The Standard - 2015 October 04 - Sunday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX  NO. 234  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : OCTOBER 4, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

FOOD TASTING FOR A LIVING

NOY: NO APOLOGIES CLUELESS ON ‘STAG PARTY’; ONLINE PETITION VS LP GAINS GROUND By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Joel E. Zurbano PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III, chairman of the ruling Liberal Party, sees no need to apologize for the “stag party” that LP members had in Laguna on Thursday and infuriated Filipino netizens into starting an online petition on Saturday. At the same time, a labor organization demanded the resignation of LP officials involved in the stag party where a group of dancers, called Playgirls, performing a racy dance with LP members on stage during the birthday of Laguna Rep. Banjamin Agarao. The performance was recorded by a “concerned citizen” and posted on Facebook, raising a howl from netizens, who complained that the LP event was a violation of the Magna Carta of Women, or Republic Act No. 9710. “[But] the President had nothing to do with it. The President had no idea that it was happening,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan. Although Valte admitted that the performance denigrated and debased women, she said Aquino, even if he is the LP chairman, does not share the perception of some LP members and there was no need for him to apologize for their behavior. “The President will never condone, nor will he give approval, to any act that would denigrate our women, that would debase them or contribute to such an indignity. We all saw that, whether private event or public event, you know that that is not the perception of the President,” she said. But a group of netizens started a petition on Change. org demanding that Aquino take responsibility as the head of state and party chairman. “The entertainment at a Liberal Party oath taking ceremony and attended by government officials presented women as sexual objects,” the petition read. “Despite Malacañang [through Secretary Herminio ‘Sonny’ Coloma] and MMDA Chief Francis Tolentino’s denial that the women performers were his ‘gift’ to the host, eyewitness accounts from the media who were present proved otherwise,” the petition read. Next page

BINAY, MARCOS NEAR DEAL ON 2016 TEAMUP By Vito Barcelo VICE President Jejomar Binay and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have supposedly reached a “very significant breakthrough” in their ongoing talks to team up for the 2016 national elections, Binay’s camp said on Saturday. “It’s almost a done deal,” Binay himself said in a radio interview as lawyer Jose Virgilio Bautista, secretary-general of the United Nationalist Alliance, lauded the development as “a very significant breakthrough.” Bautista said Binay and Marcos talked directly with each other for the first time on Friday and discussed political matters, including UNA’s search for Binay’s running mate. “Those two haven’t spoken directly. They always had an intermediary. And I think that is a very significant breakthrough because they have never spoken personally with each other,” Bautista said. Next page

HEADING HEADING HEADING HEA FLYING HIGH. The National University Cheer Dance Squad performs a thrilling aerial pyramid on the way to retaining their crown in the UAAP Cheer Dance Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay yesterday. Finishing runner-up was University of Santo Tomas, while University of the Philippines Pep Squad settled for second runner-up. EY ACASIO

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PULL BACK TROOPS, NEGOTIATORS ASK By Francisco Tuyay

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will recommend that security forces pull back their units in the area in Sulu where the three foreigners and Filipino kidnapped from Samal Island last Sept 21 were supposedly brought. Moro National Liberation Front spokesman Absalom Cerveza said Duterte will make the request to allow MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari to negotiate for the release of the victims. At the same time, the Philippine National Police said on Saturday they have identified some of the kidnappers who abducted Norwegian

Kjartan Sekkingstad, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and Filipino Maritess Flor from the Ocean View Resort in Samal Island. Last week, a crisis management committee was formed in Sulu, composed of military, police and local government officials, to map out options to resolve the kidnapping. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said the crisis committee is headed by local government executives in Sulu. “The goal and the formation of a crisis committee is to address the kidnapping issue in Sulu and a local executive preside over it,” Padilla said. Should the government agree to the proposal, Cerveza said Misuari will be providing the necessary logistics and provisions to MNLF members to negotiate with the kidnappers for the eventual release of their victims. “Misuari wants to just arrest the kidnappers

without bloodshed and secure the victims release without ransom,” Cerveza said. Cerveza quoted Misuari as saying the kidnappers were not ASG members, but an organized crime syndicate acting for a still undetermined group. One of the kidnappers has reportedly an ax to grind against Ridsdel, the president of TVI Minerals Processing Inc., which is currently mining Surigao del Sur and Davao province, after retrenching some workers in the firm. The ASG, Cerveza said were not directly responsible in the kidnapping but merely acting as custodians of the victims. However, no specific demand yet has been issued by the ASG for the release of the kidnap victims. For his part, PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said they have already identified some of the kidnappers, but declined to reveal the names.

DECK THE HALLS. Young men from Las Piñas rush to make lanterns ahead of the Christmas season. PNA

BINAY... From A1

“Yes. I had a talk with him over the phone for the first time last night,” Binay himself told journalists in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, after UNA’s induction of new members in Mindanao. Binay declined to give a detailed account of his conversation with Marcos, but he did say that “The conversation was good,” Binay said, but he declined to elaborate, saying only “we have personal issues that need to be addressed.” Binay declined to say when he will reveal details of his conversation with Marcos, except to say “it’s very near.” Through unidentified intermediaries, Binay has been trying to persuade Marcos to become his running mate apparently because of the senator’s strong base of supporters in Luzon, particularly Ilocano

voters who remain loyal to his deceased father, former President Ferdinand Marcos. But Marcos, who has also gained a following in Mindanao because of his work on the controversial bill on the basic law for the Bangsamoro autonomous region, is also in talks with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is also aspiring to run for President. Moreover, Marcos is also a member of the Nacionalista Party, although Bautista said Marcos does not need to leave the NP if he decides to run with Binay. “UNA can make Marcos a guest candidate or enter into a coalition with the NP, which is currently in a coalition with the administration Liberal Party, so that the Nacionalista Party can declare Bongbong as their official candidate,” Bautista said. Binay, on the other hand, has been having difficulties finding a vice presidential candidate

presumably because of his slipping approval and trust ratings in recent voter preference polls. Binay has also announced earlier that UNA is also considering Senator Gregorio Honasan and former senator Panfilo Lacson as possible running mates. Binay, however, remains optimistic of his chances and told reporters on Saturday he will announce his running mate “very soon.” Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said its Election Watch Desk has identified Binay and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago as the most “likeable” presidential candidates in the 2016 national elections. “If Facebook ‘likes’ were votes, and the presidential elections were held today, Senator Santiago would be the sure winner, followed by Vice President as runner-up, in the 2016 elections,” the TUCP watch desk said.

“Among FB users, there’s no question that Senator Santiago and Vice President Binay are the two most liked presidential hopefuls,” the TUCP said in a statement. The TUCP desk performs a public service by monitoring, aggregating and reporting preelection trends, including social media developments related to the 2016 presidential polls. It also plans to hold presidential as well as senatorial debates on labor issues. Santiago’s official FB page had a total of 3,123,357 likes as of Sept. 30, 2015, followed by Binay’s page with 1,758,688 likes. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s official FB page ranked third with 1,049,681 likes; resigned Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’s page-fourth with 1,029,216; Senator Grace Poe’s page fifth with 553,571; and former President and now Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada’s page-sixth with 506,004.

NOY ... From A1

“According to news reports, there were minors in the audience,” the group added. “This unfortunate but deplorable incident merits an apology from your office as Head of State and as Chair of the Liberal Party on whose name this event was held,” the organization said. The group demanded that Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Tolentino and Agarao, who were allegedly present, should be investigated and be “held liable if proven guilty.” “Government officials, specifically, Secretary Mar Roxas, MMDA Chief Francis Tolentino and Congressman Benjamin Agarao who were present and may have acted either in acquiescence or as purveyors of this deplorable act should be investigated and be held liable if proven guilty,” the group said. The group said Section 19 of the Magna Carta of Women clearly states that the portrayal of women in a discriminatory, demeaning and/or derogatory manner in advertisements, shows and programs is not allowed. Women should always be portrayed and represented with dignity. “While the President is chairman of the Liberal Party, I think we should let the part act and they have actually said that they will conduct their own investigation,” Valte said. Meanwhile, the labor group Public Services Labor Independent Confederation threatened to file a case with the Ombudsman against Tolentino, who earlier announced his intention to run for senator in the 2016 elections, for allegedly violating the Magna Carta of Women. “Will you vote for a man that will resort to immoral and unethical means to propel his political ambitions? Hopeless!,” the group stated. “And so we reiterate our call, Francis Tolentino, resign! You have no business in MMDA when you are busy campaigning.” The group said while he is not working in MMDA, Tolentino is attending Liberal Party sorties and induction of local officials. “How callous and gauche of you, while we taxpayers continue with our mundane tasks of commuting and getting stuck in traffic, you have the liberty of joining birthday parties in your official time as the MMDA chairman.” PSLink president Annie Geron said many provisions of RA 9710 were violated in the performance of the dance group. Tolentino has denied any involvement in bringing the group Playgirls to Agarao’s birthday party at the congressman’s home in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. The birthday celebration was held after the induction of new Liberal Party members and incumbent local officials in the province, which was presided by Roxas. During the program, the master of ceremony acknowledged Tolentino as the one who sponsored the sexy female group as a “surprise gift” to Agarao. Tolentino said he was just a guest at the said birthday party and Agarao is a long-time friend. Despite the call for his resignation, Tolentino said he will submit his resignation “at the right time” and it is up to President Benigno Aquino III if he should remain in his post.

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VISITOR DIES DUE TO MERS —GARIN THE Department of Health confirmed on Saturday the death of a 63-year-old male foreigner who apparently contracted the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus. Health Secretary Janette L. Garin said that the foreigner showed symptoms of MERSCoV, but the authorities could definitively confirm he had the deadly disease because his body had already been treated with formalin after his death. “We are considering the case as ‘probably caused’ by MERS-CoV,” Garin said, adding that the foreigner arrived in the country from Jeddah on Sept. 17 and started to display MERS symptoms on Sept. 26. “We urge the public to be vigilant to make sure that MERS-CoV has a limited presence in our country,” she said. “What is important is to report to the nearest hospital if you experience flu-like symptoms and a history of travel to the Arabian Peninsula or possible exposure to a MERS-CoV infected patient.” He was admitted in an undisclosed private hospital on Sept. 28, but his condition deteriorated and was pronounced dead on Sept. 29, Garin said. In addition, the patient failed to recover due to myocardial or heart infection, she said. Garin described the case as an “extraordinary one” and they will have to discuss the actual cause of death with the World Health Organization because of the absence of confirmatory tests.

GO PINK. A group of women pass a giant pink ribbon at the Festival Mall in Muntinlupa City which was installed at the start of a month-long campaign to heighten awareness of breast cancer which, experts said, is found in 200,000 women each year. DANNY PATA

ANGAT STILL NEEDS RAIN, PAGASA SAYS By Ferdie G. Domingo

ANGAT Dam, which supplies 90 percent of Metro Manila’s raw water requirement and irrigates about 28,000 hectares of farmland in Bulacan and Pampanga, will likely remain in dire need of water due to the strengthening El Niño phenomenon. “Angat still needs a lot of rain,” said hydrologist Richard Orendain of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Orendain said the dam received some water from Tropical Storm “Kabayan” which left the country Friday, but even the runoff from the mountains around the dam will only raise the water level by

less than one meter. He said Kabayan helped raise Angat Dam’s water level from 190.70 meters on Friday to 192.20 meters on Saturday. But the dam should be at its flood season, high water level (FSHWL) of 210 meters to it can have sufficient reserve for the following year, he added. But experts have expressed

fear that precipitation over Angat Dam will only be a fraction of normal levels and Bulacan, where the dam is located, is among the 10 provinces that are forecast to experience a dry spell by the end of the year. Pagasa defines a dry spell as a condition marked by three consecutive months of belownormal rainfall while a drought officially consists of three consecutive months of way belownormal rainfall. Latest Pagasa data also showed that Angat’s water level is only projected at 193.60 meters by the end of this month. “Such expected water level is based on Pagasa’s forecast

October 2015 rainfall of only 127.2 millimeters in the Angat watershed,” said Pagasa hydrologist Elmer Caringal. “The expected water level is also 3.70 meters below Angat’s rule curve of 197.30 meters by October’s end,” noted Caringal, referring to the standards the government has set over the operation of dams. Earlier, government stopped releasing irrigation water from Angat to help ensure availability of water for Metro Manila amid El Niño. Government also reduced allocation of Angat water for Metro Manila so the dam can still have reserve for this megalopolis’ use until next year. PNA

DON’T PASS BLAME, PNOY TOLD By Vito Barcelo

TANGLAW RUN. About 20,000 students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines pass the starting line of the Tanglaw Run at the Quirino Granstand on Saturday. The proceeds of the event will go to the rehabilitation of the churches in Bohol. DANNY PATA

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III should not blame the courts for the delays in the government’s infrastructure projects because he could have taken steps to address problems in the implementation of the projects, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay said Saturday. “President Aquino complained about slow court proceedings that allegedly caused the delay of some major projects, but this could have been avoided had he convened representatives from the executive, judicial and legislative departments to thresh out issues affecting

the country,” said VP spokesperson for political affairs Atty. Rico Quicho. “They need to consult each other and try to arrive at a consensus on handling major issues affecting our people and the economy, and this is exactly what Vice President Binay intends to do under his presidency,” he added. In a speech before the Wallace Business Forum, Binay said he will convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council and the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory Council at least quarterly or as often as necessary. Binay said the meetings will “promote a better un-

derstanding on key issues requiring the support of the judiciary and congress, and facilitate a consensus and even faster, but sound, decisions on key policy issues.” He also noted that it will project a positive image to Filipinos and the local/international investor community that the three branches of government are working closely together. “For instance, the controversy over the Disbursement Acceleration Program could have been prevented or even resolved properly if only the President had consulted the judiciary and legislative branches,” Binay said.

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

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OPINION A TABLE OF CONTENTS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

RESOUNDING SILENCE WE KNOW the President has bigger fires to put out these days. That dance number at a congressman’s birthday celebration has given Filipinos more reason to doubt the credibility of the daang-matuwid mantra of the Liberal Party. We can imagine the public relations nightmare the President’s allies must be facing now, especially since said event took place in official oath taking ceremonies for new members of the party and attended by no less than their standard bearer for the 2016 elections and his friends. But if that was some noisy party, here is one issue that has been conveniently dying down —being killed or dying a natural death, we have no way of knowing. In late August, the former chief of the Land Transportation Office was reported to have visited the office of the Bureau of Customs and negotiated the release of 64 shipping containers of smuggled Thai sugar worth more than P100 million. A Customs employee, Jerry Ponce, has issued an affidavit narrating how Virginia Torres had called him and sought his help to release the shipments which had been misdeclared. He did meet with her, a fellow member of the powerful religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo, and brought her to the office of the Intelligence Group of the bureau. Ponce issued his affidavit for fear of being accused of negotiating, on Torres’ behalf, to release the shipment. Torres, for her part, seemed to have no fear. In fact, she was reported to have dropped names of her friends in high places just to get what she wanted. But she denied being involved in any smugging activity; she said she was merely helping a friend become a Customs player. Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa was also evasive during the investigation conducted by the House committee on ways and means. The Palace, however, was quick to jump to conclusions and congratulated the Customs bureau for its handling of the issue, and for making sure we do not condone smuggling in our shores and ports. But do we not, really? Nothing more was heard of this matter, overtaken by events such as the release of survey results, the guessing game provided by putative candidates, and lately, this party scandal. Smuggling has always been a bane to the economy, with the people paying a dear price. Of course, smuggling has been lucrative for a few, especially those who can use campaign funds for the next elections. Torres, for her part, has been notorious for flaunting her tires with her shooting buddy, President Aquino. She was once caught on camera in a casino where government officials are banned, and has been blamed for the inordinate delay in the release of license plates for new vehicles. The bureau must also not be content with the silence if it were truly serious about cleaning up its image before the public. Customs has always been seen as a hotbed of corruption. What is the commissioner, Alberto Lina, doing about this, not just with regard to Torres but to the allegations of sugar smuggling? What about the other products? Where is the cleanup of the people and the rumored powerful blocs within in—forces that forced its former head to resign? Silence is as powerful as noise in pointing to wrongdoing. Let’s slam that boisterous party in Laguna, yes. But let’s not give some people the satisfaction of our silence on the issues they must be held accountable for.

