a significant [that] three out of four rebel returnees [are indigenous] people. You know, if there is no access to resources by some people, they will really resort to extralegal means,” Lacierda said. Lacierda said there is no need to form another set of investigators to probe the alleged abuses because there is already an ongoing investigation and the AFP has already answered the allegations during a congressional budget hearing. Lacierda made the assertions after CHR Chairman Chito Gascon said the situation of the lumad in Mindanao needs government attention because it is becoming graver. “The situation is getting grave. It needs comprehensive government response. The situation of our refugees in Tandag, Haran, Malaybalay and elsewhere needs to be attended to,” Gascon said on Friday. “There have been horrendous atrocities and crimes perpetrated by persons who should be identified.” Gascon said the CHR, a constitutional agency, will conduct a public inquiry in Davao on Sept. 23 and 24. “Our approach will not focus on isolated cases like in Haran or in Lianga. Our ap-
proach is to understand the difficult situation,” Gascon said. But even if the CHR factfinding mission has not yet been completed, Gascon said it is clear that the killings were actually executions. “It is clear to us, from the photos alone, that these were extrajudicial killings. And we condemn it,” he said, stressing that that did not mean security forces were responsible for the killings. Gascon made the remarks after he met with lumad leaders at the CHR headquarters in Quezon City, on the same day some congressmen and human rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to issue a writ of amparo after they learned that they were included in a “hit list” after they helped the tribesmen. Lacierda also denied the existence of such a “hit list” and said the Palace will let the Supreme Court decide the matter. “I am not aware of that hit list that they are claiming, but since they have already filed a petition for those proper writs before the court, then let the court processes take its course. If there is a basis or not, the courts will decide,” he said. Lacierda later revealed that the government does have a list, but it was not a “hit list” but a “list of warrants of arrest” in line with the Aquino administration’s efforts to run after criminal elements. “But certainly, what we have are those warrants of arrest. We have a list of those who have warrants of arrest that we are now looking,” he said.
harvard picks albay program LEGAZPI CITY—Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, through its Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, has chosen Albay’s awardwinning disaster risk reduction program as a case study. HHI is a university-wide academic and research center in humanitarian crisis and leadership. A team from the institute recently visited the Albay Provincial Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) for consultation and coordination. The HHI team included its executive director Vincenzo Bolletino, Director for Finance and Administration Susan Tannehill, and Disaster NET consultant Tilly Alcayna. Bolentino explained that HHI’s mission is to conduct research and education on practices in relieving human suffering in times of war and
disaster to advance the science and practice of humanitarian response worldwide. It is based at the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In a meeting with Apsemo head Dr. Cedric Daep, Bolentino said HHI has chosen Albay as a project development case study for its comprehensive humanitariandisaster risk reduction program. Albay’s pioneering DRR management program, initiated by Gov. Joey Salceda in 2007, had become popular for its innovations, among them the now widely accepted “Zero Casualty Goal” in handling disasters. Only recently, the province received the 2015 Galing Pook Award for the third time in a row, with its humanitarian group Team Albay as its entry. The win assures Albay
a niche in the coveted award’s Hall of Fame. The Galing Pook Award, conferred on local government units by the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Galing Pook Foundation, is regarded as the most prestigious recognition for LGU’s best practices in good governance. Organized by Salceda in 2007 primarily as a home front emergency response team, Team Albay/OCDV (Office of Civil Defense V) had since then undertaken at least 13 humanitarian missions in various disasterhit areas around the country. Records show it had served some 103,642 families or 518,208 persons and Youth AmbASSAdorS. youngsters from taiwan present a dance number to illustrate produced and distributed the vitality of the republic of china. the taiwanese youth were in the country as part of 4,863,612 liters of clean potathe taiwanese ministry of Foreign affairs’ international youth ambassadors exchange ble water, using its water filprogram which it has been conducting since 2009. tAiWAn embASSY tration machines.
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CASTING THEIR LOT
MORE than 200 locals from various political parties in Metro Manila, Quezon, Batangas, Laguna and Camarines provinces on Friday took their oath as members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition. The mass defection is seen as a reaction to declaration earlier this week of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero of their intentions to seek the presidency and vice presidency, respectively in the 2016 elections. The NPC, a party founded by businessman Eduardo Cojuangco, appears likely to support the Poe-Escudero tandem. Its officials say they expect more politicians from other places in the country to also join the party in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the Palace played down the defections even as most of those who jumped ship came from the administration Liberal Party. “The thrust of the President is not personality politics,” said deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte, conveniently setting aside the fact that President Aquino himself was packaged as the son of heroes who was out to battle corruption during the 2010 elections. But more than the implications on next year’s campaign and elections, the local executives’ transfer is a spectacle of turncoatism. “You see these [shifts in the landscape of political parties] in every
election,” Valte added. On this, the woman is spot-on. And sadly. What happened Friday as the new NPC members took their oaths is a reminder of our skewed party system and sick party mentality—something which no national or local politician seems keen on correcting. Parties are ideally organizations with fixed principles and positions on specific issues, its people merely variables who come and go. Its leaders are groomed and bred as soon as their talent is spotted. In a perfect world, or at least in a mature democracy, the few political parties that exist are distinct from one another. Transfers and defections are not taken lightly and are done for compelling reasons, often as a last resort. The Philippines claims to have gone a long way, and it may be that way in some aspects of developments, but not in the matter of political parties. It is no surprise that politicians in general are seen as opportunistic and corrupt, spineless and unprincipled. They jump ship and troop to another party when their interests so dictate. Sometimes, they establish their own parties when nothing would suffice. How they can do this and claim to only want to serve their constituents better is beyond our comprehension.
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10 QUESTIONS FOR GRACE POE WHEN Senator Grace Poe announced her bid for the presidency last Tuesday, she also put herself out there as a target for scrutiny and ridicule. I was told that her supporters expected wild jubilation and lots of cheering from across the land, but it looks like the reaction was far from what was expected. There were some who were hopeful, but most of the reaction ranged from expressions of disappointment, to disapproval, to outright ridicule. It appears Senator Grace Poe’s journey to Malacañan Palace will not be an easy ride, nor is it an assured one. I personally have not made up my mind as to who to support among the putative candidates. As things stand, it looks like it’s going to be about picking the candidate we least dislike. Poe, unfortunately, seems to be saddled with too much baggage. There’s just a lot of unanswered questions as well as unclarified
perceptions about her overall qualifications. The following are 10 questions that I personally wish she would answer truthfully to help people get to know her better: 1. Did she really renounce Filipino citizenship? When? How? Why? As a related question, what exactly is the citizenship status of her husband and three children— is it true they continue to be American citizens? 2. Given that she has, at one point in time, reportedly taken an Oath of Allegiance to another flag, what meaning would she attach to the sacred Oath of Office of the President of the Republic if and when she becomes President, particularly that line that says “protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines?” 3. What exactly is the Fernando Poe Jr. legacy that she says she wants to continue and perpetuate? Her father was a great filmmaker whose potentials as public servant were not realized. His kindness and generosity may have been legendary but so was his being a womanizer, among other vices. He was probably a
great man, but then again so are millions of other fathers who are uncelebrated and unheralded. What makes FPJ’s so-called legacy more noteworthy than those of other Filipino fathers? 4. How exactly does being the daughter of a great Filipino filmmaker translate into becoming the best candidate for President of the Republic? 5. What exactly is she bring-
It appears Senator Grace Poe’s journey to Malacañan Palace will not be an easy ride, nor is it an assured one.
ing to the post by way of actual accomplishments, achievements, and experiences that showcase her qualifications to become president? Given that past behaviors
COLOR ME CALM FASHIONABLE these days are adult coloring books, which began in Europe and the US and have now found their way to Philippine bookstores. They are not anymore the kind to keep children busy and quiet. This time, it’s the adults who are hunched over the pages, with exquisite scenery and intricate patterns. Adult coloring books are supposed to provide stress relief. The idea is to devote a few minutes of one’s day to think of nothing—not things to do, people to see or places to go to—except the task at hand. Choose a color, fill the space. Every stroke of the color pencil is supposed to be an exercise in mindfulness. A Huffington Post article claims Carl Jung was one of the first psychologists to use coloring as a relaxation technique in the early 20th century. It adds that according to Spanish psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala, we activate different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres when we color. “The action involves both logic and creativity...the relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress.” “We can use it to enter into a more creative, freer state,” advises psychologist Antoni Martinez, also quoted in the piece. Yet another psychologist cited, Luis Rojas Marcos, has gone to the extent of writ-
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ing a preface to a coloring book. “Coloring comforts us, gives us peace, and lets us enjoy ourselves —it even temporarily frees us from daily pressures...” Not everyone in the profession is convinced. Shannon Bennett, an assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College, tells Heather Schwedel of The Guardian that “it’s not something that would be a goto for me.” Donna Betts, president of the board of the American Art Therapy Association and an assistant professor at George Washington University, said she would never consider it using coloring for a therapy session. “There is a distinction between coloring and actually creating art.” Some say coloring may be therapeutic, but it’s definitely not art therapy. In an article for Psychology Today published in June 2015, Cathy Malchiodi, PhD argues that coloring “is not meditation or mindfulness—it’s coloring.” She is doubtful that there are indeed personal benefits “to methodically filling in a pre-made design with crayons or pencils.” According to her, coloring is not mindfulness. “The fact that the concepts of meditation and mindfulness are being used to describe coloring pre-made designs is, in fact, insulting to these practices that have deep cultural, and spiritual foundations.” It is also not creative art expression, however good it feels. She differentiates coloring from authentic creative expression—which is
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using one’s hands to create from imagination. In the Guardian article, Malchiodi says it could all boil down to economics. “Many of the loudest proponents (of the idea that coloring books provide art therapy) are actually those that create the coloring books,” Malchiodi says. Ouch, but it makes sense. So given that the experts’ opinion are varied, should colorists— that’s what people who have taken to the deed—continue to get their fix and spend their spare time coloring away, or would they just be as better off doing something else? Is coloring a fad that is here now but will be gone too soon? Will the people who claim that coloring de-stresses them keep this habit as part of their wellness regimen, or will they move on, too? But should what the experts or even the book marketers say even matter? If you feel that filling up spaces with colors calms and balances you, then go ahead and color away. Congratulations. Put your masterpiece on the ref door. Post it on social media. Your friends will be happy for you. Who else, after all, can tell us what is relaxing and what is not except we ourselves? If, on the other hand, you’re doing it because everybody else is doing it, or because you think coloring would make you look cool and cultured and new age and all, then perhaps you’ve just discovered why you’re always out of sorts. It’s a condition that will take more than an intricate teacup design and a few colored pencils to ease.
predict future behaviors, what in her experiences indicate that she will be able to deliver the complex requirements of the highest post in the land? 6. As a senator who has served only half of her first term in office, how has she enriched the quality of legislation in this country? What noteworthy contributions have she made that denote exemplary performance as a legislator? Given that more senior and experienced senators have said that there remains a lot to be learned before they would consider themselves worthy of becoming president, what special learning track did she pursue to maximize the learning in barely three years? 7. Given the absence of a longterm relationship with donors and benefactors and the lack of a well-entrenched political party to draw resources from, how does she intend to finance a campaign that will require hundreds of millions of pesos, perhaps even more than a billion pesos? How can Filipinos be assured that the future of the country is not going to be sold down the river in exchange for campaign donations?
CONCERN GROWS AS NORTH KOREA DEVELOPS MISSILE FORCE By Jose Antonio Custodio THE PHILIPPINES may be under threat from the continuing tension at the Korean peninsula and from the nuclear weapons program of North Korea. Pyongyang already has had a record of conducting mischief not only against its neighbors but also against the Philippines as it did so in the past. The recent tension between North Korea and South Korea has again highlighted the fragile state of affairs between the two nations who are technically still at war with each other. Over the past decade, North Korea has developed several different missile systems., many mounted on vehicles that allow Pyongyang to change locations and deploy the systems more rapidly. Experts say the country now possesses a vehicle mounted Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) called the KN-08 that North Korea claims is capable of striking targets throughout the East Asia region and even the United States. Since coming to power in 2011, Kim Jong Un has pursued a policy known as “military first,” devoting much of the resources of the poor, heavily sanctioned country to the development of complex weapons. Many experts believe that North Korea also relies heavily on the illicit import of material to build such systems. For example, military experts have concluded that the KN08 missile is actually mounted on a heavy duty vehicle chassis manufactured by a Chinese company as it lacks the resources, time and manufacturing expertise to produce them independently. Given the international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear program, it is believed that Kim Jong Un will
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8. Given her relatively shorter political experience, whose opinions and ideas does she value the most? What exactly is the role that Senator Chiz Escudero will play if and when she becomes President? Who exactly will comprise her think tank? 9. She has, on many occasions, chosen to take the middle ground on contentious issues. She ran with the administration in 2013 but did not sever ties with the opposition. She pandered to the INC during a recent crisis. She renounced Filipino citizenship and reacquired it when it was convenient for her. How does she respond to accusations that she is an opportunist person who picks advocacies and takes sides based purely on personal political convenience and interests? 10. As one of the popular public figures who drew attention to the LRT/MRT problem, how did she marshal the resources of her office as senator to solve the problem? Given that the problem has only worsened despite her early intervention, how does she intend to convince people of her ability to solve problems through effective resource mobilization?
