The Standard - 2016 April 3- Sunday

VOL. XXX  NO. 50  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : APRIL 3, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

FIRE HITS UE-RECTO; P22M UP IN SMOKE

A7

CARNAGE BLAMED ON LEFTIST GROUPS

By John Paolo Bencito, Sara D. Fabunan, Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz and Christine F. Herrera

GOVERNMENT officials and the police blamed communist rebels and progressive groups for starting the protest that killed three people in Kidapawan City as protesting farmers lifted their blockade of an interprovincial highway and sought refuge at a nearby church compound.

But government critics dismissed the red-baiting as a deliberate attempt to twist the facts and

escape accountability for the three deaths and injury to at least 116 protesters and 99 policemen.

Instead, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Sarmiento conferred medals on the injured policemen, including a police sergeant who is still in critical condition after suffering a head fracture and hemorrhage because of the incident.

The protesting farmers and police clashed on Friday morning after protesters refused to dismantle the barricade they put up on the highway linking Cotabato and Davao Cities to dramatize their desire for a droughtrelated subsidy and sacks of rice

for their families.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the protesters were not really residents of North Cotabato and that they were only ferried from outside the province for propaganda purposes.

“Have you realized who can summon thousands of farmers from outside North Cotabato and linger there for several days? Who feeds them on a daily basis? asked Lacierda over social networking site Facebook.

“What was promised to them that they would travel outside their

province to descend upon North Cotabato? The leftists have been at this game for the longest time,” Lacierda said.

Presidential Communication Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III also suggested that militant groups may have taken advantage of the protest before the dispersal and said the authorities will conduct an extensive investigation into the deadly dispersal.

“First of all, I believe it is fair for all of us to expect and require thorough, impartial investigation.

Next page

MOMENT OF CONFLICT. A drone video released by the Kidapawan City government shows the confrontation between police and farmers who were seeking relief for the drought prevailing in Mindanao. The policemen, who were involved in the deadly dispersal that caused the death of three farmers, were given medals by Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento on Saturday. KIDAPAWAN LGU/SALEEMA REFRAN/GMA NEWS

4 MALAYSIANS SEIZED BY SUSPECTED ASG MEN

By Francisco Tuyay SUSPECTED Abu Sayyaf bandits snatched four Malaysians from a vessel that was transiting the coast of Semporna in Sabah on Friday evening.

The Western Mindanao Command forces is tracking down the

whereabouts of four Malaysians who were reportedly seized late Friday by Abu Sayyaf Group in Semporna, Malaysia.

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said on Saturday the military was trying to verify the incident after receiving word from Malaysian authorities.

“We confirm receiving reports of this incident, but information remains sketchy at the moment and efforts are being exerted to ascertain all details,” Tan said.

Tan said they have coordinated with their Malaysian counterparts “but details of which we are not at liberty to divulge.”

“In the meantime, Westmincom forces remain on alert and have taken appropriate action/operations to address the situation,” he added.

The latest kidnapping of the four Malaysians came barely a week after ASG bandits abducted 10 Indonesians off Tawi-Tawi waters.

The Indonesians were on a tug-

boat Brahma 12 towing a barge containing 7,000 tons of coal heading for Batangas Port when Abu Sayyaf gunmen snatched and took them hostage. The Indonesians were allegedly taken to Sulu from where the abductors contacted the tugboat owner and demanded Next page $1-billion ransom.

S U N D AY : A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

A2

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

US, PH LAUNCH BALIKATAN ’16 THOUSANDS of US and Filipino soldiers will launch on Monday annual war games that this year are being seen as a show of strength in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness in the region.

The 11-day Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises are expected to show how the Philippines, though severely outgunned, can counter China with the help of the United States, its longest-standing ally.

China has in recent months built massive structures including radar systems and an airstrip over reefs and outcrops in the contested South China Sea, sparking international concern.

Beijing lays claim to almost all of the waters, which are important for international shipping and believed to hold valuable mineral and energy deposits, and neighboring countries fear China could impose military controls over the entire sea.

The joint maneuvers come ahead of a decision this year by a United Nations-backed tribunal on a legal challenge by Manila to China’s territorial claims.

Adding to the tensions, the Philippines is preparing to host US troops in five bases under a defense pact born out of US President Barack Obama’s plan to reassert American influence in the Pacific.

Balikatan 2016. This file photo taken on April 20, 2015 shows Philippine soldiers and a US army soldier from 2nd Stryker Brigade Balikatan has evolved from counter-terrorism ma- Combat taking their positions after disembarking from a C-47 Chinook helicopter during an air assault exercise inside Fort Magsaysay in neuvers against Islamic extremists like the Philippines’ Nueva Ecija. Thousands of US, Filipino and Australian soldiers will launch this year’s edition of the Balikatan war games on April 4.

Abu Sayyaf, to simulations of retaking and protecting territory as disputes with Beijing have escalated. gather in Kidapawan City for a rally. Well, peatedly used to belittle dismiss legitimate However, Filipino and US officials insist the exermaybe because many of them are not from protests,” he said. cises are not explicitly aimed at China.

After the dispersal, the protesting farmers the province,” she said.

Balikatan spokesman Captain Celeste Frank Say- From A1 fled to the nearby compound of the SpottMarquez, for his part, claimed that one of son said 55 US aircraft would take part in the drills, while the Philippines will deploy fighter jets it has re- There is no reason why people must die in the dead protesters was found to have traces swood Methodist Church, but Governor order to be asking for assistance from their of gunpowder on his hand and was found to Mendoza threatened Bishop Ciriaco Francently acquired. cisco that they would prosecute the prelate While no specific staging areas have been dis- own government,” Quezon said in an inter- be carrying caliber .45 bullets. for harboring the farmers.

Kidapawan Mayor Joseph Evangelista also view over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan. closed, the two allies have in recent years held war “We are being kept here by the police, insisted that the protesters were not all farm“At the same time, there is no reason why a games at air bases just 230 kilometers from the distragedy must be compounded by hotheaded ers, but members of “progressive groups” there are uniformed men around the church. puted areas in the South China Sea. Rene de Castro, an international studies profes- statements or rushing to judgment. It will not who wanted to “extort” rice from the Nation- No one, not even the priests, nuns who want al Food Authority warehouse near the site of to give us food were being permitted to help sor at the De La Salle University in Manila, told AFP help anyone,” he added. us inside,” Aba lamented Friday night.

“There’s a tremendous number of wound- the protest. the drills appeared to have China’s expansion in the “They even cut our electricity and the cell“They are not all farmers, and most of ed people on both sides.

Lives have been lost South China Sea in mind.

“Looking at the features of Balikatan—the mobile and we owe it to ourselves as a society and them come from progressive groups,” Evan- phone signals were being cut by the police.

It’s like Martial Law, we’re crying for help,” he missile-launchers, the fighter planes—that is an indi- to the farmers themselves and people in the gelista told The Standard. added.

“Anakpawis, Anakbayan, Kilusang Magaffected areas to find out what exactly hapcation that the alliance is being geared for territorial On early Saturday morning, the police was bubukid ng Pilipinas, Gabriela, the Suara pened and why it did lead to this,” he said. defense,” he said. able to secure a warrant to search the church Bangsamoro, Bayan, Bayan Muna—are they But North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Richard Javad Heydarian, a political science professor at the De La Salle University in Manila, added “Lala” Mendoza held a press conference in farmers? It’s not right that their objective is compound for guns, but found nothing.

“They didn’t find anything inside the comthat the exercises “aim to enhance interoperability Kidapawan with Sarmiento and Philippine to try and ransack the NFA warehouse,” he pound but they’re treating us like prisoners,” said.

National Police chief Director General Ricaramong allies nations and signal their preparedness to “There are some from Bukidnon, Davao said Ariel Casilao of the Solidarity Action do Marquez to deplore the supposed comconfront China if necessary.” del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Davao City. They are Group for Indigenous People and Peasants.

The Philippine military said the US High Mobil- munist infiltration of the protesters’ ranks.

But Kabataan partylist Rep. Terry Ridon “It’s an insult to us, the [local government the ones who came to Kidapawan demandity Artillery Rocket System, designed to shoot down aircraft, will be sent to Palawan, the Philippines’ west- units], to be used for political propaganda in ing rice. Why can’t they ask their government on Saturday blasted the police and DILG ernmost island on the South China Sea, during the the province of Cotabato. It’s an insult to our units for rice? They have calamity funds in Saturday for “deliberately twisting facts” and policemen that many of them were hurt, 140 their municipalities, why go to North Cota- pinning the blame for the bloody massacre of war games. farmers on the protesters themselves.

The Philippines operates one airstrip in the South [protesters], 99 from the PNP [are wounded] bato,” he said.

Speaking inside the United Methodist North Cotabato police chief Supt. AlexChina Sea, on Thitu island, where there are around and 21 are [ralliysts], there are some who ander Tagum, in a separate interview, said Church compound in Kidapawan City where died because they were stoned,” she said.

350 civilian residents.

Mendoza said there was no need for peas- the crowd were mostly “hakot,” with some of more than 5,000 farmer protesters sought It also keeps small military contingents in smaller outcrops, including Second Thomas Shoal, where Ma- ant groups to blocked the Cotabato-Davao the farmers allegedly claiming that they were refuge following the bloody open-firing, highway to air their grievances because they fooled by the organizers “that they will be Ridon said the PNP is clearly spinning the rines are stationed on a decaying World War II ship. news to escape accountability.

The Philippines, which has one of the weakest could ask for relief intervention at the pro- given rice” if they joined the protests. “[PNP chief] Marquez should be ashamed But Jerome Succor Aba, spokesman of militaries in the region, has sought to counter China’s vincial capitol.

“The local government units have al- Moro human rights group Suara Bangsam- of himself. His statement lends greater insult overwhelming military advantage by improving ties ready started initiating relief operations for oro, denied claims that the protesters were to the deaths of farmers by insinuating that with the United States and Japan. they had guns and fired shots at the police,” While it has acquired new fighter jets and surplus drought-stricken communities before this mostly communist sympathizers.

Ridon said.

“Red-baiting is an old tune they have rehappened.

There was no need for them to US naval ships, the Southeast Asian nation still has far to go, De Castro warned.

China’s defense budget dwarfs that of the PhilipLast year, Malaysian Bernard of which was not immediately an Abu Sayyaf faction to Sulu, a pines and Beijing is this year set to outspend its smallknown, had been sailing to Ma- remote southern island that is a Then was kidnapped from a seaer neighbor by a factor of around 60. side restaurant in Sabah, about laysia from the Philippines or hideout of the militant outfit.

The Philippines is also increasing its military From A1 Someone claiming to be from 300 kilometers (180 miles) from making the reverse journey. engagements with the US with the Enhanced DeMany Western and other em- Abu Sayyaf called the vessel’s the Abu Sayyaf ’s Jolo stronghold.

Sabah police commissioner fense Cooperation Agreement, which took effect Abdul Rashid Harun, for his bassies routinely issue warnings owners to demand a ransom for He was later killed by the group. in January.

The Abu Sayyaf has staged Under the deal, US troops will rotate through five part, told Malaysia’s official news against traveling to most of the the sailors’ release. cross-border raids into Malaysia Meanwhile, the safety of the Philippines’ Muslim-populated agency Bernama that authorities military camps including two air bases that are stratewere still investigating if the kid- southern regions, which lie just three European hostages already before, including in April 2000 gically positioned near the South China Sea. “It is very apparent that the thrust of [the agree- napping occurred in Malaysian or northeast of Sabah, because of in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf when gunmen seized 21 European the risk of being abducted by the has become more uncertain even and Asian tourists from a dive rement] is air power,” said former national security ad- international waters. as the April 8 deadline for the sort. They were released in batches “The area is vast and we have Abu Sayyaf. viser Roilo Golez. after the presumed payment of On Tuesday, officials said that payment of their ransom nears.

Australia, which recently criticized China’s asser- our assets there. So we are invesThe ASG has threatened to ransom the following year. tiveness in the disputed waters, is sending 80 troops tigating whether it happened in or 10 Indonesian sailors had been Founded in the 1990s with the to join parachute drills as part of the maneuvers, Say- off our waters,” he was quoted as kidnapped in waters off the kill Canadians John Ridsdel southern Philippines. The inci- and Robert Hall and Norwe- help of late Al-Qaeda mastersaying by Bernama. son said.

“The five other individuals in the dent was believed to have hap- gian Kjartan Sekkingstad if their mind Osama Bin Laden, the Abu Obama this week confronted Chinese President Xi P1-billion demand is not met. Sayyaf has been blamed for some ship comprising Myanmar and In- pened last Saturday.

Jinping over Beijing’s actions in the disputed seas.

The Philippine military said The four were kidnapped at the of the Philippines’ worst terror Tensions have flared between the superpowers donesian nationals were released.”

There were conflicting reports initial information indicated the Ocean View Resort in Samal Is- attacks, including bombings and since the US sent warships close to disputed islands kidnappings for ransom. over whether the boat, the size sailors may have been taken by land in Davao del Norte. twice in the past six months. AFP

CARNAGE...

4 MALAY...

S U N D AY : A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

VOTERS WILL NAME THEIR REAL HEROES

By Christine F. Herrera

LAGUNA SORTIE. Independent presidential candidate Grace Poe gives away T-shirts as she campaigned in Laguna on Friday.

BINAY SCORES ROXAS: NO HERO TO THE POOR

By Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo

OPPOSITION United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday said his bitter rival Manuel Roxas II of the ruling Liberal Party simply did not want a better life for the poor.

“Mr. Roxas is against a better life for the poor. He doesn’t want to give the poor free health care, quality education, and decent jobs,” Binay said. “He does not want to give the poor the dignity they deserve.”

Binay was reacting to Roxas’ criticism that Binay should “not to do for the country what he did in Makati.” Roxas was referring to the corruption allegedly commit-

ted by Binay when he was mayor of Makati City.

The Vice President said the programs he pioneered as Makati mayor has drastically reduced poverty.

Hitting back, Binay said Roxas could not boast of anything concrete that he had done good for the poor.

In contrast, Binay said Makati residents are healthier, have greater access to education, and enjoy a

quality of life previously enjoyed only by affluent residents.

“We were the first to have a health program where the poor are treated for free. We were the first to give public school students free books, bags, and school supplies. We were the first to have a college education program that guarantees employment after graduation. We were the first to honor our senior citizens.

“That is our record in Makati and we will stand by our record.

We ask Mr. Roxas to also present his track record in improving the lives of the poor,” Binay dared.

Binay said Roxas should let the voters judge him based on his track record as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications and the De-

partment of the Interior and Local Government.

“Our country needs a decisive leader who has proven executive ability and compassion for the poor. Voters should judge all candidates based on performance and track record as executives. What have they already done for the poor?” Binay said.

Among the presidential candidates, the Vice President said only he understands what the poor need as he himself grew up poor.

“Unless you yourself have gone through poverty, you will never understand what the poor need.

That is why all the programs we started in Makati were anchored on poverty reduction and empowering the poor. This is our plan for the country,” he said.

LET the voters judge on election day if they believe Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II was a “super hero and savior” during Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ as depicted in his 28-page campaign comic book, senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez dared Saturday.

At Saturday Forum @ Anabels in Quezon City, Romualdez came to the defense of his cousin Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who was portrayed in the Roxas comic book as “partying” the night before Yolanda flattened Eastern Visayas.

“Mar and even Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin saw Mayor Alfred that night. They were together in the command conference. So where’s the party?”

The mayor dared Roxas and his supporters to show proof that he was partying on the eve of the onslaught.

He said he and his family, including his children were upset by the unfair accusation considering that his wife Cristina and children almost died that fateful night.

“Yes, my daughter could not understand why her father was not around the night before the killer typhoon struck. But she understands I do not party. I was out doing the rounds, compelling people to evacuate to safer grounds,” Mayor Romualdez said.

“I came home past midnight but I was out not partying but because I went to coastal areas to check if people remained in their houses despite strict orders that they had to leave,” he said.

“That night, I was with Secretaries Roxas and Gazmin for a command conference. They presided over that conference, I was there with them, they saw me. I did not go out partying because I do not party,” the mayor said.

Mayor Romualdez described the partying depiction as “very malicious” and noted that the command conference was even documented on video.

PH IS 2ND TOP PRO-POPE COUNTRY

By Ben Cal THE Philippines, the only Catholic nation in Asia, won another accolade as the second country in the world where Pope Francis received the most favorable opinion, second only to Portugal, according a recent global survey conducted by the WIN/ Gallup International.

The survey asked the question: “What do you think is the country where the Pope Francis is most favored?” His native Argentina? Mexico? The Philippines?”

The result of the worldwide survey was Portugal at first with 94 percent, followed by the Philippines, 93 percent, and the pope’s homeland Argentina, 89 percent.

WIN/Gallup International “sought the views of more than 63,000 people in 64 different

countries” and the survey showed “Pope Francis’ image is recognized on a worldwide scale by people of other religious beliefs.”

“This study argues that 54 percent of the world population has a positive opinion of the pontiff. Whereas, 12 percent have an unfavorable opinion and 34 percent do not have an opinion,” WIN/Gallup International, pointed out.

The survey also showed that Pope Francis was ahead of other world leaders like US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron or French President Francios Hollande, among others.

The same survey shows that Algeria is the country where Pope Francis received the most unfavorable opinion with 28 percent, followed by Palestine

and Turkey with 27 and 26 percent, respectively.

