The Standard - 2016 January 31 - Sunday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX  NO. 353  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : JANUARY 31, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

NBA STARS COMING TO TOWN

US VOWS TO HELP PH VERSUS CHINA By Vito Barcelo

WHILE the Philippines’ dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea is not covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the US will abide by its treaty with the Philippines if it turns into a shooting war, US Ambassador Philip Goldberg said Saturday. “Edca isn’t directly related to the South China Sea [West Philippine Sea] issues. It’s about the United States helping its ally, the Philippines, as it goes about building a minimum credible defense,” Goldberg said in an interview with the GMA Network. “It’s not aimed at any country or the disagreements in the South China Sea,” Goldberg said, but in case of a “shooting war,” the US will be ready to abide by the Mutual Defense Treaty it signed with the Philippines in 1951. “The Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States. President Obama, when he was here, said that the treaty is ironclad. We take seriously our responsibilities, our obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Goldberg said. He, however, said that the US is not anticipating a “shooting war” due to the sea disputes. Next page

RODY TAUNTS MAR OVER NO-DRAMA AD By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday mocked former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, calling the Liberal Party standard bearer “crazy” for claiming that he is all work and no drama in his latest political advertisement. He’s claiming he’s no drama, but if he is not crazy, he ate rice in a cup. How stupid can you get? A cup is for water, a plate is for eating rice, Duterte said in an interview. If he does not really engage in drama, he should not be in that commercial to begin with, he added. Roxas’ latest political advertisement departed from his previous one that employed several show business personalities. “I am Mar Roxas. They say I didn’t grow up poor. That I don’t have a dramatic story. But the elections aren’t about me. It’s about you and your family. I won’t give you drama. I’ll focus on creating jobs for you. That’s what I know. That’s what I can do,” Roxas said in the 30-seconder advertisement. Next page

SAYONARA. Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers, including President Benigno Aquino III, who sent them off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after their state visit. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

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GOVT WARNS VS ZIKA VIRUS By sara susanne D. Fabunan

THE Palace ordered Health Secretary Janette Garin on Saturday to thoroughly study the Zika flavivirus that, like dengue, is also transmitted by the daytime-active Aedes mosquito and recently caused a pandemic in Central and South America.

AgAinst the grAin. Photos of presidential candidate Mar Roxas show him serving himself food in a mug and drinking from a plate during a

provincial sortie last year. The photos have since gone viral on the Internet and was picked up by his opponent Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to bash his rival.

US... From A1

“That is a hypothetical situation. You have to know what the circumstances are,” he said. Goldberg made the remark as he lauded the decision of the Supreme Court, in its first en banc session for the year, to uphold the constitutionality of the Edca, which allows increased rotational presence of US troops in the country. The high court voted 10 in favor, four against and one taking no part. Those who dissented to the majority ruling were Associate Justices Teresita Leon-

RODY... From A1

In another advertisement, Roxas appeared to take a shot at Duterte, saying he is not a bully. The Davao mayor, who placed second in a recent presidential survey, recalled how Roxas resorted to drama in delivering ‘‘onologues days after the Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ hit the country in 2013.

ardo-De Castro, Arturo Brion, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, and Marvic Leonen. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio wrote a concurring opinion while De Castro, Brion, and Leonen wrote their respective dissenting opinions. Under the agreement, the US will be allowed to build structures, store as well as pre-position weapons, defense supplies and materiel, station troops, civilian personnel and defense contractors, transit and station vehicles, vessels, and aircraft for a period of 10 years. The US envoy also made the remark amid growing fears in Southeast Asia that China’s activities in disputed waters is adding to tensions in the region, Malacañang said.

“What is he saying that he’s not up for drama? I was there on Day 2 of Yolanda. He was there during the storm but Mar, at that time, was not in his element. He looked like a zombie who didn’t know what to say, so he made monologues all the time, he said. The problem with the former Interior Secretary is he’s tormented. I could just surmise that he’s very scared [during Yolanda] so what he did there all the time was to do monologues,” Duterte

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. stressed that the Philippines is determined to “assert the importance of freedom of navigation and over flight” in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely. The building of additional runways contributes to heightened tensions in the region, Coloma said. “We reiterate that these actions by China violate not only pertinent international laws but also the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea of which China is a signatory, along with the member countries of [Association of Southeast Asian Nations],” he added.

added. Netizens had earlier poked fun at Roxas’ new political ad, result of the photos that are heavily edited just to put the administration stalwart in a bad light, even repeatedly “reporting” the video posted in Facebook for being “offensive.” Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez, Roxas’ spokesman, said people are free to react to the advertisement, however, way they want as netizens took to social media to mock the administration standard bearer.

“What we’re saying is that in social media, haters are gonna hate. The propaganda against former Secretary Mar are not true,” Gutierrez said in an earlier interview. “They cannot throw any substantial issue against Secretary Mar so they resort to making up fantastic stories,” he added. Gutierrez denied that Roxas used a cup for eating rice and a plate for drinking water, claiming that these photos were “photoshopped.”

“The DoH has been instructed by [President Benigno Aquino III] to study this matter and ensure public safety as much as possible,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said over stateowned Radyo ng Bayan. Although the Zika virus is not easily transmittable, Quezon said the Department of Health is ready to deal with the virus since it is very similar to dengue and there are safety protocols established against the spread of the virus. The DoH, for its part, called on the public to do their “shared responsibility” in terms of preventing the chance of spreading the virus in the country. “It’s a shared responsibility—it is our responsibility to make sure that mosquitoes do not propagate and can increase in number,” said DoH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy. Lee Suy said that reducing the population of mosquitoes was an effective preparation to the possible entry of Zika virus, which is currently spreading in Latin America. “If the population of mosquitoes is low, the risk will be smaller,” he added. He reiterated that the very same mosquitoes—Aedes mosquitoes—that carried the Zika virus in the countries where it was reported—is also present in the country and could possibly become “agents” in spreading the virus. Efforts should be focused in controlling the spread of said mosquitoes now and always, he said. Zika virus has not yet entered the country although in 2012, the DoH had confirmed that it had recorded one patient who was infected by Zika virus in Cebu (a 15 year-old male). He said that the best preparations that could be done to ensure that everyone was aware that there should be no place for “Aedes mosquitoes” to breed just like what should be done against dengue and chikungunya cases spread. Lee Suy said a clean environment is an important step to safeguard against the spread of Zika virus. Possible sites of breeding of Aedes mosquitoes include open water storage, water drainage, and other places where water can stay for some time without being noticed. According to World Health Organization, the Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. There is no specific treatment or no vaccine currently available. People with Zika virus disease usually have a mild fever, skin rash (exanthema) and conjunctivitis (redness of eyes). These symptoms normally last for 2-7 days.

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NEWS

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ROxAS, 76 VETERAN newspaperman and former Manila Standard editor-in-chief Cipriano S. Roxas died Friday afternoon at the age of 76. One of the most colorful personalities in Philippine journalism, Roxas started his newspaper career as a “mechanic” in the composing room of the pre-Martial Law Manila Times after he received a degree in English from the Far Eastern University. He later became business editor of the defunct Philippines Herald and later became press attaché of the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C.. He also served as bureau chief of the Philippine News Agency covering Los Angeles, USA and Toronto, Canada. In 1989, he became editor-in-chief of the Manila Standard when the newspaper was bought by the Soriano family from the Elizalde group and served in that position until 1997. In 1999, he was named executive editor of the Manila Times. He was later named executive editor of the Journal Group of Publications. Roxas left behind daughters Anne, Olivia, son William Lancelot (Billy Boy), siblings Margarita R. Manahan, Alicia and brother Jose Jr.. and partner Jo Efa. Following his wishes, there will be no wake and a memorial mass will instead be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Funeraria Paz Superior de luxe Chapel on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City. His remains will be cremated after the mass. His family said there will be a “Gathering of Zip Friends” at a time and place to be announced.

PADERANGA, 67 NOTED economist and former National Economic and Development Authority director-general Cayetano Paderanga Jr. passed away on Friday. He was 67. Paderanga, who also served as Neda chief during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino, was re-appointed to his old post when President Benigno Aquino III assumed office in 2010. However, he later resigned in 2012 because of poor health. Malacañang on Saturday hailed the contributions of former socio-economic planning secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr. in reinvigorating the country’s economy. “We mourn the passing of Cayetano Paderanga Jr., economist and public servant. During his time as Neda chief under [Aquino], he helped reinvigorate the institution which he had also headed during the term of President Corazon C. Aquino,” said Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. Under Paderanga’s watch, the Public-Private Partnership center was established, which has played a significant role in the revitalization of the economy, Lacierda said. “His institutional memory and personal integrity made him an effective undersecretary of Agriculture and chief negotiator of the country for the WTO: and earned him the respect of his peers in academe,” Lacierda said. “His good cheer, humble disposition, and intellectual rigor earned him the respect of so many, whether at home or abroad. We condole with his family, and join all who pause to reflect on his service to the nation during a life well lived,” Lacierda said. Among the many positions he held include being the president and chief executive officer of the Philippine National Oil Co., president of the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc., director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, and director at the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

WARM WELCOME. Vice presidential candidate and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. receives a warm welcome from thousands of Mandaluyong City residents during their Liberation Day celebration.

PALACE: POE SHOULD PASS LAW ON TRAINS By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

INSTEAD of threatening to sue Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya over the problems of Metro Manila’s train lines, Senator Grace Poe should instead look for a solution and craft a law that will address the issue, a Palace official said Saturday. “Well, if the senator is of that opinion, I think it would be very easy for her. She is a member of the Senate and in aid of legislation she could look into things,” said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersec-

retary Manuel Quezon III. “It’s strange that she would threaten to go to court when, as a member of the Senate, she could look into a situation, find shortcomings and craft a law for the purpose,” Quezon said. “Upon mature reflection, the good senator will realize that Secretary Abaya has been transparent,” he said, admitting that most people are very unhappy about the problems of the MRT system. Poe on Friday said that the Senate subcommittee on public services will soon submit a report on its inquiry into the MRT problem and it will recommend the filing of charges against Abaya. Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman conducted a preliminary investigation into the alleged irregularities in the MRT-3 interim maintenance contract. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales excluded Abaya from the

officials that were recommended to be charged with graft over the MRT deal. Poe, who had repeatedly asked Abaya to resign from the post, questioned the Ombudsman’s decision. Last Monday, the Transportation Department said Monday it is set to meet with the Finance Department next month to resolve issues raised by two government banks over the takeover of Metro Rail Transit Line 3. “We are hoping [to buy out MRT Corp. by June] and we have set up a meeting first week February with the DoF,” Abaya said, reiterating that a government takeover of the train line is one of the solutions to its many problems. Abaya said the remaining challenge was the financial issue raised by Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines on possible losses once the government executed the buyout.

BE THE EUCHARIST, YOUTH TOLD

SERVING THE ELDERLY. Some 330 senior citizens of Quezon City were given free medical

consultation, dental services, medicines, and vitamins during the ‘Libreng Gamutan’ medical and dental mission of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, FFCCCII Foundation Inc. and Kapisanan ng Senior Citizens of Barangay San Isidro Labrador and N.S. Amoranto. The activity was held at N.S. Amoranto barangay tennis court in Quezon City on Jan. 24. FFCCCII and FFI regularly hold medical missions to provide indigent residents and senior citizens with basic health care services.

BANGUED Bishop Leopoldo C. Jaucian urged the youth to “be the Eucharist” and share the love of God that they have experienced. “If you have felt his love, you should also share it to others. We should also become the Eucharist like Jesus in offering ourselves to our fellow men and to society,” said Jaucian, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth. The prelate presided the closing mass for the Youth Day of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. According to the National Filipino Catholic Youth Sur-

vey, in 2013, the number of Filipino Catholics reached an approximately 76.2 million (78.7 percent) out of the country’s estimated population of 96.8 million. Some 30.5 million (40 percent) belong to the youth sector aged 13-39 years old. The results of the 2013 survey, commissioned the Episcopal Commission on Youth, also showed that nine out of 10 Catholic youths state that they “are interested to learn more about their Catholic faith” and “can defend their faith to anyone who challenges them.” Pope Francis said in his message for the World

Youth Day to be held in Krakow, Poland on July 2531, 2016, “You young people are brave adventurers! If you allow yourselves to discover the rich teachings of the Church on love, you will discover that Christianity does not consist of a series of prohibitions which stifle our desire for happiness, but rather a project for life capable of captivating our hearts.” The International Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering aimed at promoting an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

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OPINION

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HOW TO FIGHT ZIKA VIRUS AN EMERGENCY meeting in Geneva about an incurable tropical disease now “spreading explosively” does not sound good. But in fact the World Health Organization’s swift response to the Zika virus is encouraging—both in itself and as an example of how to respond to such outbreaks, which are likely to become more common in a warmer and more connected world. Zika is a formerly rare disease that has now spread to Brazil and 22 other countries, nearly all in the Americas. A cousin of yellow fever, Zika is transported by mosquitoes and appears to afflict unborn children with a potentially crippling neurological disorder. When pregnant women contract the virus, it seems to put their babies at greater risk of microcephaly, a condition that includes smaller-thannormal skulls, stunted development and sometimes death. The threat is not global; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that for most Americans, Zika is “not something they need to worry about.” It’s one of the paradoxes of modern life: As climate change and globalization increase the occasions for anxiety, the need to keep perspective will only grow. There are sensible steps to take against the Zika virus, or similar outbreaks in the future. One is to strengthen not just the WHO but public health operations in developing countries: They need the competence and resources to identify diseases quickly and respond aggressively. Avoiding travel to affected areas can also make sense—in the case of Zika, for pregnant women or those who might become pregnant. A more long-term response to Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses is to better control the pests that carry the disease. That’s all to the good: Those mosquitoes also spread dengue fever and yellow fever, plagues of poor nations that kill tens of thousands yet until now have failed to attract the resources or attention needed to eradicate them. Increasingly, tropical disease is no longer confined to the tropics. That’s why a global response to these outbreaks—as ominous as it may sound —makes the most sense. Bloomberg

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WHO’S NOT TALKING? THE importance of candidates’ participation in forms and debates has long been established. This is the perfect opportunity for voters to get to know their candidates outside of the practiced statements and well-directed advertisements. The urgency increases with the position being sought. Candidates for the top offices have the obligation to tell the people how much they know and what they intend to do once elected. They have to be able to stand on their own, without their aides and advisers, and take on questions the nature and intent of which they do not know. They have to be able to communicate well and even display how they can deal with commentary that is friendly and adverse alike. That is what happens in an ideal world, and where candidates have nothing—including ignorance—to hide. In reality, this is what takes place. Various organizations attempt to organize gatherings with varying degrees of probable success in terms of turnout. Members of the campaign teams of each camp ask themselves the following questions: Who is inviting? Is the location friendly or hostile? What would the crowd look like? What is the probable nature of the questions? Who else is going? Can the candidate get away with not going? Candidates who do not have much confidence in their own eloquence or in their ability to share the stage with others are likely to decline. We should not take these refusals to participate lightly. They represent candidates’ unwillingness to be scrutinized for their substance. It shows a lack of respect for voters’ intelligence. Not everybody can be swayed by trends, wooed by feel-good statements or influenced by crafty ads. Next time we hear that a candidate once again refused to participate in a debate, let’s take it against him or her.