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be forced to continue illicit foreign acquisition of similar equipment to realize his well-publicized military aspirations. A new opportunity to learn about North Korea’s missile program will occur on Oct. 10 when North Korea plans to honor the 70th anniversary of the Korean Workers Party by staging a large military parade in Pyongyang. This parade will serve as a showcase of North Korean weapons advancements, to include new long range missile equipment and will undoubtedly attract international attention, and ultimately, additional scrutiny from the United Nations Security Council. Past UN action has led North Korea to issue bellicose denials and threats of retaliation against its accusers, a pattern is likely to repeat itself on the heels of 70th anniversary celebrations. North Korea had previously been a sponsor of the New People’s Army and had supplied arms to the communist rebels during the 1970s and 1980s, even providing training for the cadres of the underground organization. In exchange, the CPPNPA furnished intelligence data on US military bases and personnel in the country. While there is still no evidence of continued North Korean support to the NPA, a worsening of the situation in the peninsula may just lead that country to once again fully support Philippine rebels and in a worst-case scenario include the Philippines as a potential target for their nuclear missiles in an attempt to retaliate against the US and South Korea. (Custodio is a Manila-based defense analyst.)
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GLITCH SHUTS DOWN MRT-3 By Joel E. Zurbano
THE Metro Rail Transit management suspended the train’s entire operation for more than two hours on Saturday afternoon following “technical difficulties.” Commuters who piled up at major stations in Taft Avenue, Cubao and North Avenue got angry after station personnel failed to explain the reason for the railway’s suspension of operation. MRT station personnel posted a sign that read “Temporarily No Operation Due to Technical Problem” around 3 p.m. But passengers said MRT personnel refused to give the timeframe for the repair of the technical problem. “The guards are useless and the ticket window tellers have attitudes,” said passenger Don Santos. The MRT management has yet to release an official statement about the incident at press time but some personnel said they were informed that the “railway system’s main line encountered troubles.” There were reports that all sta-
tions resumed operation around 5:30 p.m. This was the second time the MRT-3 encountered technical glitches this month. During the morning rush hour of Sept. 7, the train operation was disrupted due to a defective door. The disappointed and irate passengers were forced to take buses and taxicabs along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue after a southbound train made a sudden stop at the Santolan Station in Quezon City around 7 a.m. Five months ago, the MRT management was also forced to stop serving North Avenue in Quezon City to Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City because of a plastic material that was thrown into an electricity cable at the Ortigas Avenue Station. The management then appealed to the public not to throw garbage on the tracks to avoid disrupting
the train system’s operations. In November 2014, the mass transit was also suspended for two hours after an unidentified person threw a plastic bag filled with trash along the rail tracks between Magallanes and Taft Avenue stations. The management said a passerby could have thrown the trash from the pedestrian overpass near Evangelista Street. The Department of Transportation and Communications has lined up 10 projects worth P11 billion to improve the MRT3, which ferries close to 600,000 passengers daily. The MRT-3 line serving 13 stations commences at North Avenue and ends at Taft Avenue, traversing the cities that Epifanio de los Santos Avenue passes through Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay. It started its operation in 1999 as the country’s second rapid transit line in Metro Manila. It formed part of the rail transport infrastructure, including the Manila Light Rail Transit System composed of two lines—the LRT-1 and MRT-2, and the Metro Commuter Line of the Philippine National Railways.
GOVT URGED TO BARE APEC FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS By Vito Barcelo SENATOR Ralph Recto on Saturday urged the administration to inform the public of flight disruptions during the arrival of the 21 heads of state that will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference in Manila in November to avoid congestion and inconvenience to the travellers. Unless the government does something in advance to advise the public of APEC dignitaries, a repeat of airport congestion will occur similar to that when Pope Francis flew into town, the senator said. “We closed the airport for hours. When His Holiness left, we shut down the airspace above NAIA for almost half a day. And that was for one head of state only. How much more if 21 heads of state would descend on our congested, single-runway airport at the same time?” Recto asked. He said that foreign heads of state will be arriving with an air fleet in tow, like US President Barack Obama with his decoy Air Force One and escorts.
“Surely there will be commercial flight disruptions, although this has not been formally announced yet. The information about possible flight delays and no-fly zones is being embargoed for security reasons,” he said. Despite this limitation, what government can do immediately is to advise the public about domestic and international flight disruptions on Nov. 18 to 19, when the APEC leaders are in town. The senator said that the details can come later but what is important is that the advisory is made public this early for the sake of air travellers so that they can feel free to make adjustments to their itinerary. “We all know that travel is complicated—from flight bookings to airport transfers to hotel reservations—that disrupting one will trigger a chain of disruptions. For example, OFWs need to report to work on a given date or our seafarers must catch the connection to where their ships are berthed. A few hours delay will wreak havoc on their travel timetable,” he said.
ETON, LAGUNA LAKE TEAM UP FOR ECOLOGY
Present during the MOA signing are (from left) Nathaniel Cabungcal, Eton vice president for Property Management; Marie Angeli Samala, Eton first vice president for Property Management; Neric Acosta, secretary for Environmental Protection and LLDA general manager, and Reena Buena, LLDA officer-in-charge for Community Development Division.
ETON Properties Philippines recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Laguna Lake Development Authority, in line with the company’s goal to promote sustainable living in the communities where it operates. Eton’s greening and tree-planting program in its various residential communities aims to pursue a lifestyle that seeks to reduce carbon footprint and provide a green and healthy environment for its residents to live in. As part of the agreement, LLDA will be turning over a total of 1,000 tree saplings in a span of two years. A total of 670 tree saplings were initially turned over in a ceremony held at Eton City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Eton City, the flagship township project of Eton Properties located south of Manila, is the first master-planned development in the Philippines to take inspiration from waterfront cities only found abroad. Situated in a sprawling property along South Luzon
Expressway, Eton City is a fullyintegrated master-planned development that, once completed, will lavish residents with complete city lifestyle in a nature-rich, suburban setting. Developments inside the Eton City township include the upscale South Lake Village, RiverBend, TierraBela and West Wing Residences, the first residential communities to rise within the township. “We are one with Eton Properties in ensuring a better future for the next generations through the development of communities that value ecological sustainability,” said Secretary Neric Acosta. Present during the MOA signing were Neric Acosta, secretary for Environmental Protection and LLDA general manager; Reena Buena, LLDA officer-in-charge for Community Development Division; Marie Angeli Samala, Eton first vice president for Property Management and Nathaniel Cabungcal, Eton vice president for Property Management.
BDO FOUNDATION BUILDS CLASSROOMS IN ORMOC IN KEEPING with its disaster response and educational advocacies, BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, has completed the construction of a two-classroom school building in LiloAn National High School in Ormoc City, Leyte. BDO Foundation built the structure in partnership with the Federation of FilipinoChinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. as part of the chambers’ “Barrio
Schools Program”. The new school building was turned over to school administrators in an inauguration attended by local government officials, executives of FFCCCII led by chairman of the Welfare Committee Enrique Chua, BDO Leyte-Ormoc branch head Felda Orito, BDO Leyte-Ormoc Gaisano branch head Nelson Namoco and BDO Foundation program director Rose Espinosa. It is the eighth project BDO Foundation and FFCC-
CII have successfully completed since their partnership was forged in 2013. Two more structures are in the pipeline. The school building in Lilo-An National High School was completed with the support of BDO branch officers who conducted site selection in various provinces affected by calamities. Ormoc, Leyte is covered in BDO Foundation’s reconstruction program for provinces affected by typhoon Yolanda.
Officers of BDO Foundation, BDO branches in Ormoc and the Federation of FilipinoChinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. inaugurate a school building in LiloAn National High School together with local government and school officials.
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editorial@thestandard.com.ph
bill protects consumer By Maricel V. Cruz
A pAnel in the House of Representatives has approved a measure granting broader protection for Filipino consumers, such as requiring the translation to english or Filipino on product labels written in foreign characters and/or languages. The House committee on trade and industry, chaired by Las Piñas City Rep. Mark Villar, principal author of the bill, expressed hope that Congress will prioritize the passage of the measure that will amend certain provisions of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Villar said his panel has readied a committee report of the consolidated bill which will be submitted for plenary discussion and approval by next week. One of the salient provisions is
the adoption of the United Nations Guidelines on consumer protection as guiding principles to enhance and strengthen consumer protection, Villar said. Davao del Norte Rep. Anthony del Rosario, the committee vice chairman and also one of the principal authors of the bill, said the proposed measure shall be “harmonized with current developments particularly brought about by technological advancement and the globalized econ-
omy that directly affect consumer transactions.” “Moreover, the bill institutionalizes the eight consumer rights which are right to basic needs, right to choose, right to representation, right to redress, right to consumer education, right to safety, right to healthy environment and right to information and five consumer responsibilities which include critical awareness, action, social concern, environmental awareness and solidarity,” Del Rosario said. Under the measure, the Department of Trade and Industry shall be empowered to close business premises or establishments found in the act of selling unsafe products that are harmful to health and cause injury to people. The DTI shall also be mandated by law to notify the manufacturer, distributor or seller of a substandard or
materially defective product as to such finding and order the manufacturer, distributor or seller without delay to: issue product recall and give notice to every person to whom such consumer product was delivered or sold. The measure also requires the issuance by the seller or supplier of gift checks, certificates, or cards that contain an expiry date as a deceptive sales act or practice unless they were issued by the supplier under an award, loyalty or promotional program. It also considers unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices, by including a provision to address contract of adhesion and aggressive marketing scheme. The measure also requires the translation to english or Filipino on product labels written in foreign characters/languages.
MASSKARA. Christine Madamba, the 2014 Masskara Queen, fires up interest in the Masskara festivities at the 30th Negros Trade Fair being held at the Glorietta in Makati City. The five-day event ends today, Sept. 20. DiANA B. NOChE
ph, us seal deal on fair wage THe Philippines and the United States have signed an agreement to ensure that Filipino workers in the US receive fair and timely wages. An accord, called Arrangement establishing an Understanding, was signed this week by the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Baltimore District Office and the Consular Section of the Philippine embassy. Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. and Consul General emilio T. Fernandez signed on behalf of the embassy, while Deputy Administrator Laura Fortman and Baltimore District Director Mark Lara represented the WHD. “This document is a testament to the fruitful and continuing engagement between the embassy and the Wage and Hour Division in ensuring the protection and promotion of the rights of Filipino workers in the US,” Cuisia said Saturday in a statement from Washington. The accord, he noted, “is a vital component of our assistance-tonationals efforts as well as an affirmation of the US government’s advocacy for human rights and a demonstration of their appreciation for the Filipino workers’ contribution to the US economy.” Cuisia also said the agreement would help the embassy in its efforts to ensure safe and fairer work environments for Filipinos. PNA
sCholarships sweeTen worKers’ prospeCTs THe national government has earmarked a total of P98.5 million to provide free college education to eligible dependents of sugar industry workers and small cane farmers, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, said over the weekend. “The amount will pay for the scholarships of qualified children and other dependents of small cane growers as well as plantation workers, including those employed in sugar mills, refineries, distilleries,” Romulo said. “The scholars will be enrolled in chemical engineering, agriculture, agricultural engineering and mechanics, sugar technology and related higher education programs,” he said. The P98.5-million funding is among the items in P10.53-billion allocation for the Commission on Higher education in the proposed P3-trillion General Appropriations Act for 2016. The Sugarcane Industry Development Law, which
Congress passed only last summer, established the scholarship grants to help provide a better future for the families of workers and tillers, according to Romulo. “The scholarships will also help develop the human resources that local sugar sector needs to compete forcefully against foreign suppliers,” he said. Under the Sugarcane Industry Development Law, or Republic Act 10659, government is spending P2 billion annually starting 2016 to brace the sector against imported sugar, amid lower tariffs that have already fallen to 5 percent this year. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic Community allows the free flow of farm commodities, including sugar, via reduced tariffs. The P2-billion yearly subsidy will be distributed as follows: 15 percent for grants to block farms, 15 percent for socialized credit, 15 percent for research and development, 5 percent for scholarship grants, and 50 percent for infrastructure buildup, such as new trans-loading ports, farm-to-mill roads and irrigation facilities.
2015 CEO EXCEL AWARDEE.
environment and natural resources secretary ramon J. p. paje (center) receives his trophy as one of this year’s Ceo (Communication excellence in organizations) excel awardees held at the intercontinental hotel in Makati City. The award was conferred annually by the international association of Business Communicators on top leaders for championing the use of excellent communication as a business strategy. with paje are IABC officers (from left): Kane Errol Choa, president; Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, chairman; Belle Tiongco, corporate secretary; and Joe R. Zaldarriaga, vice president.
SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
Roderick T. dela Cruz EDITOR business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
BUSINESS
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PHILIPPINE SCIENCE ALUMNUS INVENTS FALL DETECTION DEVICE
AN ALUMNUS of Philippine Science High School who migrated to the US has developed a cuttingedge communication device that monitors the movement of healthcare patients, an invention that could have helped prevent the demise of one of his grandmothers after a fall.
“In December 2014, my grandmother fell down. She was with her family. She stood up very quickly. We felt it was a strong impact, but she said she was fine. When we went back home, she felt dizzy. The doctor scanned her head and they found a blood clot in her brain. A couple of hours later, she was brain dead. A couple of days later, she died,” Angelo Umali says in a news conference at Makati Diamond Residences. “If we just knew how strong that impact was, we would have taken her to the hospital right away. This is a problem that happens a lot to elderly people. Now, I have one grandmother left. She lives in Tagaytay. We want to make sure the same thing does not happen to her,” Umali says, adding that she now wears a device his company developed to detect the fall of healthcare patients and send alerts to relatives and hospitals for emergency assistance. Umali, 32, is the founder and chief executive of Simple Wearables, a healthcare tech startup based in Hong Kong focusing on wearable technology that provides healthcare solutions. Umali and his team developed Simple Wave, a wearable device that automatically detects a fall and connects the user with a designated emergency contact through its built-in phone. Simple Wearables, the company which Umali established, is a graduate of AIA Group’s Accelerator Program, which fostered eight startups over 12 weeks and connected them with over 40 industry mentors and potential investors. Umali says he was inspired to create the Simple Wave device after worrying about the well-being of his remaining grandmother who lives in Tagaytay. He wanted his family to be notified immediately if she were to collapse for any reason. “I grew up here in the Philippines. I went to Philippine Science High School. Then, we went to the United States. We immigrated after high school,” he says. Umali, who studied Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, worked in Silicon Valley for five years, before moving to Hong Kong as the AsiaPacific marketing manager for Agilent Technologies. He is also a technical and business strategist with international experi-
Xavier Jose Aboitiz Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan
Simple Wearables founder and chief executive Angelo Umali (left) and Philam Life chief marketing officer Jaime Jose Javier Jr. show Simple Wave, a fall detection device for the elderly and other healthcare patients. ence in marketing, business development and product management for hardware and software products. The bachelor is a fitness aficionado, who teaches spinning classes in Hong Kong. He is also into photography as a hobby. In 2014, Umali teamed up with Ron Godfredsen, a licensed architect and fellow UCLA graduate, to manage Simple Wearables. Godfredsen, who holds a Master’s degree from Yale University, serves as the company’s chief operating officer. Simple Wearables consists of multinational and multi-talented team. “The CTO [chief technology officer] is Michael Albano and he also graduated from Philippine Science and took up Engineering in UP. He is in charge of programming our devices. We are scattered across the globe in Hong Kong, Manila and LA,” he says. He describes Simple Wave as a part of the so-called Internet of Things, or the group of devices that connect to the Internet, other than computers and smartphones. “Internet of Things is going to be the third wave and the biggest yet. Within this group of devices called Internet of Things, one category is called wearable devices. Wearable devices are very personal. It is the only segment that interacts with humans,” he says. “You may have heard of wearable devices, but most focus on exercise data, like how many steps you have taken. But we also know from research that people also want medical data from wearable
devices. With Simple Wave, we want to solve medical problems, not just quantifying steps,” he says. He says Simple Wave is aesthetically designed like a river bed rock, hence the name. “It is discreet and quite fashionable. The problem with current solutions is that they are worn on the neck and if they are seen by friends, they are ashamed and embarrassed,” he says. Umali says the device aims to monitor the movement of the elderly and
“We know that healthcare providers are looking for ways to increase their relationships with patients. Now, we have this way to make things simple and solve this problem of falling down,” he says. “Simple Wave is responsive. It will automatically detect a fall and make a call to emergency number. It analyzes your daily activity movements and then predicts when you are about to fall down.” “When you need help, Simple Wave will send alerts to your loved ones.
Simple Wave is a device designed to monitor the movement of the elderly and healthcare patients who are at risk of falling down.
other healthcare patients, who are at risk of falling down. “Falling down is a very big problem. About 271 million people [over the age of 60] would fall down in their lifetime,” he says. Umali says Simple Wave can automatically detect a fall and analyze the strength of the impact. Even before the actual fall, the device will vibrate to send alerts that something is wrong. It can also wirelessly connect with other approved medical devices and apps.
They will provide your location and private status updates of how soon healthcare will arrive,” says Umali. “It is also a collaborative platform. You can download data from other medical devices and put all of them back to your healthcare provider so that they can have a complete picture of your health,” he says. Umali explains how the Simple Wave device works. “The sensor in the device is quite sensitive. It is able to
see trends over time, categorizes your normal behavior and if there is a deviation from that, we are going to alert you,” he says. He says the device also works as a phone that transmits data. “Within the device, there is a 3G cellphone that reports back to our server in the cloud. You can also directly call because it has a SIM card that can receive calls,” he says. The device is worn near the chest so that it can properly monitor the activity level. “We are using the sensors used in smartphones today. It senses movement and a lot of different things. It can tell if the user was active for 10 minutes or not active for several hours or if there was a suspected call at a certain time.” “Every day, the device reports back to our server, saying the user took these many steps, deviating from normal patterns,” he says. “The database in our servers are studying these patterns. Our predictive ability is able to work on deviation from that. We will be able to tell if you are sitting down, lying down or standing. We will show your the location... and it will call for you. The data is always on, and Simple Wearables is taking care of the fees for the first year,” he says. Simple Wearables plans to team up with healthcare providers such as The Medical City, telecom operators and healthcare companies to take advantage of the new device. “In the future, we will provide data analytics. We will be able to predict the onset of more diseases,” says Umali. Simple Wearables has received various international awards. CNN cited it as one of the 10 hottest startups in Asia in 2015. “Recently, we tied up with AIA, the mother company of PhilamLife, for their Accelerator Program where we focus on healthcare innovations,” says Umali. Jaime Jose Javier Jr., chief marketing officer of Philam Life, AIA’s local operating arm in the Philippines, says the cutting-edge technology “will be beneficial not only for us here in the Philippines but for the entire world.” “The mission of PhilamLife and AIA is to be able to give the best protection and service to as many individuals in Asia-Pacific. We congratulate Angelo [Umali] for his wonderful product and I hope that we will soon enjoy the benefits. I also have a 77-year-old mother. It will be perfect for her,” says Javier. Umali says his company plans to introduce Simple Wave in the Philippines next year, with an initial pricing of P8,000 per unit. “It is not yet available, but we are manufacturing it now [in China]. Our goal is to sell as many as we can,” he says. “I envision Simple Wave to go a long way as a platform in protecting the elderly and giving peace of mind to family members. I am thankful to AIA for helping us along the way,” says Umali. Umali says they plan to launch the product next year. “I am very excited to launch this product in the Philippines,” he says, adding that the company has an office in Ortigas. “In the US, my mom held three jobs to pay for our education. She was an executive here. She worked there at a grocery store and as bank teller trying to support her kids. After seeing that, I wanted to create jobs for Filipinos,” says Umali. Roderick T. dela Cruz
SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
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BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
ERICSON Perez believes that schools should welcome all students, regardless of their race or abilities. His family brought him as a nineyear-old kid to the US in 1982, where he endured years of discrimination in elementary and high school, because his accent sounded different and his skin was darker than those of his Caucasian classmates.
He persevered just the same, went to one of the best universities, became a teacher, served in Kenya and returned to rediscover his roots in the Philippines and propagate a culture of acceptance for all types of students. Now settled in his home country and armed with a strong conviction that everyone deserves quality education and equal attention, Perez built a school along Edsa in Makati City to accept students of all abilities. “Over the years, I asked why I wanted to teach kids with special needs. I think it has to do with my experience growing up in the US. We migrated there when I was nine. From Grade 3 until high school, I felt the [racial] discrimination all the time, because I looked different, I sounded different. Most of my classmates growing up were Caucasian. Many of my classmates were white. There was a lot of discrimination that I experienced,” Perez says in an interview at One World School located along Edsa in Gualalupe Viejo, Makati City. “The discrimination I felt was not only from the kids, but also from some teachers. That’s one reason why I connect with kids with special needs. I understand what it is like not to be treated fairly. The way we have been discriminated was different but at the end of the day, it is the same,” he says. Perez, a 41-year-old special education and science teacher, is the founder and headmaster of One World School, whose mission is to educate children of all abilities. The name of the school refers to its goal of teaching children of all abilities, in one school, in one world, he says. “When I look at the core value of the school, it makes sense because of what we are trying to do is create one world, where kids feel they are one. The experience of kids in other schools is that they are marginalized, isolated or they do not get the right program. So they are not part of the school, they are in the periphery. For our school, we want everybody—kids with significant needs, kids with mild needs, kids with special needs to feel like they are one. And it is one school, not a separate school,” he says. Perez, who worked for 10 years in the US and Kenya and eight years at an international school in the Philippines, currently leads 30 staff at One World School, including teachers, developmental psychologist, physical therapists, speech pathologist, music therapist, occupational therapist, school nurse and behavioral pediatrician who are all bound by love for kids with special needs. He is the chairperson of the board of directors of Special Education Network in Asia. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Brown University in 1996 and Master of Arts in Education and Human
One World School founder and headmaster Ericson Perez
FILIPINO-AMERICAN BUILDS ONE WORLD SCHOOL ON EDSA Development at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. in 2004. One World School currently has 65 students, aged two to 35, from a dozen countries, including children of foreign diplomats and executives of multinational companies based in Manila. It offers pre-school, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, internship and transition program, wellness center, extra curricular activities and summer school program. It maintains each classroom at eight to nine students with two specially trained teachers to ensure that each student is given enough attention. “We have 12 countries represented here. There are a lot of Filipinos, but we have many from different parts of the world. Their parents are working here for different companies. It is quite a group of international students. That is why the language of instruction is English,” he says. Perez spent his life savings and raised funds from family, friends and donor agencies to build One World School. Asked why he gave up a bright future in the US to build a school in the Philippines, he points to his experience as a student and as a teacher. “I was born in Quezon City and I went to Claret School until Grade 3. My parents left the Philippines for more opportunities in the US. We became US citizens,” he says. Despite the discrimination he felt in school, Perez studied hard and finished college at the prestigious Brown University, an Ivy League research university. Perez lived in different parts of the US for over 20 years. He served as a physical science teacher at Sedgwick Middle School in Connecticut from 1996 to 1999 and a special education and science teacher at Watkins Mill
High School in Maryland from 2002 to 2006. For three years, he served as a volunteer at United States Peace Corps and served as biology and chemistry teacher in Kenya in 1999 to 2001. “After saving enough money, I came back to the Philippines on my own for a three-week vacation,” he says. “For 20 plus years, we didn’t go back as a family. The main reason was finan-
What we are trying to do is create one world, where kids feel they are one. We want everybody—kids with significant needs, kids with mild needs, kids with special needs to feel like they are one.
cial. When I was able to save enough, I went back. For three weeks, my cousin helped arrange different tours. Then within a couple of days, I said this is where I want to be.” Back in the US, he attended
a school fair and submitted an application to an international school with presence in the Philippines. He realized his goal of working in the Philippines as a special education teacher and coordinator of student services in a prestigious international school, starting 2006. He also helped develop the special education program of that school. “When I was teaching science in the US, there were kids with special needs, but I thought they were not my responsibility. When I look back at those kids, I thought I was responsible for that. So, after serving in the Peace Corps, I decided I wanted to pursue a Master’s in Special Education. I thought it was my responsibility to learn to teach all kids, including those with special needs,” he says. In 2012, he decided to build his own school and found an ideal location just a few steps from Edsa. It is a secluded property, with a garden. The rent is also cheaper than those in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig or Greenhills in San Juan, he says. “It is much cheaper than what you would pay in the Fort. We are lucky with our landlord. They treat us very well. They understand what we are doing as a school. In fact, they are the ones who make sure that the garden is always beautiful,” says Perez. Perez did a fundraising through personal contacts, friends and family in 2012 to improve the first floor of the building. “The second year, after we realized we were growing and there were more applicants, by February 2014, we had the second round of fundraising for the second floor. The second set of donors were primarily parents of current students. They wanted to see the school expand and continue to grow,” he says.