It may be recalled that the Pope visited the Philippines last year where sea of humanity flooded every place Holy Father went, particularly in Manila where over six million Filipinos attended the Mass officiated by the Pontiff at the Rizal Park.

It was the largest gathering for a papal event anywhere in the world. The figure has surpassed the five million people who attended the Holy Mass officiated

by Pope John Paul II also held in Manila during the celebration of the World Youth Day in 1995.

Pope Francis was the third Pontiff to visit the Philippines.

The first was Paul VI in 1971, followed by Pope John Paul II now a saint, who visited twice the first in 1981 and second in 1995. PNA

HEROIC TALK. Liberal Party candidate Manuel Roxas II explains to workers in

General Santos City why he believes he did his work when Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ struck Eastern Visayas in November 2013. PNA

S U N D AY, A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

THE FIGHT AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

By Parfait Onanga-Anyanga

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A FEW days ago, I woke up to yet another horrible allegation against peacekeepers serving in the UN Mission in Central African Republic, the peacekeeping operation that I lead. I read that peacekeepers had allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl in a small town located in the remote central regions of this massive country. As I began to react to this deeply shocking news, we learned of another series of new allegations dating back to 2014 and 2015, brought to my attention by colleagues from Unicef and UNHCR. I have no words strong enough to describe the distress I feel when confronted with these appaling allegations. Confronted with these horrors, I am personally overwhelmed by deep feelings of despair and anger. My colleagues in Minusca and at UN Headquarters feel just as I do. And yet as awful as this scourge may be, it is my job to put an end to it in my mission.

Walking away is not an option and I am committed to giving this my all. We must not stop our efforts until we can ensure that all the perpetrators are identified, the victims get all the care they deserve and, perhaps most importantly, those responsibile are brought to justice.

Since I joined this mission in late August 2015, I have committed myself and Minusca to a policy of transparency and accountability.

I have traveled thousands of miles around this country, going from camp to camp and from city to city, reiterating a stern message that Sexual Exploitation and Abuse is entirely unacceptable and reminding all our UN personnel, both uniformed and civilian, of our obligations to protect the people of the Central African Republic. This journey led us to some harrowing encounters with family members of survivors of sexual assault by armed groups and by international peacekeepers, both UN and non-UN. And while I am incredibly disappointed that the Mission I am so privileged to lead is registering the highest number of SEA cases among all UN Peacekeeping missions, I have also been encouraged by the positive feedback I have received from victims, from the population and national authorities but also from UN member states on the strong and principled posture the Mission has adopted to tackle this important issue.

This will be a collective effort. Over the past few weeks, my spirits were lifted by the recent adoption of resolution 2272 (2016) by the UN Security Council, on March 11th, which fully backs the secretary-general’s strong leadership in rooting out SEA from UN Peacekeeping missions. Under this new resolution, should troop or police contributing countries (TCCs/ PCCs) not prosecute their own alleged perpetrators within a six months period, the secretary-general will be entitled to repatriate Continued on A6

ASPIRATIONS AND LONG-TERM VISION A RECENT survey of 10,000 respondents nationwide by the Philippine Competition Commission and the National Economic and Development Authority revealed that four in five Filipinos aspired for a simple, comfortable life.

Six out of 10 would prefer to work in the country instead of seeking jobs abroad, given a choice.

“Simple life” is defined by respondents as earning enough to sustain day-to-day needs, owning a medium-sized home, owning one car, being able to relax with family and friends, and being able to take occasional trips around the country. A few cited owning a business as a measure of comfort.

Filipinos also said that they aspired for accessible education, health care and housing, higher wages, peace and security, disaster preparedness—and a government that is free of corruption.

The survey feeds into the larger Long-Term Vision project of Neda which seeks to craft a guide for development planning, up to 2040, across different administrations.

Aside from the survey, national consultations through 42 focus group discussions were conducted to get a feel of what Filipinos in various sectors wanted for themselves.

These are complemented by evidence-based thematic papers in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, and quantitative projections integrating three spheres: the economy, the environment, and society.

Neda’s contemplation of a scenario 24 years from now is refreshing. We have become used to our leaders not being able to see beyond their own terms of office that we have difficulty believing they are the “public servants” they claim to be. This plan, at the very least, incorporates what people want in their own lives, as well as the continuity in different administrations however disparate they may be politically.

As the survey shows, Filipinos are a simple lot. In fact, just a fifth of all survey respondents desired a rich/affluent life, and this most likely includes those who pretend to want to serve their constituents but in fact want to profit out of their positions.

The truth is, people do not need grandiose promises. They will be satisfied with basic services and their decent, efficient delivery. Alas, over the years, we have been conditioned to expect so little from our government that even meeting basic requirements is seen as a feat of heroes.

TRANSFORMATIONS NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Amalyn Gem Espiritu was gathering her requirements for submission to Bulacan State University when her godmother told her that there was a school in San Juan City offering scholarships in vocational food and beverage training to poor but deserving young women.

Amalyn was hesitant. She lived in San Jose del Monte City, a twohour commute, on a good day, to school. On difficult days, the travel could take as long as three hours, one way.

Two years later, Amalyn is

A5

convinced she made the right decision by enrolling at Punlaan School. She is capping her onthe-job training at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, getting ready to graduate next month. She also has just earned a global certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute as a certified guest service professional.

Now she is excited to begin the next phase of her life despite the fact that she had humble beginnings and hailed from what she called a “broken home.”

Such compelling stories are nothing new for the administrators of Punlaan. Vice Director for Student Affairs Kai

Punlaan girls are humble and hardworking, initially tentative but gradually developing their confidence until they are able to show confidence in what they do.

Nabatar narrates that sometimes, scholarship applicants would come without their parents or guardians just because they did not have enough transportation fare for two people. Other students make the sacrifice of walking great distances just so they could save on fare.

The AHLEI certification is a game changer, according to the school directress, Nanan Jacinto.

Because it is globally recognized, it opens new opportunities for Punlaan graduates to spread their wings and make something meaningful out of their lives despite early obstacles.

It was one of Punlaan’s partner establishments, Seda Hotel, that

offered to shoulder the training and examination of 25 girls from the school. In an article published at BusinessMirror, assistant director Manny San Luis was quoted as saying they were inspired by one of the Punlaan girls who had undergone practicum at Seda. In the beginning, she was very shy and introverted, but over the months she had transformed into a confident staff member who earned commendations from the hotel’s guests. “[The certification] would help professionalize the industry,” he said.

Becoming a CGSP was not easy.

Ghill Satin Geronimo, 18, said the three-day training which dealt

with the elements of great service was fun, but the examination was daunting. The test was situational, and the options presented looked as though they could all be the right answer.

“We waited for two weeks as our papers were being checked. When the results came, we were overjoyed to know that all 25 of us who took the test passed it,” Ghill added.

Now she looks forward to helping her mother, who works as a medical representative, earn a living for the family. Her father is

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

still looking for a job.

Angelou Colarina is yet another of the 25 passers. A native of Camarines Sur, she almost did not attend Punlaan because she did not pass the examinations the first time. Still she persevered, seeing firsthand how the school changed her own sister and opened up doors for her. Now, Angelou is training at Chef Jessie at Top of the Citi in Makati.

“In the beginning I really felt inferior. Imagine, I was not familiar with all of the vegetables

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

they were using! I had to work really hard.”

This is the same attitude that has enabled the girls to achieve the international certification at the first go, Jacinto said. This is how the Punlaan girls have been known, all along. They are humble and hardworking, initially tentative but gradually developing their confidence until they are able to show confidence in what they do.

Punlaan School is a project of the Foundation for Professional

Training Inc. and is funded by several organizations that believe in empowering the less privileged and giving them an equal chance at improving their lot.

Its modest facade along Paterno Street is also a testament to the values of simplicity and humility it lives by—“although of course we would like to make some improvements so that more young people would be enticed to begin their career journey with us,” Jacinto said.

And now that the school year

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

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

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

is about to end, Punlaan would like to spread the word that it is ready to accept scholars between 16 and 21 years old for its senior high school tech-voc track in Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

One hundred thirty slots are up for grabs.

For information on how you can help the school help its students, become an industry partner or apply for a scholarship, call 727-0581 to 82. adellechua@gmail.com

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S U N D AY, A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

THE FIGHT AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

By Parfait Onanga-Anyanga

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A FEW days ago, I woke up to yet another horrible allegation against peacekeepers serving in the UN Mission in Central African Republic, the peacekeeping operation that I lead. I read that peacekeepers had allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl in a small town located in the remote central regions of this massive country. As I began to react to this deeply shocking news, we learned of another series of new allegations dating back to 2014 and 2015, brought to my attention by colleagues from Unicef and UNHCR. I have no words strong enough to describe the distress I feel when confronted with these appaling allegations. Confronted with these horrors, I am personally overwhelmed by deep feelings of despair and anger. My colleagues in Minusca and at UN Headquarters feel just as I do. And yet as awful as this scourge may be, it is my job to put an end to it in my mission.

Walking away is not an option and I am committed to giving this my all. We must not stop our efforts until we can ensure that all the perpetrators are identified, the victims get all the care they deserve and, perhaps most importantly, those responsibile are brought to justice.

Since I joined this mission in late August 2015, I have committed myself and Minusca to a policy of transparency and accountability.

I have traveled thousands of miles around this country, going from camp to camp and from city to city, reiterating a stern message that Sexual Exploitation and Abuse is entirely unacceptable and reminding all our UN personnel, both uniformed and civilian, of our obligations to protect the people of the Central African Republic. This journey led us to some harrowing encounters with family members of survivors of sexual assault by armed groups and by international peacekeepers, both UN and non-UN. And while I am incredibly disappointed that the Mission I am so privileged to lead is registering the highest number of SEA cases among all UN Peacekeeping missions, I have also been encouraged by the positive feedback I have received from victims, from the population and national authorities but also from UN member states on the strong and principled posture the Mission has adopted to tackle this important issue.

This will be a collective effort. Over the past few weeks, my spirits were lifted by the recent adoption of resolution 2272 (2016) by the UN Security Council, on March 11th, which fully backs the secretary-general’s strong leadership in rooting out SEA from UN Peacekeeping missions. Under this new resolution, should troop or police contributing countries (TCCs/ PCCs) not prosecute their own alleged perpetrators within a six months period, the secretary-general will be entitled to repatriate Continued on A6

ASPIRATIONS AND LONG-TERM VISION A RECENT survey of 10,000 respondents nationwide by the Philippine Competition Commission and the National Economic and Development Authority revealed that four in five Filipinos aspired for a simple, comfortable life.

Six out of 10 would prefer to work in the country instead of seeking jobs abroad, given a choice.

“Simple life” is defined by respondents as earning enough to sustain day-to-day needs, owning a medium-sized home, owning one car, being able to relax with family and friends, and being able to take occasional trips around the country. A few cited owning a business as a measure of comfort.

Filipinos also said that they aspired for accessible education, health care and housing, higher wages, peace and security, disaster preparedness—and a government that is free of corruption.

The survey feeds into the larger Long-Term Vision project of Neda which seeks to craft a guide for development planning, up to 2040, across different administrations.

Aside from the survey, national consultations through 42 focus group discussions were conducted to get a feel of what Filipinos in various sectors wanted for themselves.

These are complemented by evidence-based thematic papers in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, and quantitative projections integrating three spheres: the economy, the environment, and society.

Neda’s contemplation of a scenario 24 years from now is refreshing. We have become used to our leaders not being able to see beyond their own terms of office that we have difficulty believing they are the “public servants” they claim to be. This plan, at the very least, incorporates what people want in their own lives, as well as the continuity in different administrations however disparate they may be politically.

As the survey shows, Filipinos are a simple lot. In fact, just a fifth of all survey respondents desired a rich/affluent life, and this most likely includes those who pretend to want to serve their constituents but in fact want to profit out of their positions.

The truth is, people do not need grandiose promises. They will be satisfied with basic services and their decent, efficient delivery. Alas, over the years, we have been conditioned to expect so little from our government that even meeting basic requirements is seen as a feat of heroes.

TRANSFORMATIONS NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Amalyn Gem Espiritu was gathering her requirements for submission to Bulacan State University when her godmother told her that there was a school in San Juan City offering scholarships in vocational food and beverage training to poor but deserving young women.

Amalyn was hesitant. She lived in San Jose del Monte City, a twohour commute, on a good day, to school. On difficult days, the travel could take as long as three hours, one way.

Two years later, Amalyn is

A5

convinced she made the right decision by enrolling at Punlaan School. She is capping her onthe-job training at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, getting ready to graduate next month. She also has just earned a global certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute as a certified guest service professional.

Now she is excited to begin the next phase of her life despite the fact that she had humble beginnings and hailed from what she called a “broken home.”

Such compelling stories are nothing new for the administrators of Punlaan. Vice Director for Student Affairs Kai

Punlaan girls are humble and hardworking, initially tentative but gradually developing their confidence until they are able to show confidence in what they do.

Nabatar narrates that sometimes, scholarship applicants would come without their parents or guardians just because they did not have enough transportation fare for two people. Other students make the sacrifice of walking great distances just so they could save on fare.

The AHLEI certification is a game changer, according to the school directress, Nanan Jacinto.

Because it is globally recognized, it opens new opportunities for Punlaan graduates to spread their wings and make something meaningful out of their lives despite early obstacles.

It was one of Punlaan’s partner establishments, Seda Hotel, that

offered to shoulder the training and examination of 25 girls from the school. In an article published at BusinessMirror, assistant director Manny San Luis was quoted as saying they were inspired by one of the Punlaan girls who had undergone practicum at Seda. In the beginning, she was very shy and introverted, but over the months she had transformed into a confident staff member who earned commendations from the hotel’s guests. “[The certification] would help professionalize the industry,” he said.

Becoming a CGSP was not easy.

Ghill Satin Geronimo, 18, said the three-day training which dealt

with the elements of great service was fun, but the examination was daunting. The test was situational, and the options presented looked as though they could all be the right answer.

“We waited for two weeks as our papers were being checked. When the results came, we were overjoyed to know that all 25 of us who took the test passed it,” Ghill added.

Now she looks forward to helping her mother, who works as a medical representative, earn a living for the family. Her father is

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

still looking for a job.

Angelou Colarina is yet another of the 25 passers. A native of Camarines Sur, she almost did not attend Punlaan because she did not pass the examinations the first time. Still she persevered, seeing firsthand how the school changed her own sister and opened up doors for her. Now, Angelou is training at Chef Jessie at Top of the Citi in Makati.

“In the beginning I really felt inferior. Imagine, I was not familiar with all of the vegetables

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

they were using! I had to work really hard.”

This is the same attitude that has enabled the girls to achieve the international certification at the first go, Jacinto said. This is how the Punlaan girls have been known, all along. They are humble and hardworking, initially tentative but gradually developing their confidence until they are able to show confidence in what they do.

Punlaan School is a project of the Foundation for Professional

Training Inc. and is funded by several organizations that believe in empowering the less privileged and giving them an equal chance at improving their lot.

Its modest facade along Paterno Street is also a testament to the values of simplicity and humility it lives by—“although of course we would like to make some improvements so that more young people would be enticed to begin their career journey with us,” Jacinto said.

And now that the school year

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

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

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

is about to end, Punlaan would like to spread the word that it is ready to accept scholars between 16 and 21 years old for its senior high school tech-voc track in Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

One hundred thirty slots are up for grabs.

For information on how you can help the school help its students, become an industry partner or apply for a scholarship, call 727-0581 to 82. adellechua@gmail.com

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S U N D AY, A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

A6

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WRITING HISTORY IN PALMYRA

By Maher al-Mounes PALMYRA, Syria—My heart starts pounding faster and faster as the car speeds up. We’re barreling through the desert on our way to Palmyra, the ancient oasis city that had been ruled by the Islamic State group for nearly 10 months.

That morning, my sources had confirmed the Syrian army’s full capture of the city and adjacent 2,000-year-old ruins. The news had spread to every inch of the world and AFP was about to be the first foreign media to report from Palmyra. I was brimming with pride and joy because I got to wake up the Syrian people on March 27, 2016 with news that so many people would be happy to hear. I am fielding phone calls from the Beirut bureau and from my Syrian friends who had fled to Germany, Norway, Lebanon, and Turkey. They all want to know, “How are the ruins?” I am scared to find out.

As we approach, I can’t see much of the city besides a plume of black smoke that gives away the intensity of the battles that had happened there. A string of hills obstructs most of my view.

I’m overwhelmed by a mix of feelings: joy, sadness, anxiety, and caution. Joy, because I will enter Palmyra and tell the world what happened there. Sadness, because I may publish potentially upsetting news about IS’ destruction of the ruins. Anxiety, because I was afraid to see what was left. All communication to the city had been cut off throughout the battles, and we didn’t know if IS had kept its word by detonating

every last monument there.

A ghost town in an old horror movie We circle around to Palmyra’s residential neighborhoods. It’s a ghost town—it feels like I’m looking at scenes from an old horror movie. Fresh plumes of smoke are still snaking up from different spots around the city. Not a street had been spared. Cars lay in the middle of the streets, apartments sit empty with their doors still ajar.

The neighborhoods are completely destroyed and all I can hear is the howling of the wind and the distant explosions of roadside mines that cut through the silence every few minutes. The desert wind whips up the thick yellow dust.

As I tiptoe around apartment buildings, I peek in the craters left by artillery fire and clashes. I see no one. There are fresh signs of life: goods left in small corner shops, furniture in apartment homes. It was as if anyone just picked up and left. Nothing was left from IS except its black flags and some administrative papers.

