The Standard - 2015 May 10 - Sunday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 82  3 Sections  24 Pages  P18  SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Mother in the mirror

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Ulirang Ina Awardee: Juliette G. Romualdez

IN REMEMBRANCE. The Sta. Rita Monument has been erected depicting the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

The monument, which was built near the approach of the San Juanico Bridge linking Leyte and Samar, shows a woman holding a statue of the Sto. Nino in her right hand while carrying a child in her left hand. MEL CASPE

SANDIGAN JUSTICE BEATS JBC TOP PICK Next page

DODONG LEAVES THOUSANDS HIGH AND DRY

FIL-AUSSIE KARTER AIMS HIGHER

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

maDonna anD chilD. Poor she may be, but this homeless mother continues to care for her child in an outing on saturday at the seawall in Manila. manny palmero

Palace aware of abas relationshiP with iqbal A WEEK after public speculations on why President Benigno Aquino III appointed littleknown lawyer Sheriff Abas to the Commission on Elections, a Palace official admitted on Saturday that they were aware from the start that Abas is a nephew of Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.

But while Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte did not explain why the Palace did not disclose the matter when the appointments to the Comelec were announced last week, she said that Abas was qualified to sit the Comelec after his stint in the Civil Service Commission.

“I was asked if we knew. Of course, because the vetting of the search committee is quite extensive, and of course in the course of that it was made known to us,” Valte admitted, declining to explain why she, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda and Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. declined to say so when they were asked in the beginning.

“Obviously, what some people are trying to imply is that it was influenced by the MILF, but it was not because you can see also that Commissioner Abbas was already in government,” Valte said.

“He was with the CSC prior to his appointment and most of his professional life has been spent in government as well,” she added, referring to Abas’ 10-year career as a lawyer after he was enrolled in the country’s roster of lawyers in 2005.

But in assailing Abas’ appointment to a constitutional

body like the Comelec, BAP Rep. Silvestre Bello III, a former secretary of justice and also a peace negotiator, said Abas’ relationship with Iqbal was not the problem but his lack of experience.

“His being a nephew of the chief MILF negotiator [Iqbal] is not the cause for concern, but his lack of knowledge and experience of elections laws and procedures,” Bello said, noting that even the leadership of the Muslim Bar Association of the Philippines did not know Abas before his appointment.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, head of the minority bloc’s contingent in the Commission on Appointments, echoed Bello’s concern.

“We will determine if Abas is qualified,” Albano said, referring to the congressional body tasked with approving presidential appointments.

In July last year, Aquino did not reappoint former Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca when the CA bypassed her ad interim appointment although she had already been sitting as a commissioner of the poll body for two years.

Palace sources at that time said Aquino had to name a new appointee because the CA repeatedly bypassed her appointment followed by the filing of a corruption case against her for which Aquino even paid the bail.

On the other hand, even critics of the Comelec appeared ready on Saturday to give newly-appointed Comelec chairman Andres Bautista the benefit of the doubt.

Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

NOY igNOres tOp pick fOr graft cOurt

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ignored the top choice of the Judicial and Bar Council and appointed an assistant solicitor general over three judges and a Department of Justice undersecretary as associate justice of the Sandiganbayan.

“We’d like to announce that the President has appointed the Honorable Sarah Jane T. Fernandez as Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan. The President signed the appointment last May 5, 2015,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced in a radio interview.

It was the first presidential appointment to be announced by the Palace after the public criticism that met the appointment of little-known lawyer Sheriff Abas to the Commission on Elections. He later turned out to be a nephew of Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.

A lawyer since 1994, the 45-yearold Fernandez was chosen from a short-list that included Muntinlupa City Judge Philip A. Aguinaldo, Makati City Judge Mary Ann Manalac, Quezon City Judge Bernelito R. Fernandez and Justice

Undersecretary Jose Justiniano.

Aguinaldo, a former Ilocos regional prosecutor and DOJ senior state prosecutor, was the favored candidate of the JBC with seven votes along with CorpusManalac, 2013 winner of the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for outstanding regional trial court judges.

The two Fernandezes each got six votes while Justiniano had five.

The new Sandiganbayan magistrate is the youngest sister of Dagupan City’s first female mayor Belen Fernandez, president of the CSI mall chain and one of the top ranking officials of the Liberal Party in vote-rich Pangasinan province.

The new magistrate graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree of B.S. Legal Management and was conferred a Juris Doctor degree by the Ateneo in 1994. She also holds a Master

in Management from the Asian Institute of Management and is an alumna of the Divine Word Academy of Dagupan.

The new justice joined the Office of the Solicitor General in 1995 as an associate solicitor and, as a full-pledged solicitor in 2006, was part of the team which successfully defended the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) cases before the Supreme Court.

Like her politician-sister, the new justice also joined public life during the administration of former President Gloria Arroyo, who appointed her assistant solicitor general in 2006.

Valte said Fernandez was chosen to replace Associate Justice Gregory Ong who was dismissed by the Supreme Court last year over his alleged links to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Interestingly, the family of the new justice is closely associated with former Dagupan Mayor Alipio Fernandez and has consistently opposed former Dagupan Mayor Benjamin Lim. Valte said Fernandez’ appointment paper, dated May 8 and signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., has already been sent to Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOROS SEEK INCLUSIVE BBL

By Francisco Tuyay

SINCE the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law will effectively become the “constitution” of a new political entity, the law to be passed

by Congress must be more inclusive than the one proposed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, according to Lanao Sultan Dr. Firdausi Abbas.

“A constitution for the Bangsa Moro proposed and formulated by a handful of Moros who have arrogated unto themselves the authority to represent the Bangsa Moro with a handful of officials selected by Malacañang and brokered by Malaysia is unacceptable,” Abbas said.

The solution to the Moro problem is not military nor in the hands solely of the or MILF or the Moro National Liberation Front, which jointly constitute barely one percent of 12 to 16 million Moros, said Abbas.

Abbas said the problem has many facets and is in the hands of all the sectors of the roughly twelve to sixteen million Moros.

“The proposed agreement between the MILF and the PH is contemplated to be the Bangsa Moro Basic Law and shall be the basis of the new organic act amendatory of Republic Act 9054,” he said, referring to the charter of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“A responsive constitution is necessary to address the ills plaguing the Moro areas and crippling the Bangsa Moro,” but that framework must be cognizant of the Philippine constitution and the country’s territorial integrity, Abbas explained.

He proposed a Bangsa Moro Constitutional Convention which Congress shall convene, where all the Moro sectors, including the revolutionary forces, will have representation.

“It is this Constitution that shall be acceptable to the Bangsa Moro and which they can be proud of. A fundamental law which shall reflect the historicity, identity, aspirations, sentiments, hopes and dreams of the Bangsa Moro.

This is the viable and correct approach and solution,” said Abbas.

At the same time, the MNLF echoed Abbas position and said even if the BBL passes Congress, it will eventually crash if it is not submitted to a national plebiscite that will amend Republic Act 9054, or the ARMM charter.

MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza said dissolving the ARMM and merely replacing it with the Bangsamoro entity would be illegal since ARMM is part of the fundamental law.

“Bangsamoro entity is going to be a new name of the ARMM,” Cerveza said. “Now to do that, the process is amendment, but if you are going to amend the Constitution, it requires a referendum.”

“The BBL can be ratified but you cannot make it replace the ARMM. The moment they change the name, there will be [a constitutional] violation,” Cerveza said.

MOTHERS FOR BBL. In celebration of Mother’s Day, mothers from Christian, Moro and Indigenous Peoples communities from Mindanao express their support for the Bangsamoro Basic Law which they think will result in lasting peace. The mothers were accompanied by Akbayan leader Risa Hontiveros (center) in planting tree seedlings to symbolize how passing the BBL will sow and nurture hope and peace in Muslim Mindanao. MANNY PALMERO

US hits China sea reclamation anew WASHINGTON—China has dramatically ramped up its land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea this year, building artificial islands at an unprecedented pace to bolster its territorial claims in the disputed area, according to US officials.

The rapid construction of artificial islands in the strategic waters comes to 2,000 acres (800 hectares), with 75 percent of the total in the last five months, officials said.

“China has expanded the acreage on the outposts it occupies by some four hundred times,” said a US defense official.

The United States did not endorse land reclamation by any of the countries with territorial claims in the South China Sea, but “the pace and scale of China’s land reclamation in recent years dwarfs that of any other claimant,” the official said.

The South China Sea is home to strategically vital shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Washington is concerned

China’s efforts carry a military dimension that could undermine America’s naval and economic power in the Pacific.

The commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Harry Harris, said in March that China is “creating a Great wall of sand.”

US officials released the reclamation estimate as the Pentagon issued its annual report to Congress on the state of China’s military, which repeated accusations that Beijing was staging cyber attacks to scoop up information on American defense programs.

The report also warned that China has made major strides with a range of satellites as well as antisatellite jammers, saying it now had “the most dynamic space program in the world today.”

Previous reports have noted China’s focus on cyber and space weapons but this year’s document included a special section on the country’s massive dredging and is-

land building in the strategic South China Sea. At four reclamation sites, China has moved from dredging operations to “infrastructure development” that could include harbors, communications and surveillance systems, logistics support and “at least one airfield,” the report said.

The Chinese have excavated deep channels that could accommodate larger ships to the outposts, it said.

The ultimate purpose of the effort remains unclear but analysts outside China say Beijing is “attempting to change facts on the ground by improving its defense infrastructure in the South China Sea,” the report said.

Unlike other countries making claims in the area, China at the moment does not have an airfield or “secure docking” at its outposts and the reclamation operations may be aimed at ending that disparity, it said. AFP

STATE cONdOLENcES. Former Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik (right) offers his condolences to

representatives of the Philippines Embassy in Islamabad after the death of Ambassador Domingo D. Lucenario Jr, who was killed in an army helicopter crash in northern Pakistan. The Pakistani government said they are investigating what caused the helicopter to crash, killing seven people including several foreign diplomats, as flags flew at half mast on a national day of mourning. AFP

Remains of killed PH envoy back Friday

By Vito Barcelo THE remains of Philippine ambassador to Pakistan Domingo Lucenario Jr., who was killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan on Friday, will be sent back to the country in a few days, the Department of Foreign Affairs said as Islamabad dismissed the claims of the terrorist Taliban that it shot down the helicopter carrying the Filipino ambassador and 15 other people.

The DFA said it is now arranging the immediate repatriation of Lucenario’s remains, now in a military base in Pakistan and the Pakistani government has assured that the remains of the six people who died in the crash will be accorded full honor and respect.

“This is a moment of grief. All the bodies have arrived. We are in touch with the embassies” of the dead foreigners, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistani ministers and senior officials will accompany the dead bodies to their respective countries.

He said the bodies of the foreigners would be kept at a military hospital until arrangements are finalized to dispatch them to their countries.

Twelve people who were injured in the crash also arrived at the military base outside of Islamabad in a C-130 plane. The dead were killed when a Pakistani army helicopter carrying them made a crash landing in the country’s north.

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opinion [ EDI TORI A L ]

His uncle’s nepHew

Answers are emerging after the initial mystery that surrounded the appointment of 36-year-old lawyer sheriff Abas to the Commission on elections.

The generally positive feedback over the choice of Chairman Andres Bautista to head the Comelec soon dissipated after people complained of the scant information on Abas.

It turned out that not even employees and officials of the Comelec had any idea about who he was, or what his credentials were.

He did not report for work immediately, either, whereas his fellow new commissioners, recognizing the great challenges the Comelec faces at this point, hit the ground running soon after being sworn to office.

Before the week was over, and after much speculation, he did show up and confirmed what many had suspected all along upon hearing his last name.

Abas is also the surname of a man named Datucan, whom most of us know as the chief negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Mohagher Iqbal. The peace talks with the MILF, expected to culminate in the establishment of a Bangsamoro juridical entity, have hit a snag with the numerous questionable, and many say unconstitutional, provisions of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law now being deliberated by Congress.

Once the law is passed—as no less than the President said it must—a plebiscite will be conducted among the affected population to see whether they indeed want the autonomous entity designed to replace what is now the Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.

Again the Aquino administration scores points for its lack of forthrightness; it perhaps knew that the appointment of an Iqbal nephew would raise more doubts on the peace process.

A group advocating clean and credible elections slammed the appointment as “unethical.” what is particularly galling here is not the act, per se, of being influential enough to place an Iqbal nephew in the commission, but the apparent intent to appease the MILF some more after coming to its defense too often, and too much.

The Philippine government has bent over backwards for its counterpart, starting from the provisions of the BBL clearly skewed towards the latter’s benefit, the tolerance for the aliases of its top officials, and the failure to exact accountability despite obvious abuses committed in Mamasapano in January.

This appointment will of course be scrutinized by the Commission on Appointments at the appropriate time. we can cross our fingers that the CA members would be as judicious as to evaluate whether Commisioner Abas’ credentials are enough to assure us of his effectiveness, or whether it’s getting on the good side of his uncle-of-manynames that is the top consideration.

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The many manifesTaTions of haTe Let’s first talk about the case of Kosin Prasertsri, more popularly known as Koko narak. The Thai national posted comments on a soBOnG c. cial media account deemed insultAusTeRO ing, derogatory, and racist by many Filipinos. Calling Filipinos “PigsrACIsM, bigotry, and the other noys,” narak went berserk spewbehavioral manifestations of hate ing what he tried to justify later and immaturity had most of us bothered, confused, and confounded in the last few days.

