The Standard - 2016 July 24 - Sunday

VOL. XXX NO. 162 3 Sections 24 Pages P18 SUNDAY : JULY 24, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PARAS DREAMS OF NBA

B8

RAMOS ACCEPTS DUTERTE OFFER

To serve as special envoy to defiant China

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera

DAVAO CITY—Former President Fidel V. Ramos accepted President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer to serve as a special envoy to China over the ongoing dispute in the West Philippine Sea but insisted that Duterte convene the rarely called National Security Council.

Ramos accepted the offer in a private meeting at the Marco

Polo Hotel here even as Cambodia blocked efforts to reach a consen-

sus on the matter during a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane.

Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza confirmed that Ramos sought a meeting of the NSC to forge a clear position in planned talks with Beijing and the council would likely meet on July 27, two days after Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address.

“The council will finalize the position first so that the former President can represent the Philippines very well,” Dureza said.

Ramos himself said little about the the envisioned talks and only said that he was physically fit despite his age and mounting health concerns.

“I have been cleared by my doctors at the Makati Medical Center,” Ramos told journalists

after his meeting with Duterte, Dureza, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and former Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Paul Dominguez, brother of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez.

“I have three ailments. First, I have only one kidney for the past 63 years. I have had a serious carotid operation and I have a new pacemaker,” Ramos said.

Next page

IN AGREEMENT. This handout received from the Presidential Communication Operations Office on July 15, 2016 shows President Rodrigo Duterte speaking to former President Fidel V. Ramos during the Testimonial Dinner Reception in Manila on July 14, 2016. On July 23, 2016, Ramos agreed to serve as special envoy to China on condition that Duterte must convene the National Security Council in the aftermath of a UN-backed tribunal ruling rejecting Beijing’s maritime territorial claims. AFP

‘NOTHING WRONG WITH CURFEW’

By John Paolo Bencito

THERE is nothing unconstitutional in the three ordinances recently passed but three different local government units imposing a curfew on minors, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Saturday.

“In our constitution, there is what you call police power. If it’s needed to protect the citizenry,

then we can implement that,” Panelo said in an interview over state radio dzRB after a youth group asked the Supreme Court to stop the ordinances.

The Samahan ng mga Progresibong Kabataan filed the suit against Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco were named respondents.

The group said the curfew ordinances are unconstitutional because they are vague and can result in arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.

The petitioners said the ordinances were “too broad” because they impair legitimate activities of minors during curfew hours and deprive minors of their right to liberty and to travel without substantive due process.

Next page

HOUSE PROBES DE LIMA LINK TO NBP DRUG USE

By John Paolo Bencito and Maricel Cruz

THE Palace supported the call of incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to mount an investigation of Senator Leila de Lima over the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison during her tenure as Justice secretary.

“[De Lima] should get investigated on how drug lords multiplied during her watch. Even Muntinlupa became a factory of drugs. That’s why she needs to get investigated and she should be liable for that,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in an interview over state raNext page dio dzRB.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A2

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

RODY REVIEWS ‘CRAZY’ PLEDGES ON PARIS DEAL

By John Paolo Bencito

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte urged the Senate to carefully study whether to ratify the Paris agreement on climate change, particularly since it would likely impact on the economic development of the country.

“I have misgivings about this [agreement],” Duterte said at the launching of a biomass power plant in Maguindanao, urging senators to clarify how he can build industrial zones if they ratify the agreement.

“My plan is to put up industrial zones everywhere. If you will not allow us to reach parity...

You are already there and we are still there, then I’m saying that’s crazy. I will not agree to that.”

Duterte clarified that while

RAMOS...

From A1

But the former leader joked with journalists and gripped hands to show his strength and even jumped in the air to drive the point.

The 88-year-old Ramos, President from 1992 to 1998, himself has experience in dealing with China over the West Philippine Sea after Philippine security forces discovered the first military structures on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in 1995.

The government issued a formal protest over China’s occupation of the reef and the Philippine Navy arrested 62 Chinese fishermen at Half Moon Shoal, 80 kilometers from Palawan.

A week later, following confirmation from surveillance pictures that the structures were military in nature, Ramos ordered military forces in the region strengthened while China claimed the structures were only shelters for fishermen.

Meanwhile, in Vientiane, Laos, China ally Cambodia is preventing Southeast Asia from reaching a consensus on the South China Sea after an international tribunal rejected Beijing’s territorial claims to the waters, a diplomat said Saturday.

The Asean is meeting in Laos for the first time since the UN-backed tribunal ruled earlier this month that China did not have historic rights to vast swathes of the strategic sea.

The issue is expected to overshadow the summit, with several of the 10 member states also claiming territory in the contested waters.

China invests heavily across Asean but is accused of trying to divide the bloc by habitually offering aid, soft loans and diplomatic support to key allies Laos and Cambodia.

A Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP Saturday that only Cambodia is standing in the

the Philippines has signed the Paris Agreement last April 22, the country has not ratified or acceded to the agreement contrary to some claims.

“There is no treaty [yet] to honor. We have not [ratified] the treaty,” Duterte said, noting that the refusal of industrialized countries to agree to higher cuts in carbon emissions is “crazy.”

“There is really [climate] change but who caused it, not us,” He said. “All those years of way of a joint statement on the waters.

“It’s very grave. Cambodia just opposes almost everything, even reference to respect for legal and diplomatic processes which already has been in previous statements,” the diplomat said.

A draft of the communique obtained by AFP showed the section titled “South China Sea” currently blank.

Communist-ruled Laos also has close links with Beijing and has been accused of preventing a united front on the South China Sea issue.

But diplomats said as the chair of Asean this year Laos is trying to see a statement produced even if it is watered down.

“It does not need to take sides because even if only one country opposes, there is no consensus,” the diplomat told AFP. Another regional diplomat said Friday that negotiations appeared to be at a deadlock.

“At this point positions are locked. Cambodia has taken a hard line. Laos is hiding behind its role Asean chairman and not saying anything but at the same time it is careful not to offend China,” the diplomat said.

Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by bloc, with countries swiftly disowning a joint statement released by Malaysia after an Asean-China meeting.

That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea. The Philippines brought the international arbitration case against China, while fellow Asean members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have competing claims to parts of the sea.

In 2012 Asean foreign ministers failed to release a joint statement for the first time at the end of their annual gathering, with the Philippines blaming event host Cambodia for blocking criticism of China.

With AFP

industrialization in the 1960s and 1970s, China, America and Europe were the ones who kept on belching black smoke.”

“You have reached your current status at our expense,” Duterte told industrialized counties. “You were the ones who first spewed and spewed.

Your footprints are there. We here are just starting to head toward where you are now,” Duterte added.

Even France which is pushing for the ratification of the agreement after it hosted the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, ratified the agreement only last June 15.

In fact, of the 178 parties that signed the Paris agreement, only 20 countries have ratified it

and all of them have negligible greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, none of the 10 countries with the highest emissions in 2010— China, United States, European Union, India, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia and Canada—have even acceded to the Paris agreement.

The international deal aimed at curbing emissions was signed in Paris in December last year, but it cannot become effective until 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions have fully approved it.

The Paris pact calls for capping global warming at well below two degrees Celsius, and 1.5 Celsius if possible, compared with pre-industrial levels.

‘NOTHING...

From A1

The group argued that Manila’s curfew ordinance is contrary to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, which prohibits the imposition of curfews except if they are for the protection and not the punishment of minors.

Panelo, however, downplayed the group’s complaint, saying exemptions can be made in connection with the ordinances.

“If that should be the case, you can always place an exemption there. If there’s any exemption paper that proves they are studying and need to go home at a particular time that will be affected by curfew, then there won’t be any problem,” he said.

“Even if the minor is working, there’s no problem with that. I think what parents like me, like all of us, want is the peace of knowing that our children are already at home at a particular time,” he added.

PROTECTING THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE. A policeman in plainclothes places razor wire on a fence at the Batasang Pambansa on Saturday ahead of the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

HOUSE...

From A1

Duterte’s allies slammed De Lima after she called for a Senate probe of extrajudicial killings committed in the first few days of the Duterte administration.

In an interview with reporters, Alvarez called out De Lima for her failure to address the illegal drugs inside National Bilibid Prison and former transportation secretaries Mar Roxas and Emilio Abaya for their failure to address woes related to the Metro Rail Transit.

Allies of the administration blamed De Lima for the proliferation of the illegal drug trade with Solicitor General Jose Calida announcing that he would investigate why De Lima was “rubbing elbows” with a convicted drug lord at the national penitentiary.

Calida showed a photo of two people, purportedly De Lima and convict Jaybee Sebastian clad in an orange prison uniform. Both were seated side by side as if attending a gathering.

De Lima categorically denied drug links and denounced “in the highest possible terms this latest demolition job” linking her to Sebastian.

“Let us investigate why during the term of now Senator De Lima, because that was the time illegal drugs proliferate inside Bilibid. That I think should be looked into,” Alvarez told reporters.

Alvarez, representative of Davao del Norte and secretary general of PDP-Laban, said he will file a resolution calling for a congressional probe on De Lima despite imminent criticisms that his action may constitute a breach in the long-standing tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy between the two chambers of Congress.

But Alvarez maintained the House probe will not touch on “extra-judicial killings” of drug suspects as sought by critics of the Duterte administration, and will solely focus on the abundance of illegal drugs inside the national prison under De Lima’s watch.

“I will file a resolution that calls for an investigation on this issue,” Alvarez said in the light of the alleged black propaganda linking de Lima to convicted bank robber Herbert Colangco, a suspected drug lord.

During her stint in DoJ, it was De Lima who discovered that suspected drug lords have been living a luxurious lifestyle inside the NBP and their nefarious drug trade has remained unabated.

But Alvarez pointed out that the probe will not discuss the issue on allegations of summary execution or extra-judicial killing of drug suspects.

He said that specific government agencies, such as the Justice department and the National Bureau of Investigation are already conducting the probe, and that Congress’s probe on the matter would be a waste of time and effort.

“We have to remember that we investigate in aid of legislation. I cannot see how it is going to be in aid of legislation,” Alvarez earlier pointed out.

“If for example we find evidence of summary executions, what will we do in aid of legislation? There are already laws covering that. Congress can only recommend the filing of appropriate criminal charges against law enforcement personnel,” Alvarez added.

He said it would be best for the Department of Justice or the National Bureau of Investigation to look into these allegations and establish probable cause.

“If DoJ finds no probable cause, then our efforts will come to naught.

So why don’t we let the DoJ, NBI or the prosecutor’s office do the investigation? Congress has other things to do. We have to pass priority bills,” Alvarez pointed out.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

RODY BACKS NEW MORO LAW

By John Paolo Bencito

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte reiterated on Saturday that he did not object to the passage of a new law on the Bangsamoro so long as it does not have controversial provisions inconsistent with the Constitution.

NEW LAWMAKERS. A worker of the House of Representatives puts up pictures of new congressmen outside the plenary hall of the Batasang Pambansa on Saturday in preparation for the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte. MANNY PALMERO

GMA SUIT UBIAL UNVEILS HEALTH PROGRAM VS GOVT UNLIKELY —LAWYER FORMER president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo is focusing on her health condition and also on her duty as Pampanga congresswoman, according to her lawyer, former justice minister Estelito Mendoza.

Mendoza said he does not encourage Arroyo to file any counter-charge and does not think she has even thought about filing a lawsuit because she is still preoccupied with her health.

“I am just a lawyer, I do not encourage anything. Now that she has been released, she will be occupied for a while with her health, whether she is okay and can start getting adjusted to a normal life,” Mendoza said.

“We must remember normal life can catch quickly for her after she was elected to the House. That is one of the injustices, not only to her, but the people of second district of Pampanga, they elected her but she was unable to attend sessions in Congress because of this charge,” he said.

Arroyo was finally released on Thursday evening from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, following the promulgation of the Supreme Court’s decision junking the plunder case against her over the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

On Tuesday, the SC voted 11-4 to acquit the former president.

Copies of the release order were delivered by the Sandiganbayan Sheriff and Security Services office first to the PNP before proceeding to the VMCC. PNA

THE Department of Health said it will roll-out its latest health program and out-patient benefit packages to ensure that poorest 20 million in the country will receive the health services needed in the first 100 days of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“We will seek out the poorest and we will provide checkup and drugs if they are needed,” said DoH Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial, referring to the program called TSeKaP, or Tamang Serbisyo Para sa Kalusugan ng Pamilya.

Ubial said that in line with that goal, the DoH ensure that the poor are given priority and the necessary access to medical examina-

tions so that their health problems are provided the proper treatment at health facilities.

Ubial added that to do that effectively they did some coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development so that they could properly identify the poorest needing health services.

DSWD has the list in its databased through an official list of indigent families, formerly called National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

The list was obtained in a survey of the poor and near poor in 2015 by finding where they are so that other government agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations im-

plementing programs and services for them can design the services and intervention to ensure that the underserved will be served and to avoid over-serving and duplication that can lead to neglect of others needing the services.

“Right now all the regional offices are working with DSWD because they have line list already of the poorest and we will ensure that within the next 100 days all the poor will have basic checkups,” she said.

She said that the services would not stop in checkup alone as they ensure the creation of the necessary network to address the particular health concern and connect them to the health facility. PNA

PHOTO GALLERY. In-house photographers of the Senate arrange photographs of senators ahead of the opening of Congress on Monday. PNA PHOTO

“I am willing to implement [a new Bangsamoro law], even tomorrow. We just have to remove those [provisions] with issues with the Constitution,” Duterte said.

“You can develop the resources if you want, you can invite investors. But let’s remove the controversial constitutional provisions,” he added.

Duterte made the remarks amid repeated questions over the Bangsamoro Basic Law which failed to pass the 16th Congress because of controversial provisions that were interpreted to be violations of the 1987 Constitution.

But Duterte has affirmed that he has no objection to the passage of a more inclusive Bangsamoro law that would dovetail with his plans to change the country’s form of government to a federal system.

The main beneficiary of the defeated BBL—Moro Islamic Liberation Front—has recently agreed to junk the BBL in favor of a new enabling law that will also implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro it signed with the government last year.

Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza also said the government and the MILF will again meet in Kuala Lumpur next month to discuss preliminaries for the new enabling law.

But the wife of former Cotabato Mayor Muslimin Sema, who heads a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front has filed the original version of the defeated BBL. Maguindanao Rep. Sandra Sema said she reintroduced the bill to the House of Representatives in a bid to make it more inclusive.

She said the MNLF faction led by her husband is not hostile to the MILF, unlike the faction led by MNLF founder Nur Misuari.

A third MNLF group, led

by Abulkhayr Alonto, has also expressed support to the peace overture between the government and the MILF.

S U N D AY, J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

KAINE CHOICE IS RESPONSIBLE, THOUGH LIGHT ON PIZZAZZ

[ EDI TORI A L ]

SHUNNING POMP

By Albert R. Hunt

WHAT has always been an opportunity for government officials and their spouses to show off their fancy Filipiniana wear now stands to be lost. President Rodrigo Duterte has said those who would be in Monday’s State of the Nation Address only need to be in business attire—none of the red-carpet shows replete with descriptions of the dress’ designer and the material with which it is made.

This is similar to what happened during the President’s inauguration on June 30, where he insisted that a short guest list, simple meals and a 17-minute speech suffice.

Another related action is Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea’s memorandum of July 15, communicating the President’s directive to all government employees to refrain from addressing President Duterte as “His Excellency” and members of the Cabinet as “Honorable.”

These are concrete things that indicate the new administration’s aversion to unnecessary displays of affluence and power. They are heartening to know, but whether they point to bigger things or are just interesting directives that stand by themselves is something we cannot tell just yet.

After all, did not former President Benigno Aquino III also say, during his inaugural address six years ago, that he would be barring the use of sirens on vehicles because they revealed a culture of entitlement among officials?

We, whom Mr. Aquino called his bosses, cheered that, thinking the gesture was a sign of more good things to come. Over the next few years, however, we were dismayed to discover it was nothing but a token pronouncement as Mr. Aquino squandered his political capital, persecuting his enemies while coddling his friends, denouncing corrupt practices while concocting schemes of his own.

And so we welcome President Duterte’s early gestures that appear to shun shallow pageantry. It does not mean, however, that we would be content with these. We will continue to watch the administration’s succeeding moves, what it does and does not do against what it says.

We had long been promised change, and we won’t settle for the superficial kind.

TRUMP’S OPPONENTS ARE HELPING HIM WIN

By Clive Crook LISTENING to Donald Trump’s speech at the Republican convention, and scanning the reaction to it, I have the sinking feeling that he might win in November. He’s extremely effective at what he does. His critics, on the other hand, are not.

