10 MARCH 2019

ART IN CITY
PAGE 14
LIVING SPACES
KLAY CHOPS
WARRIORS
BOUNCE
SUNDAY
PAGCOR SEEKS POGO
REGULATIONS
CRIMINALITY,
CORRUPTION
AND CONCEIT
PAGE 17 SPORTS
PAGE 9 BUSINESS PAGE 5 COMMENTARY
Duterte: No
drugs or bust
By Kristina Maralit
LEARN LESSONS
FROM THE PAST
PAGE 19
WORLD
Either the narcotics menace is eradicated
in 2022 when he steps down or President
Rodrigo Duterte said he will consider his
administration as one “big flop.”
Speaking at an event in Malacañang,
Turn to page 6
MANILA, PHILIPPINES SUNDAY, 10 MARCH 2019
Piñol puts down DT
Allergic to Daily Tribune
They turned me into
a project even if they
knew the President
was only joking
By Chito Lozada
Agriculture Secretary Manny
Piñol, under extreme pressure
from several sectors, including
President Rodrigo Duterte, for
the poor economic performance
of the agriculture sector, recently
turned on a Daily Tribune
(DT) reporter to unload his
frustrations.
In the recent 3rd Rice
Tariffication Law (RTL)
consultation held late February
at the Grand Regal Hotel in
Davao City where Piñol was
keynote speaker, Piñol berated
the newspaper’s Davao City
correspondent Maya Padillo who
attended to cover the event.
“Good afternoon, Mr.
Secretary, I am Maya Padillo,
reporter of Daily Tribune. I
would like to interview you
Turn to page 2
Chill out Summer rolls in and several resorts have opened such as one in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan where Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol can cool off as his temper rises parallel to his weakening hold to his Cabinet seat.
‘She isn’t a fake VP for nothing’
By Maya M. Padillo
Vice President Leni Robredo
should avoid commenting about
honesty and integrity since her
virtues were under question
from day one of her term as
Vice President, Davao City Mayor
Sara Duterte-Carpio, chairman
of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP),
said.
Duterte-Carpio added
Stinking
scumbags
During election season, we
normally hear about dirty tricks,
which present themselves in
various forms. But an incident in
Manila possibly comes closest to
its literal meaning.
Turn to page 6
Robredo was not called a
fake VP for no reason.
Robredo has reported
saying honesty should
Turn to page 2
On lipsticks, leaps of faith
By Dinah S. Ventura
Most trusted President Rodrigo Duterte consult with Senate bets closest to his heart,
former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and erstwhile
Philippine National Police Director General Ronald de la Rosa. MALACAÑANG PHOTO
If Kylie Jenner, tagged by Forbes as the “youngest
self-made billionaire ever” at 21 years of age, and
her sister Kendall, tagged by Vogue as the “most
entrepreneurial member”
of the lucrative Jenner/
Kardashian family, could
Turn to page 22
Submarine Manila
avoidable
ANALY LABOR
ACTRESS
Kris Bernal
is among
the rare
examples of
a celebrity
entrepreneur.
Floods should not have former Public Works secretary
been a perennial scourge had said yesterday.
projects applied to solve them Meralco PowerGen
gone beyond the factitious but president and chief executive
costly clean-up of drainages, a Turn to page 6
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NEWS
2
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Piñol puts down DT
We all saw it, in the RTL consultation. She introduced herself properly but
Piñol became angry
From page 1
regarding today’s event sir,” she
told Piñol.
Piñol shot back, saying “I
don’t want you. You made me a
headline.”
He then glanced at the group
in his table then said “they made
me the headline ‘Piñol on his
way out.’”
The report that appeared
as headline on 26 February,
however, ended with a question
mark since Piñol was a no show
during an event where President
Rodrigo Duterte expected him to
be present.
“They turned me into a project
even if they knew the President
was only joking,” he said.
Padillo then responded “I am
based here in Davao and I would
like to interview you hopefully
about today’s event.”
Piñol then waved his hand in
an apparent attempt to dismiss
the reporter. “No way, I will not
agree to an interview if it will
appear in Tribune. I will not
allow it,” he said.
He relented, however, when
Padillo backtracked and said the
interview will be used for a local
newspaper.
A colleague of Padillo who
covered the same event said
the Tribune correspondent was
humiliated by Piñol. “We all saw
it, in the RTL consultation. She
introduced herself properly but
Piñol became angry,” he said.
Hot under collar
Piñol is getting the flak in
Mindanao for the Special Area for
Agricultural Development (SAAD)
program which he is accused of
using for political gains.
Last 25 February at SMX Pasay
City, President Rodrigo Duterte asked
““Saan si Piñol, nandito? Linte na
Piñol na SAAD ng SAAD (Where is
Piñol? Is he here? This Piñol he is
always in SAAD),” the President said.
Mr. Duterte was referring to
the program which is supposedly
funded under Piñol’s watch but
which the Provincial Government
of Cotabato wishes to belie.
In a recent statement, the
Cotabato provincial government
said “the truth is the fund for
this SAAD program started in the
year 2015 and not in 2016 because
the source of funds downloaded
to the Province of Cotabato is a
continuing fund from the 2015
budget of the Department of
Agriculture.”
Also present in this SAAD
sorties is Gubernatorial
Candidate in the Province of
Cotabato and Piñol’s ally Nancy
Catamco who has a pending case
filed before the Sandiganbayan
after she was charged with two
counts of malversation and one
count of graft over a P5 million
deal under the alleged fertilizer
scam.
More inaccuracies
It added the Province of
Cotabato has only a poverty
incidence in the year 2015 of
34.5 percent and not 47 percent
as uttered by the DA Secretary.
“This is based on the Poverty
Incidence 2015 conducted by the
Philippine Statistics Authority,”
it said.
The allegation made by the DA
Secretary that it took two years
for the Province of Cotabato to
implement the SAAD project is
misleading.
I don’t want you. You made
me a headline.
“To restate the facts, DA
downloaded the funds to the
Province of Cotabato only in
December 2016. Thereafter, the
necessary and regular requisites
had to be complied with such as
the needed revision of the MoA
(memorandum of agreement)
to conform to its objective, the
issuance of an authority from
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
of Cotabato to empower the
Provincial Governor to represent
the Provincial Government of
Cotabato in entering into the
new (revised) Memorandum of
Agreement as mandated by the
Republic Act 7160 or the Local
Government Code of 1991 and for
this project’s supplies to undergo
the required procurement process
in accordance with RA 9184 or
the Government Procurement
Reform Act,” it said.
“All of these requirements
were completed only in August
2017. Hence, it would be factual
and correct to state that the
implementation of the SAAD
project commenced in August
2017 and not in December 2016,”
it added.
“Moreover, the issue that DA
Secretary Manny Piñol is using
Government Funds for kins
political bids in the Province
of Cotabato started when
President of the Republic of the
Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte,
called for his presence during the
assembly of barangay officials
of the country as he is nowhere
to be found. President Duterte
said in fact, it was shown in the
different SAAD activities in the
Province of Cotabato that the DA
Secretary is present together with
his daughter and siblings who
are candidates for the different
political positions in the province
this coming midterm elections.
Veggie for DA chief
The Daily Tribune at the
start of this year extended
the Kalabasa Award to the
Department of Agriculture (DA)
under Piñol through a vote
among its editors.
The award cited the DA being
the source of food anguish among
millions of the impoverished in
the country’s urban centers and
the countryside.
Piñol’s term as DA head was
also best remembered for the
disappearing cheap government
rice in the market that became a
justification for the importation of
rice.
Not only rice but also fish
was lined up for importation
which seems his ready all-purpose
solution to the food supply problem.
Piñol even went to the extent of
eating bukbok or weevil-infested rice
and imported galunggong (round
scad) which the Department of
Health earlier had warned contained
formalin, only to justify massive
importation.
Through Piñol, the DA also
encouraged poor Filipinos to
shift to eating corn rice as
a solution to rising prices of
rice.
Sectoral groups questioned
why even with the DA’s
multibillion-peso budget, the
agency resorted to rice
and fish importation rather
than improving the status
of farmers and fisherfolk
and improve agricultural
production.
Robredo has tried to
copy her late husband
but has failed at every
turn
From page 1
be a “given” for those seeking
public office, as administration
and opposition candidates traded
barbs over the importance of
truthfulness.
She stressed that honesty is
a “huge factor” in determining
a person’s integrity and those
who do not have it should not
even think of entering public
service.
According to Duterte-Carpio,
Robredo has tried to copy her
late husband but has failed at
every turn.
The President’s
daughter was
referring to the
late Interior and
Local Government
Secretary Jesse
Robredo who
Rescue coming Government programs seek to prevent
despondence as a result of greatly reduced poverty. The equalizer
is the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in which cash subsidies
are provided to the poorest families.
ROMAN PROSPERO
World-class Pinay Filipina Miss Universe Catrion Gray (center, right) is main attraction in the 2019 Indonesia
beauty pageant as she continues to tour the world as queen of charm and grace.
AFP
‘She isn’t a fake VP for nothing’
died in a plane crash in August
2012.
So many Lenis in world
Sara said the Vice President
also refused to answer other
allegations on her.
“She may or may not get away
with these but we all know she is
not forthcoming in everything. The
reason why good moral character is
not a requirement to run for
Vice President is because
we have so many Leni
Robredos in this world,”
Duterte-Carpio said.
She added if Robredo
insists on saying that one has to
be honest to run for public office,
then she must say goodbye to her
dreams of becoming President.
Duterte-Carpio cited the poll
protest filed by former Sen.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos
on Robredo as a result of her
slim 200,000 votes win in the
2016 polls.
If Robredo insists on
saying that one has to be
honest to run for public
office, then she must say
goodbye to her dreams of
becoming President.
8 cowards
Duterte-Carpio also accused
members of the opposition Otso
Diretso party of being cowards
for refusing to debate her as
they offered the excuse that she
is not a candidate in the May
midterm elections.
“This is the hallmark of
your group, dark, depressing,
sad, very recently, dishonest.
And now, cowards soon to be L
She may or may not get
away with these but
we all know she is not
forthcoming in everything.
(losers),” Duterte-Carpio wrote
on her social media account.
The Commission on Elections
junked Otso Diretso’s plea on
Friday to arrange a
debate with senatorial
bets of the proadministration
HnP
party.
With this, Duterte-Carpio, who
is the HnP campaign manager,
dared the Otso Diretso bets to
debate her instead.
“We can do it instead, Inday
Sara vs 8,” the presidential
daughter said.
We have so many Leni
Robredos in this world.
The Liberal Party (LP),
Robredo’s political party and
also where she is chairperson,
said in a statement Saturday
it doesn’t seem right that
Duterte-Carpio makes honesty
an issue when it comes to the
Vice President but not when
it comes to the mayor’s allies.
The ones who should speak
are their candidates for the
Senate. And they should discuss
issues faced by Filipinos:
joblessness, high prices, killings
and corruption, it said.
The LP stressed Robredo is
not running for office.
Agreeable clime Egret rests on top of a haystack in Pampanga as it looks for a more temperate climate from parts of region where winter ice is starting to melt.
ROMAN PROSPERO

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
PAGE THREE
Lacson wants deeper probe
Balutan firing ain’t a wrap yet
By Elmer N. Manuel
Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday
urged Malacañang to dig deeper into
the supposed corruption allegations on
retired Marine general and now former
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
(PCSO) general manager Alexander
Balutan following President Rodrigo
Duterte’s order to sack him from his
post.
In a statement, Lacson said it is high
time that the Palace holds Balutan liable
for the alleged corruption during his time
as PCSO general manager, stressing he
should be charged with criminal charges
for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act.
“When we conducted Senate hearings
on the possible corruption in the PCSO
under his watch in relation to STL
(small-town lottery) operations, I kept
asking myself — what has happened
to this man,” Lacson said. “If only his
demeanor and other data gathered by
our committee in those hearings, I am
inclined to think there is basis in his
sacking as PCSO general manager.”
Those hearings — done in January
2018 on the alleged corruption relating
to the STL operations — were presided
over by Lacson as he chairs the Senate
Committee on Games and Amusement.
Balutan, a member of the Philippine
Military Academy class of 1983, drew flak
By Elmer N. Manuel
True to his frank personality and no-holds-barred
speeches, President Rodrigo Duterte cracked another
joke on women in his speech during the campaign rally of
the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) in Victorias City,
Negros Occidental.
This time, however, the President belted one that
promotes the landmark measure he had earlier signed
extending paid maternity leaves to 105 days.
In the speech, Duterte cited the positive effects of the
Expanded Maternity Leave Act for women on their way to
becoming mothers, pointing out that since they are secured
in getting the expanded leave and the financial assistance
with it, “women can give birth again and again.”
“The law states that after giving birth, you are entitled
to have 105 days vacation. In addition, the government
will also give you P100,000. So women don’t have to worry
anymore. You can give birth again and again,” Duterte said.
“If you have the progressive laws now about women — this
is among the best, the extended leave for pregnant women,”
the President added. “Unlike before where women had to
go back to work right away after giving birth, but I’m not
a woman so I’m not well-versed with that.”
To recall, the President signed into law on 21 February
By Perseus Echeminada
The British Session Court of North Borneo (Sabah ) has upheld
the proprietary right of the heirs of the late Sulu Sultan Jumalul
Kiram III long before Malaysia became a nation, documents
obtained by Daily Tribune revealed yesterday.
In an 11th October 1939 judgment, British session chief Justice
Macaskie has recognized the proprietary rights of the rightful heirs
of Sulran Kiram and appointed then Datu Punjaman Kiram as
the administrator of the estate of North Borneo (Sabah) in 1939.
Datu Punjaman was crowned as the 32nd Sultan of Sulu and
North Borneo.
“The Macaskie judgment proved that no less than the British
colonial ruler has recognized the right of the Sultanate over Sabah
even before Malaysia was granted independence,” Abraham Idjirani
Sultanate spokesman told the Daily Tribune.
over a supposedly lavish PCSO Christmas
party in 2017 where the agency spent
about P6 million.
Balutan was appointed to head the
PCSO in September 2016.
In a statement, meanwhile, Balutan
begged for a full and impartial
investigation if there’s an accusation
of corruption.
“I told all PCSO employees when I
assumed as GM in 2016 that if somebody
from the Office of the President and
Congress who asks or orders me to do
something which I cannot stomach, I
will resign,” he said.
Balutan pointed out that he did not
ask for the position.
“President Duterte retired me early
from the Marines to help him run his
administration. In silence, I did and I
excelled. I did not ask anything from the
President in return,” he said.
“Career for me is just temporary, but
character is lifetime… even beyond my
grave,” Balutan added.
Presidential spokesman Salvador
Panelo earlier had said Balutan was
fired “due to serious allegations of
corruption.” He did not elaborate.
“Those who fail to observe the same
will inexorably suffer the harsh and
punitive consequences,” Panelo said
in a statement.
“We hope that this will serve as a
stern warning to all government officials
and employees that there are no sacred
cows in the current administration,
especially when it comes to serving
the Filipino people with integrity and
loyalty.”
“Good governance and
public accountability are the
twin hallmarks of the Duterte
Administration. These are the
standards that those in the
government must exercise at all
times and with utmost responsibility
and fidelity,” Panelo added.
Balutan’s firing comes a day after
he said that the PCSO saw a drop in
lottery sales due to smaller jackpot
amounts and higher ticket prices as
the former general manager reported
that the February revenue from lotto
plunged by 39.19 percent, registering
only P1.59 billion in sales compared
to the same period last year with
P2.61 billion.
The former Marine general also
made headlines in 2005 for defying then
president Gloria Arroyo’s Executive
Order 464 barring government officials
and personnel from testifying in
congressional inquiries without her
clearance and permission.
DU30 cracks another joke on women
This time, however, the President belted one
that promotes the landmark measure he had
earlier signed extending paid maternity leaves to
105 days.
British court long
upheld Sultanate right
The Macaskie judgment proved that no less
than the British colonial ruler has recognized
the right of the Sultanate over Sabah even before
Malaysia was granted independence.
I kept asking myself — what
has happened to this man, said
Lacson
the Expanded Maternity Leave Act — which
granted additional maternity leave benefits to
all female workers regardless of her civil
status or legitimacy of her child.
From 60 days, working women will
now have 105 days of maternity
leave with full pay and the option
to extend for another 30 days
without pay while solo mothers
will get 15 days of additional
leave.
Earlier this month, Labor
Secretary Silvestre Bello
III noted the measure as
“priority legislation” of
the Department of Labor
and Employment.
The proposed
measure was reviewed
by concerned government
agencies, including the
tripartite council.