I am sure many parents who are serious about helping their But in the same kids grow up to become better people had a difficult time try- week that our blood ing to explain the uproar over the boiled over narak’s seeming bigoted or racist comments spewed by a Thai national tortured verbal on a social media account, and diarrhea, many then by the prejudiced attacks by many Filipinos, including ce- Filipinos went into a lebrities, directed at Floyd Maysimilar frenzy, this weather in the aftermath of that heartbreaking and infuriating retime alternately sult of the supposed Fight of the mocking or bashing Century. To make matters worse, when Philippine authorities did Mayweather for try to do what they thought was supposedly being right or necessary by deporting the Thai national and showing a lesser person, or pictures of the guy in handcuffs at least, a lesser at the airport, there was also a corresponding uproar, with many fighter.

Filipinos calling to task the Philippine government for what they thought was a disproportionate reaction.

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as frankness and attempts at humor on his part. when we really come to think about it, the things he said did have some basis; they represented some of our frailties as a people. However, narak went beyond socially acceptable norms. First, he is a guest in the country and guests don’t typically diss their hosts. second, whatever good or non-malicious intent was overshadowed by the seeming recklessness in how he expressed himself. His observations were coached in ways that seemed to taunt and belittle rather than simply criticize. And finally, anyone who wants to express an opinion publicly, particularly if the opinion aims to assert a certain degree of superiority, must establish a certain degree of credibility.

Like I always tell my students, if you must criticize, do it well —argue fairly, express yourself clearly and logically, and please check your grammar and spelling. It’s not exactly the best rebuttal, but it’s difficult to argue with someone who pontificates about how “an author who could not even be bothered to get his spelling and grammar right cannot be taken seriously.” narak, quite frankly, expressed himself in ways that would give english teachers anywhere a massive coronary attack.

Continued on A6

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

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The many..From A4

CHASING HAPPY

SURROGATE MOMS

ADELLE CHUA MOTHER’S Day is usually spent in tribute to biological mothers—those who lovingly raised and nurtured their children after carrying them for nine months and then bringing them into the world.

This year I would like to remember those who are not moms—not our own, at least—who nonetheless act (or acted) as though they were.

Grandmothers and other family members I for one was a Lola’s girl, raised by my mother’s mother. I lived in her house and played by her rules. Because Mom had remarried and established another home, I grew up under the strict but loving supervision of my Lola Deling.

Plenty of other children grow up this way. Because their own mothers and fathers are away for a whole lot of reasons, their grandmothers (or aunts/sisters/ cousins) step up to the role of not only caring for them and making sure all basic needs are met. More importantly, they guide them and impart to them the right values.

Workers who care for the children of others When my sister was a toddler, a sure way to make her cry—no, get hysterical —was to tell her that her yaya, Ate Malou, was going away to get married.

In a country where household help is common place, and where helpers are often treated as an extension of family, the ates and the yayas sometimes spend more time with the children and know them better than their own parents do.

Ate Malou was single at the time she was caring for my sister. But think of the other women, with children of their own, who go away—to the big city or in another country altogether—to care for the children of others while wondering whether their own kids are loved and cared for back home.

Our godmothers Just recently I was overjoyed to discover that at my age I still had a godmother. My Ninang Vangie was Mom’s colleague and dear friend in the late 1980s and early 90s, and she stood as one of my confirmation sponsors. I attended their group’s reunion last month, and I felt I could just sit there and observe and take their animated conversation in.

These were people who knew my Mom in the way I did not know her (I was 16 when she passed on); it was like a portal to another world.

It’s been many years, but I instantly remembered Ninang Vangie and felt instantly close to her. We sat together for awhile as I updated her on what had become of that chubby little girl she used to see, and she dished out precious advice on how to go about my personal and professional life.

I should go and see her again for lunch or coffee soon.

Our children’s godmothers – our friends My children’s ninangs are mostly people I’ve known and kept up friendships with for decades. When we get together, there are automatic updates on how our kids are doing. Sometimes my children

would be embarrassed that I divulge details of their private lives to these women —but no, I say, their ninangs are family.

You love your godmother not because of the trinkets they give you at Christmas, but because you know that they are indeed your second set of parents.

Because I’ve known my friends so long, they are like me, they can stand for me, and they have the best interests of my kids in mind.

The mothers of our friends The mother of one of my best friends passed on this week. My friend flew back from Canada, where she lives and works, for the wake and funeral. I found myself profoundly saddened at the death of Tita Myrna—and my other friends’ parents who have gone ahead.

We’ve known our friends’ mothers perhaps as long as we’ve known our friends themselves. Since most of my friends are girls I’ve known since grade school, it follows that I’ve been seeing their mothers as well, on and off, since those years. Every shared occasion—first communion, recognition day, graduation—they were there. They received me warmly in their homes, shared their food, asked me about my life, gave advice on how to proceed, and treated me as their own daughter.

Yes, hearing about a friend’s parent’s death is like losing a parent all over again.

Mothers, biological or otherwise, are gems. Here’s to being reminded of how precious they are, today and every day. adellechua@gmail.com

SANCTIONS AREN’T STOPPING NORTH KOREAN NUKES ALARMING new estimates of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have emerged in recent weeks. The country may already have as many as 20 nuclear warheads and could produce enough fissile material to double that number by next year, according to Chinese experts.

It probably has the ability to miniaturize the warheads and deliver them by intercontinental ballistic missile to U.S. territory, a top U.S. general claims. And various studies predict a scary future if the North’s weapons programs continue unimpeded: By 2020, Pyongyang could have 100 nuclear warheads, about as many as India and Pakistan each have today.

Whether such estimates prove accurate, one thing is clear: The sanctions now in place against North Korea aren’t likely to keep the stockpile from growing or force a change in the regime’s thinking. Under Kim Jong Un, the North has pursued a dual-track policy of nuclear development and economic reforms, with apparent suc-

cess. Some experts suggest economic growth could reach 4 to 5 percent this year if, as signs indicate, farmers are allowed to keep even more of the earnings from their crops.

An urban middle class appears to be thriving: Imports of Chinese cigars, wristwatches, cosmetics and LCD televisions are all up.

There’s little sign that the regime faces internal resistance. The usual speculation that Kim may not be fully in control in Pyongyang has been revived by his decision not to attend World War II anniversary ceremonies in Moscow this weekend -- in what would have been his first overseas trip since ascending to power. Others, however, point to Kim’s unusually heavy reshuffling of top lieutenants as evidence that potential rivals are being eliminated. Certainly the government seems confident enough to slightly relax its grip on the wider populace, as citizens take advantage of nascent market reforms.

Under these circumstances, it’s counterproductive to

focus exclusively on rolling back the nuclear program -- what negotiators refer to as “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.” Kim -- or whoever is in charge -- isn’t about to negotiate away the country’s nuclear deterrent, its only real insurance against a U.S. attack.

Instead, the world needs to work on two levels: containing the threat posed by Kim’s arsenal while exploiting his reforms in order to crack open North Korean society.

The U.S. should press for even stricter international cooperation to keep the North from importing nuclear technologies and expertise, in hopes of slowing down the program.

At the same time, it should move ahead with plans to install new missile-defense systems in the region. Efforts to improve intelligence and defense coordination among South Korea, Japan and the U.S. should be redoubled.

China could help -- not by cutting off all support for the North (which it wouldn’t do), but by continuing to lean on Kim to forgo nuclear

and long-range missile tests.

Fissile material is one thing; without repeated testing of both warheads and missiles, the chances of a North Korean ICBM making it across the Pacific and landing anywhere near its target necessarily decline.

Although not ideal, a freeze on the program may for now be the most realistic goal. Meanwhile, the U.S. and others should hone a more sophisticated carrotand-stick strategy to take advantage of Kim’s increasing need for outside investment. While continuing to hammer the regime for its ongoing human-rights abuses, the world should stoke the hopes and desires of North Korea’s people for a better life, whether by exposing them to more information or dangling the prospect of greater economic and trade links. Ultimately, this greater openness and the North Koreans’ own rising expectations represent the most sustainable threat to the Kim dynasty.

Bloomberg

But in the same week that our blood boiled over Narak’s tortured verbal diarrhea, many Filipinos went into a similar frenzy, this time alternately mocking or bashing Mayweather for supposedly being a lesser person, or at least, a lesser fighter. Many of the comments were shamelessly racist such as those that mocked the color of his skin, or his thick lips, or the way he spoke. And then there were the many comments that clearly reeked of prejudice. For example, relating Mayweather’s supposed predilection for evading punches by “dancing around” and his strategy of “hugging” Pacquiao as characteristics of gay people was a gross generalization that demeaned and derogated gay people. Why should presumed cowardice, deviousness, and lack of aggressiveness be equated with gay people?

So while Narak’s comments were infuriating and deserved condemnation (I am not sure though if it was criminal, or if the swift punishment meted out by the Philippine government was fair), it is important that we also examine our own tendencies to indulge in the same behavior.

Quite frankly, I know so many people – many of them people who flaunt their supposed impeccable credentials as professionals or their advanced education – who routinely make reckless, tactless, and often plainly prejudiced or bigoted comments directed at our leaders, certain sectors of Philippine society particularly the socially or economically disadvantaged, and yes, marginalized communities. Someone I know, for example, who ironically claims to champion the welfare of the poor, thinks nothing of belittling poor people for the supposed inconvenience they cause to working people such as overloading public transportation, clogging roads, or flooding the Internet with supposedly inane commentary, as if projecting one’s prejudice and negativity is a better alternative to someone’s jologs commentary.

I agree, this thing called political correctness is something we are still trying to get better at.

However, while I do think that a large part of the issue has to do with political correctness, I maintain that the more effective and proactive response is not just to teach people the nuances of political correctness but to help them become more sensitive to and appreciative of diversity issues. Merely telling people to tone down their bigotry does not eradicate the problem but helping them get over their prejudices may be a more helpful approach.

We need to constantly remind people of three things. Before spewing hateful or critical comments particularly when one is emotionally agitated, think first: What good will your comments do to yourself and to others? Second, contrary to what you think, the Internet or your social networking site is not really private – while not all people you hurt or offend will take steps to let you know of their feelings, ugly feelings don’t die.

They fester and resurface in far more uglier ways. The universe does know how to return a favor and karma does get around fast. And finally, prejudice and racism, among others, come from the same source and are manifestations of the same virus – it’s called hate.

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NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

storm dodong leaves thousands high, dry

Two miners’ homes yield arms cache By alvin t. Guanzon SANTIAGO, Agusan del Norte— A CACHE of firearms, ammunitions and explosives were seized by police from two miners in a mining village on Wednesday.

A joint team of probers and regional police officeon swooped down on two houses of miners who own mining tunnels in Barangay E. Morgado.

Police chief Inspector Ernesto Telano identified the owner of the houses as Roger Montesclaros, 53, married and Isagane Sabas Montesclaros, 30, also married. Both are residents of Purok-4, Barangay E. Morgado, Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

Police were armed with Search Warrants against the suspects issued by Butuan City RTC Judge Eduardo Casals for violation of R.A. 10591 (Illegal Possession Firearms and Ammunitions) and another was issued for violation of R.A. 9516 (Illegal possession of explosives and Incendiary Device).

Telano said that while the father Roger Montesclaros, 53, was arrested, his son Isagane ecaped. Found in Isagane’s house were two pieces of hand grenade, one KG9 submachine gun, two .45 caliber pistols, two .38 caliber pistols, KG9 silencers and two shotguns along with two boxes of live ammunition.

Seized from Roger were the following; .45 caliber pistol model 1911-A1 ; seven pieces of ammunition, .45 cal magazine; one (1) unit.

Cal.45 pistol ARMSCOR brand; a piece of .45 caliber magazine for Armscor .45 cal pistol and seven bullets of caliber .45 ammunition.

stranded.Trucks and bus units form long lines on saturday while hundreds of passengers (inset) bound for samar while away time at matnog port. Thousands more of passengers didn’t make the trip as all sea vessels were not allowed to travel because of typhoon dodong. danny paTa

Three provinces were placed under storm signal No. 3 while ferry services were shut down and some seaside communities were warned they could be swamped by large waves as Typhoon Dodong (international name: Noul) drew closer to the Philippines on Saturday, officials said.

Weathermen warned of “heavy to intense rainfall” within the 200km diameter of Dodong and took note that storm surges as high as 2.5 meters were possible over the easter coast of Camarines Sur, Quezon and Isabela provinces.

Cagayan, Isabela and Aurora, now under storm signal 3, could experience winds of up to 185 km per hour, weathermen said.

“Dodong” was headed toward the mountainous north of Luzon island bringing with it maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour, the state weather service said.

“Our advice is for people on the eastern seaboard to avoid outdoor activities,” forecaster Fernando Cada told AFP, while adding there was a possibility the typhoon could weaken as it nears land.

Storm surges -- tsunami-like waves generated by powerful typhoons -- that could reach 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) in height are forecast in Isabela province and two other areas of Luzon, he added.

He said heavy rain that could trigger floods and landslides was also forecast near the eye of Noul, which could veer northeast towards southern Taiwan after running into Luzon’s mountain ranges.

The coastguard said it has shut down ferry services on the threatened areas, leaving nearly 6,000 commuters stranded at ports according to a tally by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Several hundred people living at a farming hamlet below the restive Bulusan volcano on Luzon island’s southeastern tip were also evacuated Friday due to the potential threat of mudflows from accumulated ash deposits on its slopes.

Storms and typhoons routinely kill hundreds of people in the Philippines each year.