The speech was purest populism: nine-tenths grievances and empty promises, one-tenth stupid policy ideas. Yet the formula is working—partly because the grievances are skillfully marshalled, and partly because his opponents in politics and the media

(meaning almost everybody in those incestuously connected industries) are deeply confused in their response.

Trump’s populism is potent because it unites the grievances of left and right.

This was explicit in the speech when he called on Bernie Sanders’ supporters to back his campaign. With luck, they won’t, but the idea isn’t absurd.

The left is fixated on the evils of trade and global capitalism, and Trump (unlike Hillary Clinton) taps those grievances as powerfully as Sanders. At the same time, Trump is as anti-Washington as you could wish, which thrills voters on the right.

If the system is indeed broken, there’s something to be said for simply smashing it to pieces. Trump would appear to be the man for smashing things to pieces.

A5

Importantly, Trump’s merging of grievances is more coherent than standard-issue liberalism or conservatism.

The liberal position is that Washington has been corrupted by crony capitalism, that the system is grinding the faces of ordinary working Americans, and that the answer is more Washington. The conservative position is that Washington has been corrupted by crony capitalism, that the system is grinding the faces of ordinary working Americans, and that the answer is to squeeze Social Security and cut taxes for the rich.

Trump’s critics complain about his relentless invoking

of crisis—despite agreeing with him that the system is collapsing.

Conservatives keep telling us that the American project is in mortal danger, that liberty itself is at stake. Liberals keep telling us that global capitalism is wrecking everything that’s decent in society, that the US is institutionally racist, and America’s traditional values are so much hypocrisy. I think back to the rapturous reception accorded by the left in 2014 to Thomas Piketty’s “Capital,” which argued that capitalism is an engine of injustice, headed for selfdestruction; progressives everywhere nodded wisely in

agreement. Here’s what puzzles many of them today: Why does Trump have to be so negative?

If the system is indeed broken, there’s something to be said for simply smashing it to pieces. Trump would appear to be the man for smashing things to pieces.

The only sure antidote to Trump is straightforward, competent centrism.

This doesn’t seem like much to ask, and it’s presumably how Clinton will fight the campaign after next week’s convention. Even so, consider the weaknesses that Trump can exploit: Her wavering on trade policy, the

reckless incompetence (to put it most kindly) of the e-mail scandal, her financial entanglements with Wall Street, her lifelong dedication to the profession of politics, her sense of entitlement to power. In so many ways, she stands for the very things that populists of left and right most detest about the US system of government.

I shuddered when Trump said, “I am your voice.” Can Clinton say that with any credibility? Trump is a truly frightening prospect, but he’s demonstrated a capacity to channel people who feel ignored, let down

and disrespected. This trait doesn’t come easily to his critics. Even now, on the left and on the right, Trump’s critics would rather celebrate the evils of Trumpism among themselves—ever more certain that Trump supporters can’t be worth talking to.

That would be fine if Trump was standing at 20 percent in the polls. A poll conducted during the first few days of the convention showed him tied with Clinton in Ohio, a crucial swing state. If he moves up because of this speech, I’ll be dismayed—but no longer surprised. Bloomberg

BY CHOOSING Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate, Hillary Clinton opted for governing credentials over political pizzazz.

Kaine, a former governor of his swing state, is an experienced public official and mature moderate who could step into the presidency.

And while Kaine’s home-state popularity may have figured in his selection, he lacks what some party activists say Clinton most needs: excitement and enthusiasm, something that the first female presidential nominee has yet to generate.

Earlier this week, Clinton said she was “afflicted with the responsibility gene” in picking a running mate. Kaine is a responsible choice.

He has a lot in common with his Republican counterpart, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana. Both are deeply religious: Kaine a Roman Catholic, Pence an evangelical Christian. Both have been state chief executives and members of Congress. Both have about two decades of political experience under their belts, and both are relatively mild-mannered and temperamentally ill-suited for the role of leading attacks against their opponents. That’s something the principals don’t need much help with, anyway.

The Virginian is respected by Republican and Democratic senators. He got high grades as mayor of Richmond from 1998-2001, presiding over falling crime, and as governor from 2006 to 2010. He also served briefly as national Democratic chairman.

By Virginia standards he’s a progressive, and was once considered too liberal to win statewide.

He favors gun control, opposes the death penalty and, in tobacco country, initiated anti-smoking measures. Left-wing activists have lobbied against his selection. They note his general support of freetrade measures and charge that he hasn’t been hostile enough to Wall Street and big banks.

Bernie Sanders made it clear that he didn’t think Kaine should be Clinton’s choice. While praising his Virginia colleague as “a very decent guy,” he said Clinton’s running mate should be “a very strong progressive who has a history of standing up to big money interests.” He left no doubt that Kaine didn’t meet that standard.

A strong asset Kaine brings to the ticket is fluency in Spanish; he gave the first Senate speech entirely in that language. Democrats are putting exceptional emphasis on turning out Latino voters this autumn, hoping to benefit from Donald Trump’s scornful comments about Mexican immigrants.

Kaine also has been a voice on national security, serving on both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. He is especially passionate about requiring congressional authorization for military actions, particularly in the war against the Islamic state.

He is a practicing Catholic who took a year off from Harvard Law School to volunteer with Jesuits in Honduras. He’s married to Ann Holton, the Virginia Secretary of Education and daughter of Linwood Holton, the first elected Republican governor in Virginia history.

Virginia has lax ethics rules and, as governor, Kaine accepted some free trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors. His successor, Bob McDonnell, a Republican, was convicted for taking lavish gifts amid charges of quid-pro-quo arrangements. The conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in a case that turned on subtle differences between corruption and legal influence peddling.

Trump undoubtedly will seize on this and try to paint Kaine as crooked. But any parallel to McDonnell is flawed; there was no suggestion of any quid pro quo in Governor Kaine’s case.

Republicans and Democrats have both praised Kaine’s integrity. Bloomberg

S U N D AY, J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

KAINE CHOICE IS RESPONSIBLE, THOUGH LIGHT ON PIZZAZZ

[ EDI TORI A L ]

SHUNNING POMP

By Albert R. Hunt

WHAT has always been an opportunity for government officials and their spouses to show off their fancy Filipiniana wear now stands to be lost. President Rodrigo Duterte has said those who would be in Monday’s State of the Nation Address only need to be in business attire—none of the red-carpet shows replete with descriptions of the dress’ designer and the material with which it is made.

This is similar to what happened during the President’s inauguration on June 30, where he insisted that a short guest list, simple meals and a 17-minute speech suffice.

Another related action is Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea’s memorandum of July 15, communicating the President’s directive to all government employees to refrain from addressing President Duterte as “His Excellency” and members of the Cabinet as “Honorable.”

These are concrete things that indicate the new administration’s aversion to unnecessary displays of affluence and power. They are heartening to know, but whether they point to bigger things or are just interesting directives that stand by themselves is something we cannot tell just yet.

After all, did not former President Benigno Aquino III also say, during his inaugural address six years ago, that he would be barring the use of sirens on vehicles because they revealed a culture of entitlement among officials?

We, whom Mr. Aquino called his bosses, cheered that, thinking the gesture was a sign of more good things to come. Over the next few years, however, we were dismayed to discover it was nothing but a token pronouncement as Mr. Aquino squandered his political capital, persecuting his enemies while coddling his friends, denouncing corrupt practices while concocting schemes of his own.

And so we welcome President Duterte’s early gestures that appear to shun shallow pageantry. It does not mean, however, that we would be content with these. We will continue to watch the administration’s succeeding moves, what it does and does not do against what it says.

We had long been promised change, and we won’t settle for the superficial kind.

TRUMP’S OPPONENTS ARE HELPING HIM WIN

By Clive Crook LISTENING to Donald Trump’s speech at the Republican convention, and scanning the reaction to it, I have the sinking feeling that he might win in November. He’s extremely effective at what he does. His critics, on the other hand, are not.

The speech was purest populism: nine-tenths grievances and empty promises, one-tenth stupid policy ideas. Yet the formula is working—partly because the grievances are skillfully marshalled, and partly because his opponents in politics and the media

(meaning almost everybody in those incestuously connected industries) are deeply confused in their response.

Trump’s populism is potent because it unites the grievances of left and right.

This was explicit in the speech when he called on Bernie Sanders’ supporters to back his campaign. With luck, they won’t, but the idea isn’t absurd.

The left is fixated on the evils of trade and global capitalism, and Trump (unlike Hillary Clinton) taps those grievances as powerfully as Sanders. At the same time, Trump is as anti-Washington as you could wish, which thrills voters on the right.

If the system is indeed broken, there’s something to be said for simply smashing it to pieces. Trump would appear to be the man for smashing things to pieces.

A5

Importantly, Trump’s merging of grievances is more coherent than standard-issue liberalism or conservatism.

The liberal position is that Washington has been corrupted by crony capitalism, that the system is grinding the faces of ordinary working Americans, and that the answer is more Washington. The conservative position is that Washington has been corrupted by crony capitalism, that the system is grinding the faces of ordinary working Americans, and that the answer is to squeeze Social Security and cut taxes for the rich.

Trump’s critics complain about his relentless invoking

of crisis—despite agreeing with him that the system is collapsing.

Conservatives keep telling us that the American project is in mortal danger, that liberty itself is at stake. Liberals keep telling us that global capitalism is wrecking everything that’s decent in society, that the US is institutionally racist, and America’s traditional values are so much hypocrisy. I think back to the rapturous reception accorded by the left in 2014 to Thomas Piketty’s “Capital,” which argued that capitalism is an engine of injustice, headed for selfdestruction; progressives everywhere nodded wisely in

agreement. Here’s what puzzles many of them today: Why does Trump have to be so negative?

If the system is indeed broken, there’s something to be said for simply smashing it to pieces. Trump would appear to be the man for smashing things to pieces.

The only sure antidote to Trump is straightforward, competent centrism.

This doesn’t seem like much to ask, and it’s presumably how Clinton will fight the campaign after next week’s convention. Even so, consider the weaknesses that Trump can exploit: Her wavering on trade policy, the

reckless incompetence (to put it most kindly) of the e-mail scandal, her financial entanglements with Wall Street, her lifelong dedication to the profession of politics, her sense of entitlement to power. In so many ways, she stands for the very things that populists of left and right most detest about the US system of government.

I shuddered when Trump said, “I am your voice.” Can Clinton say that with any credibility? Trump is a truly frightening prospect, but he’s demonstrated a capacity to channel people who feel ignored, let down

and disrespected. This trait doesn’t come easily to his critics. Even now, on the left and on the right, Trump’s critics would rather celebrate the evils of Trumpism among themselves—ever more certain that Trump supporters can’t be worth talking to.

That would be fine if Trump was standing at 20 percent in the polls. A poll conducted during the first few days of the convention showed him tied with Clinton in Ohio, a crucial swing state. If he moves up because of this speech, I’ll be dismayed—but no longer surprised. Bloomberg

BY CHOOSING Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate, Hillary Clinton opted for governing credentials over political pizzazz.

Kaine, a former governor of his swing state, is an experienced public official and mature moderate who could step into the presidency.

And while Kaine’s home-state popularity may have figured in his selection, he lacks what some party activists say Clinton most needs: excitement and enthusiasm, something that the first female presidential nominee has yet to generate.

Earlier this week, Clinton said she was “afflicted with the responsibility gene” in picking a running mate. Kaine is a responsible choice.

He has a lot in common with his Republican counterpart, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana. Both are deeply religious: Kaine a Roman Catholic, Pence an evangelical Christian. Both have been state chief executives and members of Congress. Both have about two decades of political experience under their belts, and both are relatively mild-mannered and temperamentally ill-suited for the role of leading attacks against their opponents. That’s something the principals don’t need much help with, anyway.

The Virginian is respected by Republican and Democratic senators. He got high grades as mayor of Richmond from 1998-2001, presiding over falling crime, and as governor from 2006 to 2010. He also served briefly as national Democratic chairman.

By Virginia standards he’s a progressive, and was once considered too liberal to win statewide.

He favors gun control, opposes the death penalty and, in tobacco country, initiated anti-smoking measures. Left-wing activists have lobbied against his selection. They note his general support of freetrade measures and charge that he hasn’t been hostile enough to Wall Street and big banks.

Bernie Sanders made it clear that he didn’t think Kaine should be Clinton’s choice. While praising his Virginia colleague as “a very decent guy,” he said Clinton’s running mate should be “a very strong progressive who has a history of standing up to big money interests.” He left no doubt that Kaine didn’t meet that standard.

A strong asset Kaine brings to the ticket is fluency in Spanish; he gave the first Senate speech entirely in that language. Democrats are putting exceptional emphasis on turning out Latino voters this autumn, hoping to benefit from Donald Trump’s scornful comments about Mexican immigrants.

Kaine also has been a voice on national security, serving on both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. He is especially passionate about requiring congressional authorization for military actions, particularly in the war against the Islamic state.

He is a practicing Catholic who took a year off from Harvard Law School to volunteer with Jesuits in Honduras. He’s married to Ann Holton, the Virginia Secretary of Education and daughter of Linwood Holton, the first elected Republican governor in Virginia history.

Virginia has lax ethics rules and, as governor, Kaine accepted some free trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors. His successor, Bob McDonnell, a Republican, was convicted for taking lavish gifts amid charges of quid-pro-quo arrangements. The conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in a case that turned on subtle differences between corruption and legal influence peddling.

Trump undoubtedly will seize on this and try to paint Kaine as crooked. But any parallel to McDonnell is flawed; there was no suggestion of any quid pro quo in Governor Kaine’s case.

Republicans and Democrats have both praised Kaine’s integrity. Bloomberg

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

NOTHING WILL BE AS BEFORE

By Bülent Kiliç ISTANBUL—A line has been crossed in Turkey. You had people who were standing up to the military, but once they stopped the soldiers, they didn’t stop themselves. They lost control.

And now they feel they can do whatever they want.

This happened in Istanbul, not in Aleppo. In Aleppo, there is no law, there are no rules, there is anarchy. We’re still in Turkey here.

You’re a democracy fighter, you have stopped the army, that’s fine.

But once you stop the army, once the soldiers give up, you stop and you tell the world, look what we have done. And they didn’t.

I couldn’t sleep. I am preparing for anything. It’s not easy for me.

This is my home. I shoot conflicts in other countries and then I come back home. But now I’m preparing for anything to happen in my home.

Friday evening I was shooting one of the two bridges across the Bosphorus because they had a light show for the Nice victims.

They lit the bridge in the red, white and blue of the French flag.

As I was shooting, at one point I realized that the traffic on the bridge had stopped. This wasn’t normal because it wasn’t the regular rush hour. I got some calls from friends and colleagues that something was going on and then I called Ozan. He said something was going on, too. So I took the car with two fellow photographers and we headed to the bridge.

We drove toward the bridge and past a military school where apparently the coup had started.

By this time we heard that the military had closed the bridge, so I was driving like a crazy person. A soldier flagged us down. I slowed the car down and shot pictures outside the window.

“Why are you driving like this,”

Civilians face off with soldiers on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. AFP he asked me.

“I should ask you why I am driving like this,” I answered.

“The military has taken over the government,” he said.

When he told me that, I crashed into the car in front of me. My foot must have slipped off the break and I forgot to press it again.

“Ok, thank you,” I said and drove off.

I drove even crazier to the bridge now. Along the way I saw people in uniform detaining some people. I took some shots.

The people in uniform started to shout at me. “Ok, sorry!” I yelled back and kept on driving. When I got to the bridge and saw so many

soldiers around, I called the office in Paris. It’s a coup, you have to send photographers before they close the airports, I told them.

Then I went home to take my flak jacket and helmet and more equipment because I was sure there’d be clashes. Turkey has a history of coups. I was six months old when the last bloody one happened, but I have read books, I’ve talked about it to my father.

So I have an idea of what happens.

And I was sure there’d be clashes.

Then I headed back to the bridge.

When I got back to the bridge I saw some people starting to gather in front of the military.

I was thinking about Egypt.

In Egypt the people started to

march and the soldiers shot at the people. It happened just like this. People started to march on the Bosphorus bridge and the soldiers started to shoot into the crowd. And when I saw this, I thought this is something serious.

I took cover. I was shocked—I didn’t expect so many people would be ready to die. I could see the soldiers shooting. But they, the people facing off in front of them, they didn’t stop.