By Alvin Murcia
Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin
the other night reiterated his
four-point agenda for the judiciary
during the testimonial dinner
tendered by the Integrated Bar
of the Philippines (IBP) at the
Maynila Ballroom, Manila Hotel.
The agenda laid out by Bersamin
include the updating of the Rules of
Court, purging the Bench of misfits
and scalawags, and the adoption
of legal clinics to enhance access
to justice.
Bersamin said updating the
procedural rules is important to
make them embody and be attuned
Bay patrollers As part of the celebration of International Women’s Day last Friday, these Baywalk
Patrol volunteers from the DENR conduct a clean-up drive at the Manila Bay.
BOB DUNGO JR.
Female power This lady from Baseco in Tondo, Manila tries to make both ends meet by
selling garlic at a cheap price of P100 per sack.
AL PADILLA
to technological developments.
Aside from adjudication, updating
the rules is very basic, if not the
other important function of the Court
under the Constitution, he explained.
Bersamin said he will make the
judicial system responsive to the
public need for quick dispensation
of justice.
He admitted that the Rules of
Court still contain provisions that
institutionalize delay.
The second agenda being pushed
by Bersamin is the cleansing of
the ranks of the judiciary and
institutionalize changes designed
to expedite the administration of
justice.
Sen. Richard Gordon has called
on the Department of Health anew
to take a look at the unjust practices
committed by both government and
private hospitals and medical facilities
in the country and take the necessary
action.
I am not against hospitals but
they should not let the people
suffer. These hospitals are
clearly violating laws, rules and
regulations.
Gordon renewed his call after
getting inundated with complaints on
social media against some hospitals
LACSON on Balutan during a Senate inquiry: “What has happened to this man?”
By Raymart Lolo
As part of the automated election system for the May 13
polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to roll out
the Voter Registration Verification System (VRVS) in different
parts of the country.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez is optimistic on the
result of the testing in selected pilot areas.
“The field test of the voters’ registration system turned out
good, so we expect that we will be able to roll it out in pilot areas
with no problem,” Jimenez said.
The pilot areas for the VRVS include Manila,
Quezon City, Cavite, Pangasinan, Cebu, Negros
Occidental, Davao del Sur and Zamboanga
del Sur.
During the testing, voters will
undergo live fingerprint scanning
through a machine to check their
legitimacy as registered voters of a
certain precinct. The machine will then
verify the fingerprint.
“The point of the VRVS is simply to determine
whether or not a person is eligible to vote where
he is presenting himself to vote,” Jimenez said.
VRVS is expected to eliminate flying voters as the
biometrics of the registered voter is encoded in the machine.
Jimenez underscored their high expectations
of the VRVS which has 100 percent
identification function where it could
determine if the voter is registered
or not.
If no problems occur, VRVS will
reduce the identification verification
process by three to five minutes.
The judiciary, according to
him, will be purged of misfits and
scalawags and enforce the rules of
discipline.
He said judges and employees in
the provinces who have contributed
to the wrong perception about the
Judiciary will have to go.
Bersamin said he has directed
Court Administrator Jose Midas P.
Marquez to start the purge so as to
show he means business.
Reforms in the bar exams will
be the third agenda of Bersamin as
chief magistrate. He urged to study
the pass/fail approach practiced in
the United States instead of grading
the exams and having topnothchers.
for imposing excessive fees, collecting
deposits before admission, requiring
blood retesting for blood coming from
the Philippine Red Cross, and banning
the purchase of medicines outside the
hospital, among others.
“As I have stressed multiple times
in the past, the medical facilities’
practice of charging retesting fees
for PRC blood units and other unjust
practices such as imposing exorbitant
fees and demanding deposits before
a patient is admitted, among others
are unnecessary and only add to the
burden poor Filipinos who are already
financially stressed,” the Philippine
Red Cross chairman said.
Comelec pilot
testing ready
During the testing, voters will undergo live
fingerprint scanning through a machine to check
their legitimacy as registered voters.
Bersamin lists SC agenda anew
Only recently, Bersamin and the
other justices visited the US and saw the
law program being implemented there..
Bersamin said the law program
should be studied and eventually be
adopted in the country.
Bersamin said he will
make the judicial system
responsive to the public need
for quick dispensation of
justice.
The participation of law students
in extending legal aid to the poor
and underprivileged is also a primary
concern that should be implemented,
Bersamin said.
Gordon bewails complaints vs hospitals
“I am not against hospitals but they
should not let the people suffer. These
hospitals are clearly violating laws, rules
and regulations,” Gordon further noted.
Hospitals cited in the complaints
included the following: Philippine General
Hospital, National Kidney Transplant
Institute, Philippine Heart Center, East
Avenue Medical Center, Lourdes Hospital,
Labor Hospital, James L. Gordon Hospital
in Olongapo City, Community Hospital
in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Medical Center in
Dagupan City, Negros Oriental Provincial
Hospital, MCU Hospital, Aklan Provincial
Hospital, Manila East Medical Center in
Taytay, Rizal and Parañaque Doctors’
Hospital.
MBA

COMMENTARY
4 Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Daily
Tribune
WITHOUT FEAR • WITHOUT FAVOR
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
Crispin G. Martinez
Chito Lozada
Dinah Ventura
Aldrin Cardona
John Henry Dodson
Jun Vallecera
Jaimes R. C. Sumbilon
Larry Payawal
Komfie Manalo
Patricia Ramos
Board Chair
Willie Fernandez
Publisher and President
Founding Chair
Executive Editor
Managing Editor
Associate Editors
Business Editor
Central Desk
Special Reports
Narco pawns
unleashed
“Drug
syndicates
have
become
frantic
over the
shrinking
Philippine
market
where
sales are
being
drastically
reduced.
Lawyer Jude Sabio, the designated pawn of yellow lapdog Sen.
Antonio Trillanes IV, crawled out of the woodwork just as the
campaign is reaching crescendo signaling stepped-up attacks on
the administration.
He always pop out in an opportune time similar to a special
weapon that a warring party brings out during crunch time.
It is also notable that Sabio appeared as President Rody Duterte
announced the final phase of his war on drugs which he indicated
will be as relentless as when it started.
The ultimate success of the anti-narcotics drive spells
doom for all opponents of Rody who still dream of the
good old days.
Sabio told the captive yellow media the International
Criminal Court (ICC) “may” decide to launch an
investigation into Rody’s drugs war next week.
In news story writing, the word “may” is frowned
upon since it also connotes “may not” that negates the
value of a story no matter how earth-shocking it is.
Sabio said “it is possible that the ICC will decide
to open an investigation” before 17 March when the
Philippines’ withdrawal from the international tribunal
takes effect.
In journalism parlance, the statement of Sabio is a
well-massaged story.
Sabio is the lawyer of self-confessed hit men Edgar
Matobato and Arturo Lascañas who said they are
members of the mythical Davao Death Squad.
In April 2017, Sabio filed with the ICC a 77-page
document on supposed extrajudicial killings (EJK)
in the war on drugs that is entirely based on a script
prepared by Trillanes and the yellow mob, including
the bloated death figures.
In March 2018, President Rody Duterte pulled the country out
of the ICC, a month after the tribunal announced the conduct of
a preliminary examination that will determine whether there is
cause to investigate.
Sabio then revealed, in his own statement, the true intent of the
ICC “crimes against humanity” as he said there’s no stopping the
ICC probe since “interested parties like him and some opposition
lawmakers can present evidence.”
The connection between the yellow liberal opponents of Rody,
rights groups, foreign institutions and the international drug cartel
had long been suggested.
Drug syndicates have become frantic over the shrinking
Philippine market where sales are being drastically reduced.
The rights groups, in turn, harp on EJK which Rody’s opponents
such as Trillanes manipulate for use of the captive yellow media.
The oust-Duterte network being richly funded by drugs money
included non-government organizations (NGO) which are tapped
by drug rings to demonize Rody.
Who among the NGO would deny their hunger for funding?
Groups similar to the New York-based Human Rights Watch always
append a solicitation message at the end of derogatory stories or
statements on Rody. The intent to make money out of the mostly
false allegations is too obvious.
These supposed rights advocates who accused the administration
of being behind EJK and other rights abuses are one with the cause
of drug traffickers to frustrate Rody’s desire to rid the country of
illegal drugs.
The mutually beneficial relations of rights groups and drug
syndicates revolve on the use of mechanism supposedly to assist
the government in complying with global rights standards.
NGO taking potshots at Rody’s war on drugs have
“The
ultimate
success of the
anti-narcotics
drive spells
doom for all
opponents
of Rody who
still dream of
the good old
days.
become “big shots” in international conferences by
letting loose on Rody without an impartial look at
the true situation in the Philippines.
The strong relation among rights groups,
Rody’s political foes and drug syndicates was
evident when Trillanes visited Austria to speak
before United Nations (UN) Medication and Crime
Convention which was the same forum in which
Vice President Leni Robredo made famous her
palit-ulo video.
Trillanes at the forum did not represent himself
as a senator but as a member of Drug Reform Coordination
Network (DRCNet) which was the group that provided Robredo’s
video to the UN body.
Robredo’s video cited the 7,000 deaths associated to the war
on drugs that in turn Sabio used as basis for the filing the ICC
charges against Rody.
Trillanes nonchalantly admitted in a television interview that he
did attend the UN forum in Vienna as representative of the NGO.
DRCNet is among global organizations that advocate the
legalization of narcotics use.
The vicious cycle of drugs, rights violation allegations and other
yellow ammunitions against Rody is again being cocked and loaded.
“Sometimes
more
than the
monetary
value of
a gift, it
is in the
richness
of the
giving and
sharing
that makes
it such a
treasured
and
meaningful
piece.
“Sulu has
unspoiled
beaches
with
pristine
waters
and white
sands
which if
developed
properly
could
compete
with or
provide an
alternative
to Boracay.
BALLARAT, Australia — My
lovely friend, her husband,
nephew in-law and son had just
picked up my well-loved floral
two-seater couch and matching
armchair. It was given to me by
my son’s Ninang or godmother
more than three years ago.
Ninang passed away last year and
I have been unwilling to part with
these pieces of furniture until a
few weeks ago. Thinking of who
might appreciate them as much
as I did, only one person came to
mind. It was she who came over
to my home this week.
As I stared at my half-empty
prayer room, I took deep and
prolonged breaths as I tried
to decipher how I was feeling.
Looking at the carpet marks left
by the base and legs of the couch
and chair, I was surprised to
suddenly feel a wave of emotion.
Tears began to well up and flow.
Decluttering is my mantra, but
as proven by this instance, some
things are harder to let go of. This
is the first time I have felt
this strongly about
letting something
go. So this is what
“sentimental
value”
feels like!
The territories
of the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM) are
blessed with
natural resources
which are
potential mother
lode of tourist
revenues. It is rich
with heretofore
untapped and
unexplored assets which could
augment the so-called seed
money and whatever revenue
dole outs the government will
give to the brand-new regional
government. Autonomy means
self-governance with minimum
interference and intervention
from central authority and
you cannot self-govern if you
are dependent from national
government for income and
expenditure.
On the heels of the signing
of the 1996 Peace Pact with
the Moro National Liberation
Front, the mother of all rebel
movements including the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
now governing the BARMM, I was
tasked to draw up a long-term
tourism plan for Morolandia.
I was then undersecretary for
Tourism Promotion. I posthaste
organized a Department of
Tourism (DoT) Team of experts
who conducted researches,
including visits and evaluation
of the areas. We came out with
a tome of documents, including
detailed action plans, timelines,
drafts and recommendations
which we submitted to the
Office of the President.
To our dismay it was returned
to us after a few months with
the now familiar red-inked
handwriting marginal note of
President Ramos that reads
“CSW” for complete staff work
or whatever that means. Now,
the product of our labor is
probably gathering dusts in the
archives of DoT.
This comes to mind as the
BARMM “fastens its belt” to tread
Sentimental value
SOUTHERN VOICES
Macabangkit B. Lanto
For those whom
Ninang was close
to, these pieces of
furniture are simply
not their style. They
are just that, pieces of
furniture. I happen to
really like the material
and style of it and I
told her so when I first
saw it in her lounge
room. A year or two
after I complimented
her on them, she asked if I
really did like her furniture.
She had to describe them before
I remembered and
“As I
received
them with
love, so I
give them
with love.
understood what she
was talking about.
When I answered
her question in the
affirmative, she soon
arranged for them to
be delivered to my
house. She personally supervised
the delivery. It was so
on an unfamiliar
grounds (from the
battlefields to
bureaucracy, so
says Chief Minister
Murad Ebrahim)
and starts the
horrendous task
of governing a
new regional
government
structure, a crossbred
parliamentary
and unitary, sans template to
guide them.
I am unable to recollect
now most of the contents of
our report but foremost among
them were the identification,
prioritization and development
of target probable tourist
destinations.
In Lanao del
Sur, for instance,
we have proposed
the development
o f K o t a
Padangkarbala,
at the town of
Bayang where
one of the
fiercest battles
of resistance
of Maranaws to
American military
campaign took
place resulting
in the death
of all 700 Moro
defenders of the
fort, including
HALF FULL
Lia Andanar Yu
BARMM tourism potential
“The
purpose of
this piece
is nothing
but to open
the eyes of
the BARMM
administrators
on the
smorgasbord
of
opportunities
before
them that
could help
them carry
out their
mandate.
women who refused to leave
their husbands. A marker likewise
to be constructed in memoriam
to the bravery and heroism of
Datu Amaipakpak of Dansalan
(now Marawi) who likewise was
martyred battling the Americans.
This will stoke hopefully the
spirit of patriotism among young
Maranaws at the same time
attracts tourists. We planned
likewise to market the serene
and cool breeze of mystical
and picturesque ancient Lake
Lanao as a haven for aqua sports
like leisure windsurfing, water
skiing and boating. A portion of
ground zero in Marawi should be
sweet and kind of her.
Recalling the story
behind these pieces of
furniture reminds me
of all the enjoyable
moments I had with
Ninang. I miss her
goodness.
I am grateful that
I found a loving home
for her furniture. As
I received them with
love, so I give them
with love. My prayer room and I
have been blessed by them. They
are just material things, I know.
But I hope my friend’s home is
blessed by them, too.
Sometimes more than the
monetary value of a gift, it is
in the richness of the giving and
sharing that makes it such a
treasured and meaningful piece.
Taking as much time as I need
to savor that richness.
preserved a la Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, a magnet surely for
domestic and foreign tourists.
In Cotabato City, a cave at
the foot of Colina Hill presently
marketed for tourists has been
proposed for improvement,
including the yearly
commemoration of the coming of
Shariff Kabunsuan, highlighted
by a fluvial parade at the
Polangi River and construction
of marker for legendary Sultan
Kudarat. Camp Darapanan
has the prospect of attracting
visitors being the former
headquarters of the MILF.
Sulu has unspoiled beaches
with pristine waters and white
sands which if developed
properly could compete with
or provide an alternative to
Boracay (I remember distinctly
that large sum of money
was released by DoT to the
Autonomous government for the
tourism development of these
areas). Likewise, there was an
initial development of the caves
on the mountains of Jolo which
played important role in the
history of the place like Bud
Dajo and Bud Bagsak. These
enclaves were the scenes of the
bloodiest battle between Moro
Tausugs and American soldiers.
The list is endless. Basilan,
Tawi-Tawi and other areas have
potential tourist spots waiting
to be discovered and developed.
There’s a robust and fertile
market out there for middle
eastern tourists just waiting
to spend their petrodollars for
destinations sensitive to Muslim
culture, halal foods and other
peculiar religious mores.
Peace dividends are bottomless.
The purpose of this piece is
nothing but to open the eyes of
the BARMM administrators on
the smorgasbord of opportunities
before them that could help them
carry out their mandate. Their
three-year term is concededly too
short to accomplish anything of
substantial significance.
Email: amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com
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Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
“If fear
is the
beginning
of wisdom,
then shame
is the
beginning
of guilt and
repentance.
There was a big howl from the
church crowd when I announced
that I would not only impose
ashes on the forehead but also
sprinkle dust on their heads and
groomed hair then cover their
faces with ash filth...just like it
was before, originally.
But, of course, I was kidding.
Yet, in the biblical times and
in the early Middle Ages, sitting
on ashes and continuously
pouring dust on the head and
face, dressing in sackcloth and
wailing while reciting mea culpas, were the
outward signs of repentance which purpose
was to avert any punishment the avenging
God has set for a people racked in sin and
abomination.
For instance, through the preaching of the
prophet Jonah, the notorious citizens of the
Assyrian capital Nineveh went to the streets
to lie flat on ashes and dirt while training
their necks to heaven repenting collectively
TABLETS OF STONE
Larry Faraon
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
from their sins, begging God,
whoever he is, to spare them
of the impending disaster God
was about to inflict them with.