TRUMP’S ONE-MAN SHOW IS A SMASH By Leonid Bershidsky THE competing spectacles put on by Republican presidential candidates in Iowa should put to rest any remaining doubts that the party’s 2016 nomination contest is a show business phenomenon, and has little to do with the boring realities of governing after election day. Donald Trump adopted the role of the capricious lead singer who had quit his band in a huff and was playing a gig across town. First, he refused to take part in a Fox News debate with other candidates. Then he negotiated his return to the show until the last moment (Fox said he demand-

ed a $5-million contribution to charity, but was told that money couldn’t change hands under any circumstances). The other candidates were his jilted bandmates, haplessly trying to get through the show without their star and wisecracking about him throughout. Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium, which Trump rented at short notice for his alternative event—a hastily arranged rally/ benefit for veterans—can hold 500 people. As it filled with TV crews, the roped-off media area overflowed, and reporters took seats designated for the public and roamed the aisles. Although the venue opened to the public at

the same time, few people trickled in—and those who did were immediately grabbed by the press pack for interviews. When the event was scheduled to begin and the national anthem was sung, there were plenty of vacant seats and about as many reporters as Trump supporters. Trump staffers had come up with a creative idea to warm up the audience: YouTube personalities Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, better known as Diamond and Silk, performed their “Stump for Trump” act. Meanwhile, Trump himself, the self-professed star negotiator, conducted his unsuccessful last-minute talks with

Fox. By the time he showed up on stage, the last empty seats had been filled. “I didn’t want to be here,” Trump began, a faux-rueful reference to his absence from the debate across town. He announced that he’d collected $5 million—no, $6 million, including the $1 million he’d donated himself—for veterans in the short 24 hours he had to put together the event. Much of the money came from his friends, including activist investor Carl Icahn and several property developers. One of these—casino owner and real estate billionaire Phil Ruffin—joined Trump onstage. He was introduced by the presidential candidate as a sharp

poker player and his top choice to negotiate with China. Ruffin’s Ukrainian wife, the model Oleksandra Nikolayenko, was there to hug Trump, too. Team Trump hadn’t been able to say which veterans’ charity the money would go to, but that became a little clearer during the event. After John Wayne Walding, who had lost a leg in Afghanistan, gave a practiced but sincere talk on the importance of gratitude to veterans, representatives of #22kill joined him on stage. The nonprofit is dedicated to raising awareness of a “suicide epidemic” that it says leads to the deaths of 22 veterans every day. The statistic, based on a 2012 Department

of Veterans Affairs report, has raised questions (for example, veterans who commit suicide are, on average, almost 60 years old, older than other men who take their own lives). Yet Trump’s embrace of it is not surprising: This campaign is not about facts and policies. It’s about improvisation. For an event thrown together at short notice, it was impressive, with all the elements of a successful show: society glitter, a dose of heartbreak mixed with patriotism, a worthy cause and YouTube stars. Finally, it had Trump himself, the reality show host with a message about “sticking up for your

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rights,” fighting back against an attempt by “mainstream media” (Fox, in this instance) to slight him. There is no other candidate who can work this kind of magic. Trump keeps repeating that his events have more cameras than the Academy Awards. There’s no way of fact-checking this boast, but it reveals the heart of the Trump phenomenon: He is an expert producer of pure, joyous, topleague show business. His rivals are still in politics. “It’s much better than this debate, isn’t it?” Trump said at one point.

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There were some sniping at Trump at the Fox debate—Ted Cruz mocked him for copping out, and Jeb Bush, seemingly at ease for once, said Trump had been “a teddy bear” to him. (Trump, for his part, mocked Bush with fake wistfulness. “He’s probably looking for me,” he said, getting laughs from his audience.) No wonder Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, past Republican winners of the Iowa caucuses, showed up at Trump’s event after taking part in an earlier debate of socalled undercard candidates. They both said they were there for the veterans. But

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the Trump bandwagon must be attractive to weaker candidates because they hope some of the magic will rub off. Cruz, Rubio and Bush arguing about which of them has historically taken a tougher, more unswerving line on immigration—the theme that dominated the main debate—may sound like an important discussion to have, except that all Republicans are promising a tougher stance on immigration and the nuances don’t matter all that much. The debate ran longer than Trump’s alContinued 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

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OPINION

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EXODUS UNDER THE BALKAN SNOW By Dimitar Dilkoff MIRATOVAC, Serbia—With the cold and snow that descend on the Balkans in the winter, the number of refugees trekking the so-called Balkan migrant route has dwindled from the sea of humanity that made the journey each day in the summer and autumn. But they are still coming, walking on foot through the freezing cold and snow. There is about a thousand to two thousand people who come through now, down from the tens of thousands who were here daily when it was warmer. Gone are the Pakistanis, the Iranians and others. Only the Syrians, the Iraqis and the Afghans remain. They are the only ones—people from “conflict zones”—that the Macedonian authorities have been allowing since the end of November to cross through their territory on their way to western Europe. They are also the most desperate, those who feel they have no choice but to

By Thomas Watkins GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba—I’m sitting in the public gallery of one of the world’s least accessible courtrooms, watching through a triple-paned, soundproof window as the five, thick-bearded detainees chat amiably with their lawyers before yet another pretrial hearing. It’s been eight years since the United States first charged them with plotting the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and killing nearly 3,000 people. If it isn’t already, this case will soon become the longest prosecution in US history. When the military judge calls the court to order, I begin to see why. Instead of addressing the horror of 9/11, the entire day’s testimony—and most of the following day’s—is again dedicated to an issue that already has bogged proceedings down for more than a year. In the courtroom, the defendants’ attorneys are arguing that as strict Muslims, it is culturally inappropriate for female prison guards to escort them to and from the courthouse. The alleged mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, whose enormous beard is dyed bright orange and who wears a military jacket and an Arabic head scarf, contends that even seeing female guards makes him flash back to the torture and sexual humiliation meted out by the Central Intelligence Agency after he was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and sent to secret prisons. During a short break for the defendants to pray, a human rights activist sitting behind me leans forward and points to a cushion that one defendant, Mustapha al-Hawsawi, always sits on. She says, matter of factly, that he needs the padding because he suffered massive damage to his rectum during aggressive CIA body searches—and has been denied surgery to fix it. I do a double-take, finding such an assertion unlikely. But it’s already been discussed in open court,

walk through snowstorms— some of them have never even seen snow—as temperatures fall to -15 Celsius. I began to cover the migrant crisis in the Balkans last June and did a number of assignments in Serbia and Macedonia. I knew that with the coming of winter, which is usually quite cold in this region, the situation for these refugees trying to reach Western Europe will become more and more difficult. So as soon as the temperatures dropped and the snow started falling, I proposed to my bosses in Paris that I spend a week on the scene, to see what’s going on. They agreed. The refugees cross Macedonia by train from the Greek border. The migrants arrive about four or five kilometers from the Serbian border, which they have to walk on foot. I know the hours of the trains, so I know about what time each day the refugees will be appearing in the fields. Each time they appear, it’s

Each time they appear, it’s heartbreaking. The refugees are exhausted. The children cry.

heartbreaking. Again, some of these people have never seen snow, have never lived through a cold winter. The walk across the frozen fields is challenging to say the least. The refugees are exhausted. The children cry. The first thing that the refugees have to do is to register with the Serbian authorities. Then they are allowed to continue in the direction of Croatia and Slovenia whose borders are still open, unlike Hungary.

They register in a camp in the town of Presevo. Non-governmental organizations have put in place a system where the women, children and the elderly or those with difficulty walking, are taken there by van from the border. But others have to walk the seven kilometers. Luckily the refugees don’t have to spend the night outside. The camps that were put in place in Presevo last summer, when tens of thousands were passing through every day, have enough room to take everyone in. The locals also help a bit. It may not be super comfortable, but at least no one is dying of cold and hunger. This is not the first humanitarian crisis that I have covered in the region. I covered the Kosovo war from 1998 to 1999, when there were also lots of desperate refugees. But their numbers were miniscule compared with what we have seen over the past several months. At the moment it’s worse. So much worse. AFP

AS LONG AS IT TAKES

Guantanamo, December 2015. AFP

and is described in an infamous report by the US Senate Intelligence Committee. In my 15 years as a journalist, I’ve attended countless hours of criminal and military court proceedings. But I’ve never heard anything like this: References to government torture and wrongdoing that go unchallenged by either the judge or the prosecutors. Underpinning everything here is the CIA’s handling of these and other prisoners in the years following 9/11. Some of the evidence came through “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Agents had an array of measures at their disposal including waterboarding, chronic sleep deprivation and force-feeding—either orally or anally. In the years since the “9/11 Five” were first charged in 2008, the taint of torture and of alleged wrongdoing—including claims the government spied on defense

teams—have soured proceedings. Such conduct would likely have seen the case tossed from a federal court, an unthinkable outcome for the United States in such a high-profile prosecution. So the government, frantic to ensure the military court’s legitimacy, is now indulging just about every major defense motion, more than 200 of which have been filed. The ‘forever’ trial Unlike in a regular case, where the defendants are brought to court, here the opposite is true. Every month or so, the judge, prosecutors, court staff and defense attorneys board a chartered plane from an Air Force base outside Washington and make the three-hour flight down to this Caribbean military outpost. Of the 91 men still in Guantanamo, about half are still being held without charge but have no prospect of ever being released.

The media have dubbed these inmates the “forever prisoners.” I wonder if this is becoming the “forever trial.” I meet the chief prosecutor in the case, Brigadier General Mark Martins. He won’t be drawn into a discussion on how long it will take. “The standard is the law and the rule of law. We’ll be here as long as it takes. No one is going to lose interest in these cases,” Martins says. He’s right—we’re talking 9/11, after all. But America and the world are changing. We think less about the Al-Qaeda bogeyman and more about Islamic State jihadists wreaking havoc around the world. The “war on terror” has itself evolved—the United States is less inclined to even take prisoners, preferring instead to kill suspects via Predator drone. I look at a group of sailors who are on duty guarding the main courtroom perimeter. They would

TRUMP’S... From A5 ternative event, and it had fewer watchable moments, apart from some skirmishes between candidates and gnomic pronouncements from Ben Carson (“Putin is a onehorse country: oil and energy”). The outcome of the ratings battle is easy to guess: Trump won. The big question for Trump and his rivals is whether enough Republican voters want to keep watching the show—and be part of it. This is a proposition that has never been put to them before, not even by Ronald Reagan, whose showbiz credentials were arguably better than Trump’s. Cruz, currently Trump’s main rival in Iowa, is working on getting the core evangelical vote. His campaign managers suggest they are better organized than Trump’s people. Yet even if Cruz pulls off a win, he only has to look at Huckabee and Santorum to know that it may not do him much good. Trump’s pro-veterans event was, in a sense, against another kind of veteran—political veterans with their old-time tactics, techniques and understanding of voter behavior. It was designed to show that the game can be played differently. It succeeded: His rivals didn’t score too many points for the conventional wisdom. Bloomberg have only been about four or five years old when the planes were hijacked. Three of them are chatting idly, sheltered from the blazing Cuban sun by a canvas shade. They don’t appear particularly interested in the historic events unfolding a few yards away; they actually seem rather bored. “You lose track of days here,” one says to his friends as he leans against a wall. “You don’t know what day it is. You just know if you’re working, or if you’re off.” Larry the iguana Guantanamo Bay is a weird place. The population of about 5,000 is mostly military, but large numbers of imported workers come from Jamaica and the Philippines. During my week here, I didn’t hear a single word of Spanish. The base is on Cuba, though separated entirely by razor-wire fencing, landmines and massive cactuses. Before we are allowed to come, we have to sign 13 pages of ground rules specifying what we can and can’t do. We aren’t allowed to take photos, except in pre-ordained places or with the approval of our military minders. All the pictures taken on site are vetted, including the one below of the iguana, one of many such creatures wandering around the base looking for scraps to eat. The soldiers here have named him Larry. At the end of the week’s court proceedings, the victim’s relatives who have come down hold a press conference. Their pain is still raw and palpable and they sound defiant, exhausted and frustrated in equal measure. Some cry, others, their political beliefs at polar opposites, snap at each other. They all want resolution, but they don’t want to see America rush justice. I just “wanted to see the bastards,” one of them, Alfred Bucca, says. He lost his brother Ronald, who was a fire marshal and died as the south tower collapsed. Another pretrial hearing is set for next month. AFP

s u n d ay : j a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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editorial@thestandard.com.ph

smes ill-prepared for integration—marcos By Vito Barcelo

The small and medium enterprises in the country have remained weak due to lack of support from the government, and are not prepared for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration, according to Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Most SMEs are unstable because of financial and institutional constraints and stiff competition with larger enterprises, Marcos said. In a statement, Marcos said SMEs have been the most vulnerable sector in the Asean integration given the non-tariff barriers which make markets more open and more competitive.

He said that SMEs need to access government resources and those coming from other financial institutions to be able to improve their products and operations. In this aspect, Marcos pointed out, that government has failed them because most of them still find it difficult to access loans and other forms of

financial assistance. “The government lack full support to SMEs. There is no easy access to capital and despite the Asean integration, access remains difficult,” he said. He pointed out that aside from problems in accessing loan facilities, poor infrastructure and high cost of power are also keeping SMEs from achieving global competitiveness. He said that SMEs are powerless in the Asean integration without full government support. “Our country is now open to new and stronger businesses which may force our SMEs to shut down without government backing them up every step of the way,” he said.