I pulled back, sent some photos and went back. I saw a tank firing at the people. At the same time, you had jets flying low over the city, setting off sonic booms. I thought they would bomb the police station and made a mental

note to stay away from it.

And then, I don’t know how it happened, but it became morning.

It was like in a film—you go out for a normal day and suddenly it’s 24 hours later. That’s how I felt. I went out to shoot the bridge for the Nice commemorative service and then I realized that the sun was coming up.

And that’s how I spent my night, wandering from place to place. Around 3 or 4 a.m., I saw some people who were catching soldiers and taking them to the police. I saw about three or four soldiers like that.

In the early morning, I went to the office, took a helmet and flak jacket and went out again. AFP

HOW TO REBOOT BRITAIN’S ECONOMY AFTER BREXIT

By Mark Gilbert THE UK decision to quit the European Union appears to be slowing the global recovery. But the government’s policy response put the domestic economy on a stronger footing than before, limiting Brexit’s negative impact on the rest of the world. Britain, previously Europe’s poster child for austerity, has an opportunity to augment the Bank of England’s monetary-policy efforts with some much-needed fiscal firepower.

The International Monetary Fund cited Brexit for smothering a modest upgrade in this year’s outlook, saying that the world will grow by 3.1 percent, unchanged from last year. “The real effects of Brexit will play out gradually over time, adding elements of economic and political uncertainty that could be resolved only after many months,” said IMF chief economist Maurice Obstfeld.

The impact on the UK, though, is worse; the IMF sees the UK de-

celerating to 1.3 percent growth in 2017 from 1.7 percent this year —slower than the euro zone’s projection for 1.4 percent.

Even before she became prime minister, Theresa May announced that efforts to generate a budget surplus by 2020 would be abandoned. It’s a very different tone than former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s June 15 threat to introduce more spending cuts and higher taxes if the nation voted in favor of Brexit.

The task facing Britain’s government is to avoid letting the political drama develop into an economic crisis. Britons are more pessimistic about the financial outlook than at any time in the past two-and-a-half years, according to the Markit July survey of UK households.

Business uncertainty has climbed after the vote, according to the Bank of England’s regular survey of business conditions, with one-third of firms seeing a negative impact on hiring and in-

vestment in the coming year. And a UK Treasury survey published on Wednesday showed that independent forecasters now see growth of just 0.8 percent next year, down from a consensus for 2.1 percent just a month ago.

Trying to untangle the complex web of reasons why Britons voted in favor of exiting the bloc is a fruitless exercise. Immigration concerns, exaggerated claims about “taking back sovereignty” and the perennial desire to give an incumbent government a kicking all played a part. But a sense that the alleged trade benefits of EU membership weren’t translating into an improved sense of economic well-being—especially under the stewardship of Osborne —undoubtedly played a role.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies published a report this week on UK living standards. Working Brits haven’t had a pay rise in the past 10 years. The government’s foremost priority must be to begin to turn this picture around.

That will take a much different fiscal policy—more investmentdriven—than anything the previous administration tried.

Some 44 percent of global investors regard global fiscal policy as currently too restrictive, according to a survey published this week by Bank of America.

That’s a record for the monthly poll, according to the bank’s chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett. It suggests that money managers are losing faith in the world’s reliance on monetary policy and quantitative easing to avert a renewed slump.

Philip Hammond, Britain’s new chancellor, said this week he won’t rush to change course and will wait until his Autumn statement to set out his stall. But his comment on Tuesday that the central bank should deliver “the initial response” to the Brexit shock suggests scope for a secondary response on the fiscal front, and might also help explain why the central bank didn’t

immediately reduce borrowing costs when it met last week.

The futures market (which was completely wrong-footed by the last non-cut) suggests traders see about an 87 percent chance of a Bank of England rate cut to 0.25 percent from 0.5 percent when it next meets on Aug. 4. But the experience of the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan suggests even borrowing costs below zero don’t have the power to restore business and consumer confidence.

So let’s hope the new administration has the intellectual courage to change direction and loosen the fiscal purse strings—funding more high-speed railways and improved road links between cities in the north, for example, or a commitment to developing tidal power in the nation’s lagoons and bays. A break from the “austerity is good for you” message that’s dominated government policy in recent years is just what the country needs.

Bloomberg

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

FILIPINOS IN SaudI JaIL: 300

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Foreign Affairs said it has yet to determine if there were Filipinos among the more than 100 people executed this year in Saudi Arabia for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking and rape.

A report from the Interior Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said it has executed a man for murder, bringing to 101 the number of people put to death this year.

The DFA said that there are at least 300 Filipinos detained in Saudi Arabia over various charges.

Data provided by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah showed that 289 Filipinos are currently locked up in the Western Saudi region, while the others are detained in Riyadh, many of them allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

Consul General Imelda Panolong said that of the 289, at least 103 Filipinos are charged with drug-related offenses, from drug trafficking to possession.

The DFA said that the Philippine government is doing all its efforts to provide legal assistance to all detained Filipino workers in KSA and other countries.

There are more than two million Filipinos working in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia has the biggest population with more than 1.1 million OFWs. Migrante International has advised Filipinos in the Middle East to strictly follow the laws of their host countries, especially Muslim countries because of their strict and different religious belief.

The kingdom imposes the death penalty for offenses including murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy.

Red tide engulfs samaR, leyte bays TACLOBAN CITY—The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has expressed alarm over the red tide phenomenon in Eastern Visayas that has already killed two children.

BFAR’s regional office said that red tide toxins found on May 27 in Irong Irong Bay in Tarangnan, Samar and Cambatutay Bay in Catbalogan City have spread to nearby Maqueda Bay, Villareal Bay and Carigara Bay. Maqueda Bay is a major source of mussels for residents of Jiabong, Catbalogan City, Motiong, Paranas, Pinabacdao, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, and Calbiga in Samar. The area has been shipping shellfish to Manila for export.

Another rich source of shell-

fish is Carigara Bay in Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, Leyte, and Capoocan towns in Leyte province.

BFAR regional director Juan Albaladejo said that a family of seven from Cagutsan village, Sierra Island in Catbalogan City were brought to the Samar Provincial Hospital and later to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center after consuming penshell locally known as “sarad.”

An 11-year-old girl from the family died due to paralytic shellfish poisoning on July 17.

On July 20, another family from San Andres village also in Catbalogan consumed mussels for dinner bought from a village market. Two of their children were hospitalized after suffering severe stomach pain.

A five-year-old boy succumbed to dehydration at the Samar Provincial Hospital the same day.

The fisheries bureau asked local government units to assist in the information drive and enforcement of shellfish ban, which strictly prohibits consumption, trading, and transport of shellfish gathered from infested bays.

“It’s unfortunate that these incidents happen despite effort to warn the public starting from

the onset of red tide recurrence,” Albaladejo said.

“We reiterate our public advisory to refrain from eating, harvesting, marketing, and buying shellfishes and Acetes specially from affected bays until such time that the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level,” he said.

Fish, squid, shrimp and crab are safe to eat “provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” according to BFAR. In the last quarter of 2015, Eastern Visayas region was hit by what the BFAR described as the biggest red tide bloom that has not been seen in the region for more than three decades. PNA

ANTI-COLORUM. Members of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board inspect passenger buses plying Edsa and attach a sticker on each unit to distinguish the legit from the colorum bus. MANNy PALMeRO

caSH TRaNSFER SOuGHT TO BE MadE PERMaNENT A BOHOL lawmaker has sought the creation of a national conditional fund transfer program in order to reduce poverty and promote human capital development.

Rep. Arthur Yap, in House Bill 823, proposed the creation of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” to make the 4Ps or cash transfer program permanent by providing for the statutory authority, ensuring continuous funding and laying down the basic parameters for the determination of target-beneficiaries and conditions for compliance.

Yap said the 4Ps aims to provide monitoring and assessment mechanism for the evaluation of the program and defines the duties and obligations of concerned government agencies tasked for the implementation of the program.

“The main objective of the program is to impact on the hunger situation of the poorest families in the country by granting them conditional cash benefits and investing in

human capital. The conditionalities of the grant are primarily for the parents to send their children to school and to health care centers on a regular basis,” Yap said.

Citing the data gathered by the Philippine National Statistics Authority in the first semester of 2015, Yap said poverty incidence is at 25.3 percent, the lowest in nine years. The report also stated that 16 percent of Filipino families do not have enough income to buy their basic food and non-food needs.

Under the measure to be known as the “Conditional Cash Subsidy Institutionalization Act of 2016,” priority shall be given to the poorest household in the country selected through a uniform, objective and transparent set of criteria.

The targeted household-beneficiary shall receive a conditional cash subsidy of P500 per month for health and nutrition expenses or an equivalent of P6,000 per householdbeneficiary per year.

DRUG WAR CASUALTy. a woman hugs her husband, next to a placard which reads ‘I’m a

pusher,’ who was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in Manila on July 23, 2016. There has also been a surge in killings by anti-drug vigilantes who leave victims’ corpses on city streets wrapped in packaging tape with signs accusing them of being drug dealers. AFP

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SUNDAY: JULY 24, 2016

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ESTRADA OKAYS PORT EXPANSION

LOVERS’ BAY. A couple enjoys a quiet afternoon at Manila’s Baywalk. EY ACASIO

IN A landmark initiative, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has signed a joint-venture agreement with a construction conglomerate for the P7.4-billion expansion of the Manila Harbour Centre in Tondo which he said would generate huge revenues for the city and thousands of jobs for residents.

Estrada said the multi-billion peso project will also help solve the perennial problem of congestion in the city’s sea ports, particularly at the Manila North Harbour, or commonly known as North Harbor.

“At no cost to the city government, this project will bring about the much-needed realty and corporate income taxes, and of course, thousands of jobs and business opportunities for the Manileños,” the Manila mayor pointed out, optimistic that the project “will help provide solutions to a lot of problems in Manila,” Estrada said in a statement.

The project entails the reclamation of 50 more hectares of Manila Bay to expand the reclaimed land area of the existing 79-hectare Manila North Harbour Centre, which is operated by Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. Under the Joint Venture Agreement with R-II Builders Inc., Manila will be appropriated with a 15-hectare portion of the soon-tobe-reclaimed area which the city government is planning to develop as a new industrial complex.

“Imagine the thousands of jobs it can generate once it is completed and has become fully operational,” Estrada stressed.

Reghis Romero, chairman of R-II Builders, said the 50 hectares to be reclaimed is at the westernmost end of the Manila North Harbour Centre. Phase 1 and 2 of the reclamation and construction works will be completed in two-and-a-half years.

He pointed out that the port expansion is badly needed to make the operation of Port of Manila at par with international standards.

“Because of progress, bigger cargo vessels are now being used, from 20,000 to 30,000 metric tons and now up to 60,000 to 70,000 metric tons. These vessels need a draft of at least 15 meters but sadly, Philippine ports can only handle up to 12,” Romero explained as quoted in the statement released by city hall.

LP GIVES IN, JOINS DUTERTE PARTY

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Liberal Party in the House of Representatives led by former speaker and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has decided to join the super majority controlled by the ruling group Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Incoming House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas confirmed that Belmonte told him that the LP will be part of the super majority led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, representative of Davao del Norte and PDP-Laban secretarygeneral.

Fariñas said that by joining the PDP-Laban, Belmonte would no longer contest the speakership race on Monday where Alvarez is expected to be declared as the Speaker for the 17th Congress by an overwhelming vote from 293 House members.

He said Belmonte, who will

lead the LP contingent in the House, would also want to formalize the LP’s membership to the PDP-Laban’s super majority by inking a coalition agreement between the two parties. “[Sonny Belmonte] just called me to say he is not running for speaker and the LP will join the majority. He is requesting to sign the Coalition Agreement tomorrow upon the return of Rep. Alvarez to Manila from Davao,” Fariñas said.

Belmonte also has “chosen to set aside my personal goal to run for the minority leadership if only in deference and respect to the position former President [Benigno Aquino III] for LP to be in the majority coalition,” according

to Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, a LP member.

Another LP member, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo also confirmed the move of the LP to be part of the majority coalition in the Lower House.

He said Belmonte has “set aside his aspiration to be minority floor leader in deference to concerns from other members.”

“This will also show our unequivocal support now to the Duterte administration who had a strong mandate from the electorate and recently garnered the highest acceptance rating,” Castelo said.

Fariñas had earlier said the PDP-Laban has “been bending to accommodate all the LP’s

requests” and this includes accepting the remnants of the LP congressional contingent to the majority coalition.

An LP lawmaker earlier admitted that at least five solons, all senior party members, are vehemently against the idea of LP joining the pro-Duterte majority.

“On the other hand, LP members from Mindanao are quite cautious against offending President Duterte. They want to join the super majority but are not willing to bolt the party,” the lawmaker earlier said.

The LP, the ruling majority bloc during the Aquino administration, won at least 110 congressional seats during the May 9 general elections.

RODY’S HIGH RATING GOOD FOR CHA-CHA A NEOPHYTE lawmaker on Saturday expressed belief that President Rodrigo Duterte’s trust rating of 91 percent in a recent independent poll conducted nationwide is expected to boost the ongoing campaign for Charter Change to usher in the shift to a federal system of government.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, one of the principal authors of proposals filed in the 17th Congress for federalism, said that now is the time to push for Charter Change through a Constitutional Convention to clear the way for the shift to a federal form of government because the President cannot be suspected of having any hidden political agenda in supporting such plans.

“The onset of the Duterte presidency is the perfect time to push for a Constitutional Convention because President Duterte has no political agenda and he is being trusted by more than 90 percent of Filipinos.

All of his advocacies with good intentions are backed by his very strong political capital,” Villafuerte said.

President Duterte, former mayor of Davao City, has been strongly advocating the shift to a federal form of government as he believes that federalism would be the “most effective tool” to address income inequality and bring inclusive growth to the countryside.

The recent Pulse Asia survey conducted from July 2 to 8 showed President Duterte garnering an “excellent” trust rating of 91 percent. Duterte’s high trust rating cuts across all regions and social classes. He rated 97 percent in Mindanao, 89 percent in both Luzon and Visayas, and 92 percent in the National Capital Region.

Based on social classes, Duterte obtained an 89-percent trust rating from the ABC class, and a high 92 percent from both the D and E classes.

Maricel V. Cruz

UNICEF ENVOY. Singer-actor Gary Valenciano reads a book for public school students from

Mandaluyong City who participate in a book- reading event as part of SM Care’s program for children and United Nations Children’s Fund in celebration of the National Children’s Book Reading Day held at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. MANNY PALMERO

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SUNDAY: JULY 24, 2016

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

OLX REDEFINES FILIPINO BARTER

OLX, or online exchange, has a massive community of eight million Filipino users who trade goods and services through postings in an online platform that has redefined the barter system.

While it is now controlled by a South African media company, OLX Philippines started in 2006 as Sulit.com.ph—the brainchild of Filipino couple RJ and Arianne David.

The platform now gets 40,000 new listings each day. It allows registered users to post free classifieds on products and services such as cars, condominium units, electronics, gadgets, appliances, furniture, clothes, books, jewelries, pets, jobs, business opportunities and services as well as deals on hotels, resorts, restaurants, healthcare, education, entertainment, sports, hobbies, health and beauty.

“We are the largest buy and sell platform and classifieds within the Philippines,” says Giancarlo Bonsel, a Dutch national who serves as general manager of OLX Philippines.

“It is a great place where people can sell items. Anything sells in OLX and it sells fast because of the huge audience that we have on a daily and monthly basis. So that’s what OLX’s rationale is all about—meeting, buying and selling. It’s about goods and services they do care about,” says Bonsel.

More than eight million unique users visit OLX.ph each month, Bonsel says during the launching of the company’s new marketing campaign at White Space in Makati City.

The David couple built Sulit. com.ph in September 2006 with P2,400 as capital, but sold their stake to Naspers, a South African company in 2009. The couple remained in the board, with RJ keeping his post as managing director and Arianne as head of operations. Sulit became OLX Philippines in 2014 and emerged as a dominant online classifieds company in the country, supplanting the print media as the main platform for classifieds.

The David couple has recently given way to a new management team, led by Bonsel as general manager, Cris Concepcion as chief marketing officer, Bit Santos as chief technology officer and Steve Santos as country manager of Property 24 Philippines, which caters to online real estate classifieds.

Concepcion says OLX has made its mark in the local market. “I think what differentiates us is that aside from that advantage and sheer volume of users already engaged is that we have a strong local team,” says Concepcion.

“We do see the value of this and we have people on the ground to make sure that we have a pulse on the market and we can act in ways where all our inventories are relevant to our users.”