I walk around the city carefully, watching where I step in fear of mines, trying to listen to my minder who is telling me where to go. I look around for someone, anyone, to tell me where I am exactly, what the name of the street is. “Is anybody here?” I call out. I hear nothing but the wail of the wind and the blasts of the mines.

Football and landmines As we wait for the army units to finish defusing the mines planted along the path to the old city, some soldiers begin playing with a football. Others take out out a

drum and drink yerba mate. They take pictures to record this historic moment.

Finally, we are given permission to enter the ruins—on the condition that we follow the army’s directions on where to walk so that we would not detonate any mines.

As we enter, I tread slowly, testing the ground with my toes and trying not to rush so I can take in the sight of the towering monuments, smell the 2,000-year-old stones, feel the earth where thousands of battles, disasters, and armies of the world had fought had faded away. They were all gone, and this ground remains. History remains.

I pause to write in my notebook, snap a photo, and record some video footage. I stop so often that my colleagues get bored and leave me alone to do my work.

Walking through the ruins was a rollercoaster of emotions. Just as I begin to feel safe, with the fear of mines melting away, I hear a blast on the other side of the ruins. I am rigid again, and begin to walk carefully once more.

I break out into a grin when I see the famous Roman theater, still standing upright. But my smile falls away when my eyes land on the Arch of Triumph, which was completely destroyed. I head towards what is left of the Temple of Bel, whose stones rest on top of one another on the hot earth under the noon sun. Sprouting among the stones were bright yellow flowers.

Eventually, joy wins over sadness. I am reassured that the ruins are still alright, despite some destruction. I take a selfie, wearing my AFP hat and a smile. AFP

of our troops. These are steps in the right direction but we may have more dark days before we see light at the end of the tunnel.

Above all, we must put the victims at the heart of all our efforts.

We put a premium on their care by making emergency assistance available, while closely coordinating with all relevant UN and non UN offices and agencies for longer-term support, such as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unicef, UNFPA or Mercy Corps and others. I know the path to achieving that objective will not be easy because of the very nature of the environment in which we operate but we remain committed to the fight.

I make one point in all my conversations, whether with our military and police or with representatives of local populations: the days of silence

are over; now is the time to come forward and to stand up. Now is the time for the rights of victims to come first. The fight against SEA is first and foremost a fight for human rights. Victims must not suffer the double horror of abuse and exclusion when, after being assaulted, they are asked to go through the horrendous pain of rejection by their own communities because of the enduring burden of cultural stigma. I will continue to fight this fight for every woman and every child, girl or boy, so that no 14-year-old child—the same age as my daughter Eliwa—in this country is a victim of sexual exploitation and abuse.

ACCORDING to the latest polls, like those of the Social Weather Stations survey, there are candidates for senator in the May 9 elections that are guaranteed to be among the top 12 choices. Except for those at the borderline, names like Vicente Sotto II, Panfilo M. Lacson Sr., Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto and Francis Pangilinan are almost sure to be in the magic 12. Whether or not I vote for them, they will be elected as senators because of name recall and their accomplishments as legislators in the past.

For example, I would have easily voted for Frank Drilon not only for his enlightened participation in the passing of many important laws but also his leadership in the development of the most promising city in the South, Iloilo. I would have easily chosen Vicente Sotto III for his strong advocacy to protect the unborn and for other pro-life causes. Serge Osmeña III and Richard Gordon deserve their being among the top choices because of their great familiarity with the enlightened solutions to many of our socio-economic problems. They, however, do not need my vote because they already have mass support.

There are two candidates that I will include in my very limited list because I want to catapult them to the top 12. At the moment, they are trailing behind in the surveys. These are Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Maria Susana V. Ople. I can speak with authority about their strengths and accomplishments because I have worked closely with them in developmentoriented causes for a number of years. I do not have the same intimate knowledge about the others who are not in the top 12 in the voting preferences that have been published.

First, let me write about Congressman Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. I want him to be in the next Senate because of his track record in authoring bills that target the welfare of the poor and the needy. He just made news by being the author of House Bill 1039, which together with its counterpart Senate Bill 2890, was recently signed into law as Republic Act No. 10754 which has been acclaimed by people with disabilities (PWDs). The new law entitles PWDs to discounts available to senior citizens as well as exemption from the payment of Value Added Tax (VAT). This bill is one of the products of the “compassionate governance” for which Congressman Romualdez is famous, through which he is constantly searching for ways to create more jobs, provide universal health care, free education for the poor and disaster resilience. Similar to the roles that Frank Drilon has played in Iloilo and the Angaras in Aurora, Congressman Romualdez has made and can make a big contribution to poverty eradication in Eastern Visayas, his favorite region.

It is precisely because of his focus on Eastern Visayas that he has also manifested his strong bias in favor of investing in technology and encouraging IT solutions to improve the quality of life of the masses. In an interview, he talked about lessons learned from Typhoon “Yolanda” that devastated Leyte and Samar. If he is elected as senator, he can do much to pass laws that can lead to the use of the new technology of better forecasting and warning systems to achieve greater preparedness for natural hazards and to guide government officials in land use and regulations. He is advocating the incorporation of technology-driven solutions to education, livelihood, and healthcare services.

Another major contribution that Congressman Romualdez can make to future legislation has to do with the banking sector. He spent many years in the private sector as a top banking official. More than ever, we need legislators who are very familiar with the workings of banks so that in the next administration, we can fine-tune all the favorable features of the Philippine financial system which, I must say, is being managed by one of the best central banks in Southeast Asia despite the recent scandal about money laundering involving a local commercial bank and the casino industry. We will need someone like Congressman Romualdez, working with equally knowledgeable people like Senators Serge Osmeña and Sonny Angara to legislate on how to plug the loopholes in our bank secrecy laws.

As regards Susan Ople, I have worked closely with her in constantly looking for ways and means to promote the welfare of Filipino workers, whether here or abroad. I know for a fact that she is very sincere when she says that every Filipino worker around the world is an extension of her own family. As president of the Blas Ople Policy Center, she has been at the forefront of efforts to assist distressed overseas Filipino workers in various parts of the world. She has spared no effort to come to the rescue of OFWs in trouble. She recounts one particularly emotional story, when her Center facilitated the return of Gerard Gonzalez, the Filipino who was part of the group captured by pirates in Somalia in 2010. As Ms. Ople reported: “He was held captive for three years—the longest ever for a Filipino hostage in Somalia. And he did not even receive his pay. There was an injustice in both his labor conditions and in the crime of holding him captive.”

Ms. Ople has been extremely valuable as a resource person in the work of our Center for Research and Communication in doing intensive research on the conditions of the OFWs. She never stops learning more about these 10 million or more Filipinos who are the number one engine of growth of the Philippine economy today. According to her, “I think I owe it to my sector to keep learning. I really feel a strong sense of obligation to understand what’s going on in the world because my constituents are spread all over the world.” What she is doing is the perfect formula for being an outstanding legislator committed to the welfare of a very important sector of Philippine society—the 10 percent of our population who are working abroad and are exposed to all the vicissitudes and risks of the global economy. We need a person like Susan Ople to be in the Senate to be literally the “guardian angel” of OFWs. If I were an OFW who intends to vote in the next election, I would put her name as my one and only senatorial choice so I multiply significantly her chances of being in the magic 12.

In my case, I will just put two names in the list: Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Maria Susana V. Ople.

(Parfait Onanga-Anyanga is the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations for the Central African Republic.)

(Villegas is a professor of the University of Asia and the Pacific. He has served as special economic adviser to five Philippine presidents and numerous legislators and local officials, and was a member of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Charter.)

Palmyra’s Arc of Triumph, in a picture taken in March 2014, and on March 31, 2016. The monument was destroyed by the Islamic State group in September 2015. AFP

THE FIGHT... From A5

entire units as he recently did with troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from the Republic of Congo. Another source of hope in making a more effective impact in the fight against SEA came from the secretary-general’s recent appointment of Ms. Jane Holl Lute as his Special Coordinator on improving the United Nations’ response to sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers. On our side, I have made the fight against SEA one of the Mission’s top priorities. A SEA Taskforce has been established. Minusca Force and Police are conducting patrols around Minusca camps to monitor the off-duty activities of uniformed personnel. Regional SEA Joint Prevention Teams are being established in our three regional headquarters and in other field offices with a significant presence

EVERYMAN

TWO SENATORIAL CANDIDATES

By Bernardo Villegas

s u n d ay : a p r i l 3 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ISO certified. philippine charity Sweepstakes office officials led by agency chairman erineo ‘ayong’ maliksi (third from left) receive the iSo 9001:2008 certification from tristan arwen loveres (second from left), managing director of certifying body tuv rheinland, at a ceremony held at the pcSo conservatory building in mandaluyong city. with them are (from left) pcSo’s conrado Zabella, assistant general manager for Gaming Sector; Jose Ferdinand rojas ii, vice chairman and general manager; and directors Betty nantes, mabel mamba, arnel naidas and Francisco Joaquin. pcSo’s core processes for conduct and management of lotto draw and prize claim are certified as conforming to international standards. JOSEPH MUEGO

Fire hits Ue; P22m UP in smoke

By Joel E. Zurbano

At leAst P22 million worth of property was destroyed when a fire of still unknown origin struck the University of the east campus along Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila saturday morning.

Mayor Joseph estrada said the fire, which razed the Ue College of Arts and Science, engineering Building and the chapel, started around 9:50 a.m. and reached the 8th highest alarm level before being put under control by firemen.

The fire happened a day after the University of the Philippines was hit also by a huge blaze destroying

research materials and important documents and valuables belonging to faculty members. estrada said no one among the Ue employees was hurt but a fireman sustained minor injury.

In a statement posted on the social media, the Ue school administration said “The fire that hit the University of the east’s Manila Campus in the

morning of April 2, 2016, is under control. Two college buildings [College of Arts and Sciences and College of engineering] and the Chapel were affected. No one was hurt.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The estimated damage to property is still being determined.

Ue Manila, as well as the other Ue campuses, are on heightened security alert to ensure the safety of everyone in the Ue community.”

“In light of this, Ue Manila (the University’s main campus on C. M. Recto Avenue), will be closed to students and visitors on Monday, April 4, 2016. All other Ue campuses (Ue Caloocan, UeRMMMCI and the Ue Annex Building) will be open. We

will post a new advisory on Monday as to when Ue Manila would reopen.

Thank you.”

While the Ue administration said there are no firm estimates on how much damage was caused, fire authorities said the damaged property costs P22 million.

To avert similar occurrences in the future, estr ada called on city officials, community leaders and business establishment owners and operators to strengthen efforts and beef up their preparedness for untoward incidents.

“The essence of disaster and crisis management is planning what to do, and how to execute these actions, even without

knowing when all these preparations will be necessary,” he said.

Although Ue is a privatelyowned establishment, the city government of Manila is paying keen attention to the incident and its circumstances.

“Our office, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection, closely monitored the incident. The BFP will be the one to look into the incident. If there’s violations committed by the Ue management in terms of the precautions in ensuring safety in their establishment, we will recommend to Mayor estrada to make necessary actions,” said Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Johnny Yu.

Smartmatic: may pollS on track

By Sara D. Fabunan

at least three buildings of the university of the east-recto campus catch fire Saturday morning. Fire investigator said the blaze reached the 8th highest alarm level before being put out. DANNY PATA

DeSPITe disruptions caused by workers demanding payment of salaries, an official of the Smartmatic-Total Information Management assured the public that preparation for the automated elections in May is still “on track.”

Smartmatic-TIM general manager ellie Moreno said that its third party manpower service provider, Ventures Link, was able to resolve the issue “quickly.”

“Smartmatic immediately reached out to the workers and sought clarification from Ventures Link. The issue was quickly resolved between the third party contractor and the workers

in less than 24 hours,” Moreno said.

As of Friday, he said, the workers who staged a rally and refused to work after not receiving their wages from Ventures Link are now paid and are back to performing their tasks.

On Thursday, Smartmatic voters’ education head Karen Jimeno admitted that workers at the Commission on elections warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna protested non-payment of their wages from its contractor during the March 31 payday.

“When salaries were not paid yesterday [Thursday], some workers refused to work and stayed outside the warehouse. Some were vocal with their complaints,” Jimeno said.

Moreno said that Ventures Link

has assured the workers that such incident will not happen again.

“Smartmatic holds its contractors to high and strict standards of compliance and quality service, and we have been assured by our contractor that such an incident will not happen again,” he said.

“Nonetheless, Smartmatic has contingency measures in place to ensure that operations will not be disrupted by issues or events caused by its contractors or third parties,” he said.

The Sta. Rosa warehouse is where the Comelec and Smartmatic are manufacturing the 97,000 vote counting machines to be used for the elections in May.

FirSt conviction under anti-torture law Since 2009 The recent conviction of a policeman by the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1 of Angeles City, Pampanga for violations of the anti-torture law marks the first time that the 2009 statute resulted in a conviction.

In a decision penned by Irineo Pineda Pangilinan Jr. on March 29, 2016, PO2 Jerick Jimenez was sentenced to an indeterminate period of arresto mayor of two months and one day to a maximum of prision correccional of

two years and four months. Jimenez was found guilty of torturing Jerryme C. Corre of Angeles City from Jan. 1011, 2012 after he was arrested for allegedly dealing in shabu.

The torture, motivated by an attempt to squeeze out a confession from Jerryme Corre, included “systematic beating, punching, kicking, striking with a rod, blindfolding, and electric shock” [quoted from the charge filed by DoJ Manila]. The

prosecution stated that the arresting police team did not present any warrant, and dragged him to the station together with Corre’s aunt Amelia Corre Bonifacio and a certain Jack.

The torture stopped when Corre’s live-in partner Lyne Cabilangan and brother Reynante began visiting Jerryme in jail the next day and began taking photos. On Jan. 18, 2012, Corre was brought to the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center. he was threat-

ened by PO2 Aries M. Amposta not to create any scandal at the hospital, court records showed. Unfortunately, PO2 Aries Amposta, named as coaccused with PO2 Jimenez in this case, has gone into hiding before he could be arraigned. Amposta remained at large.

Cabilangan later sought the help of the Commission on human Rights.

With ChR Region 3 Director Jasmin Regino giving this case priority, the ChR sent from ChR Manila Dr.

Ludivino J. Lagat. The court noted that the examination by Lagat “even after the lapsed of 23 days from the date of the commission, evidence still exists on the physical torture of the victim, hence indicating the severity of the physical abuse inflicted upon him, especially the electrocution.” The court gave weight to this medico-legal findings coupled with the photos taken by Cabilangan the morning after the torture.

A8

SUNDAY: APRIL 3, 2016

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MORE JOBS FOR THE YOUTH SOUGHT WHILE Philippine economic growth is forecast to reach 6 percent this year, the government should focus on providing employment to the youth, according to senatorial candidate Martin Romualdez.

Romualdez issued the statement in the wake of the latest report of the Asian Development Bank showing that youth unemployment

remains high and is therefore a key development challenge for the Philippine government.

The Manila-based multilateral

lending institution noted while youth unemployment declined to 14.4 percent, this is still more than double the national unemployment rate.

“We should strive to create more jobs and livelihood opportunities for the youth so that they can directly contribute to nation-building,” the Leyte lawmaker said.

Romualdez said he found worrisome the ADB finding that

one in four young people are neither working nor pursuing education or training.

“It is true that our young population provides a window of opportunity to raise potential economic growth. But as has been pointed out, we can take realize the demographic dividend only if the majority of our youth are in education, training or productive employment,” Romualdez said.

“Bringing the youth to take an active part in the government’s development agenda is crucial if we hope to reduce poverty in the coming years,” he added.

Romualdez, a three-term congressman in the 1st District of Leyte, is seeking a Senate seat on a platform of compassionate governance with job creation, health, education and disaster resilience among his legislative priorities.

GOMA, LUCY SPLIT ON CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT

By Maricel V. Cruz VETERAN actor Richard Gomez appears to be heading for a split with his wife Ormoc City Rep. Lucy Torres in their choice for a presidential candidate after he formally announced his support for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

This was revealed by Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-list spokesman Jericho Nograles who was with Duterte during his campaign sortie in the province of Leyte together with brother Karlo who is running unopposed as congressman in Davao City.

Appearing before a mammoth crowd of supporters in Ormoc last week, Gomez who is running for city mayor, vowed to support Duterte although his wife is seeking reelection in Congress under the administration’s Liberal Party.

Duterte, for his part, expressed elation over Gomez’s support to his candidacy.

The mayor of Davao City was statistically tied in second place with Vice President Jejomar Binay in the Pulse Asia pre-election national survey conducted March 15-20.

In the same rally, Duterte also formally endorsed PBA Party-list, which represents the sporting sector, as his party-list of choice in the May 9 elections.

Among its advocacies, PBA Party-list is pushing for the creation of a “Department of Sports and Culture” and a “Philippine Sports Academy.”

The well-attended Ormoc political event was the second rally that PBA Party-list organized for Duterte.

The first one was in Caloocan City, that was also attended by Duterte, Congressman Nograles and the PBA nominees.

BUKIDNON BACKS ROMUALDEZ. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) waves to thousands of his supporters during the celebration of Kaamulan Festival 2016 in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Romualdez vows to support the agricultural sectors and farm workers of Bukidnon. VER NOVENO

MARCOS SEEKS BARANGAY POLLS DEFERMENT

MEMENTO. Chinese General Hospital Medical Center president James Dy (right) hands a vintage photograph to Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. showing his late father and namesake.