TWERKING TO INFAMY

THE official campaign period for the 2016 national elections hasn’t started yet, but the circus has already come to town. The circus acts are bound to be more risqué and the gimmicks dirtier because of, first, the intense competition among the various political parties, and second, it is just so much harder now to entice people to come to political

gatherings just so they can listen to some candidate regurgitate shameless self-promotion propaganda. Gyrating dancers clad in sexy attires; singers who slither onstage and flirt with candidates and the audience; lewd and bawdy jokes and statements with double entendre or laden with innuendoes—these have always been the staple of political sorties for as far back as I can remember. My earliest memory of a political rally happened when I was a little boy and it involved a female singer in sequined shorts sing-

ing “Saging ni Pacing” onstage while feeding a mayoral candidate and his slate of mostly male candidates ripe bananas. In the last national elections, I actually witnessed the late Tiya Pusit singing “Pusong Bato” while literally taking liberties of the male senatorial candidates of the opposition onstage, much to the amusement and howling of the audience. These antics have been proven to get crowd all worked up— sex, after all, is a universal preoccupation. Unfortunately, it’s also difficult to contain these kinds of acts and they do stray

beyond what is socially acceptable in most cases. Fortunately, it is now easier to expose shenanigans in the campaign trail because everyone in this country happens to have a cellphone with a video camera which we all like to whip out at every opportunity. This predilection has reached what I think is a sad point where people already forego the opportunity to fully enjoy or savor special moments just because they happen to be more focused on recording the event and watching the proceedings from the small LED

What we know is that habits are hard to change and that our political parties continue to be ruled by traditional politicians who perpetuate sordid acts that sully our political systems.

screen of their cellular phones, but I digress. We’ve become a nation of camcorders that events in this country are now set up so that they will actually look good in video footages. It is now customary for people to whip out their cellular phones at any event and take video footages as if their inability to record the event will diminish their appreciation of the whole experience. And of course we also like to share—videos, in particular, including those that really should re-

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main private, but that’s another story. I must admit that I, too, was outraged at the videos taken during a recent Liberal Party event (the birthday celebration of a congressman but which was attended by party bigwigs) which showed a group of female dancers twerking against the crotches of grown men, presumably politicians. In fact, I was aghast that no one among those who were present seemed to have had the presence of mind to think of the repercussions

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of such a performance finding its way to the Internet given the number of cellular phones that were recording it. The dance move (twerking) is already scandalous in the eyes and minds of many people as it simulates the sex act. Doing so with a partner onstage is taking it beyond clean fun. I fully understand why people are outraged— it’s not just about reducing women to sexual objects, it’s also about public decorum, particularly involving public officials.

Continued on A6

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

WHEN I was five years old, I came home from school and found my mother seated outside the house with a bulky piece of furniture in front of her. I thought she had broken down and gotten me a piano. At that time, I was starting my piano lessons and I figured it would be nice to have my own instrument where I could practice at home. At my tender age, the following considerations escaped me: Whether we could afford one, whether we had space for it in the house we were renting, and whether I had the talent and the inclination to commit to music for the rest of my life. The answer to all three issues was no. And, as it turned out, it was not a piano. It was, instead, a study table made of sturdy wood—narra, I was told, which did not make much of a difference for me at that time. My mother was apparently pleased that my kindergarten teacher had asked to see her and tell her personally that I was at the top of my class. “Surprise!” she said when she saw me, and perhaps wondered why I was not as thrilled as she had expected me to be. We called a couple of male neighbors to bring the study table to the room I shared with Mom and my grandmother. So heavy, they complained. The room felt smaller than ever, and I did not know how I was going to fill the shelves and the drawers. Over the next few years, however, the shelves and the drawers were practically overflowing. I found good use for the table and spent most of my hours at home there. I did my assignments, reviewed for tests and wrote feverishly on my journal, but I also had a grand time making sure it looked nice. There were a few classics for kids, a sprinkling of Judy Blumes, but what dominated were the editions of Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley High. No judgment please, haha. On the writing area were stuffed animals and photos of my friends. Upon waking up at dawn I headed straight to that table and studied chemistry, or tapped on the portable typewriter. Beside the table was a very narrow window which looked into the window of the equally cramped apartment unit in front of ours. I used to imagine there was a beach there, or just some open space where I could occasionally glance and introspect. I made it through high school and on to the first semester of university, still as much of a star student as when Mom had first bought the table. When I became a mom at a very young age, and continued with school as I juggled those disparate responsibilities, the study table was also an invaluable companion. I had it delivered to where I had transferred. Usually I was only able to study late at night or at dawn—when the babies were not crying for milk or otherwise needed attention. What was on the table had changed, too. There were still books, and school supplies, but a half-full bottle of milk or a baby rattle or a pacifier, or heavens a diaper, was not an unusual sight, either. By grace, I finished university, still using that narra table. My eldest daughter started pre-school at around the time I started working. I turned over the table to her, hoping she would also use it from beginning to end. I was aghast that she did not keep it neat as well as I did, or use it as often as I did—she studied on the bed, on the

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OPINION

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lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION A TABLE OF CONTENTS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

TWERKING TO INFAMY

What we know is that habits are hard to change and that our political parties continue to be ruled by traditional politicians who perpetuate sordid acts that sully our political systems.

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Continued on A6

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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PUTIN HAS HIS OWN NO-FLY ZONE IN SYRIA By Josh Rogin AFTER years of debating a US-led no-fly zone inside Syria to protect rebels and civilians, Vladimir Putin has established his own no-fly zone in a matter of days—to protect his new base there. In the US, there is an increasing bipartisan call for Washington to move toward some form of a no-fly zone or humanitarian buffer zone in Syria. Hillary Clinton said that if she were in office, she would be advocating for a no-fly zone to protect civilians and stem the flow of refugees. Putin made it look easy. NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, General Philip Breedlove, was the first top Western official to publicly state that Russia’s new military infrastructure inside Syria, which includes anti-aircraft defense systems, was a de facto no-fly zone. He warned that Russia had created a new anti-access/area-denial bubble in Syria where US planes could no longer travel. He said the “very sophisticated air defense capabilities” were not aimed at the Islamic State. “They’re about something else,” he said. This week, the Pentagon confirmed the extent of the new Russian no-fly zone in Syria when it announced that the US and Russia had begun discussions on how to “deconflict” their air operations there, led by the acting assistant secretary of defense for in-

TWERKING... From A5 However, I think it is quite a stretch to drag Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas into the issue considering that he was not there. I find the attempts of some people—obviously from people who are virulently against a Roxas presidency—to insinuate that Mar Roxas was one of the guys a dancer was gyrating against quite foul. There were also accusations that the dance performance was a “gift” from Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino although this has been vigorously denied. What we know is that habits are hard to change and that our political parties continue to be ruled by traditional politicians who perpetuate sordid acts that sully our political systems. We also know that vigilance by ordinary citizens are making a difference insofar as changing the system is concerned. Now that the twerking video has become viral and the culprits have been rightfully chastised, I guess we won’t be seeing girls twerking in political rallies anymore. This doesn’t mean, though, that candidates won’t be turning into clowns and wannabe singers and dancers and comedians.

ternational security affairs, Elissa Slotkin. Slotkin told her Russian interlocutors that the US is concerned Russia strikes don’t seem to be targeting the Islamic State, but rather some other opposition groups, including those supported by the United States. But the US government won’t commit to using American air power to defend the rebels, the Pentagon’s press secretary, Peter Cook, told reporters. He did not confirm that Russia was attacking the US-backed rebels. “I’m not going to get into hypothetical situations,” he said. “We have made clear the importance of the moderate Syrian opposition, in terms of Syria’s political future, and that anything done to harm that moderate Syrian opposition is counterproductive to the end result that we believe is necessary, and that is a political transition in Syria.” On Thursday, the Obama administration was said to be weighing whether the US would respond to Russian attacks on the rebels America has supported. Administration officials argue that the new deconfliction talks with Russia are prudent for safety reasons and do not amount to a de facto legitimization of Putin’s new role in the Syrian civil war. But at the same time, there is an effort to re-engage Russia on the diplomatic track. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have had three

meetings this week on renewing discussions for a political solution in Syria. Those discussions would not seek to oust Russia’s new military presence there, which the Obama administration is now accepting as a fait accompli. Behind the scenes, Obama administration officials have been telling the Russians and the Iranians for over a year that the US would not object to an expanded security role for them inside Syria, multiple officials told me. The US was willing to accept that in exchange for Russian and Iranian helping to move Assad out of power. “The idea was that Assad would step aside and the Russians and Iranians would play a greater role, and the US would say that’s inside the framework of the Ge-

The more Obama allows the Russian military to become entrenched in Syria, the more he shows he no longer wants to push out Assad as soon as possible.

neva communiqué,” said Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “But they grabbed what we were offering and didn’t give us what we wanted, and then we were surprised.” Since the Russian buildup began last month, the US has been signaling that it is ready to accept Russian and Iranian security control inside Syria without any promise by them to push Assad out any time soon. Kerry has said publicly the US is flexible as to the timing of Assad’s departure. Other voices close to the White House have gone even further. “The current policy of the United States and its partners, to increase pressure on Assad so that he ‘comes to the table’ and negotiates his own departure—must be rethought,” Philip Gordon, the former White House coordinator for the Middle East, wrote this week. “It is fanciful to imagine limited airstrikes, arms to the opposition, or the establishment of a no-fly-zone would lead Assad to behave differently from Saddam, Milosevic or Gaddafi.” The proposed American no-fly zone was meant chiefly to protect civilians. Putin’s new no-fly zone does the opposite. It protects the Assad regime, as it attacks civilians. The more Obama allows the Russian military to become entrenched in Syria, the more he shows he no longer wants to push out Assad as soon as possible. Bloomberg

A TABLE... From A5 couch, or wherever she pleased—but had no time to delve on it. The family was growing so did the things I had to keep at bay. It remained with her when we struck out on our own, just before she graduated high school, and all through college. We brought it to the two other places we later on moved into. This week, my daughter, now 21 and working at a non-government organization, moved the table out of her room. She seemed to have no use for it anymore, except as a storage area for her books. We agreed that I would take it back, not for me, per se—I had my own long table and executive chair already in my own home office in my room—but as a fixture in the common area on the second floor of our home. This is the place with the wide windows and a great view of the city, and which we had christened “Art Area”—all the books and musical instruments (my two sons did commit to music) and photos and other food for the mind and soul—could be found. My goal is to add another shelf and index all the books under several categories, arranging them in alphabetical order, and improve the lighting. So now I am faced with this table again, no longer my own. It’s old and bulky and the paint is peeling. It does not match the Zen look I am trying to achieve for the house. Getting rid of it, however, is never an option. Perhaps I will make it a sanctuary for the books I had long treasured. Perhaps I will fill it with framed family photos. Or perhaps I would leave it blank and open, ready for anybody to just pull up a chair and do anything. It’s like punctuating a column while occasionally gawking at the cityscape to your right, and marveling at how far you’ve come from the chubby five-year-old kid in pigtails and how constant this wooden companion has been. adellechua@gmail.com

GERMAN REUNIFICATION FACES ITS LAST FRONTIER By Leonid Bershidsky THE east-west divisions that still exist in Germany 25 years after it reunited no longer look unbridgeable—except perhaps one, which has to do with the top item on today’s political agenda: immigration. In the first seconds of Oct. 3, 1990, the German flag was hoisted in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin and fireworks crisscrossed the sky, as people celebrated the country’s unification. The Federal Republic of Germany swallowed up the former German Democratic Republic, acquiring what are still called the “neue Bundeslaender,” or new federal states: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The new Germany also reincorporated the city of Berlin, not even the western part of which was included in the Federal Republic. It didn’t seem like too big a bite to swallow. The east (not including Berlin) had a population of 14.5 million, compared with about 61 million in the rest of Germany. Sure, it was badly off economically, accounting for just 11 percent of German gross domestic prod-

uct in 1991, but why wouldn’t the economic difference level out now that borders were gone? Perhaps, however, the gap doesn’t need to be fully closed. One could argue that the important things have evened out: For example, east-west migration is now balanced, and life expectancy—at least for women—is practically the same in eastern and western states. According to a recent study by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, the same consumer brands and even the same national media are popular in the east and in the west. A meaningful, separate east German “Ossie” identity no longer exists. There is, however, one pronounced gap that hasn’t been closing. In the postwar years, relatively open western Germany saw an influx of immigrants, including millions of “guest workers” mostly from Turkey, but also from southern Europe and North Africa. Many stayed, though they weren’t originally supposed to—unlike workers from other Communist countries, who came to work in East German factories for a time

and unfailingly were sent back. And after unification, new immigrants to Germany continued to be attracted to the more prosperous western states. Destatis, Germany’s official statistical agency, recently put out a report dedicated to the 25th anniversary of reunification. It has a number of maps, and east-west convergence is evident on most of them. There is one, however, that shows a clear border—just like pre-1990 political maps did: the one that shows the distribution of Germany’s immigrant population. The few immigrants who have settled in the eastern states—many as a result of intercultural marriages—stick out like sore thumbs. It’s harder for them to find work and more depend on the state, although they are, on average, better educated than immigrants in the western part of Germany. That creates a vicious circle: Locals don’t want to see more foreigners in their town, and they fear the weak social safety net in their part of Germany will tear if too many arrive. Dresden, the capital of Saxony, last year

became the center of a noxious movement against “the Islamization of the West,” known by its German acronym, Pegida. Government officials including Chancellor Angela Merkel heaved a sigh of relief when the movement imploded, after its leader posed for a photograph styled as Hitler, but the antiimmigrant sentiment didn’t disappear. Now, if a German news site reports that a refugee shelter has been set on fire, it is likely to have happened in the east. Paradoxically, the eastern lands need immigrants the most; their populations are aging faster than in the west, because their birth rates are lower. The government is trying to disperse this year’s enormous influx of refugees more or less evenly throughout the country, but establishing all of Germany as a country of immigration may well be the biggest challenge the nation has faced since it became one again. This challenge has fallen to Merkel—herself an Ossie— and her success in dealing with it will determine her legacy more than any other task she has confronted. Bloomberg

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NEWS

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METRO COPS BEEF UP FOOT PATROLS By Joel E. Zurbano

THE National Capital Region Police Office has deployed 656 additional men to reinforce the initial batch of cops patrolling the streets to keep the peace and order in Metro Manila as the holiday season draws near. NCRPO director Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao last week led the turnover of 656 police trainees and 180 field training officers to the five police districts in Metro Manila—Southern Police District, Manila Police District, Eastern Police District, Northern Police District and Central Police District to strengthen the beat patrol system. Pagdilao said the move was intended by Philippine National Police director Ri-

cardo Marquez to reduce crimes in the metropolis especially during the so-called “ber “ months from October to December. The training officers, who completed their 15day supervisor training at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, are tasked to supervise the recruits who will undergo five-month compulsory training in the five police districts. Their exposure to foot

patrol is part of their Public Safety Field Training Program and a requirement in the PNP. The trainees will put into practice what they learned from their six months Public Safety Basic Recruit Course while within the five months period, they will undergo on the ground training on how to respond and enforce the law on actual situations. Pagdilao spearheaded the closing seremony of PNP Special Counter Insurgency Operation Unit Training and Opening of Field Training Officers Development Program. He said 152 policemen completed the 45 days rigid training for SCOUT and 108 to undergo the development program. The SCOUT training fo-

cused in developing their skills and efficiency on Search and Rescue, air to ground operation, jungle survival training, and water-borne operations. This training is mandatory for all Police Officers 1 assigned with maneuver units/ public safety forces such as the Regional Public Safety Battalion and District Public Safety Battalion. The training is also geared toward developing their competence in addressing arising crime trends. Pagdilao encouraged the police officers to continue upgrading their skills to be able to cope with any situation. “Police presence and appearance is performance. Our presence should be felt in the streets. However, let us be the first to abide with

the laws before we enforce it. We are a uniformed organization and being that, we must be the most disciplined and most skilled. People rely on us; let us not fail them,” he said. In his recent memorandum, Pagdilao said the deployed policemen will focus on street patrol along major thoroughfares, vital and financial installations, and places of convergence in Metro Manila such as Metro Railways and Light Railways Transit systems, bus terminals and shopping centers. The NCRPO earlier warned the public against members of criminal groups expected to increase in Metro Manila and other parts of the country as the Christmas season draws near. The authorities called on

citizens to do their part to lessen and prevent criminal activities. Over the weekend, the Southern Police District presented to mediamen 131persons arrested for their involvement in various criminal activities in the cities of Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Makati and Taguig. SPD director Henry Ranola Jr. said his men from the District Anti-Illegal Drugs, Intelligence Units and AntiCarnapping Group arrested the suspects in separate operations last week. Sixty-four of the 131 suspects were arrested for their involvement in drug dealing while 28 were the subjects of warrants of arrest for cases of murder, and the rest were involved in theft and robbery.