Perez was able to raise almost $200,000 for the school’s development and expansion between 2012 and 2015. One World School follows the international school calendar, beginning August and ending May of the following year. It also offers summer programs in June and July. “We started with 15 students in 2013. Now we have 65 students. When we started, we had less than 10 in the team. Now, we are at almost 30, including therapists. Some classrooms have up to nine kids. Some classrooms are meant for one to one. We have about 15 classrooms,” he says. As a private institution, One World School charges tuition in order to pay all the operations and salaries of the teachers. Annual tuition ranges from P100,000 to P400,000, depending on the program. The school has a scholarship program for those who cannot afford the tuition. “We have kids on scholarships. Basically, we don’t want to turn away kids because of cost. Usually, if we ask for funds from different groups, they help. We have kids from different economic background,” says Perez. Perez says he is fully invested in One World School. “I became a Filipino citizen again. I repatriated, but remain dual citizen. I spent my savings in the school and cashed in my retirement. I am fully invested in the school. I’m in it for the long haul,” he says. “What sets us apart from other schools is that we welcome all kinds of kids here. We see kids as kids with potential. We understand kids with disabilities but there’s a lot they can do. Our mission here is to bring out the best in those kids,” says Perez. Roderick T. dela Cruz
SUNDAY: SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
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BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
SUBIC FIRM REVOLUTIONIZES SMARTPHONE SCREEN PROTECTORS A NEWLY-ESTABLISHED company in Subic Bay Freeport Zone is set to revolutionize the smartphone screen protectors market with the introduction of a new technology.
NanoFixIt Ventures Inc. recently launched NanoFixIt Titanium liquid screen protector in the local as well as global markets, targeting the latest smartphones and other electronic devices. “We want to establish NanoFix It synonymous with liquid screen protector,” says Kris Helgesen, president of NanFixIt Ventures. Helgesen says NanoFixIt has created a patented product using nanotechnology to form a unique mix of Nano scale organic silicon (SiO2) and highest quality anti-bacterial Titanium that will penetrate and seal any electronic glass surface and make it ultra scratch resistant. This form of liquid glass coating has no glues or adhesives and bonds to the surface as a result of the quantum forces involved to form an invisible protective layer that is 500 times thinner than a human hair. The world of electronics is changing so fast that the producers of the traditional plastic or other screen protectors are struggling to keep up. When Apple’s iPhone 6 came out, there was no screen protector for it as nobody really knew what it would look like. When Samsung released their curved models the same challenge occurred. NanoFixIt Titanium is considered the world’s strongest liquid screen protector which is now finally in available in the retail market. “To apply the product you simply put one pea-size drop on the glass, rub it diagonally and vertically for 30 seconds covering the whole surface. Let it dry for 60 seconds and buff the glass until it shines,” says Helgesen. The NanoFixIt Titanium technology is produced in the USA and bottled and packaged in the Philippines for worldwide distribution. “NanoFixIt is continuously developing new products to ensure we are the No. 1 brand and choice for liquid screen protection for your electronics devices. We aim to be the No. 11 screen protector,” he says. The Subic Factory, according to Helgesen, is capable of producing two million sets until the end of 2015. It targets to produce five million sets by 2016 and 10 million sets by 2017 valued at $300 million. Under the SBMA policy, the company is mandated to export 70 percent of its total production, says Helgesen. The company invested $15 million in the Subic operation. And this money went to capital expenditures and operating costs complemented with 40 workforce. Apple Inc.’s launch of its latest smartphone, equipped with 3D Touch features that sense pressure on the display, marks the end of the traditional screen protector products. The new iPhone 6s features 3D touch technology, the next generation of multi-touch that senses how much pressure is applied on the display. In addition to familiar multi-
NanoFixIt Ventures Inc. president Kris Helgesen shows a sample of Nanofixit liquid screen protector.
touch gestures such as tap, swipe and pinch, 3D Touch features peek and pop features, which bring a new dimension of functionality to the iPhone experience. With 3D Touch, iPhone 6s responds with subtle taps that enable users not only to see what a press can do but also to feel it. The new iPhone 6s is expected to make 3D Touch a basic feature among new smartphones, as other main manufacturers will likely follow Apple’s lead and introduce 3D Touch-enabled smartphones in future releases. The big question, however, is how users will protect their expensive 3D Touch-enabled smartphones without covering the original screen with a plastic or glass screen protector. Initial tests carried out by the research and development team of NanoFixIt show that the traditional plastic and glass screen protectors, when applied to the 3D Touch screen, either completely prevent the effect of the new 3D Touch or greatly reduce its effectiveness. NanoFixIt says the answer lies on NanoFixIt Titanium - the revolutionary nanotechnology liquid screen protector considered as the world’s strongest liquid screen protector. NanoFixIt Titanium boosts many benefits such as enhanced vividness of the screen (HD effect), enhanced quality of the camera and pictures taken, reduction of finger-marks and smudges, anti- bacterial effect and even repels water like the leaf of a lotus flower. “In the context of the new Apple 3D Touch screen launched with IPhone 6s and 6s Plus, NanoFixIt Titanium is the only screen protector which does not derogate from the functionality of the new 3D Touch screen,” NanoFixIt says.
HAPPY, HOMEMAKER PUTS UP GOURMET CAKES KIOSK
THE best-selling cakes and pastry creations of young, pretty and happy homemaker Marta QuimsonSoler are now available to the discriminating sweet-toothed public with the opening of “The Cakery” kiosk at the upper ground level of SM Megamall’s Building A in Mandaluyong City. The opening of “The Cakery” came two years after Marta started, reluctantly at first, selling cakes and pastries that she initially baked at
home just for her appreciative husband. Marta, who studied architectural interior design in London’s prestigious Inchbald School of Design and who also has a BS Physical Education degree from UP Diliman, says the first cakes that she baked for family and friends are thirdgeneration recipes taught by her maternal grandmother, Marta Rivilla Kramer, a scion of the Rivillas of Bacolod City.
Marta Quimson-Soler (right) and her mother Carla Rivilla Kramer at the The Cakery kiosk at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
Marta’s kin on her paternal side are also not lightweights when it comes to cooking and appreciating good food and cuisine. The Quimsons has prominent chef Ed Quimson one of their own. Her husband, and his family, have grown to become vocal fanatics of her cakes, and soon her friends were also clamoring for her to sell them specialty mango panna cotta, or her chocolate decadent cake with caramel sauce, or her no-bake
cheesecake. Soon, the growing following of her cakes encouraged Marta to form a pastry chef team to help feed this small, but loyal customer base. Seeing their success in coming up with delightful new surprises and creations, Marta says her number 1 fan, husband Paolo, encouraged her to set up a full commercial “bake” shop. Marta says SM was actually the one the categorized “The Cakery” as a gourmet cake shop. “I did not put that label on my self. SM said: We consider you as gourmet cake,” Marta recalls. Marta says her cakes are all made with the finest, and freshest ingredients, with a number imported from abroad--the way she would bake it for her family and close friends. “I don’t skimp on the ingredients,” she says. Aside from the decadent cake and the no-bake cheesecake and the mango panna cotta bestsellers, Marta also has in her menu: New York Cheese Cake, Key Lime Pie, Carrot Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Dessicated Coconut Topping. Marta says all of her cakes are “must-tries”.
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world
SiSi SwearS in new egypt government EgyPtIAn President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swore in a new government on Saturday that included 16 new ministers, a week after the previous administration resigned following a corruption scandal. Sharif Ismail, who served as petroleum minister in the last cabinet, was sworn in as prime minister in a ceremony shown on state television. The ministers of foreign affairs, defence, interior, justice and finance have kept their positions in the new cabinet. Former premier Ibrahim Mahlab’s government resigned on September 12 days after the arrest of agriculture minister Salah Helal as part of a corruption probe. It had also come under growing criticism for delays in economic projects. A senior government official had told AFP the reshuffle, the first major shakeup since Sisi won elections last year, was meant to «pump new blood» into the government. Ismail is seen as a veteran technocrat with experience in state-owned oil companies before he joined the cabinet in 2013. The new cabinet consists of 16 new ministers, and sees four ministries axed, the presidency said in a statement. The state news agency had reported 15 new ministers. There had been growing calls for Mahlab’s resignation and increasing protests by civil servants over a new law that centralises promotions while taxing bonuses. Mahlab quit as Egypt prepares to hold long-delayed legislative elections in two phases between October 17 and December 2. AFP
Migrants and refugees hold European Union member countries flags during a demonstration at Istanbul’s Esenler Bus Terminal after authorities withheld tickets to Turkish border towns. Hundreds of refugees camped out at the main bus station in Istanbul for a fifth night running after being refused tickets for Edirne, some 250 kilometres (150 miles) away. Many of the refugees seeking to leave Turkey have been living in the country for months, sometimes years, after fleeing the bloody civil war in neighbouring Syria. AFP
chaos reign as europe confronts refugee crisis Thousands of migrants were stranded in the western Balkans on Saturday as Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia tussled over the EU’s escalating refugee crisis. Chaos, rumour and proliferating border obstacles braked thousands of desperate people on their trek to reach northern Europe and turn the page on war or poverty. In the latest hurdle, Hungary said it had completed a second frontier fence designed to keep illegal migrants out. A 41-kilometre (25-mile) barbed-wire barrier along
part of its frontier with fellow EU member Croatia «was finished overnight Friday,» defence spokesman Attila Kovacs told AFP in Budapest. The remaining 330 km of the border runs roughly along the Drava river, which is difficult to cross. The new barrier adds to a barbed-wire fence that Hungary set down along its fron-
tier with Serbia, and backed with laws threatening illegal migrants with jail. That move sparked fierce condemnation internationally and forced the migrant flow towards neighbouring Croatia. Reversing an open-door policy, Croatia on Friday said it was swamped and redirected the migrants back to Hungary. Thousands crossed from Croatia to Hungary before the final section of the fence was completed, Budapest said. Croatian Foreign Mi-
nister Vesna Pusic on Friday said that Zagreb and Budapest had agreed to allow «vulnerable migrants» to cross. Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said Saturday the policy of redirection would continue. «there has not been an agreement with Hungary,» he said in a visit to Beli Manastir, near the Hungarian border. «We have in some way compelled them to accept the refugees by sending them (to the border) and we will continue to do so.»
On the Croatian border with Slovenia, another EU member, hundreds of migrants spent the night in the open at the Bregana crossing, state-run HRt television reported. At Harmica, several dozen migrants faced off with a cordon of riot police on the frontier bridge, demanding that Slovenian police let them enter the country, an AFP reporter saw. Late Friday, police used tear gas against several hundred migrants, some with children, who had sought to push through the police line. AFP
pope StartS HigH-proFiLe viSitS to CUBa, US and Un
This handout picture released by the Vatican press office on September 19, 2015 shows Pope Francis watching a video message from Cuba and USA’s faithfuls on September 18, 2015 prior to his trip to their countries. AFP
POPE Francis headed for Cuba on Saturday on the firstleg of a trip that will also take him to the United States for his most high-profile overseas visit to date. Landmark speeches to the US Congress and the Un general Assembly await next week on the 78-year-old Argentine’s first trip to a global superpower whose policies he has never hesitated to criticise. But first the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Ca-
tholics will become the third pope to have touched down in communist Cuba in less than two decades. Francis, smart in his papal whites and clutching the black leather bag he takes on all his travels, waved a cheerful goodbye before boarding an Alitalia plane and taking off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport shortly after 0830 gMt. The Vatican said he took time before leaving to meet with a Syrian refugee family that has been housed within
the tiny city state’s walls as part of Francis’s attempt to get Catholic parishes across Europe to host those fleeing war. The pope is expected to land in Havana’s Jose Marti airport at around 2000 gMt. This visit will have added significance as it comes in the aftermath of a historic CubaUS rapprochement which has allowed diplomatic relations to be restored thanks to secret contacts that Francis, the first pope from Latin America, helped to facilitate. AFP
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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph
15 KILLED AS SAUDI-LED JETS BOMB YEMEN CAPITAL AIR raids by Saudi-led coalition warplanes killed 15 people in Yemen’s capital in one of the heaviest nights of bombardment in months, aid workers and witnesses said Saturday. One rescuer told AFP that at least 10 civilians were among the dead. "Ten members of the same family were killed in the Al-Falihi neighbourhood, in Sanaa’s old town," he said. Residents said four houses were destroyed by a bomb and that 15 other buildings were damaged in the strikes. Witnesses said five Iran-backed Huthi rebels were killed in a raid on their position in the capital, which the Shiite fighters seized unopposed last year. A Saudi-led coalition has conducted air strikes on rebel posi-
tions across Yemen since March and has provided troops, training and heavy weapons to forces seeking to reinstate the government of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Residents of Sanaa’s Al-Hassaba neighbourhood said coalition jets conducted several sorties overnight, targeting an interior ministry building and a police station. A residence of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose forces have allied with the Huthis, was also bombed, as well as an office of his political party, according to residents.
In Sanaa’s central Zubeiri Street, an army communications office was hit for the first time by the coalition. The building has been used by the pro-Huthi Saba news agency, as well as other media outlets, according to a rebel spokesman. The insurgents still control the capital but have lost ground in the south since July when the coalition sent in armour, troops and Yemeni fighters trained in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh formed the Arab alliance in response to fears the Huthis would take over all of Yemen and move it into the orbit of Sunni Saudi Arabia’s Shiite regional rival Iran. An analyst has estimated the coalition has more than 5,000 troops in Yemen, supporting local forces.