He stated such scenario will be catastrophic to most Filipinos because SMEs comprise 99.6 percent of businesses registered in the country and provide 70 percent of the workforce. But Marcos said it is not too late to help the SMEs because the country has enough laws with the necessary safeguards to assist them. “We have many laws to extend assistance to them and that needs to be addressed and become strong in global competition,” he said. Marcos added that product improvement and innovation and skills training should also be pursued to help their products become more competitive.

pedal power. Bikers led by movie-tv celebrity solenn Heussaff pedal their way to the ‘green premier night’ at the university of the philippines in Diliman on friday, jan. 29, to promote a local movie and at the same time encourage biking. JaNSeN roMero

mangrove project on target—Denr THE government has completed a program aimed at restoring mangrove and natural beach forests in coastal areas battered by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013, Environment Secretary ramon Paje said on Saturday. Paje said some 50,417 hectares of coastal areas in 43 Yolanda-hit provinces were covered by the Mangrove and Beach Forests Development Project, which was carried out by the Ecosystems research and Development Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural resources. “Although ErDB only had a little over one year to implement the MBFDP, it was able to achieve the target of 50,000 hectares and 125 million seedlings,” Paje said. He added: “MBFDP mirrors the commitment of the Aquino

administration to build back better the communities ravaged by the disaster, and the ErDB has done well in amplifying that commitment.” MBFDP is a special coastal reforestation initiative under the National Greening Program that was created to hasten the establishment of mangrove areas and beach forest belts in areas devastated by one of the strongest storms in history. Of the more than 50,417 hectares, around 90 percent or 44,800 hectares of the rehabilitated areas were planted with native mangrove, while the remaining 5,617 hectares of beach forest belts were planted with indigenous beach tree species like talisay, agoho, apatot, antipolo, alagawdagat, bitaog, dampalit, kalumpang and katmon. The MBFDP had also exceeded its

seedling production target for the NGP from 2011 to 2014, having produced 139 million mangrove propagules and beach forest tree species or 293 percent higher than the program’s regular seedling production for coastal reforestation. The project likewise generated 87,500 jobs and benefited 12,500 individuals who were hired as workers doing planting site preparation tasks and seedling production activities. Of the 10 regions targeted under MBFDP, region 8 topped the list of having the highest number of areas covered at 13,633 hectares; followed by region 4-B with 8,096; region 5 with 7,943; region 7 with 4,947; region 9 with 4,731; region 6 with 3,468; region 13 with 4,452; region 11 with 1,768; region 4A with 1,000; and region 10 with 378.

Bill gives workers first crack at Bankrupt companies WOrkErS may still claim wages in case of bankruptcy of employers even without formal declaration of insolvency under a bill awaiting Senate’s approval. “Workers should be given first lien in case of bankruptcy to satisfy their money claims against the business. Such money claims should not require formal declaration of bankruptcy or insolvency to save workers and their families from slipping into the quagmire of mere subsistence or poverty,” said party-list rep. raymond Democrito C. Mendoza. Mendoza sought to protect the rights of the workers to be the first lien in case of bankruptcy of the employer in House Bill 5308, which has been approved by the House of representatives on third and final reading and transmitted to the Senate for action. “The bill requires that in the event of bankruptcy of the employer, the workers should be given the first preference as regards their wages and other monetary claims,” Mendoza said. Mendoza said the bill likewise provides that unpaid wages and other monetary claims shall be paid in full even without the formal declaration of bankruptcy or insolvency. At present, Mendoza said workers are at a disadvantage when employers start non-payment of their wages, benefits and other entitlements in cases of employers’ bankruptcy. “This should not be the case because the Constitution mandates the State to protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare,” Mendoza said. Mendoza said Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines, declares as a State policy to provide protection to labor. “One such protection to labor is to satisfy their claims against the employers’ business,” Mendoza said. pNa

N OTIC E TO TH E PU B LIC

RO S E M A R I E L . D U M A - O G Please be informed that ROSEMARIE L . DUMA- OG whose picture appears above is no longer connected with U N I S TA R C R E D I T A N D F I N AC E C O R P. (w i t h b r a n c h a t Ta g u i g Wa r e h o u s e) a s P a r t s C u s t o d i a n s i n c e J a n u a r y 19 , 2 016 . A ny t r a n s a c t i o n e n t e r e d i n t o by h e r w i l l N OT b e h o n o r e d by t h e C o m p a ny. S h o u l d a ny t r a n s a c t i o n o c c u r, p l e a s e d o n o t h e s i t a t e t o i n f o r m o u r b r a n c h a t ( 0 6 2) 214 - 4 42 8 or the Legal D epar tment at (02) 624 -12 2 2 loc. 2 23 and the H R D epar tment at (02) 621-12 2 2 loc. 18 3 Yo u m ay a l s o r e a c h u s t h r o u g h e - m a i l at hrd@scinnova.com.ph M a n i l a O f f i c e l o c a t e d a t 2 6 t h F l o o r, O n e C o r p o r a t e C e n t r e , J u l i a Va r g a s S t . c o r n e r M e r a l c o Av e ., O r t i g a s C e n t e r, P a s i g C i t y ( T S - J A N . 31, 2 016)

SUNDAY: JANUARY 31, 2016

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

BUS SCHEME FAILS TO CATCH FIRE By Joel E. Zurbano

TRANSPORT authorities are encouraging private motorists to leave their vehicles at home and instead use the public transport to ease traffic in the metropolis particularly the congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. Their proposal came on the heels of findings that the rising number of private vehicles was among the factors contributing to Metro Manila’s traffic mess. But a number of private motorists interviewed by The Standard are not keen on giving it a try, for security and health reason. “Taking a bus or a jeep is not safe and inconvenient nowadays. I will not allow myself and my chil-

MANHUNT FOR FIL-AM FUGITIVE ON

dren to meet or encounter criminals like the Laglag-Barya Gang, or holduppers or the like of Zesto Gang in the 80s, who sometimes kill their victims .. You are exposed to those criminals,” said Irish John Canlas of Antipolo City. Manila-based accountant Patria Caldeo agreed that the increasing volume of private cars is one of the reasons for the traffic but “you cannot put the entire blame on private vehicle owners.” Caldeo explained that she opted to buy a car because of its prac-

ticality and convenience for her four-year-old daughter who started school last year. She added they are traveling seven kilometers (average of 20-30 minutes travel time) from house to her school and the fuel consumption for that ride cost about P20 to P30 depending on the traffic situation. “When we use public transport, we’ll have to ride a tricycle, LRT and another tricycle which will cost us P95 and our travel time will be doubled. Our average daily travel is 30-kilometers and our weekly fuel consumption is 26 liters approximately or P1,000. This is much cheaper than riding public transport,” she said. Caldeo added “If only the Philippines has efficient, comfortable and cheaper mass transports, maybe then we can leave our cars at home.” “But until long lines just to get

a ticket in a train won’t take you an hour, and boarding a train won’t take you another hour, until taxi cabs won’t be choosy and until jeepney operators will have better units maybe then we can trade the comfort, efficiency and practicality of our private cars.” Tabloid managing editor Georg Orozco said the traffic problem is just like the theory of “which came first, the egg or the chicken?” “Which came first, the traffic or the number of vehicles? The real problem here is that the government failed to do urban planning. If they did, it’s too late. They didn’t foresee what will happen, the problem is already there,” she said. June Canlas, a lotto outlet operator in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, said people like him bought cars because they want privacy and they feel it’s better for them to encounter traffic as long as they feel safe and

IMMIGRATION authorities are hunting for a Filipino-American fugitive, wanted in the United States for alleged gunrunning. Immigration Commissioner Ronaldo Genaro ordered the manhunt on Mark Mendoza, 30 years old, of southern California after his mother, Marilou, 60, was arrested in Los Angeles International Airport last week. Federal prosecutors said that the Mendoza mother and son of Long Beach, California, had been indicted last month but jumped bail while awaiting trial. Mark, who ran a business called Last Resort Armaments, is believed to be in the Philippines, prompting the BI chief to order the nationwide manhunt. Authorities said the Mendozas tried to smuggle hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds and parts for assault rifles to the Philippines, labelling the shipments as household goods but were intercepted by US authorities. The BI is now coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies for the arrest of Mendoza. Vito Barcelo

convenient. “When you encounter traffic, at least you are inside your own car and safe. Kaysa naman natrapik ka makakapulot ka pa ng sakit galing sa di mo kilalang tao, isama mo na ang usok at alikabok... besides, groceries are kind of heavy you know and malls are far away,” he said. Chairman Emerson Carlos of the Metro Manila Development Authority said the government’s Premium Point-to-Point Bus Service scheme will be the answer to what the people need in terms of safety and convenience when traveling along Edsa. He added that the P2P service allows shorter travel time, as bus units depart on a fixed schedule and travel directly from the terminal to the drop-off point. The project was initially implemented from Dec. 6, 2015 until Jan. 6, 2016 to decongest Edsa during the holiday travel rush.

COUNTDOWN.

Senatorial candidate Rep. Martin Romualdez (left) answers question from University of the Philippines students during the ANC Run Down 2016 Leadership Forum at UP Theater in Quezon City. Romualdez explains his position on such issues as same-sex marriage, BBL, and anti-dynasty bill. He is joined in the forum by senatorial candidates Sandra Cam (center) and retired general Dionesio Santiago. VER NOVENO

DOCTORS’ ART EXHIBIT BENEFITS FOUNDATION TWO accomplished doctors who have since taken to photography and the artistic canvass are holding a joint exhibit of their works with all the proceeds to be donated to the Philippine General Hospital Foundation. Bienvenido “Bien” Cabral M.D. and Marcelito “Mars” Custodio M.D. who call themselves physician by occupation, artist by avocation are holding a joint exhibit at Dusit Thani Hotel’s mezzanine level that opens on Feb 3 at 4 p.m. The exhibit will run until Feb 13. To be showcased are the paintings of Custodio and photographs of Cabral. All proceeds from the sales will be for the benefit of PGH Medical Foundation to help indigent patients. The exhibit will include Custodio’s 20 paintings on various subjects and Cabral’s 35 works mostly of flowers in color and black and white in time for Valentine’s Day.

Cabral, who grew up in Tondo, received his B.S. (1965) and M.D. (1968) from the University of the Philippines. After his residency in Ophthalmology at the PGH, he took his fellowship in retinal surgery and ophthalmic pathology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, the Harvard Medical School and the Joslin Clinic in Boston. Bien is retired from private practice in Manila. He has shared his blessings with others through the Good Hope Foundation which he established, and which has seen needy but deserving individuals through medical school, nursing school, engineering school, high school and elementary school. Social responsibility and good citizenship go together in Bien Cabral and he puts his belief into practice in other ways. Thus, many times in the past, he can be found on the streets with other activists, expressing their

views on national issues. Today, Bien takes on less dangerous activities but still manages to express his support for the disadvantaged and recognize his debt of gratitude to his Alma Mater by donating or raising funds for meritorious activities of the UP College of Medicine, the PGH Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation and the PGH Medical Foundation. These days, he is no less passionate about his nationalist concerns and his social responsibilities, but he now has time to enjoy other pursuits, such as painting and photography, traveling with family and friends, tending a small hobby farm, golf, and grandchildren (who all look like him, according to him). He looks forward to seeing the Philippines and the Filipinos take pride of place in the community of nations, liberated from the tyranny of disease, poverty and corruption and free to chart their own destiny.

EARLY LISTING.

Children try to write their names before they are allowed to enrol in primary and grade schools during an early registration in public school. DANNY PATA

SUNDAY: JANUARY 31, 2016

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

BUSINESS

LATINO BUILDERS

TRANSFORM LA UNION

RCL Realty & Consulting Services chairman and chief executive Fausto Liriano (right) and vice president for investor relations Francisco Custodio Rojas

THREE Spanish-speaking gentlemen met in a salsa club in Makati City four years ago and discovered that apart from Latin music, they shared a common interest in real estate. Together, they traveled to La Union, the country’s surfing capital, and within four years, changed the architectural landscape of the province. “Basically, we saw the potential of La Union. We established a corporation. We are right now involved in a lot of exciting developments in La Union,” Fausto Liriano, chairman and chief executive of RCL Realty & Consulting Services, says in an interview in Makati City. RCL stands for Rojas, Chong and Liriano—the names of the three partners. Aside from Liriano, the other partners are Francisco Custodio Rojas, who serves as the vice president for investor relation and David Chong, the vice president for marketing. They are backed by foreign and local investors. Liriano, a 37-year-old civil engineer, is from the Dominican Republic while Rojas and Chong are from Spain and Panama, respectively. One of their favorite hangouts in Makati City was Chihuahua Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar along Makati Ave., before it was transferred to Fort Bonifacio. Liriano says he usually goes to Latin clubs in Makati to dance with his wife, who is also a director of the company. “I am a fam-

ily man. I love to spend time with my family. Every once a month, they come here with me in Manila,” says Liriano, who has three children studying in La Union. “I love to read, to dance, to play golf. In our culture, dancing is in our blood. We listen to music. We go to several places here. One place is Chihuahua. Others are Alchemy Bistro Bar and Brasas at SM Jazz. Aside from that, you can come every night to Cafe Havana,” he says, referring to bars and restaurants that play Latin music. Liriano, who has a 17-year experience in real estate, describes RCL as a realty consulting services company. Before he came to the Philippines, he had worked in nine countries where he provided construction and design services. He first arrived in the Philippines in 2006 to help develop Thunderbird Resorts’ properties in Rizal and La Union. Liriano became the operation director for project management and design team of Thunderbird Resorts from 2009 to 2012, before he was appointed the chief oper-

ating officer of Cova Construction and Consulting Services, the exclusive contractor of Thunderbird Resorts. Together with Rojas and Chong, Liriano formed RCL Realty on April 19, 2012, with an office in Makati and another in San Fernando, La Union. RCL is the exclusive sales and marketing arm of major real estate projects mostly built by Cova Construction such as Waves Beach Club and Residences, a Malibu-style community in San Juan, La Union; Tuscany Estates, an Italian-inspired residential complex in San Fernando; Julianville Homes also in San Fernando; a BPO building inside Poro Point

Philippines. On why he decided to live in the Philippines, Liriano says he saw the potential of the country. “I came here, supposedly for six months. Then after I came, because I have a family, I told my boss I am already tired of traveling. My kids started growing and I saw the potential of the Philippines, even for the company at that time. So I decided to stay and be with my family,” he says. “The Philippines is very similar to our country. That is why we feel at home. Filipinos are a very happy people, very friendly. Professionally speaking, they are very good. I don’t know how many countries I have worked in that

We will keep working in La Union because La Union is booming. Somebody needs to help in the development and we want to be a part of that. Freeport Zone; The View Residences in Binangonan, Rizal; and Bonbel Condominium and MegaTower Residences in Baguio City. Liriano says RCL, which is now manned by 20 professionals, aims to be the leading real estate and property development consultancy firm in Region 1, with a long-term goal of becoming the top five real estate company in the

have the kind of accommodation skills the Filipinos have. I also feel at home because of the weather. Our country is also tropical,” says Liriano, referring to the Dominican Republic. “I have worked for Thunderbird Resorts since 2003 in different countries. I resigned from Thunderbird Resorts last 2013. Then my partners and I started this cor-

poration, RCL. We have been in the market for four years. In those four years, we have achieved a lot of goals, maybe more than what we were expecting,” he says. Liriano says he saw the potential of the real estate market in La Union when Cova Design and Construction, which he headed as COO, built the residential component of Thunderbird Resorts in Poro Point. The Santorini-inspired project called The Point Residences was successfully launched. RCL’s biggest project at present is the multi-billion-peso Waves Beach Club and Residences, which sprawls over 7.5 hectares of beachfront property. It consists of residential villas, condotel and beachfront apartment. “This is the first of its kind in the Philippines. Everything will be automatic, meaning to say you will control your CCTV, you door, your washing machine, everything with your device,” he says. Waves Beach Club targets the high-end market, with a villa costing P9 million and above while a condotel unit costs an average of P6 million. “Aside from Waves, we are also working on an Italian concept—a new development called Tuscany Estates, inspired by a province in Italy that is well known because of the landscape. It is a one-hectare project in San Fernando. The products that we are selling are TURN TO B3

SUNDAY: JANUARY 31, 2016

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

ELECTRIC VEHICLES OFFER THE FUTURE OF PH TRANSPORT ROMMEL Juan believes that electric vehicles will play a crucial role in the Philippine mass transportation system in the coming years. Juan, the president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, says this will be possible, if the country follows the lead of China or California. He says there is a lot to learn from China and California, two areas with thriving e-vehicle industries. “China has transformed itself into a global juggernaut in the EV industry, surpassing the USA as the world’s largest manufacturer and market for EVs,” he says. Juan says in 2015 alone, China sold 180,000 electric cars, or nearly 300-percent more than in 2014 and 20 times more than in 2013. Electric cars in China represented more than half of the total vehicles sold in the Philippines in 2015, he says. Juan says China followed the lead of California and “in some instanc-

es, even added some extras.” He says in 2014, the China Automotive Technology Research Center invited California auto regulators to share their success secrets. They then dispatched Chinese experts to California to observe and learn more. Juan says Chinese experts learned that in California, EV automakers are required to produce EVs at an escalating percentage increase year by year. “Simultaneously, the State built a synthetic market that allowed EV makers to buy and sell EV credits. They also invested in public charging stations and gave financial incentives not only to the manufacturers but to consumers as well. Today, California accounts for about half of the EV sales in the USA,” says Juan.