EY ACASIO

VICE presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has called on Congress to approve a measure that will postpone the barangay elections scheduled in October this year.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, made the call in Malolos, Bulacan during his Unity Caravan.

He said approval of such measure can still be done since the current 16th Congress still have sessions from May 23 to June 10, 2016.

There are two bills in the House of Representatives seeking to postpone the 2016 barangay elections.

The Liga ng mga Barangay has been lobbying for a change of the term of officer of barangay captains to 5 years per term and a maximum of 3 consecutive terms. Currently, they have 3 years per term with a maximum of 3 consecutive terms.

He said the postponement is necessary to give time for the next Congress to make a thorough study of the proposal.

“Tulad ng ginawa namin sa Sangguniang Kabataan [SK] na nagpasa kami ng batas na nag-postponed ng October 2014 SK eleksiyon. ‘Tapos habang walang eleksiyon, trinabaho namin ‘yung SK reform hanggang sa naging batas nga itong SK Reform Law,” he said.

SUNDAY: APRIL 3, 2016

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

BUSINESS

B1

ATENEO RESEARCHER USES DRONES FOR LAND TITLING WHAT began as a thesis at Ateneo de Manila University six years ago is now changing the method of land survey, mapping and titling in the Philippines.

“It was a thesis on climate change.

We were doing climate change research in San Pablo, Laguna and Tacloban, before it was hit by typhoon Yolanda. We were studying coastal erosion and climate change,” SkyEye Inc. co-founder and chief executive Matthew Cua says in a news briefing at Impact Hub Manila in Makati City.

Cua and other researchers mostly from Ateneo developed an unmanned aerial vehicle or drone, using duct tape, styrofoam and old computer parts, to gather weather data and produce maps in 2010.

He graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with Bachelor of Science in Management with Applied Chemistry in 2010. While taking his Master’s in Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Reduction, Air Quality and Sustainable Business Operations, he focused his research on the use of drones in vertical profiling of the lower troposphere and the rebuilding of ecosystems for a holistic and sustainable relationship between human civilization and the environment.

“From then, the thesis morphed into something else,” says Cua, who now leads a startup that uses the drone technology to provide services such as comprehensive and cost-efficient land surveying, lot titling, infrastructure planning and construction and humanitarian response.

SkyEye, the startup Cua heads, is now composed of 14 team members, who are mostly scientists and engineers. On March 29, SkyEye was chosen as the winning team of the Impact Hub Fellowship on Innovation in Mobility with LBC Express and was awarded a grand prize of P750,000, including a seed fund of P320,000 and a nine-month incubation support, with access to a collaborative workspace, valuable local and global network, focused mentoring and continued skill development.

Impact Hub Manila, located at the fifth floor of Green Sun building along Chino Roces Ave. Extension, is a co-working and events space for a membership community of entrepreneurs, activists, creatives and professionals taking action to drive positive social and environmental change. It was brought to the Philippines by co-founders LizAn Kuster, Matt Jaeggi and Ces Rondario.

SkyEye was among three teams that pitched their businesses to a panel of industry experts and inves-

SkyEye Inc. co-founder and chief executive Matthew Cua tors led by LBC chief strategy and innovation officer Fernando Araneta. The other teams are Food Planner Inc., which offers post-harvest food processing, taking food direct from the farm to the market and Wave, which developed a ride-sharing, booking and social platform to provide an affordable alternative for daily commuters.

Araneta says SkyEye was chosen because of its innovative approach, combining hardware, software, and highly talented people to create services to benefit the customers and the country.

“We believe their pioneering use of drone technology has a huge potential to bring positive change to the Philippines and abroad.

Through further development, we anticipate a diverse range of solutions and applications in the subject of mobility,” he says.

Cua is a researcher and a member of the academe at Ateneo Innovation Center. “I am an environmental scientist by trade, although my co-founders are engineers. We

Usually, our service costs around 20 percent to 25 percent of the prices of the traditional survey because we can do it faster.

did studies first on climate change and then we had the epic disasters such as Bohol earthquake, typhoon Yolanda and typhoon Glenda. After that, we went to mapping,” he says.

His team went around the country to test the technology, and not even an incident involving communist rebels in Mindanao, discouraged them from exploiting the potential of UAV or drone.

“We were asked nicely not to leave by NPA [New People’s Army],” he says.

Cua, three other SkyEye surveyors and a driver were reported missing in Barangay New Leyte, Maco, Compostela Valley on May 30, 2014 while conducting drone surveillance in the area. They were hired by the Environment Department to survey the progress of the national greening program in Mindanao.

The rebels confiscated their surveillance gadgets, including three drones, two laptops and one GPS machine. They were allowed to leave the area days later.

Despite the incident, Cua and his team continued to use their technology in a bid to provide Filipino landowners a better and faster way of having their lots sur-

veyed and titled.

“We found out that through our journey that land in the Philippines is not properly protected, meaning there are no property rights.

Drones can be the ones to provide that service to Filipinos because it is faster and cheaper,” he says.

As an innovator, Cua believes that creating sustainable technologies and business models is the key to progress. He saw an economic opportunity to tap the full potential of drones. “We stumbled on these opportunities. We are not business people who have MBAs. We are scientists and engineers who want to solve problems. When there is a new problem, we solve it. And we found there is a market for it.

“Right now, we are a team of 14, of whom 13 are technical,” he says.

Cua says SkyEye can conduct land survey at a quarter of the cost of traditional surveys, “not because we are cheaper, but because we can do it much faster.”

“Usually, our service costs around 20 percent to 25 percent of the prices of the traditional survey because we can do it faster,” he says.

“Traditionally, you have somebody with a pole walking around.

Imagine that instead of a man walking with the pole, the drone is flying with the pole. It is more automated.

It is faster, because there would be no snake bites or tree cutting involved. Because it is faster, it is cheaper,” he says.

He says SkyEye has a trade secret on how to operate the drones even at low heights. “We are a serviceoriented company. We do not sell the drones,” he says.

The government certifies SkyEye data as it follows the technical protocols, he says.

Cua says the Impact Hub-LBC mentorship will help SkyEye enhance its business model. “The idea that we have is weird, to say the least. It is not a traditional service, or startup. So we need mentors to help us figure this out. There are many nuances, many documents required. That’s what we are figuring out,” he says.

Cua says while the major developers such as Filinvest Land, Ayala Land, SM Development Corp. and Robinsons Land already tap the services of SkyEye, their ultimate goal is to help all Filipino landowners.

The long-term plan, he says, is to professionalize the company, adding more senior management people who can help in sales, marketing, finance and operations. “The market that we want to target are normal Filipinos who have land, and yet cannot afford to hire a surveyor to protect their land. That is our retail market. Right now, there are real estate developers who pay big money for this service, but overall, our target is the ordinary Filipinos,” says Cua. Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: APRIL 3, 2016

B2

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

TALENT HUNTER BOOSTS PH JOBS SFI Group president Luis Alberto Anastacio II

By Othel V. Campos

LUIS Alberto Anastacio II runs a conglomerate that has supplied thousands of Filipino manpower to companies around the world.

“We find people for our clients. From simply providing manpower, we have grown into a full-scale, fully integrated human resource company with training capability and connections all over the world,” says Anastacio, president and chief executive of SFI Group of Companies.

Servicio Filipino Inc., the flagship company of SFI Group established by Anastacio’s father in 1961, is a pioneer in providing human resource services in the Philippines.

The company provides skilled and talented personnel for engineering, construction, property, management, building management, facilities maintenance and technical services sectors that include general custodial services, staffing services, construction, industrial plant and hospitality services.

From filling positions mostly in custodial and security services back in the early 1960s, SFI grew into a holding company with many subsidiaries engaged in serving the human resource requirement of many companies from down the line to top levels such as managerial positions and even presidents or company heads for local units of multi-national companies.

It is also engaged in providing services even for government agencies and government-owned corporations.

SFI has recently signed a franchise agreement with Kelly Services Philippines, the local unit of staffing giant Kelly Services Inc., to run and manage BusinessTrends and provide staffing assistance in the business process outsourcing industry, banking and finance, engineering, scientific and healthcare sectors.

It also provides workforce management services to the information technology as

well as professional support. Kelly Services is the world’s sixth biggest cross-border recruitment company based in the US. Among the recent achievements of SFI Group is the supply of nearly 1,500 people for the plant expansion project of Petron Corp. in Limay Bataan.

Anastacio recalls that Petron was hunting for some 16,000 workers for the plant.

Fully-staffed, about 55 percent of the Petron’s workforce came from other provinces while 45 percent were Bataan natives.

(now BlueDrop Corporation of Canada).

A strong advocate of continuing education, Anastacio also led the company’s corporate social responsibility thrust and endeavors on education and workforce development.

In 2015, the SFI Group conducted a K to 12 efficacy study covering the entire 12 municipalities in the province of Bataan.

“We aligned our CSR, which is our advocacy for education and workforce development to what we do in our company. While doing the study, we identified a skills gap, that was very instrumental for our study,” Anastacio says.

Among his observations is that workforce development will be one of the biggest businesses of the future.

“With the K to 12 program of the government, we have a good tool to position

With the K to 12 program of the government, we have a good tool to position ourselves in the global economy.

SFI is a purely Filipino company. It is a family-run company, with family matriarch Estrellita Anastacio still at its helm as chairman.

“As you know my background is recruitment, human resource management and lately strategic planning. I have devoted most of my time and effort to growing the family business to help people who have problems find jobs,” says Luis Anastacio.

Anastacio engaged the company to forge strategic alliances with international partners such as Kelly Services, HireLabs, Success Partners Ltd., ACT of America, Auralog (a Rosetta Stone company) and Serebra Corp.

ourselves in the global economy. According to a global institute, there will be shortage in college graduates of around 40 to 50 million and a shortage of around 80 million technical traits by 2020,” he says, citing international studies.

With the aging population of Japan and European countries, there would be a need for at least 600 million workforce four to five years from now, he says.

“Economies will turn to us for human resource support given our relatively young population with median age of 24. India will be the top source of manpower, followed by China, Indonesia and the Philip-

pines,” says Anastacio.

SFI also teamed up with the Labor Department to establish the Philippine Talent Map Initiative, which aims to create the most comprehensive skills and competencies profile of the Philippine workforce.

“Apart from grant, we were able to do the first ever talent map in Bataan which was, as we reckon it, the beginning of the Philippine talent map initiative with the Labor Department. We assess the 21st century skills of the workforce. We started in Bataan and showed it to the Labor Department and they liked it. So we based the 21st century skills on how Apec [Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation] defined it. We presented that framework to Apec,” he says.

The purpose of the grant, he says, is to identify the lack of working people in an area when a steady supply of manpower is needed. He says that in Bataan, there is a dearth of talents as most technical training facilities are shutting down due to a few supply of people.

One observation, he says, is that people tend to leave their present jobs once they get a few months of job experience. “We’ve conducted assessments within National Capital Region and patterns identified show that skills seemed to be the biggest problem. After profiling, governments will know where investment should be put,” he says.

The talent mapping, which is evidencebased, is envisioned to be the most comprehensive profile of the Philippine workforce.

It is a research to be submitted to the government.

SFI plans to run the Philippine talent map initiative on a wider scale, a scoping study that will involve the whole country of about 18 regions, 81 provinces and 144 cities.

Anastacio, studied at Ateneo de Manila University and obtained a degree in Management in 1991. He also went to Tokyo for further studies.

Anastacio is also the current chairman of the Global Initiative for Education and Workforce Development, a non-profit foundation.

SUNDAY: APRIL 3, 2016

B3

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

COGNIZANT WINS ‘BEST VOICE’ IN ICT AWARDS

By Alena Mae S. Flores

COGNIZANT Technology Solutions Philippines Inc. was named ‘best voice excellence company of the year’ during the 10th International ICT Awards.

The local unit of Cognizant, the New Jersey-based multinational corporation engaged in business process outsourcing services, was cited for its leadership and excellence in the voice field. The event was organized by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines.

Cognizant was selected based on a number of attributes, including the company’s growth; size, quality, and diversity of clientele; depth and breadth of competencies; and commitment and contribution to talent development, social initiatives, good governance, and promotion of the Philippine IT-BPM industry.

Last year, Cognizant was awarded the ‘best company of the year’ during the 9th International ICT Awards.

Meanwhile, the ‘most popular team leader’ award, introduced this year, was presented to Alyssa Fae Camungol of Cognizant in recognition of her outstanding leadership and performance.

Camungol was one of the two team leaders from Cognizant who were named among the six finalists in the category.

The International ICT Awards honor Philippines-based organizations and individuals for their innovation, excellence and contribution to the growth of the IT-BPM industry in the Philippines.

Cognizant’s global delivery centers in Manila and Cebu employ more than 4,500 professionals and provide business process, IT infrastructure, IT and consulting services to global clients across industries such as banking and financial services, insurance, healthcare, life sciences, technology, communications, media and enter-

Cognizant Philippines country head Kamal Narang (right) receives the ‘best voice excellence company of the year’ during the International ICT Awards Philippines.

tainment, manufacturing, retail and hospitality.

“We are proud to have won these prestigious awards and thank our customers, employees, and all other stakeholders for their support,” says Cognizant Philippines country head Kamal Narang.

“We are delighted at the way Cognizant has grown in the Philippines while engaging actively with the local industry, academe and community. Our operations in the Philippines form an important part of our integrated global delivery capability and growth strategy,” he says.

“We have gained immensely from the rich talent pool and growth ecosystem provided by the Philippines. These awards are a tribute to the confidence our cli-

We look forward to growing our presence in the Philippines and further enhancing the country’s ITBPM reputation globally.

ents continue to place in us, and to the hard work and dedication of our talented workforce in the

Philippines. We look forward to growing our presence in the Philippines and further enhancing the country’s IT-BPM reputation globally,” says Narang.

Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant had over 50 delivery centers worldwide and 221,700 employees as of Dec. 31, 2015, Cognizant is a member of the Nasdaq-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000 and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world.

Other winners in the 10th ICT Awards are Convergys Philippines (best company of the year and hall of fame), Sutherland Global Services Philippines (best employer of the year), Pointwest Technologies Corp.

(best Filipino-owned company and hall of fame), Lexmark Cebu (best company of the year outside NCR), ANZ Global Services & Operations Manila Inc. (best global in-house center of the year), Lexmark Cebu (most innovative company of the year), Affinity X (best emerging IT-BPM company for creatives), HCCA International (best emerging IT-BPM company for healthcare), Northern Trust operating as NOSAI (best emerging IT-BPM company for finance and accounting) and Advanced World Solutions Inc. (best software company of the year).

Rajiv Dhand, interim president of Telus, was awarded ‘best ICT CEO of the year’ while Roma Villarama was recognized as ‘individual contributor of the year’.

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTOR LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT AGAINST TERMITES TERMITE infestation is a real problem that requires real solution, according to Jardine Distribution Inc., a wholesale distributor of agricultural and applied construction chemicals.

“Your house is one of your biggest investments, but turning it into a home is taking it to another level,” says JDI, a member company of the Jardine Matheson group.

“But how can you call your house a home when your family is not safe in it because of possible termite infestations? Not only your house’s foundation is at risk, but also your

family’s health,” the company says.

JDI says while most homeowners focus on wood preservation, they are not aware that some termites come from soil. “It is also a must to treat our soil with termite solutions,” it says.

It says that while Solignum wood preservative has protected Filipino homes from termites, wood borers and fungi over the past six decades, there is a need for total termite protection.

“The total termite solution is a reminder and a tool to homeowners that it is important to protect the

outside of our home from termites as it is inside,” it says.

JDI says Soilguard, which is a support to existing Solignum products, aims to protect homes from subterranean termites found in soil by providing lethal barrier that prevents them from entering the structure.

“It kills any termites that comes into contact with, which is a costsaving and efficient solution. Solignum wood preservative on the other hand helps protect and preserve the wood from the termites, wood borers and fungi,” it says.

Soilguard aims to protect homes from subterranean termites found in soil by providing lethal barrier that prevents them from entering the structure.

B4

WORLD

NOKOR FIRES ANTI-AIR MISSILE

NEW ERA. Vietnam’s newly elected President Tran Dai Quang (R) is greeted by his predecessor Truong Tan Sang after he was elected the country’s new president by the National Assembly during a ceremony at Parliament House in Hanoi. Communist Vietnam’s National Assembly has elected a police general who rose through the ranks within the country’s powerful Ministry of Public Security. AFP

VIETNAM’S TOP COP ELECTED PRESIDENT HANOI, Vietnam—Lawmakers in communist Vietnam approved a top police general for the role of president Saturday, making the head of a controversial domestic security force one of the country’s most high profile politicians.

Tran Dai Quang won 91.5 percent of the votes during a ballot at the rubber stamp parliament early Saturday, having been nominated by party officials for the largely ceremonial role during the five-yearly Communist Party Congress in January.

Vietnam is in the midst of a leadership handover, with communist leader Nguyen

Phu Trong re-elected in January as party secretary general in a victory for the party’s old guard.

One of President Quang’s first duties will be to receive his US counterpart Barack Obama, as Hanoi seeks closer ties with its former wartime adversary in the face of Beijing’s rising assertiveness within the con-

tested South China Sea. “I sincerely thank the National Assembly for electing me,” Quang said as he was sworn in according to a media officer at the parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Authoritarian Vietnam is run by the Communist Party and officially led by a triumvirate of party secretary general, president, and prime minister, with key decisions being made by the 19-member politburo.

Reformist Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung lost out in internal party elections and is due to step

down next week, when the National Assembly will vote on his replacement.