In November 2013 storm surges were the main killers as Super Storm Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines, leaving more than 7,350 people dead or missing. aFP, Pna

FugiTive recruiTer sighTed in spain

By Joel e. Zurbano GLOBAL Alliance of overseas Filipinos—Migrante International— urged the Department of Justice to move for the arrest of Isidro Rodriguez, who was indicted for large-scale illegal recruitment and syndicated estafa.

Rodriguez, who victimized some 500 Filipino teachers in the Philippines and in the United States through his agency, was recently sighted in Granada, Spain, the group said.

“We call on the DoJ and concerned government agencies to take urgent action. We will continue to be vigilant until justice for all

victims is served,” said Migrante in a statement.

The group also welcomed the department’s April 30, 2015 resolution indicting Rodriguez for largescale illegal recruitment and syndicated estafa. It said the resolution was in response to the consolidated complaint filed by Batch 6 of Filipino teachers duped by Rodriguez.

“This is an initial victory for our trafficked teachers. We await and continue to demand positive resolutions on the motion for reconsideration we filed on their trafficking cases,” said Sol Pillas, Migrante International secretary-general.

Rodriguez allegedly victimized Filipino licensed and pro-

fessional teachers through his agency, Renaissance Staffing and Support, Inc., formerly Great Provider Service Exporters, Inc., with its US partner Green Life Care International, LLC. The Philippine Embassy in the US said that Rodriguez tops its list of most notorious illegal recruiters and traffickers.

Migrante said that Rodriguez promised his victims teaching positions in different schools in the US, only later to learn that the jobs were fictitious and all part of a grand trafficking scheme. He was able to collect a staggering average of P500,000 from each of them as payments for their “processing,

service, pick-up, housing and interview fees”.

Migrante said most of the payments came from hard-earned savings, while majority of the victims resorted to borrowing money from relatives and friends, banks and loan institutions with high interest rates.

Last November, a Manila regional trial court sentenced Rodriguez to 11 years in prison for victimizing a Filipina teacher. The victims bewailed the decision because Rodriguez was convicted for just one crime when he has numerous other pending cases of large-scale and syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa lodged against him.

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editorial@the standard.com.ph

Ulirang ina awardee: JUliette g. romUaldez WhAT makes a woman an ideal mother, an “Ulirang Ina”?

Juliette Gomez Romualdez is best known, not for hogging the limelight, but for staying in the background. She has inspired and encouraged her loved ones to make a difference in the world, and shine.

Like the song, she was the “wind beneath their wings.”

As wife to an Ambassador and Leyte Governor, the late Benjamin “Kokoy” Trinidad Romualdez, she was always gracious and pleasant, espousing diplomacy in her own sphere and coping with the demands of being the constant companion of a complex, busy man.

Whether at home or in the community, here or abroad, she was enthusiastic and diligent in carrying out her role.

As a mother, she was a calming presence and a steadfast anchor. She was – still is – the number one cheerleader of her children.

Daniel Andrew G. Romualdez, a wellknown Architect in New York; Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez, President and CeO -

Benguet Corporation, President - Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, and DirectorPhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, married to Maria Alexandra ”Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez; Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, a member of the

house representing the First District of Leyte, married to Yedda Marie KittiltsvedtRomualdez; and Maria Remedios Paz “Marean” G. Romualdez-Pompidou, an International Banker and Investor, married to Thomas Piere Leon Pompidou.

As a mother-in-law, she is an example of grace, love and devotion to her family.

And as a grandmother, she is the eversupportive “Lola” to her all nine beautiful grandchildren.

It is thus not surprising that all of her four children are successful in their chosen fields. Look at them now.

They are accomplished professionals, intellectuals, public servants, community leaders. At the same time, they have remained humble citizens, finding meaning in giving of themselves and doing many things for other people.

Despite the demands of their work, they place a premium on their time with family and recognize that truly, the best and the brightest are bred at home. Their mother taught them this, not only in words but also in loving example.

She studied to be an educator at Maryknoll College, year 1957.

She ended up, instead, as a molder of leaders.

Indeed, she gave her children wings to fly, and roots to keep them grounded to where they began.

These days, our awardee can afford to sit back and enjoy the rewards of her full but challenging life. But no – perhaps out of habit, or out of her nature, she continues to reach out to many around her, touching their lives and empowering them to conquer their own mountains.

She continues to shine as she performs her civic and religious duties, taking to heart her belief that we can worship our Maker not by grand schemes but through the simple, everyday things.

Note: The Foundation President, which set up the National Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Foundation Inc. in 1994, will honor Romualdez during the awarding ceremony to be held today, May 10, 2015 at 8:30 a.m., Centennial hall, Manila hotel in commemoration of the international celebration of Mother’s Day.

‘No price tag oN sacrameNts’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

The Roman Catholic Church may scrap the fixed-donations and sacramental fees among the faithfuls to enhance the credibility of the Filipino prelates and make them more “Christ-like”.

In a statement posted on the Website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Socrates Villegas urged his fellow priest not to require the faithfuls to give fixed donations for fees.

Villegas stressed that once the fees are abolished, the Church will not become poor. “It is a test to the faithfuls about their “Pananabangan” or stewardship in Christ, he added.

The CBCP president also believed that scrapping the sacrament fees would make the Church “more credible, more prophetic and more Christ like”.

“The Church will not get poorer with Pananabangan. The Church will become more credible, more prophetic and more Christ like with Pananabangan.

The arancel system is both a painful scourge on the long suffering people and a shameful stain in the vestments of the Church’s ministers. The arancel imprints an invisible and foul price tag on our priestly stole. It has been tolerated but in the beginning it was not so,” Villegas pointed out.

Villegas also lamented how the practice of having fixed rates for the sacraments and sacramentals “smacks of bad taste and intellectual dishonesty” on the part of the Church,

pointing out that blessings and sacraments “must not appear as religious services rendered in exchange for fees”.

“Giving to the Church must become a regular habit with or without the sacraments. It is certainly true that the sacraments and blessings of the Church are not a reward for a virtue nor a prize for being good,” he said. “ In the same way, the blessings and sacraments of the Church must not appear as religious services rendered in exchange for fees. It is the duty of the priest to offer them. It is the duty of every child of the Church to sustain their Mother diligently and generously,” he explained.

Stressing Pananabangan is “not about money,” Villegas also stated it is the perennial issue about finances that becomes the test if stewardship has indeed been taken to heart among the faithfuls. he also reminded the faithfuls that a clear sign of this spirit is their fidelity to the abolition of the arancel.

Villegas, being true to his words, has recently made a new policy in his archdiocese which was indicated in the computerized parish accounting system that the parish offices should not require parishioners to make “fixed donations” for Church services.

MOTHER’S DAY EVE PROTEST. members of the suspend K-12 coalition led by council of teachers and staff of

colleges and Universities in the philippines take time off their motherly duties to join a protest rally at the liwasang Bonifacio in manila in a collective stand against the full implementation of the K-12 law. MANNY PALMERO

mmda fields elite groUp for apec

By Joel E. Zurbano The Metro Manila Development Authority has deployed its elite group Task Force Phantom to Aklan to provide security to delegates of the Asia Pacific economic Cooperation who are meeting in Boracay Island.

The summit, which will see 1,500 delegates from the 21 APeC economies taking part, will be staged from May 10 to 21 and May 23 to 24.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the APeC Senior Officials’ Meeting and delegates will continue the discussions that began last December at the Informal Senior Officials’ Meet-

ing in Manila.

Chairman Francis Tolentino said his men, composed of 18 traffic constables and highway patrol group personnel, are tasked to assist the local government units in the province to manage traffic and the crowd while the rest will be providing motorcycle escort security for the delegates.

The MMDA chief also sent personnel from the agency’s Metrobase Operation and Road emergency Group to help in monitoring traffic situation and respond to emergency cases.

In November, the MMDA formed and activated “Phantom” to implement traffic and security management measures for the five-day visit

of Pope Francis, Feast of the Black Nazarene and APeC. According to a July 22, 2014 memorandum from executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to organizers of the APeC 2015 meetings, the areas chosen for the APeC meetings include Metro Manila, the resort island of Boracay, Iloilo City, Tagaytay City, Cebu City, Bagac town in Bataan, Angeles City and Legazpi City.

The meetings will be the second high-profile global event that the country will be hosting after the World economic Forum on east Asia last May where the Aquino administration trumpeted the Philippines as the “next Asian miracle.”

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

BUSINESS FORBES

Media LLC launched the Philippine edition of Forbes magazine on May 5, 2015, believing that the country is ripe for business and has an expanding base of affluent business leaders, investors, chief executives and entrepreneurs.

Forbes Media LLC vice chairman Christopher Forbes (right) and chief executive for Asia William Adamopoulos show the maiden issue of Forbes Philippines during an interview with The Standard at Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

LINO SANTOS

No less than Forbes Media vice chairman Christopher Forbes and chief executive for Asia William Adamopoulos came to the grand launching at Makati Shangri La Hotel in Makati City, which was attended by the country’s richest and most influential businessmen and decision makers from the government.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who was a guess speaker during the launch, said the opening of the Philippine edition was good for the country. “I looked at the list of 37 or so countries that have an edition of Forbes. And, we looked at the growth rate of those countries around the world. We realized that the average growth rate of those countries is 2.9 percent, which is higher than the average world GDP growth rate of 2.3 percent,” Purisima said.

WHY FORBES MAGAZINE

OPENED PHILIPPINE EDITION

“So I think the presence of Forbes in the Philippines augurs well because they’ve shown that they know how to pick countries. They are present in four of the ten Asean countries. In fact, they are in the largest Asean markets. Since 2010, the number of Asean billionaires has actually increased from 25 to 82. And the number of Philippine billionaires increased from 2 to 11.

Most of them are here today,” he said.

In an exclusive interview with The Standard on May 6, Forbes and Adamopoulos discussed the reasons why Forbes Media decided to team up with Summit Media Inc. of the Gokongwei group in publishing the Philippine edition of the prestigious business magazine. It is the 38th international edition of the original US magazine, catering to the affluent society and business community.

Christopher “Kip” Forbes, 64, is a grandson of Bertie Charles Forbes, a financial journalist and author who founded Forbes magazine

in 1917.

Kip, who graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Art History, has served on the boards of a number of museums in the US and other countries. He is based in Jersey City.

Kip Forbes was awarded the rank of Officier of the Legion of Honor by the French government. He is also a Knight of The Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Adamopoulos, who graduated with a degree in Economics from Harvard College in 1984, is based in Singapore. Prior to establishing Asian headquarters of Forbes in 1999, he had served as the publisher and managing director of The Asian Wall Street Journal and the president of Dow Jones Publishing Company (Asia).

Aside from being the chief executive for Asia of Forbes Media, Adamopoulos is the president and publisher of Forbes Asia. He is also responsible for the annual Forbes Global CEO Conference.

We will have three quarters of the content on the local market, on local companies and local entrepreneurs.

Below is an excerpt of the interview with Adamopoulos and Forbes at the business center of Makati Shangri La Hotel on May 6.

How did the Philippine business community welcome the launch of Forbes Philippines?

Forbes: It was a great party, and if we write about the people who were there, we would have enough materials for the next two years. That

was very enthusiastic (response) based on the crowd.

Adamopoulos: We got a lot of support from the business community—the tycoons, CEOs, entrepreneurs and some of the figures in government, Treasury, and the governor of the Central Bank. It was a wonderful showing of support. We welcome the support.

What type of articles can readers expect from Forbes Philippines?

What makes it different from other Forbes titles?

Adamopoulos: We will have stories on CEOs, entrepreneurs, technology investing, the kind of Forbes’ formula or DNA formed throughout the world. We got a great team here.

We have a very strong editor, Roel (Landingin).

It is gonna focus primarily on the Philippines. It will pick up a bit on Forbes US, but I think we will have three quarters of the content on the local market, on local companies and local entrepreneurs.

CONTINUED ON B3

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

HOW USED COOKING OIL POWERS BORACAY RESORT

It’s not about the money. We should all do our share to preserve Boracay.

Renergy System

By Alena Mae S. Flores

A FIRST-RATE resort in Boracay is showing the way to help

preserve the country’s prime beach destination, by tapping used cooking oil to produce energy and light up its facilities.

As the resort island continues to see increased commercialization, so is the need to minimize the impact of development on the environment of Boracay. With more resorts and restaurants being built around the island to cater to the increasing number of tourists, the outflow of used cooking oil to the sea has become a growing concern.

The seemingly unstoppable commercialization is now threatening Boracay’s famous white beaches and clear seawater.

Ambassador in Paradise Resort, Boracay

Boracay has also been suffering from intermittent power supply which has forced resorts and hotels to acquire and maintain generator sets to avoid inconveniencing their guests.

To address these concerns, Ambassador in Paradise Resort in Boracay, located at Station 1, took a leap of faith last year and installed a technology invented by Renergy System of Japan that allows the use of waste cooking oil as fuel for generators.

A year later, the 60-room Ambassador in Paradise Resort, considered one

of Boracay’s AAA establishments, showcased the successful utilization of the Renergy System.

Renergy System is a fuel control device that enables the use of waste cooking oil as fuel for the generators without a chemical process.

Renergy installs the system in the generator of the hotel and uses waste cooking oil as fuel (about 70 percent), instead of pure diesel.

“Renergy System is waste to energy simplified…It is an effective means of waste management…We believe our device can solve the commercial waste problem in Boracay,” Renergy System general manager Jay Carandang said.