In the ancient times, the
pouring of dust or ashes on the
head is a sign of death, as if to
pile earth slowly once inside
the grave. Sinning is always
considered dying, a death of the
spiritual connection with God
due to grievous wickedness, such
as idolatry and disobedience to
God and His prophets.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians
2:1-3 wrote, “As for you, you were dead in
your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of
this world and of the ruler of the kingdom
of the air, the spirit who is now at work in
those who are disobedient. All of us also
lived among them at one time, gratifying
the cravings of our flesh and following its
desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were
by nature deserving of fatal wrath.”
If fear is the beginning of wisdom,
then shame is the beginning of guilt and
repentance. The covering of our faces and
heads with ashes means that in our guilt
and shame, we dare not face God or the
good people whom we have offended and
compromised because of our sins.
Unfortunately today, shame
has become an elusive virtue
of innate nature. Despite being
found with bloodied hands
and undeniable abominations,
people can still face the public
and TV cameras and justify their
criminal acts and immoral intent.
“Sinning
is always
considered
dying.
National Capital Region Police Office chief
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar aghast over the
shameless criminal activity in his ranks lost
his cool over some police officers, short of
banging their faces.
His very first phrase to the erring officer
was, Hindi na kayo nahiya!
And, most probably, this could be what
COMMENTARY
5
summarizes Pope Francis message to the
bishops and priests involved in sexual
abuse which is rocking the ramparts of
the colossal institution at the end of the
bishops’ summit in the Vatican addressing
the sensitive issue.
Shame is sourced from the insensitivity
of somebody who has been loved and cared
for or respected yet failed to compensate
or parallel and, worse, ungratefully
compromise such relationship through acts
inimical to it.
The narco list being bandied by the
administration and sending shrills to local
candidates is actually a shame campaign for
those who still had the gall to run in public
office without shame and honor.
Sadly, however, for many people, the shame
does not come out too easily, especially
when self-preservation prevails so as to
defend oneself through rationalizations or
justifications and hypocritically live by such.
A life without shame is without honor, but
who cares anyway.
Criminality, corruption and conceit. These are
the words that characterize a couple of the more
visible Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidates
pleading for our votes and betting we are gullible
enough that they are reinstalled to power and
positions of influence.
One simply wants to
“An
obstructionist
coup plotter
and a conceited
incompetent
economist. Are
these what the
LP insists on
foisting on us?
“ The
reckless
inaction of
the Comelec
regarding
the rampant
and
manifest
violations
of election
laws only
give the
people good
reason to
think lowly
of this
constitutional
commission
that is all
hot air and
no genuine
public
service to
speak of.
continue his failed war on
duly constituted authority and
a democratic Constitution that
he, with other coup plotters,
had spawned over a decade
and a half ago in which his
armed criminality resulted in
throwing our fragile economic
development a few years
back. Rather than apply
legal fora to air a sectoral
grievance, he chose to inflict on the greater
public a self-absorbed agenda.
Another similarly imposes his colossal
conceit and simply wants to feed and fatten
an encephalitic and delusional ego where,
Promulgating regulations is one thing.
Being able to enforce them is another. This
truism apparently has not dawned on the
narrow-minded bureaucrats running the
Commission on Elections (Comelec). The
Comelec promulgates regulations to enforce the
pertinent election laws, but it has been largely
impotent when it comes to enforcing them.
For starters, there is the controversy
concerning ex-Sen. Sergio Osmeña III.
According to the Comelec, the veteran politician
from Cebu failed to comply with the legal
requirement to file a post-election statement of
expenditures after he lost his latest Senate bid
in 2016. That failure, the Comelec maintains, is
a ground for permanent disqualification from
running in future elections. That is why one
section of the Comelec sought to disqualify
Osmeña in this year’s senatorial race.
That measure notwithstanding, the Comelec
allowed Osmeña to participate in this year’s
polls and included his name in the computerized
ballots. Good grief!
That’s not all. From the Comelec’s own
records, Osmeña failed to comply with that
expenditure reportorial requirement during
the past two senatorial elections, namely, 2010
and 2016! If that is so, the Comelec should have
disqualified Osmeña outright when he filed his
certificate of candidacy in 2016. Despite that
Criminality, corruption and conceit
employing a vanilla-flavored college degree in
economics, he might provide economic solutions
to the problems his bungling ineptitude in
variously held Cabinet portfolios held under the
Aquino administration had caused.
Note the economic reversals inflicted. A failed
attempt to neutralize a de facto cartel in our
telecommunications sector. Urban transportation
gridlocks worsening to the point that not even Moses
can part it. Negotiating a dubious P300 million railway
contract with an ineligible, and undercapitalized
contractor. Missing billions donated for the Yolanda
rehabilitation efforts. Police hastily equipped with
P1.89 billion in unviable patrol and transport vehicles.
The proliferation of narco-politics by personallycoddled
police and local government officials
nurtured and perpetuated by a deadly P215 billion
illegal drug trade. The list is endless.
The Senate is reputed to be a prelude to the
presidency and on several occasions it has indeed
served as a tactical springboard to the highest
and most powerful office in our democracy. Never
mind the separation
Comelec’s useless regulations
clear breach of the election law, the Comelec
still allowed Osmeña not just once but on two
more occasions. Good grief!
Under the Constitution, no
“Election
campaign
signages
for outdoor
use must
comply
with the
legally
prescribed
dimensions.
senator is allowed to run for
a third consecutive term. Sen.
Aquilino Pimentel III, who was
installed by the Senate Electoral
Tribunal as one of the 12 winning
senatorial candidates in the 2007
elections, and who was reelected
to a second term beginning
2013 and ending in 2019, filed
his certificate of candidacy
for a third term this year. A
famous litigation lawyer filed
a disqualification case against Pimentel late
last year, but the Comelec decided to allow
Pimentel to run anyway. Holy smokes!
Election laws prohibit political parties from
exerting any influence on both the Comelec
and Smartmatic, the service provider for the
computerized election system used in the May
2016 polls. Despite the same, the Comelec
billeted Smartmatic officials at the Novotel
Hotel at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon
City – the same hotel where the Liberal Party
(LP) general headquarters was located. That
hotel is also owned by the Araneta family, to
which then LP presidential candidate Manuel
of powers and vast difference in scope and
purpose between lawmaking end executive action.
Candidates bank on, pander to and actually foment
both misconceptions and ignorance.
The list of those who’ve
benefitted from ignorance
and have used the Senate
to launch their ambitions
includes Ferdinand Marcos,
Joseph Estrada, Benigno
Aquino III and Manuel Roxas.
The first two were successful,
the third, an unfortunate
accident spawned by necropolitics;
the last, a pathetic
two-time loser whose
misfortune it was to have
left a trail of ineptitude, but
“The Senate is
reputed to be a
prelude to the
presidency and on
several occasions
it has indeed
served as a tactical
springboard to the
highest and most
powerful office in
our democracy.
who’s now bullheadedly re-inflated his ego as well as
a bid for a Senate launch pad.
The three words we opened this opinion piece
“Mar” Araneta Roxas II belongs.
All automated voting machines
obtained from Smartmatic should
always be in the secure custody
of the Comelec. The news media
reported that on the eve of election
day in 2016, several automated
voting machines were seen inside
Novotel Hotel. Instead of acting
on the matter immediately, the
Comelec took several hours to get
to the hotel. After the Comelec
chairman back then inspected
only the few rooms which Novotel
management allowed him to see, he declared
that no such machines were in the hotel. Good
heavens!
Election campaign signages for outdoor
use must comply with the legally prescribed
dimensions. There are also designated areas
where campaign propaganda may be publicly
displayed. These restrictions notwithstanding,
candidates have come out with campaign
propaganda in violation of the requisite
dimensions. Their posters are found everywhere,
also in violation of campaign regulations.
The Comelec recently announced that it
will embark on a nationwide effort to get rid
of those illegal campaign propaganda. Hah! It
is almost certain that right after those illegal
with apply to the foregoing, all at once and in
varying degrees based on how history has written
their narrative and how the public has judged
their records while in office, either after being
granted powers from the ballot box, an amnesty
declaration, or presidential appointment papers.
There are other disparaging shibboleths appended
to their names that provide us with both proof and
details on how appropriate the three words are
invariably linked to their names.
Of the four only one has offered us some form
of penance and retribution from what each has
inflicted on us. Estrada served time, was pardoned
and was granted a second chance to prove his
worth. The others remain intimately linked to
ignominy. From military coups, to malversation
and plunder, to Mahindra and the Mamasapano
Massacre. Res ipsa loquitur.
The damage inflicted on our democracy and
on our economy where lives were unnecessarily
lost — some murdered, others massacred — and
billions in taxes were either stolen or squandered by
those whose delusions fuel their avarice for unbridled
and unaccountable power should
by now have taught
us valuable albeit
painful lessons as we
once more troop to
the polling booths.
Note how our
folly had spawned
an unthinking
low-caliber
obstructionist in
the Senate — one
whose tag-teammate
is attempting to
replace this May.
While an abrogated
amnesty granted by a
conflicted political
benefactor might
erase legal memories
of criminality
perpetrated against
the people and our
Constitution, the
deeper memory
and the bulbous
scars and scabs that
disfigure us from our
continuing tolerance
of unrepentant
putschists
encourage armed
adventurism and
invites increasingly
violent and foolhardy
fascist fracas that
slowly savage our
democracy.
An obstructionist
coup plotter and a
conceited incompetent
economist. Are these
what the LP insists on
foisting on us?
materials are taken down by
the Comelec, replacements
will be all over the place
again.
Even before the official
campaign period for the
House of Representatives
officially begins, many
congressional candidates
in the provinces have
been putting up campaign
THE SCRUTINIZER
propaganda in clear violation
Victor Avecilla
of election campaign laws.
These propaganda are not
the usual discreet posters and streamers. They
openly state that this and that politician is
running for congressman!
Comelec officials in the different regions are
supposed to monitor these violations of election
laws. None of them are doing their job. Many
citizens suspect that these Comelec regional
officials have been paid to look the other way.
The reckless inaction of the Comelec regarding
the rampant and manifest violations of election
laws only give the people good reason to think
lowly of this constitutional commission that is all
hot air and no genuine public service to speak
of. It is a far cry from the election watchdog it is
supposed to be. The budget given to it by Congress
is a waste of public money.

6 NEWS
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Duterte: No
drugs or bust
Not to boast, but if the next
President is inutile… if you
are afraid to kill and you’re
afraid to die, don’t even
aspire for this
From page 1
the Chief Executive said he will not
consider himself as a “good public
employee” if the country’s problem with
illegal drugs is not resolved in his term.
“The next President must be grappling
with this issue. Me, if I cannot stop it
during my term then I would even
consider myself not a good public
employee,” the President said.
“That’s why I told the others, the
military and even the police, let’s end
this during my term. If I have to kill all of
them, I will kill all of them,” he stressed.
Mr. Duterte had previously remarked
his administration’s war on narcotics
would be “harsher” and “bloodier,”
something which did not sit well with
his critics and various local and foreign
human rights groups.
Not for faint-hearted
“Not to boast, but if the next President
is inutile… if you are afraid to kill and
you’re afraid to die, don’t even aspire
for this. Just be a listener. The problem
with drugs is not easy,” he said.
“To the Human Rights, listen very
carefully. Destroy my country, I will kill
you. Destroy our children, I will kill you.
Period. No apologies, no explanation,
no nothing. I have laid down the rules.
I could not make it any clearer to
everybody,” he added.
Mr. Duterte also pointed out a
quarter of the country’s population is
vulnerable to the illegal drugs trade.
“Let’s say the contamination there
is at 20, 25 (percent). Hopeless,” the
President said.
“I will try my very best to wipe them
from the face of the earth even if I have
to go to prison, even it would cost me
my freedom,” he added.
An excuse
Mr. Duterte had a change of heart and
said he would block legislative efforts for
the legalization of marijuana for medical
purposes after initially expressing
approval for it.
To recall, it was late last year when
Malacañang said Mr. Duterte will
support any measure that will legalize
the use of medical marijuana in the
country.
“Not it my time. Not in my time.
Maybe some other time. Some other
President, maybe,” the Chief Executive
said in his speech during the campaign
rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino
in Victorias City, Negros Occidental last
Friday night.
“I am ignorant of that kind of
research, I must admit it. And, I do
not intend to legalize it. I don’t want
to. You will just use that as an excuse.
You will plant it and say that it’s
medicinal. Everything is medicinal.
No,” he added.
Law pends
A proposed measure, House Bill 6517,
also called the Philippine Compassionate
Medical Cannabis Act, is pending before
the House of Representatives.
If I cannot stop it during my
term then I would even consider
myself not a good public
employee.
It seeks to legalize the use of medical
marijuana for debilitating conditions
such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV/
AIDS, neurological disorders and spinal
cord injuries.
The proposed law prescribes rules for
the proper use of medical marijuana,
including the designation of a qualified
medical cannabis physician, a qualified
medical cannabis patient who shall
be issued an identification card, a
qualified medical cannabis caregiver
and a qualified medical cannabis
compassionate center.
The Senate, however, has yet to come
up with its own version.
Daredevil ride Boy holds tight at the back of a tricycle along the national road in
Pampanga where monster buses and trucks pass.
ROMAN PROSPERO
Everything to go President Rodrigo Duterte addresses participants in a distribution of certificates of land ownership award
ceremony where he promised to distribute all government lands before his term ends.
MALACAÑANG PHOTO
From page 1
From page 1
Submarine Manila avoidable
officer Rogelio Singson said the longterm
solution, however, will need full
cooperation from private lot owners.
“The solution is underground which
is a very simple solution. Impound the
water from a strong downpour or a storm
then release it slowly after,” he said.
As head of the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH), Singson
said he offered to owners of huge lots to
build impounding systems in which the
original state of a lot will be restored at
government cost. Only a few lot owners
agreed to the proposal, he added.
Singson said in the rehabilitation of
the regularly flooded España Boulevard,
the DPWH offered to build a water
impounding well below the vast football
field of the University of Santo Tomas
(UST) but school officials rejected the
offer.
“So we raised the roads around UST
and when the school grounds were flooded,
the blame was on us,” Singson said.
“Early on, I told them give us the
football field, we will build a water
impounding system and we will return
the grass lot the way it was,” Singson said.
España dilemma
Singson said UST officials were hesitant
because they said the excavation may
affect the integrity of the surrounding
buildings in the campus.
“They should have trusted the DPWH
since we know how to do our job. Since
they did not want it, I told them ‘okay,’”
he said.
“But I persisted, I told them if
According to a TV report, CCTV
footage recorded on Friday a suspicious
truck that parked near a hotel near
Pablo Ocampo Street. The video showed
the driver and his porter alighting the
vehicle and were apparently doing
something at the side of the truck.
Shortly thereafter, the barangay
station received a call from the security
personnel of the hotel who reported that
they don’t want the football field
disturbed, then there are still the service
roads where we can build a horizontal
impounding system but still they did
not want it since they were afraid the
structure will be deformed,” he added.
We raised the roads around UST
and when the school grounds were
flooded, the blame was on us.
“I talked to them, I appealed to them.
The engineer advising them was not aware
of the technology in flood management. It
is a simple principle, we learned this from
Japan,” Singson said.
He added in Japan, the favorite
impounding areas are tennis courts since
nobody uses this during the rainy season.
They build the stands in a way that the
court can impound water. “When the rain
stops, all the water are pumped out and
they can again play tennis in it,” Singson
said.
“Water management it is very simple,
it’s a shame,” he said.
“So when I was about to leave the
DPWH, some UST officials approached me
and asked if they can still take the offer I
made. Well, too late, the agency had used
up its budget for the year,” Singson added.
Singson said he offered to
owners of huge lots to build
impounding system in which the
original state of a lot will be
restored at government cost.
“They should have allowed us to use
the football grounds since it was once
a sunken garden which would have
been perfect for an impounding area,”
Singson said.
Stinking scumbags
the two individuals were apparently
dumping the contents of the truck in
the canal.
But before the barangay officials
could approach the vehicle, the driver
and his companion hurriedly boarded
the truck and sped away.
The barangay officials were appalled
when they found out that the two
dumped human feces in the canal, which
is illegal because of the dangers it could
pose to public health.
BGC uses scheme
He added the group of businessman
Manny V. Pangilinan was more receptive
and employed his concept for the Bonifacio
Global City where the diameter of Burgos
circle was used to impound water.