This is expected to be Nguyen Xuan Phuc, currently a deputy prime minister, state media said.

In the past, the leadership handover was decided at the party congress but took up to six months to be confirmed by the National Assembly.

Analysts say this year things have moved more quickly, partly because several top leaders are retiring from politics, and also because of an upcoming visit

by Obama in May. Quang, 59 and a career

policeman, rose the ranks within the country’s Ministry of Public Security.

His election marks the first time a police general has been made president, said Le Hien Duc, 84, an anti-corruption activist.

“He worked for forty years as a top security leader in the police force,” she said.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security is a powerful body with sweeping powers including intelligence gathering and protecting the party from perceived threats, both domestic and overseas. AFP

SEOUL, South Korea— North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen the test of a new anti-aircraft weapon system, state media said Saturday, the latest in a series of missile trials as tensions run high on the divided Korean peninsula.

Over the past month the young leader has supervised several military drills, including the test-firings of medium ballistic missiles, a multiple rocket system and long-range artillery, in response to Seoul-Washington joint army drills south of the border.

The latest launch came as a two-day nuclear security summit was being hosted by Barack Obama in Washington, at which North Korea was the focus of the US president’s talks with the leaders of China, South Korea and Japan.

Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency said Saturday Kim “guided the test of a new-type anti-air guided weapon system” to check its capability.

“Under his observation, AA rockets were fired to accurately hit mock enemy aerial targets”, it said.

The South’s defence ministry said the North fired an anti-air missile around 12:45 pm (0345 GMT) Friday from the eastern city of Sondok.

Kim “expressed great satisfaction over the successful test,” calling it another striking demonstration of the the rapidly growing defence capability of the country, KCNA said.

Obama spoke Thursday of the need to “vigilantly enforce the strong UN security measures” imposed on the North after its fourth nuclear test in January and a subsequent long-range rocket launch. AFP

COURT REMOVES GENDER BAN

PRAYERS. Kashmiri Muslims exalt a relic believed to be part of the beard of the Prophet Mohammed during special prayers at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, India.

Thousands of Kashmiri Muslims gathered at the shrine in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir to offer special prayers. AFP

MUMBAI, India—Women have a fundamental right to enter temples, an Indian high court has said, possibly paving the way for an easing of gender restrictions at places of worship across the country.

The high court in Mumbai said government authorities should ensure that women are not prevented from entering any Hindu place of worship across the state of Maharashtra.

“Ultimately it is the fundamental right of a woman and the government’s fundamental duty to protect their right,” Chief Justice D. H. Waghela said, according to the Press Trust of India

(PTI) news agency.

Some Hindu temples in India ban women from entering the inner sanctum, with Kerala’s famous Sabarimala temple barring all female worshippers aged between 10 and 50 years.

The court’s directive came Friday after an activist challenged the centuries-old ban on women entering the inner sanctum of Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra state’s Ahmednagar district.

The Mumbai court said state authorities must implement a 1956 law on Hindu worship, which mandates that a person who prevents women from

entering a temple can be imprisoned for six months.

In January, hundreds of women staged a protest march to the Shani temple, with their leader Trupti Desai calling the ban “a symbol of gender inequality” which could not be tolerated in the 21st century.

Women have also been prevented from entering Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah mausoleum since 2011, with its trust saying close female proximity to the tomb of a revered saint is “a grievous sin” in Islam.

Buoyed by the high court’s latest remarks, Desai said her group would now take the fight to other temples where such restrictions exist. AFP

S U N D AY : A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

B5

WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

OBAMA: DON’T VOTE FOR DONALD WASHINGTON, United States—President Barack Obama scathingly dismissed White House hopeful Donald Trump’s foreign policy proposals on Friday and warned that the world was watching the upcoming US election.

At the end of a summit on nuclear security that Obama hosted in Washington, he was asked about Trump’s suggestion that Japan and South Korea de-

velop their own nuclear weapons.

“The statements you mentioned, what do they tell us?” Obama demanded, rhetorically.

“They tell us the person who made the statements doesn’t know much about foreign policy or nuclear policy or the Korean peninsula or the world generally.”

Trump, the Republican frontrunner, says he wants US allies to pay for more of their own defense and allow costly American forces to disengage from their regions.

Obama damned this as

naive and an abdication of American leadership that would upset close allies and make the world a more dangerous place.

“I’ve said before that, you know, people pay attention to American elections. What we do is really important to the rest of the world,” he said.

“Our alliance with Japan and the Republic of Korea is one of the foundations, one of the cornerstones of

our presence in the AsiaPacific region,” he said.

“It has underwritten the peace and prosperity of that region. It has been an enormous boon to American commerce and American influence,” he said.

The US alliance has brought peace to countries that had fought fierce wars in the past.

“So you don’t mess with that. It’s an investment that rests on the sacrifices

that our men and women made back in World War II when they were fighting throughout the Pacific. And we don’t want somebody in the Oval Office who doesn’t recognize how important that is,” Obama said.

Obama added that concern about Trump’s comments had come up on the sidelines of his summit meetings with world leaders. AFP

FIAT ‘POPEMOBILE’ SELLS FOR $300,000 NEW YORK, United States —A four-door hatchback Pope Francis used while visiting New York in September has fetched $300,000 at auction, said the website that held the sale.

The black Fiat 500 Lounge was one of two such mini Popemobiles that ferried the pontiff around the Big Apple.

At more than 12 times its base price, it was snapped up by millionaire businessman Miles Nadal, who already owns more than 130 cars and motorbikes, according to the Charitybuzz auction website.

Proceeds will go to Catholic schools and charities in the New York diocese, as well as two international agencies: Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

“In a couple of occasions, (Pope Francis) was in the Popemobile. For the rest of his time, when he was not

in the Popemobile, this is how he traveled around in the motorcade,” New York Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling told AFP earlier this week.

The second Fiat will also be used to raise money for charitable causes, although plans have not been set, he said.

Charitybuzz had valued the practically new vehicle, featuring a fixed glass roof and premium seats, at $82,000.

That’s how much a Fiat used by the Pope in Philadelphia—another stop on his September 22-27 US trip—was sold for at a gala in late January.

The Fiat 500 Lounge base price is $24,695, Charitybuzz said.

The auction began March 17, with the first bid coming in at $10,500. On Wednesday, the price-tag had jumped to $195,000 before hitting $300,000 Thursday. AFP

WARNING. U.S. President Barack Obama urged world leaders to do more to safeguard vulnerable nuclear facilities to prevent “madmen” from groups like Islamic State from getting their hands on an atomic weapon or a radioactive “dirty bomb.” AFP

JIHADIST LEADER CHOSE NOT TO BLOW HIMSELF UP IN PARIS

FOTO4

PROTEST. Women shout slogans during a demonstration by in Greece stranded refugees and

supporting groups in Athens to denounce the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe. Currently some 53,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece, compared to 30,000 in late February before Balkan states began shutting their borders. AFP

PARIS, France—The suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, decided not to blow himself up during the wave of killings in the French capital last year, his brother said on Friday.

Mohamed Abdeslam said his brother “voluntarily chose not to blow himself up” along with the other Islamic State jihadists who killed 130 people in gun and suicide bomb attacks in November.

“If I wanted, there would have been more victims,” Salah Abdeslam told his brother from prison in northern Belgium, according to Belgian media chain BFMTV. “Luckily, I did not follow through.”

Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect in the November attacks in Paris, was

arrested in Brussels on March 18 after four months on the run as Europe’s most wanted man.

He is believed to have acted as a logistics coordinator and told investigators he was meant to carry out a suicide bombing at the Stade de France stadium, but backed out.

Four days after he was arrested, the Belgian capital was struck by IS bombings at the airport and a metro station carried out by jihadists with links to the Paris attacks cell.

The 26-year-old, who is about to be extradited to France, apparently told his brother he wants to cooperate with investigators, but denied any role in the Brussels bombings. AFP

B6

S u N d aY : a p r i l 3 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

reuel vidal EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

Alaska Aces guard Cyrus Baguio (3) drives strong to the hoop against three San Miguel Beer defenders from left: import Tyler Wilkerson (32), Marcio Lassiter and JayR Reyes (4). San Miguel Beer and Alaska look headed to another championship showdown in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Conference.

Wide open race in pBa commissioner’s cup

By Reuel Vidal

IT’S a wide open race as the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup reaches the homestretch of its elimination round.

While the All-Filipino seemed destined to be a battle of giants between the San Miguel Beermen and the Alaska Aces, the imports this conference have ensured a more competitive and more exciting action.

Leading the standings are the Meralco Bolts (6-2), San Miguel Beer (5-2) and Alaska (5-3). Trailing closely are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5-4), the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters (5-4) Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (5-4) and the NLEX Road Warriors (5-4).

Bringing up the rear are the Mahindra Enforcers (44), the Star Hotshots (4-5), the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters (3-6), the Blackwater Elite (3-7) and the GlobalPort Batang Pier (2-7).

It’s going to be a wild and wooly finish as the teams battle it out in the remaining two weeks of the elimination round.

The leading squads are scrambling for the top two spots. The format rewards the top two teams after the elimination with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

With less than two weeks left in the elimination round seven teams: Meralco, San Miguel Beer, Alaska, Rain or Shine, Talk N Text, Ginebra and NLEX are still in the running to gain the incentive.

Early on Meralco, San Miguel Beer and Alaska seemed to have gained separation from the other teams.

But shock losses put a damper on their bids.

In particular Alaska has stumbled badly and needs to make up ground in order to stay on top. The Aces could not contain the deadly outside shooting of the Mahindra Enforcers to lose 94-102 in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup March 21.

The Enforcers stole a page from the Alaska playbook as they tightened their defense, ran on offense and ripped the net to shreds with their out-

side shooting to make a decisive surge in the fourth period to beat the Aces at their own game.

Mahindra forward Aldrech Ramos played a career game against former team Alaska. The lanky gunner scored from three-point distance, drover through the lane and even grabbed rebounds to power Mahindra to the surprise victory.

While the Aces faltered the Elasto Painters and the Road Warriors scored critical victories Friday, April 1 which injected new life into their playoffs bid.

The Elasto Painters benefitted from a controversial finish to beat Phoenix Petroleum, 109-104.

Import Mo Charlo scored on a go-ahead lay-up with 32.1 seconds left to give Rain or Shine the lead, 105104. A tumultuous finish then followed.

Phoenix thought they

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters big man JR Quinahan (48) tries to dribble past Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters forward JC Intal (left).

Terrence Romeo, who came back from injury along with Stanley Pringle, caught fire as he drilled eight threepointers. But it wasn’t enough after NLEX proved steadier to post the hard-earned victory.

NLEX import Al Thornton again proved to be the big difference as he scored 33 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, issued six assists and tallied two blocks. Locals Sean Anthony and Kevin Alas provided the needed support as the Road Warriors formally eliminated the Batang Pier from playoff contention.

NLEX relied on their defense to make crucial stops which they translated into points at the other end.

Road Warriors snapped a 95-all deadlock by scoring seven straight points.

Thornton capped the run with a basket of his own as the Road Warriors subdued the Batang Pier.

The PBA format this conference will eliminate four teams with eight squads advancing to the quarterfinals. Competition is so stiff that five squads – Mahindra, Star, Phoenix, Blackwater and GlobalPort—are all scrambling to avoid being eliminated. The games are so close and the race so tight that even the last place squad GlobalPort—the only team eliminated so far—is competitive.

Yes, the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup is in for a wild and wooly finish.

NLEX Road Warriors do-everything forward Sean Anthony (10) is surrounded by three GlobalPort Batang Pier defenders, from left: Shawn Taggart, Rico Maierhofer (14) and Terrence Romeo.

gained the upper hand after import Kevinn Pinkney countered with a lay-up of his own with 17.9 seconds. The Fuel Masters erupted into a short-lived celebration.

PBA referees made an April Fools Day decision as they nullified Pinkney’s basket because of offensive interference. Pinkney touched the net while the ball was still bouncing above the rim. How touching the net helped the ball go into the rim, only the referees know.

With the basket waved off and possession going to Rain or Shine, Phoenix was forced to foul Jeff Chan who calmly sank two free throws to stretch the Rain or Shine lead to three, 107-104.

The Fuel Masters went to Pinkney again but he missed a three-pointer, forcing the Fuel Masters to foul the Painters again. Raymund Almazan converted two more free throws in the dying seconds to finalize the count for Rain or Shine.

Later that night, NLEX also scored a decisive victory to stay in the hunt. The Road Warriors spoiled the return of GlobalPort’s dynamic duo—Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle—by scoring a 110-105 victory which allowed NLEX to move closer to a playoff berth.

Meralco Bolts guard Jared Dillinger (20) fires a jumper over the blocking hands of Talk N Text Tropang Texters defender Matt Ganuelas-Rosser (22).

S U N D AY : A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

B7

THE GRANDMASTER AND THE GOVERNOR

TORRE RENEWS TIES WITH IMEE MARCOS

By Arman Armero

LAOAG City, Ilocos Norte—Ties were renewed and warm pleasantries were exchanged when Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and Asia’s first Grandmster Eugene Torre crossed paths anew during the opening rites of the 2016 National Age Group Chess Championships Grand Finals at the Centennial Arena in this fast-growing city.

Torre, who was the first to speak to address the participants, parents and guests as they waited for the arrival of the governor, recalled that it was during the reign of the late Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., that Philippine chess experienced its “golden age.”

“It was President Marcos who was instrumental in the phenomenal growth of Philippine chess at that time.

Wala pa yung Vietnam, India at China sa larangan ng chess, dahil tayo ang naghahari noon. Marami tayong big tournaments noon, at nakarating pa nga sa bansa natin ang mga bigating chess players mula sa buong mundo dahil sa tulong ni Presidente Marcos, said the now 64-year old Torre, who added that the president, despite his busy schedule and much to the chess master’s surprise, graced Torre’s invitation to be one of the sponsors’ during his wedding to the Basilan native Marilyn at the Malacanang Chapel no less.

It was during this time that

Ilocos Governor Imee Marcos delivers a speech welcoming the participants and guests during the opening ceremony of the chess tournament.

Ilocos Norte Govenor Imee Marcos and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre shake hands after agreeing to a draw signalling the start of the 2016 National Age Group Chess Championship at the Centennail Arena in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

GM Torre ponders his next move during his simultaneous games with Ilocos Norte native chess players, a side event of the national age group chess grand finals.

Governor Marcos arrived, with no bodyguard and security in sight and dressed simply in t-shirt and jeans.

Torre was visibly elated by Imee’s arrival, and much to the governor’s delight, extended his speech by recalling that during American

GM Bobby Fischer’s visit in the country in 1973, the late president and the American chess genius opened the International Chess Tournament with a 15-move ceremonial opening moves.

Torre said Fischer later that when he and Marcos agreed

Mhage Sebastian leads the oath of sportsmanship

to a “draw,” the president’s position was still “tenable,” During her turn to speak, Imee confirmed the story and said that his father always regaled his children with the story and proudly bragged that “umabot kami ng 15 moves ni Fischer, pero hindi

pa rin ako nauubos.”

Imee also described Torre during his younger years as a chess “rock star” because the GM at that time wore his hair long.

But turning seriously, Govenor Marcos said the province of Ilocos Norte under her

administration will continue to support Philippine chess and warmly welcomed the participants to the province.

Both the Governor and the GM also agreed that more than the championship, what is more important are the lessons learned in the course of playing the game, not only by improving one’s skills, but also by molding the players’ character.

Gov. Marcos and Torre later performed the ceremonial moves, where they were mobbed by the young participants and later, the governor gamely posed for “selfies’ with the participants, their parents and even the tournament staff, led by GM Jayson Gonzales, the Executive Director of the organizing National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Young chess player Mhage Sebastian, who topped the girls’ 10-under category in the ASEAN Age Group Chess Championship held last year in Singapore, led the oath of sportsmanship.

Sebastian happens to be the talented daughter of Gerriahzon Sebastian, the NCFP coordinator for the successful hosting of Ilocos Norte, and the Executive Assistant of Apayao Gov. Elias Bulut.

Gonzales later officially declared the tournament open. Later, after the drawing of lots, the participants transferred at the nearby Mariano Marcos State University auditorium, wher the games will be held until Friday, April 7.

SPURS, CAVS LEAD NBA PLAYOFF TEAMS

By Jeric Lopez

The Golden State Warriors, shown here playing against the Utah Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain the best in the West and the East, respectively, leading into the NBA playoffs. AFP

IT’S April and the National Basketball Association Playoffs are just a few days away.

However, all is not yet set in stone as teams from both conferences continue to jockey for playoff positioning and for a post-season ticket.

The biggest story of the season thus far is the marvelous campaign of defending champions Golden State Warriors, who are not only looking to secure the overall top seed and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs but are also looking to surpass the best regular season record by a team set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who finished at 72-10.

The Warriors, who already

clinched the Pacific Division title for the second straight year, are currently standing at 68-7, as of this writing, are on pace to beat the Bulls’ record but they still need to finish the season with at least a 5-2 run to eclipse Chicago and carve themselves in the history books as the winningest team in the regular season.

They are not motivated just by that, they still need to win a couple more games to lock the top seed in the Western Conference as the likewise very impressive second-running San Antonio Spurs, currently at 6313, still have an outside shot of chasing the top-ranking. What’s interesting is that the two powerhouses, who are the clear favorites to fight it out in the West, are still to play each other twice

as the season winds down.