By using waste cooking oil to power the generators, Renergy System prevents the waste cooking oil from going back to the food chain or being improperly disposed of.

“We remove the dilemma of resorts on their waste oil disposal,” Carandang said.

Renergy System collects the waste cooking oil from the hotels and restaurants to ensure sustainability of fuel supply for the generating sets.

Carandang said the system could be replicated in other resort islands aside from Boracay as long as there was a steady supply of waste cooking oil.

Ambassador Resort in the process has secured its own power supply.

Whenever there is a shortage of power supply to Boracay, the entire resort can be powered by the generating sets using 70-percent waste cooking oil.

Ambassador in Paradise chairman and chief executive Joop Van der Tak takes pride for the eco-friendly resort, which has also been using electric cars and solar cars to ferry guests since 2010.

It has also tapped solar power for its water heating system since 2011.

Van der Tak said when Renergy System presented its technology to Ambassador in Paradise, he believed it was the right way to go.

He said preserving Boracay’s pristine beauty should be the priority of resorts on the island.

“It’s not about the money. We should all do our share to preserve Boracay,” he said.

SUNDAY: MAY 10, 2015

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

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WHY FORBES MAGAZINE OPENED PHILIPPINE EDITION FROM B1

Why did you decide to establish a Philippine edition?

Adamopoulos: It comes down to several factors. One, is the market receptive to Forbes promoting entrepreneurial capitalism? Two, can we find the right partner?

Three, do we have the right editor who understands Forbes’ brand of journalism. All those line up beautifully and we are here. From the folks that convened last night, you can see that the business community is welcoming Forbes with open arms.

Forbes: Smartest thing I did was make sure Mr. Adamopoulos is president of Forbes Asia.

Do you think that there are enough business stories here that will interest the typical Forbes readers?

Adamopoulos: It will be a monthly magazine. The editorial team is quite confident. We will have a lot of stories about people on the way up, or very aspirational aspects of Forbes. So we will give stories on aspiring entrepreneurs.

Forbes: We just don’t tell them how to make money. We also tell them how to spend it.

What types of companies do you target as advertisers?

Adamopoulos: The magazine, as it does around the world, attracts a very high-end audience—business leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs. That will attract advertising-based (industries), whether it is high-end real estate, private banking, highend travel and so on. The showing of the first issue was very strong. We have very high hopes for the edition.

What does it say to the world when Forbes magazine opens a country edition?

Adamopoulos: The remarks of Secretary Purisima last night explain it better. He looked at the countries that have Forbes editions around the world, in the 37 countries before, now 38 (with Philippines edition). The secretary pointed out that the GDP of the countries that have Forbes editions is higher than the rest of the world. It is a fun and interesting quote. He had a wonderful speech.

Is the Philippines ripe for business?

Adamopoulos: Yes, absolutely.

The Philippine economy has been one of the strongest in the region, and around the world for several years now. And a lot of business leaders around the world are taking interest.

It is also one of the reasons why we are having Forbes Global CEO Conference in Manila for the first time ever in October. We will convene some 400 CEOs, business leaders and tycoons from around the world, coming here to Manila.

Many of them who were personally invited to come to the conference are intrigued. They said ‘I have not been in Manila in a while, but I understand that the economy is very strong. I wanna come.’ So I think we will have a good group coming here, including Mr. Steve Forbes. He’s got some policy recommendations (in

Forbes Media vice chairman Christopher Forbes speaks during an interview at Makati Shangri-La Hotel. LINO SANTOS

his column) that are quite intriguing.

You may quote from that as well.

What is the theme of the Global CEO Conference?

Adamopoulos: Well, the theme is ‘Toward a winning vision.’ It is about visionary leadership for companies, CEOs and for countries.

Why did you decide to team up with Summit Media?

Adamopoulos: Summit Media has a very strong team, with some 20 titles in a wide range of topics. (Summit Media president) Lisa Gokongwei, I have known her for some time. She has a strong leadership. We are very pleased to be working with her.

How do you see the Philippine economy performing in the years ahead?

Adamopoulos: We are quite bullish on the economy here. It is expected to outperform much of the region for several years to come.

Do you expect the number of billionaires in the Philippines to increase?

Adamopoulos: The number of billionaires across Southeast Asia is growing, part of it in the last few years in the Philippines. With the growth of the economy, the rich list is often a barometer of economic success of a country. These are some of the most

creative entrepreneurs in the country and their growing businesses bring new jobs and contribute to welfare of society in a very positive way. It is also a reflection of GDP. If you are bullish on the Philippine economy as we are, then we expect to see that there will be more billionaires joining the ranks in the years to come.

How do you put value on the wealth of individuals?

Forbes: (We do it) carefully, with a lot of resources and a lot of effort.

Some people and some businesses want you to think they have more money than they do and others are very cautious about (disclosing), for a variety of reasons.

Over the years, we put a lot of resources and editorial perseverance to persuade even those reluctant in some ways that having great wealth is a responsibility and it is harder and harder to hide. And if they are hiding it, why?

What about those who choose to keep their companies private?

Adamopoulos: If they are all private, it is a bigger challenge for our editors. But we also have many people on the list that are completely private.

Forbes: Just because they are private does not mean there are

no public companies that you can benchmark against. It is a part of our science. Over the years, our editors had a lot of experience.

Adamopoulos: Over the years, the list gets stronger and stronger and more accurate. It is never finished.

We are looking for new people. In certain markets, the acceptance of the list moved faster than the others.

It is broadly established now.

What is the secret behind the success of Forbes magazine, which is nearly a century-old now?

Forbes: It is brilliant management (with chuckle). We are sticking to the founding principles my late grandfather instilled in the magazine from the very beginning.

His premise was that business was not just about piling up wealth. It is about creating happiness, creating jobs and the worst thing for capitalism is bad capitalist.

Sticking to that, and with a little bit of luck, we survived the depression.

It wasn’t pretty from being a traditional print product to being much bigger on the web. Kicking and screaming, we are still here. All my brothers and I are still scratching our head, how do we make it? In the last two years and half, 45 percent of the traffic on dotcom is now on mobile device. Two years ago, it was mostly on laptops or tablets. So, we keep on running.

Adamopoulos: And the company is adaptable. We have a very big push for digital. Over two thirds of ad revenue is digital now. So we made a transition into the digital world. We have gone from being a primarily American business magazine into a global business magazine, a global brand. And the brand has meaning.

As a brand, it means success. The universal language of success is Forbes.

Is the online business affecting your editorial policy?

Forbes: The creation of content has evolved. It was a different process from 10 years ago. Now, people don’t want to pay you than they traditionally would. It has become more creative the way you inspire your writers, the way you create content. It is a different process now than it was 10 years ago, but the principles stay the same and the audience to who it is directed remains the same.

Do you also tap the social media to promote content?

Adamopoulos: Yes, we are one of the most shared media on Linkedin.

Majority of our traffic is coming from social. We really have adapted, but the magazine is still strong. We are also strong in our events. We are expanding our events. You will see it (here in Manila) in October.

How about competition?

Forbes: Good competition keeps us all sharp.

In his column at Forbes magazine, Forbes Media chairman and editorin-chief Steve Forbes said the new edition will be chronicling the story of the Filipino economic miracle.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

B4

WORLD Iraqi Sunni volunteers from the Anbar province, who joined Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation force as part of government efforts to make the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group a cross-sectarian drive, take part in their first training session at a training base in Amriyat al-Fallujah. AFP

IRAQ LAUNCHES SUNNI

ANTI-IS FORCE IN ANBAR MORE than 1,000 Sunni fighters from Anbar joined Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation force Friday as part of government efforts to make the fight against the Islamic State group a cross-sectarian drive.

Political, security and tribal leaders attended a large parade at a base in Amriyat al-Fallujah in a bid to give new momentum to the province’s homegrown anti-IS fightback.

“Your country has been stolen by a bunch of thieves and thugs and you must fight to take it back,” Anbar Governor Soheib al-Rawi said at the event.

“Let this day be the day when we declare a massive revolution against Daesh... kick Daesh out of our homes, fight their extremist ideology and tighten the noose

around them,” he said, using an Arab acronym for IS. Parts of Anbar province have been under jihadist control since before the nationwide June 9 offensive by IS, and the capital Ramadi has been on the brink of falling completely for months.

The counter-offensive has so far been spearheaded by Shiite militias, some of which are now operating under a governmentcontrolled umbrella known as the Hashed al-Shaabi—or Popular Mobilisation Brigades.

However, Prime Minister

Haider al-Abadi has been keen to deflect criticism of the organisation as a Shiite-only body, and has defied challenges within his own camp to push for the inclusion of Sunni fighters in their home provinces.

Hundreds of Sunni tribal fighters had already been fighting under the Popular Mobilisation banner in Anbar in recent weeks, but Friday marked their official recruitment.

Sunni fighters in the troubled western Iraqi province had so far been using their own weapons and not receiving payment. The new recruits are due to receive a monthly salary of around $650.

Rebuilding trust The new system comes with an organised vetting process designed to avoid the lack of ac-

countability that prevailed under previous attempts to enlist Sunni fighters in recent years.

A vetting committee including representatives of the governor’s office, the Iraqi military and the Popular Mobilisation has been set up.

“There will not be the same randomness and chaos as before,” Rawi told reporters on Thursday.

He said that, according to Abadi’s executive order, the plan was for the Sunni force with the Popular Mobilisation units in Anbar to reach 6,000 men.

What officials said were the roughly 1,100 men recruited on Friday will receive weapons at a base in Habbaniyah, another government-controlled area in eastern Anbar, in the coming days. AFP

NOKOR SAYS IT TEST-FIRED BALLISTIC MISSILE NORTH Korea said Saturday it had successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) -- a technology that could eventually offer the nuclear-armed state a survivable second-strike capability.

North Korean leader Kim JongUn, who personally oversaw the test, hailed the newly developed missile as a “world-level strategic weapon”, according to a report by the official KCNA news agency.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the test, which would violate UN sanctions banning Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology.

A fully-developed SLBM capability would take the North Korean nuclear threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

Satellite images earlier this year had shown the conning tower of

a new North Korean submarine, which US analysts said appeared to house one or two vertical launch tubes for either ballistic or cruise missiles.

The same analysts from the USKorea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said at the time that developing an operational SLBM capability would be extremely costly and likely take North Korea “years” to achieve.

Sooner than expected “If this is what North Korea claims it is, then it has come much sooner than anyone expected,” said Dan Pinkston, Korea expert at the International Crisis Group in Seoul.

“An SLBM capability would certainly increase the credibility of the North’s retaliatory threat, but I’d like to see what foreign intel says about this test,” Pinkston said.

According to the KCNA report, the test was carried out by a sub that dived to launch depth on the sounding of a combat alarm.

This undated picture released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 7, 2015 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) inspecting the February 11 plant of the Ryongsong machine complex in South Hamgyong province. AFP

“After a while, the ballistic missile soared into the sky from underwater,” the agency said.

It gave no detail of the size or range, nor did it specify when or where the launch was carried out.

Pictures released by KCNA

showed a missile firing out of the water, with Kim Jong-Un watching from a boat in the foreground.

Red lettering on the side of the missile read “bukgeungsong,” meaning “north star,” or possibly “polaris”.

US COURT PROBES BALTIMORE POLICE THE US Department of Justice launched a federal civil rights investigation Friday into whether police in Baltimore have systematically discriminated against residents, after the death of an African-American man in police custody.

The death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who succumbed to a serious spinal injury suffered while in the back of a police van last month, sparked violent unrest that led authorities to declare a city-wide curfew and deploy the National Guard.

Six police officers have been charged in connection with his arrest and death. One faces a second-degree murder charge.

“The Department of Justice is opening an investigation into whether the Baltimore Police Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the Constitution or federal law,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced, in one of her first acts since being sworn in less than two weeks ago as the nation’s top law enforcement official.

“This investigation will begin immediately and will focus on allegations that Baltimore Police Department officers use excessive force including deadly force, conduct unlawful searches, seizures and arrests, and engage in discriminatory policing.”

The riots that erupted in Maryland’s largest city—just an hour’s drive north of Washington—after Gray’s funeral left shops looted and dozens of police officers injured, and led to hundreds of arrests.

“It was clear that recent events, including the tragic, in-custody death of Freddie Gray, had given rise to a serious erosion of public trust,” Lynch said. AFP

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BRITAIN WAKES TO NEW ERA AFTER CAMERON’S ‘SHOCK ELECTION VICTORY’

BRITAIN awoke to a new political landscape on Saturday after a shock election victory for Prime Minister David Cameron that decapitated the opposition and bolstered secessionists in Scotland.

Defying the opinion polls ahead of Thursday’s vote, Cameron’s Conservatives won 331 of the 650 seats in parliament, giving him a second term in office—this time with a majority for his centre-right party.

There were dramatic gains for the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP), while the opposition was left in disarray after the Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders quit over their defeat.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader also resigned, after a huge swell in support for the anti-EU populist party secured only one seat.

In their first editions since the full election result, British newspapers said Saturday that Cameron had pulled off a triumphant victory thanks to a surge in support from so-called shy Conservatives.

“A fresh era of British politics dawns,” read a headline in the centre-right Daily Telegraph.

Jonathan Freedland, a columnist for the Guardian, which backed Labour, contemplated the fate of the opposition saying: “After an earthquake on this scale, will it be possible to pick up the pieces?”

The victory gives the Conservatives a freer hand than in Cameron’s previous government—a coalition with the Liberal Democrats—but the slender majority leaves them prey to rebellion in their own ranks.