9 DEAD, 3 HURT AS VAN CRASHES By Francisco Tuyay

ENVIRONMENT CLEANUP. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. and Toyota Motor Philippines School of Technology volunteers join the 27th International Coastal Cleanup Day held in Manila Bay. Toyota continues its commitment to help preserve the environment through eco-friendly initiatives and programs implemented in the Toyota Value Chain. Last June, TMP joined the celebration of the Toyota Global Environment Month and held different activities to promote environmental awareness among its team members, dealers, suppliers and community. On a larger scale, Toyota supports the Adopt-a-Forest Project at the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus in Laguna, where Toyota provided a total funding of P1.3 million to reforest 10 hectares inside the Makiling Botanic Gardens, create a 3-hectare Toyota Palmetum Garden, where a nursery will also be established for propagation of palm tree seedlings, and refurbish an existing 300-sq.m. room to be developed into a Toyota Environment Education Theater.

‘WAR OF THE WITS’ TILT PITS QC HIGH SCHOOLS

THE Athletic Association of Private Schools in Quezon City and the Marketing Arms Exponent Media Advertising present the first-ever Quezon City Inter-School War of the Wits, an inter-school academic competition among high school students aimed at sharpening the minds of the youth towards nation building. The one-day event will feature 19 competing schools in Quezon City, with each school to be represented by four students (either boys or girls, or mixed). The participating schools are Commonwealth High School, Judge Feliciano Belmonte Sr. High School, Bagong Silangan High School, Novaliches High School, Immaculate Heart of Mary College, St. Vincent School, Peacemaker Int’l Christian Academy, Saint

Anthony Academy of Quezon City, Balingasa High School, Tandang Sora National High School, National Holy Spirit School, Quezon City Academy, Grace Christian College, ODB Montessori School, Christian Family Centre School, Angelicum College, PACE Academy and Sauyo High School. The competition will start today, Oct. 4, 8 a.m. At the Diliman Preparatory School in Diliman, Quezon City. Invited as guest speaker is no less than 2nd District Rep. Winnie Castelo, with special guests former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former senator Nikki Coseteng. The event is also supported by Rebisco, Wilcon Depot, Magnolia Purewater-San Miguel Corp. and Piknik snack food. Official drink is Oishi Smart C-Juice.

URBAN GARDENING. SM Foundation has launched the Urban Edible Garden training under its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ training program to impart simple and doable techniques in growing vegetables at home. Participants were 120 beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps program who attended the launching ceremonies in Barangay Marilag, Quezon City.

NINE passengers of a commuter van were killed and three others were critically injured when their vehicle crashed into a tree at the national highway in Cotabato early Saturday morning. Police said nine casualties were passengers of a D4D van (LHM 995) bound for Kabacan, Cotabato from Davao City when the driver Brendo Singco lost control, hitting a tree along Barangay West Patadon, Matalam at 2:45 a.m. Cotabato PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum said eight of the victims died on the spot while another died at the Babols Hospital in Matalam. Of the nine victims, four were identified: Nor Asan Canda, 28, of P’lang village, Kabaca, North Cotabato; Lyle Rudolf Echevarria Octaviano, 28, government employee of Aleosan, North Cotabato; Juliet Debalusan, 40, of Boulevard, Davao City and Haydee Maaya of Poblacion 2, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato. Two of the three wounded victims were identified as Abel Debalosan, 33 and Solida Aceroque, 55. Matalam chief of police Chief Inspector Elias Colonia said the van driver, Brendo Singco, might have fallen slept behind the steering wheel while traversing the national highway between Davao City and Kabacan town. The passengers said they sensed the driver was dozing off in the driver seat, prompting them to yell at and awaken him, Colonia said quoting the wounded passengers. The survivors also said the driver was traveling fast at 130 kph.

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 4, 2015

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MINING SYMPOSIUM. Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (left ) delivers his message to more than 2,500 members of mining groups during the 3rd Caraga Mining Symposium at Parkway Hotel in Surigao City. Romualdez stresses that he will initiate a legislation that will promote tourism in the Island of Siargao as one of the top tourist destinations in the country. VER NOVENO

DFA CHIEF RENEWS PITCH FOR SEA-ROW ARBITRATION By Vito Barcelo

THE Philippines reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the rule of law and sustainable development through key priority areas in the United Nations, including solving the territorial sea dispute in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea with China through peaceful means. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, in his address before the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly, identified key priority issues such as climate change; the rule of law; disarmament and non-proliferation; women, peace and security; migration and human trafficking, peacekeeping; and UN reform. “With all the successes and challenges, praises and pitfalls, the United Nations has not only demonstrated its resilience, but has also affirmed continuing relevance against the backdrop of complex global issues and emerging regional threats to peace and security,” he said.

Del Rosario led the Philippine Delegation to the 70th Session of the UNGA which has the theme, “The United Nations at 70: The Road Ahead for Peace, Security and Human Rights.” On the maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Del Rosario said the Philippines has long placed its faith in the rules and institutions that the international community has created to regulate relations among States. He said with the growing support from the international community in peacefully resolving disputes in the South China Sea,

through arbitration, the Philippines believes that the final outcome of the arbitration process would pave the way for a settlement of the maritime disputes. “On our dispute with China, a long-time partner and neighbor, we also hope that we will finally see actions that are consistent with Beijing’s declarations so that genuine efforts to lower tensions in the South China Sea can succeed and the peaceful settlement of disputes can be obtained,” he said. “As host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2015, the World Body that the Philippines will pursue the following priorities: investing in human capital development; fostering Small and Medium Enterprises’ participation in regional and global markets; building sustainable and resilient communities; and enhancing the regional economic integration agenda.” The DFA official also highlighted that the partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the UN has been beneficial to regional peace and stability. On the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Philippines

outlined five pillars which form part of the building blocks for the new framework, which include poverty reduction and social inclusion; environment sustainability, climate change and disaster risk management; accountable, responsive and participatory governance; a fair and stable order based on the rule of law; and peace and security. The Philippines also vowed to play an active role in tackling the issues of climate change, resiliency and disaster risk reduction and management. The Philippines is currently the president of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and intends to promote a meaningful outcome in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 21st session of the Conference of Parties in Paris. “The international community must adopt a new legally-binding climate agreement that is universal and equitable, one that ensures a bright and low-carbon future for the next generation; and one that addresses the needs of vulnerable states and sectors particularly the poor, women, migrants and indigenous peoples,” Del Rosario said.

LAWYER SUSPENDED FOR MALPRACTICE THE Supreme Court has suspended a lawyer for malpractice and negligence. “A lawyer who proposes to his client a recourse or remedy that is contrary to law, public policy, public order and public morals, or that lessens the public confidence in the legal system is guilty of gross misconduct, and should be suspended from the practice of law, or even disbarred.” Thus stressed the SC in its ruling written by Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin that suspended Nelson A. Cunanan from the practice of law for one year for malpractice and negligence. The SC also ordered Cunanan to return to Gabriela Coronel the P70,000 the latter had paid for the transfer of certificates of title to her name. Coronel engaged the services of Cunanan for the transfer of certificates of title registered in the name of her deceased grandparents to her name and to the names of her coheirs. Cunanan advised Coronel that

the transfer may be effected by two means, the “ordinary procedure” and “direct registration.” According to him, “ordinary procedure” involves the transfer of the titles as mandated by law and registration with the Register of Deeds, which will cost an estimated P56,000, P50,000 of which, will be spent for the payment of taxes, and would take a period of at least five months, while “direct registration” involves preparing documents upon the advise of the RD and will involve an estimated cost to be negotiated with the RD officials or employees at a flat amount of P50,000, and would take only one month or less. Agreeing on the “direct registration” approach, Cunanan billed Coronel the following fees: P50,000 as package deal for one of the titles; another P50,000 as package deal for another title; P5,000 for litigation expenses and P15,000 as professional fees, to which Coronel agreed. After Coronel paid P70,000, she could no longer contact Cunanan. PNA

ENDANGERED. A De La Salle University student plays with a

Philippine cockatoo at the Manila Zoo in Pasay City on Saturday, Oct. 3, during the World Animal Day celebration. The cockatoo is a critically endangered species that is being illegally traded worldwide. DANNY PATA

LGUS URGED TO SUPPORT ADHD WEEK By Mel Caspe FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD “Leon” (not his real name) seems to be different from other high school students in Manila. He comes to school often late and has difficulty keeping his things in order. While classes are ongoing, he talks excessively and frequently interrupts his other classmates during recitations. In one of their PTA meetings, his homeroom adviser disclosed to his parents that “Leon” has poor time management skills as he lags behind his classmates in submission of outputs or during quizzes. Further, he often loses his things and has difficulty staying still. “Leon” is just one of the 1,046,314 people in the Philippines who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, a common, chronic neuro-biological disorder, affecting 3-4 percent of the country’s population. The unmitigated condition of a patient suffering from ADHD is caused by neglect and may lead to the incidence of out-of-school youths and even child abuse. Studies show that 70 percent of juvenile offenders and 40 percent of adults in correctional facilities were found to have ADHD. The public is not fully informed that there is treatment available. Misconceptions and social stigma hinders patients’ access to effective medication and increases other complications, such as conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and anti-social disorder. To generate greater public awareness on ADHD, the Department of the Interior and Local Government encourages all local government units to support the observance of ADHD Awareness Week on the third week of October as stipulated under Presidential Proclamation No. 472. In his directive to local chief executives, DILG Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento enjoined them to conduct significant activities related to this year’s theme, “ADHD: A Hidden Disability; Alamin, Unawain, Tanggapin at Mahalin,” and inform the public by hanging streamers and calendar of events in conspicuous places. “Let us use this opportunity to educate the public about ADHD and its treatments, thereby slowly eradicating the stigma associated with it,” Sarmiento said.

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 4, 2015

Roderick T. dela Cruz EDITOR business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

RE/MAX, the American real estate company known for its hot-air balloon logo, has reintroduced its brand in the Philippines to capture the rapid expansion of the residential and commercial properties in the country. The Denver-based firm, which is

originally named Real Estate Maximum, uses a franchise system that handles a network of more than 150,000 real estate agents across 100 countries, including the Philippines. Re/Max appointed 42-year-old Michelle Perlas as the country manager for the Philippines, to support Guam-based Leonard Campos, who is the president of both Re/ Max Philippines and Re/Max Micronesia. “Why is Re/Max here? The country is actually in the midst of real estate boom and we are just right on time. This boom is part of a bigger economic rise for our country. The Philippines is no longer the sick man of Asia,” says Perlas, who had worked as a marketing executive for major Philippine companies for 20 years before joining Re/Max. Perlas says Re/Max teaches its franchisees/brokers to get to know their clients. “We want them to talk to their prospects and find out what these people want versus what they need. This is how they can be effective brokers. In the end, what we will have are happy customers and that’s why we are here,” she says. The franchises are individually owned and operated. Perlas, who obtained Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Legal Management from De La Salle University in 1992 and Master of Arts in Education from the University of the Philippines in 2012, was the head of marketing of SIAL Specialty Retailers Inc., a joint venture of Store Specialists Inc. and Ayala Land Inc., which launched Wellworth Department Store as the anchor store for all Ayala developments. She also served as head of marketing and public relations of Globe Telecom and before that, as marketing manager of Megaworld Corp. promoting Newport City and Eastwood City. On what Re/Max can contribute to real estate, Perlas says: “the idea really is to professionalize the way real estate is done in the country.” Re/Max collects monthly and annual dues from its franchisees who act as independent brokers between

real estate developers and buyers of condominium units or commercial properties. Franchisees in return get the Re/Max brand and receive proper training and advertising support. Perlas says while Re/Max Philippines has been here since 2012, it is now aggressively promoting the brand “as the Philippine market is now very ripe for the kind of concept that we have offered to all our real estate practitioners in 97 other countries.” “We aim to change the landscape of real estate by offering this Re/ Max brand. We have unparalleled training events, 24/7 online continuing education program and a vast global network,” she says. Perlas says Re/Max has the necessary tools and information all its member agents get exclusively. “What we offer to real estate practitioners is an end-to-end solution. Our agents are equipped with education and training, the Re/Max way,” she says. She says Re/Max does not only teach agents how to sell. “What we want to do is equip them with right tools that have proven effective, tried and tested in other countries. We have 97 member countries worldwide and it has been very strong in North America and Europe,” she says, adding that nobody in the world sells more real estate than Re/Max. “There is a lot of value added. We have platforms. We have technology suite. We embrace technology. A lot of brokers/agents, real estate practitioners are very mobile and well-connected and it is very useful. But what kind of solution do you need? It is all in Re/max,” she says. Re/Max currently has 20 franchisees and 100 agents in the Philippines--numbers that Perlas aims to see increase in the coming months. “There is a rise in car sales. The economy is booming. It is right for Re/Max to be here.” She believes that the real estate industry in the country will continue to benefit from the expanding economy. “There are a lot of things going forward for the Philippines right now. One is the Asean integration and next is the good GDP

LADY EXECUTIVE WANTS TO CHANGE

PH REAL ESTATE

Re/Max Philippines country manager Michelle Perlas

growth. We have a lot of multinational companies and BPOs in the country. There is also a backlog of 7 million homes in the Philippines alone,” she says. “The franchisees that we have now are focusing on residential, but there is also a big market for commercial and luxury [properties]. These are three product lines in Re/ Max. We cover both buying and rentals,” she says. Perlas envisions Re/Max Philippines as “the sole aggregator of these developers and all these players in the real estate echo system, because we are neutral.” “We are the only group in the Philippines with this concept. We work with all the developers. They are talking to us so that we can carry their portfolio. So far, we have Rockwell Land, Vista Land, Federal Land, Filinvest Land, Megaworld, and we are talking to Ayala, Robinson’s Land, almost everyone actu-

ally. Re/Max is like a convenience store, that carries all the brands,” she says. Perlas cites the advantage of being a Re/Max franchisee. “If you are out there selling high-ticket investment, you need a big brand to back you up. That is why Re/Max is there. Franchising Re/Max is actually a business. They are brokers who are now institutionalizing their profession into a business,” she says. Campos, the president of Re/ Max Philippines, says Re/Max will bring the best practices in real estate in the world to the Philippines, with franchisees expected to benefit in terms of Re/Max branding, training and technology. Perlas says Re/Max also aims to build trust among buyers. “We can help developers and agents to sell legitimately, credibly through the referral system in Re/Max,” she says. Campos says consumers consistently want good customer service.