“I remember that quite clearly, 45
meters, five-stories deep. We computed
the capacity, it can store rain water from
a 100-year rainfall event,” he said.
“We needed to do that since the area
was once a golf course that absorbs water,”
he said.
Had the system not been built, the
whole of EDSA, including Kalayaan, will
be deep in floodwater.
Singson said the system can be done in all
flood-prone areas quickly through ordinances
from local government units (LGU).
“We offered the system to Candaba
to solve the frequent Pampanga River
flooding, all the way to Bulacan,” he said.
“We suggested to impound in Nueva
Ecija, where the water comes from. In
San Antonio, we offered to impound the
water and then you can regulate where to
send it later. If I were given let’s say five to
six hectares of Candaba swamp which is
several hundred hectares, that is where I
will redirect the water to prevent the whole
Candaba swamp from sinking,” he said.
“It was not done so now, we have this
headache. After one week from a strong
rain, the sun is up but Bulacan is still
flooded,” he said.
“Water management needs some
deep and serious thinking. Every year it
happens and we seem not to learn. During
the rainy season, floods bother us but
when the dry season sets in, there is no
water for irrigation,” he said.
Authorities said the vehicle was
modified to look like an ordinary truck
and not one carrying waste matter.
Unfortunately, the video did not show
any identifying marks or the vehicle plate
so there is still no lead that could help
unmask who were behind the smelly scam.
Manila City Hall already is asking the
city residents to immediately report to
the authorities if they see the mysterious
vehicle to catch the feces felons and
bring them to the bucket.
Water’s fine Boy tries to entice his companions to take a dip amid an upswing in temperature yesterday.
ANALY LABOR

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune NATION
7
Manhunt on versus extorting terrorists
Lt. Col. Arnold Gasalatan, commander of 85th Infantry Battalion,
said the retreating suspects brought with them an undetermined
number of wounded and slain comrades
By Kathleen Mae Bulquerin
Government troops are in hot pursuit
of a band of communist terrorists who had
reportedly resorted to extortion and other
criminal activities to support and strengthen
their movement in Lopez, Quezon.
The suspects, who belong to New People’s
Army (NPA) sub-regional military area 4-B,
engaged the soldiers in a gun battle Friday
morning in Barangay Villanacaob before
fleeing in different directions.
Lt. Col. Arnold Gasalatan, commander of
85th Infantry Battalion, said the retreating
BLURBAL THRUSTS
Louie Logarta
COMMENTARY
‘A legacy in tatters’
The heirs of the late American “King of Pop”
Michael Jackson (more precisely those close
relatives who directly benefit from the huge
annual earnings he generates even in death)
are suing the giant cable network HBO for the
recently released documentary film Leaving
Neverland that supposedly irreparably ruined
his reputation and legacy.
Damages being sought are around $100
million.
In said documentary, Jackson, one of the
most successful singers in history who died
in 2009 of an accidental drug overdose at the
hands of his personal physician, is painted as
a “child molester” by two of his alleged victims
(Wade Robson and James Safechuck both now
in their 30s) who claimed to have endured while
they were still minors numerous depravities such
as mutual masturbation, oral sex, penetration,
regular exposure to sex orgies and porn.
It is quite hard not to pay close
“This
negativity
against
Jackson
isn’t
entirely
unfounded
as he is no
stranger to
the child
molestation
scenario.
heed to the HBO piece as the
accusers described in such lurid
fashion their horrid experiences
with Jackson — even providing
photos, notes, faxes, videos
and audio tapes that appeared
to confirm their sensational
assertions.
Estate lawyers, in seeking
$100 million in damages,
accused the network of breach
of contract. Their basis is a
non-disparagement clause in the
1992 agreement between Jackson
and HBO which was given all the rights to his
Dangerous World Tour.
And since Leaving Neverland indubitably
says the music icon sexually abused children
during that tour, the estate feels this violates
their longstanding contractual relationship.
Denouncing as biased and completely
reprehensible the allegations leveled by alleged
victims Safechuck and Robson, the estate’s
lawyers pointed out the producers never tried
to get the side of the Jackson family members
during the filming as they were pushing their
chosen narrative.
A genuine documentary, they said, is where
both sides are heard, competent evidence is
presented and witnesses are cross-examined.
However, fearing a backlash from sponsors
over the child sex abuse claims against the pop
star, the bosses of Britain’s global news decided
it would be wise to jump the gun by ordering
their subsidiary Radio 2 to immediately drop
Jackson’s songs from the airwaves ahead of the
airing of the documentary. Some big radio stations
in Canada and New Zealand were reported to
have followed suit.
This negativity against Jackson isn’t entirely
unfounded as he is no stranger to the child
molestation scenario. In 2005, he was accused
and subsequently acquitted in a full-blown trial
of molestations charges brought against him by
a boy who spent time at his Neverland Ranch
and co-starred with him in the 2003 British
documentary Living with Michael Jackson.
Prosecutors said Jackson molested this
boy after showering him with lavish toys and
gifts. They said this was just the latest in a
pattern of bad behavior. In the 1990s, the singer
also allegedly behaved
inappropriately with
five youngsters, but no
case was filed in court
after multimillion-dollar
amicable settlements
were reached.
Gloria Allred, the
renowned American
lawyer who somehow
manages to be associated
with controversial and
high-profile cases, just
couldn’t resist the
temptation of pitching in
her two bits’ worth. For
her, there is no doubt
MJ is guilty of child
molestation because
“there is a long history
of serious allegations
and disturbing behavior
and millions of dollars of
paid settlements.”
“According to
Forbes Magazine,
Michael’s career
earnings were
around $4.2 billion.
suspects brought with them an undetermined
number of wounded and slain comrades.
Gasalatan said the troops were conducting
combat operation in the area when they
received reports that the terrorists were
extorting money and forcibly grabbing
food and other supplies from residents of
Barangay Villanacaob and other nearby
areas.
This prompted the government soldiers
to proceed to the area that resulted in a
firefight between them and the terrorists.
Brig. Gen. Elias Escarcha, commander
of the 201st Infantry Brigade, for his part,
For transparency, Allred has some affinity
to Michael as she briefly represented Jordan
Chandler, the boy who accused the popstar of
sexual abuse in 1993. The case never reached
litigation as Chandler’s family agreed to an
out-of-court settlement of $20 million.
But, to my mind, what really settled the
molestation kerfuffle in the eyes of millions of
Americans was the condemnation of the popular
TV host Oprah Winfrey, who is widely regarded
by millions as the “voice of the nation” whose
Oprah Winfrey Show was once the highest-rated
program of its kind in the US.
Ms. Winfrey, who had earlier said she was
raped when she was nine, made no secret how
she admired Leaving Neverland as it is helping
shift the way people think about child sexual
abuse, which is why she is using her star power
to promote the eye-opening HBO film.
So it comes as no surprise that the Jackson
family is reportedly hell-bent on preserving
Michael’s name and reputation because they
cannot afford to have his brand hopelessly tainted
and in tatters as it would abruptly put an end to
all the sponsorship deals still steadily coming in,
and cut the huge flow of cash that would keep
them on easy street even if they all lived to be a
hundred. In a CNN interview, however, nephew
Taj Jackson tried to dispel this notion, saying all
monies go to his children.
According to Forbes Magazine, Michael’s
career earnings — in life and in death — were
around $4.2 billion. And would you believe that
about one-half is post mortem income, generated
after his demise?
Michael banked $825 million in 2016 for US
sales of his 1979 solo debut album “Off the Wall”
and 1982 follow-up “Thriller” representing the
biggest single-year payday chalked up by any
celebrity.
In 2018, Forbes said Jackson was the
highest-paid dead celebrity with $400 million,
from the sale of his EMI Music Publishing
stake, a new Sony record deal and a Michael
Jackson’s Halloween TV special. Far second was
Elvis Presley with $40 million while legendary
golfer Arnold Palmer with $35 million was third.
LOCAL
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Looking for highly motivated and result-oriented
individuals for the following posts:
Page Editors
Reporters
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Applicants may bring or email their resumé to the Daily Tribune
office at 3450 Concept Bldg., Florida St., Makati City.
dailytribune@tribune.net.ph / 8337085
said the encounter effectively scuttled the
initial plan of the terrorists to conduct
atrocities in the area.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Marine Corps
Foundation, a group dedicated to helping
Marines who were wounded and killed during
combat, was launched over the weekend.
Foundation chairman retired Lt. Gen.
Rustico Guerrero, said they will provide
opportunities for the professional enhancement,
facility and capability development of the
members of the marine corps.
“All of these programs are designed to
help the Corps in performing its mandate
to the country and the Filipino people,”
he added.
The launching of the foundation was one
of the projects of the Philippine Marine
Corps’ Board of Advisers which was first
conceptualized last year.
By Elmer N. Manuel
Count this as another blow to the illegal narcotics
smugglers.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
yesterday confirmed that the brick containing white
crystalline granules fished from the waters off Baras town
in Catanduanes province on Thursday was definitely cocaine.
Bicol police spokesman Maj. Maria Luisa Calubaquib said
results of laboratory tests conducted by the PDEA revealed
that the floating brick found by fisherman John Anthony
Freedom fighters no more Members of the New People’s Army
are reportedly resorting to criminal activities like robbery extortion to
sustain their movement.
Cocaine is it!
Tabinas, 27, was indeed the prohibited substance.
PDEA chemist Abegail Miranda said in her report that
her qualitative examination gave a positive result for the
presence of cocaine with a net weight of 1,011.4 grams.
The find followed a series of recovery of blocks of cocaine
off the shores of the provinces of Quezon and Bicol during
the past few months.
While, PDEA acting regional director Christian Frivaldo
said they were still validating whether the blocks of cocaine
found previously in waters off Camarines Norte, Sorsogon
and Catanduanes came from the same source.

8
METRO
John Henry Dodson, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Firefighting the fun way
BFP teaches life-saving skills
Children had fun rappelling and dropping
to safety via zip lines — skills critical in
escaping from burning structures
Text and photos by Analy Labor
Beach bikes,
not bods
By Miguel Paulo Togonon
With the bike patrol already on duty, can the public
expect any Baywatch-worthy beach bodies to be sighted
at the Manila Bay?
The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) yesterday launched the Manila Bay
Watch bike patrol, with an initial deployment of six
bicycles and riders to be on the prowl against polluters.
DENR patrol on two wheels to sweep
for polluters, swimmers.
Jacquelyn Caancan, executive director of the DENR’s
National Capital Region Office, said the bike patrollers
are employees of the agency who will pedal from the
US Embassy to the Manila Yacht Club.
The bike patrollers will ensure the cleanliness and
orderliness of the beachside by going after those who will
be found violating environmental laws and ordinances.
The Manila Bay Watch is the first program of the
west field office of DENR-NCR which had been divided
into four offices to focus on the problems related to
rehabilitating Manila Bay.
The government launched last January the Manila
Bay clean-up drive with drastic changes expected within
six months.
The west field office is already operational and it has
jurisdiction over Manila, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Makati
and San Juan.
The riders will also stop those who will defy the
swimming ban in the waters of Manila Bay found to
have high concentration of coliform bacteria which pose
health risks to people.
With the swimming ban, there’s hardly any need
for Baywatch-like made-for-TV lifeguards with sizzling
abs to watch.
By Neil Alcober
A cop on duty, Police Officer 2 Edgar Santos,
was arrested for estafa by operatives of the
Philippine National Police Counter-Intelligence
Task Force (PNP-CITF) before dawn yesterday.
The CITF operatives led by Supt. Renante
Lambojo served an arrest warrant issued by
Judge Don Ace Marlano Alagar of the Quezon
City Metropolitan Trial Court against Santos at
the EPD headquarters in Pasig City.
PNP-CITF chief Sr. Supt. Romeo Caramat
Jr. said Santos was among the target persons
Items worth P350,000 taken
by suspect soon to be the
subject of a manhunt
A security agency is far from
immune being victimized in a theft
and robbery case.
This as the branch manager of
Spidey
wannabes
Firefighters spin a
web of wonders
while teaching
kids life-saving
skills and
techniques.
in a foiled entrapment operation conducted by
the anti-scalawag unit in Marikina City on 10
December, 2018 for extorting P100,000 from a
certain “Rosanna.”
Marikina sweeps ‘junkies’ off the
streets.
Caramat said administrative and criminal cases
for violation of Republic Act 7610 were filed against
Santos before the court. Santos was brought to
the CITF headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon
City where he was documented and detained.
Kids and adults alike had a blast yesterday with Bureau of Fire
Protection (BFP) personnel teaching them life-saving skills like
rappelling, bandaging and splinting, as well as cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
In celebration of Fire Prevention Month this March, the BFP
partnered with event host SM City Marikina in bringing together
brave firefighters, search-and-rescue personnel and medical firstresponders
under one roof.
BFP kicked off the event, which will continue today, by
demonstrating to mall tenants and other personnel the various
techniques in extinguishing fires.
Children had the most fun as the very game BFP personnel
taught them rappelling and knot-tying skills critical in escaping
from burning structures like houses and buildings.
One particularly brave boy needed little prodding in going down
a zip line to safety to the delight of his proud parents and the crowd
which egged him on.
As natural and man-made calamities like fires often result in life-threatening
injuries, participants were also instructed on bandaging and splinting
to prevent loss of blood.
The event concluded with a meet with the Marshall of Paw Patrol.
Cop wanted for estafa falls
Security firm robbed
one such security agency, Ruel
Avelino, 37, reported to the Manila
Police District (MPD) the alleged
theft of various items from their
office with a total value of about
P350,000.
The theft was seen as
an inside job as a witness
pointed at a security guard
of the agency as the alleged
culprit. The Daily Tribune
withheld the identity of the
suspect pending the formal
filing of charges against
him.
Avelino, a resident of Valenzuela
City, said among the items stolen
by the guard was a gold bracelet
Meanwhile, three drug suspects were arrested
in separate buy-bust operations in Marikina City
on Friday evening and early Saturday morning.
The suspects were identified as Domingo Lameceria,
alias Baby Pingas, 49, painter, a resident of Barangay
Nangka, Marikina City; Ronald Abad, alias Onak, 50;
and Leonel Rey Hipolito, alias Bitoy, 35; both residents
of Barangay Sto. Niño, Marikina City.
Seized from the suspect were five sachets of
suspected shabu and the P500 buy-bust money.
At 12:15 a.m. Saturday, the operatives conducted
a drug sting in Barangay Concepcion Uno, resulting
to the arrest of alias Onak and alias Bitoy.
worth P120,000, a P30,000 gold
necklace and a laptop computer
valued at P25,000.
An arrest warrant is expected
to be issued anytime next week
after the filing of charges against
the suspect said to be a resident
of Navotas City.
Henry M. Adasa II
Behold thy garbage Baseco beach
in Tondo, Manila is still strewn with trash,
underscoring the gargantuan effort needed
to clean it up.
ALFONSO PADILLA

CEBU CC
MAKES PAL
HISTORY
P18
JUSSIE
FACING
SLAMMER
P19
GEAR UP
FOR
SPRING
TRAVEL
P24
Jun Vallecera, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
SUNDAYBUSINESS
9
PAGCOR seeks POGO regulations
Instead of the labor code term “handicapped persons,” the
MAGNA CARTA used the broader and perceived politically
correct description “disabled persons”
The Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is
pushing for the regulation of the
Philippine offshore gaming operations
(POGO) as it vows to commit to
upholding the integrity of the country’s
gaming industry.
PAGCOR issued the statement after
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
III claimed the government is losing
nearly P3 billion in monthly income
tax collectibles from foreign nationals
working in POGO.
“By partaking in inter-agency
efforts in regulating offshore
gaming operations, PAGCOR has
always supported the government’s
policy of equitable and progressive
taxation, lawful employment and
promotion of public welfare,” the
agency said.
According to the agency, POGO
operations is a big and multi-faceted
industry. But for the industry to develop,
it entails employment and necessitates
other industries such as real estate,
service as in food and transportation,
construction, telecommunication and
other requirements.
While gaming operations fall within
the ambit of the gaming industry
thereby subjecting the same to relevant
regulatory bodies such as PAGCOR,
other components of services fall under
the jurisdiction of afore-cited sectors
making each component subjected
to the regulation of each concerned
government agencies, it said.
But the collection of taxes
Talks are rife that the reason the Aquino administration
refused to initiate moves to reclaim Sabah during its time
was because Malaysia offered 12 billion Malaysian ringgit
(around P153 billion) for the exclusion of Sabah from the
then proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao
Two former Princeton University
students from the Philippines, both
women, have been placed on the
spotlight for the wrong reasons as the
nation observed International Women’s
Day the other day.