The Times said Cameron would need “every ounce of statesmanship” to surmount the challenges facing him.

“His majority is slim and using it will not be easy. His real work starts now.”

Cameron only agreed to hold an in-out

Britain’s Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron and his wife Samantha are applauded by staff upon entering 10 Downing Street in London on May 8, 2015, after visiting Queen Elizabeth II, a day after the British general election. British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party on Friday won a majority in the House of Commons in the general election, results showed. AFP

referendum on Britain’s EU membership by 2017 because of pressure from the Conservative right-wing and a rising UKIP and he was quick to confirm his pledge on Friday.

There is growing concern in the business community about the referendum, even though Cameron has

said he will campaign to stay in as long as he can negotiate reforms to cut down on EU migrants moving to Britain.

EU partners gave a taste of the tough talks ahead in their congratulations for his re-election, with French President Francois Hollande saying that there were “rules in Europe” to be respected.

CHINA SAYS US REPORT ON MILITARY ‘DISTORTED’

The Sukumaran family carry the coffin of executed Australian drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran at his funeral in Sydney on May 9, 2015.

Sukumaran was buried one day after his accomplice Andrew Chan after both men were sentenced to death in 2006 over their role as ringleaders of a plot to bring heroin into Australia from the Indonesian island of Bali, and their execution has strained bilateral ties. AFP

AUSSIES MOURN EXECUTED CITIZEN AN AUSTRALIAN executed in Indonesia on drugs charges was Saturday remembered as an artist whose paintings were powerful images created in the face of the death penalty.

Myuran Sukumaran was shot dead by firing squad late last month after his pleas for clemency over his role in a syndicate smuggling heroin from the Indonesian island of Bali were rejected.

Ben Quilty, an acclaimed Australian artist who became

European Commission chief JeanClaude Juncker said that the bloc’s four key principles including freedom of movement were “non-negotiable”.

Cameron will also face a tough battle to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom and in a post-election speech pledged to grant sweeping new local powers. AFP

a friend and mentor to Sukumaran through visiting him in jail, said the 34-year-old did not want to die but had done so with dignity.

“He used his visual language to tell the world who Myuran Sukumaran really was and right until the end he communicated with the world from an isolation cell with a firing squad preparing to put bullets through his chest,” Quilty said.

“Under unimaginable circum-

stances Myuran was making the most potent and powerful antideath penalty images the world has seen in a long, long time.

“Myu did want to live. He had many paintings to make.”

Sukumaran and fellow Australian Andrew Chan, considered the ringleaders of the so-called Bali Nine drug smuggling group, spent a decade in prison before their execution on April 29.

A funeral for Chan, 31, was held in Sydney on Friday. AFP

CHINA’S defence ministry said on Saturday that a US report on its military which accused Beijing of ramping up land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea distorted facts, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

“The US defence department’s report on China’s military and security development situation distorts facts and continues to play up the ‘China military threat’ cliché,” Chinese defence ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng was quoted as saying.

He added the US report made “groundless accusations” about China’s intentions regarding national defence, space development, the Internet and military transparency.

The report repeated accusations that Beijing was staging cyber attacks to gather information on American defence programmes.

Geng made no direct mention of land reclamation in the South China Sea, but said China was justified in upholding its sover-

eignty in the area.

The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on the state of China’s military said China had reclaimed 500 acres in the disputed waters by end-2014.

But since then, China has conducted reclamation covering 1,500 acres, US officials said Friday as the report was released.

The South China Sea is home to strategically vital shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, including areas close to the coasts of other littoral states, using a nine-segment line based on one that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

Washington is concerned China’s efforts carry a military dimension that could undermine America’s naval and economic power in the Pacific.

“The military build-up aims to maintain sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and guarantee China’s peaceful development,” Geng said. AFP

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SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

PINOY FIGHTERS

BRING EXCITEMENT TO MMA

Mark Martinez Streigl (left) unloads a kick which is parried by his opponent Casey Suire. The Filipino-American Striegl may be a spectacular stand-up fighter but he had to rely on his grappling skills to post a sensational victory over the previously unbeaten Suire. RODEL MANABAT

By Raymond Verdera Vidal

IF LIKE millions of Filipino boxing fans you were disappointed by the over-hyped “Fight of the Century” don’t despair because there is yet hope for local fans of combat sports in Mixed Martial Arts fighters Mark Martinez Streigl and Eugene Toquero.

Unlike boxing, where clever boxers like Floyd Mayweather can win fights by dancing all night and keeping their opponents at bay with powder puff jabs MMA fights are always real battles won by fighters who fight to win and not just score points on Compubox.

Streigl and Toquero are just two examples of exciting MMA fighters who are making their marks on

the sport. Both compete in ONE Championship and both posted sensational victories in their past bouts at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Filipino-American Striegl defeated previously unbeaten Casey Suire by submission through a Rear Naked Choke at 3:48 of Round 1 in their Bantamweight division battle.

Cebuano Toquero mounted Brianata Rosadhi and rained down

Filipino Mixed Martial Arts fighter Eugene Toquero (above) mounts opponent Brianata Rosadhi. Toquero pinned down his opponent and then rained down sharp elbows and hammer fists prompting the referee to halt the fight. RODEL MANABAT

hammer fists and elbows before the referee stopped the fight by Technical Knockout due to strikes at 3:41 of Round 1 of their Flyweight bout.

Striegl is a spectacular standup fighter with a complete array of kicks and punches. But he had to rely on his grappling skills to post the victory over Suire who kept him at bay with quality footwork and counter punching.

Instead of stalking his opponent like Manny Pacquiao chasing around Mayweather Striegl grappled Suire instead. Streigl took down his opponent with a side headlock. The FilipinoAmerican then maneuvered to take Suire’s back.

Finding Streigl behind him locked to his back Suire tried hitting Streigl with desperate punches to the face. Streigl ignored Suire’s blows which raised a welt on Streigl’s face and locked a Rear Naked Choke which forced Suire to tap out.

Striegl was born June 23, 1988.

He fights out of Evolve MMA in Singapore. He is easily one of the hottest rising stars in Asian MMA. He grew up in Tokyo, Japan.

Striegl followed his older brother’s footsteps by competing in Taekwondo, Wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and then Muay Thai. He eventually turned to Mixed Martial Arts while he was at university in the United States.

He travelled extensively, fought in numerous countries and recently lived in the Philippines where he trained with the famous Igorot fighters of Baguio.

Meanwhile, the flamboyant Toquero scored a similarly spectacular victory over Rosadhi.

Unlike Streigl Toquero grappled early and within seconds of the fight took down Rosadhi and tried to lock in a Rear Naked Choke several times. Rosadhi was able to wiggle free and faced Toquero.

The Filipino was not about to be denied. Toquero instead mounted Rosadhi and from the top position rained down sharp elbows and hammer fists on Rosadhi. It didn’t take long before the referee was forced to halt the fight.

If you’re a boxing fan but found the over-hyped “Fight of the Century” leaving a bad taste in your mouth you may want to try watching MMA fights to satisfy your appetite for combat sports.

DOMALSIN COMPETES IN HONOR OF HIS FATHER

Reynold Domalsin flashes a megawatt smile while hitting the side tricep pose during the 2015 Arnold Amateur Championships in Columbus, Ohio. The Baguio native placed fourth in the amateur world championship. OSCAR GAN

ATHLETES often follow in the footsteps of renowned parents. Such is the case of bodybuilding champion Reynold Domalsin, son of local bodybuilding legend Nick Domalsin.

A Baguio native, Domalsin continues to compete successfully to nurture the legacy of his father.

Domalsin’s latest achievement came in the 2015 Arnold Amateur Championships in Columbus, Ohio where he placed fourth in the amateur world championship. Domalsin had fond memories of the international competition.

“During the pre-judging we did the compulsory relaxed poses and the seven mandatory flex poses. After that, the judges made comparisons by calling out competitors to pose beside each other. I was called out first along with four others. So by this time I was feeling confident that I was in the top five,” he said.

Domalsin is understandably proud of his achievement at the Arnold Classic which is one of the most prestigious bodybuilding competitions in the world.

“We showed the whole world that Filipinos are not far behind when it comes to bodybuilding and that we could go headto-head against other bodybuilders from other countries,” said Domalsin.

His goal as a bodybuilder is not just to succeed in the sport but to help others to succeed as well either by serving as inspiration or even teaching other bodybuilder directly through his own gym business.

“I want to inspire others, promote fitness and encourage others to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Because of social media I am able to post what workout I do, supplements I use and sometimes the food that I take. I get feedback, inquiries and questions about how I go about dieting, training and supplementing. So I guess some are inspired by what I do. This is why they want to learn more,” he said.

There are plenty of other competitions on the horizon and Domalsin is not about to rest on his laurels.

“For this year am thinking about joining the annual Shawn Rhoden Classic organized by the Philippine Committee of Bodybuild-

ing and Fitness which is the local affiliate of the International Federation of Bodybuilders. This will be held later this year in October. Another contest I am eyeing on is the Olympia Amateurs which will be held in Hong Kong this coming November,” he said.

The champion bodybuilder wants to help other Filipinos succeed in the sport which is why he continues to give advice on training and nutrition.

“I am the first Filipino to become an endorser of an internationally known bodybuilding supplement in the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series Supplements. Another goal is to win a gold in an international competition and to get a Professional Card so that I can compete in the IFBB bodybuilding circuit,” he said.

“I can help other Filipino bodybuilders to become world champions by being an example to them. I can provide them with the knowledge they need to go about their preparations including training, dieting and supplementation. But most importantly I want to teach them the proper attitude towards others in competition.” Raymond Vidal

S U N D AY : M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

B7

BUZZER BEATER

ROSE’S BASKET AT THE BUZZER LIFTS BULLS OVER CAVS

D

ERRICK Rose banked in a threepointer as the buzzer sounded, giving the Chicago Bulls a 99-96 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final.

Rose, a former league MVP, tallied 30 points with seven assists and seven rebounds while producing more than his share of highlights for the Bulls.

“When I released the ball I felt like it was a good shot,” said Rose of the game winner. “I feel very confident in my game and being able to make those shots. It comes with the territory of being a leader.”

In the late NBA game Friday, Austin Rivers came off the bench to finish with 25 points and six rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers also took a 2-1 series lead with a 124-99 rout of the Houston Rockets.

With the game tied 96-96 after Cleveland’s J.R. Smith hit a shot from beyond the arc, Rose was being closely guarded at midcourt by LeBron James as the ball rolled out of bounds with three seconds to play.

Chicago took a timeout, then went back to Rose out of the huddle. Rose received the inbounds pass and dribbled hard to the right before pulling up from 26 feet with Cavs power forward Tristan Thompson chasing him.

It was Rose’s first three-pointer of the game and his first-career playoff buzzer beater. The basket kicked off a wild celebration on the court as Rose was mobbed by his teammates.

“That was his greatness to get the shot off,” said Bulls coach

CHICAGO— Derrick Rose (#1) of the Chicago Bulls takes the game-winning three-point shot over Tristan Thompson (#13) of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on May 8, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 99-96. AFP

PRINCE OF THE RAINBOW TERRITORY

By Danny Simon WHAT do Allan Caidic, Dondon Hontiveros, Jimmy Alapag, Jason Castro, Ronnie Magsanoc, Paul Lee and Kiefer Ravena have in common?

They are all deadly shooters from the outside, in an area known as the three-point line, also known as “rainbow territory,” the “rainbow” being the arc-shaped line that separates the thee-point area from the two point, or medium shot territory.

Well, young as he is, you may

Tom Thibodeau.

Jimmy Butler scored 20 points for the Bulls as Rose and Butler combined for 23 of the 25 Chicago points in the final quarter. Butler was named the league’s Most Improved Player on Thursday.

Chicago held a pair of fivepoint leads in the fourth. Both times, Smith hit three pointers to cap a mini Cleveland surge and tie the contest. He did it again with 10.8 seconds left to make it 96-96.

James struggled from the floor, finishing eight-for-25 overall and one-of-seven from three-point range.

Despite his difficulties, James still carried the Cavs offensively, finishing with 27 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds in the loss. He didn’t get much help from his teammates as no other Cleveland player scored more than 14 points.

“My guys played their hearts out,” said Cavs coach David Blatt.

“It was a hard-played game, on the part of both teams. Physical but not dirty.”

In Los Angeles, Rivers scored 18 points during a 23-0 surge which began late in the third quarter and carried into the fourth.

It began with a Rivers threepointer after Corey Brewer nailed a three to pull the Rockets within 81-76 at the 3:50 mark in the third.

Rivers also drained a pair of three-point plays to close the third quarter.

He capped the 23-0 surge with another triple in the fourth to give Los Angeles a commanding 104-76 lead, and they cruised from there.

Chris Paul returned to the Clippers’ lineup but played reduced minutes because of his hamstring injury. He finished with 12 points and seven assists in just over 23 minutes of action. AFP

add Prince Ray Alao to that elite list, a band of shooters who can change the complexion of a game with a quick flick of the wrist.

While one can argue that Prince is too young (he’s 11 years old) to be on that list, the boy has already shown the potential to be a top gunner in the near future, thanks to his basketball pedigree and an early headstart in the game of basketball.

Prince is the son of former Far Eastern University Tamaraw Reynante Alao, who also saw action for Tanduay in the now-defunct Philippine Basketball League

and has played in the commercial league player for Hobe, Sea Lions Gryphon International Inc., Wang’s and MacWay. It was the elder Alao who taught his young son the basics of the game in their neighborhood in Canonigo Sttree in Paco, Mania, where Prince slowly emerged as a gifted shooter.