OLX, which started in Argentina as online exchange before it was acquired by Naspers, is the world’s biggest brand in classifieds, with over 300 million active users and 28 billion monthly page views. It is now also available in

OLX Philippines executives 45 countries and has more than 2,000 employees globally.

OLX was established in Argentina by young entrepreneurs Fabrice Grinda and Alec Oxenford who saw the potential of mobile technology in creating a positive impact on people’s lives. Naspers acquired OLX in August 2010 and transformed it into the world’s largest brand for consumer-toconsumer trade.

Naspers expanded the brand through acquisitions of online classified services in the Philippines (Sulit), Thailand, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Indonesia and re-branded them as OLX. Concepcion says OLX users are mostly young professionals, with ages 20 to 24 years. “So anywhere from late teens to early twenties go for us. One of the reasons I think we’re growing is that younger consumers are more environmentally aware. I think that younger consumers have a slightly different mindset from the older generation,” he says.

“So the younger generation takes a lot of value investing on experiences and to see things and meet people and their stuff can be exchanged or extended or swapped or sold and bought back, and I think this behavior to some degree manifests the share economy where we see people share rides and share things and that is the behavior that’s gonna develop for our country moving forward in the next few years,” Concepcion says.

To support the expansion of the brand, OLX Philippines launched its new campaign called ‘Win Together.’

We have a community of 8 million unique users who come to our platform and engage with each other to buy and sell goods and services.

“We make sure that people come together and actually bring together, hence the name of our campaign this year, which expresses the deeper value of the connections that we create on our platform which is OLX. Within OLX, we go by the title of ‘Everybody wins.’ We truly believe that our own platform is classified, which is different from e-commerce because it is created by people coming together and therefore making gateway transactions for both parties,” says Bonsel who is a part of Naspers Group.

Bonsel says OLX today is all about the connections and lifestyle created through the simple act of buying and selling.

“Through our platform, we connect people with one another to create value with each transaction

and in time, foster relationships that enable a growing, supportive community that wins together.”

Concepcion says buying and selling go beyond practical function. “The exchanges between buyers and sellers create a community where everybody wins.

Within our larger community are smaller communities of likeminded individuals who share passions. It is in our best interest to help these ‘tribes’ grow their own community base as well as encourage entrepreneurship and healthy exchanges with more people. Collectively, community efforts contribute to a greater goal of promoting sustainability, thereby enabling all stakeholders to win together,” says Concepcion.

Concepcion says the platform also empowers local communities by turning their pre-owned goods into new opportunities.

“This lifestyle coupled with technology has created a collaborative economy where people share and exchange goods and resources as they create connections and build relationships with one another. We hope that our platform continues to be part of motivating more people to create communities engaging in winning exchanges,” says Bonsel.

“It is something you cannot find anywhere else because we have everything that you want, look for and find in OLX. And even better, you can find it at a range that you can’t find anywhere else either because many prices are pre-owned and pre-loved. Therefore, you can get them at a great deal,” says Bonsel.

Bonsel says OLX has also done

its part to protect the platform from scam. “Occasionally there is only a handful from the hundreds and thousands of cases that we handle every week that are fraud and scam. It still hurts the community and we really need to care about that. So we do a number of things to protect the people. So first, we emphasize always on the buyer education. We preach on the good practices and the right thing to do when you purchase something online. And the other part is that we rely on the community to protect each other as well,” he says.

“OLX is a platform where buyers and sellers meet and where transaction happens between them. We are not part of the transaction so we are not able to examine each and every item so if in case something fishy happens and there is a report made about the item, we will investigate,” he says.

Bonsel says the core of OLX platform remains free. “This is what we are. But what we also are is that we are a great place for people to start and to grow a business on a platform because of the sheer size of the audience that we have.

Now we believe that once you can grow a business on OLX, at a certain point, we are creating value together,” says Bonsel.

He says earnings will come from fees charged on users who make postings beyond a certain limit.

“When you post a certain number of items beyond the certain limits, then we charge you a minimum fee when you go beyond it so that’s how we do it. Because there is so much, there is such a huge audience for certain galleries. There’s a lot of vendors, there’s a lot of sellers. You may want to start a legitimate wall to sell your items faster and to sell it a price that you want. So therefore, we have certain features with value added services that will help you boost the audience that you get, boost the views, and boost the context and increase the likelihood that you will sell it at a speed that you want and at a price that you want,” he says.

Bonsel says despite the rise of other online classifieds, OLX remains optimistic about its prospects in the Philippines.

“What makes us unique is the community that we have. We have a community on a monthly basis of eight million unique users who come to our platform and engage with each other to buy and to sell the goods and services and to engage with them because they care about those goods and services whether they are brand new or pre-owned.”

“So that is what we believe is our main advantage to our competitors. And it takes a while to nurture that and takes a great deal of effort to make sure that the community is growing and is perfected as earlier raised. So that is what we believe is our strength over any competition that comes in,” Bonsel says.

Bonsel says as both buyers and sellers win together, OLX also shares the success of its users. “More sellers, more buyers equates to even larger communities which create more activity on our platform. This is something that the whole community will benefit from, because this means the products will sell faster and you can find even better deals. This is how we truly feel what the role of OLX is,” he says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

SUNDAY: JULY 24, 2016

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

GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS FIND A HOME IN MAKATI

TEN Filipino startups, mostly run by ‘millennials’ who offer innovative ideas to transform businesses, have won the support of the country’s largest business incubator and accelerator based in Makati City.

cians to visualize public pulse in real time by aggregating social media and news engagements online; • Investagrams-a website and app that provide education, analytic tools and information on stock market from start-to-profits; • Cleaning Lady-a mobile app that lets a user specify his/her cleaning services needs, hire a cleaner, book a schedule, get an upfront service quote and get the cleaning done; • InvestED-a microfinancing platform for student loans; • Banyera-an online marketplace for wholesale farmed fish products;

ideas to executing them in the real world and bringing their products to customers. We are glad to support Filipino startup entrepreneurs as they begin to make a dent in helping the growth of the Philippines,” says Eustaquio.

The ten startups came from a pool of 20 finalists that were whittled down to 15 on finals night. Prior to making it to the acceleration phase of the program, the startup finalists underwent six weeks of incubation where they validated their initial startup ideas, learned the ropes of establishing and running a business and developed prototypes for

IdeaSpace.

IdeaSpace also introduced the Intrapreneur Acceleration Program this year, which allowed internal product development teams from companies in the First Pacific group to pitch their ideas and undergo the rigors of incubation and acceleration under IdeaSpace.

Four teams from Voyager, PayMaya, Meralco, and Maynilad made it to the inaugural IAP this year, receiving the same seed fund, training, mentorship, and other non-cash benefits that IdeaSpace startups have enjoyed in the past.

IdeaSpace Foundation Inc. ex- our advocacy efforts have probably ecutive director Diane Eustaquio enlightened many regions, so we says the ten startups will join the had applications from every region.

The concentration is still from acceleration program this year and receive equity-free funding Metro Manila, but the great thing and mentorship. This means that is that every region was repreIdeaSpace and the companies sented. Hopefully, next year there behind the organization will not will be more participation from take away equity from the start- the regions,” she says. ups, allowing the founders to take full ownership of their ideas and businesses. The same model is being employed by Google for its Launchpad Accelerator program.

IdeaSpace has an office at Colbella Arcade along A. Arnaiz Avenue in Makati. Qualified startups receive extensive training such as lectures on entrepreneurship at Asian Institute of Management.

The ten groups, selected from nearly 600 applicants from all over the country, will receive P500,000 in equity-free funding, on top of non-cash benefits such as housing, transportation, incorporation, office space, communication, software support, trainings and mentoring from executives of companies under the First Pacific Group led in the Philippines by Manuel Pangilinan.

“It takes a big community to help IdeaSpace Foundation Inc. presents 10 new startups as part of its 2016 cohort that will join the acceleration phase. Shown are startups. So we work with govern- (from left) startup founders Andrew Cua (Tralulu), Rio Ilao (Tarkie), Ruel Amparo (Cropital), Oskie King (Cleaning Lady) and JC Bisnar ment, we work with other organi- (Investagrams) and IdeaSpace executive director Diane Eustaquio. zations. Anyone who really wants Eustaquio says the selection of to help startups, we bring them toEustaquio says the decision to • Tarkie-a field employee track- their startups, on top of receiving gether. We really work on helping the finalists was a four-stage pro- ing and productivity tool; change the structure to equityP50,000 initial grant. them from idea to product stage. cess. “We started off with close to Eustaquio says the 2016 batch is free funding this year contributed • Taxumo-a mobile and web This is the type of service that we 600 applications, then on the first app that helps SMEs, profession- one of the most diverse groups of to the diversity of the startups. provide startups. We link them to round, we filtered them down als, freelancers and corporations startups yet, with startups com“We’ve attracted really highindustry partners and provide the to top 100, and then we filtered with their taxes; ing from various backgrounds and value startups this year, some of market runway for them. We men- to the top 50 and then we went • Ears-a wearable device for the business maturity levels. A number which already have operational tor them. We provide seed fund- through further filtration and we deaf/hearing-impaired and early of startup teams came from the products and business models. ing for product development and selected 20 teams. This year, 20 warning, detection, reaction device corporate world to pursue their This helps fulfill our role in encustomer development,” Eustaquio teams made it. After round three, that protects users while outdoors ideas, while one of them has been abling early-stage startup ideas there was a boot camp and six- from accidents/collisions/threats; says in a news briefing. nurturing their startup idea ever and feeding them to the ecosys“If they are ready for incorpora- week program, where we further tem later on, where they can get • Tralulu-a digital platform since they were in college. tion, or they have been incorpo- tested their ability to execute and that connects travelers and local Several are already in the “revenue” more funding” she says. rated already, we pay for things like understand the customers. So the guides by allowing travelers to stage, which means they are already The ten new startups will join intellectual property incorporation, teams that made it and were right book guides and customize their earning money from their startups.

IdeaSpace’s growing portfolio of 38 trademarks. We provide the market for it presented to our board and itineraries with them; and Three of the teams are led by startups over the last four years as space. We provide them resources 10 were selected on Friday [July • Cropital-a crowdfunding founders who are also relatives. part of its half a billion-peso fundfor office space. We also have hous- 15]. I would like to present to you platform that connects anyone to Majority of the founders are from ing that was instituted in 2012. ing support for teams that are not our cohort for 2016,” she says.

Eustaquio says these startups Metro Manila, while only one help finance farmers.

The 10 new IdeaSpace startups from the NCR,” she says. have already generated 200 jobs “They’re a testament to how startup came from Iloilo.

She says the program received for 2016 are: Most of them also belong to since 2013, when the incubation the Philippine startup ecosys• Populi-an analytics platform tem is maturing, where founders the “millennial” age group with program was introduced in the hundreds of applications. “This year, we are very happy to say that that utilizes big data for politi- now see a clearer path from their an average age of 26, according to Philippines. Roderick T. dela Cruz

FILIPINO CEOS SHARE KEYS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS OWNERS and leaders of top Filipino homegrown brands will take up teaching posts in a professional development course developed by the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. for new and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Certificate Program on Practical Entrepreneurship is a mini-MBA program made up of courses to be personally taught by seasoned Entrep-Mentors who are expert in various areas of discipline, making it a much more intimate method of learning for the participants.

Among the Entrep-Mentors who will give lectures in the program

are Abrea Consulting Group’s Mon Abrea, Center for Pop’s Gwenn Albarracin, GMB Franchise Developers’ Armando Bartolome, Mobkard’s Carlo Calimon, Fiorgelato’s Ricardo Cuna; Generika Drugstore’s Teodoro Ferrer, Accra Law Firm’s John Paul Gaba, Ink All You Can’s Jerry Ilao, Reyes Barbecue’s Inez Reyes, Lots A Pizza’s Teresita Ngan Tian, Vcargo Worldwide’s Paulo Tibig, Nail It!’s Jean Uvero, Tokyo Tempura’s Jorge Wieneke and Seaoil’s Francis Glenn Yu. All Entrep-Mentors are members of the AFFI Entrepreneurship Mentors Fellows, a sub-group of the association dedicated to serve

in AFFI’s entrepreneurship-related educational programs.

“Those of us who will be teaching in this course had once dreamt of managing our own business, so we took it upon ourselves to help anyone who wants to do the same.

Our goal is to equip people with the skills, knowledge and connections for them to be able to jumpstart their entrepreneurship careers as soon as possible,” said AFFI president Jerry Ilao in a statement.

Apart from skills and knowledge, Ilao said the program also seeks to build personal relationships between the mentors and the mentees, as well as boost the confi-

dence of its participants.

One key element of the particular mini-MBA program is the integration of site-visits in some of the modules, which means participants will get to see the actual workplaces and companies of their mentors. This, according to Ilao, is intended to provide them with a conducive venue for learning in a real business setting.

“Bringing the participants to where the real action happens allows them to get a feel of how a practicing entrepreneur manage his or her own business daily. It will be a bit of a hands-on experience for them,” Ilao said.

The Certificate Program on Practical Entrepreneurship will follow five modules on Leadership Skill-building; Personal Finance/ Profit-Loss Understanding; People Management; Basic Entrepreneurship Laws; and Cost Effective Marketing. Bonus mentoring sessions featuring at least three EntrepMentors in an active coaching session will also be added.

The program, in partnership with GoNegosyo and sponsored by PLDT SME Nation and BPI Family Ka-Negosyo, is one of AFFI’s flagship projects devised under their Thrive Towards 2020 vision launched earlier this year.

SUNDAY: JULY 24, 2016

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

GoBear Philippines country director Rommel Torres, celebrity brand influencer Iya VillaniaArellano, co-founder Marnix Zwart and founder and chief executive Andre Hesselink

HOW GOBEAR HELPS FILIPINOS DISCOVER BEST LOANS, INSURANCE

By Kathreen O. Abaya and Regina C. Lintag

GOBEAR has opened a website designed for Filipino consumers to help them discover the best deals in travel insurance, credit cards and personal loans.

GoBear, Asia’s first metasearch engine for financial products, was started by Dutch Andre Hesselink in Singapore in March 2015. GoBear is also present in Thailand and Malaysia and plans to open in Hong Kong and Vietnam later

this year.

On why GoBear expanded to the Philippines, Hesselink says: “We see the biggest growth opportunities here, particularly in Southeast Asia. If you see the growth, especially online and e-

commerce, I think it’s been a good choice.”

GoBear Philippines country director Rommel Torres says in a news briefing at White Space Manila in Makati City that the company aims to make a difference among Filipino clients of financial products.

“Especially in the Philippines, it would really help Filipinos to have better choice and understanding on loans and insurance and how these financial services can help them in their everyday use,” says Torres.

Hesselink says GoBear was conceived based on an idea of a “totally transparent online search platform to compare insurance.” This was after he encountered difficulties in purchasing an insurance plan for his car in Singapore through the traditional route.

Hesselink eventually gathered a team of like-minded individuals who made it their aim to simplify what many people considered complex.

On why they chose the name GoBear, Hesselink says: “That’s

the fun part! We wanted a company name that would have a mascot and everyone wanted a bear. And GoBear also means going bare. We are laying it all out for our consumers.”

GoBear offers a three-step process of “search-compare-select” that enables users to have a hassle-free comparison of their preferred travel insurance, personal loans, credit cards, car insurance, car loans, home loans and health insurance. The first three options are the available services at GoBear.com.ph.

Aside from its accessibility feature, GoBear executives believe that they are “democratizing financial shopping experience” with unbiased and custom-made comparison process, because their user-oriented platform “neither aggregates nor sells products.”

“We help customers make wellinformed decisions about what to buy and also where to buy because keep in mind, a metasearch engine doesn’t sell anything, so we are completely unbiased,” Hesselink says.

The startup expects to introduce more products in the Philippine website to continue their name as “one of the fastest growing fintechs” in the industry, referring to financial technology.

“We also wanted to make people curious because financial services aren’t really exciting products so we wanted to have a catchy name,” Torres says.

GoBear hopes to promote the search engine among Filipinos through various ways starting with celebrity couple Drew Arellano and Iya Villania-Arellano.

Iya says GoBear makes it easier for Filipinos to see the best financial products. “Us Pinoys, we always want to get the best deal out there. But that also means taking more time meeting new people, meeting with different insurance companies, meeting with different banks to know what the best services are and before you know it, you forgot everything.”

“At least with GoBear, it’s all there on their site. It’s a search engine, so it makes it so easy,” Iya says.