Aside from those top two teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers, who are at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, are the other ones in the West who have secured a spot in the playoffs and it seems like they will end up where they’re at now in terms of positioning.

The Memphis Grizzlies, who is at No. 5, seem to be on its way to the playoffs as well with a win or two and it also looks like they will stay right where they are.

It gets interesting after that as four teams, who are tightly chasing each other, are battling it out for the last three playoff spots at No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8.

Currently, the Portland Trail Blazers (39-36) are at No. 6, the Utah Jazz (39-39) are at No. 7

and the underachieving Houston Rockets (37-38) hold the last berth at No. 8 . The Dallas Mavericks (36-38) are on the outside looking in and are only half-game behind the Rockets for No. 8.

Over at the other side, defending Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers (52-22) are leading the race and are the top seeds there for almost the entire season but second-running Toronto Raptors (49-24) still have a good shot of stealing the top spot with plenty of games to be played out.

The Cavs must finish solidly to hold off the Raptors and clinch homecourt advantage in the East throughout. Those two along with third ranked Atlanta Hawks are all safely in the post-season already.

B8

S U N D AY : A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

IRON MAN NOW

A PROUD PACMAN PAINTING OWNER

By Robbie Pangilinan

LOS ANGELES—Filipino painter Jun Aquino, who has immortalized the world’s first and only eight-division boxing champ Manny Pacquiao in his paintings, gave the Robert Downey Jr., the “Iron Man” star, one of his masterpieces.

Aquino, who started painting Pacquiao in the 1990s, became friends with Downey Jr.’s 20-yearold son Indio Downey, when the latter watched the fight of former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona against Jonathan Arellano in California last year.

Aquino gave Indio one of his still-unveiled latest paintings— “The PacMan Immortalized on Canvas,” ahead of his third fight with Timothy Bradley, which the younger Downey brought to his father’s gym.

RDJ, a fan of the Filipino boxing icon, was surprised.

Indio narrated that his father asked how much the painting was as he was ready to pay for it.

But Indio told him that Pacqui-

ao’s official painter gave it for free, with Pacquiao’s signature, Aquino excitedly narrated.

Aquino does not sell his Pacquiao’s paintings, especially if it is signed. He has donated all his paintings to Pacquiao, who displays them in his Las Vegas and Los Angeles homes. Aquino and Pacquiao have an agreement to sell only for charity auctions or fundraising. The price range for a small painting in a 2014 charity event in Beverly Hills was $5,000 to $10,000, while the big ones range from $20,000 to $50,000.

“Robert Downey is a philanthropist, he is good man. He is like Manny,” said Aquino, who has been invited by the Iron Man to dinner in the artist’s convenient time.

The PacMan Immortalized on Canvas

Jun Aquino with Indio, his girlfriend and her partner’s mother

Pacquiao’s paintings displayed at Pacquiao’s Los Angeles home.

PACDOG: READY TO BE FAMOUS LOS ANGELES—As the eightdivision boxing champion Manny Pacquiao trains for his third match with Timothy Bradley in April, his loyal and active dog Pacdog is seen running with him at Griffith Park and Pan Pacific.

The dog is ready to be famous, just like its owner.

The Jack Russell Terrier, who has always joined the People’s Champ in his training sessions in the USA, is ready to accept endorsement deals.

Jun Aquino, the artist who has immortalized Pacquiao in paintings, said that Pacdog might sign a contract with a dog-food company.

“He is a natural entertainer. He is trained and he knows how to

interact with people,” said Mike Quidilla, the official photographer of Pacquiao.

Pacdog came into Pacman’s life in 2008 as a gift from his childhood friend and trainer Buboy Fernandez. Since then, the energetic dog has joined the boxing champ in his training as his running mate. Pacquiao’s trainers say no one can keep up with the dog in running, somehow pushing Manny and his training team to the limit.

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small breed that is said to have been fox hunters. Jack Russells have “tempered aggressiveness” that makes them an ideal companion of active people. Robbie Pangilinan

The Filipino ring icon’s Jack Russell Terrier paces Team Pacquiao.

S U N D AY : A p r i l 3 , 2 0 1 6

C1

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

Hapag Vicentico’s, ang hapag kainan ng bawat Novo Ecijano

Gen Antonio Luna Statue located at the Plaza Lucero in Cabanatuan City where he was assasinated

A TASTE Of hOmE: BIyAhEng nuEvA ECIjA

by tourists and if you visit now, the location is undergoing a facelift. According to the Cabanatuan Department of Toursim office, the rehabilitation is just on its first phase.

Carotid artery

W

By TATum AnChETA

hen people ask me what to do in Nueva Ecija, I wouldn’t usually know what to tell them. I grew up in Cabanatuan City, the largest city in the province of Nueva Ecija with a population of 296,584, spending almost 13 years of my life there until I migrated to Manila for college. I would go home once or twice a year during holidays to spend time with my family. And since I grew up sheltered, mostly just home and school during my childhood, I have not had a chance to actually go around the province.

Nowadays, what usually just reminds me of home is the home cooked food that my mom and my lolas would serve during meal times and celebrations.

Every time my mom visited me in Manila, she would always bring a piece of my home town – the famous longganisa of Cabanatuan (skinless, garlic, or hamonado), buro or pink fermented rice, the sour oxtail soup papaetan, my lola’s home cooked dinuguan with loads of chopped sampaloc leaves, kapukan (a kind of sisig made up of boiled or fried pig ears mixed in mayonnaise and a lot of chili). But since I turned pescetarian almost a decade ago, my pasalubongs from my mom would be the famous cheese rolls and mamons from Cakeland, vegetables that I don’t usually find here like hagod (malunggay fruit) or katuray (an edible flower that is good as ensalada with

Minalungao National Park in General Tinio

Hapag Vicentico's Salted egg rice, Kilawing Puso ng Saging, Samu't Saring Ginataang Gulay, Adobong Pusit

chopped onions and tomatoes), and my usual request – minatamis na kalumpit (a kind of red sour berry which you can make into iced candy or fruit shake), or minatamis na kundol. Looking back, when I think of home, it always reminds me of food.

For the Holy Week, my friend asked me to bring her around Nueva Ecija and to visit some sites she’d see trending online. “Huh? ‘San ‘yon?” was all I could say when she called me for a road trip. “Akala ko ba taga dun ka?” my friend said, bewildered that I didn’t even know my own hometown. So, my Holy Week vacation turned into a series of road trip discoveries as I asked help from my childhood classmates, my cousins, and Nueva Ecija DOT to give me suggestions on where to tour my guest.

Nueva Ecija is the largest province in Central Luzon, dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines” since it produces the most volume of rice in the entire country. As of 2013,

its registered population is 1,955,373. The province is divided into four congressional districts comprising 27 municipalities and five cities which makes it a province with the most number of cities in the Central Luzon region: Palayan City (capital), Gapan, Cabanatuan, Muñoz, and San Jose.

Historically, it was one of the eight provinces that rose against Spain during the 1896 Revolution, and the Novo Ecijanos’ bravery and heroism in the revolutionary movement are reflected as one of the eight rays of the sun in the Philippine flag. As made famous by the movie General Luna, one of the historical hotspots now is the Gen. Antonio Luna statue in Cabanatuan City that marks the location where the general was said to have been assassinated. The marker stands in Plaza Lucero and is located in front of St. Nicholas De Tolentino Cathedral. Thanks to the movie, the place is now frequented

ROADSIDE SCEnERy On a normal day without traffic you can reach Nueva Ecija from Manila in three hours, but during Holy Week – well, four to five would be good already. From NLEX, you can either take SCTEX then come out to TPLEX. Or if you want to have more sight seeing opportunities on the road, take the Bulacan exit. During my trip we wanted to visit as many churches on the road and get a view of penitents for Holy Week. Bulacan was a good side route as you not only get to witness flagellants on the streets, you can at least pass by a few of the 25 Bulacan churches, old and new. On the side of the highway, you can buy street fare like chicharon, mais, and shellfish products like crabs, mussels, clams and suso from the stalls.

After Bulacan, the first city that will greet you in NE is Gapan City. It’s famous for its Tsinelas Festival during August, where parades and dances are held on the streets together with a procession of floats decorated with slippers of all sizes. The place is also the site for the biggest and oldest church in Nueva Ecija – the Parish of the Three Kings which has been declared as the National Shrine of Virgen Divina Pastora. The miraculous shrine is heralded as the protector of the people of Gapan. From here, you can traverse the trail going to Minalungao National Park which will take you one and a half hour if there’s no traffic. But if you drive as slowly as I do, it will take one hour and 45 minutes to two hours.

The park has been circulating in social media for quite some time as photos look amazing with its marvelous limestone formations amidst an emerald river.

Continued on C2

C2

S U N D AY : A p r I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

PhilRice's 'Aldub' rice paddy art in The Science City of Muñoz gets the younger crowd's attention

@LIFEatStandard

Visitors can go up the caves to view the limestone formations in Minalungao National Park

A TASTE oF HomE...

From C1

Minalungao National Park is majestic, located at Brgy. Minalungao in the municipality of Gen. Tinio. The 2,018-hectare park boasts of 16-meters high limestone formations with calm water that runs from the Sierra Madre mountain range. I have been to so many parts of the Philippines and have seen protected areas and places where ecotourism is booming.

I am saddened at what I saw in Minalungao National Park. The tour guides don’t know the significance of the place, the area is littered with plastic and debris that the guests left behind, the caves have been vandalized so much, and there is no briefing on what is allowed and not allowed when you enter the premises. People would even play music so loud you can hear Rihanna songs reverberating on the limestone while you trek towards the caves. I don’t think the bats need to hear “Work, work, work, work, work” in the background as for sure they are not aware how to twerk their butts.

Visitor foot traffic last year reportedly reached up to a million. That’s a lot of tourism in the area, and THAT number deserves the attention of both DENR and DOT. This place should be tended to and kept pristine since it was established as a National Park in 1967. It is considered as one of the few natural gems of the North but cemented establishments built smack on top of the limestone mar the view, as well as the lack of discipline in keeping the area serene and peaceful. I can only hope that future generations could still witness its beauty. Sustainable development should be practiced here.

In other parts of Nueva Ecija, other scenic attractions are hot springs, picnic groves, mountains perfect for hiking and waterfall on the mountainside. Before you leave the border of Nueva Ecija to reach the province of Aurora where Dingalan beaches are frequented, you may drop by in Gabaldon and experience dipping in the cold water coming from the mountainside. Gabaldon Falls is perfect for picnics with the 10-foot waterfall amid the green forest and rock formations. If you opt to stay overnight, head to Stone 8 Resort where you can rent rooms or an entire house cottage for a day or for a few days. The resort facilities boast of expansive swimming pools with slides and dinosaur sculptures perfect for families with kids. The water comes straight from the mountains so it is cold when you take a dip. During summer and Holy Week, the place tends to be so crowded so it’s best to book ahead. If you’re more into a day trip, you and your family can enjoy cottages at Dupinga River with its calm but heavy rapids of running water straight from the mountains of Sierra Madre. Here, you can rent hut cottages built by the indigenous Dumagats.

If you’re heading towards Baler, you will definitely pass by the impressive Pantabangan Dam, the second largest dam in Asia which generates 112 megawatts of hydroelectric power. The dam’s expansive lake is enveloped by the picturesque view of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Fishermen sail their boats to catch fresh water fish like tilapia, carp, and snakehead murrel, which they sell at a low price by the lakeside. Because of its thriving marine life, Pantabangan Lake is also home to sports fishing especially by visiting foreigners.

Clockwise: Cakeland's Ensaymada and Cheese Roll, Hapag Vicentico’s famous Crispy Pata, Puto Bumbong is available for sale everyday 24/7 in front of Plaza Lucero, and products from Milka Krem

RiCe and aldub nation Another popular hotspot in NE is the now popular Aldub rice paddy formation. An hour and a half away from Cabanatuan City is The Science City of Muñoz, where the Philippine Rice Research Institute conducts research and development studies on the current situation of the rice farming sector. After FutureRice program leader and PhilRice deputy executive director for administrative services and finance Roger F. Barroga learned about the paddy art in Taiwan, he then had the idea of creating these artworks to get the younger groups’ attention and make them interested in agriculture and farming in this day and age.

Basically the idea is like transferring a photo in a cross-stitch canvas where a photo is enhanced on Photoshop and divided in parts to outline specific fields. It took a few teams of people one whole day to create the iconic Aldub image with two varieties of rice, one green and one purple. Last year, PhilRice started with the rice paddy art of Dr. Jose Rizal, but it didn’t get as much traction and media exposure as the Aldub rice. These rice paddy art projects are just one of the many projects from the “FutureRice Program” that aims to prepare farmers for the future scenarios of rice farming in the Philippines. The five-hectare facility of FutureRice is the first rice-based agritourism site which has rice paddy art, rice straw art, and kayaking facilities, and more will still be under development in the coming months. “All these projects are geared towards the vision of creating a place in which when people visit, especially farmers, they will see the wide array of rice farming innovations that they, too, can do in their own fields,” explains Jan Lois Zippora A. Libed, communication specialist from FutureRice Program. “At the same time, we also want the youth to be aware of the interesting opportunities in rice farming – a cause inspired by the fact that the average age of farmers is 57 and that less and less young people are into farming.”

The Aldub rice paddy art can be viewed until today, when they harvest the crop, it will look the same as any other rice but will be called #AldubRice. In the coming months

PhilRice is still cooking up a new rice paddy art, so be sure to get updated by visiting them on Facebook at FutureRice.

After checking out the paddy art you may drive further for more than 30 minutes down to the Philippine Carabao Center, the center for development on carabao livestock and animal technology. Within its compound is Milka Krem, an infrastructure supporting the local farmers for products sold in the commercial market.

Here visitors can buy dairy products made from carabao’s milk available in pasteurized and homogenized milk bottles in different flavors, yoghurt and different kinds of cheeses. There is also a delicatessen that sells pastillas de leche, sylvannas, cakes and different pastries.

Food tRip StoRieS Cabanatuan City reminds me of food from my childhood, and coming home definitely meant gaining a few pounds (gulp!). With the influx of people going to Baler and Dingalan, Aurora during summer especially the surfing season, visitors can’t miss the allure of the city’s gustatory offering.

Once you reach town, you’ll be surprised at the many tricycles on the road. Here, they are king as the place is still the undisputed Tricycle Capital of the Philippines. So many businesses have sprung in different parts of the city and the landscape is a mesh of old and new. I was shocked when my mom asked me to shop for grocery in Robinsons, Waltermart, and now the newly opened SM City. When I was growing up, it was just shopping in NE mall and its grocery stores. Along the strip of Plaza Lucero, you can still buy bibingka and puto bumbong everyday, 24/7, no need to wait for Christmas. In the streets of Burgos, grillers offer grilled hito, liempo or chicken and you may get them from Kalahi or Mayets which have been there since I was a kid. Along the side of Freedom Park in Del Pilar, comfort food like goto, papaetan, and bulalo can be bought day and night. Since 1995, Shiela Hilton gotohan has been there, starting out with a few tables but now boasting two restaurants in the area.

For pasalubong, a hidden shop in Kapt. Pepe beside the Iglesia ni Cristo church is the busy

pastry place called Cakeland. Here you can have the delectable boxes of cheese, mamon, yema and ube rolls, and so many other pastries.

One of the most famous establishments in Del Pilar is Vicentico’s, (now Hapag Vicentico’s), named after the family’s patriarch, Engr. Jose Vicente “Tico” Salazar Jr. The restaurant started as an abandoned old residence where the family just stored all their equipment from their old food restaurant.

When they closed their old business, they would hold private lunches or dinner with just a few family friends. Word went around and people started to ask for their dishes. A decade after, the restaurant now has two other branches in SM MegaCenter and the newly opened SM City. It is run by Pia Salazar-Gutierrez, a third generation member of the family. The design of the place is a reminiscent of an old Filipino house with a lot of antique designs courtesy of the collection of Pia’s mother. The place is picturesque and people travel all the way to Cabanatuan to feature it as a background for pre-nup photo shoots especially if themed as Filipiniana. Framed on the walls are tear sheets of different features from newspapers and magazines in the country. The place became famous to travellers when Kris Aquino featured the restaurant on TV. Since then, different media outfits have been frequenting the place, even inviting Vicentico’s all the way in Gapan during the Tsinelas festival.

The menu is composed of many comfort food that Pia grew up with as a kid. Even the way the longganisa is served is how her lola would serve it to her – split open in two with slices of tomatoes on the side. Famous are their Crispy Pata, Chicharong Bulaklak, Kilawing Sugba (like fish and turf, it has fried meat on top of kilawing tanigue). My personal favorite was the Adobong Pusit with its sweet barbecue taste, Samo’t Saring Ginataang Gulay, and their Salted egg rice – an order serves three people and I think I ate half of it, burp. For panghimagas (dessert), interesting on the menu is the Caraleche flan (the carabao milk is supplied by local Milka Krem), halo-halo special and a childhood street food, karioka. The menu is composed of Novo Ecijano local dishes mixed with some Bisaya cooking influenced by Pia’s lola.

If you’re travelling with a group of friends or visiting with your family, you may want to try any of the two packaged menus composed of all their award-winning dishes, and the other one with customers’ favorites which serves up to six people for only P1,500. The place is also a perfect venue for company gatherings, birthdays or special occasions. During our visit, so many buses were parked near the area. According to Pia, these are company tour groups visiting the restaurant. With the influx of Holy Week visitors, they served food in full seating even until 9:00 p.m.