A student of the English Catholic Academy, (ECA), Prince’s burgeoning talent was noticed by the coaches of San Beda-Taytay, who wasted no time in asking the youngster to suit up for its kiddie team as a pointguard and scorer.

In no time at all, Prince’s hot hands and quarterbacking skills led San Beda’s cub team to several championships in the Private School Basketball League, Sea Oil, provincial and municipal Meets and the NCAA Elementary Basketball Championship.

Tofurther hone his shooting skills, Prince also trained with the Small Basketeers of the Philippines

of Milo, Got Skills -Xaviers and Antipolo Kids selection of coach Ron Guinoy.

Recently, Prince was tapped by the Pinoy Youth Dreams as its newest and youngest frontliner for the team that went on to win the 14-under First Junior/ High School Basketball Tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he averaged 12 points a game, scoring mostly from beyond the arc under the tutelage of coach Beaujing Acot and his deputy Robert ‘Bobby Andaya.

“Prince Ray grew up watching me play so I decided to teach him the game at an early age. While he is still very young, he had shown exceptional shooting skills which I hope would make a big difference in his dream to become a professional basketball players someday. He told me that he wants to be a three-point king, and I believe he can achieve his dream if he works hard for it,” said Reynante.

Prince Ray Alao

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S U N D AY : m AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

Reuel Vidal EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SportS

Fil-aussie

karter aims higher

By Randy Caluag

F

OR Filipino-Australian Flynn Jackes, it’s not how you begin, but how you finish.

Due to a carburetor problem, the multi-titled 12-year-old karter started the KF Junior Restricted Blaze 100 division of the 2015 Petron Super Karting Series on the wrong foot at the Batangas Racing Circuit recently, finishing seventh overall in a nine-driver field in the time trial.

The Asian Karting Open Championship reigning Mini-Rok titlist bounced back in the qualifying heat, where he jumped six places to no. 2 behind Larco Cortez with a time of 8:13:621.

But the job wasn’t finished.

The Year 7 student at British School Manila maintained his runner-up finish in the Pre-Final (8:13.476) behind Cortez again, before winning the Final with a very focused drive that had him mastering the field with a time of 11:03.042, fending off the late drive of experienced rivals Jacob Ang (runner-up) and Tai Zulberti.

“I kept telling myself that it ain’t over until it’s over.

I really wanted to redeem myself from that seventhplace showing in the time trial. Fortunately, I never lost focus on the task at hand and was able to turn everything around in the next races,” said Jackes.

Overcoming adversity is nothing new to Jackes, who with his boyish good looks, appears like

your typical regular kid next door. But once he dons his racing suit and boards his kart, Jackes is transformed into a fierce competitor, whose passion to win is unequaled at that young age.

In December last year, Jackes kept his Asian crown and is known as a competitor, who keeps on improving his craft. He was the Mini-Rok Class 2012 champion and placed third in the Asian Championship. In 2013, he went further as he won the Asian Championship following brilliant finishes in races in the Philippines, Macau and Singapore, before repeating this achievement last year.

“I would like to win the two higher race categories in karting (KF3 and KF2) for the Asian Championship as well as participate in selective races in Malaysia, Europe and Australia,” said Jackes.

Judging from the way he has performed lately, that could become a reality soon.

Fil-Australian Flynn Jackes flashes the no. 1 sign as he crosses the finish line. Inset shows the 12-year-old Jackes holding his award.

RAMON BOADO

S U N D AY : M AY 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

MOTHERS IN THE MIRROR MotherhoodIN in Modern Times MOTHERS THE MIRROR

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SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

C2

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS My older daughter went off to camp a kid and came back a teenager. I like to think I’m pretty chilled as a mother and not at all like the uptight, high-anxiety parents described in a recent New York Times story: “Their parents, meanwhile, were bombarding the camp with calls: one wanted help arranging private guitar lessons for her daughter, another did not like the sound of her child’s voice during a recent conversation, and a third needed to know — preferably today — which of her daughter’s four varieties of vitamins had run out. All before lunch.”

I did note, however, that beneath the “dudes” and “bros” that punctuated my daughter’s speech upon her return, was a bubbling excitement: she had finally and truly discovered boys. Which is cool, I suppose, as long as it doesn’t go past giggly SMSs and heavily chaperoned socials. For the moment.

Which doesn’t make me that much different from my own mother. Except that there’s much more permissiveness now in the media than there was when I was growing up. In my day virginity until marriage was glorified; today, 16-year-old girls ask their mothers for boob-jobs as graduation presents. And some parents, idiots that they are, actually say yes.

When my daughter asked me not too long ago at what age she should lose her virginity, the sheltered Catholic Filipina in me automatically replied, “when you get married.” Which, to be honest, is a load of crock and certainly did not happen to me. I don’t tend to regret a lot of things in life. Live and learn, I believe. Even my empty marriage I don’t regret because without it I would never have had my beautiful daughters.

Better the sperm bank you know, I rationalized.

Though as a sperm bank it turned out to be... well, never mind...

Nevertheless, my mother, of all people, reminded me, to my horror, to whom I’d lost my virginity, at the rather advanced age of 22. THAT, I definitely and unequivocally regret...

My mother brought it up on the occasion of my birthday, which I celebrated fittingly enough, with the man. It was the first time in, hmmm, let’s see–12 years?–that I didn’t wake up on the morning of my birthday next to my own flesh and blood or someone I was bound to by law.

So my mom calls, around 10 am European time, which was 4 pm Manila time.

“So,” she says, after greeting me, “you’re with your boyfriend? Are you in bed with him?”

“Mom,” I reply, “um, yes. What did you think?

You do realize that I’m 45 years old today.”

“You can’t be 45,” she shoots back. “Because I’m 45!”

Yes, Mom, whatever. Rage, rage against the graying of time. Still, it’s fantastic, I think, that my mom and I can have conversations like this.

I do spare her the details though.

Much is made of mothers being best friends with their daughters, but at the end of the day I truly believe mothers should be mothers to their children. I don’t expect my own daughters to tell me everything. But I do hope they will tell me everything that matters.

THE VIEW FROM MY IRONY TOWER

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE Though this was written almost seven years ago, it still holds true, at least for myself and my daughters. And my own mother.

This week's cover is a mash-up featuring a Vanity Mirror, available at Blue Carreon Home in Century City Mall, and an image from the poster for the Pedro Almodóvar film, All About My Mother.

NO BIG DEAL As I begin to write this article, my four-monthold infant fiddles with a hanging toy that rotates to show different patterns on her borrowed rocker.

It also has a round mirror positioned right above her face, and a toy that squeaks to her left.

BY PATRICIA Babies, I’ve learned, have OCAMPO a thing for bright colors, their own reflections and nonsensical noises. No big deal to most people, but to me, her newfound interest in these things is highlight of my week. Why? Because it allows me work at a desk without needing to have her on my lap and type with one hand. Two months ago all she could do was sink into it and not last for more than three minutes without getting bored.

Today I’ve clocked in 18 minutes and counting.

She’s learning how to entertain herself. To wait.

To be on her own. No big deal.

This year I celebrate my first mother’s day. No big deal. In the last four months I’ve managed (however clumsily) to keep another human being alive. To feed her from my breast. To console her when she cries. To change her diaper. To bathe her in the safest and most efficient way possible.

To clean out her nose. To make her laugh. To rock her to sleep. The basics of caring for a baby, learned and mastered, through trial and error.

No big deal. When my husband praises me for accomplishing either of these things, I am always surprised, because I never thought any of these tasks could be skills, let alone be praised for them.

But he thinks so, so I guess that’s what counts.

Although really, it is no big deal.

My own mother never made a big deal out of mother’s day. While my father, siblings, and

I would scramble to shop for a gift or buy her flowers, we never felt any pressure from her to make an event of it. We did anyway, in the simplest and least emotional way we could, because she would tolerate nothing more.

Because it was no big deal. No big deal that she became a mom at 24 years old, labored for hours only to have an emergency c-section, and then have three more babies after that. No big deal that she stayed at home during our younger years to be as present as possible. To make sure we were watching the right things on television.

To check if we were taking our naps. To force us to finish our food. To sew ballerina pictures to frame for our rooms. To drive us to school, and swimming lessons, and whatever else. To teach us important lessons, like that when shopping, only to buy colors that can match multiple outfits. I hated wearing basics and only wanted purple or pink then, but now I live in them. No big deal.

And then are plenty of mothers all over the world who do things like move to foreign countries to find work so that their children can go to school. Only seeing your children once every few years and missing all of their milestones is really not that bad.

And then there are others who work several jobs, sleep very little, and come home to not to rest—but to cook, clean and then some. Every day, with no vacation leave from any of these duties. Who needs vacation leave anyway?

And still there are those who die nobly, without ever meeting their babies, who say goodbye to their husbands, and their other children, and their careers and their lives just so that the little ones who lived inside of them for 9 months could have a chance at their own lives. No big deal.

Today is an ordinary day that celebrates women who do ordinary things. It really is no big deal.

Patricia Ocampo loves being a mom, but plans to wait a while before adding to her brood.

THE ROAD TO MOTHERHOOD A BUMPY RIDE I had planned my life so well. Finish law school, pass the bar, marry, have kids and work myself to a corner office in a prestigious firm. Fate, however, had other ideas.

After marriage, I just couldn’t get my ducks in

BY PAULYNE a row. I remember the FERMIN countless trips to different fertility doctors, the painful injections, and other invasive procedures that all proved futile. The fact that I was doing all these while trying to jumpstart my career as a tax lawyer only aggravated the situation. Each failed attempt brought varying degrees of sadness, fear, despair, anger and finally hopelessness and defeat.

Just before our 4th wedding anniversary, the husband and I took a trip to Sydney. We explored the city, shared long meals and even longer conversations. A month after we returned to Manila, I was pregnant. We were ecstatic!

We attended Lamaze school, bought too many baby clothes, and furnished the nursery in our little starter home. I scoured books for baby names, frowned at ugly maternity wear and developed a dislike for laundry detergent soaps. On my second trimester, my OB adviced me to slow down and take a leave from work.

But instead of the complete bedrest the doctor ordered, I enrolled in French classes in Alliance

Française de Manille. “Ce fut un moment très agréabl e.” (It was a lovely time.)

My son was born on a rainy day in August.

He weighed a little over 9 pounds and had a full head of hair. His dad’s first words to him were “You look exactly like your mother.” As clichéd as it may sound, I knew then that my life would change forever.

FAST FORWARD It has been eleven years since the birth of my firstborn. He just graduated from grade school last month. In his speech before the student body as batch salutatorian, he said “Thank you for being the first person to pick up her kid in school when there’s a storm, for never letting me fall behind my schoolwork all those times I was hospitalized and for always pushing me to do my best. I love you very much, Mom.” My road to motherhood has certainly been challenging. Just when I thought that I had it all figured out, life throws me a curve ball. It is, however, in the trials that I find the strength and wisdom that leads me to have a stronger faith.

Today, I think of all the blessings that have come my way and how grateful I am for each one. I am most thankful for the gift of a loving husband and my two children (yes, we’ve added a gorgeous baby girl to the bunch!). My days have definitely become noisier, adventure-laden and downright insane!

The gift of a happy and healthy family is all that I ask for on Mother’s Day. I love you A, M and R. All of you have made me into the woman I am today.

Paulyne Fermin is the dynamic multitasking mother behind the blog The Busy Queen P. She debuts as a regular columnist for The Standard this coming Friday.

SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

C3

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL WHO IS THE MOTHER OF THEM ALL? TELL ME NOW, LEST I FAINT WHO IS THE SCANDAL AND WHO IS THE SAINT?

{ SAINTS }

{ SCANDALS }

MOTHER MARY

KRIS JENNER

The Virgin whose spawn became the Savior of the world.

Try topping that.

Momager extraordinaire.

She couldn’t NOT know about the sex tape.

www.shutterstock.com

www.shutterstock.com

ANGELINA JOLIE

MADONNA

She cut off her breasts to live longer for her children.

Raising the poster family for tolerance and equality.

Pop star in search of relevance. Adopts a child and angers an entire African nation.

www.shutterstock.com

www.shutterstock.com

MICHELLE OBAMA

DIONISIA PACQUIAO

She danced to Uptown Funk on Ellen. And gets down with Jimmy Fallon. ‘Nuff said.

Dancing Queen.

Beware the wrath of Mommy Dionisia.

www.shutterstock.com

www.shutterstock.com

MOTHER TERESA

ANNABELLE RAMA

A living saint until her death.

Biologically not a mother, but Calcutta’s poor were her children.

The mother of all stage mothers. It takes guts to be forever on the warpath. www.shutterstock.com

www.shutterstock.com

CINDY CRAWFORD Model Mom. She has cellulite.

You got a problem with that? www.shutterstock.com

VICTORIA GRAYSON Former Queen of the Hamptons. Revenge served cold, with an over-Botoxed face. www.shutterstock.com

{ SCANDAL OR SAINT } COOKIE LYON

JACKIE KENNEDY ONASSIS

The Empire strikes back.

“Listen to me. You’re different, OK? It’s only something mama knows, but it’s gonna make life hard for you sometimes. But I want you to always remember I got you.”

She told John-John to salute his father’s casket at his funeral.