PRUVOLUNTEERS BUILD HOMES IN BANTAYAN ISLAND PRUDENCE Foundation, the charitable arm of Pru Life UK’s regional head office Prudential Corporation Asia, held the fourth leg of its Regional PruVolunteer Program on June 18 to 25 to help build more disaster-resilient homes in Bantayan Island, Cebu.

About 83 employee-volunteers of Pru Life UK and sister companies from 13 countries in Asia rendered a week-long volunteer work to help complete the remaining 62 houses committed by Prudence Foundation.

“Super typhoon Yolanda took away countless homes, jobs, and lives, and even after more than two years, it is evident that much help is still needed. This is why we are humbled and grateful to have this opportunity once again to help in rebuilding and making lives better for the residents here in Bantayan Island,” said Prudence Foundation executive director Marc Fancy.

“Prudence Foundation has a long-term and heartfelt commitment to support Asian communities, and nothing is more fulfilling for us than to help and see people stand firm again after an adversity.”

“We are thankful to the local government unit, our partner NGO Habitat, and all volunteers

across the region for lending their time and strength in contribution to this initiative. Indeed, we do well by doing good together,” he said.

Prudence Foundation trustee and Pru Life UK president and chief executive Antonio Manuel De Rosas noted the vital role of the private sector in contributing to nation building. “At the core of our business is our aspiration to make lives better, to help Filipinos get the protection they need. The Regional PruVolunteer Program allows us to immerse in the community and truly be involved in the cause that we are advancing. For this, we are grateful, and we will only continue to be committed to making lives PruVolunteers visit the site where 64 disaster-resilient houses better for Filipinos, especially our brothers and sisters whose liveli- have been turned over to the first batch of home partners in hoods were devastated by disasters September 2015. asset management employees from completed disaster-resilient homes such as Yolanda,” De Rosas said.

About 90 percent of the popu- 12 markets including the Philip- – which can withstand magnitude lation of the island was affected pines (Pru Life UK), Hong Kong, 8 earthquakes and winds of up to by the super typhoon and while Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malay- 275 kilometers per hour – were much work has been done there sia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, turned over to the home partners. is still a need for housing support. Vietnam, and Cambodia – has Prudence Foundation also providIn 2013, the foundation commit- completed three legs of building ed sustainable livelihood through ted $2 million to support relief and new houses together with the lo- a contribution of 183 motorized long-term recovery effort in the af- cal community and international boats with fishing nets and 140 fected areas. Through the Regional non-governmental organization pedicabs or cycle rickshaws.

The Regional PruVolunteer ProPruVolunteer Program, the team – Habitat for Humanity.

In September 2015, 64 of the 133 gram is an initiative by Prudence which comprises life insurance and

Foundation in partnership with local NGOs to help provide meaningful, sustainable, and long-term assistance in times of disaster.

Hundreds of employee-volunteers have joined forces to help thousands recover from natural disasters in Asia. PruVolunteers have helped build schools in Sichuan, China after an earthquake that claimed close to 70,000 lives in 2008, rebuild homes and facilities in Padang, Indonesia following a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in 2009, clear debris and support children in Ishinomaki, Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and repair homes for the elderly in Mae Ai, Thailand in the wake of flash floods in 2012.

Based in Hong Kong, Prudence Foundation was established by regional headquarters PCA to consolidate its long-term commitment to serve Asian communities.

Disaster preparedness and relief is one of the Prudence Foundation’s three key areas of focus along with education and children. It has partnered with Save the Children and Plan International on a series of disaster preparedness and relief programs in Asia, including in the Philippines alongside the local business, Pru Life UK.

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world

Olympics attack suspects in campO grande

sPend more.

international monetary fund (imf) managingdirector christine lagarde (l) arrives for a bilateral meeting during the G20 finance ministers meeting in chengdu, in china’s sichuan province on saturday. the imf has urged the g20 members to spend more for growth. the g20 voiced out the need to deepen cooperation on tax collection and information sharing as companies seek to minimize the amount they pay to governments.

AFP

UN deplores mUrder of mexicaN joUrNalist

The United Nations (UN) human rights office and an international press rights group on Friday condemned the murder of a Mexican journalist in Veracruz, the deadliest state for reporters in Mexico.

The Office of the UN high Commissioner for human Rights called on the authorities to conduct a “swift, effective and impartial” investigation into the murder of Pedro tamayo Rosas.

A 45-year-old newspaper reporter who covered

crime, tamayo was gunned down in front of his wife and two grown sons outside his home in the town of tierra Blanca on Wednesday night.

Reporters Without Borders said the investigation should focus on whether tamayo’s murder was linked to his

journalistic work.

The murder demonstrates that the “generalized violence against the press in Mexico, especially in Veracruz, is devastating,” the international media rights organization said.

More than 90 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2010, and 17 others have disappeared. in Veracruz, 19 journalists have been murdered since 2010, when outgoing Governor Javier Duarte took office. he has angered rights

groups by suggesting that some journalists are linked to drug cartels. tamayo had fled tierra Blanca in January after reporting on the disappearance of five young people who had been taken away

by Veracruz state police in tierra Blanca. The authorities say they were probably killed by a drug cartel. tamayo was receiving help from the state commission for the protection of journalists, which helped him leave for several months.

When he returned to tierra Blanca, the commission provided regular police patrols around his house. tamayo’s family told AFP that a state police vehicle was parked near the house during the homicide but that the officers did nothing to arrest the killers and even “laughed” at a relative asking for help.

Eight state police officers appeared before the state prosecutor’s office on Thursday to give their version of the events. Their legal status remains unknown. AFP

tEN Brazilians arrested two weeks before the Olympics on suspicion of planning attacks have been transferred to a maximum security prison near the border with Paraguay, officials said Friday. “they are in the federal prison of Campo Grande,” a spokesman for the federal police told AFP. Another two suspects are at large.

The group is alleged to have attempted to form an extremist cell called Defenders of Sharia, of which several members had sworn loyalty to the islamic State (iS) group.

They were allegedly preparing attacks and had attempted to make contact online with an arms dealer in Paraguay to buy an AK47 assault rifle. however, Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said they were “absolutely amateur” and “disorganized.” he also said they had no specific targets.

Members of the group lived in various locations across Brazil. their contact had been limited mostly to exchanging messages on the WhatsApp and telegram mobile services.

After their arrest on Thursday, some were taken via the capital Brasilia on their way to Campo Grande and were seen being escorted by heavily armed police.

The detainees, between 20 and 40 years old, are accused of giving themselves Arabic names and praising the recent massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Florida by a man who pledged loyalty to the iS group. AFP

nevada 7-11 uses drOnes tO deliver cOffee, dOnuts

FUrY. a warehouse burns in persan on saturday following clashes between residents and police over the death of adama traore in police custody. violence erupted in the northern suburbs of paris for a third night in a row on thursday, with 15 cars set ablaze by residents. tauthorities said an autopsy revealed he was suffering from a serious infection at the time of his death and that his body showed few signs of violence. afp

With a chicken sandwich, hot coffee and donuts, aviation history was made Friday.

These were among the items in the first drone delivery on US soil approved by aviation officials, made by convenience retailer 7-Eleven and the drone startup Flirtey.

The delivery took place in Reno, Nevada, with the items loaded into a special box for hot and cold food and flown to a local family.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have 7-Eleven, the largest convenience chain in the world, embracing new technologies

and working with us at Flirtey to make drone delivery a reality for customers all over the world,” said Flirtey chief executive Matt Sweeny.

“This is just the first step in our collaboration with 7-Eleven. Flirtey’s historic drone deliveries to date have been stepping stones to storeto-home drone delivery, and today is a giant leap toward a not-too-distant future where we are delivering you convenience on demand.”

Others include US online giant Amazon are also working on drone deliver, but this was the first in what could

become a broader trend.

Flirtey is also working with drones to deliver relief supplies as part of humanitarian missions around the world.

But it also hopes to expand its partnership with 7-Eleven for convenience deliveries. Friday’s delivery also included store candy and its Slurpee iced drinks.

“Drone delivery is the ultimate convenience for our customers and these efforts create enormous opportunities to redefine convenience,” said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, the retailer’s chief marketing officer. AFP

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WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

101 executed in Saudi arabia Saudi authorities on Friday executed a man for murder, the interior ministry said, bringing to 101 the number of people put to death this year in the ultraconservative kingdom.

Fahad Abdulhadi alDusari was found guilty of shooting dead fellow Saudi Mubarak bin Mohammed al-Dusari following a dispute, the ministry said in statement carried by the SPA state news agency. he was executed in Riyadh province, it said.

Saudi Arabia’s growing use of the death penalty has prompted Amnesty International to call for an “immediate” moratorium on the practice.

The kingdom imposes the death penalty for offences including murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy.

Most people executed are beheaded with a sword.

There were no beheadings during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in the kingdom on June 6. however, capital punishment resumed on Sunday when authorities put a Saudi murderer to death. On

Thursday, authorities carried out the 100th execution of the year, executing another murderer.

“Saudi Arabia is speeding along in its dogged use of a cruel and inhuman punishment, mindless of justice and human rights,” said Amnesty’s Middle east and north Africa head Philip Luther.

“At this rate, the Kingdom’s executioners will soon match or exceed the number of people they put to death last year,” he said.

Many of those executed are convicted after “deeply unfair trials,” he said.

Amnesty says the kingdom carried out at least 158 death sentences last year, making it the third most

prolific executioner after Iran and Pakistan.

Amnesty’s figures do not include secretive China.

“The Saudi Arabian authorities must immediately establish an official moratorium on executions and abolish the death penalty once and for all,” Luther said.

Murder and drug trafficking cases account for the majority of Saudi executions, although 47 people were put to death for “terrorism” offences on a single day in January.

They included prominent Shiite cleric nimr al-nimr, whose execution prompted Iranian protesters to torch Saudi diplomatic missions, triggering a diplomatic crisis between the two archrivals. AFP

BREAK. Syrians dance during a party at the Wadi Qandeel beach (Jellyfish Valley) in the coastal city of Latakia on Friday. AFP

LOCALIST.

edward leung, spokesman for the localist group hong Kong Indigenous, holds up a copy of the hong Kong Basic law as he speaks during a press conference at Sha tin in hong Kong on Saturday. leung addressed journalists regarding the upcoming legislative council elections due to be held in September. AFP

IS group uSeS SyrIan cIvIlIanS aS human ShIeldS The Islamic State (IS) group is using civilians as human shields in Syria, a US military official said Friday, at a time when the coalition has been accused of killing dozens of civilians in strikes near Manbij.

The Syrian Observatory for human Rights accused the coalition of killing 56 civilians, including 11 children, as they fled Tuesday from a village near Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the jihadist stronghold of Raqa.

The Britain-based rights monitor relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

The coalition has opened an investigation of the matter.

The Islamic State “used civilians as human shields and as bait” in an effort to draw the fire of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) toward the civilians, Colonel Chris Garver, a coalition spokesman, said by video conference from Baghdad. The SDF is a US-backed Kurdish and Arab alliance.

Garver said the attack Tuesday came after SDF fighters “observed a large group of Daesh fighters in a convoy who appeared to be readying for a counterattack” against SDF troops in the area.

Daesh comes from the Arabic language acronym for the IS group.

“A strike was called in on Daesh. The strike was against both buildings and vehicles.” Afterward, the spokesman said, the coalition received both internal and external reports “that there may have been civilians in the area who are mixed in and among the Daesh fighters.”

Garver said the first phase of the investigation— what he called a “credibility assessment”—would take no longer than a week and a half. Coalition officials will then determine whether a more intensive inquiry is required.

The spokesman said the jihadists had been mounting exceptionally fierce resistance in Manbij, an IS bastion.

Fighting has grown more intense as SDF units move into the city, he said, “which is sort of different than what we saw in Ramadi and what we saw in Fallujah,” Iraqi cities from which jihadists were ousted this year.

“It’s a fight like we haven’t seen before.”

Garver estimated that the SDF had taken back roughly half the city, an area still housing at least 2,000 civilians.

An SDF-allied unit said that on Thursday it had given IS fighters 48 hours to leave the city, but Garver said that “as of right now, I’m not confirming that.” AFP

Iran condemnS munIch ShootIng

IRAn on Saturday condemned a shooting spree at a busy shopping center in Munich by a teenage German-Iranian gunman who killed nine people before committing suicide.

Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi denounced “the killing of innocent and defenceless people” and expressed Iran’s solidarity with the German government and people, official IRnA news agency reported.

Ghasemi also called for a “relentless and comprehensive fight” to eradicate violence.

Sixteen people were also

wounded in Friday’s shooting spree in Munich, German police said, adding that the assailant was an 18-year-old German-Iranian who had no criminal record.

A police spokesman in Germany had said on Friday that terrorism was suspected, without revealing any immediate indications of an Islamist link.

The attack came just days after a teenage asylum seeker went on a rampage with an axe and a knife on a train on Monday near Wuerzburg, also in Bavaria, injuring five people. AFP

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

SHINING IN A MAN’S GAME

Elondra Rivera: Gusto namin makasali sa program, kaya nag-push talaga kami. PETER PAUL DURAN

By Peter Paul Duran

AT FIRST glance, you wouldn’t even notice, but amid a horde of towering young men stands a pint-sized figure, going toe-toe with the elite college cage players of today.

Drill after drill they went at it, and if not for that waving pony-tail that gave her away, never in the world would you consider her a little girl lost in a big

man’s court.

Elondra Rivera, a female basketball player for the UST Tigresses, didn’t mind at all if she was surrounded by testosterone-driven

ballers, even surpassing at times her male-counterparts in a showcase of skills during the 2016 Gatorade NBA Training Center.

“I didn’t even know that they were here,” said Dee Brown in jest about Rivera and her UST teammate Jhenn Angeles--the only two female participants at the event.

“Usually, female players are kind of shy but they did everything which was good. They did everything I asked them to do

and did it very well,” added Brown, who was with Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight to headline the NBA Fit Week.

The 17-year-old Rivera though, had some doubts whether she could indeed keep up with some 20 other ballplayers, with the likes of UAAP standouts Kevin Ferrer, Mike Tolomia and Von Pessumal.

“Siguro sa simula hindi kami fit dito kasi puro boys, pero gusto namin makasali sa program, kaya nag-push

talaga kami,” said Rivera, who is currently a second year student.

Brown also lauded Rivera’s work ethic and determination to revamp her skills proving that girls can indeed take over in what is considered a man’s game.

“They did very good and I understand how women wanna play, they don’t want it to be dummied down, they want you teach them like the way you teach the guys,” said Brown, whose own

daughter also plays in the collegiate ranks in the US. Rivera, a native of talent-rich Pampanga province, was born to a family obsessed with basketball, saying she learned how to dribble the ball before she even learned her ABCs. “‘Yung kuya ko, bata pa lang ako, tinuturuan niya na ako, at talagang gusto ko na talaga maglaro since bata pa lang ako,” said Rivera, who recalled her first pick-up game when she was just five.

Lonlon, her nickname in the family, first played varsity basketball when she was a sophomore in high school at the Holy Cross College in Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

She helped her team’s campaign through the Regional Meet and eventually in the Palarong Pambansa.

But the Sports Management major said that this is nothing compared to the achievements made by her siblings, especially her sister and former UST Tigress Lore Rivera. “‘Yung kuya ko naglaro para sa DLSU sa UAAP, ‘yung ate ko naman naglaro for Team Philippines and main goal ko din po ngayon ang makapasok sa Perlas Pilipinas.”

The promising point guard has big shoes to fill and bares that she still has some doubts now more than ever if she would continue her dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

“Sabi nga po nila, ‘pag sa babae, hindi tumatagal sa basketball, kaya pinag-iisipan ko din kung itutuloy ko” added Rivera.

But she still stays positive and has a message for every girl hoping to make it big in a sport virtually ruled by men.

“Huwag nilang ikahiya na babae silang basketball player, gawin nila ‘yun as a motivation, magworkhard lang sila lalo na kung mahal na mahal nila ‘yung basketball,” she said.

STRAVINSKY TOPS RICH PCSO MAIDEN RACE THIRD favorite Stravinsky beat four other 2-year-olds to win the rich PCSO Special Maiden race with a lot to spare recently at the Sta. Ana Park in Naic, Cavite and established himself as one of the juveniles to watch in the racing season.

Ridden by veteran Jonathan Hernandez, Stravinsky swept past his rivals just 150 meters into the race and went on to hit the wire a clear victor in the 1200-meter event that offered P600,000 to the champion.