One has been riding high on
reportedly false credentials while the
other is out on bail for various offenses
that include cyber libel.
The educational background of
senatorial aspirant and Ilocos Norte Gov.
Imee Marcos continues to be discussed
following statements from Princeton and
the University of the Philippines (UP)
College of Law that she did not earn
degrees there.
Maria Ressa, a journalist and author
best known for co-founding Rappler and
spending nearly two decades working
as a lead investigative reporter in
Southeast Asia for CNN, was arrested
for cyber libel amid accusations of
various instances of falsified news and
corporate tax evasion.
Imee, the eldest child of former
President Ferdinand Marcos and
First Lady Imelda Marcos enrolled in
Princeton in 1973, taking up a variety
of courses in religion and politics but
from POGO licensed operators
is an undertaking by the Bureau
of Internal Revenue. Pagcor is
supporting this effort by requiring
applicants for offshore gaming
licenses to submit their company
registration with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, in view of
the latter’s requirement for a Tax
Identification Number.
On the issue of foreign workers,
the agency clarified this is regulated
by both the Department of Labor
and Employment and the Bureau of
Immigration. For its part, PAGCOR
upholds lawful employment.
“Employing undocumented foreign
workers by licensed operations and
their accredited service providers is a
violation warranting the imposition of
demerits, fines and other administrative
penalties, without prejudice to the
suspension of operations and/or
cancelation of license or accreditation,”
the agency added.
PAGCOR went on to say, “Since
2016, POGO operations have been
contributing significantly to PAGCOR’s
overall revenues — which eventually go
to the government’s coffers and various
mandated beneficiaries. In 2016, POGO
operations generated P657 million
followed by P3.924 billion in 2017 and
P7.365 billion in 2018.”
According to PAGCOR, developing
offshore gaming industry should be
regulated but not without the aid of
appropriate government agencies.
Komfie Manalo
By AJ Bajo
Marina opens 19 Visayas missionary routes
THE Duterte administration is encouraging Philippine firms to operate in any of the country’s Ro-Ro routes.
CHINESE and foreign media journalists visit Beijing Daxing International Airport on 1 March.
CHINA DAILY
Public warned vs fake gov’t entities
The Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) warned the public against
transacting online with unauthorized
entities affiliating themselves with the
government.
The organizations include the following:
Philippines Project Award Commission,
Champs Court, Champions Court Business
Consulting Agency Services and Project
Award Commission Board.
Other dubious entities listed by the DTI
Women of substance?
never pursued a major. Wikipedia says
she withdrew from Princeton in 1976,
returned in 1977 and then withdrew for
the last time in 1979 without receiving
a degree.
Attending an Ivy League school
and not being able to graduate there
would have been perfectly alright
knowing the high standards set by the
American institution. What perhaps
Marcos bashers can’t take is Imee
claiming in numerous venues, campaign
leaflets and her official website that
she had graduated from the prestigious
university. The resulting media uproar
brought up old articles and documents
to show that the Marcos sibling did not
earn a degree as she claims.
Our crowdsourcing efforts likewise
revealed records confirming what
was obvious — Imee did not finish her
Princeton studies. Apparently because
she was not able to earn a degree, it
follows that she couldn’t have earned a
law degree from UP. When the Diliman
school held its recognition ceremonies
in 1983, it was supposedly covered live
by television at the Meralco theater.
The rites, which critics say were stagedmanaged
to please the powers-thatbe
at that time, showed
Imee graduating with
magna cum laude honors.
Documents, however,
reveal Imee’s name never
appeared on the list of
approved graduates. They
pointed out that she never
really graduated from said
school.
What was so surprising, according to
our source, and to the credit of the late
strongman, Marcos never even lifted
a finger for UP to give her a diploma
despite the intimidation that allegedly
characterized his regime.
Manny Angeles
q q q
Having had to post bail six times
in two months, according to Ressa,
“is not regular.” Five other counts of
tax evasion have been filed against
her which made her believe she is
getting “special treatment” from the
government.
JV says he has to stand by his
principles despite a possible
showdown with his half-brother
Jinggoy Estrada who is out on
bail on charges of plunder and
graft in connection with the
pork barrel scam.
Her tax evasion cases are common
knowledge now that she had been haled
to court. What probably few people know
is the scandalous mess she left in ABS-
are Tender Procurement Unit Philippines,
Project Award Commission, Central
Procurement Agency of the Philippine
Government and Philippines Procurement
Unit Committee.
In an advisory, DTI said the online
companies are not listed nor affiliated
with local government agencies, thus
unauthorized to transact government
tenders such as bidding procedures.
“Accordingly, those who act as
representatives or agents of these
unauthorized procurement entities
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)
announced the opening of19 new missionary
routes of Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) for the Visayas
which included three from and to Cebu.
In a statement, Marina said three of these
routes includes Oslob, Cebu — Dumaguete,
Negros Oriental; Punta Engano, Mactan island,
Cebu — Jetafe, Bohol; and Poro, Camotes, Cebu
— Isabel, Leyte.
Marina-7 said the Nautical Highway
Development is one of the eight priority
programs of the 10-year Maritime Industry
Development Plan (MIDP).
A RoRo missionary route involves one or
more direct links covering two RoRo-capable
ports that have no existing shipping service
due to geograhic limitation and/or absence of
market viability.
Marina is encouraging shipping companies
to operate in any of the newly-opened RoRo
missionary routes in support of the country’s
Road Roro Terminal System, a seamless stretch
of roads and ports to improve inter-island
transportation, enhance tourism and expand
CBN where she was once
the senior vice president.
A broadcast insider told us
that when she was given
the free hand to overhaul
the news network, she
fired 35 people which
many believed was just
part of her efforts to
streamline the network. The move
proved to be controversial to many of
the longtime broadcasters at ABS-CBN.
What really stirred the hornets’ nest,
according to our source, was her alleged
lesbian affair with a producer while
Maria was in a long-time relationship
with another woman.
There she was, the insider said, a
supposedly a woman of principles who turns
down bribes, cheating on her long-time partner.
The same source said the producer provided
Maria the needed support to continue the
overhaul she started. Her relationship became
so open that it has caused quite a stir in
the newsroom. The producer, with Maria
backing her, acted like she owned the
newsroom to the chagrin of the more
veteran newscasters. Did the two live
happily ever after? Maybe we could ask
ABS-CBN. After all, they are, as their
slogan goes, in the service of the Filipino.
q q q
TITTLE-TATTLES – Talks are rife that
the reason the Aquino administration
refused to initiate moves to reclaim Sabah
during its time was because Malaysia
offered 12 billion Malaysian ringgit
(around P153 billion) for the exclusion of
inviting companies abroad to join
government bidding and collect
registration fees through the internet
will be prosecuted and held criminally
liable,” the advisory signed by DTI
Bureau of Import Services director Atty.
Luis Catibayan further read.
The trade agency said that those
involved will be reported to the proper
authority for the assessment of appropriate
penalties.
DTI advised the public to be cautious
in dealing with the unauthorized entities.
regional markets.
Shipping companies that will serve
missionary route may enjoy protection of
investment for five years and 50 percent
discount on the regular fees of all applications
and renewal of ship documents, licenses,
certificates and permits.
The other 16 new RoRo missionary routes
are: Basco, Batanes — Currimao, Ilocos Norte;
Batangas City — San Jose, Occidental Mindoro;
San Juan, Batangas — Abra de Ilog, Occidental
Mindoro; Real, Quezon — Polillo Island, Quezon;
Lucena, Quezon — Odiongan, Romblon; Lucena,
Quezon — Buyabod, Marinduque; Lucena,
Quezon — Romblon, Romblon; Lucena, Quezon
— Masbate City; Maasin, Southern Leyte — Ubay,
Bohol; San Narciso, Quezon - San Pascual,
Masbate; Pantao, Albay — San Pascual,
Masbate; Calbayog City, Samar — Cataingan,
Masbate; Taytay, Palawan - Cuyo, Palawan;
Cuyo, Palawan — San Jose de Buenavista,
Antique; Lipata, Surigao del Norte Dapa,
Surigao del Norte and Siaton, Negros Oriental
— Dipolog City. Rico M. Osmeña
Sabah from the then proposed Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) of Nur Misuari, it is claimed, was
earlier given the offer but it was turned
down by the secessionist rebel group. It
is this refusal, the source told the Daily
Tribune that prompted Malaysia to close
the MNLF training camp and stop all
support they have been providing the
MNLF. To undermine Misuari’s leadership,
Malaysia, the same source said, made a deal
with the Aquino administration to create a
so-called council to oust Misuari as chairman
of the MNLF. The plan boomeranged when
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
with its 57-strong membership, refused to
recognize the council… Talk about bullying
and reelectionist Sen. JV Ejercito has a
thing or two to say about the issue. He knows
whereof he speaks, having admittedly been
bullied often enough not by his classmates or
friends but by his very own half-brother. “I’m
often bullied and I often give way,” was how
JV, the son of former President and now Manila
Mayor Joseph Estrada by former actress Guia
Gomez, described the situation in the family.
This time, however, JV says he has to
stand by his principles despite a possible
showdown with his half-brother Jinggoy
Estrada who is out on bail on charges
of plunder and graft in connection with
the pork barrel scam. Ejercito ran and
won a Senate seat using “Estrada” in
2013 where he was listed as JV Ejercito
Estrada in the ballot.
For comments, feedback and information,
e-mail us at mannyangeles27@gmail.com

10 BUSINESS
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Developing world‘s 2nd largest smartphone users
ISSUES AND VIEWS
Kumar Balani
COMMENTARY
“The higher
the per-capita
earnings, the
larger the number
of smartphone
owners.
NEW YORK, NY — Mobile communication devices
commonly known as cell phones have now become
essential in day-to-day living. Among the roughly
7.7 billion people living on earth today, more than
five billion or about two among every three of us
have mobile devices and over half of these are
smartphones. The differences in features between
these two types vary greatly depending on the
source of information checked.
Leading the world of advanced countries
among users of smart phones is South Korea with
a 95 percent penetration among all age groups,
followed closely by Israel and The Netherlands
where 88 and 87 percent respectively, use them. In
advanced countries, a median of 76 percent own
smartphones, 17 percent have regular phones and
7 percent have none.
The picture is different among emerging
countries. South Africa and Brazil are the leaders
in these types of nations often referred to as the
developing world. About 60 percent each of South
Africans and Brazilians have smartphones, but
South Africans lead with 33 percent having other
mobile devices versus Brazil’s 23 percent.
Overall, a median of 45 percent own smartphones,
33 percent have regular mobile phone and 22 percent
have no mobile phones in emerging economies.
People of India, among all countries surveyed, have
the least use of smartphones at 24 percent, with 40
percent using other devices and 36 percent having
no mobile device at all.
Worldwide, youth take
the lead in smartphone use
The Philippines stands out in one respect. Filipino
youth who are 18 to 34 years of age are the second
largest users of smartphones, with 74 percent, after
Brazilians of this age group with an astounding 85
percent among emerging economies. In the overall
Philippine market of all ages, 55 percent have
smartphones, 22 percent use regular mobile devices
and 23 percent do not own any mobile device at
all. This is a useful piece of information for mobile
phone makers.
These and other interesting findings were
obtained in a survey of people
in 27 countries worldwide
“People of
India, among
all countries
surveyed, have
the least use of
smartphones at
24 percent, with
40 percent using
other devices
and 36 percent
having no mobile
device at all.
by the Pew Research Center
in 2018-19 and released
on 5 February 2019. This
study also included other
questions relating to digital
connectivity, including
Internet use and membership
in social media platforms
Smartphone ownership is
also more widespread, in the
70 to 90 percent range, among
residents of higher-income
countries, such as those in
North America and Europe.
The higher the per-capita
earnings, the larger the number of smartphone
owners. There are however a few notable exceptions
to this norm in other parts of the world, such as in
Australia, Israel and South Korea.
SBMA investments up 1,000%
Investment commitments in Subic Bay
Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) increased
by more than 1,000 percent year-on-year in
2018, chairman and administrator Wilma
Eisma said, registering a record seven-year
high as more investors expanded operations
or set up their businesses in Subic amid
strong confidence.
Eisma said committed investments in
SBMA reached P29.6 billion last year, up
by a whopping 1,066 percent from P2.5
billion in 2017.
With the continuous growth in
Subic, SBMA’s contributions to
the national treasury in the form
of tax collections, Customs duties
and government dividends.
“This means that (investors) who
are already here in Subic remain to be
committed and trust that good things will
happen again this year,” she said.
She added the SBMA also posted
record-breaking outputs in the 26-year
history of the agency, with revenue at P3.45
billion and net income at P1.45 billion, the
first time it breached the P1-billion mark.
She noted the growth in expansion
projects in Subic, which exponentially
By AJ Bajo
SUNDAY GOSPEL
First reading
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
The priest will then take the basket
from your hand and lay it before the altar
of Yahweh your God.
In the presence of Yahweh your God,
you will then pronounce these words: “My
father was a wandering Aramaean, who
went down to Egypt with a small group
of men, and stayed there, until he there
became a great, powerful and numerous
nation. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they
oppressed us and inflicted harsh slavery
jumped from P926.6 million in 2017 to
P24.98 billion last year, was the more
telling sign of investor confidence in
Subic.
Eisma noted that new investment
projects rose to P4.61 billion last year from
P1.45 billion in 2017.
The biggest fresh infusions last year
were for a five-star hotel, industrial
parks, warehouses and a golf course and
retirement community, she added.
As a portent of continuing favorable
business climate in the Subic Bay Freeport,
the SBMA also drew a strong import and
export performance in 2018, signifying
Subic’s progressive role as an engine of
growth.
Subic made another record-breaking
performance in port operations when it
handled 212,103 twenty-foot equivalent
units in containerized cargo volume
and 7,052 metric tons of bulk and noncontainerized
cargo in 2018.
With the continuous growth in Subic,
SBMA’s contributions to the national
treasury in the form of tax collections,
Customs duties, and government dividends
also went up by 27 percent from P19.9
billion in 2017 to P25.3 billion last year,
she added.
KM
D&L Industries is best
mid-cap company
Chemical and food ingredient
manufacturer D&L Industries was recently
named as the country’s Best Mid-Cap
Company in Hong Kong-based publication
FinanceAsia’s 19th annual poll.
The firm also ranked as 7th best in
the investor relations category.
FinanceAsia reports Asia’s financial
and capital markets, while the annual
survey provides an in-depth analysis
of the listed companies in the region,
including their investor relations,
commitment to corporate governance
and social responsibility.
The publication then acknowledges
companies which stand out in their
respective industry sector.
About 240 portfolio managers and
buy-side analysts worked on the survey
results for this year’s poll.
“We are delighted to receive this
recognition which highlights our
continuous search for excellence in the
industries we serve,” D&L president and
chief executive officer Alvin Lao said.
“We have the utmost respect for
our minority shareholders and will
continue our efforts to maintain an IR
program that is engaging, informative
and transparent.”
The publication has annually
recognized the listed manufacturer as
one of the best mid-cap companies for
five years.
In 2014, D&L was awarded 3rd best
mid-company, best mid-cap company
in 2015 and 2016 and 2nd best mid-cap
company in 2018.
on us. But we called on Yahweh, God of
our ancestors. Yahweh heard our voice
and saw our misery, our toil and our
oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of
Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched
arm, with great terror, and with signs
and wonders. He brought us here and has
given us this country, a country flowing
with milk and honey. Hence, I now bring
the first-fruits of the soil that you, Yahweh,
have given me.”
You will then lay them before Yahweh
your God, and prostrate yourself in the
presence of Yahweh your God.
CAPITAL pledges to SBMA rose more than 100 percent in 2018 compared to 2017.
AEV net income rises 3% in 2018
Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) posted
a 3 percent increase in its net income for the
full year 2018 to P22.2 billion from P21.6 billion
in 2017. Its power business unit (BU) remained
its biggest income contributor, accounting for
73 percent while its financial services, food,
real estate and infrastructure BU pitched in 16
percent, 7 percent, 3 percent and 1 percent,
respectively.
This increase was primarily due to
fresh contributions from Gold Coin
Management Holdings, Pilmico’s
newly-acquired feeds business in the
Asia-Pacific region.
“We remain confident about the longterm
prospects of our businesses in fueling
our country’s economic growth, which,
in return, generates greater demand for
our products and services,” said Erramon
Aboitiz, AEV president and chief executive
officer.