“That’s the key to real estate. The two benefits for buyer and seller is to get professional service that they can have. Re/Max really focuses on the training,” he says. “We are not trying to take over the way real estate is done. We are trying to enhance it. We are trying to offer training technology that will enhance it for the consumers. Through the franchises and the network, we hope to accomplish some change but mainly on the consumer side,” says Campos. “As an internationally recognized brand with global presence, we are proud to be in one of the world’s most exciting markets which is the Philippines. We hope that we can be an active part of our continuing growing economy through Re/Max, whether you choose to be a Re/Max franchisee, agent or client. Re/Max offers you benefits that will help you succeed all step of the way,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 4, 2015

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

GUIDELINES FOR FREELANCERS

FOR freelancers, working at home is an incredibly attractive proposition. They don’t just get paid to develop their skills, but also get to exercise complete control over own time and space.

Global trends in the job market show that an increasing number of professionals are cutting their teeth on freelance work online, coinciding with the current ubiquity of the Internet in up to 40 percent of the world and its particular spike in demand for customer service agents. According to industry statistics, the rising demand in customer care isn’t going away soon and this bodes well for the large number of skilled customer service people in the Philippines. Thanks to the surge in online-based freelancer talent marketplaces like Upwork, customer service practitioners are in a position where they can successfully build entire international-standard careers for themselves, getting first-world pay without ever having to commute. Upwork, headquartered in Mountain View, California, is the world’s largest freelance talent marketplace. This has proven to be incredibly appealing to businesses of all types and sizes —from bootstrapped startup to established enterprise—all over the world since they now have access to the talent they need to build phenomenal support teams, thanks to an earth-sized talent pool of freelance professionals , giving an ultra-nuanced matching experience compared to traditional hiring methods. The customer service category is one of the fastest growing categories on Upwork. Last year alone, companies spent 54 percent more than the year before. Increasingly companies are discovering the value of having a distributed customer support team – from reduced turnover to improved customer satisfaction and 24/7 multi-channel support. A passionate service professional looking to start practicing online freelance customer care finds today a great time to start. While the trend is unquestionably empowering for both businesses and freelancers, it is not without its quirks. One thing that scares many aspiring online freelancers early on is the fear of losing the distinction between “work time” and “home time.” For freelancers customer service professionals in the Philippines, the need to address this is particularly pressing. Upwork gives these tips to help freelances feel more at home with the freelance way of life.

1. Build your office Your first step in kickstarting the freelance life is building the space you’ll be working in. While things should be welcoming and familiar for you, never forget that a clear work area goes hand in hand with a clear mind. Remove unnecessary clutter from your table, and ensure that you have a professional-looking backdrop in case you need to face clients during your next online meeting. Also ensure that your immediate environment is quiet enough to work in. This will be your office from now on, so everything counts if you want to stay distraction-free, regardless if you’re offering email, chat, or voice support. You may also need to secure a stronger or more reliable connection, as you may need the extra bandwith and speed for conference calls and long customer service sessions. Compare reviews and current product offerings from your preferred service provider. 2. Dress the part The thought of going to work in your PJs is something many homebased professionals aspire for, but this may be particularly bad for you in the long run. A big part of the professional mindset knowing how to make the best possible impression when you present yourself to clients. The gesture alone shows them that you’re willing to be the best version of yourself for them, and it helps build trust between both parties. While you may be incredibly talented, it’s hard to trust someone to deliver if they look like they just got out of bed all the time. Just think of it as something that cements your image as a working professional. Studies also show that a healthy self-image boosts productivity and motivation. It’s never a bad idea to dress up for work! 3. Develop a routine People need a routine to ground them to certain aspects of their working lives. For many, this starts as early as the morning commute; something that may be foreign to the home-based customer care professional. I mean, how far do you have to walk to go from your house to… the other end of your house? Try setting routine habits to get you into that working mood. Some would prefer a quick morning workout before the bulk of the day’s deliverables. Others cook, while others would prefer a simple walk to the nearest coffee shop for a good cup of coffee. With opportunities to develop your customer service agent career, the comforts of home, and all the time you need for the things that matter in life; could you ask for a sweeter life? If you are a skilled customer service agent, online freelancing can make your dream of a freestyle life come true.

A young model shows Monde Nissin Corp.’s various products. (courtesy of the company’s website)

HOW A LUCKY FILIPINO COMPANY ACQUIRED SEVERAL FOREIGN FIRMS A PRIVATELY-HELD food company in the Philippines, which made fortunes out of the Lucky Me! brand, is gobbling up Australian and British companies in quick succession. Monde Nissin Corp., owned by businesswoman Betty Ang who has Indonesian ties, started as a biscuit maker in 1980, producing Nissin Butter Coconut and Nissin Wafer cookies. The company, led by Henry Soesanto as its chief executive, began diversifying a few years later, venturing into instant noodle production in 1989. It launched the Lucky Me! instant noodle, in a period that triggered a shift of Filipino consumers diet from mostly rice to the flour-based noodles. The brand became a top seller and dominated the instant noodle market within six years after launch, even penetrating other countries with a large presence of migrant Filipinos. A Kantar Worldpanel’s 2014 Brand Footprint Report named Lucky Me! as the most chosen and most purchased brand in the country, reaching almost all Filipino households, with a 98-percent penetration. With fresh fortune from noodles, Monde Nissin began acquiring rival biscuit companies. In 2002, it acquired M.Y. San Corp., the maker of Sky Flakes, M.Y. San Graham Crackers, and Fita. Its other top biscuit brands are Voice and Bingo. More than a decade later, Monde Nissin would make bigger acquisitions in Australia. In March 2015, the company’s newly formed unit Monde Nissin (Australia) Pty. Ltd. announced that it acquired Nudie, a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of pure

premium juices in Australia. In the same month, Monde Nissin (Australia) bought Black Swan, the leading brand of chilled dips in Australia. Black Swan is also a manufacturer of Greek yogurt. In June, Monde Nissin (Australia) moved to acquire Menora Foods, one of Australia’s biggest innovative food distributors. Soesanto, the chief executive of Monde Nissin, says the acquisitions are a part of the company’s strategy to become a significant foods and beverage player in the Asia Pacific region. “We see Australia as a very important market that we should have a strong presence in and Menora Foods with its marketing and distribution capability provides us with a very good strategic fit in achieving our vision,” he said. Its biggest acquisition came this month. Monde Nissin said it agreed to purchase Quorn Foods of the United Kingdom from Exponent Private Equity and Intermediate Capital Group for 550 million pounds or around P38.8 billion. The purchase is expected to be completed by Oct. 30. Monde Nissin has the financial backing of its founder Betty Ang, who is listed by Forbes Magazine as the 19th richest person in the Philippines with a net worth of $905 million. Three of the largest Philippine banks also agreed to support Monde Nissin in the transaction, including BDO, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Metro Bank. Monde Nissin was advised by Citigroup Global Markets and Courtyard Hill and legally represented by Linklaters. Quorn is an international meat alternatives producer, with market leading position in 15 coun-

tries. It has around 620 employees in three UK sites, in Germany, and in the United States. Monde Nissin said Quorn’s acquisition was in line with its plan to build a global branded food business, diversifying into categories that focus on health and sustainability. “Quorn is a great fit for this strategy and complements its recent acquisition of Black Swan and Nudie, the leading brand of chilled dips and chilled juices in Australia, respectively,” it said. Keven Brennan, Quorn’s chief executive, supported the statement of Monde Nissin, saying: “We have an ambition to be the world leader in meat alternatives. Monde Nissin’s purchase represents a great step forward in this ambition. They share our belief in the potential of Quorn, and provide capability to expand the brand into Asia.” “Monde Nissin has been investing in on-trend, better-for-you products internationally, in-line with our strategy to become a global, diversified food company. Quorn represents an important new leg in our offering. We are excited by the growth potential of the global meat alternatives market, which complements our strategy perfectly,” Soesanto said. Chris Graham, partner at Exponent said that over the past five years, Quorn has helped reduce 60 billion calories out of diets, and has had a green-house gas benefit equal to 65,000 cars not being on the road. “Under Monde Nissin’s ownership, I am confident it will go on to have a profound impact on both health and sustainability,” Graham said. Monde Nissin expects sales to exceed $1 billion in 2015. Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 4, 2015

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

MODELEZ FOOD TASTERS THEY EAT FOOD FOR A LIVING

XANDRA Sace and Anna Macalanda eat food for a living. Well, at least that’s part of their job handling product research, development and quality at Mondelez Philippines.

As food tasters, Xandra and Anna get to eat Eden Cheese and Cheez Whiz and drink Tang on the job, and taste Mondelez Philippines’ other products such as Oreo cookies, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Toblerone, Chips Ahoy and Tiger Energy biscuits. Their tastes and opinions matter. They ensure that each and every product Mondelez delivers to consumers tastes great. Xandra and Anna are both food technology graduates. They have been with Mondelez, formerly named Kraft Foods, for the past six years. “Back in college, I knew I really wanted to pursue a career in research and development. When I landed here at Mondelez Philippines, I had several new product launches and also took on varying roles. Currently, I help provide consumers our delicious brands,” says Anna, who works on taste testing delicious and refreshing drinks for Tang. Xandra, on the other hand, works on the cheese and bread spreads line and gets to taste Eden Cheese, Cheez Whiz, as well as Eden Mayo and Eden Sandwich Spread every day. As with any job, there are challenges and great learning opportunities present as well, both of which Xandra and Anna have experienced. “The challenges I deal with include talking to different people with different personalities. But the best thing about my job is that I have the opportunity to travel to different countries, and be able to discover things that I

Xandra Sace

Anna Macalanda and Xanda Sace share a moment of joy at Mondelez Philippines. never imagined I could do such as talking to high level management and of course help make cheese that consumers love!” says Xandra. But it’s not all fun and games and eating for Xandra and Anna. Contrary to the impression that they stay in a test kitchen all day wearing lab coats and just taste test food, their job is critical for a company whose global mission is to create delicious moments of joy for consumers. As food tasters, they need to put personal preferences aside and put themselves on the side of the consumer. Making a trade or profession out of one’s palate goes beyond giving comments on flavor or aroma. And taste is not the only skill

As food tasters, they have to put personal preferences aside and bring themselves on the side of the consumer.

required for the job. Xandra and Anna work with colleagues from marketing, sales, and people running the factories to ensure product quality and safety at all times. “Believe in yourself and all the things you can do,” says Xandra. “Failure does not mean you are a disappointment; it means you have not yet succeeded.” “The road to success and living your dream job is not a straight path,” adds Anna. “You’ll encounter detours, potholes and flat tires but for as long as you enjoy the ride and not lose sight of the destination, and it will be fine!” For Xandra and Anna to do their jobs well, having a great team working well together is a must. Xandra says: “What makes

Anna Macalanda

ours a great place to work are the people around me, the campuslike set-up of the office, and the engagement and dedication of my co-workers, which are great influences on me. Most importantly, I’m able to have work-life balance.” Anna agrees, saying: “Mondelez Philippines is a great place to work because they care for your overall growth, not just for your career advancement. We have different programs to support health and wellness and even social responsibility. The latter resonates with me the most because I know the company has a heart, paying forward to communities that need support – which is one of my personal advocacies as well.”

world

Pro-Moscow forces Pull out froM east ukraine Pro-Moscow rebels announced saturday they had begun withdrawing tanks from the buffer zone between warring forces in eastern Ukraine a day after key peace talks in Paris. “People’s militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic has begun a withdrawal of tanks from the line of contact in accordance with a Minsk deal,” said the official news agency of the rebel region. The warring sides

had this week agreed to withdraw tanks as well as light weapons from a buffer zone between their forces beginning Saturday. The deal will take more than 40 days to implement and see each sides’

mortar shells and rockets with a calibre of less than 100 millimetres moved 15 kilometres (nine miles) away from the line of engagement. The pullback is in line with a Western-backed peace deal agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk in February. on Friday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met the leaders of Russia, France and germany in Paris in their latest push

to end to a conflict that claimed more than 8,000 lives since april 2014. “The withdrawal will begin from tomorrow,” Poroshenko told reporters in Paris on Friday. “all technical issues including coordination with the oSCe have been completed.” over the past few weeks fighting has all but stopped in east Ukraine and peace appears closer than ever in a conflict that pitted

Ukraine against Russia. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of covertly supporting the rebels with troops and weapons, a claim Moscow denies. Russian President Vladimir Putin has over the past days shifted Western attention away from the Ukraine conflict by ramping up Moscow’s military presence in its war-torn Sovietally Syria and launching air strikes against islamic State militants. AFP

an orthodox priest (elft) blesses priests of the ukrainian orthodox church of Kiev patriarchate, at the railway station in Kiev, on october 2, 2015, before heading to the east of the country as army chaplains. AFP

Former Singapore detainee nominated For nobel SingaPoRe dissidents said Saturday they had nominated the city state’s longest-held political prisoner for the nobel Peace Prize to highlight his role in the fight for greater political freedom. in a symbolic announcement nearly seven months after the death for former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, activists said they hoped the nomination of his old foe Chia Thye Poh would open the door for a reassessment of Singapore’s history and the role dissidents played. Bangkok University professor James gomez said he nominated Chia in January and had been given confirmation it had been received and registered. The nobel selection committee traditionally does not disclose the names of nominees. However, speculation has mounted that this year’s award—to be announced on october 9 —could go to german Chancellor angela Merkel for her leadership during europe’s migrant crisis. Chia, 74, was arrested for anti-government activities in 1966 under the ruling People’s action Party (PaP) led by Lee, who jailed political opponents during his 31-year rule ending in 1990. Chia was imprisoned for 23 years under the internal Security act (iSa) which allows for detention without trial, and media reports say much of his detention was in solitary confinement. AFP

gunS a way oF liFe in uS college maSSacre town gUnS, jewelry and guitars may not immediately seem the most obvious items to sell together in one shop. But such is the way of life in Roseburg, oregon, where a 26-year-old gunman killed nine people on Thursday at a community college in the latest armed massacre which has revived debate in the United States about stiffer gun controls. a day later, the store was doing a brisk trade with men and women of all ages mooching about, some with

revolvers visible on their belts. “The state of oregon and Douglas County (home to Roseburg) is a very high gunconcentrated area,” said Dave, the store boss, an imposing figure who declined to give his family name. asked what the norm was for gun-holders in this rural area, he told aFP that some people might have just the one weapon, while others might have as many as 50. There are at least five other places in the town to buy

guns, he said. Some people use them to hunt in the forests, others collect them and still others use them for target practise. During a press conference on Friday, Douglas Sheriff John Hanlin appeared unsurprised that the Umpqua Community College killer possessed an arsenal of weapons—officials said they had recovered 13 weapons belonging to the gunman, including six at the school. “This is a hunting state and firearms are popular in most households,” he said. AFP

women mourn during a vigil at a walmart parking lot in roseburg, oregon, on october 2, 2015. the 26-year-old gunman behind america’s latest mass shooting hoarded an arsenal of weapons, authorities said, describing him as a loner with a gripe against religion. AFP

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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

iran hajj stampede victims flown home

syrians look at the damage following air strikes on the rebel-held area of douma, east of the capital damascus, on october 2, 2015. AFP

Russia hits is syRian foRt but west slams attacks Russian bombing raids on syria entered their fourth day on saturday, striking the islamic state group’s main stronghold after the Kremlin came under fire from the West for targeting moderate rebel groups. A staunch backer of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow began sorties over the country on Wednesday in what it said would be a prolonged aerial campaign against IS and other extremist groups. But it has been accused by the United States and its allies of instead targeting mainly Westernbacked opponents of Assad, with President Barack Obama warning that its strategy was a “recipe for disaster”.