In Marib province, east of Sanaa, where pro-Hadi forces have launched a mass ground offensive, several Huthi positions were also bombed overnight, military sources said. The Marib offensive began after an early-September missile strike on a coalition base in the province killed 67 coalition soldiers, including 52 from the United Arab Emirates. A Yemeni military source told AFP that General Fahd bin Turki, commander of Saudi-backed ground forces in Yemen, inspected troops deployed in Marib on Friday evening. The United Nations says nearly 4,900 people have been killed since late March in Yemen, where the UN aid chief has called the scale of human suffering «almost incomprehensible. AFP
Armed Yemeni tribesmen from the Popular Resistance Committees, supporting forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed fugitive President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, hold a position in Marib province, east of the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition is making slow but steady progress five days into a major offensive towards the rebel-held capital of Yemen, a coalition source said. Taking Marib, in central Yemen, would allow the coalition to move on Sanaa which the Huthis seized last year. AFP
CHILE QUAKE DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 13 THE strong earthquake and consequent tsunami that hit Chile earlier this week killed 13 people and left six still missing, according to latest government figures out Friday. Thousands of people along the South American country’s ravaged coast are still picking up the pieces of their broken lives after the 8.3-magnitude quake struck Wednesday. «The figure has risen to 13 dead,» Mahmud Aleuy, deputy interior minister, told a news
conference in the capital Santiago, where buildings swayed and people rushed out onto the streets seeking safety. The 13th known victim was a man found by police along a beach in the port of Coquimbo, one of the hardest hit areas. The offshore earthquake was the sixth strongest in the history of geologically volatile Chile and the most powerful anywhere in the world this year, officials say. AFP
PRISON OFFICIALS JAILED OVER 'EL CHAPO' ESCAPE THIRTEEN ex-prison officials have been jailed over the spectacular escape of drug kingpin Joaquin «El Chapo» Guzman from a maximum security prison in June, Mexican officials said Friday. Those placed behind bars include Leonor Garcia, formerly in charge of El Altiplano, the maximum security prison that Guzman fled, a source at the prosecutor’s office told AFP. Also jailed is Celina Oseguera, the former national coordinator of the federal prison system. The eleven other prison officials were guards and personnel at El Altiplano, the source said. They will now all be serving time as inmates of that prison. Oseguera and Garcia are being held at the female prison in Tepic, in the western state of Nayarit. The Mexican government immediately put Oseguera on leave after Guzman -- head of the Sinaloa drug cartel -- escaped on July 11. A judge issued orders to arrest the suspects on the same day, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Mexican investigators say that Guzman, Mexico’s most powerful drug lord, had key inside information to ease his escape, as well as support or acquiesce from prison insiders. Guzman’s escape, in which he crawled through a hole leading to a huge tunnel under his cell shower, was a major embarrassment to President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration. He served just 17 months of his lengthy prison sentence. Guzman had broken out of another Mexican prison in 2001 and was caught 13 years later in Mazatlan, a tourist resort on the Pacific coast. A $3.8 million reward is being offered for Guzman’s arrest. AFP
Chilean soldiers clean the debris left by the tsunami that ensued an 8.3 quake that left 12 people dead and five more missing, in Coquimbo, 450 km north of Santiago. AFP
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SPORTS
REUEL VIDAL EDITOR
sports@thestandard.com.ph
PDBF SINAG PERLAS RULES KOREA
DRAGON BOAT RACES
Coach Rhowie Enriquez (left), who also does the work of drummer, gives the thumbs up sign along with her crew after completing a heat. The PDBF Sinag Perlas team brought home three golds from the 2015 Busan Korea International Dragon Boat Races in Busan, South Korea last week.
By Reuel Vidal
THE Philippine Dragon Boat Federation Sinag Perlas team dominated another international event when it ruled the 2015 Busan Korea International Dragon Boat Races in Busan, South Korea last week. The PDBF team brought home three golds (1000m Mixed Event Standard Boat, 500m Women Event Small Boat and 200m Women Event Small Boat), one silver (500m Mixed Event Standard Boat) and two bronzes (200m Mixed Event Small Boat and 200m Mixed Event Standard Boat). PDBF Sinag Perlas won in the mixed events despite being undermanned by three male paddlers. Standard Boat Mixed Events include 12 male and
eight female paddlers. The team is composed of members of various PDBF clubs united in a common purpose. “Winning this international dragon boat race proves that we can be one and form a solid tough team like the PDBF Elite Team in our pursuit of excellence for the glory and name of our beloved Philippines,” said coach Rhowie Enriquez of Triton Dragon Boat Racing. The PDBF team was formed two months ago
and members dedicated themselves completely to the goal at hand. “It didn’t come easy. It took full surrender to the training program of the PDBF to achieve this feat. That is what I and my copacer Romeo Albaladejo did: full dedication to four hours of rigorous training every day, rest, diet, and putting aside our social activities,” said Dene Gomez, Starboard Side Pacer Men Crew. “I have to admit, doubt can sometimes creep in, but having my buddy Romeo by my side made it harder for fear to take over. Motivating each other has become our reflex. Even during the actual race, we regularly shouted short reminders to each other to make our pacing perfect. And here we are today,
with six trophies and an overwhelming feeling of bliss.” Dragon boat racing traces its roots to an ancient folk ritual of contending villagers held for over 2,000 years throughout southern China. While the annual competition dates back more than 20 centuries dragon boat racing started as an international sport in Hong Kong only in 1976. The PDBF has brought honor to the country through its continued success in international competitions like the 2015 Busan Korea International Dragon Boat Races. Berlin Gablan, Starboard Side Pacer Women Crew, said nobody’s too small or under qualified as long as they had the heart and perseverance to give honor to
our country. The members of the team came from different clubs but managed to overcome all obstacles through sheer perseverance. “I was never a pacer from my mother team, Rowers Club Philippines, but as I trained with Sinag Perlas, I realized that even if we came from different clubs from PBDF, we could succeed for as long as we trained together consistently. Having the heart of a champion is very important to face any teams in Busan,” said Romeo Albaladejo Port Side Pacer Men Crew. “Despite the fact that we have different strokes, attitude and personal problems, we still managed to train daily with the help of Coach Dino Miranda for land and Coach Rhowie
Enriquez on boat. Nothing is really impossible when a team works together for a goal. That is why our two months of rigorous training bore fruit in the form of medals and trophies.” Marcia Cristobal is the overall team manager and PDBF President. Christian Villar of Rowers Club Philippines Sea Dragons is the team manager. Members of the team include Mary Ann Huganas, Hazel Abarratigue, Stephanie Eleanor Nadine Sta. Ana, Aniceto Fontanilla and Kerwin Meily of Triton Dragon Boat Racing; and Christine Balaguer, Romeo Albaladejo Jr., Berlin Gablan, Dene Jennel Gomez, Thea Bartolome and Maria Teresita Palteng of Rowers Club Philippines Sea Dragons. Other members of the team are Nenita Leal of Philippine Navy Dragon Boat Team; Norena Mateos, Vera Mary Marie Accad and Geannie Chris Jarabejo of Amateur Paddlers Philippines; Heber Fabregar and Kiefer Ticao of Bruins: Racers of the High Seas; and Maria Helen Rabino of Onslaught Racing Dragons, Other members are Kristine Joy Verzosa-Yap and Victor Isagani Mariano of Maharlika Drakon; Nyllressan Factolarin of One Piece Drakon Sangres; Francisco Roura and Ronald Mallorca of Rogue Paddlers Philippines; Melvenia Atip and Mylovelle Birco of Onslaught Racing Dragons; and Karla Marie Eufemio of Philippine Blue Phoenix Dragon Boat Club. All members of the team made sure that they dug deep into the water every time they paddled and that they gave their all in every stroke. They did their best not for personal glory but for their teammates sitting with them in their boats and for everyone who believed that they could bring glory to the Philippines.
POLE VAULTER NEARS OLYMPIC DREAM EVERY serious athlete dreams of making it to the Olympics. For 19-year-old pole vaulter Ernest Obiena, that Olympic dream can become a reality as early as the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ever since his early teens Obiena has been regularly resetting the Philippine record in his event. He has improved on that by setting a new Southeast Asia record when he cleared 5.40 meters at the recent 2015 Thailand Open Athletics meet at the Thammasat University in Bangkok. Obiena says he continues to improve his performance because of preparation and hard work.
“It is both easy and difficult I would say to clear 5.40. It is easy with the proper timing and situations. The way to get to 5.40 is hard though. It involved a lot of sacrifice as well as time and effort. But it was all worth it when I cleared 5.40,” he said. Obiena, who turns 20 in December, also broke the Philippine record of 5.30 meters which he himself set last May in a meet in Busan, South Korea. With his vault of 5.40 Obiena beat the record of Purranot Purahong of Thailand which was set during the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. At that time, Obiena set-
tled for the silver when he could only clear 5.25 meters. Obiena says he has improved his technique and training regimen following his two-month stint at the IAAF High Performance Center in Formia, Italy where he came under the tutelage of Vitaliy Petrov, who coached history’s greatest pole vaulter Sergey Bubka. He learned a lot from his training which is why he continues to improve both in technique and in strength. “It becomes easier to jump when I get stronger. But it takes extra effort as I gain weight. My jump has to be accompanied with extra effort. I can say that getting
heavier is not a problem if I have the right equipment. The only problem is if I get fat and not gain muscle. That would decrease my power to weight ratio,” he said. Obiena has until July 11, 2016 to clear the qualifying height of 5.70 to earn a slot to the Olympics. He believes he can still make it. “Yes I can still qualify. I have until July next year to qualify. I can’t really say when is the last chance to qualify until I know the competition dates for next year. But I can qualify to Rio by competing in any IAAF sanctioned meet,” he said. Reuel Vidal
Ernest Obiena
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SPORTS
ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR
sports@thestandard.com.ph
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Handout aerial picture released by Rio de Janeiro’s municipality press office showing the construction site of the Velodrome for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP
BRAZIL READY TO HOST
THE OLYMPICS By Eddie G. Alinea
TWO yeas ago, Brazil, a country known where “everything is delayed,” succesfully hosted the 2014 World Cup of Soccer despite encountering numerous problems like activists protesting the cost of its staging. And barely a year from now, Brazil will again play host to a to a much, much bigger event—the Summer Olympic Games—where
the finest athletes from 206 countries, all 10,500 of them, will be vying for honors in 42 sports over 17 days from August 5 to 25.
After which, Rio de Janeiro will also play host to the Paralympics where around 4,350 ahletes from 176 coutries will compete in 23 sports. As in the 2014 Soccer World Cup, many had expressed doubs that the City of Rio de Janeiro might end up short of completing the requirements for the needed inftrastructure. But if Rio Mayor Edardo Paes is to be believed,
everything is on track and the still-being constructed Olympic Park and all competition venues and other facilities will be ready when the world’s greratest sports show raises its curtains on August, 2016. “All the construction work is on schedule, “ Paes said during the meeting of the chiefs of mission held three weeks ago which was attended by Philippine Olympic Committee vice
president Joey Romasanta. Romasana himself attested during a phone patch interview with the Tropang Bistag-Balitang SCOOP radio program aired over Eagle Broadcasting’s DZEC last Thursday that the huge Olympic Park is so far 82 percent ready. “We were made to make an ocular inspection of all the constructions going on, including the Olympic Village where athletes, including ours, will be billeted, which, according to them is 89 percent completed,” Romasanta told this writer and program host along with Hero Robregado. “Well, there still are stadiums na kung titingnan mo ay puro bakal pa and
venues na ginagawa pa, but as the mayor promised, matatapos lahat at walang magiging problema,” the national deleation’s chef de mission added. “As in the words of Mayor Paes, the coming Olympics will show the world a new Brazil,” Romasanta added. “There will be a legacy to create in this country a culture that things can be done on time,” Romasanta quoted Paes as saying. Even Internarnational Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach, who recently visited Rio, praised the way preparations are going on. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, for his part, vowed to “delight” the world with his country’s hosting of the epic event.