Then she married Ari. www.shutterstock.com

@empirefox

DIFFERENT WAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE WITH SHARP PLASMACLUSTER ION TECHNOLOGY Many people know that outdoor air is dangerous to the health because of pollution, but what most people are generally unaware of is that indoor air can be just as unsafe and hazardous to one’s health. A suggestion to better protect ourselves is to have a healthier way of life, starting with a nutritious diet, regular exercise (cardio, in particular) and enough restful sleep.

At least we have a significant layer of protection to help improve our lives.

But what about the air we breathe?

While we do not have a large amount of control over outdoor air pollution, we can definitely lessen indoor air pollution. One way to do is to make sure the indoor space is wellventilated to get rid of common pollutants such as mold and pollen, cigarette smoke, residue from cleaning products and pesticides, gases, paint and other building materials, pet dander or skin flakes, dust mites and feces.

Having a badly ventilated indoor space can trigger allergic reactions, headaches, and flu if not tended to. Worse, indoor air pollutants like airborne viruses (Airborne H5N1 Avian Flu Virus, SARS Virus, H1N1 Human Influenza Virus, New Type H1N1 Human Virus, or Corona Virus) can lead to more serious health risks.

The most effective way to keep these airborne threats at bay is to use an air purifying technology which can greatly improve air atmosphere and quality. One such technology is the highly efficient Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology, only from Sharp. Sharp PCI works in three steps: Positive and Negative ions (positive ions of Hydrogen, negative ions of Oxygen) similar to the ones found in nature are released to clean the air, water molecules then congregate around each ion to stabilize it, deactivating the effects of airborne threats, and then return to the air as water.

Sharp’s technology PCI helps make

airborne viruses, bacteria, allergens and microbes inactive and incapable of spreading, thus providing up to 99% protection to your home or. As a bonus, it also keeps the room odorand mold-free. It also prevents dust from accumulating by removing static electricity which makes dust stick and gather, and promotes better skin moisture by locking in moisture on the skin surface.

So whether it’s the living room, the bedroom, kitchen, car, or even the office, trust Sharp’s Air Purifiers to clean the air and make it more breathable.

For the family, there is no such thing as too safe when it comes to the air we breathe. This is the reason why Sharp continues to come up with unique and innovative products to make the home safe and suggests different ways in order to Filipinos to live and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

This is a commitment pushed by Sharp through its “Our Brand, Our Pride” philosophy a pledge to uplift the quality of Filipinos’ lives through exceptional products.

For more about Sharp products, visit www.sharp.ph or join the brand on Facebook at Facebook.com/Sharp Philippines.

LIMITED EDITION LOVE

True to its name and once again focusing on the exclusivity that characterizes it, Spanish brand UNO de 50 presents new Limited Edition of 50 pieces from its latest collection.

These exclusive designs include four stunning necklaces and two striking matching bracelets made from blue, gray, and pink Swarovski ®Elements crystals that carry the very originality of the brand to women seeking elegance.

And the good news is that one of these necklaces, Desayuno Con Amantes (Breakfast with Lovers), is available in the UNO de 50 store at SM Makati. Handcrafted with a combination of blue and gray faceted Swarovski®Elements crystals, there are only 50 pieces available of its kind around the globe.

UNO de 50 SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati.

TORY RECOMMENDS The Kerrington Zip Continental Wallet features a scattering of fern sprigs and a bold, graphic band down the center. Durable and waterresistant, with multiple pockets – and a classic long shape that fits all full-length bills without folding – it’s a great everyday organizer.

TORY BURCH Greenbelt 5

S U N D AY : M AY 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

MAMA MIA

Splash out on a gift for Mom, spoil her, or go all-out and splurge. One thing’s for sure: you can’t go wrong with Hermes or Bulgari this Mother’s Day.

SPLASH Eau de Mandarine Ambree, Hermes

ALL-OUT SPLURGE

SPOIL

SPLASH

MVSA Bag in shiny lizard skin, BULGARI

MVSA Long Pink Gold Necklace with Takhti Cut Amethyst, BULGARI

Faubourg Watch in 18K Yellow Gold, Hermes

Belt in Tadelakt Calfskin, Hermes PHOTO BY VICENTE SAHUC

Diva Sunglasses, BULGARI

HERMÈS Greenbelt 3 BVLGARI Greenbelt 4

SNOOKY SERNA’S SECRET

Aside from being one of the most beautiful faces to have graced the landscape of show business, Snooky Serna also possesses talent that has endured through the years and through all the trials and changes life has brought her.

She first won the hearts of movie audiences when she starred in her debut movie at the tender age of 3. Soon, she blossomed from a charming child star into one of the hottest young stars of her generation. She then took on more daring

and dramatic roles as she matured, cementing her status as one of the most respected actresses of her generation.

It is not only her talent that her peers and fans admire but her enduring beauty. With her youthful appeal, it’s difficult to believe that she is the mother of two daughters who are now in College.

It seems Snooky’s secret is having an unlimited supply from the fountain of youth. But, in truth, she makes it a point to live a healthy lifestyle,

driven by the pursuit of work-life balance.

Snooky also shared that she maintains her enviable, timeless beauty with the help of Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics, a clinic nestled in the heart of Makati’s Central Business district.

Their premium services include Hair Removal, Vascular Treatment (Varicose and Spider Vein Removal) and Skin Pigmentation treatment.

Snooky Serna is truly one of the icons whose timeless beauty and talent will endure.

Shinagawa’s Premium Laser Treatments range from P4000-25000 depending on the size and area of body part to be treated.

For further inquiries visit Shinagawa at Mezzanine, Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala ave. cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City Philippines or call 491-0000.

SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

LIFE glweekend @ gmail.com

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

C5

THAT MOTHERING INSTINCT We all love get-togethers – birthdays, family reunions, intimate dinners with friends, feting business associates, and more.

The good news is that you can set up fun and stylish tablescapes at home with a little help from SM Home’s innovative pieces. There are buffet servers for a wine and cheese night, hor d’ouvre dishes for creative canapés, salad servers for healthy starters, and three dip servers for chips and nachos. Desserts become even more delicious and delightful with cake and cupcake stands, and chocolate fondue fountains. Here are some modern home entertaining tips from SM Home.

Set a centerpiece on the table. A centerpiece doesn’t have to be in the center. Try setting it off to one side – this asymmetry works especially with buffets staged against a wall or window.

Go High. To keep it interesting and stagy, try to use height such as tiered cake plates and dessert servers. Put the highest serving dish at the center and go down from there. The more you stack and layer, the more room you can create and it is easier for your guests to reach in.

Plan out what dishes and serving utensils you are going to use for the food on your buffet table. Arrange them logically- start with entrees, side dishes, vegetables and salads at the end. Also, make sure you have small plates next to each dish for the utensils to rest on.

Put the cutlery at the end. Roll the utensils inside a napkin, and store them in a decorative basket. This allows guests to move from the line more quickly and keeps everyone from touching others’ utensils while grabbing their own.

Make it easy and put the food in individual servings. Put anything in individual cups- like individual servings of mousse or individual shooters of soups. This is convenient for your guest to reach in and snag one without going through the whole line.

Add finishing touches to your buffet. Add some flowers and put it on votive cups or flank a pair of candlesticks. Garnish your platter with greens to make it more appealing.

Create your own tablescapes with SM Home’s Buffet Server Collection, available at the SM Home section at all SM Stores.

Dip in your slices of fruits and pastries with melted chocolate from this Dessert Fondue set.

This 3-piece section buffet server is resistant to moisture, oils and odors to never impart unwanted flavors of food.

SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ

EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

TECH MEETS FASHION Premium lifestyle tech chain rounds up five mobile accessory brands, six designers to celebrate fashion and functionality.

Power Mac Center turns to the runways of Philippine Fashion Week unveiling its fashion-forward mobile and digital lifestyle accessories in the Philippines. As the style leader and tastemaker in consumer electronics, Power Mac Center announces the partnership in an unprecedented move to bring technology and fashion to the forefront of style and design.

The pioneering collaboration makes Power Mac Center the ‘Official Technology Retail Partner’ of Philippine Fashion Week as it presents the Holiday 2015 Collections on June 12-14, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Commenting on the new partnership, Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez said, “We are thrilled to be on the runways of Philippine Fashion Week, the dynamic 360 fashion platform celebrating Filipino creativity and visionaries in fashion and design. The collaboration is a milestone for Power Mac Center, which continues to serve the growing demand for tech fashion accessories.”

Fashion fuses with technology in the current Philippine Fashion Week.

PowerMac showcases briefcases IPhone cases, and fashionable earplugs

As an official partner of the country’s biggest fashion event, Power Mac Center presents five technology and mobile accessory brands that seamlessly integrate fashion and functionality in each collection to be presented at the upcoming Philippine Fashion Week.

Set to take the runways are Happy Plugs, Casemate, Moshi, Gosh!, and Knomo London.

From earphones and smart phone cases to power banks and stylish laptop bags, every piece is designed with versatility and elegance for the demanding and fast-paced world of style-conscious consumers.

“Power Mac Center brings together five brands that cater to the tech and fashion-savvy audiences,” said Alvarez.

“These brands beautifully complement our array of mobile devices and we believe that they will shine on

the runways and enhance the overall consumer experience.”

Adding dimension and flair to the accessory brands are selected fashion designers whose vision and creations continue to shape and influence the Philippine culture and fashion community today.

Anthony Nocom, Boyet Dysangco, Lyle Ibañez, Jeffrey Rogador, Arnold Galang, and Roland Alzaté blend the featured tech accessories and its structural elements with their respective collections, modernizing the way tech fashion accessories are worn.

“Indeed, it’s an exciting time in Philippine Fashion’s history. This season marks the beginning of fashion tech accessories on the runways of Philippine Fashion Week.

Technology has always been a major player in the culture at large. It wants to lead, not

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 82 83 84 87 88 89 93 94 95 97 98 99 100 101 103 104

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Guitar sound 6 Brooded 11 Loose-fitting 16 Kind of jar 21 Calgary Stampede 22 Skirt the issue 23 Dragon puppet 24 Chemical compound 25 Winter constellation 26 Wear hand-me-downs 27 Attacked by jellyfish 28 Stoops 29 Navajo foe 30 Qatar rulers 32 Water-lily painter 34 Dollop 36 — a load of that!

37 Clonk 39 Finished up 41 Second to none 43 Impedes

ISAH V. RED

45 47 49 51 54 55 56 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 73 74 75 77 78 79 80

Domed residence Specks Bear habitat Black-footed critters Whiz Posterior Veep’s boss Adjusts, as tires Shogun’s domain Greet the queen Demand, as a price George of “Star Trek” Raul’s brother Objects on radar Ekberg of films Dog days in Dijon Front indicator Laments loudly Yodeler’s home Croat neighbor Town near Provo Butte cousins Gander (hyph.)

Pulls apart

106 107 108 110 111 112 113 115 116 117 120 122 124 128 129 131 133 135 136 138 140 142 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

“Emptor,” translated Portage item Daisy Mae — Find a new tenant Philandering fellow Like some controls Breathes hard Had a cough Sore-throated Kung fu expert Bruce — Pixies Wallet stuffers Latin dance music A Beatle Whopper Muss up someone’s hair Muscular Hold onto Vampire’s tooth WWW addresses Rally starters Happy outcome Viewpoint Vicious elephant Merriment Dough Amazing bargain Stage production Egg portion 30-day mo.

“Harper Valley —” Think alike Granny Smith Noon on a sundial Understand Part of REM Soup server General course Not glossy Sweet liqueur Thorny shrub Fiddled with Yet to come Put on the payroll Not quite right Abrasive mineral

just how we communicate, but what we talk about, watch, read, and even wear, which is why the tech companies around the world are building out entire teams dedicated to fashion and style,” said Philippine Fashion Week Producer Tina Herrera.

She added, “Last year, the tech industry woke up to fashion in a big way, with collaborations under way between not just the biggest tech companies and fashion houses but with some of the most respected avant-garde purveyors of fashion.”

“Technology has played a major role in developing and modernizing the way people see and interact with fashion.

Now more than ever, technology is becoming increasingly intertwined with fashion to create a world where design elegance and functional value are de rigueur. Fashion will push the boundaries for the tech industry to explore new ways of experiencing technology, and we are excited that Power Mac Center is here to lead this global movement in the Philippines,” said Herrera.

Established in 1994, Power Mac Center has grown to become a reliable consumer electronics retail shop and service provider to the Filipino consumer. The company continues to deliver solutions that provide customers with superior digital lifestyle experience through its extensive network of retail stores, service and training centers nationwide.

LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY GLENN REGONDOLA

Xian Lim faces tough challenge as people berate him for his haughty behavior

Xian Lim learned his lesson well, and the hard way.

After months of facing the intrigues, and, what he describes as misinterpretations of him, he’s loosening up, at last.

He now accepts the fact that, in some ways, he might have done wrong to get the ire of some people members of the press in particular.

In an interview during his pictorial for Gibi Shoes the other week, the Kapamilya actor revealed that he went through self-assessment on what’s happening around him. He tried to think of the right moves he’d do to answer what he calls “false accusations” about him. And he said it’s for his own good.

Lim said, “Sinabi ko sarili ko baka meron din akong dapat ayusin, baka meron din akong pagkukulang na kung ano man ang ipinapakita ko, e. Yung saying na, ‘You can’t please everyone,’ hindi naman puwedeng dun na lang tayo palagi. Baka... may kailangan ding pagbabago.”

Luckily, he has Kim Chiu (his rumored girlfriend) by his side during those trying times, to which he will be forever grateful.