Moscow said Saturday that its jets had destroyed an IS command post near the group’s main Raqa stronghold as well as an underground bunker. “Over the past 24 hours, SU-34 and SU-24M jets of the Russian airborne formation in Syria made more than 20 sorties over nine Islamic State infrastructure facilities,” the defence ministry said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian

strikes “hit IS positions west of Raqa overnight and explosions were heard in the city”. Raqa has acted as the extremist group’s de facto Syrian “capital” since 2013. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its information, said Russian jets had killed 12 jihadists in Raqa this week. But raids ordered by Moscow have also hit areas controlled by moderate groups that are fighting Assad and even prompted a claim by US Senator John McCain that Russian jets had killed rebel soldiers trained and funded by the CIA. Obama told reporters that Russia “doesn’t distinguish between ISIL and a moderate Sun-

ni opposition that wants to see Mr Assad go. “From their perspective, they’re all terrorists. And that’s a recipe for disaster.” Russia said its strikes this week had completely destroyed IS positions in northern Aleppo province, neighbouring Idlib province and in Hama in central Syria. But several military sources and the Observatory said Russia had hit areas controlled by groups other than IS. The Observatory also says Russian strikes have killed several civilians and wounded doctors in a raid on a hospital in Hama. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that just five percent of Russian strikes had targeted IS. AFP

THe first bodies of Iranians killed in a stampede at the hajj arrived home from Saudi Arabia Saturday after a controversial nine-day delay and questions over the final death toll. President Hassan Rouhani and other top officials laid white flowers on coffins at a sombre ceremony in Tehran for the 104 pilgrims—among 464 Iranians declared dead in the September 24 crush. Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of incompetence in its handling of safety at the hajj, further souring relations already strained by the civil war in Syria and conflict in Yemen. “If it were proved that some (authorities) were guilty in this accident, we will not forgive,” Rouhani said as the bodies emerged in red caskets from a cargo plane at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. The president was accompanied by the heads of Iran’s judiciary and parliament as well as the chief of staff of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office. “Our language in this accident was one of brotherhood and respect and the language of diplomacy was used when necessary,” Rouhani said. “If needed, the language of authority will also be used.” Iran has been deeply critical of the slow pace at which the Saudi authorities have identified the dead. More bodies were expected to be flown home later on Saturday but Iran’s health minister said not all of the Iranian dead had yet been found and many were thought to be lying unidentified in sealed containers. “We hope with Saudi cooperation, we can find the bodies of these victims which might be among the corpses from other countries,” Hassan Hashemi told the official IRNA news agency. AFP

vatican says polish priest who came out ‘irresponsible’ THe Vatican on Saturday condemned the coming out of a Polish priest on the eve of a major synod as a “very serious and irresponsible,” act which meant he would be stripped of his responsibilities in the Church’s hierarchy. In a statement, a spokesman said Krzystof Charamsa would not be able to continue in his senior position in the Vatican and that his future as a priest would be decided by his local bishop. The Vatican’s statement was issued as Charamsa was giving a press confer-

ence in Rome, expanding on the reasons for his move he first outlined in interviews with Italy’s Corriere della Sera and the Polish edition of Newsweek. It read: “With regard to the declarations and interview given by Msgr. Krzystof Charamsa it should be observed that, notwithstanding the respect due to the events and personal situations, and reflections on the issue, the decision to make such a pointed statement on the eve of the opening of the Synod appears very serious and irresponsible,

pope francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the “food bank” on october 3, 2015 at the paul vi audience hall in vatican. afp

since it aims to subject the Synod assembly to undue media pressure. “Msgr. Charamsa will certainly be unable to continue to carry out his previous work in (Vatican body) the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical universities, while the other aspects of his situation shall remain the competence of his diocesan Ordinary.” In the interviews, Charasma had acknowledged that his action would make it untenable for him to remain a priest. “I know that I will have

to give up my ministry which is my whole life,” he told Corriere. The priest said he wanted to challenge what he termed the Church’s “paranoia” with regard to sexual minorities, claiming the Catholic clergy was largely made up of intensely homophobic homosexuals. His action came on the eve of a three-week meeting of bishops which will review Catholic teaching on the family, including the divisive issue of the Church’s approach to lesbian and gay believers. AFP

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SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

LADY EAGLES ARE UNDERDOGS AGAINST NU

By Reuel Vidal

AFTER a humbling 0-3 straight-set demolition at the hands of the National University Lady Bulldogs last week the Ateneo De Manila Lady Eagles will be the clear underdogs when they play the deciding game of the Shakey’s V-Season 12 League Collegiate Conference title showdown at The Arena in San Juan 12:45 p.m. today, Sunday. Playing with a complete lineup after the return of Dindin Santiago-Manabat NU trounced Ateneo 2522, 25-17, 25-17 in Game Two. Jaja Santiago teamed up with her elder sister and Myla Pablo to form a virtual wall at the net for NU as they limited Ateneo’s highscoring Alyssa Valdez to a career-low nine points. Valdez was completely stymied at the net by the NU defense. She scored just eight attack points out of 26 tries. Worse, none of her team-

mates picked up the scoring slack. Ateneo spikers Jhoanna Maraguinot, Amy Ahomiro, Kim Gequillana and Bea De Leon contributed just six points apiece. NU’s Santiago stood out with 13 hits – mostly from quick sets – while Pablo unloaded 12 big points. Santiago-Manabat not only propped up the NU defense she also matched Pablo’s output as she provided additional firepower and the endgame poise which led to their dominant victory.

NU’s towering Jaja Santiago (3), peers over the net while about to smash a quick spike before Ateneo defenders Kim Gequillana (18) and Bea De Leon (14) could elevate to block her during Game Two of their Shakey’s V-Season 12 League Collegiate Conference title showdown at The Arena in San Juan.

NU open spiker Myla Pablo (17) is in mid-swing while about to smash the volleyball against a double-block by Ateneo defenders during Game Two of their Shakey’s V-Season 12 League Collegiate Conference title showdown at The Arena in San Juan. Beverly Laurete-Hawksworth

NU coach Roger Gorayeb downplayed the role of his triple-tower combination of Santiago-Manabat, Santiago and Pablo and instead pointed to good reception and proper execution as the reason for their dominant performance. “The key to our game is reception. Unless we receive well, we couldn’t cash in on our height advantage. Everything starts with good reception,” said Gorayeb. “It’s not just Dindin. We received better than the last time. It also helped that we had fewer service errors. I counted it. We probably committed just three or four in this game.” NU also had a big edge at the play-making spot with veteran setter Rubie de Leon outplaying her young counterpart Gizelle Tan of Ateneo. De Leon unloaded 28 excellent sets, 11 more than

Tan. De Leon even added five hits to complete her mastery over her young Ateneo counterpart. “Rubie is helping the team a lot because she sets up our attack well. Her experience is really helping my younger players. She provides maturity to the team,” said Gorayeb. There is plenty of history in this championship series. NU wants a repeat of its Season 10 victory when it beat Ateneo, 3-1, in a sudden death match after also dropping the first game. On the other hand, the Lady Eagles want a third collegiate crown in the league sponsored by Shakey’s and presented by PLDT Home Ultera. Ateneo swept Adamson in Season 8 and edged UST in a similar rubber match in Season 9. The NU mentor said he wants a good game even

from rival Ateneo to please the fans with a better match than the two earlier games. “I really want Ateneo to play its best game. We played bad in Game One and they struggled in Game Two. Wouldn’t it be nice for the league and the fans if we both come out in our best form Game Three?” said Gorayeb. Ateneo assistant coach Parley Tupaz, who handled the team in the absence of head coach Tai Bundit who returned to Thailand to fulfill an important commitment, said he hopes star player Valdez regains her confidence and bearing in time to lead her team to victory in the winner-take-all match. More importantly, the rest of the Ateneo players will need to step up.

VERSATILE RIVERO MAKES LA SALLE A BETTER TEAM Text and photo by Peter Atencio PRINCE Rivero is finally getting used to multiple roles assigned to him by coach Juno Sauler of the La Salle Green Archers. He plays wingman to inside operator and back again. Rivero said he is now able to back up big man Jason Perkins under the boards whenever needed. “I am now focused on becoming a player at 3 and 4 position. If Jason is on the bench, I become a post player,” said Rivero. Rivero talked about the things he’s doing for the Green Archers during a break in their practices and in their campaign

in the ongoing season 78 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament. The six-foot-three Rivero is in his second year with the Green Archers after he joined last year. The high school standout from La Salle Greenhills was given a new role in the team because the Green Archers were not able to field big man Ben Mbala this season. Mbala, a 6’5” Cameroonian, was found ineligible to play in season 78. This was after he was found violating residency rules, when he played for another team in another league.

The school is still hopeful that he can play later. Mbala will remain in Team B for now. “Nalungkot kami when we found out that he won’t be playing. Until now, he is training with us. I was more of a wingman. When we found out about Ben, that’s the time I focused on the 3-4 position,” said Rivero. For now, the Green Archers is at no. 3 with their 3-3, winloss record. Last Wednesday, University of Santo Tomas, which connected on seven of 11 three-pointers in a huge third quarter run, came away a 77-61 triumph over La Salle at the Mall of Asia Arena. In that game, Louie Vigil and Kyle Suarez led the way as

the Tigers outscored the Green Archers in the third, 29-13. It was the fifth win for UST in six outings. Rivero, who is still recovering from an ankle sprain, managed to produce 10 points and six rebounds. Earlier, he was able to hack out 11 points and backed up Perkins under the boards with eight rebounds. The loss saw the two-game winning streak of the Green Archers snapped. They are set to go against archrival Ateneo today, Sunday. Jeron Teng drilled 13 points while Joshua Torralba scored 12 for the Green Archers. Sauler said the Green Arch-

ers could not score while UST was able to convert their threepointers. “Our free throw percentage in that game is lower than their three-point percentage. It’s not possible to win if your free throw percentage is worse than your opponent’s field goal percentage,” said Sauler. He added that it’s been a tiring pace for the team. “It’s the fatigue coz we played UE just days ago. And that was a fast-paced game,” said Sauler. The Green Archer coach said he expects the team to have enough rest and be in top shape when they clash with the Blue Eagles on Sunday.

Prince Rivero

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SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

VALENZONA TO LAUNCH BIG MEN’S CLINIC

By Eddie G. Alinea

OLYMPIAN and veteran coach Arturo Valenzona has launched an ambitious program aimed at discovering tall players from among the poor communities in Manila, and hopefully, from the remotest parts of the country. Valenzona, who was a member of the Philippine team which saw action in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament in Yokohama, said that he and fellow players, coaches and basketball gurus are ready to launch the program in the hope of discovering tall boys who can be developed into becoming

outstanding players in the amateur and professional leagues and, eventually, carry the country’s colors in international cometitions. “Nagbuo na ako ng team that is now completing a study on the matter and maybe in the next few weeks, baka magsimiula na kami,” Valenzona said.

The program, to be dubbed the “Big Men’s Camp,” will be held under the aegis of the Arturo Valenzona Foundation will be opened free to interested youths, especially from among the poor communities in Manila and adjacent cities and municipalities. “Libre ang camp para sa mga mahihirap nating mga kabataan, who cannnot afford to enroll in the already existing basketball clinics because they lack money,” said Valenzona, one of only two Filipino coaches who had completed the circle of handling and winning championships in collegiate, commercial (amateur) and professional leagues. “This, actually, is a product of

my going around almost the entire country where people suggested to me why not hold this kind of clinic for free,” he added. “Naisip ko nga, eh hindi naman lahat ng mga naging magagaling na player natin ay galing sa mga may pera, di ba?” “The plan is for big men, pero puede rin yung hindi naman kalakihan. May mga magtuturo din naman na point guard or forwards. Grassroot-oriented naman ang program na pinaplano namin,” Valenzona, who once led the Far Estern University to the UAAP championship. Valenzona was also a member of the Yco Painters team under the late coach Leo Prieto and has won seven consecutive Nationa Open

championships as an amateur. “As of now, dito muna sa Metro Manila kami magko-consentrate.. Kapag naging successful, baka ma-expand sa mga probinsya kung saan nandoon ang mga matatanagkad nating mga kababayan,” said Valenzona, who is best remembered for steering the San Sebastian College Stags to five straight championships in the NCAA. In the amateur ranks, Valenzona coached and led the Tamaraws, Apcor, Pop Cola and Solid Mills to several title victories. He also coached Tanduay Rhum to three PBA championships and the Gilbeys Gin to three runner-up finishes.

THIRD BEST. Members of the University of the Philippines Pep Squad shows off their grandest routine in the UAAP Cheerdance Conest held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. UP’s best, however, still fell short as it landed second runner-up behind University of Santo Tomas, which placed second behind champion National University (See front page) which won its third straight championship. EY ACASIO

EXCITING KLUB DON JUAN DERBY AT METROTURF THE Klub Don Juan de Manila, a horseowners’ group established in 2002, will be staging its 14thKDJM Racing Festival this weekend (Oct. 3 and 4) at Metroturf Racecourse in Malvar, Batangas. The organization is named after Don Juan, a racehorse famous during the 1950s for winning 24 out of its 25 races. It was owned by businessman Johnny Ysmael and regularly partnered with star jockey Elias Ordiales. The inspiration for staging the KDJM Derby event came from the National Grand Derby Races set up by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society to raise funds to fight

the scourge of TB after the war. KDJM President Lamberto C. Almeda Jr. said that in addition to the four iconic championship races, “This year we are also offering rich trophy races for the entire weekend as an incentive to participants and to provide entertainment to racing fans.” Entered in the 2,000-meter Don Juan Derby are Miss Brulay, Dikoridik Koridak, Princess Ella, Breaking Bad, and Court of Honor. The race has a guaranteed prize of P1.5 million and is sponsored by KDJM and Metroturf. The P500,000 Klub Don Juan Golden Girls sponsored by the

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (1,800 meters) will showcase the talents of Silver Sword, Strong Champion, Eugenie, Security Model, Magatto, and Cat’s Diamond. In the Klub Don Juan Juvenile Colts (1,400 meters) are Light and Shade, Stark, Underwood, Security Chief, and Mount Iglit. The Klub Don Juan Juvenile Fillies (1,400 meters) starts Katniss, Port Angels, Sky Glory, Angelia’s Magic, Contessa, Most Trusted, and He He He. Both juvenile races are backed by the Philippine Racing Commission with guaranteed prizes of

P500,000 each. Three trophy races on Sunday are sponsored with guaranteed prizes of P300,000 each from Magic Millions Australia, Pancit Malabon Express, and John and Yoko Resto-Uptown Center. Providing an added prize to the winner only of P30,000 for their trophy races are Organique, Inc., Manila Horse Power, Chairman Joey Uy Jamisola, Maile Atienza, Equine International Air Freight, and All Creatures Great and Small veterinary supply. There will be four P30,000added-prize trophy races on Saturday supported by FR Sevilla In-

dustrial and Development Corp., SC Stockfarm, Mercury Freight, and Fundador. Edong Diokno will give P30,000-added for the 1st Hari ng Baclaran trophy race as well as P5,000 cash and a sack of rice for the winning groom. KDJM will allot P20,000-added for five more trophy races. For the entire KDJM weekend, each winning horseowner will receive a bottle of Fundador while the winning grooms will each receive a 25-kg. sack of rice from Manila Rep. Lito Atienza (Buhay Partylist) and Maile Atienza (candidate for councilor in the third district of Manila).

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RIERA U. MALLARI EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

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DexterDaquigan (center) playfully leaps at the podium after receiving his championship trophy.

DEXTER DAQUIGAN

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MEET RACING’S VOLKSWAGEN KING By Randy Caluag

HOW does one combine the love for racing and classic cars?