I was only able to visit these sights and sites during my four-day road trip; it didn’t even cover the many festivities that happen in different districts. But, in my 34 years of existence, this has been the most memorable visit to my hometown. Not only did I get to see Nueva Ecija’s hidden treasures, now I can finally say, tara ililibot kita sa Nueva Ecija!

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, Twitter, and Snapchat.

S U N D AY : A p r I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Old age is not a hindrance to achieving dreams

“I

t’s not how old you are; it’s how you are old.”

The words of French author and philosopher Pierre-Jules Renard encapsulate the philosophy behind global healthcare company Abbott’s new campaign dubbed as “Strength to Live Your Dreams” for Ensure, a wide range of nutritional supplements for adults.

According to a survey conducted by Abbott, nine out of 10 older Filipinos still nurture dreams – which may be as simple as starting a flower garden, traveling to a certain place, starting a bakeshop or becoming a ballroom dancing champion.

But more often than not, their age, and the corresponding weakness that goes with it, hinders these older adults from fulfilling these dreams.

This was borne out by the survey that also found 93 percent of Filipinos aged 50 above admitting that poor physical condition limits them from pursuing their aspirations. And while Filipino children are known to be supportive of parents – taking care of them in their old age, spending money to keep the oldies entertained and happy, very few (20 percent) actually consider the necessity to provide their parents with nutritional supplements to keep the latter physically strong.

During the event, actor and youth advocate Dingdong Dantes shared his own experience with his father, Jose Sixto Dantes Jr., who had hinted about wishing to revive his passion for motorcycle riding.

But like many others, the older Dantes was hesitant due to his age. Without letting on about his plan, Dingdong quietly started refurbishing his Dad’s motorcycle, and began giving the older man Ensure nutritional supplement drink to build up his strength.

According to Abbott Nutrition Philippines Medical Director Dr. Jose Dimaano, the loss of strength is a top health concern among Filipinos aged 40 and above, and that seven out of 10 Filipino patients with normal body mass index consume only 60 percent or less of their required food intake, which puts them at great risk of nutrition gaps. As such, their muscle function is reduced, which affects the performance of their daily activities, Dimaano explained.

We Filipinos are known for being caring towards the elderly, and we go to great lengths to make sure that they are given creature comforts, since we expect them to become more frail and weak as they grow older. Even those who are just in their forties are also beginning to feel the ravages of age, like hearing creaking noises when they stretch their backs or flex their arms and legs after working lengthily before a computer. Those in their fifties also admitted having difficulty climbing up the stairs.

One of the reasons why this frailty develops is because older people are unable to get the right amount of nutrients even from a regular diet, compounded by poor appetite, inability to absorb nutrients, poor dental function (think falsies) which reduces one’s ability to chew, and poor digestion. And this is where nutritional supplements like Ensure can make a difference, because the products have been scientifically designed to provide essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals for physical strength, and other ingredients that include dietary fibers, medium chain triglycerides and Fructooligosaccharides.

Asked why Abbott chose Dingdong Dantes as its new brand ambassador for Ensure, Dr. Dimaano said, “We saw that Dingdong and his father have the relationship that can exemplify the kind of message we want to convey. We saw they dynamics in their relationship and the motorcycle story fit the concept,” the

By Bing Parel

Dingdong Dantes (right) helped his father Jose Sixto Dantes Jr. achieve his dream to ride a motorcycle again

Host Lexi Schulze flanked by Dingdong Dantes and Abbott Nutrition Philippines Medical Director Dr. Jose Dimaano Jr.

healthcare professional averred, adding that they also found the father-and-son tandem to be credible since the older Dantes had been using Ensure.

Indeed, a few weeks after taking Ensure, Dingdong noticed that his father’s grip became stronger and firmer. “Something was ‘jumpstarted’ in him, and he became even more active,” the actor shared.

“I realized that as one ages, along with wisdom also comes the increasing passion and enthusiasm to do things, but the only limit is their capacity and capability to achieve their dreams. I know that my father

The actor shares the special relationship he has with his dad

has a lot of dreams and that there are so many things that he still wants to achieve,” Dingdong continued, laughing how he recalled that for so many years, his father had been talking about fixing the garden but only got to do it lately.

“And now he wants to put up a farm and I see that happening in the future,” he continued, admitting that all his father needed was some sort of a nudge to get him started in fulfilling the things he wanted to achieve.

“Something changed in him,” remarked Dingdong, marveling at the difference that

the simple act of providing the nutritional supplement made. “ The act of giving the product was already a statement that we want him to do more, that we support him and that we are behind him.”

Of course, it does not end there. “We have to constantly remind our parents to take care of themselves and build up their strength, and we also have to communicate and spend time with them,” he added.

“As sons and daughters, we can become ‘enablers’ through products like Ensure, and help our parents fulfill their dreams,” the actor concluded.

S U N D AY : A p r I L 3 , 2 0 1 6

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PAL chairman Dr. Lucio and Carmen Tan (center) share a toast with (from left) Harry Tan, Gregorio T. Yu, Tolentino Rivera III, Joseph T. Chua, Lucio Khao Tan, Jr., PAL President Jaime Bautista, Atty. Estelito Mendoza, Michael Gonzale Tan, John Gonzale Tan, and Antonio Alindogan Jr.

the heart that connects Us #INTHEMOMENT

O

by Francis de Leon

ur life’s dreams are the very core that connects us to the past, present, and inevitable future.

I would like to believe that they are the key motivator that drives the Filipino who dares to realize his aspirations. No matter how humble it may be, everything simply begins with a dream. Don’t you agree?

Case in point – I was practically raised by two amazing women to whom I owe a great deal because of the wealth of their knowledge, wisdom, religious faith and dedication in raising their family with dignity and fortitude.

Magdalena Halago Viuda De Noblejas raised her two-year-old child as a single mother after her husband suffered an untimely death. In spite of many proposals from eligible suitors in their home province of Janiuay, Iloilo – she chose not to remarry. She could have lived a comfortable life as the wife of a wealthy sugar baron. However, her purpose was clear, which was to protect her only angel no matter the odds and raise her baby with a good education.

She dared to simply dream. On her own, my grandmother, whom I lovingly call “Nana,” raised my mother from the yields of rice, coffee and fruit-bearing mango trees from the parcel of land she inherited from ancestors. She juggled many roles as a single mom, homemaker, local seamstress, among other many hats in their town.

From her modest earnings, Nana sent my mother to Manila for college to study Banking and Finance. With her sheer gut and dedication, hard work, and faith in God - she single-handedly managed to raise my mother with the same values that kept her pushing forward. She was then a lady of independence, the kind whom we at present celebrate as women of substance.

Suffice it to say that my Nana was way (further) ahead of her time.

Fast forward. My mother, Lucila “Lucy” Noblejas-de Leon, eventually finished her studies with honors and remained (since her retirement) as one of the most respected pioneer women bankers in the Philippines.

Fortunately, I was at the receiving end of their unconditional love.

My Nana passed away (but definitely lived a full life) at the age of 95. I am thankful to our Creator for giving me the strength to endure her personal ordeal as an elderly.

Martin Nievera as Master of Ceremonies Top Filipino performers Lea Salonga, Bamboo and Sarah Geronimo sing PAL’s new theme song with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Lucio Tan, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Hans Sy, and Jaime Bautista

Simply put, I was a hands-on eyewitness as she battled old age and dementia. Nonetheless, her strength shone through until her last breath. She remained resilient, making me feel – through her firm touch as I held her hand by her death bed – that all with be alright and that life definitely goes on.

My Nana was a survivor! And I reckon that her devotion simply stems from her very core. Obviously, it is the love in her heart that kept her moving forward until her last breath. For the life she has lived definitely holds a special place in my heart.

It is in this light that I dedicate a portion of this Sunday’s column to commemorate Nana’s 4th death anniversary. With all sincerity, I am proud to declare that I owe a lot of who I am today because of the resilient women in my life. To this columnist, they embody “The Heart of the Filipino.”

“Remember Francis, how you would always send off Nana to the airport and pick her up when she travels to Iloilo?” expressed my mother via a Viber message from Los Angeles as I was writing this Sunday’s column.

It was those send offs and pick ups that enabled me to spend precious moments with my beloved Nana, and I find it rather opportune that I was one of those invited to attend the recent Diamond Jubilee celebration of Philippine Air Lines, our country’s flag carrier with whom this

PAL chairman Dr. Lucio Tan and wife Carmen, Benjamin Lopue, and PAL president Jaime Bautista

columnist has had a long enduring love affair. And as with any love affair, it hasn’t always been easy, yet I dare proclaim that it was worth every journey.

During my years in high school, I remember enduring the long queues at PAL’s Makati Ticketing Office all for the sake of my beloved grandmother (thank goodness for e-tickets which PAL pioneered in 2004, the task became more convenient).

To share a fact, she only prefers to fly PAL. She was a bona fide loyal customer from the time she first spent traversing from Iloilo to Manila and back to visit my mother, until her last homecoming from Iloilo then back to Manila in my home at the age of 90.

During the Gala Night celebrating the 75th anniversary of Philippine Airlines at the Solaire Grand Ballroom, I discovered PAL’s many firsts and its significant role in Philippine aviation history. But this milestone hit my core – that in 1954, PAL became the first Filipino airline company to fly regularly to Visayas and Mindanao.

Across generations, PAL was there to serve the Filipino. My Nana was among them. She was treated well then, and until her senior years. And I would like to believe that my Nana’s simple story embodies their new brand mantra, “The Heart of the Filipino, Shining Through.”

PAL’s new brand expression was beautifully performed through a thematic song by Lea

PAL’s VP for Marketing Ria Carrion-Domingo shares their new brand mantra to the audience

Salonga, Bamboo, and Sarah Geronimo that evening with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and a children’s choir.

With this, I pay a personal homage to Philippine Airlines for celebrating the hero within the Filipino.

“PAL occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of Filipinos around the world.

But beyond its iconic status, PAL is one of the true pillars of the Philippine economy,” expressed Dr. Lucio Tan, chairman of Philippine Airlines, in his speech.

“We brought the Philippines to the world… and we will continue to fly the heart of the Filipino,” he added.

So did PAL play a role in shaping the future of the Filipinos? In this case, it’s the heart that made them achieve greater heights for every hardworking Filipino who dares to simply dream.

This columnist would like to express a heartfelt appreciation to Philippine Airlines for giving high regard to their elderly passengers and bringing them home safely.

On your Diamond Jubilee, may your rays of light shine through. From one generation to the next, (PAL) we salute you!

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram @francis_deleon8 or email deleon_francis@yahoo.com.

Photos by star sabroso and Lorna LLanes

SunDAy : A pRIl 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Actress Antoinette Taus

Rapper Mito Fabie aka Curtismith

Frank Magalona, Denise Buencamino and Amanda Monserrat

Kapuso star lauren young

H

ennessy, the no. 1 cognac brand in the world, has long travelled the globe placing its mark in every country while embracing its local culture. In the Philippines, it continues to bring its philosophy of embracing local by glorifying a very special, iconic and historical symbol, the ubiquitous jeepney through its new campaign.

“Hennessy as a brand aims to be the pioneers that will lead the way in experiencing culture with refinement and sophistication.

Hennessy King of the Road is our take on the celebration of Manila’s Urban Lifestyle,” says Carlo Bautista, Hennessy VS brand manager. “We chose the jeepney because it’s vibrant, distinct, and audacious. It is an urban symbol of Filipino resourcefulness, flair, sense of community, and ultimately the cultural King of the Road. Today, it is the first and only luxury jeepney created by a wines and spirits company.”

C5

Hennessy’s King of the Road is a black luxury jeepney that will take over urban hotspots throughout the metro

KIng Of ThE ROaD To unveil this sleek black ride which features a fully stocked bar and bartender, elegant interiors of soft black leather and dim lighting, Hennessy recently hosted an event in collaboration with some of Manila’s top creative minds in the food and art industry and upcoming artists in the field of music.

Guests enjoyed a curated menu by top chefs JP Anglo of Kafé Batwan, and Jordy Navarra of the soon to open Toyo Eatery, for their urban interpretation of the Filipinos’ favorite local cuisine. Anglo and Navarra prepared their renditions of bar chow, or pulutan, best enjoyed with Hennessy Very Special such as open faced kare-kare tacos, kansi panada with Batwan gravy, toyo eatery pork BBQ with Hennessy VS glaze, crispy shrimps with VS sauce and chocolate bonbons with Hennessy VS. Lee Watson, of ABV, crafted special Hennessy cocktails to pair with each of the chef ’s masterpieces. These three cocktails also

took inspiration from unique Filipino food ingredients, which are in line with the Hennessy King of the Road campaign of embracing local culture.

The Habal-Habal, named after the “oneperson jeepney,” was a drink that used black pepper infused Hennessy VS, coupled with bay leaf, honey, calamansi, and ginger beer, served in a highball glass. Watson’s second drink called Patok, got its name from the loud, fast and colorful jeepneys. Here he infused Hennessy VS with siling labuyo, complemented with honey, calamansi, and a dash of white vinegar. Lastly, to bring out the spirit of the King of the Road, Watson also created a special drink called the Side Trip, a play on a classic cognac cocktail the Side Car. He used Hennessy VS and paired it with white chocolate, hibiscus syrup, calamansi, and foamed egg white, served with sprayed-on Angostura and Peychauds graffiti.

Live art by street artist Egg Fiasco, dubbed as Manila’s Nasty Egg, was also featured during the night. Known for his neo-graffiti types of murals that converge urban art with pop culture, folk arts, comic graphics, toys and tattoo culture, he unveiled his finished mural of retro futuristic images and ambiguous characters.

Hosted by Radio DJ Joyce Pring, the evening later took off with performances by rapper Curtismith, CRWN, BP Valenzuela, Kidthrones and The Diegos.

Leading the way in experiencing urban Manila, the Hennessy King of the Road will take over urban hotspots throughout the metro.

Follow the trail of the King of the Road by checking out Hennessy Philippines’ social media pages. Facebook page at facebook. com/HennessyPhilippines and follow them on twitter and Instagram @HennessyPH.

lEgARDA’S poST-BIRTHDAy CElEBRATIon In February, Senator Loren Legarda had a post-birthday celebration at the gardens of Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros, Manila.

“I do not usually hold birthday parties but I was invited by Intramuros Administrator Marco Sardillo and so I decided to have a simple dinner with friends. I wanted to use this beautiful courtyard as an opportunity to promote the place,” said Legarda, who turned 56 on Jan. 28.

Legarda said she made sure that more than a celebration of her birth, it was Philippine history and heritage that took center stage. “Intramuros is a venue steeped in history, with untold stories about our past etched in its centuries-old adobe walls,” she explained.

The Baluarte de San Diego is a bastion in Intramuros, part of the Spanish colonial fortification in the Walled City of Manila. It was originally a circular fort called Fort Nuestra Señora de Guia, built in 1586. It was renovated in 1593 to become Baluarte de San Diego that was shaped like an ace of spades.

In 1762, the Baluarte was breached

by British Forces with canon fire. It was restored and strengthened when the Spaniards returned but was again destroyed when an 1863 earthquake hit the grounds. It was expunged during the Battle of Manila in 1945. The Philippine government began its restoration in 1979 and was completed in 1992.The gardens and gazebo were

Senators Antonio Trillanes and Franklin Drilon with the birthday girl

The guests at Senator loren legarda’s birthday party held at the gardens of Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros, Manila

added, making the Baluarte an ideal venue for special events.

Senator Legarda wanted a simple setup that used recycled items. Underneath a well-lit sky and a cool night, lanterns (made of transparent reusable bags with candles) dotted the garden to illuminate the space. Wooden tables had mismatched chairs. Flowers and fallen branches were the buffet table centerpiece while dinner tables were designed with flowers on recycled spread jars.

The food from Cabalen Restaurant featured selected Capampangan favorites, including Sisig, Kare-Kare, Filipino delica-

cies such as Adobong Balut and Pampanga’s dessert specialty, Tibok-Tibok.

Government officials, foreign dignitaries, media, personalities from arts and culture, and environmentalists mingled underneath a canopy of stars with music from flutist Ray Sison and guitarist Jeff Malazo.

Senator Legarda herself declared her love for Filipino art and culture through her attire. She wore an upper garment made by the Gaddangs from Mt. Province and shoes made in Marikina.

“By supporting the works of our local and indigenous artists, we pay homage to the creativity and dynamism of the country’s rich culture and world-renowned arts,” said Legarda.

Senator loren legarda with some of her guests

Senator legarda’s post-birthday celebration was attended by her close friends and colleagues

C6

SunDAy : A pRIl 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SARAH G lEtS Go of DEAD SkIn

I

f you’re wondering why Sarah Geronimo’s complexion is Matteo Guidicelli’s delight, there’s only one answer to that.

From the Belo Authority comes a strong follow up to the remarkable success of the Belo Intensive Whitening line, the new Belo Intensive Whitening Bar with Exfoliating Lemon Scrubs. With the addition of Lemon Scrubs to its powerful combination of Kojic Acid and Tranexamic Acid, it takes whitening to a whole new level.

The unique combination of Kojic Acid and Tranexamic Acid in this product is clinically proven to whiten skin 64 percnet better than products that contain Kojic Acid alone.

Lemon Scrub on the other hand, are microbeads of lemon peel that are natural exfoliators and 100 percent biodegradable. They help scour away the outer layer of dead skin cells to improve circulation and stimulate new cell growth. With dead and rough skin already shed away, the whitening actives of the bar penetrate better into the skin.