GUIAO’S ‘SAMBOY LIM’ BILL PASSED THE Committee on Basic Education of the House of Representatives has approved House Bill 5891, authored by Pampanga 1st District Representative and PBA Coach Joselier ‘Yeng Guiao, which seeks to require students in both public and private schools to undergo Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training at least once prior to graduation. Guiao, who named the measure the Samboy Lim Bill after the former Philippine Basketball Association superstar who had lapsed into a coma after collapsing during a break in an All-Stag game, said he is hopeful that it will become a law before the current Congress adjourns for next year’s election. When Lim collapsed, not one among the more than the 20 people around him knew what to do or had proper training to perform the CPR. Doctors later said that had CPR been administerd on Lim during the three minute win-
Guiao dow after he collapsed, Lim’s chances of recovery would have been better. “I would like to call this the Samboy Lim Bill in honor of the PBA superstar who is now in a coma after suffering from a heart attack during an exhibition game and whose fate became the impetus for the filing of the proposal,” Guiao said. Guiao said that the concept of CPR training in schools is nothing new considering that the United States, Norway, UK and Canada has been doing it since
the 1960s. Asian neighbors Malaysia ,Singapore and Japan have already begun CPR training in schools and communities. And they have a very good reason for doing so, Guiao said. Experts have said that cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere whether you’re at a basketball game,at the theatre, at home, on the bus or on a plane and there’s good chance a rescuer will be helping his or her own loved one,friend or any individual in fate if this happens. Present during the Committee hearing presided by Committee Vice chairperson Eulogio Magsays,Vice Chair Avelina Escudero were Department of Education Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali, Dr. Francis Lavapie of Philippine Heart Association who threw his full support to Guiao.s bill, Rep. Sol Aragones ang Lim’s former wife Atty. Darlene Berberabe who has made CPR training a personal advocacy. Danny Simon
MEETING OF THE MINDS. Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre (right) performs the ceremonial move opposite Melanie Bularan (left), Shell Social Investment & Social Performance Manager as other Shell officials look on to signal the start if Shell Active Chess National Finals held at the Activity Center of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City which will today, Sept. 20. LINO SANTOS
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RieRa U. MallaRi EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph
SportS
Uzbekistan’s Igor Sergeev heads the ball during his team’s World Cup qualifying match against the Philippine Azkals. At left is Phil Younghusband of the Azkals, who bowed to the visitors, 1-5. AFP
PH AzkAls
vow to bounce bAck By Peter Atencio
WHEN the Philippines Azkals play the Uzbekistan White Wolves again in the future, they vowed it will not be a one-sided affair anymore. Team manager Dan Palami said this after an experienced Uzbekistan side shocked the Azkals national men’s football team, 5-1, recently in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. “It’s a different level. But, the next time we play them, it’s not going to be as lopsided as it is right now,” said Palami. Because of the loss, the
Philippines fell into a share of second spot with Uzbekistan, with a 2-0-1 win-draw-loss record in Group H. The Uzbeks are in contention for a slot in third round with North Korea, which is unbeaten after three games. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan coach Samvel Babayan commended the Azkals, saying they are a good team composed of talented players.
“We won by 5-1. But I think the Philippines has a fantastic, well-organized team,” said Babayan. The Azkals will next travel to Pyongyang against North Korea on Oct. 8. “We were there in the game. It’s just that if you give scoring chances, they will score on every opportunity you give them,” added Palami. The Uzbeks’ first goal came from Odil Akhmedov, who sent in a low shot just under keeper Neil Etheridge early on, and the Philippines just couldn’t recover from there. They had two more goals in the first half through Sardor Rashidov and Igor Sergeev to give their side a 3-0 advantage.
In the second half, the Azkals tried to make a goal. But, another goal came the Uzbeks’ way when Sergeev headed in a corner in the 65th minute. The Philippines took one back just five minutes later, after substitute Stephan Schrock lofted a free kick above the keeper and into the net. The Filipinos then went on the offensive, but an errant ball at the back was picked up by Rashidov, who curled in past the keeper to ice the game for the Uzbeks, 5-1. Coach Thomas Dooley earlier said beating the Uzbeks will be a tall order, considering that they are high up in the world rankings.
He was right. “From the first kick, we started on the wrong direction. After the first goal, the first minute, everything we tried to do was gone,” said Dooley. On the other hand, Etheridge took responsibility for the lapses of the team. He vowed to stay mentally strong as he looked forward to their next games. On the other hand, Azkals’ skipper Phil Younghusband is still confident that they can still qualify for the next round. “We still have games to play. We know that if we can hold these teams, keep them from scoring, then we’ll have a chance in the upcoming games,” Younghusband said.
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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR
BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R
BERNADETTE LUNAS
life @ thestandard.com .ph
WRITER
@LIFEatStandard
S U NDAY L IF E
LIFE
Sitio Kyumad is just a small portion of the 7,500-hectare Maasim Sarangani Watershed Protection Project.
Locals nurture the seedlings that are given for free.
Visitors check out the various tree species growing in Sitio Kyumad.
To date, over 1,114,900 seedlings covering 2,507 hectares have been planted in a span of three years.
A WATERSHED OF HOPE
How a company is empowering the B’laan in Sarangani
“I
have been here since 1970,” begins Dominador Fernandez in the vernacular. “Here” is Sitio Kyumad in the town of Maasim in Sarangani, and Dominador happens to be a chieftain of the B’laan, an indigenous people (IP) of Southern Mindanao. I was with a group of business writers that had been invited by the Alsons Power Group to visit the Maasim Sarangani Watershed Protection Project, a program that aims to alleviate poverty and provide livelihood while simultaneously providing forest cover for the Siguil and Kamanga watersheds in Maasim. The project is quite ambitious – by far the biggest environmental undertaking in the whole province of Sarangani that has been initiated by a power company – as it aims to reforest 7,500 hectares of land that encompasses several barangays in the municipality of Maasim. The area, we were told, is larger than the city of Manila and more than three times the size of the city of Makati. To reach Sitio Kyumad, our group travelled some 50 kilometers from General Santos City, traversing very rough terrain that could get muddy and slippery due to rainfall. At several points, the roads would become so narrow that vehicles coming from opposite directions would stop to let the other pass first. Motorcycles and horses were the usual mode of transportation, our driver informed. “The project began in 2009, but it took three years of dialogues and discussion with the Department of
BY BING PAREL Environment and Natural Resources, the local government and the company to explain the objectives of the project before we were convinced that their plans would be beneficial to our community. The actual planting of trees started only in late 2012,” explained Chief Dominador in his accented Tagalog. “This used to be full of cogon grass, but now we have a lot of fruit-bearing trees, along with mais, guyabano, langka, kamoteng kahoy,” he continues, proudly displaying the feast of peanuts, corn, cassava, and fresh coconut juice that had
Members of the community who stand to benefit from the watershed project.
seedlings,” and that the profits from the harvest would redound to the community. Financing and farming implements, he said, were also provided by the Alsons Power Group through its subsidiary, the Sarangani Energy Corporation, whose 210MW power plant construction site is located within the watershed area. The company has committed to plant 3.75 million seedlings of various tree species and commercial crops such as such as tuai (locally called nabul), lauan, molave, guyabano, langka, and coffee – and so far, they have planted over 1,114,900
“At first, only a few wanted to participate in the watershed project, but we reasoned out with them. What was there to lose, since it was all cogon grass and we had no sustainable livelihood? I explained the plan and the vision, and cautioned them against the danger of politics. I told them we will provide the labor, but the seedlings will be provided and the company will help with farming tools. They will help us look for a ready market that will buy the produce,” the B’laan elder said. To date, more than 450 resident families have organized under
B’laan chief Dominador Fernandez (rightmost) with members of the B’laan tribe and Mer Olvida (6th from left) who supervises the Maasim watershed project.
been laid out for our group to enjoy. Looking around, it is hard to imagine that the lush, forested area had once been flat and brown due to the highly damaging slash-and-burn kaingin method that was widespread in the uplands of Maasim, resulting in forest denudation. Chief Dominador admits that what also helped convince them was the promise that they would have the seedlings for free because they “did not have the money to buy the
seedlings covering 2,507 hectares in a span of three years, quite ahead of the target timelines for the 15-year project. According to the company, they have allocated $2 million for the 7,500-hectare watershed project – a testament to the commitment of the Alsons Power Group’s Sarangani Energy Corporation to protect and nurture the environment, as well as improve the quality of life in the host and neighboring communities of the coal plant.
B’laan member Faning Tayau prepares the agricultural products for visitors to enjoy.
the Maasim Highland Farmers’ Association, and it is interesting to note that the participating families not only belong to the B’laan tribe but also the T’boli, as well as rebel returnees from such groups as the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the New People’s Army. One underlying reason why the project shows such promise is the fact that it is a partnership wherein both the public and private sectors are
committed in uplifting the economic status of the residents, particularly the indigenous peoples, in the watershed area. (In fact, the DENR has seen fit to include the project under the government’s National Greening Program whose objective is to alleviate poverty as well as achieve biodiversity and food security through reforestation activities.) Aside from financing, the beneficiary families are given seminars and trainings on agriculture and farming methods, with exposure trips also arranged to give them more detailed knowledge on how to cultivate and nurture the seedlings. Currently, there are more than 120 local residents working as laborers in the various planting sites covered by the watershed project. Prior to the implementation of the project, the average income of the locals was around P1,000 a month, but now, the figures reach as much as P6,000 – P8,000 a month. Not surprisingly, more residents are joining the project, seeing the livelihood opportunities that Chief Dominador and the others are enjoying not only from the proceeds from the agricultural products but the chickens and goats that they are raising. “We now have the opportunity to send our children to school. We don’t need to buy products like coffee because we grow them here and we make our own. The people now have work and livelihood,” the B’laan chieftain concludes, the smile in his eyes conveying both confidence and hope for the future.
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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph
UPGRADING THE WORLD, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME
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t was a day of building dreams and building homes as Microsoft Philippines’ employees teamed up with its longtime partner Gawad Kalinga in upgrading the latter’s growing community in Nueva Ecija. In celebration of the recent launch of Microsoft Corporation’s Windows 10 operating system, the multinational software firm kicked off the Upgrade Your World campaign, a yearlong initiative that aims to acknowledge people and organizations and doing great things and making a difference every day. Microsoft turns the spotlight on 100 local non-profit organizations in Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya,
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Upgrading the world. Microsoft Philippines general manager Karrie Ilagan and Microsoft employees join Gawad Kalinga in upgrading a growing community in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.
Mexico and the United Kingdom. Heeding the call, the employees of the software firm’s local subsidiary took part in the initiative and dedicated a workday to help build houses in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. “Gawad Kalinga has taken strides in uplifting Filipino communities all over the country, and we admire the organization for their commitment to uplift the quality of life of Filipinos through the homes and communities that they build,” said Microsoft Philippines general manager Karrie Ilagan. She added, “But more than building homes for the nation, we admire the importance that not just the organization but the entire municipality of Nueva Ecija places in building a good foundation for a bright future for the youth through education. As Gawad Kalinga strives to build the nation by helping five million Filipino families out of poverty, Microsoft is here to upgrade the world of this rising community in Nueva Ecija.” Microsoft donated Windows 10 PCs and 100 hours of Internet usage that will help
power schools in the GK Village. Employee volunteers and teaching ambassadors helped train educators in this village to maximize their potential as they utilize the new Windows 10 computers for teaching and helping students learn through technology. For her part, Gawad Kalinga’s Issa CuevasSantos expressed how it has been a privilege to be a long-time partner of organizations such as Microsoft that strive “to make it their business to upgrade lives and communities.”
“The poor deserves innovation just as much as anyone else, and they need it more than anyone else. Our partnership with Microsoft helps us build programs that will harness their potential for themselves and for others,” declared Santos. To know more about #UpgradeYourWorld campaign, visit the Microsoft website. To participate in building a GK community, visit www.gk1world.com/home.
From rebels to organic farmers
Former NPA members surrender firearms to cultivate farmlands
A Nita Capirayan and other former rebels grow their farms with the help of Cencia Clarito (second from left), agricultural technologist of the Department of Agriculture Iloilo who regularly visits the progress of Leon farmers.
Former rebel turned organic farmer Nita Capirayan harvests some of the produce in her small farm in Leon, Iloilo.
Nita Capirayan and a former comrade in arms, now comrade in farms, gaze at their new battlefield – their own organic farm.
t a young age, Nita Capirayan, dreaming to be a teacher, found herself listening to the preachings and teachings of New People’s Army rebels who were doing an aggressive “info drive” and recruitment in Iloilo, which eventually led her to ponder several questions. “Based on the teachings of the leftist groups, I began to think: Why are there still a lot of poor people? Why are there still a lot of people who are hungry? Why are there a lot of children who can’t go to school? Why are there are a lot of people who do not have jobs?” Capirayan shared in the vernacular. So in 1981, Capirayan packed a few clothes, abandoned her family, and went up the hills to join the rebel movement. Naturally enjoying talking to groups of people and organizing activities, she led the group’s educations committee and was obsessed with recruiting more members. For close to three decades, she lived and breathed the life of a rebel, in the process meeting and marrrying another rebel, Antonio, and bore kids. Misfortune struck when she lost an older sister who was salvaged, and her father mercilessly tortured, leaving him an invalid. But it was only five years ago when Capirayan, then 53, lay sleepless in her lair, a gun beside her, and realized that their fight was leading nowhere. It dawned on Capirayan, her husband, and a couple more rebels that there has to be another way to fight poverty, and that the solution is not in the hills and not with the underground movement. They
surrendered their arms and returned to a life of “normalcy.” “We went down the hills and went back to the fold of the law,” she shared.