The chestnut bay colt, a progeny of Dream Romance out of Ultimate Goal, clocked a respectable time of 1 minute and 15 seconds with quarter times of 24, 23 and 27, finishing some seven lengths ahead of Street Sign (Apoy Asuncion) and 10 clear of third placer Kid Solis (C. Henson)

“It’s (the victory) was the product of good teamwork among the people in my stable,” said lawyerbusinessman Narciso O. Morales, who has now produced three PCSO Maiden race winners since last year.

In the last racing season, Spectrum and Hot Dog delivered as they led a long line of winners that gave the Morales stable a runaway overall victory among horseowners in number of wins and money winnings.

Trained by Atoy Sordan and bred by Tony Tan, Jr., Stravinsky, running inside the rail, surged past Foolish Princess, Street Sign, Kid Solis and second pick Magic Wallet and slowly but steadily left his rivals behind.

By the time he reached the top of the stretch, Stravinsky had taken a two-length lead which ballooned to four, then five and

Stravinsky: An easy winner under jockey Jonathan Hernandez

finally seven despite getting limited whips from Hernandez.

Foolish Princess (Jeff Zarate)

came home fourth and Magic Wallet (Mark Pilapil) checked in fifth and last.

Meanwhile, Morales kept pulling away in the number of wins and money winnings and looked headed to scoring a back-to-back overall victory among owners halfway through the racing season.

A report by the Philracom showed the Morales stable garnering 110 wins,136 runnerup, 122 third and 122 fourth-place finishes as of end-June, well ahead of second-running SC Stockfarm (4126-14-15) and third-ranking Stony Road Horse farm (29-29-25-17).

Among the jockeys, Jesse Guce retained the lead with 101 wins, followed by Hernandez with 82 and Mark Alvarez with 59.

Low Profile emerged the leader among horses with P4,271,717 in winnings on five victories in a great run highlighted by an easy triumph in the PCSO Silver Cup in June.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

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SURPRISING ENFORCERS LEAD PBA STANDINGS Mahindra Enforcers coach Chris Gavina.

Mahindra Enforcers defenders, from right: Paolo Taha and Aldrech Ramos pressure Star Hotshots import Marqus Blakely (center). Looking on are, from left: Jayson Ballesteros, Nico Elorde and Alex Mallari.

By Reuel Vidal

S

URPRISING everyone but themselves, the Mahindra Enforcers are on top of the standings of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

The Enforcers, led by hardworking import James White, did it by posting shock back-toback upsets over favored teams Star Hotshots and GlobalPort Batang Pier.

The 22-year-old (he turns 23 on July 26) White belied his skinny frame by tallying 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds to power the Enforcers to a 100-92 overtime victory over the Hotshots last week.

The young Georgia Tech product was confident as he reassured Mahindra rookie coach Chris Gavina before the game that he would not allow him to lose his coaching debut.

White lived up to his promise with the Mahindra victory over Star. He scored on a followup dunk to send the game into overtime. Early in the extra period Mahindra point guard LA Revilla drilled a three-pointer.

Veteran Aldrech Ramos then converted two charities as the Enforcers grabbed the early initiative to eventually prevail in overtime.

While White provided the energy and hustle the other Enforcers picked up the scoring slack. Ramos posted 17 markers. Asian import Iman Mashaddy Zandi, reportedly sick

with flu, chipped in 15 points on five-of-five shooting from three-point distance. Paolo Taha and KG Canaleta each scored 10 points.

Just last Friday, July 22 the Enforcers tallied their bestever start in a PBA conference when they beat the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 108-98, to climb into a tie at the top of the standings with their second consecutive victory.

GlobalPort import Dominique

conditioning coach of the Philippine Patriots before assuming the same job with the Enforcers.

Gavina has so far proven skeptics wrong with the impressive start of the Enforcers. He has the Enforcers working hard at the defensive end and executing on offense.

Taha, Agovida, Mike Digregorio as well as point guards LA Revilla and Nard Pinto have youth on their side and have the legs to pressure on defense. Then they have veteran gunners in the hot-shooting Ramos, Canaleta and Zandi.

Probably the only chink in the armor of the Enforcers is size. Like most other PBA teams the Enforcers just have serviceable big men in Bradwyn Guinto, Jayson Ballesteros and PBA D-League standout

Sutton scored on a hook shoot to push GlobalPort within two points of the Mahindra lead, 94-92, with 3:20 to play. But the resolute Mahindra defense forced the Batang Pier to commit four turnovers in their next five possessions.

White then scored on a layup.

Keith Agovida stole the ball then scooted in to convert his own layup. Zandi and then Ramos each drilled a threepointer. White sealed the deal with two free throws to push the game beyond recall, 106-92, only seconds left to play.

White was even better than

Mahindra Enforcers import James White (left) dribbles past GlobalPort Batang Pier defender Jeric Fortuna (11).

Mahindra Enforcers big man Raymond Aguilar (15) drives past Star Hotshots defender Rafi Reavis.

in his first game. He scored 28 points to go with 20 big rebounds. He again had plenty of local support. Ramos added 16 points. Revilla had 11 markers to go with the 10 of Taha.

Newly promoted coach Chris Gavina (officially assistant coach) should also get a lot of credit for Mahindra’s encouraging start.

The New Jersey-raised Gavina came to the Philippines to play in Liga Pilipinas. He then went on to become the strength and

Raymond Aguilar. But the Enforcers make up for their lack in size with their pressure defense and impeccable outside shooting on offense.

How long can the Enforcers stay on top? Up until the other teams figure out how to guard White and close out better on their perimeter shooters? Or maybe the Enforcers are for real and will actually make it to the playoffs.

Only time can tell, but I’m betting on the latter.

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S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

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

SPORTS

PARAS NEARING NBA DREAM

Kobe Paras soars over four people for a one-handed tomahawk. FIBA.COM

By Jeric Lopez

OVER the last three years, young basketball star Kobe Paras has been consistently groomed to be the Philippines’ next big thing.

Is he a step closer to making it big in his basketball career in the United States?

Flaunting a versatile game, a favorable size and length, a relentless will, a huge upside and potential, and an undeniable talent, Paras has been highly touted ever since his stint in La Salle Greenhills here in the Philippines, to his playing days with Cathedral High and

Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles, all the way to where is bound now.

Paras’ career as a basketball player reached a high point when he won the FIBA 3x3 World Championships Slam Dunk Championship at the Merdeka Square in Jakarta, Indonesia in September last year, beating USA’s Demonte Flannigan and Spain’s

Antonio Morales in the finals.

The son of Filipino cage great Benjie Paras, the PBA’s only MVPRookie of the Year in the same year, Kobe scored a perfect 30 points on his first three dunks in the championship round and finished with a total of 117 points.

His scintillating performance included dunking over a parked motorcycle on the court with teammate Kiefer Ravena, UAAP Juniors’ MVP, seated on the bike, and then a one-handed tomahawk slam off four people.

After Paras’ well-documented shattered dreams of playing for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, one of the best

basketball programs in the United States, the 18-year-old prospect had already moved forward as he immediately found a home to play in Creighton University, still a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school.

Moving from California to Nebraska, from the Pac-12 to the Big East, might be a blessing in disguise for Paras as he will now have a fair chance of making a name for himself as he fights to be a top guy for the Creighton Bluejays under coach Greg McDermott, father of Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott.

“I would gladly want to announce that I’m taking my talents to Omaha, Nebraska,” said Paras

of his move.

The Bluejays have produced several NBA players like Paul Silas, Benoit Benjamin, Anthony Tolliver, Kyle Korver, and recently, McDermott.

Paras certainly hopes that he can become one of those who can make it all the way to the NBA. With this opportunity, Paras looks to impress NBA scouts with his play ahead for the Bluejays and also contribute to the team as much as he can.

He is eligible to play for Creighton for four full years.

Clearly, Paras’ journey is about to reach its climax with only one ultimate destination—the NBA.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

S U NDAY L I V ING

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MA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) continues to build the foundation for a better life for the underserved and underprivileged sector with its education-centered initiatives, the Kapuso School Development (KSD) and Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan (UHSK) projects.

This year, GMAKF addresses the pressing need for more suitable learning environments in the earthquake-stricken province of Bohol, where they have begun building new classrooms. With six in Inabanga, four in Sagbayan, six in Carmen and two in San Isidro, a total of 18 new classrooms.

Furthermore, construction work is nearing completion at the Kapuso Village Integrated School in Tacloban, composed of three two-story school buildings with a total of 24 classrooms, within the Kapuso Village Tacloban.

Through the KSD project, GMAKF has already built and rehabilitated a total of 381 classrooms in select public schools nationwide. Part and parcel of this endeavor is a tree planting activity within the school premises as part of the Kapuso ng Kalikasan project.

Meanwhile, 85,000 pupils proudly arrived on the first day of classes sporting new backpacks, each with a complete set of school supplies, from GMAKF’s UHSK project.

UHSK is the foundation’s long-standing education project which distributes school supplies to public elementary schools in remote areas. The backpacks distributed to the children each contains five notebooks, two writing pads, two pencils, a crayon set, sharpener and eraser.

UHSK marked its 19th year with a ribboncutting ceremony at the Ever Gotesco

LIFE

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EARTHQUAKE-DEVASTATED BOHOL TOWNS NOW SCHOOL READY

Kindergarten and Grade 1 students of Boringot Elementary School in Compostela Valley are among the 85,000 student-beneficiaries of GMA Kapuso Foundation's Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan project

Mall in Quezon City led by GMAKF Executive Vice President Mel C. Tiangco, with the support of its project partners, the Department of Education’s Bureau of Elementary Education, Ever Gotesco Malls and Go Tong Foundation last March.

These school children from Compostela Valley are among the 85,000 UHSK beneficiaries nationwide in 2016.

“Education is a vital tool in combating poverty,” says Tiangco. “By providing these children with the proper learning environment and the necessary material they need in order to go to school, we are planting the seeds for a brighter future for our children.”

Through the invaluable support of the Foundation’s partners and donors, the program has exceeded its initial target of 80,000 beneficiaries for the year which is composed of incoming Kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils from select public schools across the country.

Three two-storey school buildings housing a total of 24 classrooms for the Kapuso Village Integrated School within the Kapuso Village Tacloban are nearing completion.

Volunteers for Brigada Eskwela 2016 the Prinza Elementary School and Teresa National High School in Rizal Province.

Republic Cement volunteers joined hands with the Brigada Eskwela 2016 conducted by the Department of Education (DepED).

Some 210 Republic Cement volunteers from the organization’s head office and all its seven operating sites across the country answered the call for volunteers to this year’s activity.

“Schools serve as a second home to our students, which is why we support efforts to help make a public school environment that is clean, safe, and conducive to learning,” said Renato C. Sunico, president of Republic Cement & Building Materials, Inc. (RCBM).

Sunico added, “This aspiration hews closely to this year’s Brigada Eskwela theme of Tayo na sa Paaralang Ligtas, Maayos at Handa Mula Kindergarten at Senior High.”

Republic Cement’s Makati head office volunteers trooped to the nearby F. Benitez Elementary School where they helped do repair works, clean up and maintenance of the school’s Special Education (SPED) classroom where 18 children have their learning sessions.

Republic Cement & Building Materials, Inc. Danao Plant Community Relations Officer Aea De Leon (left) and Community Relations Consultant Antonio Atamosa (right) with two of the cement company's student beneficiaries at Tubigagmanok Elementary School in Asturias, Cebu

Central Luzon and Region 4 In Bulacan, Republic Cement volunteers from its facilities in Norzagaray donated cleaning materials and helped in the repair,

cleanup and repainting of the Minuyan High School, Bigte Elementary School and the Banahaw Elementary School.

Republic Cement’s Taysan, Batangas Plant

volunteers busied themselves with repainting and repair works at the Mapulo Elementary School while Teresa Plant volunteers lent a hand in repainting school buildings at

Visayas and Mindanao In northern Cebu, Republic Cement’s Danao Plant volunteers partnered with two of their community schools, San Roque Elementary School and Tubigagmanok Elementary School, where they repaired school equipment and donated supplies to benefit 406 students of the school. In Iligan City, Republic Cement Iligan Plant volunteers worked with the Dalipuga Central School for the school’s cleanup drive.

In conducting the nationwide activity “Republic Cement reaffirms its mission to be actively involved in the development of the communities where we operate and to be the community’s preferred partner in building a greener and stronger Republic,” explained Sunico.

Brigada Eskwela, also known as the “National Maintenance Week,” is an annual activity between the DepEd’s public school system and their corporate and civic organization partners. Conducted before the start of each school year, it ensures that the public schools are clean, safe and ready for the coming academic year.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

RICKY REYES LEARNING INSTITUTE’S K-12 PROGRAM

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s the country welcomed the first batch of Grade 11 Senior High School students to the full implementation of the K-12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd), existing reliable and very adept tech-voc (technical-vocational) school conveys enthusiasm in welcoming and accommodating these students in compliance with the governments agenda.

The tech-voc chain, Ricky Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI) owned and operated by its namesake, philanthropist and beauty master Ricky Reyes, specializes in beauty care, which includes hairdressing and cosmetology, and hotel and restaurant services (HRS)-housekeeping, bartending and basic hotel, kitchen and restaurant operations. It has four branches to date: Cubao, Anonas, Quiapo and Fairview.

RRLI has a K-12 program in its Track Subjects curriculum covering the development of skills for immediate employment or entrepreneurship, which enhances the value and relevance of the high school diploma.

Reyes is offering his institute’s “ladderized” form of vocational schooling,

which is tantamount to a college degree taken in a shorter period of time. One can qualify for a decent entry-level job or can even put up his own salon once the student finishes the modules.

“I see K-12 as a very big potential in helping improve the lives of the Filipino people especially the underprivileged,” says Reyes.

“Having the right skills even without a college degree is an important key in achieving the life we want for our family”, he adds.

He also says the government will need all the support it can get to keep the program running on its right track, so he is likewise calling out to his civic-oriented friends to join him in his advocacy and propagate skills-learning among the youth.

Reyes is also franchising the school and the training that goes with its implementation to interested individuals and has such waived royalties for the use of his name. He envisions a ‘one- school-onetown’ scheme all over the country, with the support of the local government.

The newest Fairview branch is a franchise of Flor B. Santos, a kindred soul who shares Reyes’ dream of helping increase

Ricky Reyes Learning Institute now offers a K-12 program that covers development of skills for immediate employment or entrepreneurship

one’s financial capability through education.

Asked why she has chosen to have a franchise of an RRLI school, she says, “I believe that if we give people a chance or opportunity to improve their lives through education, we will create individuals who, not only will be breadwinners and good family providers, but productive citizens as well.”

RRLI is accredited by TESDA and allied with two international placement agencies that help students secure employment here and abroad. It also has international

school affiliations from the Asia Pacific Hairdressers and Cosmetologist Association (APHCA) member countries like Taiwan and Malaysia.

For inquiries about courses at the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute, check out www.rickyreyes.com or e-mail info@rickyreyes.com.

For franchising inquiries call Tonette Morena at 09285059280 or Bong Soriano at 09159564266.

Movies keep families closer

BY BERNADETTE ANDREA CATALAN Ruther Orquia entertains the guests of SM Cinemas Family Movie Day with his puppet Titoy

In this day and age of mobile gadgets, it is no longer unusual to see families together but whose members prefer to scroll through their social media accounts or surf on the Web than have a conversation.

“With everyone’s busy schedule, and also with all the kids having gadgets nowadays and of course, school and other requirement, it’s harder for families to bond together,” laments Stephanie Henares, senior public relations manager for SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. Hence in a bid to keep Filipino family bonding tradition alive in the digital age, SM Cinema is offering two complimentary movie tickets for children below four feet for every purchase of two regular movie tickets on weekends. The exclusive movie screening is courtesy CrystalSky Multimedia.

“It’s important to have that bonding moment with dads, moms and their kids,” says Henares.

During the promo duration, from July until December, SM Cinema will be exclusively screening different kid-friendly movie each month, like Pinocchio, Sammy 2: Escape from Paradise, Ultraman Ginga, Ooops: Noah is Gone in 3D and Dino Time in 3D. In addition, the complimentary tickets also come with skating and bowling passes.

“If everything goes well and really pulls families together, we would love to do it again next year,” enthuses Henares.

SM Cinema Family Movie Day launch brought families together with several activity booths and games. Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 grand finalist, Ruther Orquia, a puppeteer, graced the event with two acts that entertained the audience.

Keep clothes fresh When it rains, laundry problems pour.

The rainy season can certainly make laundry more of a chore than usual - but there’s no need to let the frequent storms dampen your laundry. Here are a few simple tips from Electrolux to help your clothes stay sweet smelling even on days with torrential rains and humidity is up.