He says China was quick to implement what they learned in California. Policy makers adopted a California-style EV mandate and jumpstarted the demand through purchases of government vehicle fleets. Buyers were given as much as $14,000 subsidy per EV purchased and many cities offered reduced parking fees and granted access to bus and high occupancy vehicle lanes. Beijing also decreed that 30 percent of municipal vehicles should be electric vehicles. Juan says tin some instances, China has gone even further than California. “They even gave reduced license plate rates. In Shanghai, it costs more than $18,000 to get a license plate. In Beijing, it is very difficult to get one and only one out of 200 applicants [half of 1 percent] gets a license plate,” he says. Beijing, however, allotted 30,000 free license plates for EVs in 2015.

Juan says the Philippines should introduce similar EV policies and incentives to support the country’s fledgling EV industry. “We must look at the successful EV policies and both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that have worked for China and California and we must emulate those that are applicable to us and we can afford,”

he says. He says EVs offer a cleaner and more economical alternative to the country’s ailing, dilapidated public transport vehicles. “We expect EVs to be here to stay in various forms and they will be essential to the modernization of the mass transport system in the Philippines,” he says.

FILIPINOS NEED INNOVATIVE LEADERS FOR generations, many Filipinos’ aspirations for prosperity have been routinely frustrated by the politicization of policy-making, bad governance and corrupt politics, according to an independent think tank. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute, an independent strategic and international research organization, said that amid this great power shift, other trends—rising global inequality, unstoppable urbanization, regional territorial conflicts and potentially disruptive technological game-changers—are complicating the political scene. Founded a year and two months ago by a multi-sectoral union of innovative thought leaders, ADRi is an independent strategic and international research organization formed to

address political, economic, security and environmental issues affecting the Philippines and East Asia. During the book launching of “Thinking Beyond Politics” in Makati City, Manhit said the country is on the verge of a transformation where disruptive innovations will positively change electoral politics, governments, political participation and the policy process. Presently, he said the obliteration of barriers is transforming local, national and geopolitics; the competition for votes; the policy process; and even created rivalries among non-governmental organizations, intellectual institutions, ideologies and schools of philosophical thought and science. As a result, small, unknown,

and once-negligible political actors, have found ways to undermine, fence in, or thwart nation-states, great powers, large bureaucratic organizations and even multinationals that once controlled national and global power, he said. “This means fringe political parties, innovative start-ups, organized activists, upstart civil society organizations, citizen media, and leaderless young people, among others, can now partake in the national, regional and global conversation and the struggle for power,” said Manhit, during the launching attended by several academe and diplomatic corps. According to Manhit, ADRi is hoping to deliver a meaningful response and contribute to the developmental debate. “We want

to influence domestic and East Asian policy in the context of national development and regional security.” He said that their policy papers and recommendations will serve as a comprehensive guide for governments of many political cycles and a roadmap for the country’s future leaders on how to navigate key political and economic issues that will shape the development of the Filipino nation. “The combination of technological, market and geopolitical events had leveled the global economic field and enabled more people to take part in democracy while rising to the middle class,” he said. Through this initiative, ADRi also aims to disrupt the Philippine policy process and shape

the future of the Filipino Nation. The country needs disruptive leadership and an innovative government that will put strategic and equalizing reforms in place. “A government ready to harness the best talents of the land, a government with a great vision, an integrated long term strategy, and the iron will to work, under the rule of law”, said Manhit. The flagship project is the culmination of a series of multisectoral forums attended by the country’s most respected experts and stakeholders who tackled strategic issues and recommendations. Manhit said ADRi and its network of influencers would advocate these strategic agenda for national development for the next administration.

SUNDAY: JANUARY 31, 2016

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

LATINO BUILDERS... FROM B1 single detached, duplex and quadruplex homes,” he says. Liriano says more than real estate projects, “what we are selling is a lifestyle.” “Any project that we will be involved in, we want to make sure that consistency, luxury will be met and the people will feel very safe and comfortable,” he says, adding that all projects of RCL include amenities such as swimming pool, basketball court, playground and function rooms. “In multi-developments that we work in, we make sure that it has a theme. In Poro Point, there is Santorini. If you go there, it is white and blue, there is consistency. In Tuscany Estates, everything is Italy. In Waves, it is Malibu style, California. Because of the consistency and lifestyle that you are bringing to the people in terms of amenities, it makes the difference among other developments,” he says. “Another exciting thing we are involved in in La Union is a BPO building. There is no BPO building yet in La Union, so we are working very closely with some BPO companies that are interested to open a call center in La Union. Maybe within the next six months, we can accomplish a new building for BPOs inside Poro Point. It will be five stories high with 3,000 square meters of floor area,” he says. Liriano says RCL is also working on a lot of pipeline projects, including those in Tagaytay, Manila, La Union, Baguio and Ilocos. “We have local and foreign investors working with us. Our goal is to be the number one real estate consulting services in Region 1, with major presence and focus right now on Baguio, San Fernando and San Juan. Eventually, we are targeting to be the top five real estate company in the whole Philippines,” says Liriano. Liriano remembers that before Thunderbird Resorts was completed in La Union, there were few real estate projects in the province. “When I arrived in La Union, there was basically nothing there. When we went to that property in Poro, I was wondering, will people ever come here? There was no SCTEx then. You have to go all the way to Tarlac, maybe seven hours from Manila. I was really wondering if people would go there. But we made it successful anyway,” he says. “Now, you can see malls, banks. They are all in La Union. Franchises are going there. We have Figaro, Tapa King, Yellow Cab, Shakeys, Max’s. Toyota and Hyundai are there. Definitely, La Union is booming. Now, you could be there in three hours and a half from Edsa,” he says. He says RCL works very closely with the Real Estate Brokers Association of the

Philippines - La Union Chapter, the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. and the Rotary Club to push for the development of the province and support community projects. “What we are bringing to La Union is a difference. Other developments started maybe 10 years ago in La Union. There was no consistency in the design and there were no amenities. With all our projects, we are giving a good environment to La Union,” he says. Liriano says RCL makes sure that all its projects are spared from flood caused by storms. “The first thing we make sure is that it is free of flood. We always elevate the road. We make sure the drainage connection has the capacity to carry the load of the water intensity during rainy days,” he says. Liriano does not want to mention specific numbers, but he says the company is making substantial investments in its major projects. Aside from the impact on the lifestyle of the people, they are creating more employment in the province, he says. He remains bullish on the potential of La Union as a real estate market. “We will keep working in La Union because La Union is booming. Somebody needs to help in the development and we want to be a part of that. The government is very accommodating. The people there are building the trust in us,” he says. “We will definitely keep on working in La Union, maybe in the next 10 years. Our main target is to be the top five real estate companies overall in the Philippines. That is our target,” says Liriano. “In the coming years, I will be happy to see in La Union more commercial and more people living in an environment where they have a peace of mind,” he says. “We will be focusing more on La Union until we become bigger, then we can come to Manila for the big game with big players like Ayala, DMCI. Eventually, we will go there. Right now, we can give more to La Union and provide what we are capable to do and then move on to other places,” he says. Liriano says aside from real estate projects, he personally wants to invest in a restaurant in La Union that will serve Latin food and music where Filipinos can dance salsa. “It is nice to see a lot of Filipinos dancing to Latin music. In La Union, there is no [Latin] restaurant yet, although we are trying to organize something...I am entering into a small partnership in food and definitely, we are talking about putting up a restaurant in La Union, specifically in San Juan. We want to be part of the difference,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

FILIPINO EXECUTIVE NAMED AMONG TOP ASIAN FINTECH LEADERS AN EXECUTIVE of Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations unit of PLDT and Smart Communications Inc., was recognized as one of the Top 100 Asian Fintech Leaders during the Fintech Finals 2016 in Hong Kong.

Voyager Innovations vice president and head of fintech, digital inclusion and alliances Lito Villanueva Fintech, or short for financial technology, refers to new solutions that reshape or disrupt the financial services industry. FF16, a leading fintech conference in the region is organized by Next Bank, an independent, open and collaborative community that aims to drive change for the better in financial services through design, innovation and entrepreneurship. Lito Villanueva, vice president and head of fintech, digital inclusion and alliances at Voyager Innovations, was the first and only Filipino named in the prestigious list that included leaders in banking, finance, startups, investment and tech industries. The list included the likes of MasterCard chief executive Ajay Banga, Tencent chief executive Pony Ma, Visa innovations executive Matt Dill and Alibaba chief finance officer Maggie Wu. The list also included chief executives from leading Asian players such as Apple Pay, Google, China UnionPay, Temasek Holdings Singapore, KPMG, ICICI Bank of India, DBS Bank of Singapore and ANZ Bank of Australia. Aside from Villanueva, USAID chief of party for e-Peso project John Owens, Salarium chief executive Judah Hirsch and Lenddo

chief executive Richard Eldridge represented the Philippines in the list. In a statement released prior to the conference, Rob Findlay, co-founder of NextBank and FF16, said that “most global fintech lists are too US or Europe centric.” “We thought it was time to change that. There are recognized leaders from every corner of the region that we know are doing great work,” Findlays said. “We’ve scoured the region and our network for those people currently making a huge dent in the industry – transforming their bank, or building a new disruptive customer experience; investing in the best new FinTech ideas or bringing people together. Whatever they do, they have the passion, drive and vision to make Asia the most exciting FinTech region on the planet,” said Findlay who collated the list along with Markus Gnirck, co-founder and chief operating officer at Startup Bootcamp Fintech. “We selected the people we admired, and that represent the many pockets and facets of the industry – not just the most senior bankers, and not just the rockstar startups. Given the pace of growth of fintech in the region, these

people have been instrumental in both their pioneering work and ongoing thought leadership,” said Findlay. In the announcement and listing at the FF16 site, Villanueva was cited for leading Voyager’s suite of award-winning and innovative fintech products and services covering a variety of industries, sectors and segments. These sectors include “digital micro-insurance, micro-savings, electronic lending for micro, small and medium enterprises, employees from both government and private sector, international remittance, G2P [government to person] and D2P [donor to person] cash grant disbursements from international humanitarian aid agencies, mobile banking for cooperatives and micro-finance institutions, even ant-fraud security solution and contactless payment products.” Villanueva was also recognized for partnering with “a host of stakeholders such as local and global financial institutions and global development agencies,” including the most recent ones with Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines, Chamber of Thrift Banks and universal banks for the digital consumers loans marketplace, Lendr, the first of its kind fintech service in the Philippines. “We’re extremely proud that one of our own has been named as one of the best leaders in the fintech space in Asia. We appreciate this recognition and we reaffirm our commitment in further enabling our business and development partners while focusing on empowering people and communities through customercentric and demand-driven digital technologies, not just in the Philippines but in key growth and emerging markets as well,” said Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of PLDT, Smart and Voyager Innovations. Voyager Innovations counts fintech as among its important areas for innovations, creating platforms and services for emerging market economies starting with the Philippines. Among its fintech services are Lendr, the country’s first online consumer loans marketplace; LockByMobile, the world’s first mobile based security solution for financial institutions; Charge2Phone (C2P), the country’s first sticker-based Near Field Communication payment solution for face-to-face and online transactions; Mobile Loan Saver, the country’s fully paperless and electronic salary loan service with the country’s premier state bank Land Bank of the Philippines; and Smart (Standardized Monitoring Assessment and Reporting of Transfers System) for electronic disbursements of cash grants of government and humanitarian agencies to beneficiaries, with automated monitoring and evaluation component.

world

russia opposes sanctions vs south sudan RUSSIA said Friday it opposes an arms embargo on South Sudan and sanctions on its leaders for their role in the brutal two-year war. A UN panel of experts has recommended the measures in a report to the Security Council, which is struggling to forge a common approach to try to end the violence in the world’s youngest nation. Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev said sanctions were “not conducive” for the peace process because the panel proposed putting the president and rebel leader on the sanctions blacklist. The panel submitted a confidential list of four names for sanctions: President Salva Kiir, rebel chief Riek Machar, army chief of staff Paul Malong and internal security chief Akol Koor. Diplomats confirmed the names on the list. Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August that has failed to take hold, but Iliichev said there was “slight progress” in steps to form a national unity government. “The government of national unity, the transitional governance, is almost there, and we are going to cut everything” with sanctions, he said. On the proposed arms embargo, the Russian envoy said it was a “no-go” because the restrictions would hit the government more than the opposition. “The region is already inundated with arms so what we need is to control those arms that are there,” said Iliichev. AFP

A Libyan fireman stands in front of smoke and flames rising from an oil storage tank at an oil facility in northern Libya’s Ras Lanouf region on January 23, 2016, after it was set ablaze earlier in the week following attacks launched by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists to seize key port terminals. Firefighters battled the blaze at the oil facility for a third day, an official said. AFP