SAME FIGHT, DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD
Today, Capirayan sleeps beside her kids, still sleepless at times as her mind is constantly busy thinking of strategies on how to grow the organic farming community she now heads together with other rebel returnees. The former fighters are now all farmers, still waging war against poverty, but instead of firearms, they carry shovels; from growing their movement on the hills, they’re growing crops on the field. “If before I was active in the revolution against the government, now my revolution is against poverty and hunger,” enthused Capirayan, who is the president of Leon Vegetable Growers Association in Leon, Iloilo. “Our group is still small. We only have 50 members, 30 of whom are into organic farming, but the rest are already trying it out,” she shared. Leon is a quiet municipality two hours away from Iloilo City. Its fertile land and temperate climate allows farmers to produce the sweetest fruits and good vegetable yield. “We all know that Leon is blessed with rich soil and a great climate. It is so easy to grow crops here in our province. It didn’t take long for us to decide to go into farming and promote the concept of #MahalinPagkaingAtin,” said Capirayan
whose association promotes Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program which is directed towards sustainable livelihood businesses. Using her good communication skills and effective networking, she reached out to agencies and universities that could help their group. The Junior Marketing Association of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines in Iloilo were quick to offer them help. “UP Iloilo helped us organize our group and linked us up with different organizations that could train us with effective farming practices. The Junior Marketing Association of the Philippines, on the other hand, taught us how to effectively market our produce,” Nita beamed with delight. From the help of private groups and the province’s Agriculture department, her farm is now a small “paradise” of fruits and vegetables. “I have sweet pepper, lettuce, corn, chayote, carrots, papaya and others,” while the other members grow eggplants, string beans, okra and coconut in their respective farms. Through farming, the former rebels found that it is possible to have food on the table every single day. And it definitely does not need an armed revolution to achieve that. “We could only achieve peace if there is no poverty, but we have our own roles to play to eradicate poverty. Farming is one of these. And if we could pass on the love for farming to our children and the next generation, we could dramatically reduce poverty,” Capirayan declared with pride.
Lifestyle editor’s Carotid Artery column will resume next week.
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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph
The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s Mandarin leather interior.
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The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s Midnight Sapphire exterior.
BREAKING DAWN A toast to the new Rolls-Royce Dawn with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manila execs (from left) general manager Lito Jose; Willy Tee Ten, president; and senior vice president Mike Cua.
Lindy Pellicer, Georges Ramirez, and Mike Potenciano
(From left) Atty. Karen Jimeno, CNN Philippines; Stephanie Chong, The Peninsula Manila; Chad Alarcon, ODV Creative Media; Jefferson Lizardo, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manila; and Owee Cruz, PR RRMC Manila.
This columnist with Owee Cruz, Chad Alarcon, and Ian Belleza.
Issa Litton with Philip Cu-unjien
B e f o r e anything else, I would like to set the record straight. This column is not a review #INTHEMOMENT ab out t he BY FRANCIS DE LEON fourth novel in “The Twilight S a g a” by American author Stephenie Meyer, okay? It’s an absolutely different theme altogether. However, I would like to link the title of this Sunday’s column to the time when RollsRoyce broke online records during their hugely successful Digital Dawn online launch which trended #1 worldwide on Google, witnessed by 4,000 media around the world in the carmaker’s attempt to debut the new Rolls-Royce Dawn. Now, that’s breaking the new dawn of the digital age! The open-top luxury of the new RollsRoyce Dawn was revealed in Manila through a worldwide digital launch spearheaded by Rolls-Royce Philippines’ Willy Tee Ten and his team at the Salon de Ning of The Peninsula Manila. We were all treated to delectable hors d’oeuvres, flowing drinks and a carving station of delicious beef wellington. The posh atmosphere and seductive ambient music were befitting of the luxury brand and Manila delivered it with style (cheers to Rolls-Royce Manila!). “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, super-luxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new motorcar that offers the most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. It will be the most social of super-luxury drophead motorcars
Rolls-Royce Philippine’s president Willy Tee UAE Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Eisa Alsamahi and Ten welcomes guests during the Digital Patricia Reyes. Dawn launch.
for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s most exclusive social hotspots. Quite simply, it is the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built,” expressed Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, chief Executive officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, on a large digital live screen during the launch. The word “compromise” is not a term recognized in the Rolls-Royce vocabulary. In the words of its co-founder Sir Henry Royce – “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.” Living up to the luxury brand’s mantra, behold, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn. It is the world’s only true modern four-seater super-luxury drophead. The new Rolls-Royce Dawn rises above its ancestors, featuring 80 percent unique body panels.
THE SILENT BALLET
During the launch, emphasis on engineering and manufacturing was taken into account via the viral video. Attention was paramount to the creation of the Dawn’s roof which is
Willy Tee Ten and Ron Delos Reyes
Digital Fashion Week Manila team
Live feed interview of Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, chief executive officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, during the Digital Dawn launch.
Jeanette and JP Tuazon
utterly quiet when up and operates in almost complete silence in just over 20 seconds at a cruising speed of up to 50kph. This quest for silence applied to all aspects of the engineering of the new roof, and by extension, the new car model. The design of the roof is graceful, beautiful and sensuous while maintaining a large canopy for passengers. The silent lowering of the soft top – dubbed “The Silent Ballet” by Rolls-Royce engineers –conveys a true Dawn moment. The Rolls-Royce’s Dawn’s Midnight Sapphire exterior and Mandarin leather interior is enough to make one wax poetic. “Night becomes day as rays of sunshine burst forth, bringing the inside out, joining this social space with the wider world of possibilities.” “At Rolls-Royce, we pride ourselves as creators of fine motor cars that also serve as social spaces,” exclaimed Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The idea of creating a car like Dawn that can be used in comfort by only two adults on a day to day basis is anathema. In creating Dawn we have accepted no compromise to the comfort and luxury of four adults who want to travel together in the pinnacle of style,” Taylor added. Indeed, it is safe to say that the new RollsRoyce Dawn is a harmonious juxtaposition of art and poetry in (perfect) motion, backed by expert manufacturing and masterful engineering. And as with all objects of perfection, it comes with a hefty price tag only the distinguished (extremely wealthy set) can afford. Deliveries on the new Rolls-Royce Dawn commence in the second or third quarter of 2016. Visit the Rolls-Royce showroom located at The Fort for more details on how to reserve a new Dawn. Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.
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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph
@LIFEatStandard
SMBABIES SALE at THE SM STORE
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ommies, now is the best time to shop with the SMBABIES sale offering up to 50 percent off on great clothes selections from 0 months to 4 years old, ongoing until October 4 at all SM Stores! Aside from the great bargains, fun gifts are also in store. There are free backpacks for every P1,000 purchase on regular items; medicine droppers for every P1,000 purchase of sesame toddler items; and free nappy clamps for every P500 purchase of sesame newborn items until September 30 2015. Catch SMBABIES sale at the Infants Wear Department of all SM Stores nationwide.
There are lots of fashion finds – like rompers – at the SMBABIES sale.
A pretty little dress for the little princess.
*Items on sale may vary by store. Forget about polka dots – hearts rule this vibrant orange dress. Go Active – with this shirt and short set for boys.
A perfect gift set for the little one.
A classic cardigan and ladylike dress in gray and red.
Your little bud statement tee.
Very violet shirt and short for girls.
Another great season coming By Peter Atencio IN three months time, Filipino golfers will get a chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, and promoting the Philippines as a golfing haven and top-class tourist destination. These are among the attractions of the 2015 Resorts World Manila Masters , which will happen from Nov. 19 to 22 at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite. RWM Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly said that aside from the attractive prize pot, the full-field Asian Tour tournament will have multi-pronged objectives to benefit local golfers. Reilly said this is part of the tournament’s vision to boost the development of professional golf in the country and Asia. This means that Filipino golfers, who will do well in the tournament can move up in the world rankings and be among the top 60 golfers who will see action in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Expected to banner the Philippine side are 3-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que, Antonio Lascuna, Juvic Pagunsan, Miguel Tabuena and Elmer Salvador. They will test their skills and familiarity of the course against Asia’s no. 1 player Anirban Lahiri of India, 2013 winner Liang Wen-Chong of China, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, and Byeong Hun An of South Korea, among others. “We are delighted to maintain our role as title sponsor of the most lucrative golf tournament in the Philippines,” said Reilly. He added that the tournament has been very successful in the first two editions. Because of this, they look forward to further leveraging Resorts World Manila and the Philippines onto the global map through live television broadcasts which have the potential to reach 625 million homes in 180 countries.” It will be one of the richest tournaments in the country, with a pot offering of $1-million up for grabs again. Manila Southwoods CEO Bob Sobrepena said the event can now be billed as one of the greatest golfing events in the country. “It’s now one of the greatest events for Philippine golf, the best. It’s now the richest and best organized,” remarked Sobrepena. Asian Tour CEO Mike Kerr said this will be an important
From left) Asian Tour Chief Executive Officer Mike Kerr, Resorts World Manila Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly, and Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club Chairman Bob Sobrepeña cross clubs to mark the launch of the richest golf tournament in the country to date, the 3rd Resorts World Manila Masters.
event for Filipino golfers to be in. They(Filipino golfers) will have a chance to play against the best in Asia. “They will not only play for the $1-million purse, they will also play for the world ranking points,” added Kerr. Kerr explained that getting world ranking points is something for the players in the tournament. This is because they get chances to compete and play in the Olympics. Kerr also opened the possibility of Fil-Australian Jason Day coming to Manila to play professional golf. He is hopeful that Day will have the time to join its event in the future. “Actually, we have spoken to
Jason about that. We know of his Filipino heritage and we will continue to ask Jason on that possibility,” Kerr said. Day recently won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, which prevented Jordan Spieth from winning a third major championship. With the win, Day moved up to no. 3 in the world behind Roy McIlroy (no. 2) and Spieth (no. 1). China’s Liang Wen-Chong won it in 2013 after beating Thailand’s Prom Meesawat in the playoffs, while Singaporean Mardan Mamat took it the following year. “We’ve witnessed two memorable editions, and I’m sure this year’s tournament will provide greater drama and excitement,”
said Kerr. Now that the Resorts World Manila Masters is part of the Asian Tour, Filipino golfers will have a chance to rise up. Just like in 2011 when Juvic Pagunsan became the first Filipino to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit. That year, the Asian Tour sanctioned a total of 24 tournaments in Asia. India, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand began staging tournaments that year. The Asian Development Tour also grew from five to eight events. The following season was also memorable, with Thai golfer winning his second Order of Merit crown since 2005.
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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com
HBO ASiA AiRS nEW SEASOn Of ‘GAmE Of THROnES’
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o celebrate HBO’s lead of 29 Creative Arts Emmy wins, the most of any network, including eight awards for HBO’s Game Of Thrones, the most of any program this year, HBO Asia is airing the latest season of the series Mondays at 11 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on HBO Signature. Binge-watching viewers can watch all five seasons of Game Of Thrones anytime anywhere on
HBO GO. HBO’s most watched series, Game Of Thrones, tops all nominated programs this year with nominations in 24 categories, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing and Writing for a Drama Series. Winners of these categories will be announced at the 67th Prime-
A scene from Game of Thrones
time Emmy Awards ceremony, taking place on Sept. 20 in Los Angeles (Sept.21 in the Philippines). Since 2011, Game Of Thrones has received a total of 22 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage, who also received a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
‘Green Inferno’ Gets the Green lIGht
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fter more than a year of waiting, horror movie fans will finally get to see perhaps the most disturbing, and controversial films of the year—The Green Inferno. Ahead of its US release, Solar Pictures unleashes the Green Inferno in local cinemas nationwide beginning Sept. 23. Directed by Eli Roth, the horror mastermind behind such groundbreaking films as Cabin Fever and the blockbuster Hostel franchise, Green Inferno is a terrifying, twisted and blood-soaked take on the a digital-age phenomenon known as “slacktivism.” The Green Inferno tells the story of what happens when “slacktivism”—the well-meaning social-media response to global catastrophes—turns deadly deep in a South American rainforest.
When a group of college students take their humanitarian protest to the Amazon jungle, they are taken prisoners by the indigenous tribe they came to save. Trapped in a remote tribal village, these naïve, technology- dependent students suffer unspeakable acts as the victims of chilling and soul- destroying rituals reserved for only the most threatening intruders. In early 2012 Eli Roth was working on a script about a group of college students who try to solve the world’s problems by using online videos to publicly embarrass anyone they see as doing wrong. Before he finished writing it, an organization called Invisible Children made the video “KONY 2012,” which urged viewers to help take down Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Fueled by worldwide social-media frenzy, the video was
CROSSWORD PUZZLE 84 86 87 89 93 94 95 96 97 100 102 103 104
ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Bite down 6 Game fish 10 Squander 15 Dwindles 20 Perfect, at NASA 21 Skywalker’s dad 22 Needle cases 23 Circumvent 24 Tax time 25 Cabbie’s fare 26 Gemini symbol 27 Where Ephesus was 28 Groovy 29 On one’s own 30 Type of chocolate 32 Grab the phone 34 Ambergris source 36 Hagen of “The Other” 37 Noted star-seekers 40 Essential 41 Home page addr. 42 Colorful carp 44 Attorneys’ degs.