Meanwhile, AEV’s core net income
totaled P23.1 billion, 3 percent lower than
the P23.9 billion recorded in 2017. AEV
also recorded consolidated earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
amounting to P60.7 billion last year, up 6.5
Second reading
Romans 10:8-13
And when this mortal hath put on
immortality, then shall come to pass the
saying that is written: Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is thy
victory? O death, where is thy sting? Now
the sting of death is sin: and the power of
sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who
hath given us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable;
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.
percent from 2017.
“From investing to meet infrastructure
demand to providing innovative solutions to
empower small businesses and through our
new multi-country platform, we leverage our
capabilities to drive change for a better world
by advancing business and communities,”
Aboitiz said.
Power
On a stand-alone basis, AboitizPower realized
P21.7 billion in net income in 2018, 6 percent
higher compared to 2017. Fresh contributions
from Pagbilao Energy Corp. and Hedcor Bukidnon
Inc. for the generation business as well as an
increase in consumption levels across all customer
segments for the distribution business contributed
to the year-on-year (YoY) profit gain.
Banking and financial services
On a stand-alone basis, UnionBank
recorded a net income of P7.3 billion in 2018,
down 13 percent from the P8.4 billion earned
the previous year. As of end-December 2018,
UnionBank’s total assets reached P673.8
billion, 8 percent higher YoY, as loans and other
receivables grew by 16 percent, from P280.2
billion to P326.1 billion due to double-digit
growth across all customer businesses, except
GOSPEL
First Sunday of Lent
Luke 4:1-13
Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned
from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into
the desert for 40 days, to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days and when
they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son
of God, command this stone to become bread.
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does
not live by bread alone.’”Then he took him
up and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world in a single instant.The devil said to
him, “I shall give to you all this power and
thrift arm CitySavings.
Food
Pilmico reported a net income of P1.6
billion for 2018, an 8 percent decrease from
the P1.7 billion recorded in 2017, due mostly
to YoY declines from Feeds Philippines
which suffered from higher raw materials
costs and from Farms which incurred lower
assetrevaluation gains.
Meanwhile, Flour business segment’s
net income increased by 52 percent YoY to
P299 mn, on the back of better commodity
and foreign exchange positioning. In addition,
AEV International Pte. Ltd. reported a
consolidated net income of P234 million in
2018, a 142 percent increase from the previous
year. This increase was primarily due to fresh
contributions from Gold Coin Management
Holdings, Pilmico’s newly-acquired feeds
business in the Asia-Pacific region.
Land
AboitizLand reported net income of P645
million in 2018, 13 percent lower than the
P744 million recorded in 2017. The decrease
was due to the absence of fair valuation
gains on investment properties in 2018
despite enjoying higher revenues.
their glory; for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this
will be yours, if you worship me.”Jesus said to
him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship
the Lord, your God and him alone shall you
serve.’”Then he led him to Jerusalem, made
him stand on the parapet of the temple, and
said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down from here, for it is written: ‘He
will command his angels concerning you, to
guard you’ and: ‘With their hands they will
support you, lest you dash your foot against
a stone.’”Jesus said to him in reply, “It also
says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God,
to the test.’”
When the devil had finished every
temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
TECHTALKS
11
China’s
commercial
carrier rocket
soars
Innovation technologies
will be introduced to
promote the development
of commercial space
industry in China and to
meet market demand
China’s first carrier rocket for
commercial use is scheduled to make
its maiden flight in the first half of
2019, according to the China Academy
of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT).
The rocket, named Smart Dragon-1
(SD-1), is the first member of the
Dragon series commercial carrier
rockets family to be produced by
CALVT, as China accelerates the
development of commercial space
industry.
China’s current carrier rockets all
belong to the Long March family.
CALVT launched the design and
development of the small-scale,
solid-propellant rocket in February
2018. The SD-1, with a total length of
19.5 meters, a diameter of 1.2 meter,
and a takeoff weight of about 23.1
tons, is capable of sending over 150
kg payloads to the solar synchronous
orbit at an altitude of 700 km.
Since the rocket is designed
especially for commercial use, its
cost for sending payloads per unit
into orbit is lower than that of similar
rockets in the international market,
according to CALVT.
It takes only six months to produce
one such rocket, and 24 hours to
prepare for the launch. It can be used
for launching either single satellite or
multiple satellites at a time.
“In addition to the Smart Dragon
solid-propellant carrier rockets, CALVT
will also develop liquid-propellant
commercial rockets, which will have
a higher carrying capacity,” said Tang
Yagang, president of the China Rocket
Co. Ltd., affiliated to CALVT.
“Innovation technologies will be
introduced to promote the development
of commercial space industry in China
and to meet market demand.”
Xinhua
By Komfie Manalo
UBP cements fintech
lead with crypto ATM
By keeping an open mind about emerging
technologies and partnering with fintech
firms that are willing to collaborate with
them, UBP has created a unique customer
UnionBank of the Philippines (UBP) on Friday formally
unveiled the world’s first bank-operated cryptocurrency
ATM, further blurring the lines between financial technology
(fintech) companies and financial institutions.
“This is a significant development in the fintech world,”
said Ron Hose, president and founder of Coins.ph, UBP’s
partner in the crypto ATM initiative. “This is a further
testament that banks are now acting like a fintech firm. This
launch blurs the line more and we see this move for banks to
change the landscape of the world of finance.”
In his speech, UPB CEO and president Edwin Bautista said
blockchain is an integral part of the bank’s strategy starting
with the “introduction” of their crypto mining rig called “ERB”
to the release of the first blockchain banking sector use-case
last year with their pioneering distributed ledger technology
(DLT)-powered internal communication system.
This is a significant development in the fintech
world.
UNIONBANK CEO and president Edwin Bautista explaining to
the writer how the crypt-ATM works.
LONG March 3B carrier rocket lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch
Center in Sichuan province to place two Beidou navigation satellites in orbit.
CHINA DAILY
He added, “A bank’s primary task is to facilitate transfer (of
money). In this corner of the world called the Philippines, UnionBank
has introduced the world’s first crypto ATM by a bank.”
The two-way crypto ATM was first announced in February
this year as part of UBP’s “sandbox” initiative by allowing
its customers to use the machine to buy and sell digital
currencies for cash. Initially, the ATM supports only Bitcoin,
but Bautista said the number of tokens to be supported would
increase soon.
Customer experience
According to UnionBank chairman Justo Ortiz, the crypto ATM
is a result of strong customer demand adding “we listened to the
voice of our customers.” Ortiz is also the chairman of the Blockchain
Association of the Philippines.
“Whenever we launch a new product, customer protection is always
our primary concern. And because we want to elevate our customer
experience, we envision creating a banking opportunity by co-creating
them with our customers,” Ortiz said.
By keeping an open mind about emerging technologies and
partnering with fintech firms that are willing to collaborate with
them, UBP has created a unique customer experience, particularly
with the crypto ATM.
“We hope to move forward together with the whole blockchain
ecosystem. Let us all join hands to advance blockchain in the
country and unravel its potentials with real use-cases to benefit
our customers,” he said.
Another one coming
Even before the first customer could use the crypto ATM,
Bautista revealed that a second machine is already in transit and
will be installed at the bank’s main branch in Ortigas in Pasig City.
“A second machine is already coming,” he said. “In fact, we
are looking at deploying the third one, but it’s still in the planning
stage. We might even launch some more — with BSP’s (Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas) approval of course.”
Surge in crypto ATM
Inflation, immigrants and sponsored educational initiatives in
Latin America are driving demands for crypto ATM, several studies
have shown. Data from Coin ATM Radar place the number of
cryptocurrency ATM machines across the world to number 4,213.
However, the majority of these crypto ATMs are located in North
America, although demands are rising in parts of Latin America.
A report by CoinDesk quoted Matias Goldenhörn, Athena Bitcoin director
of Latin America operations as saying that crypto ATM are “becoming a real
alternative to banks” for various users in the emerging markets. Athena
Bitcoin is an ATM operator.
What’s next?
For Bautista, he is unsure where the technology will lead
us. However, he is sure the future of banking is in digital
transformation. Indeed, the bank has allocated a significant
portion of its budget for digitization, between P3 billion and
P4 billion annually.
The Nationals dawns
on 24th March
The fans are going to
expect the best and the
best of teams in the
Philippines. We know
that we started from
dust, but we just wanted
to give them a platform
to shine and also play
the way they want
MARSHAL
Law vs Paul
Phoenix of
Tekken 7.
WILD Runner, Jaggernut and Storm Spirit of Dota 2.
By Gene Beatrice A. Micaller
Philippines’ maiden e-sports
league will see action on the
24th of March as The Nationals,
a franchise-based league, embark
on its first season that will
highlight Dota 2, Mobile Legends:
Bang Bang on Mobile and Tekken
7 on PS4.
“It’s not just e-games, it is
e-sports,” said Ren Vitug, The
Nationals Commissioner, during the
media launch of the e-sports tourney.
Dota 2 is a competition
between two teams with five
players each. Teams are tasked
to defend their separate bases
on the map. Each of the players
controls a powerful character
named as “hero.” In order to win,
a team should destroy first the
opposing team’s base, named as
the “Ancient.”
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on
mobile is also a multiplayer online
battle arena (MOBA) developed to
be played on mobile phones. Each
team of five plays as an avatar
called “hero.” The two opposing
teams battle each other to reach
and destroy an enemy’s base while
also defending their path control
— the three “lanes” which are the
“top,” “middle” and “bottom.”
Tekken 7 is the ninth installment
in the famous series Tekken
where a one-versus-one battle is
played. The game features two
mechanisms: Rage Art and Power
Crush.
The Nationals is comprised
E-SPORTS in the Philippines.
of five initial teams which
Vitug confirmed to still grow
in numbers in the next months.
The participating teams are Bren
Pro, Cignal Ultra Warriors, HF
Emperors, PLDT, Smart Omega,
Suha-XCTN punishers and STI.
As for the last team, STI will
not join the league until June
after the conclusion of Dota
2 competition. Meanwhile, the
remaining five teams will join
the battle of all the three games
that start on March and ends in
October of this year.
E-sports in the Philippines
continue to grow and develop;
however, patience and hard
work are what take an athlete
to survive the industry.
“E-sports (in the Philippines)
is good. I would say the players
are very talented. However, it’s
survival. It’s really hard work
for people who strive. I think
the opportunity is just going to
get better for us,” Vitug said.
On the first season, all
featured game will have two
conferences. Each conference
will have different game formats
with double round-robin and
single-elimination playoffs.
Successful athletes and top
performers per conference will
go forward to the final season
MOBILE Legend.
on the latter part of the year.
“The fans are going to expect
the best and the best of teams
in the Philippines. We know
that we started from dust, but
we just wanted to give them a
platform to shine and also play
the way they want,” he added.
On the other hand, The
Nationals will provide the
athletes an equipped training
and development facilities.
The organization also gave its
directive for each team to have
managers, coaches, fitness
trainers, nutrition and counselors.
The Nationals is a stepping
stone for the Philippines to
participate in Southeast Asian
Games (SEA Games) as some, if
not all, players may be coming
from the roster of The Nationals’
teams.
E-sports (in the
Philippines) is good. I
would say the players are
very talented.
All games of The Nationals
will be broadcasted on ESPN 5’s
various platforms such as 5Plus
on Free TV and Cignal TV through
eGG Network as well as on One
Sports on Pay TV. Likewise, fans
can expect to watch it via live
streaming on the social media
platform.

12 TECHTALKS Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Is PLDT really the country’s fastest?
By Gene Beatrice A. Micaller
When this news broke out last week,
most people are taken by surprise. But
in case you are wondering, PLDT are its
subsidiary Smart, was also at the top of
category last year.
In its most recent quarterly analysis and
report, US-based company Ookla, stated
that PLDT and Smart are the most reliable
Internet providers in the country in terms
of speed.
With download and upload
speeds, PLDT recorded the
highest with 52.28 Mbps and 55.95
Mbps, respectively.
Ookla provides solutions in mobile
and broadband network and testing
applications and technology. To be able
to gather, analyze and interpret data,
Ookla created a page on their website
Google G Suite’s, powered by an Artificial
Intelligence (AI) tool, has launched its
newest grammar checking tool and it goes
beyond just rectifying “your vs. you’re,”
the “it’s vs. its” and the “they’re vs. their”
grammatical blunders we often commit.
Formerly known as Google Apps for
Work and Google Apps for your Domain,
Google G Suite has powered and boosted
the relationship between employers and
employees. With prominent features such
as cloud computing, productivity and
collaboration tools and software products,
Google was able to help companies improve
their communication within their peers.
However, committing different
grammatical errors could pretty much
damage one’s reputation.
Alas, Google, who just recently announced
the launch of its newest grammar checking
police, ensured its G Suite’s users the days
of being grammar-conscious are over.
The new grammar police are powered by
Last year, cancer or what is medically
called “neoplasm” was second to heart disease
as the top killer in the country. Cancer took
60,470 lives or 10.4 percent of the total number
of deaths in the Philippines last year, data from
the Philippine Statistics Office showed.
Many cancer patients in the country seek
medical treatment and care abroad because
of the lack of adequate therapeutic alternative
locally.
But with the VitalBeam Radiotherapy
System, patients are given a new ray of hope.
called "Speedtest."
In the company’s
speedtest.com, users may
test their Internet’s speed.
For PLDT and Smart, a total
of 27,221,777 Internet speed
tests were performed by
users on the third and fourth
quarter of 2018.
PLDT was hailed as the
speed king on the fixed
Internet category with an
Ookla speed score of 18.57.
Fixed Internet is a form of
connection wherein Internet
signals is transmitted to your device through radio waves brought
by a base station. This kind of connection is different from what we
call DSL and fiber that use a cable to transfer signals.
Fixed wireless Internet is commonly used in rural areas where
building an infrastructure for connections like DSL is more costly.
Sky Internet service place second in the same category with 11.23
speed score. Smart landed at the third spot with 10.99, and Globe
AI intensifies Google G Suite’s grammar gizmo
GOOGLE G Suite.
a machine translator that enables software
to translate one language into another and
equip it with its own language processing
capabilities.
From its recent announcement last
year, Google said that only a company’s
administrators could have full access with
the new grammar tool. But today, every user
can gain access to the AI grammar checking
tool that includes simple corrections such as
the usage of affect and effect, when to use or
not they’re and their and many more tricky
issues such as what preposition you need
to use or the subject and verb agreement.
MaDoc’s new technology vs cancer
The machine also has a Qfix Access
360 that provides a 360-degree vision
to a targeted area of a breast.
Allowing users to quickly see,
accept or ignore a grammar
suggestion, the 20-year-old search
engine company is also instigating
a “spelling and grammar” option
in the menu bar located at the top
right corner of a google document.
“In doing so, machine translation
techniques can catch a range of different
corrections, from simple grammatical rules
such as how to use ‘a’ versus ‘an’ in a
sentence to a more complex grammatical
concepts such as how to use subordinate
clauses correctly,” Vishnu Sivaji, a G Suite
product manager posted in his recent blog.
To make a distinction from the previous
spell-checking tool Google has initiated seven
years ago that uses a tiny red line to catch
misspelled words, Google G Suite will be
using a blue curly line to highlight specific
errors that need to be addressed.
Allowing users to quickly see, accept or
ignore a grammar suggestion, the 20-year-old
search engine company is also instigating a
“spelling and grammar” option in the menu
bar located at the top right corner of a google
document.
Furthermore, to better serve communities
and users, Google has partnered with
“linguists to decipher the rules for the
machine translation model.”
Unfortunately, these features are not yet
available on free accounts or G Suite for
Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education
and G Suite for Nonprofits. These features
will only be made obtainable to business
users such as G Suite Basic, G Suite Business
and G Suite Enterprise.
With the rising number of users
purchasing and using Google services,
Sundar Pichai, Google LLC’s Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), said during the Alphabet’s
Q4 2018 earnings report, G Suite paying
customers have reached five million at the
tail end of 2018.
Just like in 2016 and 2017, G Suite got
more one new million subscribers last year.
G Suite includes different tier such as
such Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts Chat, Meet,
Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides. GBMicaller
was the fourth with 9.36.
PLDT was responsible
for the 14.2 million of the
27,221,777 overall speed tests
gathered by Ookla. On the
other hand, Globe had 8.4
million and Smart got 1.9
million. Sky recorded 1.2
million speed tests.
The speed score included
every aspect on the internet
speed, from download speed,
upload speed, lowest average
speeds, median average
speeds and highest average
speeds. For Ookla’s computation, they put more gravity on download
speed and median average speeds.
With download and upload speeds, PLDT recorded the highest
with 52.28 Mbps and 55.95 Mbps, respectively.
The second top on download and upload speed was Sky with 30.42
Mbps and 4.8 Mbps, respectively. Furthermore, Smart broadband
earned a third berth and Globe acclaimed fourth place.