Rainy day stains Mud stains are definitely a problem during the rainy season. In case of mud, allow it to dry completely and then carefully scrape off as much as possible with a plastic knife or spoon. Pre-treat the remainder of the stain with liquid detergent, then wash as normal at the hottest temperature allowed by the fabric care label.

Heat helps soap do its work, loosening dirt and freshening fabrics, a feature that the innovative Electrolux EWF10744 Vapour Action Inverter Front Load Washing Machine takes advantage of.

The Electrolux Vapour Action Front Load Washing Machine steams clothes while washing. This sanitizes and cleans

clothes while reducing allergen up to 99 percent and rejuvenates fabrics by opening up the fiber strands. The result is not only cleaner clothes but softer too and need less ironing, perfect for busy moms,” shares Erika Depositar, Electrolux Product Manager for Fabric Care.

Re-washing clothes?

If your clothes got rained out while drying, you can give them a quick rinse through the Electrolux EWF10744 Vapour Action Inverter Front Load Washing Machine. It has the Quick 20 feature, an easy 20-minute wash program to give your clothes that quick rinse from the rain.

Battling kulob Amoy kulob or the musty smell from damp clothes is another rainy day laundry challenge. Investing in a dryer is one way to solve this problem as it ensures your clothes are dry, rain or shine. The Electrolux EDS7051 Sensor Dryer cares for clothes with its Sensor Dry feature, which adjusts drying time based on the moisture level in clothes

to prevent damage, Reverse Tumbling Action, a two-way drying action to help soften fabrics, and Iron Aid, which produces a unique vapour action that reduces creases and lessens the need for ironing.

You can also dry clothes faster by using a clean, dry towel. Just place it in the dryer with your wet clothes and the dry towel will absorb any excess moisture in the drum, helping the appliance to do its job faster.

Other ways to fight musty smells is to place items inside your closet that will absorb odors. Common household items like baking soda and charcoal help to eliminate musty smells. Place an open box of baking soda or an aluminum pie tin with charcoal briquettes on the floor of your closet to draw in and absorb any odors.

You can also put in sweet scents. Sachets or mesh bags containing potpourri can be hung on the rods to give the closet a natural, fresh smell that will be absorbed by your clothes. If you particularly like the fragrance of a bar of soap, place them in your closets to give the clothing the same smell. Alternatively, you can spritz your

Clothes that need a quick rinse will benefit from Electrolux's EWF10744 Vapour Action Inverter Front Load Washing Machine's Quick 20 wash feature

favorite perfume onto cotton balls and place them in the corner of your closet.

For more ideas on home care and healthy living, visit electrolux.com.ph, and follow Electrolux Philippines on Facebook and @electroluxph on Instagram.

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

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CDC Holdings Chief Executive Officer Elsie Chua (sixth from left) led the turnover of the new houses to beneficiaries who were affected by the Bohol quake in 2013

P6.65-MILLION FOR BOHOL QUAKE VICTIMS

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ore than 100 families in various disaster-stricken barangays in Calape, Bohol recently received new, more resilient houses built in partnership among CDC Holdings, Inc., Habitat for Humanity Philippines, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The activity under Habitat’s Rebuild Bohol Project was developed in response to the massive destruction experienced by Central Visayas three years ago.

In October 2013, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the region that caused massive damage to public and private structures, like old churches, houses, government buildings, classrooms, and hospitals. The project, conducted also in partnership with the local government of Bohol, sought to assist the earthquakeaffected areas in improving the living

conditions and reduce vulnerabilities of the affected communities in the province.

CDC Holdings entered into an agreement with Habitat to build 133 core shelters in the municipality of Calape as counterpart funds for the Core Shelter Project of the DSWD. Rebuild Bohol Project is a match fund wherein DSWD provided 58 percent of the amount needed and CDC shouldered the rest, which amounted to P6.65 million.

“We are proud to support Habitat for Humanity in its efforts to build homes, communities and hopes,” said Elsie Chua, president and CEO of CDC Holdings.

“With this partnership, CDC Holdings strengthens our commitment to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. It also complements our vision to make Filipino families realize their dream of living in their own homes.”

Chua added that it is but natural for CDC Holdings to forge a partnership with a global organization such as Habitat for Humanity, which espouses the vision, “We build communities, we transform lives.” She shared, “In every CDC Holdings property that we develop, we do not just build houses and condominiums – we also build communities. This commitment has been ingrained to us for the past 30 years, since we’ve started in the real estate industry.”

For this particular project, Habitat selected 13 barangays for the project, namely Abucayan Sur, Abucayan Norte, Bentig, Binogawan, Calunasan, Catmonan, Kahayag, Labuon, Liboron, Lucob, Magtongtong, Tultugan, and Ubujan.

For its part, Charlie Ayco, Habitat Philippines CEO and managing director, expressed his gratitude to CDC Holdings

for the support to Bohol. “We are thankful for companies like CDC because they give our countrymen hope, and a chance to have a better life. We are very excited for the results of this partnership because it means more families in Bohol living in safer and more decent homes.”

Rebuilt at their original location in Calape, the new shelters are single-detached houses measuring 25 square meters each.

Each house was developed using the new technology of plastered bamboo slats on steel frame for the exterior and interior walls.

It also features steel columns, reinforced concrete, steel roof beams, among other materials to ensure that the shelter will be more durable in case of a disaster.

To know more about CDC Holdings and its projects, call (02) 894-0808 or visit www.cdcresidences.com.

Arista Place wins in 1st ULI PH Healthy Places Awards Proving its thrust of providing quality lifestyle and environment-friendly community, DMCI Homes earned anew recognition when one of its properties, Arista Place, won in the recently concluded 1st Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines Healthy Places Awards.

Held recently in Bonifacio Global City, the 1st ULI Philippines Healthy Places Awards aims to recognize outstanding and innovative developments with advance design strategies that focus on the development of environments and promote healthy living in the country.

According to ULI Philippines, the awards were also intended to “raise awareness of the direct link between human health and the built environment and the health consequences from land use decisions and development pattern.”

Presenting the award were ULI Global Executive Officer Patrick Phillips, ULI Philippines Chairman Raymond Rufino and judge AECOM Asia Pacific President Sean C.S Chiao who cited that “the winner (Arista Place) for this category (residential condo) went above and beyond to distinguish their project as a Healthy Place. We would like to commend them on their earnest and simple – yet healthy and sustainable – design.”

Arista Place, built by the country’s undisputed leader in resort-inspired

DMCI Homes Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Customer Care Jan O. Venturanza (third from left) receives the award for DMCI property Arista Place at the 1st Urban Land Institute Philippines Healthy Places Awards. Joining him are (from left) AECOM Asia Pacific President Sean C.S. Chiao, Urban Land Institute Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick Philipps, Landscape Head Alexis S. Valiente and Philippine Green Building Council Chair Raymond Rufino

residential communities, DMCI Homes, is a mid-rise development with 11 single-loaded buildings in more than four hectares of land where more than one hectare of the total land area has been dedicated to amenities, lush green open spaces, landscapes and gardens that provide every dweller a sense of serenity and relaxation. Arista Place, located in Parañaque City, also takes pride in providing sustainable ecological designs that benefit both the homeowners and the surrounding community as well.

“We are pleased to be given this award that recognizes the efforts on creating a sustainable and environment-friendly community. We highly live up to DMCI Homes core value of ensuring customer satisfaction that is why we dedicate ourselves in creating innovations and designs that do not only contribute to the aesthetic appeal but, most importantly, to the well-being and lifestyle of residents,” said DMCI Homes Landscape Head Alexis S. Valiente, who received the award

together with Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Customer Care Jan O. Venturanza during the ceremony on July 14 at NetPark in Taguig City.

Entries in the 1st ULI Philippines Healthy Places Awards vied for only four categories namely residential, retail, office and other/miscellaneous. Winners were rounded up based on ULI’s Ten Principles for Building a Healthy Places which include putting people first, empowering champions for health, energizing shared spaces, recognizing the economic value, promoting access to healthy food, making healthy choices easy, among others.

Aside from Chiao, other judges of the 1st Philippines Healthy Places Awards included ULI Australia Chairman and Urbis Director Peter Holland, The Net Group President Maria Cristina Samson, Aon Philippines CEO Andrew Minnitt, and St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The 1st Philippines Healthy Places Awards is one of the programs of ULI, an international nonprofit research and education organization founded in 1936 which has more than 38,000 members worldwide. Together with Philippine Green Building Council, the awards gala was considered one of the largest gatherings of the real estate and design industry’s leaders and partners from the Asia Pacific Region.

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ritish brand John Lewis highlights two trends – Coastal and Fusion - in its Spring Summer Home Collection at selected SM Home branches.

The spirit of the British seaside is alive in Coastal, where the warmth of nostalgia is given a fresh, modern update. Relaxed textures, simple stripes and plainly crafted pieces reflect the comfort and informality of a home by the sea.

This relaxed, beach-inspired look combines all the colors associated with the seaside. Think sandy beiges, off-whites and greys, and pepped up with Côte d’Azur blue.

Bring the nautical look to life with decorative touches. Think rope details, fish motifs, and galvanized steel pendants. Use accessories to express your personal style. This look should be informal, comfortable and filled with stuff that you love.

Fusion, on the other hand, is a collector’s paradise that celebrates a rich, cultural diversity of influences. It blends color, pattern, and texture to create a style that is both worldly and individual. You can infuse your home with global style no matter where you live.

In your bedroom, mix striking patterns and textures against a neutral backdrop of pale walls and dark wood furniture.

Textiles take their influence from across the globe with ikat prints and intense colors such as saffron and indigo. You can also hang lighting at a low level to create a relaxed glow in your bedroom John Lewis, a chain of quality department stores in Great Britain is known for its “Never Knowingly Undersold” policy, which has been in use since 1925. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership, the UK’s largest example of worker co-ownership where all 30,000 staff is Partners in the business.

On Jan. 1, 2008, the Oxford Street store – the first John Lewis store that opened in 1864 – was awarded a Royal Warrant

S U N D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

JOHN LEWIS

SPRING SUMMER HOME COLLECTION

British home label John Lewis' Spring/Summer collection captures the spirit of the British seaside in its Coastal Collection and the rich cultural diversity of global influences in its Fusion Collection

from Her Majesty the Queen as “suppliers of haberdashery and household goods.

John Lewis Reading is also the holder of a Royal Warrant from the Queen as suppliers of household and fancy goods.

Peter Jones in Sloane Square, Chelsea,

a part of the John Lewis Group, is the holder of a Royal Warrant to both HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh as draper and furnisher.

In the Philippines, John Lewis has a dedicated department in selected SM

Home branches. The John Lewis Coastal and Fusion Collections are available at the SM Home Section in SM Store branches in SM Makati, SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, and SM Seaside Cebu.

Budget-friendly home décor

Add a touch of nature by putting plants in hanging baskets

Accents and decorative items add color to a dull space

Keep the house tidy and clutter-free with the help of baskets and other containers

If you want to perk up any room in the house, do it with the help of Daiso Japan, the only authorized and exclusive retailer of Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan that sells useful and cute items priced from P88. From wire decors and ceramics, to organizer baskets and decorative paper lamps, these simple yet chic stuff will add style to and stamp your personality into your personal space.

Let’s start from the door. When people visit your home, they should instantly discover your style. Maximize that space by the doorway without over-cluttering.

Daiso Japan has artsy wall hooks and wire organizers where you can hang your keys.

They can also double as hangers for your shawls, scarves, coats or umbrellas.

On to the living area. The area where the family gathers to bond and the place where you seat your guests should be tidy and clutter-free. Daiso Japan has hooks and small wooden frames where you may hang and display photos of family milestones and adventures. Add a playful touch with colorful paper lanterns. Use woven baskets as newspaper and magazine racks, to liven up the living room.

Check out the kitchen. “A place for everything and everything in its place” is an adage that can be applied to the kitchen.

Pots, pans, utensils, silverware, glassware and other small kitchen appliances and décor should be positioned where they belong. Use Daiso’s antique hooks to hang towels and some utensils, big woven baskets for fruits and vegetables and mini shelves for spices and condiments.

Decorating the dining room. Bring the outdoors in with a wire décor in a wood base to place some small potted plants.

Daiso Japan also has antique style cans that can house mini plants such as succulents.

Put them on tabletops to lend a natural and country feel to the room.

Bye bathroom blues. Add a splash of color to bathrooms by adding ceramics and tin cans with unique shapes. Use woven baskets for your shampoos, scrubs, and other personal effects while wire decors and hooks will come in handy for your towels. Finish off your bathroom shelves with decorative pebbles, stones, and sands available in pastel tones to add a playful vibe. Add a pinch of freshness and your favorite scents with potpourri packets from Daiso Japan.

Dress up the bedroom. Daiso Japan’s storage baskets can hold makeup kits, undies, socks, handkerchiefs and other personal stuff, while wooden drawers and organizers are perfect for necklaces, trinkets, watches, bracelets and other blings. Pour in your favorite scent into the decorative ceramic bottle and place it on your dresser. You may also use it as a flower vase to put by the window.

Arrange your bookshelves on top of your headboard or shelf using Daiso Japan’s wooden style bookends.

Daiso Japan has 53 stores nationwide through Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. which holds the exclusive sub-license to sell authentic Daiso merchandise from Japan and operates the legitimate Daiso Japan store concept in the Philippines.

Follow them on Facebook at Daiso Japan PH @DaisoJapanPH on Twitter and @daisophilippines on Instagram.

S UNDAY : J ULY 24, 2016

C5 AIAI RENEWS ENDORSEMENT FOR HOBE BIHON SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED

EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

B

ox-Office Queen AiAi de las Alas extended her endorsement contract with the country’s no.l bihon manufacturer, Centennial Food Corporation.

President Bobby Co said he is glad to extend his company’s partnership with the Philippine Comedy Queen for the product.

AiAi signed her first endorsement contract with Hobe Bihon late last year, and seeing good results, Co decided to extend the partnership up to 2017.

“We believe in AiAi’s strong endorsement power as proven by our improved sales, that is why we requested her to renew with us, and I’m glad she agreed. We will also have a TV commercial for AiAi aside from a massive nationwide promotional campaign,” Co says.

This contract extension with Hobe Bihon marks a lot of positive developments for AiAi’s showbiz career.

Recently, she finished shooting two movies, Mighty Yaya for Regal Films and the indie film Area.

She has two TV shows on GMA7 – Sunday Pinasaya and Hay Bahay (with box-office king Vic Sotto). Both are enjoying good ratings, so far.

“It was easy for me to say ‘yes’ sa extension kasi mabait naman si Bobby Co sa akin, and he has supported a lot of my projects, at sa lahat ng celebration, mapa birthday, New Year, Christmas etc. and besides, talaga namang masarap ang Hobe Bihon,” says AiAi.

Centennial Food Corporation President Bobby Co with Comedy Queen AiAi de las Alas

One Meralco Foundation backs ‘Ignacio de Loyola’ First, it was Antonio Luna’s story being rediscovered by Pinoy moviegoers especially the millennials. Then, it was an eighthour epic that tells of Gregoria de Jesus’ search for the missing body of husband Andres Bonifacio and follows the journey of Crisostomo Ibarra and Simoun. History captured in cinema.

Now coming to the silver screen is a film about the life-long struggles of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish knight who later offered himself to the service of God and founded the Society of Jesus whose members are better known as Jesuits.

Proudly Filipino-made, Ignacio de Loyola is the first locally produced movie screened at the Vatican. Helping make the film a reality were various groups that include One Meralco Foundation (OMF) whose chairman, Manny V. Pangilinan or MVP, is a true-blue Atenean.

Andreas Muños playing the lead role in the film Ignacio de Loyola From left: OMF President Jeffrey Tarayao, Meralco Senior VP Alfredo S. Panlilio and OMF Vice Chairman Oscar S. Reyes

“It is a source of great pride for us to be one of those who supported the production of an epic film that celebrates the life and times of a great saint, and highlights the capabilities of Filipino film-making,” said OMF President Jeffrey Tarayao.

“We are delighted to be part of this movie because OMF shares, to a large extent, the Ignatian values and special calling for us to become men and women for others,” he added.

Aside from MVP, OMF Vice Chairman

Oscar S. Reyes, and Trustee Alfredo S. Panlilio are all from the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University and are steeped in the order’s tradition of service to humanity.

Don’t miss this great Filipino cinema opus.

The “Ignacio de Loyola” divine epic opens in Philippine theaters on July 27.

For more information about the film, check out www.ignaciomovie.com, facebook.com/ignaciomovie and follow @ignaciomovie on Twitter and Instagram.