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Volkswagen enthusiast Dexter Daquigan has found a way to integrate his passion for racing and love for classic cars. “I’m a Volkswagen enthusiast,” confessed Dexter, who owns a huge collection of the famous German classic car. “I love to drive and go out of town with my Volkswagen Kombi Bus or beetle.” Dexter’s love for Volkswagen is not confined to driving them on the long roads. He uses a Volkswagen beetle in classic racing because it’s always an underdog. “They say it’s ‘kuba or a slow car.’ That’s why people are always amazed to see a beetle winning in a race. I’m so proud of my bug winning races.” Everytime he sets out for a race, he always brings his Kombi van, which carries spare parts and other equipment needed for the race. It’s also where he sleeps and enjoys the classic aura of the 70s. “It’s a van life for me. I do camping and at the same time i race,” said Dexter, who has Thekeygun as his moniker. As a passionate racer, Dexter always wants to be a step ahead of his competitors-literally. If he wants it achieved in the finish line, he applies his winner’s mindset right in the preparation phase. “I do things smartly and I go out there 101 percent ready. I’m always ahead of time. During weekend races, some competitors would arrive Saturday and most on Sunday. As for me, I come on Friday for practice and make sure everything with my car is okay,” he said. Dexter also goes the extra mile of doing practices at the BRC in Batangas and Clark circuit during the off season, or in between racedays. “Practice makes perfect and every time, you get to learn something new. It’s a new continuous learning,” said Dexter, who idolized racer Dante Silverio when he was young. Dexter also emphasizes that racing is a team effort, too. It’s not just about the driver and his car. He is not bothered so much on the technical aspect as he relies on his trusted, veteran race mechanic Morris Miranda of Mohspeed. “I have a very professional team, not only in skills but also in terms of time and work etiquette. My team makes sure that the car is always in top-top shape ahead of race day,” Dexter revealed.

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Dexter and his Kombi. PHOTOS BY JON GONZALES Having a reliable team saves Dexter a lot of time when it comes to his job as electrical engineer of their family business, Delta Star Power Manufacturing and as a doting father to his only son Xedrei. Their family business, managed by his father, Engr. Reynaldo Daquigan, mainly supports his foray into racing. And it’s turning out to be a sound endeavor. Dexter is on the verge of bagging a back-to –back the Classic Aspirated Cup Series title. He just installed himself the virtual champion after topping 11 of the 12 races this year. Armed with a large margin over his closest rivals, all he has to do is go through the motions of finishing the final race on Nov. 7 the Clark circuit to seal the title. Knowing Dexter’s winning attitude, though, he is still expected to go all out. “I’m a born winner. As a professional and dedicated racer, I always give my all in every race. Racing is not just for fun, it’s more fun if you are winning. To be a racer you must have this fighting spirit of winning,” he said. Dexter points to last year’s race as his most memorable stint on the racetrack during the 4th leg of his debut in the open class. Hotshot Daniel Castaneda dominated the first three legs, while Dexter took the challenge in the fourth and prevailed. His confidence boosted, he later joined the Manila Sports Car Club’s Historic Race and bagged first place in GTS class, beating the veteran Lito Ignacio.

S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

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

Kaiz and Michelle Patel, directors of SatisFIND.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Meet Kaiz and Michelle Patel, advocates of good quality customer service PHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU Shoot location courtesy of LifeScience, BGC.

“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” –

CAROTID ARTERY BY TATUM ANCHETA We go through our daily routines consuming products and services – logging on to our wifi at home, buying coffee from Starbucks, transacting with our banks, eating lunch in some nearby restaurant, or calling our mobile network provider. All these things are typical with our daily lives but we generally do not think about “customer service” until something goes wrong and we need our service providers to fix stuff for us. As customers, every time our expectations our met, we don’t say “Oh, what a good service,” because we already expected to get what we paid for. We go in a store or buy a product with certain expectations – we buy coffee and expect it to be hot, we pay the parking fee and expect a receipt, we log on to the internet and expect our service providers to provide us with the Mbps speed we paid for. We open a can of tuna and don’t expect a fly inside the can, we expect the guards in the bank to open the door and greet us good morning, or buy a car and expect the dealers to give us after service care. When we get more than what is expected we become happy customers. “Oh,

they gave me a free donut with my coffee and the barista is so nice, we’re already on first name basis,” then we start to think, “I will keep coming back to this store because they have such good service.” And then when our expectations are not met at all, “What? I don’t have cell signal again?” – all hell breaks loose and we start to complain, and only then do we think of the words “customer care” or “customer service.” No one remembers good customer experience, but everyone remembers GREAT and BAD customer experience. One of my pet peeves is bad customer service and dealing with incompetent people. I usually find myself on the phone complaining to customer service providers or stores. “It’s been a week and you have not delivered my clothes from dry cleaning!” “Why did you swipe my card without checking if your

product is available?” “Why on earth would you drag your huge trash bin in front of me while I am eating (currently swallowing and the stench of rotten food entered my mouth!)?” “I asked you NOT to put meat ‘cuz I’m a pescetarian, and yet you mixed my food with animal carcass,” “Girl, stop with the American accent, tagalog ka na lang ako nahihirapan sa ‘yo eh.” My brother used to work for a call center and he said, he never wants to get me as his caller. According to him, when they get callers like me all of the agents will be looking at each other and signaling, “Ayan na naman sya!” Having been a victim of so many bad customer service experiences and being a constant irate customer on the phone, I came across Kaiz and Michelle Patel who run SatisFIND. SatisFIND is a company that provides business owners and

management a truthful picture of what their customers really experience in visiting their stores through a system called Customer Experience Measurement (CEM), with focus on mystery shopping as methodology. “We do not simply focus on the bad, we want to help people identify their stars,” explains Kaiz, SatisFIND co-founder and director for International operations. “A good program is catching people doing things right; with us you have a chance to recognize good performance, and that can be the company’s motivation in improving their services,” adds Michelle, founder and managing director who, together with her husband, runs the company. “I am a magnet for bad service, my bad luck inspired me to start SatisFIND 10 years ago. I wanted companies – both big and small – to take customer service more seriously,” says Michelle. “When Michelle started SatisFIND, ‘customer experience’ as a concept was not yet embraced by the business community. Back then, companies in the Philippines were still trying to understand customer service and what it meant for them,” adds Kaiz. Michelle made it her lifelong mission to help improve customer service by giving customers a voice. Through SatisFIND, they use real customers and match them with the profile of a company and assign them to a project using mystery shopping as a tool to evaluate the performance

Damon Richards of the different brands they are partnered with. Michelle explained that Customer Experience Measurement (CEM) has been a very effective way for management and business owners to find out their current strengths and ways how to improve their customer experience. It has helped identify training opportunities and give them feedback on how well programs are executed or implemented at the store-level. CEM gives them that snapshot of how their customers really experience their brand when no one’s looking. “Our clients cut across demographics. We have luxury brands and we have mass brands as well so we match people who are really their target market. The advocates (a.k.a. the mystery shoppers) have to give their consent. By the end of the day, it’s supposed to be fun for the advocate. They’re like a ‘spy,’ we’re not asking them to do something out of the ordinary, we never say ‘Uy, you need to scream or get angry,’ – no, but if there’s something to complain about during your experience, yes by all means, raise it to the managers,” explains Michelle. “We have clients from the travel and hospitality industry, government, banking and finance, retail, food, and distribution companies. We have been fortunate that our community of customer advocates share the word about SatisFIND and have contributed to our expansion.” Continued on C2

SUNDAY : OCTOB ER 4 : 2015

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE From C1

Hearing the 007-spy act made me want to log on to their site and sign up as an advocate. It sounds like an interesting activity for the mystery shoppers. I’m like, “That’s so cool! So all you have to do is go to the place and find out what’s wrong with their service?” But Kaiz explained that their business is not really looking for what’s wrong; what’s important is to look at what’s right and telling the story of the experience, good and bad. “We really want to tell the story of what happened so it can help our clients.” Because of globalization, we are more aware of how customers are supposed to be

Good service makes a happy customer and a happy customer is likely to spend more.

treated; some even make “Customer is King” as their mantra. “There are so many options now, so if a customer sees a company is doing better it becomes the norm,” says Michelle. “Now other companies need to catch up.” In the Philippines if maingay ka ikaw ang papansinin. Companies tend to treat media or online bloggers better because they know these have the power to voice out complaints or the power to highlight what’s good about a company’s product or service. But great customer service should not only cater to those who can say something, companies should think about the needs and expectations of a customer even before the customer thinks about it and asks for it. For Filipinos, our culture plays a huge role in customer service. As Kaiz mentioned, we wait ‘til someone says something and it’s only then that others would speak up as well. Inherently, we are all sensitive people; we don’t like to offend people if we want to point out something. With the advent of social media, it became easier to speak to a brand whether to complain or otherwise. “With a click of a button, your entire network will come to know about your bad experience with a certain brand. Sadly, not many stories on good experiences are shared on social

media, there is more attention given to the bad experiences. Recognition for excellent performance is important. We need to recognize role models for service. There are people out there who do care about the kind of service they offer their customers every day,” explains Michelle. Today is the age of customer experience. Companies need to step up and up their game. “When your people fail to serve your customers it is a reflection of management. It means you’re not able to support your employees. Care to ask, and care for your people, ask how you can you help them,” says Michelle. “Build a stronger culture. Hire more people, who are the right people. If you have these people in place, who are passionate and who believe in the vision of the company, the ‘bad seed’ eventually leave the company because they feel they no longer belong there.” The key to good “customer service” is building good and continuous relationships with your customers. Care about the company, care about the employees, and care about the people buying your products. And as for the customers, know what you paid for and always make sure you get what you deserve, because just because we live in a third world country, it doesn’t mean that the kind of services we get should also be “third world.”

If you want to register as an advocate and experience how it is to be a voice for customers, register at www.satisfind.com and find assignments that fit your profile. If you have stories about your customer experiences that you want to share with SatisFIND you may email them at mystory@ satisfind.com. For more information contact +63 917 527 8074, follow them on Facebook at SatisFIND or email hello@satisfind.com. For comments, suggestions and violent reactions, you may email me at tatum@ thestandard.com.ph. For my crazy life’s adventures follow me at @tatumancheta on Instagram and Twitter.

PORTRAIT

TRIUMPH AGAINST ALL ODDS

How Trixie Garvida overcame physical limitations and became a lawyer

or many, trying to hurdle the challenges of Law school is like Sisyphus trying to roll a boulder up a hill only to see it roll back down – fruitless and hopeless. But not for Patricia “Trixie” Ulynne Garvida, who suffers from a physical limitation known as dwarfism. Trixie was born with such a condition, and while most people would have given up, Trixie did not allow her physical limitations to get in the way of her dreams. Although this meant she would be shorter than her peers and limited in her movement – unable to carry her bag, jump, run or walk long distances –Trixie never saw this as an impediment but a challenge, enrolling instead at the FEU Institute of Law. Trixie knew what she signed up for and was ready for the challenge. “During the freshmen orientation, all law students are warned that it takes a lot of effort to be able to stay in, and to be able to graduate from law school. One should be ready for each class every day. And ready means being able to read the assignments, to understand the assigned topics and cases, and to correctly answer the questions of the professor when called to recite in class,” Trixie shared. What resonated throughout her entire four years in law school was her determination

President Benigno Aquino III presented the Presidential Hall of Fame Award to the SM team together with Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled president Manuel Agcaoili and awards chairperson Mila Drilon. Joining them are SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia, SVP for Operations Steven Tan and VP for Operations & Program Director for SM Cares Program on Disability Affairs Bien Mateo.

SM ELEVATED TO APOLINARIO MABINI AWARDS HALL OF FAME

U Trixie Garvida with FEU IL Dean Mel Sta Maria Trixie Garvida on her graduation

to be treated the same way her classmates were treated. And like a nurturing mother, the FEU Institute of Law ensured that she would be able to maximize her learning opportunities in the institution while being treated no differently from the rest of the students. Her professors also chose to look beyond her physical limitations, and focus on the learning. A communication arts graduate who majored in journalism, Trixie was more comfortable with writing than talking. However, law school requires students to talk most of the time and write only during examinations. This meant she had to venture outside her comfort zone.

‘’Law school is chock-full of challenges and trials. It is different every day. There are always different people with different points of view. There are challenges and adjustments that have to be made. Sometimes I can cope, sometimes I get left behind. But I try my best to keep up. When I can’t, I pray. I pray for inspiration, I pray for a better state of mind, I pray for a better me next time,’’ she said. “FEU has instilled in me the firm belief that we should not allow anything to limit us. With hard work and the right attitude, we can be just as good as the rest of the pack, or maybe even better.”

nderscoring that good works will never go unnoticed, the SM Supermalls Program on Disability affairs – under its corporate social responsibility arm SM Cares – was awarded the first ever Presidential Hall of Fame Award during the Apolinario Mabini Awards 2015 ceremonies held in Malacañang Palace. Recognition was likewise given to 10 SM malls and stores for their outstanding contributions in advancing the rights and welfare of People with Disabilities (PWDs) under the PWD –Friendly Establishment Category. SM Aura Premier garnered a silver award, while SM City Clark, SM North EDSA, SM Cauayan, SM Bacolod and SM BF Parañaque all received bronze awards. SM Makati and SM Tarlac also received bronze awards for their PWD-friendly supermarkets as did SM Mezza for its Savemore outlet. SM Pampanga meantime was given a special award. The Apolinario Mabini Awards is spearheaded by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of

the Disabled (PFRD), named after Apolinario Mabini, also known as the “sublime paraplegic” for his outstanding contribution to the Philippine Revolution despite his disability. PFRD has long recognized SM’s pioneering programs in supporting PWDs, honoring the company with numerous PWD Friendly Establishment Awards that are given to businesses, buildings or facilities that are fully accessible to PWDs. These include providing the required architectural features in accordance with law such as ramps, handrails, toilets, elevators, telephones and automated teller machines accessible to people with disability. SM malls have earned the reputation of being the most PWDfriendly malls in the country, setting the bar on serving people with disabilities by providing them with easy access and convenience. To know more about SM Cares and its program for persons with disabilities, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph or www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares.

SUNDAY : OCTOB ER 4 : 2015

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

CLUB PUNTA FUEGO IS MORE THAN JUST AN EXCLUSIVE RESORT

@LIFEatStandard

Winners of the third leg of Swim.ph and SwimBikeRun.ph’s Open Water Challenge at Terrazas de Punta Fuego

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

lmost 20 years ago, Club Punta Fuego opened its doors as a premiere membership resort club offering modern amenities in the midst of Peninsula de Punta Fuego’s natural beauty. Its promised exclusivity and conveniences have attracted many members to take a slice of this private enclave. And while the age of the Club is slowly showing in some of its facilities (which is understandable), the resort obviously has a lot more potential.

WHATEVER YOU THROW COMES BACK TO YOU

In celebration of the International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19, Club Punta Fuego initiated, on the 20th, its very own cleanup activity to engage members and guests to preserve the beach and spark awareness about the importance of taking care of the coast and the sea. Before the coastal cleanup, the Club’s Long Beach was littered with rubbish, some of which, according to General Manager Mikel Arriet Arruiz in an interview with The Standard, came from the village and were brought by the waves to the beach. And sadly, come rainy season, “we have the biggest amount of garbage,” he says. After the one-day cleanup, where the Club invited students from Balaytigue Elementary School, guests and members, the coast yielded sacks of dead leaves, stems and plastic garbage. “It means that with these trash in the sea, we’re doing something wrong, and it should be a call of attention to all of us,” avers Arruiz. He added that

if it were only left to him, he wouldn’t want to have coastal cleanups “because if we didn’t have to do it, that means the beaches are clean.” But with the current state of the beach, Arruiz said the clean-up event should be done not only for one day but three to four times a year “to really educate the public.” “For me, the most basic measure is to start from the bottom: teach kids in schools to protect and preserve the environment. Tell them that whatever you throw, it’s gonna come back to you,” shared Arruiz. He adds, “The next step is segregation and simplifying everything – reduce the use of plastic packaging” – something that Arruiz, who’s been general manager of Club Punta Fuego for four years, is pushing for the resort. “For our packed lunch, we stopped using Styrofoam and now we’re using biodegradable paper packaging. Then we’re gonna have reusable plastic glasses,” he shared. The GM is also looking into doing away with bathroom amenities in small plastic bottles and instead putting them in dispensers “because with dispensers, you’re not throwing plastics, you’re not creating garbage.” With these measures and the resort’s commitment to conserve the environment – beach and beyond – Club Punta Fuego is optimistic that it could further unveil the beauty of the Club. In fact, Arruiz revealed he is planning to put lounge chairs and umbrellas by the beach come summer next year.