This newly-launched Filipino-made
app, Jojo Pasabay, has taken the
process of transporting products to
a higher level as it allows senders
to communicate with transporters
who are already en route to drop the
packages while giving commuters an
extra income.
We’ve all been
there and we’ve all
done that — I’m
talking about the
beggarly traffic in
the country. And Jojo mobile app was
developed out of and inspired by the
worsening traffic condition.
With a mission and vision to
help people achieve a better way to
transport, receive and send packages
while at the same time giving them
an opportunity to earn extra, Jojo
helps both transporters and senders
to make the most out of their time.
So, how Jojo app works?
If you’re spending the whole
day waiting for the arrival of your
package, you can book a Jojo. Jojo
could be someone, a commuter or a
car owner, who’s already on his way
to a drop-off point similar to yours.
The supposed-to-be transporter of
your package can hand the items to
this Jojo and deliver it to you.
This way, carbon footprint could be
lessened and Jojo, the commuter stuck
in traffic, can also obtain earnings.
“So, the idea was the monetization
of that wasted time. If you can
convert these commuters into
transporters, you can create millions
of entrepreneurs who can now turn
a negative experience into a positive
one. So, the time wasted is now time
spent earning a livelihood,” said Jay
Fajardo, Jojo’s chief strategy officer.
The application is equipped with a
FIXED INTERNET
PLDT 18.57
SKY 11.23
SMART 10.99
GLOBE 9.36
“This award is proof that our continued
investments in our network to improve
the mobile Internet experience of our
customers across the country are paying
off,” stated Mario Tamayo, PLDT and Smart
senior vice president for Network Planning
and Engineering.
Speedtest is Ooklo’s flagship brand in
its portfolio and is the most precise way of
having a gauge with Internet performance
and network diagnostics.
Who’s Jojo and how
it improves life
Senders may opt to pay
cash on delivery or pick-up.
Furthermore, they may avail
Jojo wallet and credit tokens
GPS locator that allows recipients to
track the location of their packages
from booking delivery to package
insurance when you send via Jojo.
And don’t worry about losing
your package. Before formal
acceptance into the system, a Jojo
will go through a vetting process
or the process of conducting
a background check before
awarding them the employment.
“Our transporters then earn the lion
share of the fees. It’s a typical sharing
that you experience in a two-sided
marketplace,” Fajardo
affirmed.
Senders may
opt to pay cash on
delivery or pick-up.
Furthermore, they may avail Jojo
wallet and credit tokens.
“They can buy the Jojo coins
through GCash and load up their
wallet and get extra coins as
well,” Jojo chief technical officer
Teng Sorreta stated.
The idea was the
monetization of that
wasted time.
What’s good about Jojo is
the fact that they charge less
with only P99 for the first three
kilometers and P8 for every
succeeding kilometer. Meanwhile,
the company does not impose
surcharge or peak charge typically
added during rush hours.
In terms of security and safety
of recipients, only a minimum detail
of their information is asked by the
company. Also, there’s no third party
included for information sharing.
The Jojo app is now available for
free download on both Google app
store and iOS-powered mobile gadgets.
Jojo was developed and
designed by First Shoshin Holdings
Inc. to ensure that the hassle a
commuter is experiencing while
being stuck in traffic turns into
something glorious. GBA
Earlier this month, Manila Doctors
announced its acquisition of VitalBeam
Radiotherapy System that could help in
fortifying fight against deadly cancer.
VitalBeam is an advanced technology for
hospitals and clinics that provide sophisticated
functions to patients who have tumors.
The radiotherapy system includes various
complementary products such as Real-time
Position Management (RPM), Pivotal Prone
Breast Care, Eclipse Treatment Planning System
and RapidPlan Knowledge-based Planning.
“VitalBeam is a real game-changer that
will enable us at Manila Doctors to treat even
challenging cases with pinpoint accuracy and
precision, making it possible for us to offer our
patients fast, targeted treatments,” said Dr. Mario
VITALBEAM Radiotherapy System.
Juco, Manila Doctors Hospital medical director.
RPM is a video-based medical technology
for lung, breast and upper abdominal treatment
that allows for clean imaging. The advanced
medical system gives medical practitioners
the capability to correlate the positions of a
tumor in the body.
Some of the RPM key features are: Lightweight
marker that provides comfort to patients,
interface to CT and CT/positron emission
tomography scanners and an OBI fluoroscopy
mode that has pretreatment verification.
On the other hand, Pivotal Prone Breast
Cancer allows clinicians to have
various perspective on treating
breast cancer. With the Pivotal
Prone Breast Cancer, breast
cancer patients will be treated
in a prone position (lying-down)
compared to a typical supine
MANILA Doctors Hospital’s head of Department of Radiology-Oncology, Dr Teresa Sy Ortin, responds to
questions from the media at the roundtable discussion. Joining her are Dr. Antonio Villalon, head of Cancer
Institute; Dr. Mark Kho, surgical oncologist; Oliver Perez, business manager for Radiation Oncology from
Siemens Healthineers and other medical and hospital administrators.
(lying face-up) position.
According to research, treating breast
cancer patients in a prone position is better
because it minimizes the exposure to radiation
of different organs and tissues surrounding
the area.
The machine also has a Qfix Access 360
that provides a 360-degree vision to a targeted
area of a breast.
VitalBeam is a real game-changer
that will enable us at Manila Doctors
to treat even challenging cases.
In addition, Eclipse Treatment
Planning System is “an integrated and
comprehensive treatment planning
system which supports a variety of
treatment options including protons,
electrons, external beam, low-dose-rate
brachytherapy and cobalt therapy.”
The Eclipse system is an
innovation of features that
provide more speed, more
control and more advanced
care for patients’ treatment.
Last of VitalBeam’s
complementary products is
the RapidPlan Knowledgebased
Planning Software
that allows medical
practitioner for consistency,
efficiency and quality plans
for in planning radiation
treatment for an individual.
Ever since 1956, Manila
Doctors Hospital, a private
tertiary hospital, has been
providing "accessible,
world-class and quality
healthcare."
Akamai introduces edge
platform enhancements
Akamai, the intelligent edge platform for
securing and delivering digital experiences,
announced enhancements designed to help
businesses accelerate their cloud migration
strategy. The new features protect content,
apps and API, accelerate web and mobile
experiences and help make development
teams more agile as they move to the cloud.
Akamai surrounds and extends
client infrastructure, leveraging
the edge and advanced security to
alleviate cloud challenges.
“Eighty-five percent of companies
today have a hybrid cloud strategy, but
many have begun to realize that the cloud
brings significant challenges to security,
operations, and cost management,” said
Rick McConnell, president and general
manager of Akamai’s Web Division. “Cloud
migration introduces complexity that
can slow app deployments, cause cost
overruns and expose businesses to previously
unknown security risks. With enhancements
to our platform, Akamai surrounds and
extends client infrastructure, leveraging
the edge and advanced security to alleviate
cloud challenges.”
Enhance security
Akamai has expanded its portfolio
of adaptive security capabilities that are
architected to enhance protections while
enabling businesses to deliver excellent user
experiences. New offerings can intelligently
serve or block access to content with a
fully integrated Virtual Private Network
and Domain Name System proxy detection
service. Intelligence added to Akamai’s Token
Authentication capabilities extends coverage
for browsers and devices that do not support
cookies and also makes it more difficult to
play back stolen content. Finally, standard TLS
addresses the need to deliver HTTPS at massive
scale while providing a customer-branded SSL
certificate, all of which are critical for large
broadcasters and streaming TV distributors.

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
LIVING SPACES
13
AboitizLand
continues
Luzon
expansion
AboitizLand continued its northward
expansion as it launches Ajoya, a mid-market
residential development that offers master-planned
communities for families in Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija, and Capas, Tarlac. By
establishing presence in two new Luzon
provinces, the homegrown Cebuano property
arm of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. boosts
its residential portfolio. Early last year, it
launched Seafront Residences in San Juan,
Batangas.
Ajoya Cabanatuan is a 19-hectare
property located in Barangay Valle Cruz,
Nueva Ecija while Ajoya Capas is a
13-hectare house and lot development
located in Barangays Talaga and Estrada in
Tarlac. Both properties contain 1,000 units
of homes each.
Taking cue from the architecture of
the Filipino bahay na bato (stone house),
an Ajoya home features a contemporary
rendition that goes beyond aesthetics. To
foster community interaction, homeowners
are treated to amenities such as a town
plaza, clubhouse, pool plaza, pocket parks
and greenbelts.
The night’s highlight was the official
reveal of NorthPine Land’s newest
milestones for 2019.
In total, AboitizLand has built 23
communities, industrial, residential and
commercial combined, in more than 612
hectares of land in Cebu. In 2014, it expanded to
Luzon with the acquisition of the 485-hectare
industrial park Lima Technology Center in Lipa-
Malvar, Batangas. Ajoya Cabanatuan property
prices range from P3.2 million to P5.5 million
while Ajoya Capas’ are from P1.7 million to
P3.5 million. For inquiries, visit facebook.com/
ajoyaofficial.
AMAIA Scapes Bulacan offers 306 new and
spacious units that will cater to the different needs
of growing Filipino families.
NorthPineLand new projects
With a more driven and positive
stance, NorthPine Land, Inc. (NLI) is
thrilled and all set to embark on a new
chapter of its real estate journey and to
clinch more wins this year. The company
recently held its Sales Kickoff at The
Hanging Gardens, Fairview, Quezon City.
The night’s highlight was the official
reveal of NorthPine Land’s newest milestones
for 2019. Kahaya Place, NLI’s townhouse
development situated in Dasmariñas City,
Cavite, is first in line. Another venture the
company looks forward to is the opening
of Kohana Grove Expansion. This modern
Asian lifestyle community
located in Silang, Cavite was
officially introduced in 2013 and
is now a thriving neighborhood.
NLI also unveiled new
additions to the lineup of houses
in Montana Views and Montana
Strands. Montana Views now
boasts its biggest model unit,
named Rushmore which is the
first and only house offered
by NLI with five bedrooms.
Meanwhile, Montana Strands
which was just inaugurated in 2018, added
Nancy as a response to the increasing housing
needs in Pampanga.
Reaching out
to Bulacan
Amaia Land Corp., launches its third
sector in Amaia Scapes Bulacan, offering
306 new and spacious units that will cater
to the different needs of growing Filipino
families.
Complementing its masterfully
designed units are Amaia Scapes Bulacan’s
recreational amenities, which are available
THE 40-story building stands the tallest in
Filinvest City Alabang.
for use, such as a multi-village pavilion,
swimming pool and basketball court and a
children’s play area. The site also includes
patio greens and a tree-lined spine road for
jogging with friends.
Amaia Scapes Bulacan, which is located
at Sta. Maria-Pandi road in Barangay.
Manggahan and Sta. Cruz in Sta. Maria,
offers easy access to key establishments
such as Puregold, Waltermart, Grace of
Shekinah School, Sacred Heart Academy,
Mateo’s Diagnostic and General Hospital,
Rogaciano M. Mercado Memorial Hospital
and Sta. Maria Municipal Hall. The Bocaue
exit of the North Luzon Expressway is also
just a leisurely 15-minute drive away.
For inquiries about Amaia Scapes
Bulacan and other Amaia Land developments,
check out www.amaialand.com or follow
www.facebook.com/AmaiaLand.
Prestigious address in the South
Bristol at Parkway Place stands
out among upscale property projects
in Metro South.
It is an excellent development project,
located at the prestigious corner of
Corporate and Parkway Avenues, dubbed
as Millionaires’ Row, at the upmarket
section of the masterplanned green urban
center Filinvest City in Alabang.
Bristol features a private, gated
circular driveway leading to the hotel-like
reception lobby. A plaza environment
with carefully curated boutiques and
specialty restaurants are found at the
ground floor. Other amenities include
swimming and kiddie pools, landscaped
pool deck, tree courtyard, function room
for private events, fully-equipped fitness
center, children’s play area, yoga deck and
a well-stocked library and media center
for watching movies. A sky lounge offers
stunning views of the Alabang skyline and
Laguna de Bay.
RUSHMORE is the first and only house offered by NLI with
five bedrooms.
LAROSSA is an up-and-coming residential community at Capitol Hills where families can live just a stone’s throw away from all the major
lifestyle spots in Quezon City.
Experience the best
of urban living in Quezon City
With its spacious
area of over
161 square
kilometers,
the metropolis
is rapidly
developing
more housing
opportunities
QUEZON Memorial
Circle is home to many
natural wonders and
exciting recreational
activities, it is one of
the reasons why it is
good to live in The
North.
Nothing feels quite as nice as living comfortably
in a city where everything is within reach. And
for Filipinos who plan to move to the north side
of the metro, Quezon City is the place to be
for the best experience of premier lifestyle and
residential living.
Quezon City has become a progressive and
modern metropolis where all major lifestyle hot
spots are found. From diverse food scenes to
exciting shopping malls and convenient facilities
and centers, it is no doubt that the city has a lot
to offer to satisfy most wants, needs and luxuries.
If you’re eyeing to move to the north, here are
some things you can enjoy when you live there:
Perfect hub to satisfy the foodie in you.
Living in Quezon City means having access to the
country’s best restaurants and food parks. Here,
the food scene is lively and interesting — always
offering something new to the taste buds. If the
barkada is planning to go on a budget food trip,
you can book your stops at StrEat Maginhawa
Food Park, Boxpark and Z Compound. You can
also take the whole family on a fancy night out
at any dining options you can discover along
Katipunan Avenue, Tomas Morato, Banawe Street
and Congressional Avenue.
Center of best hangout locations. Weekends
are never dull when you are in the north. After
a long and hectic work week, relax and find
solitude in nature at the center of a bustling city
by visiting La Mesa Ecopark, Balara Filters Park
or Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife. Unwind at
Art in Island Museum or get tickets to the hottest
concerts happening at The Big Dome. Quezon
City is also home to two of the biggest television
networks in the country and if you’re lucky, you
can score entrances to enjoy live shows and see
your favorite stars in person!
Second home of shopping enthusiasts.
Shopaholics can also get their fashion fix with
the abundance of shopping complexes and bargain
shops in Quezon City. You can search for the
trendiest items in department and high-end stores
at SM North EDSA, UP Town Center, Gateway
Cubao or TriNoma. If you’re looking for the best
RELAX and find solitude in nature at the center of Quezon City.
finds on a budget, you can visit weekend bazaars
in Eton Centris or explore hidden ukay-ukay
stores within the city.
Thriving academic neighborhood. Another
benefit of settling down in Quezon City is that
you can send your kids to some of the reputable
schools in the country. From elementary to
college, your child can learn from world-class
institutions like Miriam College, Ateneo de Manila
University and University of the Philippines. There
are also outstanding pre-schools and grade schools
in the area so your child can get started on the
best education.
Shopaholics can also get their fashion
fix with the abundance of shopping
complexes and bargain shops in Quezon
City.
Excellent medical and wellness centers.
Quezon City keeps up to its name as the City of
New Horizons as the biggest and leading medical
institutions and services can also be found here.
Residents can be assured that their health is top
priority as hospitals like St. Luke’s Medical Center,
Philippine Heart Center, World Citi Medical Center
and National Kidney Center are present to service
any emergency or needs.
Live at the center of everything. What’s
exciting about Quezon City is that it has various
residential options which you can avail to have
access to all the best things about the city. With
its spacious area of over 161 square kilometers,
the metropolis is rapidly developing more housing
opportunities such as townships, high-rise
condominiums and community villages to cater
to Filipinos.
At Capitol Hills, Primehomes is bringing
Larossa to provide the perfect location where
you can live at the center of all the city’s hot
spots. It is an urban sustainable community
composed of mid-rise, 10-story condominiums that
boasts a 3.6-hectare land that showcases one of
the greenest areas in the metro while offering a
breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.
Sustainability
through design
CONTEMPORANO furniture will provide some of the products to be highlighted
in Ambiente.
In a bid to highlight the country’s flair in sustainable design,
Philippine delegates from the furniture and home and lifestyle
industries presented the best local products in Ambiente from 8 to
12 February in Messe Frankfurt in Germany.
Tony Gonzales, lead curator of the 2019 participation, continues
to inspire the Philippine delegates and the export manufacturing
industry toward going sustainable.
“People often equate natural materials with sustainable materials.
There is a myriad natural raw materials in the Philippines, but if
you get a thousand orders of rattan furniture, is it still sustainable
if you will destroy half of the forest? Sustainability is not only in the
material. It should be embedded in the entire business process,”
Gonzales said.
Designer Tony Gonzales talks about sustainability
through design, the country’s banner presentation in
Germany’s leading design trade fair.