Obama lOOks tO take fight tO isis in libya

US PreSident Barack Obama has asked key advisors to draw up options for ratcheting up the fight against the islamic State group, including opening a new front in Libya. Eighteen months after a US-led coalition began airstrikes against IS in Iraq and Syria, multiple administration sources said Friday that the White House wants to speed up and broaden the effort. Efforts will deepen to retake Raqa in Syria, Mosul in Iraq and to check the jihadists’ growth in Afghanistan, but there is an increasing focus on Libya. Potential options are said to range from intensified air strikes to participation in a UN-backed ground force that would help take on Libya’s esti-

mated 3,000 Islamic State fighters. The Defense Department “stands ready to perform the full spectrum of military operations as required,” spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Michelle Baldanza told AFP. “We also continue to work with the international community to mitigate conflict in Libya, promote stability, and strengthen governance.” Officials caution that Obama has not yet been presented with concrete military plans, though the security situation is acute. “Action in Libya is needed before

Libya becomes a sanctuary for ISIL, before they become extremely hard to dislodge,” said one US defense official. “We don’t want a situation like in Iraq or Syria.” Since rebels and Western airpower toppled Moamer Kadhafi’s regime in 2011, the country has effectively lacked a government. In the chaos a disparate group of foreign fighters, homegrown militiamen, tribes and remnants of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group have coalesced around the IS banner and gained a foothold. Jihadists have recently taken control of Kadhafi’s home town of Sirte, a strategic port near oilfields that could provide a lucrative source of income. Until now, US involvement in

Libya has been limited to isolated airstrikes and the deployment of US special forces, who are building ties with local armed groups and providing intelligence. In November, an American F-16 fighter jet struck the eastern town of Derna, killing Abu Nabil -- also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi -- the local IS leader. On Thursday, Obama convened his National Security Council to discuss current operations and the next steps. “The president directed his national security team to continue efforts to strengthen governance and support ongoing counterterrorism efforts in Libya and other countries where ISIL has sought to establish a presence,” according to a White House account of the meeting. AFP

Brazil’s rousseff vows to win zika ‘war’

A health municipal employee fumigates in Salvador, Bahía, Brazil on January 29, 2016. Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas leaving researchers scrambling to understand the very basics, including how to prevent, treat and diagnose the emerging mosquito-borne threat. AFP

BRAZILIAN President Dilma Rousseff vowed Friday to “win the war” against the Zika virus, but some experts criticized her government’s response and warned the Olympics could fuel the disease’s spread. The tropical virus is blamed for cases of brain damage in babies as it sweeps through Latin America, and Rousseff, whose government is deploying 220,000 soldiers to help eradicate the mosquitoes that transmit it, likened the outbreak to a battle. “As long as (the mosquitoes) are reproducing, we are all losing the battle. We have to mobilize to win it,” she said. “We are going to win this war. We are going to show that the Brazilian people are capable of winning this war.”

Her comments came after her own health minister warned Brazil was “losing the war against Aedes aegypti,” the mosquito that carries the virus. Rousseff and US President Barack Obama agreed Friday to launch a high-level bilateral group to develop a vaccine. The initiative will be based on an existing cooperation agreement between Brazil’s Butantan Institute of biomedical research and the US National Institutes of Health. Obama has already led calls for faster research on the virus, but experts warn the hunt for a vaccine could take years. At the epicenter of Brazil’s outbreak, in Bahia state in the northeast, one health expert deep in the trenches of the Zika fight accused Rousseff ’s administration of acting

too late, and warned that the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro pose a transmission risk. “The Brazilian government has not fought the mosquito population. That is Brazil’s great sin,” said Gubio Soares, a virologist at the Federal University of Bahia who was the first to isolate the Zika virus in Brazil, in April last year. “Cities are not fulfilling their duty to hire qualified people (for mosquito eradication). Campaigns to fight mosquitoes are insufficient.” Despite promises by authorities in Rio de Janeiro to step up mosquito control measures for the Olympics in August, Soares warned that the Games -- which are expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world -- risked turning into a vector. AFP

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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

AFRICAN LEADERS TACKLE BURUNDI AfricAn leaders meet Saturday in a bid to end armed crises, including in troubled Burundi, with an unprecedented vote on deploying a 5,000-strong peacekeeping force despite Burundi’s vehement opposition. While the official theme of the African Union (AU) meeting is human rights, leaders will once again have to deal with a string of crises across the continent when they open two days of talks at the organisation’s headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. Talks at the AU Peace and Security Council, attended by presidents and foreign ministers from across the 54-member bloc as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, stretched late into Friday night in a bid to narrow

positions before the opening of the formal summit. AU Peace and Security Council chief Smail Chergui warned “the stakes are indeed high”, but Burundi remained defiant in its opposition to a mission it calls an “invasion force”. Burundian Foreign Minster Alain Nyamitwe insisted he had the backing of other nations. Asked whether he had support of others in opposing the proposed force, Nyamitwe said, “Yes, very strong, you will see.”

Street protests, a failed coup and now a simmering rebellion began when Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a controversial third term, which he went on to win in July elections. Hundreds have died and at least 230,000 have fled the country in the months since. “We have said that the deployment of this force is not justified,” Nyamitwe said. “We believe that the situation in the country is under control.” - Chad’s Deby new AU president? -With Nkurunziza unmoved by AU and UN appeals, there have already been moves to water down the proposed military force to that of an observer mission. “it is not only Burundi that is

resisting this idea... most interveners in a country are not welcomed,” Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said. Jammeh said he would not support a military deployment “without the consent of Burundi”. A two-thirds majority will be required to send the force, named the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi (MAPROBU). it remains unclear who would be willing to contribute troops. The AU charter’s Article 4h gives the pan-African bloc the right to intervene in a fellow nation state, “in respect of grave circumstances” including war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.” “in addition to Burundi’s lobbying efforts, many heads of

states will be reluctant to set a precedent of AU troop deployment in a country that clearly rejects it,” said Yolande Bouka, of the institute for Security Studies (iSS) think tank. The two-day summit, the first since leaders last met in Johannesburg in June 2015, will also aim to tackle conflicts across the continent and is expected to open around 11:00 am (0800 GMT). The summit will see the annual election of a new AU chairman to replace Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe in the ceremonial role. Diplomatic sources suggest Chadian President idriss Deby could be nominated for the oneyear presidency which rotates between different regions of the continent, with this year being Central Africa’s turn. AFP

Five killed in western Canada avalanChe

Us ambassador to the United nations samantha power (second from right) speaks with other Un security Council ambassadors on january 22, 2016 during a meetying with the Burundian president at his residence outside Bujumbura. Un security Council ambassadors met Burundi’s leaders on january 22, 2016 to push peace efforts after another night of violence in the capital of the troubled central african nation.the visit is the council’s second to Burundi in less than a year, with ambassadors set to deliver a face-to-face message to president pierre nkurunziza to take urgent action to stop the violence sparked by his re-election bid. AFP

FivE snowmobilers were killed Friday after being buried in an avalanche in Canada’s British Columbia (BC) province, officials said. The deaths were confirmed by the BC Coroner’s office, which said the accident occurred Friday afternoon in the western Canadian hamlet of McBride, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of vancouver. Officials told AFP that six other people trapped by the avalanche were rescued alive. Rescuers said the snowmobilers had strayed to a part of the area that was off-limits to skiers and other winter sport enthusiasts. Barbara McLintock, a spokeswoman for the BC Coroners Service, said the site of the disaster “is not a resort” area. Avalanche Canada said the disaster was likely caused by human activity. The non-profit group said the area had just received about 30 centimeters of fresh snow and conditions in the region were windy, which, combined with recent mild temperatures, created an unstable snowpack. AFP

Main syrian opposition to join Geneva peaCe talks SYRiA’S largest mainstream opposition group said Friday that it would attend UN-led peace talks in Switzerland, easing fears that it would boycott a process aimed at ending the tangled civil war. The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said it would “take part in the political process to test the seriousness of the other side through discussions with the UN team”, after four days of suspense over whether it would join. Despite Western pressure to attend, the HNC had previously said it would not take part in the Geneva talks without an agreement on relief reaching hundreds of thousands of people stuck in besieged Syrian towns.

A senior HNC delegate told AFP the Committee will send “about 30, 35 people” to the talks, which got under way on Friday in the biggest political push yet to end Syria’s almost five-year war. in a tweet, however, the HNC stressed that the group would be there “to participate in discussions with the @UN, not for negotiations”. Backed by external powers embroiled in Syria’s war, the talks are seeking to end a conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people and fuelled the meteoric rise of the extremist islamic State group. US Secretary of State John Kerry, France and Saudi Arabia, where the HNC is based, welcomed the late decision to send a delegation.

Representatives from the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived earlier on Friday for their first meeting with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura. The 16-member delegation met with the UN mediator for nearly three hours, and left the body’s headquarters without speaking to media. De Mistura said his preliminary talks with the HNC could happen on either Saturday or Sunday, telling reporters they would have “some work... certainly on Monday”. The HNC had previously demanded an end to bombardments of civilians, as well as an agreement on humanitarian aid to ease suffering in besieged towns, before agreeing to take part in the talks. AFP

syrian ambassador to Un and head of the government delegation Bashar al-jaafari (Far r) faces syria Un envoy staffan de Mistura (far left) at the opening of syrian peace talks at the United Nations (UN) Offices in Geneva on January 29, 2016. The main opposition umbrella body, the high negotiations Committee, remained absent however with the group refusing to attend for now and holding a fourth day of talks in saudi arabia. Unmediated peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s conflict kicked off on January 29, 2016, but the absence of key opposition members threatens to derail the biggest diplomatic push yet to resolve the nearly five-year-old civil war. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

The NBA sTArs Are comiNg To TowN By Jeric Lopez

WITH the groupings of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments already identified, expect a number of notable National Basketball Association players to play here in Manila. Along with host country Philippines, powerhouses France and Canada as well as Turkey, New Zealand and Senegal are the ones bracketed in the Manila leg of the three tournaments that will determine, who will complete the cast of countries for the Rio Olympics in August. Obviously, France, which is ranked No. 5 in the world, is the team that will most likely have the most star-studded NBA players in its roster, provided all, or most of them, will be available to play this July. The French five might be led by four-time NBA champion and former All-Star Tony Parker, who is expected to team up with San Antonio Spurs’ teammate Boris Diaw, Charlotte Hornets versatile swingman Nicholas Batum, rising Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert, improving Orlando Magic gunner Evan Fournier and the Denver Nuggets’ Joffrey Lauvergne to make their country a powerhouse. Not to be outdone, Canada, likewise, has its own set of talented NBA players to banner its flag. Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and Minnesota Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins will banner the Canadian flag and he is expected to be joined by Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Bennett and Cory Joseph of the Toronto Raptors, Melvin Ejim and Andrew Nicholson of the Orlando Magic and Nik Stauskas of the Philadelphia 76ers. Detroit Pistons’ veteran Ersan Iyasova will spearhead Turkey’s attack. Senegal also has its own NBA player in Minnesota Timberwolves’ big man Gorgui Dieng. The Philippines is obviously hoping that Filipino-American Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson can be allowed to play for the country and join forces with former NBA standout Andray Blatche. New Zealand is the team that will most likely not be able to parade an NBA player. The Qualifying Tournament here in Manila will be held from July 5 to July 10 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The champion of this leg will earn a berth in the Rio Olympics.

Tony Parker (no. 9) of the San Antonio Spurs warms up prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 25, 2016 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Jordan Clarkson #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Kelly Olynyk #41 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the Denver Nuggets at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP

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SPORTS

arman armero EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

Caloy loyzaga

The Big Difference of Ph BaskeTBall By Eddie G. Alinea

THERE were many things written about Carlos Loyzaga that had made him larger than life, but like most Filipinos, he was as real as he can get. Yes, he was handsome owing to his Cuban-FilipinoSpanish blood, but he had become what he was in the minds of many basketball fans because of his skills. Loyzaga earned the monicker “The Big Difference” during his two-decade long basketball because he was big, not only in size but the way he played. He spelled the difference in many title victories of the Philippines in the Asian Games and Asian Basketball Confederation tournaments as well as the honors and respect the country gained in he Olympics and world fronts. Caloy served as a vital cog in the Filipinos’ campaign in the 1954 World Championship held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where the country brought home the bronze medal, the highest by any Asian country in the biggest basketbaall event outside of the Olympic Games. He even outdid himself in that meet by emerging one of the three top scorers in the entire tournament with an average 16.4 per game next to Uruguay’s Oscars Moglia (18.6) and Carl Ridd of Canada (18.2).

Carlos loyzaga sr. during his younger days

Caloy’s feat earned for him a slot in the world team along with Kirby Minter of the United States, Moglia, Zenny de Azevedo and Wlamir Marques, both of ost country Brazil, an honor only one other Asian, Yao Ming, would duplicate five decades later. This is why many believe

that Loyzaga should be recognized as “the greatest Filipino and Asian for that matter, to ever played the game. How good a player Loyzaga was can be gauged when he hang up his no. 41 uniform in 1964, the Philippines lost its in supremacy in the sport the Filipinos are passionate about. The