ACTION IN THE SEA

Not only for leisure, Club Punta Fuego is also home to many water

Participants run to the beach

Seasoned and first-time swimmers join the Open Water Challenge

Children dive in to the open sea

The Club initiates its own Coastal Cleanup Day in participation of the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 19

Blind twins Jerome Nelmida Bautista and Joshua Nelmida Bautista finish the Fuego Open Water Challenge with their guides Teacher Sabrina Salinda and OJ Tizon

sports and activities such as sailing, boating, yachting, fishing, diving and more. Every year, the resort hosts cliff diving and regatta competitions, aside from nonwater sports like golf tournaments. This year, the resort welcomed participants to the third leg of Swimfit.ph and SwimBikeRun.ph’s Open Water Competition at the beach of Terrazas de Punta Fuego. “Punta Fuego has been on our radar since day one and there’s no question why. The venue is first class, the staff is very accommodating and the view is simply spectacular,” enthused SwimBikeRun.ph founder and Open Water Challenge organizer Carlos de Guzman. Larger and more conducive to swimming competition than the Club’s beach, Terrazas played host to over 115 seasoned swimmers, triathletes and first-timers who

Sacks of garbage are collected from the resort’s beach

joined the third installment of the action-packed race whose categories are: Kids (300 meters for those aged six to nine; and 600 meters for 10 to 15 year olds), Adult Relay (600 meters for three persons per team), Adult Buddy (1.5 kilometers), and Adult Individual (1.5 kilometer, two kilometers or three kilometers). Joining the Adult Buddy competition were blind triathlete twins Jerome and Joshua Nelmida who, each aided by a guide, finished a 1.5-kilometer swimming distance for the first time. The competition recorded a 100 percent finisher turnout and awarded the three fastest swimmers for each category. The first placers include 1.5km Female: Heather Sanguyo; 1.5km Male: Miller Arzen Wisco; 2km Female: Bea Grabador; 2km Male: MJ Jamisola; 3km Female: Christine Levi Gaspar;

3km Male: Jasper Neo Gaspar; Buddy: Fatima Nempha and Mary Roxan Maestro; Team Relay: Aleta Yao and Charissa Gueverra; Kids 300m Female: Jasmin Faye Dela Cruz; Kids 300m Male: Ken Aeron Dela Cruz; Kids 600m Female: Heather Sanguyo; and Kids 600m Male: Richardson Navo. Are the organizers open into eventually partnering with Club Punta Fuego to host the Open Water Challenge? De Guzman said, “Why not?” He disclosed that based on the feedback they got after the race, all the participants had a blast, and enjoyed the venue as well as the facilities. “We’re very proud to consider Punta Fuego as our official venue for our third leg and we would be more than happy to call it as the home of the Open Water Challenge,” concluded De Guzman.

BENILDE NAMES NEW COLLEGE CHANCELLOR

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde president Br. Dennis Magbanua, FSC (right) formalizes the appointment of Robert Tang as Chancellor.

he De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) announced the appointment of Robert L. Tang as the educational institute’s Chancellor. Tang, who officially took his oath of office during the investiture ceremony held recently at the Benilde School of Design and Arts (SDA) Campus, received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from De La Salle University in 1989 and completed his graduate studies in Business Management at the University of the Philippines – College Clark Air Base in 1992. Tang had a stint in the private sector as a Manpower Planning Analyst at Toyota Motors Philippines before venturing into a career in the academe, starting as an instructor at the UP-

Extension Program in Pampanga then joining DLS-CSB as a faculty member of the School of Management and Information Technology where he was eventually appointed Dean in 2003. Prior to his current office, Tang was the College’s Vice Chancellor for Academics. Specializing in research involving leadership, organizational change and psychological contracts, Tang’s written work has likewise been published in the British Journal of Management and the Philippine Journal of Psychology, receiving awards such as the KS Yang Travel Award for 2007 Asian Association of Social Psychology in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and Best Paper Award In Social Issues of Management Division of 2011 US Academy of Management.

Tang also currently sits at the Editorial Board of the Review of Business and Economics Studies of the Financial University of Moscow and the ECirVath International Journal of Tourism of the Centre International de Recherche Vatel en Tourisme et Hotellerie for the Vatel Business Schools. “The Benildean Community is happy to welcome Bob Tang as Chancellor. We chose an individual who champions innovation and inclusion, and would be able to utilize the boundless potential of Benilde in the implementation of relevant projects, while at the same time can adapt to the operational challenges of running a school. I believe that we, the DLS-CSB Administration and the Board of Trustees, have chosen wisely,” said DLS-CSB President Br. Dennis M. Magbanua, FSC.

S U N D AY : O C T O B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The couple’s Best Man on their A moment with great friends – Rachel De Guzman with Johnny Litton, Leo Valdez, wedding 28 years ago, Manny Lopez and Tess Schoefe with stunning wife Suzette Hahn-Lopez

Sitoy and Rachel de Guzman during their 28th Anniversary Dinner

Best friends for life, Sitoy’s childhood buddy, Robby Lugtu

Jemellie Gonzales with Alexander Salvador

Robby and Tessa Lugtu are present for their best friends

A lovely moment with Yoli Ayson.

The man behind Ann Ong’s success as a designer, Jason Ong

FAVORING THE ODDS Mia Reyes and New York-based Michael Dela Cruz with his sister Rachel

Seattle-based Marc Geriene with wife Hera

Wilfredo Cabangon with wife Maritess Manlongat-Cabangon at the intimate dinner affair

Lottie de Guzman, Rachel De Guzman, and Maria Morris

#INTHEMOMENT BY FRANCIS DE LEON

I have a confession to make. Amidst the advent of electronic music and dancing the “Nae Nae” (OMG, pardon the pun, whip me please!), I will always have an attachment for classic music genres. Call me old fashioned, but in my opinion, it is more soulful and meaningful. Hence, one rainy Sunday afternoon, when I was listening to the timeless music of Patti Austin (kids, Google!), her song, “Through The Test of Time,” lingered in my mind (and heart) as I was writing this column. Please pause with the lyrics and sing a duet with this columnist: “So we’ll take it one day at a time; And leave all our worries behind; No matter which road that we choose; As long as we got each other; No way we can lose; We can make it through love; Through the test of time.”

Romy and Ruth Rodriguez enjoying their moment

DermAsia’s Nikki Tang welcomed by Sitoy

Manny Lopez with Mayenne Carmona and Philip Dizon

Ito Curata with Anna Sia

Thank you for indulging me with this beautiful song (bravo!), I truly appreciate it! There is absolutely something authentic about this song and its truth I whole-heartedly dedicate to my dear good friends – Sitoy and Rachel De Guzman – on the occasion marking their 28th Wedding Anniversary. They recently celebrated their anniversary with an intimate six-course dinner menu specially prepared by Chef Jessie Sinsioco and her culinary team. Nearly 50 of the couple’s close friends and family gathered over great food

Sitoy and Rachel sealed it with a kiss. Cheers to love!

and even better company at the tony Rockwell Club. Each course was carefully selected by the couple. It was so delicious, the feeling of love overflowed! It was an exquisite meal to break bread which truly complemented the evening’s celebration. The dessert, Flambéed Mango a la mode, (I was told by Chef Jessie) was a favorite of Pope Francis during his visit in the Philippines. I must concur, it was simply divine! In my previous column, I wrote about Tiffany and Co., and delved on how the wedding band is revered as the most authentic symbol that embodies that emotion of trust and commitment. Therefore (regardless of bling), if this promise is kept sacredly and lasted for many years, it’s worth celebrating! “I have learned that being mindful of each other, as husband and wife, results in a happier and satisfying relationship, putting Christ in the middle of our marriage and choosing family first regardless of circumstances,” expressed Rachel De Guzman – who was radiant that night in her red hot ensemble – to this columnist “I feel joy whenever we spend out of town trips with our family to enjoy each

others’ company. Savoring the beautiful bond that we share together makes me feel truly in the moment,” she added. When this columnist commented about the radiant glow of Rachel that evening, her husband quipped: “I am so happy making my wife feel beautiful; and she stays beautiful for me.” I couldn’t agree more with Sitoy. In the spirit of the occasion, all the invited guests came together (and toasted with a glass full of champagne) to celebrate Sitoy and Rachel’s enduring love and their milestone as a married couple spanning 28 years. The couple (of course) sealed it, yet again, with a kiss. The road to a lasting relationship, I would like to believe, is never a paved path. It will always have its obstacles. There is no shortcut to its success. However, when in doubt, listen to the music (of old songs or new) and find truth that it’s an enduring partnership that will never be displaced if there is love. In the love story of Sitoy and Rachel – the odds are in their favor, and will always be through the test of time. Cheers to love! Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.

SUNDAY : OCTOBER 4 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

First FiliPina Face oF Proactiv

roactiv, the skin care product choice among Hollywood’s elite finally found the perfect Filipina who embodies the brand. Young, charming and most importantly, a loyal user of Proactiv, actress and comedienne Alex Gonzaga is the first Proactiv Filipino endorser. “The Proactiv 3-Step System has been an important part of my daily skin care routine for years! It is effective and easy to use. I am so thrilled to be the first Filipina face of Proactiv and tell everyone all about my experience using it,” the 27year- old TV host shares. “Its mild formulation gently exfoliates my skin, removes excess oil and delivers powerful acne-fighting medicine.” Being an in-demand celebrity causes stress and fatigue, which may take a toll on the skin. The long hours of tapings and shoots, the never-ending mall shows and pounds of make-up cause damage on the skin such as zits and breakouts. She knows, however,

that with Proactiv’s dermatologically tested ingredients, her skin stays clear, radiant and acne-free. Even with her frenetic schedule, Alex finds time to adhere to Proactiv’s simple and easy 3-Step System. “As my beauty regimen before going to sleep, I apply Proactiv’s Step 1 which is the Renewing Cleanser. You can feel it gently removing impurities in your skin with its exfoliating beads,” Alex explains. The Renewing Cleanser is an oil-free, soap-free medicated exfoliating cleanser that kills acne-causing bacteria with U.S. prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide. The ultra-fine micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide penetrates pores fast while being gentle on the skin. “I follow it up with Step 2 which is the Revitalizing Toner,” Alex continues. Proactiv’s Revitalizing Toner is refreshing alcohol-free toner that refines and purifies pores. Its Glycolic acid exfoliates dead skin cells to help keep pores unplugged while its botanical-rich formula soothes

and hydrates acne-prone skin. “Step 3 is the Repairing Treatment. I just squeeze a pea-sized amount on my palm and spread it on my face,” she adds. The Repairing Treatment is a feather-light, invisible medicated treatment that kills acne-causing bacteria preventing zits and acne. Each Proactiv kit comes with a free Refining Mask. This Refining Mask makes a great leave-on spot treatment at night for better complexion in the morning. “We are proud to have Alex Gonzaga as the first Filipina face of Proactiv. She is beautiful, spontaneous and hip, making her a perfect fit for the brand,” says Proactiv Philippines General Manager, Mari del Rosario. “With Alex heading our local campaign, we hope to reach out to more Filipinos and Filipinas and encourage them to take a step and fight acne today.” Proactiv is available in 30-day kit (P 2,495.00) and 60-day kit (P 3,995.00) and is exclusively distributed at all Watsons nationwide.

Alex Gonzaga is Proactiv's first Filipina endorser

PLDT's Ariel Fermin and Uber executives

PLDT Home subsCribers geT free uber riDes THis monTH

he country’s leading home digital services provider, PLDT Home, has partnered with the world’s leading ride-sharing tech company Uber to bring the trailblazing transport service for Filipino families to experience a richer digital lifestyle. PLDT Home and Uber recently formalized a strategic partnership where the telco’s broadband subscribers can more easily enjoy the benefits of the innovative transport service when they download the Uber app on their computers, Telpad and any smart devices at home. As part of the exclusive offer, PLDT HomeFibr subscribers will

get two free Uber rides worth P500 each, while Telpad and DSL subscribers will get one free Uber ride worth up to P300 for first time users of Uber in Metro Manila this month. According to PLDT VP and head of Home marketing Gary Dujali the partnership is part of PLDT Home’s commitment to enhance the digital lifestyle of its consumers by teaming up with mobile applications and online platforms that will complement their lifestyle needs. “We are honored to be working with a company that changed the landscape of the world’s ride-sharing economy,” he said.

“PLDT Home and Uber share the same vision of providing our customers with digital solutions that add value to their daily lives. We are confident that this partnership will break new ground in the country’s digital landscape.” Uber Philippines General Manager Laurence Cua added, “We are delighted that this partnership will allow Uber to reach Filipino families and provide them with an enhanced digital lifestyle experience. We look forward to expanding our service to more Filipino families with the help of PLDT Home’s wide subscriber base and strong infrastructure.”

PLDT Home commands a market share of over 70 percent in the first half of the year, which is continuously growing as it boosts its broadband service with an array of digital services. Its robust fixed and wireless networks supported by the country’s most expansive fiber optic network, spanning more than 100,000 kilometers, allow PLDT Home to provide the digital lifestyle needs of its subscribers. PLDT Home’s partnership with Uber expands the collaboration between the PLDT Group and Uber. PLDT’s mobile subsidiary Smart earlier introduced free incar WiFi in Uber vehicles and of-

fered special promotions for Uber riders on its mobile network. Said partnership is the first in a series of agreements with the most sought-after global and local digital lifestyle applications and platforms. This ground breaking tie-up with Uber is expected to fuel PLDT Home’s digital leadership and comes right after its recent partnership with Southeast Asia’s leading Internet TV service provider iflix and the region’s leading broadcaster Fox International Channels that provide an enormous library of movies and TV shows to the PLDT Group’s over 75 million subscribers.

SUNDAY : OCTOBER 4 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

I-ShInE OnLInE TALEnT CAmP

romil Pre-School I-Shine Kapamilya host Dimples Romana is back together with mentor for Visual Arts Xian Lim and new mentor for Performing Arts Karylle to search for kids who have the potential to shine with their talents through Promil Pre-School I-Shine’s latest online talent camp beginning tomorrow. For its fourth season, Promil PreSchool and ABS-CBN are bringing the talent search closer to more parents and their children by launching the first online talent camp (www. ishine.abs-cbn.com) to encourage and help mothers to nurture and develop their children’s gifts through comprehensive workshops.

This year, the talent camp expands with workshops that include lessons in both Performing Arts (singing, dancing, acting, music), and Visual Arts (painting, drawing, crafting). “A mom’s role is always important. My mom is my shining light and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her, that’s why launching Promil Pre-School I-Shine as an online talent camp is a great idea because this will be more accessible to more moms and they can be more involved in nurturing the talents of their kids,” Visual Arts mentor Lim shared. To join the online talent camp, moms need to register and choose where to enroll their kids, whether

performing arts or visual arts on the website (www.ishine.abs-cbn.com). Once enrolled in the online course, moms and kids will have the chance to watch and learn from video lessons each week taught by celebrity mentors Karylle, John Prats, and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo for Performing Arts and Xian Lim, Agot Isidro, and Christina Dy for Visual Arts. Promil Pre-School I-Shine talent camp will have weekly video challenges for students in line with the workshop, which will serve as their audition videos. Students who will emerge as the Promil Pre-School I-Shine online talent camp champions (one winner per category) will be chosen

Promil Preschool I-Shine online talent camp mentors Karylle and Xian Lim with host Dimples Romana

by the mentors and will win a cash prize, a roster of TV guest appearances, and a contract with ABS-CBN’s Chicken Pork Adobo, among others. The Promil Pre-School I-Shine Talent Camp aims to help excep-

tionally talented preschoolers develop their full potential. It is the product of Promil Pre-School’s advocacy in developing Filipino children’s talents with the help of their parents, proper care, and proper nutrition.