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Depot info Damascus loc. SOS receivers Alps’ Mont — “— Gratia Artis” Nervous — Exercise aftermath Look of loathing Poe’s visitor Dark Home with a dome Grind, maybe Piano parts Honey-colored Asian mammal (2 wds.) “Simpsons” kid Rain icy pellets Samoa’s capital Want-ad letters Main Tahitian industry Glue on Army off. 1140, to Flavius Rope-a-dope boxer
108 109 110 111 112 113 115 116 117 118 120 121 123 124 125 127 129 131 136 138 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151
Nave neighbor Miss Piggy’s word Equip Prepare for use again (2 wds.) Funny Charlotte — RN assistants Storytelling dance Gusted Eradicates (2 wds.) Rubicon crosser Roulette color Nulls Hoople’s mutterings Single Goes first Galway Bay islands Visigoth king Glamorous wrap Millionaire’s toy Friendly Stein filler The Plastic — Band Makes a comment Deposed Amin Comic-strip prince Planet, in verse Future MD course Infuriated Make bread Pounced Tiny slices of time Math term Two-masted vessels Great Buddhist king of India (var.) A moon of Jupiter Socrates’ forte Early anesthetic Amazon port Flat Olive-green bird Shoplifting Hot dip “Gigi” composer
viewed more than 100 million times. Soon, however, the campaign came under intense criticism for oversimplifying—and in some cases misrepresenting—a complex situation, and the organization’s founder, Jason Russell, suffered a very public breakdown. Roth was amazed that these real-life events so closely mirrored the central premise of The Green Inferno. “Everyone in the world was tweeting about something they had learned from a YouTube video, and almost shaming other people into re-tweeting it, as if you were uncaring about Ugandan child soldiers if you didn’t,” he recalls. In the end, the “KONY 2012” campaign did almost nothing to solve the problems it highlighted. Yes, it raised awareness, but just re-tweeting links to YouTube videos isn’t actu-
Chilling scene from The Green Inferno in Chile
In Peru, a perilous scene from The Green Inferno
ally going to stop warlords.” For Roth, the controversy surrounding “KONY 2012” validated The Green Inferno’s core conceit— the idea that “slacktivism” is often just a way for social media users to feel like they are doing something about horrific events that are completely beyond their control. “It came from a good place, wanting to help others in a far corner of the world,” says Roth. “But ultimately it was more about people feeling better about themselves.” Although the film offers a pointed commentary on this uniquely 21st-century trend, Roth’s primary
goal is more visceral: to share with audiences his love for blood- curdling movie mayhem. “Horror movies were my passion growing up, and my favorite thing was being scared and watching scary, gory movies with my friends,” he says. “I love to terrify people. As things get worse in this world, and people feel a loss of control over things, they need an outlet, a place they are allowed to be really scared. Where better than in a horror movie?” The Green Inferno opens in theaters nationwide, beginning Sept. 25, from Solar Pictures.
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152 Taiga denizens 153 End-of-year temp DOWN 1 James of “Rollerball” 2 Be optimistic 3 Slimy veggie 4 Rum drink (2 wds.) 5 Traffic cone 6 Pearl or Beetle — 7 Intense feeling 8 Submachine gun 9 Mole cousin 10 Suite amenity (2 wds.) 11 As desired (2 wds.) 12 Honeymoon — 13 Windshield option 14 Latin I verb 15 Violin middle 16 Sworn promise 17 Hawaiian goose 18 A Great Lake 19 Pronto on “ER” 21 Desk compartment 31 Archaeology find 33 Kind of terrier 35 Warm welcome 37 Waiter’s offering 38 Ra’s symbol 39 Nerve 42 MOMA artist 43 Trireme mover 45 Groovy light source (2 wds.) 46 Singer Jacques — 47 9-digit IDs 49 In — (as found) 50 Bruins 51 Brusque 52 Company VIP 53 Inclinations 54 Invent 57 Hartman or Bonet 58 Ancient (hyph.) 59 Omar of films
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Edible seaweed Mine passage Wild goat Distinct stages Drink of the gods Claus von — Historian’s word Few, to Pierre Obstructing (3 wds.) Cisco Kid movies Dark red Not pro That guy’s
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Milord’s spouse Butter squares Firecracker part WWII craft (hyph.) Skidded Jacques, in song Links org. Port near Algiers River in the Congo Young wolves Dwarf buffalo Radar’s soft drink Skip a commercial Elvis’ middle name
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Actress — Merrill Laird or lassie Type of PC screen Goya’s duchess Candy-striper Go — — diet Steep gulch Uses tobacco Mr. Greeley Home turnover Hazards a guess Christie of mystery 126 Japanese volcano
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Jack, in cards Take the car Wading bird Natasha’s refusals Apprehends Not in harbor NFL coach Chuck — Amoebas have one Fridge stick Seed covering “— in Rome ...” Not right Tijuana Ms.
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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com
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alduB, soho ToP naTionwide raTings ISAH V. RED There’s just no stopping the AlDub fever as Filipinos all over the world continue to root for the phenomenal love team of Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza. Shortly after posting the record-breaking 6.35 million tweets worldwide in the social media networking service Twitter, the AlDub couple also dominated nationwide TV ratings last week. Multi-awarded news magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS), which featured host Jessica Soho trying to know more about Yaya Dub, was the most watched program in the country for the week Sept. 7 to 13. KMJS registered an overnight household rating of 26.7 percent, according to National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) data from ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. Yaya Dub, despite her fame, remains elusive to media interviews and this has roused public interest in her real identity. This prompted KMJS in its episode last Sunday to try to discover more about Yaya Dub through the stories of people close to her, her fans, and even those who were lucky enough to take “selfies” with her. Alden’s life story, on the other hand, was shown in Magpakailanman two Saturdays ago. Expectedly, the episode dominated its timeslot with an overnight household rating of 25.3 percent versus ABS-CBN’s Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK), which only managed 23.8 percent. The episode traced the life of Alden – from his early beginnings as an actor up until he became one of the most sought-after Kapuso leading men and presently winning the hearts of millions of viewers as the ‘Pambansang Bae’ and the other half of the #AlDub love team. Relative to competition, more Kapuso programs also made it to the list of top 30 programs nationwide for the said period. Joining KMJS and Magpakailanman were Ismol Family, Eat Bulaga, Pepito Manaloto, Vampire ang Daddy Ko, Marimar, Sunday Pinasaya, and 24 Oras. Also included in the list of most watched programs were Celebrity Bluff, 24 Oras Weekend, Karelasyon, Beautiful Strangers, Wowowin, My Faithful Husband, and The Half Sisters HHHHH Juan Tamad meeTs The PoPe The audience is in for another hilarious episode of Juan Tamad today. After weeks of bad luck, it seems things can get no worse for Juan (Sef Cadayona and his Nanay Siony (Ces Quesada). Yet, they can get even worse than before. While their next door neighbors - the Guiguintos – are booking rooms at a five star hotel in
time for the Papal visit, the D. Magbangons are unceremoniously booted out of their house by the local Sheriff. In a series of unexpected twists and turns … Juan and his Nanay Siony end up on the streets of Metro Manila … living under a piece of tarp, inside a jeepney … then atop a pushcart … even getting picked up by the DSWD along the way. Juan experiences this all as a grand adventure, amazed at the kindness of the poverty-stricken strangers they encounter. But when his lifelong crush Marie (played by Max Collins) finally tells him she would never consider a man with no ambition … he gets desperate. Juan can manage without a home but not without love. Walking aimlessly, he lands in the midst of a Luneta crowd … and unexpectedly comes face to face with the Pope himself. Much to everyone’s surprise, Juan is given a blessing that marks the start of happier days to come. Juan Tamad has been dominating the ratings for its timeslot since its launch. The comedy show mixes romance, humor, current events and politics, romance for a very special family viewing experience. Juan Tamad airs Sundays at 4:45 p.m. on GMA7. HHHHH marimar in angeles The cast of Marimar – Megan Young, Tom Rodriguez, Jaya, and Dion Ignacio – is passionately promoting their show even if it’s now dominating the ratings nationwide. “This is not the time to let up,” says Young and Rodriguez who are the nationwide’s newest primetime love team. But what the audience are really awaiting is if the two would fall for each other. Remember that it was in the previous edition of Marimar where the love story of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera was forged on the sands of the beach where the drama was shot. The mall show featuring the stars of the newest adaptation of the Mexican telenovela will be at 5 p.m. today in Angeles City’s Marquee Mall. HHHHH airy ‘iBiliB’ ePisode Today The first airy experiment in iBilbib is the CD Fan experiment. From an old and thrashed CD, the show tells the audience that it can be re-used to make a fan, especially these days when the temperature everywhere is soaring to stratospheric heights. And, say the hosts, you can even save on electricity. In the show’s trivia, rainfall quantity can now be predicted using a newly innovated Doppler radar. Roadfill and James will explain this. iBilib hosts will also demonstrate in the segment “Discover Science” the principle of descent. How do things fall is what they will demonstrate in the show. iBilib airs Sunday mornings on GMA7.
Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho is the most watched TV program on GMA7
Alden Richard fuelled the ratings for Magpakailanman two Saturdays ago
Nacino plays a sheriff in Juan Tamad
Rocco Nacino gamely takes on a comedy role as the Sheriff in today's episode of Juan Tamad
In the show's most unforgettable episode to date, Juan Tamad comes face to face with Pope Francis
Marimar in Angeles, the poster
Tiu and his CD fan
Chris Tiu demonstrates a new experiment with iBilibers
SUNDAY : S EPT EMBER 20 : 2015
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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com
SHOWBITZ
AdAm Levine’s song for mAniLA Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine
Maroon 5 opens its concert with Animals
Led by Levine, the band plays all their biggest hits from This Love to Sugar
“i
By nickie WAng
personally like this place,” Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine told the crowd that packed the Mall of Asia Arena, “And one of the reasons why I love this place, I feel that the culture here loves singing, loves music. Now here’s a song for you, Manila.” Then the band played its 2013 hit “Love Somebody,” which Levine cowrote as part of the band’s 2012 album, Overexposed. The song that lyrically explores “salvation on the dance floor” was especially dedicated to the people Levine considers as “the best fans.” This number, albeit not the band’s most recognizable song, drew defeaning cheers and shrieks from the audience. The members of the American pop rock band met their “best fans” once again and treated them to an 80-minute, 17-song-performance when they staged the Manila leg of Maroon 5 V Tour on Thursday, Sept. 17. The band led by the very charismatic Levine kicked off the show with “Animals,” and “One More Night” followed by their first Billboard Hot 100 entry, “Harder To Breathe.” Dressed casually in red t-shirt, blue faded jeans and white snickers with maroon and grey details, the Maroon 5 vocalist took center stage and displayed solid showmanship amid ferociously gleaming red stage lights. Levine also played guitar on a few songs, though usually pretty briefly, picking up the instrument halfway through the number. With mic stand in hand, the 34-year-old vocalist led the band in dishing out classic songs from the album Song About Jane like “This Love,” “She Will Be Loved,” and “Sunday Morning” to their massively popular recent catalog “Animals,” “Maps,” “Payphone” and the anthemic “Move Like Jagger.” The band didn’t use any elaborate stage design, no pyrotechnics or uber large screen projectors to fulfill the audience’s visual senses. Maroon 5 only focused on its main element and its signature sound, not to mention Levine’s compelling stage presence
and uncommon but popular vocals. Though there were no major musical surprises in the show, the fans were not disappointed as the band played its songs at frenetic pace pausing only to acknowledge thousands of concertgoers and tell them “You guys are crazy crazy.” While the first part of the show showcased the band’s over-the-top energy, during the encore, the band shifted to a more relaxed mode. The quintet stood at the front of the stage together and did an a capella version of “Payphone.” They also let the crowd sing “This Love” without any musical accompaniment before they proceeded with their version of “Lost Stars” from the movie Begin Again. Levine changed his gear as the band performed their ultimate number, the synth-poppy “Sugar” where he smashed his pink guitar on the floor to punctuate their performance. And for their final bow, the quintet huddled at the center of stage and bid everyone, their “best fans” goodbye. The Maroon 5 V Tour in Manila was presented by Smart Communication’s homegrown music streaming app Spinnr. Twenty lucky subscribers were able to secure VIP tickets by simply downloading the app or any of the Maroon 5 songs.
The band didn’t use any elaborate stage design, no pyrotechnics or uber large screen projectors to fulfill the audience’s visual senses. Maroon 5 only focused on its main element and its signature sound, not to mention Levine’s compelling stage presence and uncommon but popular vocals
Maroon 5 in concert at the Mall of Asia Arena
All Maroon 5 members doing an a capella version of Pay Phone
Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Lavine and rhythm guitarist James Valentine
Adam also plays the electric guitar which he smashes on the stage to signal the end of the show
No energy drop. Adam and his band perform for 80 minutes. Photos By nickie WAng