Filipion basketeers, once the apple of the eyes of Asians, likewise, lost their slots in the Olympic Games where they last saw action five decades ago. The first time Loyzaga wore th country’s red, white and blue colors at a tender age 21, he led his team to a gold medal triumph in the

inaugural staging of the Asian Games in 1951 in New Delhi. Subsequently, he was at the forefront of the team that defended its title in 1954 in Manila, 1958 in Tokyo and in 1962 in Jakarta. Before losing the Asiad Crown jewel, the Philippines, again starring the beanpole product of sandlot basketball in Teresa ni Sampaloc District of Manila, shifted it supremcy in the Asian Basketbsll Confederation, a regional basketball organization, which like the Asian Games Filipino sports leaders helped established. Like in the Asiad, Caloy and teammates ruled the First ABC right in front of their countrymen in 1960, and defended the title the next time around in Taipei in 1963 before losing it in 1965 in Kuala Lumpur. Loyzaga. again, was reponsible for the Philippines’ regaining the title in 1967, this time as head coach. He was the assistant coach when the country again won it in 1973 here in Manila. Caloy’s first love, actually was football, a sport his father Joaquin’s forte having served many a national teams during the Far Eastern Games, the precursor of the now Asian Games. Caloy was 15 when he first learned the rudiments of basketball playing on sandlot courts in Teresa in the Sampaloc district of Manila where he was spotted by Gabby Fajardo, one of the leading coaches in the collegiate and commoercial leagues, who saw the potentials of the lanky but skinny protege. Fajardo offered the young Loyzaga a slot in his PRATRA junior squad in the then Manila Industrial-Com-

mercial Ahletic Association basketball tournament. Caloy quit schooling at the National University and accepted Fajrdo’s offer. That was 1949, the year Loyzaga led PRATRA for the MICAA junior diadem which served as his baptism of fire. The following year, he saw action with the PRATRA senior squad with the illustrious Lauro “The Fox” Mumar, Ignacio “Ning” Ramos and Caddy Tanquintic, and soon enough, he caught the attention of no less than coach Fely Fajardo, brother of Gabby and coach of the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA. That opened the gate for the former Tervalac boy to play in the country’s collegiate glamour league and at the same time a chance to continue his studies. He was alreay 20 and in second year high school. In other words, he was still in high school when started playing collegiate ball. From there, the rest is history. From PRATRA, then PRISCO, then San Beda, Caloy extended his wings until he landed a place in the line-up of the famous Yco Painters, the team he helped win 49 straight games in 1956, an awesome streak by any language in any league in any country. He was also at the forefront of the Painters’ seven straight title conquests of the National Open during their historic rivalry with the equally-famous Ysmael Steel quintet. When the Philippines copped third place in the 1954 World Championship and Loyzaga earned his place in the Mythical Five, he was named “Athlete of the Year” by the Philippine Sportswriters Association,

le Tour CyClisTs To CirCle Mayon TwiCe

LEGAZPI CITY—Albay’s sports tourism gets another big boost in February, when the province hosts the fourth stage of Le Tour de Filipinas 2016, where cyclists will circle the world famous Mayon Volcano twice on an out-and-back course of the Tour’s 147- kilometer final lap. Le Tour de Filipinas, now on its 7th Edition, passes Albay for the second time only in seven years, but its organizers said it, by far, could be the most scenic, rare and extraordinary route of the tournament. The race is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the Asian cycling Federa-

tion and the Philippine Cycling Federation. UCI, based in Aigle, Switzerland, is an Olympic body organized to supervise and help direct the growth of sport cycling worldwide. Sports had recently become an important component of Albay’s tourism, first introduced by Gov. Joey Salceda last year when he successfully negotiated the hosting of XTERRA Off Road Triathlon. On its second edition this February, XTERRA is expected to bring even more foreign and local visitors. Participants in this race also tackle a portion of the off road course at the base

of Mt. Mayon, near an old lava wall, onto the finish line at the grounds of the 201-year old Cagsawa Ruins. The Cagsawa Ruins grounds constitute the top surface of the rocks and other volcanic materials spewed out by Mayon Volcano when it erupted violently in 1814, and buried an entire Spanish settlement, including a huge baroque church. The site is prominently marked by the top portion of the church’s iconic bell tower framed beautifully by the magnificent splendor of the near-perfect cone-shaped and world famous Mayon in the background. The National Museum has recently declared the Ruins a National

Cultural Treasure. Albay also hosts the 2016 Palarong Pambansa in April. Salceda said it will be staged as a sports tourism event, with the venues scattered around the province with a full view of Mayon Volcano, to give contestants and visitors alike the chance to go around and enjoy world class tourist attractions. In the UCI cycling event scheduled February 18-21, fifteen (15) teams — 12 foreign and three local, composed of about a hundred cyclists — will vie for the Category 2.2 Race. The 69-kilometer race, consists of four stages. It starts in

Antipolo City and ends in Legazpi City in four days. Aside from the cyclists, Salceda said Albay will also play host to a large contingent of tournament officials, the covering media, team supporters and the contestants’ kins and friends. The foreign teams joining Le Tour Filipinas are from Belarus, United Arab Emirates, Japan, the United States, Holland, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Laos. The local teams aiming to grab the title are the 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines, Kopiko Cebu Cycling Team and the PhilCycling National Under 23-Team.

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REUEL VIDAL EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Alaska Milk Marketing Director Blen Fernando (center) and NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson join the JrNBA coaching staff, JrNBA/JrWNBA alumni as well as Alaska Aces mascot E Cow and Atlanta Hawks mascot Harry the Hawk during the JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska tip off at Don Bosco, Makati.

BIGGEST GRASSROOTS BASKETBALL PROGRAM TIPS OFF IN DON BOSCO By Homer Vidal

THE JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska, already the biggest grassroots basketball development program in the country, continues to grow. The tip-off last weekend at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati set a new record in attendance with 281 coaches from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao attending the coaches clinic while the open clinics trained 1,068 youngsters from ages 5-16. “These holistic programs train children to be confident, disciplined and hardworking because Alaska Milk Corporation aims to prepare them to be winners in life in the future. Moreover, this year’s program includes new locations such as Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite to reach more children and

coaches and discover unique talents across the country,” said Alaska Marketing Director Blen Fernando. JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska runs Jan. 23 to April 24. It will not only teach youngsters basketball fundamentals but more importantly impart its core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, positive Attitude and Respect. Best of all the program is free and open to boys and girls between the ages of 10-14. The program is part of the National Basketball Association’s thrust to teach basketball worldwide and provide

opportunities for those who want to pursue the sport as a vocation. “The JrNBA Philippines is the league’s longest-running youth basketball program outside the United States. The program continues to positively impact the lives of children, parents, and coaches, and reinforces the positive values that go beyond the four corners of the court. Together with Alaska, we are committed to providing world-class basketball instruction to more communities to further our mission of encouraging an active lifestyle among Filipino youth,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson. The program consists of four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip.

Over 1,000 boys and girls, eager to learn the basics of the sport, attend the JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska tip off at Don Bosco, Makati.

The skills clinics will be held nationwide from January through April with stops in Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa, and firsttime locations in Batangas,

Catanduanes and Cavite. The Regional Selection Camps will be held in Baguio (Feb. 20-21), Davao (Feb. 2728), Cebu (March 5-6) and Metro Manila (April 9-10). The top 50 boys and 24 girls from the Regional Selection

Camps will advance to the National Training Camp in Manila April 22-24. In addition to the player camps and clinics, there will be a search for the 2016 JrNBA and JrWNBA Coach of the Year.

RIVERO LEARNED LESSONS FROM JRNBA By Peter Atencio RICCI Rivero took to heart the lessons he learned when he was still a part of the JrNBA Presented by Alaska program in 2013. The discipline on and off the court, and the skills which coach Louie Gonzales taught during his days at the national training camp were never forgotten. In the years that followed, Rivero became one of the vital cogs of the La Salle Greenhills Greenies in their campaign in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Junior Basketball Tournament. He averaged 27 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals the past two seasons. Rivero led the Greenies to the Final Four last season.

“Super thankful ako sa season na natapos. At ang dami kong experience at natutunan,” said Rivero when he showed up during the launch of the 2016 JrNBA/ JrWNBA Presented by Alaska last weekend at the Don Bosco, Makati. Gonzales personally helped Rivero hone his skills as a forward during the 2013 camp. The STAR values—which include sportsmanship, teamwork, attitude and respect—taught Rivero how he should always conduct himself on and off the court. Now that the NCAA season is over, and the schoolyear is about to end, Rivero is focusing in his coming stint in college. His father Paolo said he will most likely join the La Salle Green Archers when he graduates. While waiting for graduation, Rivero is busy practicing with the Gilas Pilipinas

Under-18 national pool. He hopes to be selected for the national squad which will see action in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association tourney later this year. Rivero finished his junior playing years with La Salle Greenhills losing to Arellano University, 74-75, in the stepladder Final Four playoffs in the NCAA Season 91 juniors basketball. Rivero is bent on becoming an integral part of the La Salle Green Archers lineup in the coming season. Another high school standout and a former JrNBA alumni as well in La Salle Zobel star Aljun Melecio has also committed to play for La Salle after having a word with team manager and patron Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr.

Ricci Rivero of the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, which represented College of St. Benilde in high school basketball competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, tries to dribble past a defender. PETER ATENCIO

S U N D AY : J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

S U NDAY L IF E

LIFE

The magnificent butanding in Donsol (PHOTO COURTESY OF WWF PHILIPPINES)

A PRIVILEGE AND A RESPONSIBILITY

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) choose Donsol as one of the beneficiaries for their global partnership to support ocean conservation. PHOTOS BY STAR SABROSO

CAROTID ARTERY BY TATUM ANCHETA “So how was your experience?” asks my seatmate as we depart Legazpi City to Manila. All I could muster was a sigh and a whimper: “I didn’t see the whale shark.” I was still feeling sad about not seeing this massive 18-meter creature since I especially went to Donsol hoping for a close encounter with the fish. “Well, that’s nature for you!” exclaimed my seatmate while smiling. Well, hu-hu for me, but not for them since on both days they went in the open water, they got to see two different whale sharks. Nature, it is out of your control. It comes when it wants, and it leaves you without saying goodbye. And that’s how it is supposed to be. “Because this is an encounter with their natural environment and not in cages or aquariums, their appearance is not guaranteed,” says the brief info video the organizers play before visitors head to the open water for the whale shark encounter. And that’s exactly the reason why Donsol is the first and only whale shark sanctuary in the country – and also why Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and WWF chose it as the place to announce their global partnership.

“We wanted a place where WWF is making a difference, and the Philippines is a good example. They have a very strong presence here and they’ve been doing an outstanding job. There are a lot of other places in the Philippines but we chose Donsol because it sets an example,” says Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. “Donsol is a showcase of a place where conservation and development can come in,” explains president and CEO of WWF Philippines, Joel Palma. “The need to protect the area is already coming from the stakeholders. Now, their rivers are also protected because it was requested by the firefly tour operators (referring to the fireflies in Ogod river in Donsol where these insects’ nightly feeding on the mangrove flowers made it look like a spectacle of a Christmas tree glistening in the night), because they all know that they will lose their livelihood if they lose the mangrove,” he adds. Philippine laws have forbidden the killing and sale of whale sharks since 1998 and WWF has been working directly with the local government for over a decade in conserving the eco tourism of the place. Over the last eight years, WWF was able to identify 469 butandings coming to and fro the waters of Donsol. This aggregation is by far the highest in the world and the area is also not just the feeding ground but at the same time a breeding site. So far, the smallest recorded whale shark found in the area is 23 cm. “It is not

Mt. Mayon's grand welcome to the visitors of Legazpi

Having a good spotter is key to getting a glimpse of the whale shark

It was very hard to take photographs of the shimmering trees with dancing fireflies at Ogod River, at this slow shutter speed you can see the yellowish dots on the trees

The fireflies of Ogod River have been a part of Donsol's eco tourism spots

a coincidence that we are protecting the rivers,” explains Palma. “By taking care of the rivers, we found out that the nutrients in these waters produce the food for these 18-meter animals.” Tourists all over the world have been visiting the place to have a close encounter with nature’s gentlest giants. And through the years, the community has embraced these giant fish like they are family, therefore protecting them and preserving their natural

'I am not plankton,' says RCL's and WWF's campaign button down shirts

way of living. By coming to see the whale shark, tourists contribute to their welfare by helping a tourism industry that is protecting these animals (and not exposing them) at the same time providing sustainable livelihood for an entire community. WWF has been tagging and observing the movements of these migratory animals and the group has discovered that some of them reach as far as Taiwan and as far as 600 kilometers east of the Pacific. “The only way to interact with the whale shark is in this kind of situation because they are highly migratory. If you feed them they won’t migrate,” adds Palma, referring to the way Oslob in Cebu is treating the whale shark tourism in that area. “The story of this town and how it benefited from setting aside nature and enabling people to see nature is a parable of what the world needs to

do as well,” shares Carter Roberts, WWF-US president and CEO. “I’m so happy to have been here and to see the work of the mayor, this community, and our local staff here because it is an example for the world to follow.” With the partnership of RCL and WWF, a $200,000 donation will be given to WWF Philippines in support of conservation programs in the Donsol area. The place will undergo a one-year intensive educational program. Part of it is the educational tours for the children of the municipality with the use of donated e-jeepneys that will go around villages and barangays. The program aims to reach out to the younger members of the community through education and ensure that the future generation of Donsol will take care of the place and the butandings. Continued on C3

S U N D AY : J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PORTRAIT

Mika Reyes

Ace Ramos

Karen Jimeno

Cecil Van Straten

Leeroy New

Teacher Georcelle

Donald Lim

Paolo Valenciano

Charina Sarte

Rajo Laurel

Marlon Stockinger

Bianca Gonzales-Intal

REXONA PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS O

Erwan Heussaff

Gabby dela Merced

ne of the greatest – if not the greatest – assets of the Philippines is its hardworking people. Pinoys are known to be resilient, able to face numerous challenges big and small – from grueling three-hour commutes to major disasters and calamities – maintaining their optimism with positive energy as they keep on working to achieve their dreams of a better future. It is these admirable qualities that make the Filipino continue to smile despite the odds, giving their best in whatever they do and going above and beyond the call of duty. Coupled with a newfound sense of

Sara Black

Kat Agarrado

Nikki Luna

national identity, these traits have given rise to the New Pinoy Mover – an individual who knows that every move makes a difference, and espouses the kind of life that inspires and empowers others. No wonder the Philippines has had an increased global presence, showing stellar and consistent economic growth in the past several years – thanks in large part to Filipinos who are hardworking and dedicated. And as such, they deserve the kind of support that would allow them to #KeepOnMoving – like a superior deodorant. Known as a brand that gives confidence to Pinoys, Rexona has spent years studying people’s movement.

Chappy Callanta

Jimmy Alapag

Sam YG

Nicole Andersson

Aisa Mijeno

Continued on C3

Sarah Geronimo

Royal Pineda

Mark Ruiz Kryz Uy Mich Dulce

James Deakin

Jason Magbanua

Rio dela Cruz

Lourd de Veyra

Dyan Castillejo

Melissa Yeung Reese Fernandez

JP Anglo

Tim Yap

Up Dharma Down

Nikko Huelgas

AJ Dee

S U N D AY : J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

A PRIVILEGE AND A RESPONSIBILITY From C1

“Our mantra is ‘Continuous Improvement’ and we are better now than we were last year,” says Fain. “Our partnership with WWF is a big leap and a big step, because we are setting tangible goals in three key areas – greenhouse emissions that affect global climate change; sustainable fishing – the amount of over fishing in general are major problems; lastly, destinations – we want sustainable tourism,” he explains.

SPECIFICALLY, HERE ARE THE TANGIBLE TARGETS THAT THE PARTNERSHIP IS COMMITTED IN ACCOMPLISHING BY 2020: Carbon Emissions 2020 Target • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent by 2020.

Sustainable Seafood 2020 Target • Responsibly source 90 percent of its wild-caught seafood by volume from MSC certified sustainable fisheries, fisheries in full assessment for MSC certification, comprehensive Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), and/or sourced from International Seafood Sustainability Association (ISSA) member companies. • In North America and Europe operations, responsibly source 75 percent of its farmed seafood by volume from ASC certified responsible farms, farms in full assessment for ASC certification, and/or comprehensive aquaculture improvement projects.