Singer and actress Sarah Geronimo, an avid user of the Belo Whitening line, says that she is continuously surprised with all the beauty innova-

tions Dr. Vicki Belo brings out in the market. She shares, “When Dr. Belo introduced me to the new Belo Intensive Whitening Bar with Exfoliating Lemon Scrubs, I was so amazed! Sobrang gusto ko yung scent and yung feeling sa skin ng exfoliating lemon scrubs. I love using this new soap.”

Belo assures that making the new exfoliating variant of Belo Intensive Whitening Bar a part of your daily whitening habit will not only make your skin whiter, but also smoother and healthier. She states, “Let our new intensive whitening bar do all the hard work. Take off the dead skin to let whitening in.”

For best results, use it everyday and pair with Belo Intensive Whitening Body Cream.

Belo products ambassador and pop star Sarah Geronimo

Jessica Rodriguez-Bunevacz now an author

Jessica Rodriguez-Bunevacz has a self-help book on love, romance and sex

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe ACROSS 1 Calendar spans 6 Feels sore 11 Conversation starter 16 Metallic sounds 21 — -pipe cactus 22 City of lamaseries 23 Over 24 Physicist — Newton 25 “Ninotchka” name 26 Divided country 27 Kind of boom 28 Give, as a price 29 Na+ or Cl30 Freak out (2 wds.)

32 Rudimentary 34 Perfume label word 36 Restroom sign 37 Mlle. in Barcelona 39 Shinny 41 Gave an Rx 43 Put up a fight 45 Tuxedo trim 47 Make into law

49 51 54 55 56 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 82

Delete a file Mumps companion Valentino role Door opener Ranked highest Swallow Not our Like the smell of fresh pine Stir-fry need Delta’s location Ruffle Byron contemporary Really excited Elev.

On deck Carpenter’s tool Frisk about Crystal gazer Wish for Double-daters After dark Eurasian range Tall ship’s features

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

83 LCD word 84 Pollen-bearers 87 Yankee great Lefty — 88 Nonrust coating 89 Homeboy’s turf 93 Dome 94 Dazed, with “out” 95 Kind of rich?

97 Gator Bowl st.

98 Video-game pioneer 99 Got along 100 Nasty shocks 101 In a ferment 103 Sinbad’s transport 104 Wall-to-wall item 106 Fat fiddles 107 Pilfer 108 Stew over 110 “Dragnet” org.

111 Honeycomb units 112 Emulated Bing 113 Be cranky 115 Social stratum 116 Jambalaya locale 117 Nulls 120 Harbor suspicions 122 Gauges 124 Fracture finder (hyph.)

128 MPG monitor 129 PIN prompter 131 Not soft or wilted 133 Like river bottoms 135 Bullring yell 136 Defiant reply 138 Atahualpa subject 140 Usher’s beat 142 Human herbivore 144 Farm implement pioneer 145 Road map line 146 Nearer the facts 147 Pick 148 Emmy-winning Ed 149 White heron 150 Pays attention

151 Alaska’s first capital DOWN 1 Asana practicers 2 Faux pas 3 FBI member 4 Wharf denizen 5 Minor setback 6 Bases 7 Piano composer 8 Seraglio 9 Language suffix 10 Swedish import 11 Ottoman 12 Fan of numero uno 13 Jousting weapon 14 Twice XXVI 15 Story opener 16 Miffs 17 Ames inst.

18 Judd of music 19 Slalom obstacles 20 Hound’s trail 31 Sonnet stanza 33 Robin of balladry 35 Desert nomads 38 Money in the bank 40 Gazed upon 42 Mean 44 Mount a gemstone 46 — Centauri 48 Singer — Diamond 50 Curtain hangers 51 Half the parents 52 Quebec school 53 Less than 90 degrees 54 It may be stuffed 55 Zen riddles 57 In debt 58 Kind of swing 59 Clay-pigeon game 61 Mission starter 62 Gets tiresome 63 Fish stories 66 Paddock youngsters 67 Fumbler 69 Religious belief

In a move that surprised even the closest of her friends, celebrity wife and mother, former talent manager and actress Jessica Rodriguez, is a brand new author of a self-help book called Date Like a Girl, Marry Like A Woman: The Polished Woman’s Guide to Love, Romance and Sex. The book has just been released online and can be purchased at amazon.com. Jessica is preparing for a bigger launch soon.

Happily married to triathlete and businessman David Bunevacz for 15 years now and blessed with three lovely children, Jessica migrated with her family to the US under painful circumstances many years ago. But as they say, you can’t put a good (wo)man down.

And Jessica is one such woman of faith, tenacity, talent and resourcefulness.

She found good use of all her complex life experiences by writing them down, and thereby proving to everyone that indeed, even the wildest of our dreams can become a reality. Date Like A Girl, Marry Like a Woman is such resounding proof of victory for this lady. Jessica says of her new book, “I will be the first person to tell you that I never thought it was in me to write, much less author an entire book. Since we resided in California, I have been in search of my real purpose. My relationships are always the best part of my life and I found I had it in me to inspire people, and actually give them sound advice about love and life. So, I learned to write. And then I found my purpose. I hope people will enjoy reading this book as much as I had enjoyed writing it and sharing my life in the process.”

72 73 74 76 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 90 91 92 94 95 96 99 100 102 105 106 107 109 111 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 121 123 125 126 127 130 132 134 137 139 141 143

Safari boss Raised, as a question Steal or do eggs Grapevine product Illustrious Backpackers’ load Curio “Haystacks” painter Sings lightheartedly Devour, with “down” Teach privately Swiftly Injured at Pamplona Belly dance clackers Not infrequently Relish tray item Ventured Changed channels Deceived Search engine Tarkenton of football Forsake a lover Crazy Horse, for one Prime invitees (hyph.)

Goosedown items Romantic appointment Early afternoon Advisory group Guests Trial judge, e.g.

Vicar’s gofer Cut and ran “The Prisoner of —” “En garde” weapons Crow cousin Take place Publish Thesaurus compiler “Wellaway!”

Busybody Thick mud Storm track Actor — Montand Poet’s before Fruitcake go-with Vexation Yale athlete

Date Like a Girl, Marry Like a Woman: The Polished Woman’s Guide to Love, Romance, and Sex will help you navigate how to have a good time with “Mr. Right Now” and how to hold onto “Mr. Right” once you find him.

Providing a mix easy-to-follow rules and anecdotes showcasing how they worked (and in some cases what happened when they were ignored), Jessica Bunevacz is the best friend you’ll wish you had all along and the one whose advice you’ll go back to again and again. It never asks a woman to shy away from her impulses or to hide who she is or what she wants, and instead celebrates her independence and sensuality while showing her ways that she can make her romantic life more fulfilling.

Her book is about shedding your insecurities, and offers insight on looking, feeling, and being your best, with an emphasis on having your own life. Additionally, this is the book you’ll come back to even after you say, “I do,” to your man.

Understanding that happily ever after may be a good way to end a movie, but isn’t a good way to start a marriage. You can find real tips about everything from friendship to sex to finances with both humor and heart.

Ultimately, Date Like a Girl, Marry Like a Woman: The Polished Woman’s Guide to Love, Romance, and Sex is a work that is meant to transcend beyond the pages as it’s lessons are applied in daily life.

You can purchase your online copy now at amazon.com

SunDAy : A pRIl 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

HEARt SpEnDS Holy WEEk In SoRSogon

U

nlike other celebrities that traveled to other countries on Holy Week, Heart Evangelista spent the time in the hometown of her husband, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero in Sorsogon.

She posted photos of her grand vacation at her husband’s ancestral house on her Instagram account to update her fans on what she did during the Holy Week.

Heart looked like had a grand time in Sorsogon, like she enjoyed the campaign sorties she went with husband who is running to be the country’s vice president.

On Easter Sunday, Heart was back in Manila and spent time bonding with Chesi, one of Chiz’s twins, They went shopping and became the little girl’s stylist. After all, what is she being a fashionista for?

She posted a photo of Chesi’s OOTD (outfit of the day) also on her Instagram account.

It’s no longer a secret that Heart chooses the outfits of the twins as they are growing up and likes to be seen in the best of clothes that they have.

Chesi enjoys going to the mall with her Tita Heart and that gives them time to bond and enjoy girly stuff like shopping and having their nails done.

When Heart launched her beauty book, Chesi was there to give her moral support. They were in lookalike fashion, including hairstyle.

Heart’s fans can only shower her with praise for being a good stepmom to the twins of her husband.

Heart even promised to spend more girl time with Chesi despite her busy schedule.

Since the elections is drawing to a close, Heart will intensify her campaign for her husband and will go around the country to woo the electorate to choose Chiz over other candidates.

Heart with Chiz and his relatives in Sorsogon

Marcos says sports, cultural exchanges may be key to end tension with China Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. said sports and cultural exchanges between the Philippines and China may be the key to ending the on-going tension due to dispute over territories in the West Philippine Sea. Marcos made the appeal following a series of incidents where Filipino fishermen experienced harassment from Chinese navy in the disputed areas in West Philippine Sea and stern pronouncements of Beijing over defense arrangements between the Philippines and the United States.

Marcos said talks should be initiated with China and it needs not be done formally but may be conducted through various informal exchanges like sports and culture.

Bongbong Marcos and sons Simon and Vincent during a campaign sortie

“In my view, we should have engaged China in bilateral talks long ago. And when I say bilateral talks I mean not only government-to-

government, but also informal engagements such as educational exchange, sports, and cultural exchanges,” Marcos stated.

‘the Apprentice Asia Winner’ publishes motivational book for gen y

Jonathan Yabut, the proud Filipino winner of the hit reality TV show, The Apprentice Asia Season 1, recently launched his autobiography and motivational book, From Grit to Great. The book shares his life journey from humble beginnings to winning the “world’s toughest job interview.”

Jonathan today is Southeast Asia’s leading business icon representing the Gen Y workforce. He is best known today as a motivational speaker and consultant for Fortune 500 Companies focusing on development and management of millennial workers.

What started out as a series of posts on his popular Facebook Fanpage (Facebook.com/AAJonathanYabut) became a collection of stories on how Jonathan won the show through leadership and grit.

Written by a millennial icon for his fellow millennials, From Grit to Great is a delightful treat for aspiring students, rock star yuppies, and budding entrepreneurs looking for inspiration and motivation on “making it big”. The book is a compilation of Jonathan’s personally written articles and blogs during his oneyear apprenticeship featuring:

Be the next Apprentice: Aspiring to win the next season of The Apprentice Asia? Learn tips and tactics in making it to the Final 12 from the winner himself!

For every book that you purchase, a portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to educational NGOs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam*.

A product of scholarship himself, Jonathan aspires to reach out and improve the quality of teaching and financial assistance to lessprivileged but promising students the Apprentice Asia winner and in the region. business icon Jonathan yabut Jonathan today is based today Fuelling success from grit: in Kuala Lumpur serving as a What is grit? How do you devel- marketing director for the Tune op grit? Jonathan explains that Group of Companies managed by you don’t need to be an Einstein, Malaysian business mogul, Tony a Richie Rich, nor a royalty to Fernandes. He owns his own succeed in life—what you need management consultancy firm, is grit.

The JY Ventures & Consultancy.

Behind the scenes spilled: He is also an accomplished busiFrom bedroom to boardroom, ness writer for news sites such as Jon reveals juicy secrets and life Rappler, The Malaysian Star, and lessons he learned from Tony Fer- The Jakarta Post. nandes and fellow candidates.

The beneficiaries of From Grit to Hack the corporate world: Great are Yayasan Bright FoundaFrom working smart (and not tion Indonesia, Teach for Malayhard), to applying the 80/20 rule, sia, Student Development Fund of get practical daily tips on how to Vietnam, and UP School of Ecoclimb the corporate ladder faster! nomics Alumni Foundation.

What is important, he pointed out, is that the next administration must immediately initiate moves for a dialogue with China to defuse the escalating tension between the two countries. “We have an on-going arbitration case before the United Nations but I think we have not done enough as the situation continues to deteriorate and our diplomatic relations with China has not improved either,” Marcos noted.

He reiterated that even if the Philippines were to win in the arbitration case, it would not improve the situation because from the start Beijing has insisted that it won’t recognize the jurisdiction of the international tribunal over the case.

Marcos also said that among the first agreement that Manila

and Beijing should try to forge is to stop the harassment of fishermen from both countries as long as they are clearly fishing in international waters.

“It is very clear that unless Manila and Beijing could come to an agreement, the situation in the West Philippine Sea would not improve. And there could be no agreement unless the two sides talk,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the Philippines must immediately initiate the process of bilateral talks because forging any consensus on the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea won’t happen overnight. “It’s a very long process and that is why we should begin the process as early as possible,” said Marcos.

problems with snoring?

Do you have a problem with snoring? Or do you have a loved one who is besieged with this problem that is already causing unwanted friction between the two of you?

There is good news once again from the Belo Medical Group (BMG) with the advent of their brand new laser technology called Nightlase. This non-invasive, patient-friendly treatment is designed specifically to relieve you of this age-old problem commonly affecting couples. The overall benefit of Nightlase is to help increase the quality of the patient’s sleep and improved breathing as well as reducing snoring caused by the blockage of airways when we sleep.

Dr. Vicki Belo, the country’s No. 1 cosmetic surgeon and most credible Doctor-to-the-Stars, who takes pride in pioneering the most practical laser treatments in the Philippines, says Nightlase is an intra-oral procedure that uses a gentle laser light called Er:YAG to heat the tissues inside the mouth and stimulate collagen production. The collagen aids in the tightening of the tissues, which leads to the opening of the airway, lessening of the sound of snoring

Doctor to the stars. Cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo

and decreasing the occurrence of shallow breaths while sleeping.

She says, “The improvement in breathing while you sleep ensures that oxygen levels inside your body are adequate. Nightlase is really good news to all wives out there.

Upon treatment, their men will be assured of reduced fatigue due to light sleeping that always happens when our airways are blocked and lessen also the risk of associated health complications.”

Painless, safe and effective, the Nightlase laser procedure only takes about 30 minutes to complete, without complications and no downtime.

Nightlase is another first from the Belo Medical Group. For inquiries, call 817-BELO.

s unday : a pril 3, 2016

C8

isaH V. rEd EDITOR niCKiE WanG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

The cast and director of “Whistleblower,” (from left) Cherry pie picache, Vangie labalan, adolf alix, Jr., liza lorena and nora aunor

NORa auNOR plays ‘WhIsTlEblOWER’ ISAH V. RED

a

fter delighting her loyal fans in the Kapuso’s dramedy Little Nanay as the understanding grandma of a granddaughter with intellectual disability, Nora Aunor, possibly the country’s greatest drama actress, stars in another intriguing film called Whistleblower.

While Unitel Productions, Inc. and Quento Media, producers of the film, refuse to relate it to events that recently rocked the political life of the country, its mere title immediately tells the audience that somewhere somehow the film is inspired by true events.

And the producers acknowledge it, albeit, as a matter of course, saying, “The Whistleblower is a movie as timely as today’s headlines and is guaranteed to bring to fore the conviction of an embattled citizenry in the face of the evil reality of graft and corruption in politics.

The film has been graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board and will be commercially released in theaters nationwide on April 6.

Apart from Aunor, the film also stars Cherry Pie Picache and Angelica Panganiban. The three actors play the central figures in a drama about individuals who find themselves at the crux of the greatest political scam ever perpetrated by man.

Adolf Alix directed the film from Rody Vera’s screenplay.

Whistleblower, according to the producers, is purely fiction and thus, any similarity in situations and characters in real life is merely a coincidence.

In truth, Whistleblower is a pet project of Unitel’s big boss, Tony Gloria, who has

angelica panganiban

seasoned filmmaker adolf alix, Jr.

in character. superstar nora aunor plays a pivotal role in a timely and relevant film “Wistleblower”

been brewing the idea in his mind for nearly five years now.

The film’s release on April 6, will surely help the public make an informed decision about who to vote for in the coming national and local elections on May 9.

In one of his interviews, director Alix said, “Nilalayon ng pelikulang ito na isa-

lamin ang nangyayari sa ating bansa at pamahalaan sa kasalukuyang panahon.

And this movie will show both sides of the story. Kasi, di ba, pag kinilala mo ang isang tao, may isang katotohanan na makikita at makikita ka? That will be make this movie different,” he added.

An important movie such as Whistleblower

doesn’t just boast of a powerhouse lead cast, it also takes pride on having a strong support roster that includes Laurice Guillen, Bernardo Bernardo, Anita Linda, Carlo Aquino, Ina Feleo, Rosanna Roces, Sharmaine Arnaiz, Ricky Davao, Liza Lorena, Vangie Labalan, Lloyd Samartino, Yul Servo, Yan Yuzon, among many others.

A highly entertaining movie that will keep you riveted at your seat as the story unfolds, Whistleblower has been getting a lot of positive feedback from those who have already seen it.

Former actor Chuckie Dreyfus wrote in his blog, “If you love political thrillers like I do, expect Whistleblower not to disappoint.

Support the film not simply because of the powerful performances and impressive production value, but also because it has a clear message. Watch Whistleblower because this movie is meant to open our eyes and make us, as a nation, feel uncomfortable enough to take more concrete actions against corruption in government.”

Soshal Network says, “It is a must-see for all Filipinos not only for its entertainment value, but also because it is a glimpse of our history as it happens today. ‘Yung nakapagpapaantig hindi lang ng damdamin kundi pati rin ng kamulatan.”