“Siya nga ‘yung lagi kong pinagsasabihan,” Lim continued. “It even came to a point na nagwwu-worry na nga siya, e. Kasi, mahirap ang magtrabaho, buti sana kung paper work ito, ‘di ba? Mabuti sana kung nasa office ito, pero, ‘di, e.”

At this point, he knows where he stands, and intends to have a tete-a-tete with some members of the entertainment media.

Oh well. Our meeting was a good start, to begin with.

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

DOWN 1 Speckled fish 2 Usefulness 3 Farewell 4 Prefix meaning “recent” 5 Not home 6 Soft wools 7 Go to extremes 8 Hesitate 9 Sullivan and Murrow 10 Judge 11 Sarajevo language 12 Changes clothes 13 Floods the market 14 Pink lady ingredient 15 Safecracker 16 Crowded around noisily 17 Lumberjack tool 18 Blacken 19 More peculiar 20 Egg containers 31 Defrosts 33 Regularly 35 Some bouquets 38 Mournful music 40 Toddler swaddler 42 Punks 44 Recipe meas.

46 Wish granters 48 Almond-shaped 50 Equine fodder 51 Fearsome trio 52 Raise spirits 53 Picard’s assistant 54 Respectful title 55 Cliff dwellings, now 57 Racetrack boundaries 58 Helena rival 59 Aquarium denizen 61 Is in accord 62 Unambiguous 63 Search engine

66 67 69 72 73 74 76 78 79 81 82 83 84

Focus and Escape Under siege Ready to streak Nightclub numbers Entered data Ice-cream treats Intrepid Pack animals Gene Tierney movie Spit out Ball girl?

Run on gravity Rock ledge

85 86 87 88 90 91 92 94 95 96 99

Ben Jonson dedicatee “Nevermore” quoter Lunar trenches Buns Humeri attachments Zeus’ shield Trotsky and Spinks Ushers’ beats Flagged down Not slouching Knot on a tree

100 Crewmate of Uhura 102 Like dandruff 105 Should, with “to” 106 Call, as an elk 107 In the country 109 Guy’s date 111 Hopped on 112 Coy smiles 114 Took a snooze 115 Junta, say 116 Sugarbush units 117 Obsidian, once 118 Talk-show name

119 121 123 125 126 127 130 132 134 137 139 141 143

Expound at length Narrow down Diameter halves Kind of daisy Hard-hit drive Tot (var.)

Part of a foot Isle off Sicily Feminine suffix RR terminal Christina’s pop Tentacle PC acronym

SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

C7

FOOD IS LOVE

Ricky Reyes (In red pants) with the staff of Filhair

OFW MOVIE OF THE YEAR A

fter the successful sneak preview of Artiste Entertainment’s latest movie EDNA held on April 28 at Metropolitan Museum, many agreed that Edna is the OFW movie of the year,.

Edna is a film about an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who returns to the country to find her family changed after a long absence.

Members of the press and cast that include Irma Adlawan, Ronnie Lazaro, Kiko Matos, Producer Tonet Gedang, Tina Colayco (MET Museum), Carlos Madrid (Instituto Cervantes), Cherrie Gil, Ma. Isabel Lopez, Mon Confiado, Gloria Sevilla, Suzette Ranillo, Art Acuna, representatives of governmentt agencies, students, diplomats among others attended the preview.

The movie with Adlawan is the first directorial job of Lazaro, Tonet Gedang’s Artiste Entertainment produced Edna, which has been graded ‘A’ by the Cinema Evaluation Board While most films about OFWs talk about misfortunes our countrymen suffer while working abroad, Edna is about a different problem. A psychological study in Filipino family dynamics, the movie focuses on what Edna, the central character, finds when she returns to the country after years of working abroad.

Ronnel Deledio (Labor and Employment Officer III, (DOLE) said, “Napalabas ng Edna na may risk na magkaroon ng psychological impact sa mga OFWs after working abroad. The government should look into this issue. Dapat tanungin natin kung nagagawa ba talaga na magkaroon ng psychological assessments sa mga OFW na umuuwi sa Pil-

From C8

ipinas or kung may present na ganitong assessments para sa mga OFWs. Naipakita sa movie na katulad ni Edna, may mga issues pala aside from physical abuse na nararanasan ng ibang OFW. “ Jonathan Melrod (Foreigner, International Human Rights Lawyer)remarked, “It was very educational because I do not know about OFW’s life. The movie was a poignant depiction of what their life is. I like the color transitions of the movie especially the change to black and white because it was dramatic.”

Cherrie Gil said, “I have no words to say. I’m so proud of my friend Ronnie Lazaro. It was a difficult material, well-crafted film.”

“The movie is a collection of conflicts and situations of a typical Filipino family of today. It is not only about OFW families, but all families with parents struggling to give the best life to their children.” said Gedang. “The movie will be our post Mother’s Day gift to all!” he added.

Edna will open in theaters on May 20, and will be screened at the UP Film Center on May 18.

For more details and information on the movie and screening schedules, you may visit its Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/Edna.film2014.

HHHHH Nothing says “I Love You, Mom” better than delicious homemade dishes made especially for Mothers’ Day. Chef Boy Logro and Bettinna Carlos share the recipes that will make this occasion extra special.

Surprise mom and take over the kitchen to prepare a delightful menu made up of Adobong Baby Squid sa

Edna director Ronnie Lazaro ,producer Tonet Gedang , and stars Kiko Matos, Irma Adlawan at the sneak preview at the Metropolitan Museum

Gata, Creamy Pinakbet with Bagnet and a special family dish called Florentina’s Ginataang Boneless Bangus. Wait for her sweet smile of approval with Bettinna’s yummy Yoghurt Fruit Pops for dessert.

Bettinna gets a treat of her own as her cute daughter Gummy comes over to greet her on this special day. Also joining the fun is Lovi Poe. Be sure not to miss another night of great food in this week’s serving of Idol sa Kusina airing 7:15 tonight on GMA News TV. HHHHH The Filipino Hairdresser Cooperative (Fil-Hair Coop), founded and chaired

by Ricky Reyes, will hold the 31st Hair & Make-Up Trend on May 20 at the Metro Tent in Metrowalk, in Ortigas Center.

The affair, which involves the country’s homegrown hairstylists and make-artists, will have competitions in several categories – Men’s Cut & Blow Dry, Avant Garde Men’s Cut, Commercial Make-Up and Bridal Make-Up. From the winners in these categories the Best in Color, Color Master, Outstanding Make-Up Artist and Best in Bridal MakeUp will be chosen an they will all receive P10,000 each and scholarships.

One champion and two runners-up from these four categories will receive cash prizes (P25,000 for the champion, P7,000 for the 1st runner-up and P5,000 for the 2nd runner-up) plus P10,000 worth of scholarship from Tesda.

The champion will have the chance to represent the country in the 19th Asia-Pacific hair Olympics to be held in Taipei.

The 31st Hair & Make-Up Trend is chaired this year by Celestino Reyes.

Chef Boy Logro hosts the cooking show Idol Sa Kusina on GMA News TV every Sunday

Whether you are a working mom or a fulltime homemaker, food is one way of expressing your love to your kids.

During financially challenging times, mothers will try to minimize their household expenses such as electricity, water, recreation and transportation, but try not to scrimp on food.

“For many Filipino families, food means love. We remember our lola’s kaldereta long after she is gone. We think of a favorite aunt when we see pochero on the table because that is her specialty. Mom’s adobo and dinuguan are beyond compare. Even when we live in other parts of the world, we love coming home to our favorite dishes prepared by our grandmothers, mothers, aunts and helpers,” said Rita Imelda Palabyab, president of San Miguel Foods Inc. San Miguel Foods Inc. carries the country’s leading meat brand Monterey. It is a subsidiary of San Miguel Pure Foods Co. Inc., the food division of San Miguel Corp.

In most families, meat is always the center of the plate or served as the main dish. Where we get our meat matters just as much as how we cook and present our specialty dishes to our families.

From the time hogs and cattle are slaughtered, they must be blast-chilled--and kept chilled--and handled properly so they will be safe for consumers to buy. Monterey’s hogs and cattle are blast-chilled after slaughter to stop the growth of bacteria and thereby maintain its freshness. Monterey meats are distributed in refrigerated vans to keep the temperature constant from the plant to over 500 Monterey Meatshops all over the Philippines. The cold chain system is a food safety standard that Monterey never compromises so as to provide consumers with fresh and quality meats you can trust.

For busy moms, Monterey Meatshop Plus offers fresh meats, Magnolia Chicken, various San Miguel Purefoods products and other kitchen solutions to create that family favorite dish. Monterey Meatshop Plus has an assortment of branded sauces and seasonings, spices, vegetables, bread and rice to provide that one-stop shop experience.

Selected Monterey Meatshop Plus branches also offer basic “Paluto” services and even “Ready to Eat” viands such as Adobo.

The butchers, who are extensively trained in the Monterey Meatshop School, will gladly assist you in choosing the right meat cuts and even in customizing them for your specific cooking requirements. The staff can also provide informed recommendations and recipes.

Monterey Meatshop Plus also offers free delivery service. By dialing their hotline number 633-MEAT (6328), you can have the meat or even other ingredients delivered to your doorstep.

Fashion designer Renee Salud with (from left) SMPFC Culinary Service manager Llena Tan-Arcenas, Monterey product manager Anna Nery, Bb.Pilipinas-Universe 2008 Jennifer Barrientos and Ms. International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago during a cooking demonstration for Monterey.

SUNDAY : M AY 10 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

IN APRIL, KAPUSO STILL THE LEADER ISAH V. RED GMA Network ended April on a strong note after reclaiming its lead in nationwide ratings, while keeping its unbeaten record in the viewer-rich areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila.

According to the industry’s widely-trusted ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM), GMA registered an average total day household audience share of 35.2 percent in April (with the dates of April 26 to 30 based on overnight data) and prevailed over ABS-CBN’s 33.8 percent and TV5’s 9.3 percent.

GMA particularly strengthened its dominance over rival networks in the morning and afternoon blocks. It posted 36.5 percent in the morning block, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 29.7 percent by 6.8 points and TV5’s 9.3 percent by 27.2 points.

In the afternoon block, Kapuso posted 36.9 percent, higher than ABS-CBN’s 31.2 percent by 5.7 points and TV5’s 9 percent by 27.9 points.

Meanwhile, GMA reinforced its strong performance and won across all day parts in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively account for 77 and 59 percent of all urban TV households in the country.

In Urban Luzon, GMA registered an average of 39.1 percent, beating ABS-CBN’s 29.7 percent by 9.4 points and TV5’s 8.2 percent by 30.9 points.

It also continued to rule in its

bailiwick Mega Manila as it recorded a 41.3 percent average, higher than ABS-CBN’s 26.1 percent by 15.2 points and TV5’s 8.4 percent by 32.9 points.

The Kapuso Network likewise dominated the list of top programs with and without specials in NUTAM, Urban Luzon and Mega Manila. The Holy Week special The Ten Commandments topped the list of programs including specials across all areas, while GMA’s multi-awarded News and Public Affairs program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) led in the list of regular programs in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila and was the highest-rating Kapuso show in NUTAM. Other top-rating regular programs for the month were Magpakailanman, Empress Ki, Pepito Manaloto, The Half Sisters, 24 Oras, Once Upon A Kiss, Celebrity Bluff, and Pari ‘Koy, among others.

HHHHH GMA Network was one with thousands of proud and excited Kapusong Ilocanos in celebrating a historic milestone as Ilocos Sur capital Vigan City officially became part of the New Seven Wonder Cities (N7WC).

Through an inauguration ceremony held at the St. Paul Cathedral grounds, the Heritage City of Vigan formally earned a new distinction following its proclamation as one of the seven most incredible cities of the world in December 2014.

Among the Kapuso celebrities who graced the occasion were Benjamin Alves and Lauren Young (as event hosts), together with Jaya and Jonalyn Viray (as special guest performers). The Philippine

Philharmonic Orchestra provided a classic touch to the affair.

Consequently, a plaque of appreciation was given yo GMA Network for mounting a successful inter-regional promotional campaign in support of the city’s bid to the coveted title last year. Receiving the award on behalf of GMA Network was AVP and Head of Regional Strategy and Business Development Division Oli Amoroso.

“We, from the Network, are proud to have been given the opportunity to partner with the local government of Vigan for the N7WC campaign. We are so honored because all our hard work paid off. The recognition we received from the people of Vigan serves as a reminder of the fruitful relationship we have with them,” said Amoroso. “Without question, Vigan is definitely one of the world’s most beautiful cities.”

Also gracing the inauguration ceremony were Eva Marie Singson-Medina, Mayor of Vigan and

Bernard Weber, president and founder of the New 7 Wonders Foundation.

The New 7 Wonders FoundaFounda tion is the same institution that named the underground river in Puerto Princesa City as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The other winning cities for the N7WC include Beirut in London, Doha in Qatar, Durban in South Africa, Havana in Cuba, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and La Paz in Bolivia. ➜ Continued on C8 Among the top-rating shows on GMA Network are Pepito Manaloto with Michael V, Magpakailanman with Mel Tiangco, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, Celebrity Bluff with Eugene Domingo,and Pari 'Koy with Dingdong Dantes

GMA registered an average total day household audience share of 35.2 percent in April (with the dates of April 26 to 30 based on overnight data) and prevailed over ABS-CBN’s 33.8 percent and TV5’s 9.3 percent

The iconic structure of GMA Network at the corner of EDSA and Timog Avenue in Quezon City