WWF Philippines CEO Joel Palma, WWF-US president and CEO Carter Roberts and chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Richard Fain

Erik Matti

Robby Carmona

• In addition, by June 30, 2016, RCL will set specific traceability goals with targets for obtaining MSC and ASC chain of custody. By June 30, destination stewardship will be addressed to strengthen RCL’s destination sustainability assessment and selection process. RCL has set aside a $5 million contribution to WWF for its global ocean conservation projects. “What we hope to achieve is to make a meaningful difference, and also to serve as an example to others. The science gets better, the attitude gets better and we improve the problem,” says Fain. During their visit in Donsol, he went diving in the open water together with the WWF team. “We went diving and what we saw serves as a reminder of why and how important it is to stand on what we’re fighting for,” he says. Unfortunately during the trip, there were only a few people who got to witness the marvelous butandings of Donsol. And I am still sulking about it, but I feel great that I tried seeing them the “right” way without having to disturb their normal ways. It just means I have to pack my bag and catch a glimpse of one of these fish in another trip to Donsol. Fain also didn’t get to have an encounter and we had a good laugh about it. “You know, we had an appointment with the whale shark, but they didn’t cooperate. I have to tell you, I’ve never been

'We’ve watched what WWF can do–they are forward thinkers who really want to Joel Palma and Richard Fain present the e-jeepney save the planet–and we wanted to be donation to Donsol Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz part of that,' says Richard Fain

Every boat has a Butanding Interaction Officer who guides at least six tourists for their whale shark encounters

this stood up since high school,” he jokingly said. However, we all got to see the magnificent Mt. Mayon the moment we landed in the airport of Legazpi. They say sometimes the mountain is covered in fog or clouds that you have to wait for a day or two to actually see it during this season, so I guess we were lucky. We also got to marvel at the shimmering mangroves of Ogod River where thousands to millions of fireflies feed on the healthy mangroves offering. “I’ve been to the world and to so many places and what you’ve done here in Donsol makes me smile,” says Roberts during the

Amina Aranaz

presscon. Nature – it is a privilege to see and marvel at its beauty, yet it is also a great responsibility for us tourists to conserve and protect it, for it to thrive, and for future generations to experience. Seeing and experiencing the sleepy town of Donsol makes me feel proud that our country is helping conserve the planet. I hope that other places in the Philippines will do the same. For comments, and topic suggestions, you may email me at tatum@thestandard.com.ph. For my crazy life’s adventures follow me at @tatumancheta on Instagram and Twitter.

Anton Diaz

REXONA PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS From C2

And now, the leading deodorant in the Philippines and in the world has launches its breakthrough technology, Rexona MotionSense. New Rexona Motionsense is the first and only antiperspirant with this patented technology that is activated by movement. It contains microcapsules filled with fragrance that burst with friction, so that every move brings on a fresher smell throughout the day. The more a person moves, the more the deodorant works.

Erik Cua

RJ Ledesma

THE NEW PINOY MOVERS

To inspire Filipinos to #KeepOnMOving, Rexona Motionsense introduces 50 New Pinoy Movers who exemplify the Filipino hardworking spirit – individuals who create an impact in their given industry and beyond, in a book titled Rexona Presents the New Pinoy Movers. The outstanding Filipinos featured in the book have moved the needle in their sphere of influence, and have also excelled in multiple aspects of their lives. Among these movers are inspiring personalities like young inventor Aisa Mijeno, award-winning director Erik Matti, members of Up Dharma Down, triathlete Nikko Huelgas, contemporary artist Leeroy New, digital guru Donald Lim, architect Royal Pineda, designers Lesley Mobo and Mich Dulce, inspiring women’s advocate Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, and international theatre star Rachelle Ann Go, to name a few. Individually, they have pushed the boundaries in their respective industries, and together, they pave the way for others to make a name for themselves, inspiring their fellow Filipinos to #KeepOnMoving. What makes you a New Pinoy Mover? Share it on social media using the hashtag #KeepOnMoving.

Mike Carandang

Phil Younghusband

Francis Libiran

Lesley Mobo

S U N D AY : J A N U A R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Becky Garcia, Jas Carreon and Gov. Chavit Singson

Geena Zablan and Marian Ong-Nuguid

Wopsy Zamora and Ronnie Henares

Agile Zamora with Rupert Jacinto

Olivia and Benny Limpe-Aw

Noy Ayson and Elaine Villar

Atty. Manette and Camille Agbayani with Aiko Melendres

Myrna Yao, Czarina Ablaza and Cris Badiola

DANCE TO LIFE!

et’s get this out into And to affirm her in the open: I love promise, she hosted a to dance. Or at least disco revival party with I did. I recollect music by Top DJs Boyet moments during my Almazan, Elmer Dado childhood when I first got with Grupo Timbale, and to listen to the sounds and Manolet “DJ Papi” Santos rhythm of dance music and #INTHEMOMENT with a special limited my body would literally (or BY FRANCIS DE LEON performance by their “DJ spontaneously) gyrate to Guru” (and adoring hubby the pulsating beats of my father’s turntable of Agile) – Wopsy Zamora himself. (yes, long playing albums during the era I practically grew up listening (and of of vinyl records were the rave then). I course dancing) to their music at the height was hooked to dancing and it became my of the disco era. And to those (currently) innate talent but fate did not allow me to in the club music DJ scene, give praise to pursue it professionally – but I guess it’s Wopsy who’s renowned as Manila’s Best never too late, right? DJ during the “Stargazer” fame – Manila’s At the risk of sounding like a broken hottest night club in the ’80s. record, it’s honestly amazing how fast Over 200 of the couple’s family and things can change in the course of our friends composed of the “who’s who” in lives – and my dream of becoming a dance the business and social scenes gathered artist was certainly no exception. At the and danced the night away during (by far) moment, I would probably stick to my day the best disco revival party that everyone job. (Hmmm, I guess for now – wink.) has been missing for the longest time. Fortunately, I am surrounded with The guests followed the ground rule beautiful friends who share the same – it was a “standing room only” crowd interest in dancing. And upon the personal and every soul danced (this columnist invitation of Agile Zamora on the occasion included) to his favorite disco beat. of her 48th birthday celebration, I had That evening, I asked Agile on what to clear my busy schedule to attend her makes her feel in the moment the most. shindig held recently at the Sage Bar of She said, “Being happily married with a Makati Shangri-La. wonderful family and having close friends True to the celebrant’s vibrant and like you who know how to enjoy life.” compelling personality, the invite read Indeed, her milestone celebration was – “Party people know how to enjoy life!!! a fun moment enjoyed by everyone who No standing only dancing.” shares the same passion in celebrating life – as evident in the images featured in this column. To Agile Zamora, may your life be filled with profound happiness shared with loved ones. Cheers! As for this columnist, for as long as there is music and I can (still) manage to dance, life definitely goes on. We just have to keep on dancing!

Nelson Yuvilla and Nikki Tang

Albert Andrada, Ching Cruz, Roi Philips, Linda Ley, Fortune Ledesma, and Yoli Ayson

Robert Miller, Ito Curata and Manolyne Taylor

Natalie Ang, Sandy Poblador and Joy Rustia

Carol Mercado, Cynthia Almario and Yong Nieva

Lilibeth and Paqui Campos

(End note to my dear readers: Smile, then share if you agree.) Agile Zamora’s cake from her Philippine best-dressed besties

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8.

Francis de Leon and Czarina Syquia

Linda Ley and Mayenne Carmona

Sheree Chua and Ching Cruz PHOTOS BY LORNA LLANES

SUNDAY : JA NUA RY 3 1, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

With Miss Universe President Paula Shugart and BPCI Chairperson Madam Stella Marquez de Araneta during the international presscon held at Novotel hotel at the Araneta Center

The grand ticker-tape parade along Ayala Avenue, Makati attended by thousand spectators from all walks of life.

Photos by Po1 lee delmo and bPci

Proud nation shoWers Pia Wurtzbach With love by eton b. concePcion

housands of people from all walks of life trooped to the streets of Metropolitan Manila to see and greet the most beautiful woman in the universe. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, glowing in an emerald green terno and wearing the crystal-blue topaz/sapphire and diamond Miss Universe crown worth $300,000, waved and blew kisses to the joyous and screaming crowd, some even coming from the provinces, as Pia’s ticker-tape parade passed from Sofitel Hotel to Taft, Quirino and Gil Puyat avenues and ended with a confetti shower along Ayala avenue. It was a momentous event unmatched in recorded parades for a homecoming queen as office workers, students, teachers and ordinary folks, young and old, took time out eager to join in the celebration, forgetting the hassles of everyday life as metro traffic stood still all for the Filipinos’ love for pageantry. Pia must have sung “Don’t Rain on My Parade” as the rain stopped and a pair of rainbow appeared. Pia rode on an especially built white and royal blue float with a crown designed upfront created by Fritz Solirio. She was treated to a water salute by the MMDA as her limousine crossed the Guadalupe Pasig

Diamond encrusted: Pia shows off her Miss Universe Photos byteddy Pelaez crown worth $300,000

Bridge before she finally reached Araneta at dusk for the second part of the parade. She took a brief rest at the Novotel Hotel, her official residence for her week stay in the country, changed into an elegant white gown and with a slight sunburn, rode a smaller float to greet an even large record crowd patiently waiting for her around Araneta Center in Cubao.

Pia got emotional and shed tears upon hearing the fireworks display made in her honor signaling the end of her long victory parade and after she met a group of sick and poor children beneficiaries of the Bb. Pilipinas Foundation, Inc. (BPCI). She thanked everyone for joining her in the event and dedicated her winning crown to all her countrymen. Pia has received tremendous support and adulation from the Filipinos, from flowers and gifts, such as Pia dolls, cookies and pastries with her face, a specially designed blue and crown-shaped cake and a bejeweled necktie with her Miss Universe image. A cute poodle dressed in a blue gown with matching Miss Universe sash played with the crowd around Novotel Hotel, an expression of how grateful and appreciative the people, especially the young, to see the crowning of a Filipina Miss Universe in this day and age. Pia’s victory parade was part of a hectic public engagement before she returns to New York. She was at the homecoming press conference held at Novotel’s Monet Ballroom on Sunday afternoon with local and international media accompanied by BPCI chairperson Stella Marquez

Araneta and Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart who said that she was always amazed by the new Miss Universe. Pia’s mother, Cheryl Alonzo Tyndall, also graced the event. Pia was able to reveal her plans as Miss Universe including addressing social issues like HIV awareness. She also took the opportunity to thank the Philippine National Police for the assistance in providing security during all her activities, especially the metro wide parade. The new Miss Universe also paid a courtesy call to Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada who declared her an adopted daughter of the city, and where she advised the youth to persevere, study harder and never disobey their parents. Pia was honored by the House of Representatives and the Senate in short ceremonies as they presented her with resolutions acknowledging her winning the Miss Universe pageant. Senators Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo Angara and Senate President Franklin Drilon congratulated. Pia was also in Malacanang for a courtesy call on President Noynoy Aquino, and attended the wedding of her best friend, actress Pauline Luna to comedian Vic Sotto yesterday.

Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Horus in Gods of Egypt

Horus (Coster-Waldau) is the god of sky in Egyptian mythology

Gerard Butler as Set, the cruel god who ushered in an age of darkness after usurping the throne

Gerard Butler flexes musCles anew

hen Egypt fell in chaos and evil threatened to rule, gods and men rise to the occasion to fight against and for each other in the upcoming spectacular actionadventure movie Gods of Egypt. Inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to

save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and

across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the epic final confrontation. Directed by visionary director Alex Proyas who also helmed blockbuster thrilling movies I, Robot and The Crow, Gods of Egypt brings an impressive ensemble of actors who play powerful gods and mortals in “Gods of Egypt” that includes Nikolaj Coster-

Waldau as Horus, Gerard Butler as Set, Brenton Thwaites as Hathor, Courtney Eaton as Zaya, Chadwick Boseman as Thoth, Geoffrey Rush as RA, Bryan Brown as Osiris and Rufus Sewell as Urshu. Gods of Egypt opens February 24 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films. Check out the film’s trailer here: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PZUEAXe3cig&feature=youtu.be

SUNDAY : JA NUA RY 3 1, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

SmaRt, mCa mUSiC REnEW REvOLUtiOnaRy PaRtnERShiP

nrivaled mobile services leader Smart Communications (Smart) announced it has renewed its game-changing partnership with the world’s number one music company, MCA Music, Inc., a Universal Music Group International (UMGI) company, to provide even more exciting digital experiences to music fans all over the country. Since launching their partnership two years ago, Smart and MCA Music have changed the music landscape in the country by being the first to offer convenient and affordable access to music anytime, anywhere via music-streaming service SPINNR. “Music is a big part of our ’Smart Life’ entertainment proposition, and we’re glad that MCA Music is continuing to partner with us to bring the best mobile music experience to millions of users nationwide through SPINNR,” said Ariel Fermin, EVP and Head of Consumer Business at Smart. “As a pioneer in the digital music industry in the Philippines, SPINNR has helped change the behavior of music fans nationwide by giving them affordable and legitimate access to all the music that they love.” The MCA Music – Smart partnership is a big boost to the music industry, particularly in making music downloads more affordable and accessible to everyone thru SPINNR,” added Ricky Ilacad, CEO at MCA Music. “We feel that music fans are the biggest winners in this partnership because of the ‘money-can’t-buy experiences’ that MCA Music and Smart have been giving them- VIP Concert tickets and Meet & Greet sessions with the biggest artists.”