C6

SUNDAY : J ULY 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SAY HELLO AGAIN TO ‘CHEF NEXT DOOR’

L

ifestyle, together with The Group Entertainment, welcomes another feisty, hot character on the block this month. Chef and restaurateur Jonas Ng returns on Lifestyle and will once again charm us with his wit and easy cooking tips in the new season of Chef Next Door.

Chef Jonas, head chef and owner of Huat Pot Hotpot Restaurant in Greenhills and Le Jardin in Bonifacio Global City, takes us on a culinary journey to the food industry by showing you the faces, places, and stories behind the food industry that we are only starting to discover.

Dubbed as one of Spot.ph’s “Top 10 Hottest Chefs in Manila,” Chef Jonas is taking the heat out of the kitchen and into your TV screens. His show Chef Next Door is sure to be every wannabe-cook’s guilty pleasure.

“The new season will be bigger, bolder and me, hotter,” Chef Jonas said laughing. In the show, he shares the easiest and most

Chef Jonas Ng of “Chef Next Door”

Some of Chef Jonas Ng’s masterpieces from “Chef Next Door’s” presscon at Le Jardin

practical restaurant recipes, some tricks of the trade and chef

hacks that he has learned over 10 years of working inside a

high-pressure, solution-oriented professional kitchen.

Each episode teaches viewers how to come up with restaurant quality output from modern urban limitation and just like in real-life kitchens, be prepared to see how Chef Jonas bounces back from realistic kitchen struggles like lack of time, space, and budget by doing his #chefninjamoves as he “MacGyvers” his way to coming up with creative and informative solutions in every kitchen crisis he is thrown with.

Chef Next Door Season 2 airs on Lifestyle every Wednesday at 9:30

p.m., Thursday at 1 a.m., Saturdays at 6:p.m., Sundays at 10 a.m, Mondays at 3:30 p.m., and 12 midnight on Tuesdays.

The show is a joint production venture by The Group Entertainment and iSnap Creatives.

Lifestyle is available on SKYcable channel 52.

For updates, like the Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/LifestyleTVPH , follow the Instagram account –LifestyleTVPH, and Twitter account @LifestyletvPH. Official hashtags are #LoveYourLifeNow, #LifestyleTvPh and #ChefNextDoorOnLifestyle.

Michael Weatherly stars in new drama

Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull

Michael Weatherly stars as Dr. Jason Bull in the brand new drama Bull premiering first and exclusive, same day as the U.S. on Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. on RTL CBS Entertainment HD. Michael Weatherly gained fame as Agent Tony DiNozzo, the charming, womanizing, former police detective character he played on NCIS for 13 seasons.

He is also known for his role as Logan in the series Dark Angel and for his role on the popular soap Loving.

“We’re excited to have fan favorite Michael Weatherly on RTL CBS Entertainment HD,” says Jennifer Batty, EVP Programming, RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network.

“We

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 82 83 84 87 88 89 93 94 95 97

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Repast fit for a king 6 Shish — 11 Gem measure 16 Roadside warning 21 Newsstand buy 22 Riled up 23 Noted soap vixen 24 Rah-rah 25 Bygone anesthetic 26 Twangy, as a voice 27 — a dull moment 28 Mind’s-eye view 29 Bruce — of kung fu 30 The thick of things 32 Espresso with milk 34 Freight weight 36 Photo 37 First 007 movie (2 wds.)

39 Arms of Morpheus 41 Gandhi associate 43 Bear witness 45 Markdowns

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

Mall for Plato Fresco base Parboiled Some Iraqis Type of lock Subatomic particle Bad bets Follow Rich pastry Size above med.

Emcee’s remarks Propeller-head “Klute” star Bewhiskered animal PBS funder Used a blender “The Castle” author Proclaimed noisily Sedgwick of the screen Round Table titles Does 9 holes Pirate’s sword Injures, as a bear

Mallard cousins Got stage fright Touchdown Daybreaks Request earnestly There’s no — thing!

Name in perfumes Crocus “bulbs” Prim and proper “In a beautiful — -green boat” 98 Strictness 99 Baseball plays 100 Glacier breakaways 101 Ore analysis 103 Hydrocarbon suffix 104 Candy bars 106 Flaxen-haired 107 Burger extra 108 — pop 110 Raucous laughs 111 Still in the game 112 Rubbed it in 113 Mr. Magoo’s nephew 115 Card with two spots 116 — the rapids 117 Moonshot mission 120 Bloodhound clues 122 Evaluated 124 Periscope sites 128 Big green parrot 129 Cal Tech grad 131 Nebraska hub 133 Do Latin homework 135 Sheepish comment 136 Pave over 138 Check for fraud 140 Knight noise?

142 Hilarious people 144 Plain to see 145 Meaning of “litho” 146 Danke, in Dijon 147 Zoo barriers 148 Wren residences 149 Acapulco cash 150 Down the hatch

know his huge fan base in the region will be ecstatic to see him on his very own show.”

Bull is a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time.

Brilliant, brash, and charming, Dr. Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition, and high-tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses, and the accused tick.

Bull employs an enviable team of experts at Trial Analysis Corporation to shape successful narratives down to the very last detail. They include his quickwitted brother-in-law, Benny

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2016 151 Uneasy DOWN 1 Specialty 2 Organic compound 3 Pallid 4 “A Boy Named —” 5 Length of office 6 Lit 7 Deletes a file 8 Tack 9 — — glance 10 Kind of pepper 11 Hubs 12 Queen of Soul 13 Water source 14 Stretchy bandage 15 Like a sourball 16 Dekes or jukes 17 Take it on the — 18 Wide open 19 “Final answer?” asker 20 Perpendicular 31 Castaways’ refuges 33 Battery post 35 Dromedary pit stops 38 Canadian physician 40 Hesitated 42 Kampala’s country 44 Back-fence yowler 46 — — in the bucket 48 Root around 50 Essay byline 51 Creep furtively 52 Rabbit 53 Wish upon — — 54 Nudges, perhaps 55 Jerks 57 Very, very 58 Curved moldings 59 Techies 61 Washstand pitchers 62 Tips one’s hat 63 Former Notre Dame coach Lou — 66 It may be boring 67 Cascades

69 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

Unlikely stories Everyday Zen riddles Gulls’ perch Acid in proteins Lysol target Gross Says decidedly Legal wrongs Egg order Surveyor’s units Horned herbivore Came unglued Abbey residents Having a tendency to Capsize Desist partner Put up alfalfa Type of clock Killdeer Coarse person Modem-speed unit Paris cop Airliner capacity Drip-dry fabric Look embarrassed Clumps of clay Belt maker’s tool Tends the aquarium Small pickle Tips off Hooded cloak Position Ohio city Irk Rock’s Hall & — Long-extinct birds By itself Lusitania sinker (hyph.)

Fiberglass bundles Given to back talk Pant Crowning point Funny Bombeck Museum contents Versatile vehicle Meadow Electron gainer

Colón (played by Freddy Rodriguez, Six Feet Under), a lawyer and Bull’s former brother-inlaw, Marissa Morgan (played

by Geneva Carr, Rescue Me), a cutting-edge neurolinguistics expert from the Department of Homeland Security; former NYPD detective Danny James (played by Jaime Lee Kirchner, Just Legal, Rent on Broadway), the firm’s tough but relatable investigator; haughty millennial hacker Cable McCrory (played

by Annabelle Attanasio, The Knick), responsible for gathering cyber intelligence; and Chunk Palmer (played by Chris Jackson, Hamilton), a fashionconscious stylist and former All-American lineman who

fine-tunes clients’ appearances for trial.

In high-stakes trials, Dr. Bull’s combination of remarkable insight into human nature, three Ph.D.s and a top-notch staff creates winning strategies that tip the scales of justice in his clients’ favor.

Mark Goffman, Paul Attanasio, Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jay McGrawand Rodrigo Garcia are the executive producers. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios and distributed internationally by CBS Studios International.

In the U.S., CBS has scheduled Bull in the much coveted slot right after NCIS every Tuesday night.

SUNDAY : J ULY 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

UPSIZE YOUR LOVE

I

FOR ORIGINAL PILIPINO MUSIC

f you were to switch on the radio, what song would you likely hear? If you scoured top charts of pop stations, which songs would you likely see dominate?

Realistically, Filipino compositions are still minority in the Philippine airwaves. On Spotify, despite the presence of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) playlists, these remain outnumbered by playlists showcasing foreign songs.

As of this writing, the same commercial music streaming service’s “Top 50 Chart for Philippines” signifies OPM with a poor showing of no more than three entries (an embarrassing 6 percent) in the list: Daryl Ong’s “Stay” on 24th place, “Tadhana”

by Up Dharma Down on 39th, and Juris’ version of “Your Love” on 44th.

This predicament resonated with four friends of various backgrounds (actor and recording artist, Poppert Bernadas; corporate trainer and foodie, Sanchus Brian Bernaldo; host and wedding singer, Myda Cunanan; and PR professional / thespian, Amiel Mendoza), who felt the call to respond.

They put together P4 to produce FilipiNotes, an open mic event aimed at expanding the OPM experience. Pinoy compositions are given one more avenue to reach out to lovers of the craft.

FilipiNotes would be a time to sing, celebrate and bask in music that tug at the heartstrings.

“Since it was at an open mic event where we all met for the first time, we wanted to organize our own,” Cunanan said. The group,

From left: FilipiNotes founders, Sanchus Bernaldo, Amiel Mendoza, Myda Cunanan and Poppert Bernadas

Jigs Mayuga in FilipiNotes’ open mic event

however, hoped to deliver a distinct open mic event.

“There are many themed open mic events such as top 40, acoustic, and Broadway but we noticed that there is nothing that is exclusively OPM, and we saw that there’s a gap that needed to be filled,” Bernaldo stated.

The best musical genre (that expresses what being truly Filipino means and how Filipinos tackle life) is OPM. “If we are going to do this, we might as well make the event meaningful,” Mendoza shared. “Let’s give it a noble purpose and make it our advocacy.”

FilipiNotes was thus born. P4 partnered with the Organisasyon Ng Mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) that shares this passion and vision for the local music industry to effect a wider reach with the general public.

In April, the first ever FilipiNotes witnessed a gathering of

singers, composers, musical theater actors, aspiring musicians, other OPM lovers and supporters from various areas of the metro.

They all squeezed inside the reserved venue, which was humbly planned for a seating capacity of 50. Some shared tables with strangers, some willingly stood, while many opted to sit on the floor to make room for much more than the expected number of attendees.

P4 found the overwhelming turnout unexpected. A happier surprise, however, had been the audience, who gamely sang with whomever had the mic and the live accompaniment of a seasoned pianist. As the evening progressed, nostalgia and wishes for renewed spotlight on OPM pervaded.

Bernadas admitted he wasn’t entirely surprised. “I’ve sung many types of songs but nothing beats OPM in piercing the depths

of your soul.” Similar to the rest of the group, he found immense joy in witnessing its contagious effect on people. “We wish a lot more can experience this and also upsize their appreciation of OPM,” he added.

On July 26 at 8 p.m., FilipiNotes will celebrate Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino with an even bigger and better OPM Open Mic made possible by 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub, FILSCAP, NCCA, together with media partners, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, and Wish FM 107.5.

With more seats, two pianists, and a bigger stage upon which renowned local artists regularly perform, this event opens an opportunity to everyone to increase the OPM fan base.

Artists who want to try OPM materials, aspiring singers, performers who love live accompaniment, groups of friends look-

ing for a different night out, and lovers of Original Pilipino Music can come and experience “FilipiNotes: UPSIZED” for a door charge of P300.00.

With the event’s proceeds, the group can only continue to open the stage to OPM enthusiasts. A long-term goal is to give back to institutions, and promising individuals who need help to continue their love of the arts and OPM. As a caveat, the organizers, who cleverly made the slogan “Huwag Maliitin ang Notang Pinoy,” do not intend to make OPM the only music choice. They only hope to encourage listeners to try on the hat of an OPM lover, which is always more enjoyable by a bigger size or two.

To know more about FilipiNotes, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or register for the event at http://bit. ly/2947mvd.

Kris Bernal enjoys doing science experiments

“iBilib” co-host Kris Bernal conducting science experiments

iBilibers doing magic liquid experiment

Today, join Kapuso sweetheart Kris Bernal in a fun-filled morning as she creates incredible science projects in iBilib.

Know the secret behind a boat that’s being controlled using a can, fire, and water and be in the latest fashion trend using a magic liquid that can create a stylish Tshirt. Meanwhile, join James and Roadfill in an entertaining animal race with the kiddie i-Bilibers and share a delicious treat with Kris’ Teddy Bear Roast.

Catch the no1 educational TV program in the country, i-Bilib with Chris Tiu, this morning after Born To Be Wild on GMA. Get the latest updates of iBilib from the official website of GMA Network www.gmanetwork.com and official Facebook page of GMA Network www. facebook.com/GMANetwork.

Magic liquid reacting with fire, creating a stylish design

Conan My Beautician stars Mark Herras and Megan Young

Conan meets Ava this Sunday It seems lady luck is finally smiling on Conan Barbers (Mark Herras).

Pretending to be gay so he could work in Salon Paz to support his mother’s hospitalization, Conan is about to finally meet the girl of his dreams: Ava (Megan Young). The model and heiress of the country’s biggest cosmetics company is looking for a makeup artist and she finds herself in Salon Paz.

Meanwhile, having won the friendship of his co-beauticians, Conan gets invited to the annual basketball tournament of Dubbie’s daughter. A showdown between the bekis of Salon Paz (Jerald Napoles, Betong Sumaya, and Tetay) and the dads will take place on the court.

Don’t miss the country’s latest Sunday family treat. Watch Conan My Beautician after GMA Blockbusters on GMA 7.

SUNDAY : J ULY 24, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Aljur Abrenica in his most challenging role in the film Hermano Puli

‘HERMANO PULI’

CLOSES CINEMALAYA 2016 ISAH V. RED

A

ng Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli has been chosen as the closing film of the 2016 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

The highly anticipated historical drama will have its gala premiere at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Aug. 13, Saturday, on the eve of the festival’s awarding ceremony.

“I am proud to join this year’s Cinemalaya with my latest work because this festival is close to my heart,” says the film’s director, Gil Portes, who at 70 is enjoying a career renaissance that started in 2010 when his black comedy Two Funerals won five major awards at the festival.

Produced by T-Rex Entertainment and written by Enrique Ramos, Hermano Puli stars Aljur Abrenica in the title role of the almost forgotten early 19th century preacher from Lucban, Quezon, who led a movement for equality and religious freedom against the Spanish colonial govern-

ment half a century before the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Heneral Antonio Luna.

The film celebrates the heroism of the young Filipinos of the past who shed their blood for the freedoms we all enjoy today.

Like Rizal and Bonifacio after him, Apolinario de la Cruz, better known as Hermano Puli, was a young man who dared to question the inequities of the Spanish era.

He was only 18 when he founded the Cofradia de San Jose, a religious brotherhood that spread like wildfire among his fellow native Filipinos throughout Southern Tagalog. He was either just 27 or 28 when he was condemned as a heretic and executed by the colonial government.

At 26, Aljur is just the right age to portray the most challenging role of his young career. He is joined in the cast by other fine young actors like Louise de los Reyes, Enzo Pineda, Markki Stroem, Kiko Matos, Vin Abrenica, Ross Pesigan, and – in his acting debut – his youngest brother Allen Abrenica.

To impart the film’s message of heroism to today’s youth, Hermano Puli has launched a nationwide campus tour of a forum on heroism called “Bayani Ba ‘To?” The tour kicked off on to a rousing success on July 9 at the Angeles University Foundation, where it enjoyed a 1,300-strong audience

The film celebrates the heroism of the young Filipinos of the past who shed their blood for the freedoms we all enjoy today. Like Rizal and Bonifacio after him, Apolinario de la Cruz, better known as Hermano Puli, was a young man who dared to question the inequities of the Spanish era.

Lead actor Aljur Abrenica as Hermano Puli and Louise de los Reyes as his leading lady

Also starring in the film is Aljur’s brother, Vin Abrenica

of enthusiastic college students.

It will cover 40 colleges nationwide and wrap up in mid-September leading up to the movie’s commercial run in September.

Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli also stars Menggie Cobarrubias, Stella Canete-Mendoza, Alvin Fortu-

na, Sue Prado, Abel Estanislao, Simon Ibarra, Jun Nayra, Diva Montelaba, and Elora Espano.

For social media engagement, you may follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtags #HermanoPuli, #Mangahas, and #MangahasUmibig.