‘Art 2 Art’ bAres OCtOber episOdes

Lisa Macuja and Ige Ramos

Macuja and Njel De Mesa

With Norli Meimban

With Meah Ang See

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 80 84 85 87 88 89

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Recipe direction 5 Hindu retreat 11 Dismount 17 Paquin of “The Piano” 21 Dartboard locales 22 Tarzan’s chimp 23 Prom honoree 24 Flashy sign 25 Grad. school 26 Where walls meet 27 Beethoven opus 28 In — — (stuck) 29 Oater regular 31 Rose family plant 33 Feline hybrids 35 Inner selves 36 Tallow sources 37 Cowboy Gene — 38 Part of IOU 41 Airline to Stockholm 42 Green sculptures 43 Internet site 44 Major Japanese port

48 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 78 79

Eye cosmetic Ranch guests Vase, often Regard highly Thin-shelled nut Construct Rodeo gear Rapper Dr. — Almond-shaped It may be tickled “Knot” craft Good buy Bro’s sibling Chipper Fortunately Brawl Hoists Toupee kin “Titanic” message Grapefruit cousin Roman poet Fair grade California’s Big — Cow barn Stayed a while Advanced degree Faucet

Booked Fur pieces Coasting along Trunk possessors Lime cooler It was — — mistake! 90 Dreamer’s opposite 91 Big name in watches 92 Sketch 93 Actress Saldana 94 Prominent, as a feature 95 Fawned on 96 “The Jungle Book” bear 97 Still with us 99 Remind too often 100 Electrical unit 101 Jiffy 102 Nightclub 103 She may brood a lot 104 Attach to a lapel (2 wds.) 105 Gob of bubblegum 106 JFK predecessor 107 Strongly advises 109 Copper and zinc 110 Mezzanine boxes 112 Chitchat 115 Oscar film for Jane Fonda 116 View from a LEM 120 Care for 121 Conductor — Boult 123 Muse of astronomy 125 Wishes undone 126 Gas or tel. 127 “Oh, my!” (2 wds.) 128 Hushed 129 Important decades 130 Quite a few 131 Formed whirlpools 132 Surface 133 Aftermath

rt to Art continues to bring “usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat” (art and culture discussion for all) in its episodes this October. Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company and hosted by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja, Art 2 Art is aired every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), on cable television via RHTV and online through DZRH Live Streaming. Today, prolific book designer and food magazine editor Ige Ramos tells Macuja about his dream project – his very own book titled Alab ng Puso: Kinagisnang Lutuin at Kuwentong Pagkain ng Cavite. Ramos scoured his native Cavite to research on food unique to the province and talk to people who have been preparing these dishes for

generations. He is hoping to publish the book through crowd funding. On Oct.11, Macuja meets Njel De Mesa, a songwriter, playwright, author, choreographer and production and graphic designer. De Mesa formed Koine Theater Foundation in 2003 to give performance arts training to young talents. One of the first local artists to successfully break into the independent digital scene, he has established the NDM Music Group to help indie musicians get their break. On Oct. 18, Norlie Meimban relates his transition from working in the animation industry to becoming a fulltime visual artist. Since 2004, he has mounted thirteen solo shows and numerous group exhibitions. He is primarily known for a style he has dubbed as “ani-motion.” Incor-

porating the process of animation into his paintings, he makes his subjects seem to move through outlines showing a series of movements. On Oct. 25, in celebration of Museums and Galleries Months, Art 2 Art focuses on Bahay Tsinoy with is director, Meah Ang See, as guest. The museum in Intramuros, Manila showcases Chinese-Filipino history and heritage in the Philippines through artifacts and research materials. It highlights the contributions of the Chinese-Filipino in Philippine development, dating back to pre-colonial days. For inquiries, please e-mail art2artdzrh@gmail.com. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Art episodes.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015

DOWN 1 Future fries 2 Adjust a guitar 3 Long-legged wader 4 Replies to an invite 5 Growth, as of funds 6 Sand bars 7 What a sheep dog does 8 Vegas rival 9 Had a pizza 10 Plundered 11 Stocks and bonds 12 Spinks and Trotsky 13 Quaint lodgings 14 — Scala of films 15 Luxury patio item (2 wds.) 16 Earmark 17 Lab tech 18 Orchid-loving Wolfe 19 Verb preceder 20 Colony members 30 Biologist’s dye 32 Plunging necklines 34 Make before taxes 36 With regret 37 TV receptors 38 Vote against 39 Flour infester 40 Put in a crate 42 Ripe, as a pear 43 Samurai, for one 45 Roman magistrate 46 Bit of corn 47 Painter — Modigliani 49 BTU kin 50 Drowns a donut 51 Hikes, as a price (2 wds.) 52 Monsieur’s summer 54 Divulged, as facts 55 Resin 56 “Little Women” sister

59 60 61 63 64 65 67 68 70 72 73 74 75 76 77

Foul-smelling Coffee holder Wives, to lawyers Blacktops Tell a whopper Customs Russian export Happy event Glassware brand Santiago native Give in the middle Multiply Thunderstruck Mississippi port Coves

78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 90 91 92 94 95

Des —, Illinois Blast letters Ready to fight Followed closely Astronomer — Halley Signify Hair-styling goo Devotee Atlas, for one Dock denizen Pamplona runners Flee hastily Bull’s noise Ballerina

96 98 100 101 103 104 105 108 109 110 111 112 113

Augurs Sharply Edict Tycoon Paid attention to Lopped off branches Sweet-talking Forest clearing Hold responsible Solitude enjoyer Nail cousin Tiny Tim’s pudding Beatles’ meter maid

114 Comparable 115 Soprano — Te Kanawa 116 Boy or man 117 Mystique 118 Pike’s discovery 119 To be, to Brutus 122 Groovy, today 124 Tire support

SUNDAY : OCTOBER 4 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

‘anG Probinsyano’

Can Bring people’S trUSt in poliCe – senaTor Grace Poe From c8

Jennylyn Mercado: Still nervous after all these years

Sitti with Erskine Basilio and Diego Martinez

Sitti’S ‘SingleS BoSSa nova trio’

T Grace Poe happy about Ang Probiinsyano, the TV series

he 1997 film Ang Probinsyano is Senator Grace Poe’s inspiration for her advocacy to change the image of Philippine National Police to the citizenry. She is glad the ABS-CBN has given the film a new leash on life now as a television drama series as it will have a positive effect among the people amid some members of the police force being involved in crime and scandal. On Sept. 28, the series started airing on ABS-CBN and now many members of the PNP are glad that the series is focusing on the positive values in the force and its duty and obligation to safeguard the public. They enjoyed the scene that showed how Ador (Coco Martin) helped to save the passengers of a train that some bad elements wanted to explode with a bomb. This affirmed, they say, the dangers they have to face in their duty to keep the public safe.

Susan Roces, widow of Da King and mother of Grace, earlier said how her late husband’s heart was very close to policemen and it was evident in a number of films he made when he was still alive. Roces is playing the role of Ador’s grandmother in the TV series, a character that wasn’t in the original movie but has been added to underscore the drama between the twins Ador and Cardo. Poe, as head of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, led the investigation of the alleged involvement of former PNP Chief Alan Purisima in corruption. It is also part of the clean up of the PNP force. She is also batting for the modernization of the police force, providing its members the necessary equipment to make them effective and efficient in providing security to the general public. And so, this is the start of making sure Grace finishes what FPJ has started.

Janine Gutierrez is the Dangwa girl

HHHHH Janine GuTierrez is DanGwa Girl After stirring social media recently for giving roses to a male student, the mystery lady tagged by everyone as “Dangwa Girl” finally reveals herself – she is no other than GMA Artist Center talent and fashion muse Janine Gutierrez. As revealed in GMA’s 24 Oras newscast last Thursday, Gutierrez is the unrecognizable face behind the rosy teasers flashed on television. Gutierrez stars in GMA’s upcoming show entitled Dangwa airing this month.

DenniS trillo in ‘MtrCB UnCUt!’

Everybody loves a hero, but nobody forgets a villain. Today, MTRCB Uncut puts the spotlight to some of showbiz industry’s greatest male villains—those who portray the vilest characters viewers love to hate. Talented actors John Regala and Joem Bascon,

Dennis Trillo and Gladys Reyes

together with MTRCB Board Member Benedicto Tarnate Sr., engage in an exciting “Prangkahan!” with hosts Bobby Andrews and Jackie Aquino. Do they believe in the saying: If it weren’t for the villains,

there would be no heroes? Another special guest is no less than Dennis Trillo, who plays the title role in the biopic Felix Manalo. The versatile actor says he doesn’t mind playing second lead or villain. Learn more about

HHHHH sTill nervous anD JiTTery Jennylyn Mercado, in each live episode of Starstruck, still feels the jitters like it was the first time. She admitted she is really very nervous. This despite her stature now as full-fledged star on GMA Network. When she’s on the judge’s chair she can’t help but feel nervous. “It is triggered by the drumbeats and the special sound effect of heart beat. “I get a flashback of myself on stage as one of the hopefuls in this competition,: Mercado was among those who were selected for the first edition of Starstruck. In the end, she was proclaimed ultimate female survivor (or the winner) along with Mark Herras (ultimate male survivor).

Dennis and his take on offbeat roles in “Klik kina Juan at Juana” with Gladys Reyes. MTRCB Chairman Toto Villareal discusses the initiatives of the agency in line with its 30th anniversary in “I-Share Mo Kay Chair.” These include the nationwide Matalinong Panonood campaign, scriptwriting contest, anniversary book launching, and the 3rd Family and Child Summit, to name a few. MTRCB Uncut airs 7 p.m. on Net 25 every Sunday.

here’s only one name that comes into mind when we say bossa nova. It has been almost 10 years since the release of the double platinum, Café Bossa. But her distinct voice and a full roster of bossa-fied hits have made Sitti a prominent name in the music industry. And this year, she’ll revive the well-loved album, recorded al fresco with Singles Bossa Nova Trio. The final product came as a surprise after being just a fun, last hurrah to singlehood project for Sitti. Talks with MCA Music produced a one-day, live recording session at a house in Rizal with guitarist Erskine Basilio and percussionist Diego Martinez. No pressure, just good old jamming, and this time with Mother Nature. “What makes this record special is that the birds from the area sang with me as well,” Sitti remembers. They went out of the studio to create an experience close to the jam sessions with friends or family music lovers have at home. And the results were better that Sitti has hoped for. “It was quite magical.” Some of the most well-known Sitti singles had a fresh twist on this album like “Girl From Ipanema,” “Tattooed On My Mind,” and “Para Sa Akin.” Plus, other favorites like “Sunday Morning,” “I Want It That Way,” “To Forget You,” and “La La Means I Love You,” just to name a few. What makes this new release more special is that her original songs finally take center stage. Her carrier single, “Ligaya”, defines her life right now as a married woman. “There’s just so much joy and gratefulness surrounding that song, that’s why we gave it that title too. Happiness fleets, joy runs deeper,” Of course, the song is also about her husband, Joey Ramirez, and is the most special among the songs she has ever written. Other originals include “Answers” and “All I Ever Wanted.” Not a lot of people know that Sitti has always been a songwriter and Singles Bossa Nova Trio hopefully is the start of an all-original release in the future. “I really truly hope the fans would like them. And I continue praying that God will breathe some more songs through me,” Fans can indeed expect more songs because of the special inspiration married life has given her. “I had no idea being married could give one such happiness. I feel very lucky too knowing that I have a wonderful husband to walk through this earth with.” Sitti also just wants to share her joy and music to all the fans who’ve supported her since the beginning. “I love all my fans. I wish I could gather all of them in one area and give them big, fat, bossa kisses! Thank you, thank you, thank you.” MCA Music and Sitti want every music fan to join in this exciting journey of revisiting bossa nova in Singles Bossa Nova Trio. Only good things are ahead for the Bossa Nova Queen, especially with her newfound passion and inspiration. It won’t be long before the airwaves will once again be graced with a very familiar voice – a voice that’s undeniably Sitti. Singles Bossa Nova Trio is now out on CDs at Astroplus and Astrovision outlets and available for download on Spinnr and iTunes. It can also be streamed on Spinnr, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Guvera.

SUNDAY : OCTOBER 4 : 2015

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

A sporty, athletic Arci Muñoz

GSM snack

Arci Muñoz in a shower layout for GSM 2016 calendar

‘The first Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl was launched in 1988, and since then, consumers look forward to this yearly GSM workout

– Nelson Elises, GSMI Vice President And Marketing Manager

Arci Muñoz is the new GsM cAlendAr Girl ISAH V. RED Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) introduced its newest calendar girl in a grand launch held recently at the Oak Ballroom, Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City. Actress, singer and model Arci Muñoz is Ginebra San Miguel’s Calendar Girl for 2016. Arci joins the ranks of popular beauty queens, models and actresses who have graced Ginebra San Miguel’s calendars including two-time calendar girl Marian Rivera (2009 and 2014), Anne Curtis (2011), Solenn Heussaff (2012), Georgina Wilson (2013), Angelica Panganiban (2007) and her Pasion de Amor costar Ellen Adarna (2015).

Arci, a Theater Arts major at the University of the Philippines, entered show business in 2005 via a talent reality search. Since then, Arci has appeared in several television projects, and is currently the lead vocalist of the rock band Philia. In 2008, she represented the Philippines in the prestigious Asia Supermodel Competition. Her biggest TV break came earlier this year when she landed the lead role in the top-rating drama series Pasion de Amor on ABS-CBN. “Being part of the Ginebra San Miguel family is such a big honor and privilege,” says Arci. “I had fun during the photo shoot because our concept for the calendars showed who I am behind the camera. The calendars are actually a sneak peek into my life. Not many people know that I am athletic, that I work out and play basketball.

I am a rocker but I also love girly things like fashion,” relates Arci. GSMI has released five layouts for its 2016 calendar. “The first Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl was launched in 1988, and since then, consumers look forward to this yearly,” says GSMI vice president and Marketing manager Nelson Elises. “For 2016, we chose Arci Muñoz as our brand ambassador because she embodies the Ginebra San Miguel brand character—strong, versatile and resilient. She is a complete package. She’s got the beauty and the brains. She is multi-faceted. She’s a singer, an actress and a model. Truly, ‘ganado sa buhay’ and definitely one of the country’s most talented, and hottest up and coming artists,” adds Elises. Other past Ginebra San Miguel calendar girls were former beauty

queens Anjanette Abayari (1994), Alma Concepcion (1995) and Michelle Aldana (1998); former movie stars and TV personalities Janna Victoria (1999), Patricia Javier (2000), singer Geneva Cruz (2001), Rica Peralejo (2002), Aubrey Miles (2003), Belinda Bright and Maricar De Mesa (2004). This year, Ginebra San Miguel has added a different twist to the annual calendar’s promotions. For every purchase of two bottles of Ginebra San Miguel Bilog, Angelito, Frasquito or a bottle of Frasco at 7-Eleven, MiniStop and other participating outlets, consumers will get a limited edition magazine calendar. To add to this sweet deal, each magazine calendar comes with a set of “Ganado coupons,” which offers discounts and freebies or premium merchandise items in selected outlets.

GSM selfie

GSMI’s flagship brand Ginebra San Miguel has been enjoyed by many for over 180 years and remains the no. 1 selling gin in the world according to leading global drinks journal Drinks International. Last year, Ginebra San Miguel launched its “Ganado sa Buhay” campaign, which celebrated the hardworking Filipino worker who is “ganado sa buhay”, who works hard to provide his family a better future. Other GSMI products are GSM Blue, GSM Blue Flavors, Ginebra San Miguel Premium Gin, Don Enrique Mixkila, Antonov Vodka, Vino Kulafu and Primera Light Brandy. For more information, log on to www.ginebrasanmiguel.com or like the official Facebook page www.facebook.com/BarangayGinebra ➜ continued on c7