BOOSting DigitaL mUSiC SaLES As the first music streaming service to debut in the Philippines, SPINNR has enabled users to experience listening to their favorite songs on their smartphones wherever they want, at just the tap of a finger on the screen. The service likewise tore down the steep barrier preventing access to the latest digital services by allowing users to pay for their song purchases or streaming subscriptions using their prepaid loads or charge it on top their postpaid accounts—a definite first in the country. This meant they don’t have to be credit card holders in order to gain access to the music service, thereby opening an entire ecosystem of services to more Filipinos nationwide. This innovative payment system has helped in boosting the digital sales of local and international artists through music downloads and streaming subscriptions. Downloads and streaming has in fact contributed to the 6.9 percent growth in digital music revenues worldwide, which stood at $6.9 billion in 2014, or almost half of all global music sales, according to a recent report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). “SPINNR is a big instrument in promoting legitimate music downloads as basically anyone can download their favorite music without the use of credit cards or any complicated payment schemes,” Ilacad added. COmPLEtE mUSiC ExPERiEnCE With the renewal of the multi-year partnership, millions of music fans across the country can expect a ramped-up music experience that

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 85 86 87 88 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 101 102 103 104 105

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Vamoose! 6 Seductive women 11 Get real! (2 wds.) 15 Bay or city 20 Honestly! 21 Hamburger extra 22 Takeoff 24 Wall climbers 25 “M*A*S*H” clerk 26 Female vampire 27 Sachet component 28 Goes a few rounds 29 Bite off too much 31 Ice grabbers 33 Mandala builder 34 Habituate 35 Arctic phenomenon 37 Pfc’s superiors 39 Md. neighbor 41 Portland hrs. 42 Alpaca kin 43 Big leaguers 44 Throw for — — 46 Red-waxed cheese

50 51 52 53 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 72 73 74 75 76 79 80 84

Golfer — Alcott Flag down Yuletide Rock star, say They pay monthly Crocus “bulb” Second to none Lacking covering Trite phrase Things to chew on Blows gently Survey choice Veronica of “Hill Street Blues” Airport queue Shade-loving plant It builds deep nests Actress — Hartman Hoard Funny Feldman Europe-Asia range Kind of bed Fall colors Liszt piece Verve

106 107 108 109 111 112 114 117 118 119 124 126 128 130 131 132 134 136 137 138 139 140 141 142

Money drawers Kind of companion Pair Lava-flow rock Meat-locker units Ex-frosh Correct a text Yang complement Bankrolls Verdict givers Where a medium isn’t rare Monsieur’s egg Dance all night Swimming — Leisurely study Rich rum cake Building extensions Toucan feature Role for Whoopi Monocle Poser Mountain lake Playwright Oscar — AMA members Not decaf. Pirate song start (hyph.) Strike it rich (3 wds.) Au contraire! (2 wds.) Net surfer Cowboy’s charge More astute Tarmac area Colorado river Yearly record Veranda, on Maui Bowling score Flock of geese The fabulous Garbo January in Acapulco Beat the drums Memorial Day race

Smart Communications officials Ariel Fermin and Mellissa Limcaoco (third and forth from left) in a photo op with MCA Music, Inc. led by exec Ricky Ilacad (first from left)

extends beyond listening to songs to the latest concerts by the biggest foreign and local acts, fly-offs to watch concerts in other countries, exclusive backstage access and meet-andgreet opportunities, as well as the latest merchandise from their favorite musical acts. Since 2013, the partnership between Smart and MCA Music through SPINNR has brought the biggest names in international music to the Philippines, including the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Madonna, Sam Smith, and Maroon 5, among many others. SPINNR has also been instrumental in bringing fan-favorites such as 5 Seconds of Summer, 1975, The Vamps, Us The Duo, and Imagine Dragons closer to their multitude of Filipino fans. “SPINNR has always been about the

total music experience—not just being able to listen to music on your phones. With the renewal of our partnership with MCA Music, Filipino fans can expect more and even more unique experiences from their favorite artists with the help of SPINNR,” added Mellissa Limcaoco, Innovation and Product Development Group Head at Smart. The SPINNR app, which kick-started the music streaming revolution in the Philippines, won at the GSMA’s 20th Global Mobile Awards which is dubbed the “Oscars” of the mobile industry. SPINNR is available as a free downloadable app on Android phones and iPhones, and can be accessed by other internet-capable gadgets like tablets, laptops, and desktops via www.spinnr.ph. Users can log in using their Smart, Talk ‘N Text, or Sun Cellular account or their Facebook account.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016

143 Was an ancestor 144 Come to — DOWN 1 Leather for honing 2 Hunger for 3 More arrogant 4 Morning rouser 5 Economics No belist in 1974 6 TV knob 7 Gray area? 8 Flowering tree 9 Main idea 10 Hitch in plans 11 Deadly snake 12 Hexes 13 Jots or tittles 14 Froth 15 Shinbones 16 Cosmetics brand 17 Snafu (hyph.) 18 Looks curiously 19 Portfolio item 23 Like a “10” 30 Recently (2 wds.) 32 Curtain material 36 L.A. gridders 38 Nov. runner 40 Bit of a shock 43 Duffers’ goals 44 Ventricle neighbor 45 Bro or sis 46 Writer on metal 47 Part of FDR 48 Critter 49 Nutmeg-like spice 51 Coal scuttles 52 Super 54 “The Banana Boat Song” (hyph.) 55 Pitcher — Hershiser 56 — -majeste 58 Red Wings org. 59 Dice 60 Lays off food 63 Guinea pig 64 Author’s need

67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 83

“Misery” co-star Foyers North African port Hip-hop music They, in Calais Flatten a fly Tunnel makers Oops! (hyph.) Open meadow “— in the Family” Lightheaded Viscous City in Denmark King in “Macbeth” Tyrolean tunes

85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96 97 98

Faint colors Cause to yawn T.G.I.F. request Town near Honolulu Ignore socially Bad-tempered Mope Constantly, to Poe Wood splitter Easy marks (2 wds.) Blondell of old films Author Maurice —

100 101 102 103 106 107 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 118 119

Brief craze Volcano goddess Kind of welcome Paper source “—, humbug!” Common fertilizer De-creased? Sluggish Campfire fare Grommet Grind one’s teeth Orange flower Subway hanger Gulf nation Painter — Matisse

120 1776 patriot Silas — 121 Secret 122 Fix Venus de Milo? 123 Small combos 125 Feeling miffed 127 Wine served warm 129 Follows closely 133 Your choice 135 Aberdeen kid

SUNDAY : JA NUA RY 3 1, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Farmer beComes trIathlete and ultramarathoner¼

Unique cultural property: Cagsawa Ruins declared national cultural treasure by the National Museum

From C8

olleyball was considered a secondary sport in the country next to basketball until the UAAP women’s volleyball competition gained a following that playing venues were soon packed to the rafters. Sports U had some quality time with volleyball’s biggest collegiate star and best team last Thursday when Ateneo Lady Eagle superstar Alyssa Valdez took some time off the court with the rest of her teammates. The Lady Eagles are the defending back-toback UAAP champions and are attempting to make it three in a row since the school’s volleyball program roared back to life. Tagging along with Valdez in last Thursday’s episode were ace setter Jia Morado and Amy Ahomiro who plays the utility/opposite position. Meanwhile, in Lucban, Quezon, a farmer named Pepito Deapera has been making noise not with his work on the field but on the road and waters where he competes as a triathlete and ultramarathoner. Pepito is living proof that if one works for their dreams, they just make it happen. The farmer-turned-athlete recounted his experiences on the way to being a triathlete. Lastly, anchor Dyan Castillejo joined professional bodybuilders in the Dyanfit segment. Dyan was the one who got the instructions while learning the various exercises and drills the bodybuilders perform to maintain their muscles. Sports U aims to promote athletes who have inspiring stories to share and may possibly become future sports stars of the country. It also promotes fitness and healthy lifestyle by looking into how celebrities stay in shape. Tune in to Sports U tevery Thursday right after Bandila on ABS-CBN. Follow their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/SportsUtv and official Twitter account (@SportsUTV) for more updates.

Alyssa Valdez

Jia Morado

AlbAy tourism iCon deClAred CulturAl treAsure

Farmer-turned-athlete Pepito Deapera

HHHHH ChIz does a wurtzbaCh When asked how different he is from his opponents in the coming elections, Senator Chiz Escudero answered, echoing Pia Wurtzbach’s answer in the recent Miss Universe 2015 pageant, “I am confidently beautiful with a ‘Heart.’” Heart, of course, refers to his wife, the actress Heart Evangelista. Added Chiz, “Sa lahat po ata ng kumakandidato ako lang ho ang may pruweba. Ako lang ho ang may kontrata, may litrato at may ninong at ninang na testigo pa na ako po ay may ‘Heart.’.” To institute “gobyernong may puso” is what Grace at Chiz promise if they would be elected to the highest and second highest positions in the land. “Isang gobyernong nalulungkot kapag may bagyong tumatama sa isang parte ng ating bansa. Isang gobyernong nagagalit kapag may Pilipinong inaapi o kapag may opisyal na mabagal o palpak ang paggalaw,” said Chiz. “Isang gobyernong nagbubunyi at natutuwa kapag nananalo tayo sa Ms. Universe. Isang gobyerno na alam kung ano’ng gagawin at hindi po manghuhula pa kung ano’ng kailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” the Senator added.

Albay and Bicol region’s iconic image, the Cagsawa Ruins, has recently been declared by the National Museum as a national cultural treasure (NCT), the country’s highest designation for a cultural property. An NCT is defined as “a unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value, which is significant and important to the country.” It is distinct and of a higher category than a national cultural property. The said citation will be officially conferred by the National Museum on Feb. 1, the 202nd anniversary of Mayon Volcano’s most destructive eruption. The Cagsawa Ruins is what remains of the old Cagsawa community when the near perfect cone-shaped volcano erupted early morning on Feb. 1, 1814. The eruption claimed over 1,200 lives and buried the entire village, including an old baroque church where some 200 parishioners ran for safety, under rocks, sand and ash. The event kicks off a month-long observance of the Cagsawa Festival, which celebrates Daraga town’s rich history, natural and cultural heritage. The festivity also includes a host of entertainment, musical, sporting tournaments, culinary events, a beauty pageant with celebrity appearances,

and talent shows to bring out the best of the Albayanos. Recorded accounts of the eruption said rocks and stones shot high into the air and killed fleeing residents and set residences on fire as the volcanic debris fell. A recorded incident indicated that the parish priest of Cagsawa ordered the ringing of the church bells to warn the local people of the eruption. While it is widely believed that the parish church was buried under lava, post-eruption photographs in the early 1900s showing the frame still standing would prove otherwise. Over time, the church building collapsed and today, only the blackened church tower remains standing which is now the centerpiece of the Cagsawa Ruins Park, Albay’s top tourist attraction with the Mayon Volcano in the background. “The National Museum’s declaration as such of a cultural asset is an important step toward higher level designations. National cultural treasures are priority assets for protection, preservation and promotion by the state,” Albay Governor Joey Salceda said. He said that with the declaration, the Bicol region now has three NCTs, the other two being the Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church in Daraga declared in 2007, and the St. John the Baptist Church in Tabaco City, both in Albay, declared in 2012. The region also has two national cultural properties—Barit Bridge in Santiago, Iriga City in Camarines Sur, and the Mataas Shell Scoop, a neolithic artifact from Cagraray Island in Bacacay, Albay.

Cnn InternatIonal adds rugby and Formula e shows to Its sports lIne-up

NN International is launching two new action-packed monthly shows on rugby and Formula E – CNN’s World Rugby and Supercharged. These programs will extend the network’s wide range of premium sports coverage spanning golf, sailing, horse racing, equestrianism, skiing, Formula 1 and tennis as well as comprehensive sports news in the flagship CNN World Sport. World Rugby on CNN takes viewers on a global journey through all aspects of the sport. As Rugby Sevens prepares for its Olympics debut in Brazil in August, presenters Alex Thomas and Christina Macfarlane follow the contenders throughout the Sevens World Series during a

series of fast-paced tournaments in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore, France and England. The show also includes the 15-a-side game, its major competitions and the continued development of women’s rugby. The show will travel far and wide to seek out stories from grassroots rugby as well as meet the stars of the sport. The first monthly show features a look ahead to the rugby year and follows the road to Rio from the tiny Scottish town of Melrose, where the game of Rugby Sevens was created by a local butcher in the 19th century. “After a very successful CNN run during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, we’re pleased to relaunch the World Rugby show with a broader view for 2016, a

year that marks rugby’s return to the Olympic Games,” said Bill Galvin, senior vice president of CNN Sports Programming and Development. “The unquestioned growth of rugby across the globe creates a natural fit for CNN’s worldwide audience. We look forward to capturing the spirit of the sport, from the pitch to the fan experience, from the local level to the major events.” Supercharged brings a brand new sport to CNN International the FIA Formula E Championship - the primary all-electric motorsport series and one of the most exciting new sports in the world. Fronted by tech and motorsport presenter Nicki Shields in her first role for CNN, the show will travel to some of the most

glamorous cities in the world to get close to the action in the race-day paddock. Each show will feature highlights of the latest Formula E race but will venture beyond the circuit to focus on the cutting-edge sustainable technology powering the cars, how a new sport is being built from the ground up and the wider story of promoting cleaner practices in sport and the wider world. The series opener will cover the Buenos Aires ePrix from Argentina and will welcome newcomers to the sport with an all-you-need–to–know briefing. Segments from both shows will also air in CNN World Sport and be supplemented by extra coverage, interviews and explainers on rugby and motorsport microsites on CNN.com.

“CNN is as passionate about sports as our audience,” said Ellana Lee, senior vice president and managing editor, CNN International. “As two sports with a global footprint and bristling with interesting stories, rugby and Formula E are ideal additions to our pantheon of sports programming. The World Rugby show will allow our viewers to experience everything that this exciting and growing sport has to offer while Supercharged is a fascinating concept that combines coverage of Formula E with reportage on green tech and sustainability. The combination of sports coverage with original reporting about everything from grassroots sport to tech innovation will be a winning formula.”

SUNDAY : JA NUA RY 3 1, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ Back-to-Back excitement with alden RichaRds in the middle east Kapuso fans in the Middle East could not contain their delight as Alden Richards took the stage in two solo ISAH V. RED concerts – in Dubai and Doha – recently. Arriving in droves at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Garhoud on Jan. 7, AlDub Nation from all over the United Arab Emirates warmly welcomed the Pambansang Bae at his concert titled Alden Live in Dubai, presented by MJP Marketing and Events FZ LLE. The trip also proved to be an exciting one for the soughtafter actor as he was able to take time off to see the city’s popular attractions including Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East, and the Desert Safari, a premier site for various activities such as dune bashing and desert skiing. Likewise, Alden’s supporters in Qatar trooped to the Qatar National Convention Centre in Gharafat al Rayyan, Doha, where the Kapuso star headlined the concert Yaya’s Bae Goes to Qatar, produced by Multichannel Marketing Services on Jan. 8. Humble as ever, Alden remained grateful for his continued success as he profusely thanked the crowds in Dubai and Doha for their support. The audiences, in turn, expressed their love for their idol with loud cheers, most especially during his performance of the hit single, “Wish I May” from his similarlytitled, certified double platinum album under GMA Records. Each concert also featured local performers who warmed up the crowd with entertaining song and dance numbers, as well as games. Moreover, fans were able to see Alden’s be-dimpled smile up close as he set out to meet and greet his fellow Filipinos who came to see his shows. Continuously keeping Filipinos abroad connected to their home country, GMA’s three international channels – GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International – served as media sponsors of both concerts. GMA’s three international channels are available in the Middle East through the carriers du (call-in number: 4 390 5555; website: www.du.ae), eLife (call-in number: 800-101; website: www.etisalat.ae), MyHD (call-in number: +971 4 435 4844; website: www.myhd.tv), and Ooredoo (call-in number: 111; website: www.ooredoo.qa). For more information on GMA shows, artists and international events, visit the website, www.gmapinoytv.com ➜ continued on c7

Alden Richards serenades the Kapuso crowd in “Yaya’s Bae goes to Qatar.”

Alden Richards enjoyed a brief vacation as he visited the Desert Safari in Dubai.

AlDub Nation comes to support their Bae’s concert in Dubai.

Versatile artist Alden Richards shows of his dance moves in “Yaya’s Bae Goes to Qatar.”

Alden’s fellow Filipinos eager to see their idol at “Alden Live in Dubai.”

Alden Richards in “Alden live in Dubai” held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.