“The country’s strength lies in its creativity. That is how we
champion sustainability, by harnessing a material to its full potential.
The capabilities of the Filipinos to create something out of nothing
is how we revolutionize the green movement even way before
sustainability became a trend,” he added.
How design manufacturers from the Philippines manipulate
abaca is one example of its drive towards sustainability. In the past,
abaca skin was discarded as only the inner core was considered
important. However, Philippine manufacturers thought of a way to
maximize the entire material and create other amazing products.
Banana trunks and leaves are also examples of materials that were
usually overlooked but were maximized by Filipinos to create various
furniture and home décor pieces.
“What was once considered as agricultural waste became an
export product. That is what amazes and excites foreign buyers, our
ability to turn what could have been trash into something valuable,”
Gonzales noted.
How design manufacturers from the Philippines
manipulate abaca is one example of its drive towards
sustainability.
With the theme “Sustainability Through Design,”
LifestylePhilippines will highlight its sustainable products and
processes in Ambiente, the world’s No. One trade fair in products
associated with dining, living and giving. The 2018 Philippine
participation in Ambiente exceeded targets as it generated $2.3
millon export sales and aims to replicate or surpass this achievement
in this year’s edition.
Manila FAME, the Philippines’ flagship sourcing event for design
and lifestyle, was the launching pad of the 24 companies who will
represent the Philippines in Ambiente. The show is a platform where
Philippine manufacturers were prepared and honed to become ready
in the global arena. The next show is slated on 25 to 27 April at the
World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines.
The Philippine pavilion will feature Arte Cebuana, Enpekei,
Finali, Pradora, South Sea Veneer and Tadeco for the furniture and
lighting sector.
The home décor and houseware, gifts and seasonal décor sectors
will be represented by Arden, Bon Ace, Celestial Arts, Chanalli, Elms
Accesoria de Casa, GSG by Flora Creatives, Klassy Collections, Larone
Crafts, Marketex (formerly Markalex), Masaeco, Natural Craft,
Nature’s Legacy, Oricon, Red Slab Pottery, SAFFY, Inc., Starlight
Homessences, Tuy Arts and Designs and Twenty-Nine Eleven.

14 LIVING SPACES
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
JAPANESE sculptor Shinji Ohmaki’s artwork “Gravity and Grace” can be viewed at the Makati Stock Exchange fountain area until 13
March.
By N.E. Rabadam-Ruiz
in
city
the
Makati is one of the cities that
promotes a balance in lifestyle by
incorporating art in many of its
structures
OLIVIA d'Aboville and Neal
Oshima team up to make the
plastics in our Ocean set-up in
Greenbelt.
The concrete jungle is becoming not so concrete
anymore. Today’s urban spaces — or at least,
commercial business districts — are transforming
into livable and dynamic communities where
skyscrapers and busy avenues thrive alongside
green plots of land and public art forms. Formed
here is a coexistence of structures that cultivates
both productivity and respite from the daily grind.
Makati is one of the cities that promotes
a balance in lifestyle by incorporating art in
many of its structures. According to Cathy
Bengzon, marketing head of Ayala Land Estates
and Corporate Brand, “Art makes a place more
interesting and adds soul to a space. Developing
our estates as a center for art, and adding art
to public spaces, is intrinsic to the way we have
been developing communities.”
A newest artistic display in the city is that
of Japanese artist Shinji Ohmaki’s “Gravity and
Grace” installation. This was one of the art pieces
featured in the recently held premier annual art
event, Art Fair Philippines 2019.
A larger-than-life structure, “Gravity and Grace”
is installed at the fountain area of the Makati Stock
Exchange along Ayala Avenue until 13 March.
Ohmaki shares that the vase-like structure of his
sculpture was inspired by the story of Pandora’s
Box. In the earliest version of such narrative, the
box was depicted as a jar that contained gifts.
“Gravity and Grace,” on the other hand, is detailed
with shapes of elegant life forms. At night, the interplay
between manipulated iron, steel sheets and artificial
light inside the structure becomes more prominent and
what’s shown are poetic silhouettes, which seem to
screen human history in a nutshell.
In a bigger picture, “Gravity and Grace” further
explains the relationship between human beings
and nature. Rather technically, the contrast between
illumination and silhouettes —symbolized by the
vessel illustrates the philosophy of Zen in a very
contemporary expression.
A newest artistic display in the city
is that of Japanese artist Shinji
Ohmaki’s “Gravity and Grace”
installation.
The piece was first displayed to the
public for the 2016 Aichi Triennale, an
international arts festival held every
three years since 2010 in the Aichi
Prefecture in Japan.
Ohmaki is an award-winning artist who
teaches sculpture at the Tokyo National
University of Fine Arts and Music. He is
known for creating pieces that show a
vibrant play between space and materials,
and for creating intricate designs on an
architectural work.
New developments
Meantime, new and original works of art
by talented local artists are also found in
various areas of Makati City. They break
the monotony of grayness at pedestrian
underpasses, walkways, streets and parks.
Bengzon further explains that
Makati will continuously provide more
venues where people can appreciate
art in its various forms. In fact, Circuit
Makati, a riverfront development
project that has grown to be an
entertainment and lifestyle hub, is set
to have a performing arts theater with
1,500 seats. This will be completed
in 2020 and will host international
and local performances as well as art
exhibits.
To know more about the newest
developments in Makati City, visit its
website at www.makeitmakati.com and
follow @MakeItMakati on Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram.
THE Peninsula lit with Birth of Venus Light
Projection by GA Fallarme, Henk-Gert
Lenten and Gedrocks Roldan.
JAPANESE sculptor Shinji Ohmaki together with chairman of Ayala
Land Fernando Zobel de Ayala.
PRESENT at the opening were (from left): senior vice president
of Ayala Land Me-Ann Dy, Art Fair’s Lisa Periquet, Trickie Lopa,
director of Mind Set Art Center Queena Chu, Ohmaki and Zobel
de Ayala.
2018
DOT PROPERTY
PHILIPPINES AWARDS
2018
LAROSSA CAPITOL HILLS
BY PRIMEHOMES
BEST RESIDENTIAL
BOTANICAL DEVELOPMENT
www.dotpropertyawards.com

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
BLAST
15
GETTING the City to scoot around town is a gas-fed 1.5L straight four
mated to a six speed continuously variable automatic.
Specifications
Vehicle: Honda City 1.5 E CVT
Type: Subcompact passenger car
(four door sedan)
Engine type: L15Z1 SOHC
16-valve 1.5L inline four cylinder
gasoline (119 hp / 145 NM, 73.0
mm bore x 89.0 mm stroke,
10.3:1 compression ratio), with
intelligent variable valve timing and
lift electronic control, multipoint
programmed and electronically
controlled fuel injection, timing
chain, offset connecting rods
and crankshaft, pulverized
molybdenum-coated piston skirts,
drive-by-wire technology and timing
chain, naturally aspirated
Transmission: Six speed
continuously variable automatic
(with “Sport” mode), front wheel
drive
Price as tested:
P868,000
Honda’s way of
creating good first
transport for the
workforce newbie
is evident in the
City 1.5 E model
Honda mobility
for working rookies
DON’T be fooled by appearances,
the cabin has creature comforts one
will enjoy even on long trips.
The Honda City has always been the Japanese
automaker’s entry level sedan.
Even in middle tier 1.5 E trim and a six-speed
continuously variable automatic, the City is very
much Honda’s mobility for the working rookie.
The crystal black pearl colorway and a low-key
overall exterior design gives the subcompact
sedan a look that proclaims “you’re just starting
out in the rat race, but you need to look good
doing so.” Granted, the mid-spec City had 5.5J x
15 wheels and Bridgestone Turanza 175/65 tires.
However, the original equipment/OE 10-spoke
5.5J shoes, a liberal use of chrome for the front
grille and boot lid, headlights with OE daytime
running lights, a deep gouge line from the front
doors to the tailights’ tips and a rear bumper
with a lower faux mesh grille enforced a sleeper
BLUETOOTH and frequency locking are part of the
in-car entertainment.
look but ready to run around the metro.
Inside may be spartan for the corporate
newbie but he or she will appreciate its comforts.
The seven-inch touchscreen in-car entertainment
has a USB port (for external audio sources),
Bluetooth hands-free calling (toting a
built-in microphone with good voice
pickup), 18 FM and 12 AM presets,
radio frequency locking (including
fast and slow frequency search) and
good sound from the four speakers.
Honda went with a three-knob layout
for the City 1.5 E’s airconditioning
(A/C) controls, with a horizontally
moving lever for ventilation direction
purposes. It’s easier to use than the
touchscreen ones on the top end 1.5
VX Navi and 1.5 VX+ Navi models.
You don’t fumble around looking for
a blower or temperature control, as
the knobs are placed in areas for
easy reach. Last, the grab handles
atop the rear window headliner double as places
to hang coats and jackets.
Inside may be spartan for the corporate
rookie, but he or she will appreciate its
comforts.
There’s more than adequate storage of any
type. The confines can fit four, but five will
find shoulder room snug and not conducive for
relaxation. Speaking of relaxation, the thick
fabric seats, cold A/C and soft to firm ride
damping contribute heavily to the driver gettting
less tense and more alert and other occupants
quickly getting shuteye. Six cupholders are
standard, one for each door and two in front of
the automatic transmission (A/T) stick. There’s
a cavity behind the center console where
rear occupants can place their smartphones,
wallets or ballpens. Last, the trunk can fit
a balikbayan box and three to four large
travel backpacks.
Getting all that 119 hp and 145 NM of
torque from the 1.5L straight four requires a
heavy right foot, the green Econ button below
the leftmost A/C vent turned off and the A/T
in “Sport.” With that setting, some notches
after 3,000 rpm gets you some decent forward
movement and the intelligent variable valve
timing and lift electronic control solenoids
up and working about a few ticks after 4,000
rpm. For better fuel efficiency and rapid
upshifts, it’s best to turn on Econ, keep the
A/T in “Drive” and make sure the revs don’t
go beyond 2,000-2,500 rpm. There’s a “Low”
feature, but that’s for inclines because only
first and second gears are used.
Whatever perceived shortcomings about the
City’s forward motion are redeemed with the
other driving dynamics. The low stance, 150
mm ground clearance and rim-and-tire combo
keep the car planted. The steering feedback is
disconnected at times (especially on decreasing
radius turns and chicanes), but the steering
feel is light enough for ease of parking and long
backing. The brakes have bite, even if you’re
coming from triple digit speeds. The side mirrors
display 1.5 lanes of sight on either flank. There
are no bumper warning sensors nor a reverse
gear-activated camera, which tests the parking
ability of the corporate rookie. In that regard,
one can always go out, check what’s going
on behind the City’s rear bumper and adjust
accordingly.
The 1.5 E City may be notches above
its base model trim, but it’s
Honda’s way of creating
good first transport
for the workforce
newbie. JPM
A CRYSTAL black
pearl colorway and a
low-key overall exterior
design gives a look
that is deceptively high
end for a mid-spec
variant.
Red Bull raises testing issues
NOT even midpack nor tailend finishes during the testing sessions deterred Red Bull and Toro Rosso from gaining
significant information about the RB15 and the STR14.
Allegedly, Red Bull and Toro
Rosso are having problems with
the 2019 aerodynamic changes,
but Red Bull team head Christian
Horner was full of praise for the
cars’ Honda engines
Although Red Bull and junior team Toro Rosso
spent much of Barcelona testing without major
problems, the Brackley (United Kingdom) based
Formula One/F1 team claimed they have issues to
solve before being competitive.
For starters, lead Red Bull driver Max Verstappen
complained in a statement to the Federation
Internationale de l’Automobile or FIA about his RB15
having less mechanical grip than the RB14 he used to
win five Grands Prix last year. “I would just make the
floor of the car bigger, so you are able to generate
more mechanical grip and downforce from within the
car itself. I would also make the front and rear wing
smaller and less complicated.”
During testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya
last week, the Dutchman developed an intense
understanding of the 2019 aerodynamic rules, which
will stretch up to the 2021 F1 season and installed
to encourage more overtaking. These included
a simplified front wing (with FIA-standardized
endplates and no upper flaps, meant to move more
airflow to the underbody), no blown axles and
winglets on the brake ducts, barge boards lowered
150 mm and moved forwards 100 mm (to reduce their
role in airflow direction) and no horizontal “gills”
on the rear wing endplates. With his knowledge,
Verstappen grumbled about racing four years ago was
more exciting than 2019. “Racing was much more fun
for me in 2015 than now. If you had a bad qualifying
session you knew that you would be able to move (up
the leaderboard) because you were able to overtake.
Now you’re just stuck and then not much happens
anymore. On the other hand, these cars are really
great to drive during qualifying, if you see how much
downforce is generated.”
Verstappen was 17th overall in the last week of
testing prior to the first race of the season (the 17
March 2019 Australian Grand Prix), posting a fastest
time of 1:17:709 and running 157 laps.
Toro Rosso F1 rookie driver Alexander
Albon was the fastest in the Red
Bull-Toro Rosso camp, with a fastest
time of 1:16:882 (sixth overall) and
going around the circuit for 221 laps.
Fellow teammate Daniil Kvyat and his
STR14 was just behind, with a 1:16:898
fastest time, but going 11 more laps.
Verstappen’s teammate Pierre Gasly
was 11th in testing, with a 1:17:091
fastest time and going 44 more laps
than the Dutchman.
Lead Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel paced the
timesheets during the sessions, with a fastest time
of 1:16:221 and running 231 laps. Defending drivers’
champion Lewis Hamilton was second fastest
(1:16:224) but ran the most laps of any driver during
testing with 331 trips around the circuit.
The two Red Bull teams covered a total of 1,768
laps (8,230 km), but engine partner Honda raised some
points about the Japanese engines residing in all four
cars. “We don’t have a serious problem with the current
installation, but we found some issues because of the
tight packaging. The shape was a little bit too aggressive,
so we need to make it a little bit different. Again, it’s not
a big concern,” Honda’s F1 technical director Toyoharu
Tanabe said in a statement to the FIA.
However, Red Bull team principal Christian
Horner, in an event last week held to fete 2019 sponsor
Esso, shrugged off Tanabe’s cautiousness and was
full of praise to Honda and their engines. “Ultimately
power is a dominating factor but I have to say that
the installation of (the Honda engine) into the chassis
is probably the best one we ever had. When you look
how neatly integrated it is into the chassis, it really
is a thing of beauty. The whole engineering team,
collectively with Honda, have done a great job in
terms of installing what looks like a Swiss clock into
the back of our chassis.”

Jude Morte, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
BLAST
16
Volkswagen ups target
SANTANA GTS.
Ayala Corporation-Automotive brand Volkswagen
Philippines is keen on significantly raising its sales
targets.
Newly appointed Volkswagen Philippines or VW PH
president Felipe Estrella III, in a recent statement
to the Philippine motoring media, has high hopes
for the German manufacturer’s chances in 2019. “We
aim to better our 2018 sales by at least 50 percent.
I am confident we can achieve this. We have five
new distinctive models, the aftersales services and
warranties and we plan to expand our current network
of eight dealerships by adding at least four more.
We hope that our products, aftersales service and
new and existing dealerships will greatly add to the
buying public’s own affinity for our brand and will
even attract more segments of the market.”
With 1,363 Volkswagens sold in 2018, VW PH is
aiming that people will buy 2,040-odd units from
the German manufacturer this year.
Last year, VW PH sold 1,363 units, with its bestselling
month in April toting 195 units sold (182 passenger
cars/PC and 13 utility vehicles). May 2018 saw a full
revamp of the Volkswagen lineup as the Santana
subcompact sedan and subcompact wagon, the Lavida
compact sedan, the Lamando executive saloon and the
Tiguan compact crossover sport-ute were introduced.
With the full lineup revision, VW PH sold 630
units from June-December 2018, with
its best month in September
with 129 Volkswagens
(109 passenger
cars and 20 utility
autos) purchased
by customers.
Volkswagen’s
presence at the
late October
2018 Philippine
International
Motor Show
helped somewhat with
sales as all five brands were
made visible front-and-center at the auto show’s World
Trade Center venue. 84 Volkswagens (71 PC, 13 utility
vehicles) were bought by customers for the full month
of October. November saw 58 Volkswagens (36 PC, 22
utility units) sold while 87 Volkswagens (71 PC, 16
utility runners) were bought by clients in December.
“Volkswagen Philippines managed to sell exactly the
same number of units in 2018 as we did in 2017, that’s
1,363 units. By vehicle category, the local passenger
car segment was the hardest hit, registering losses
of as much as 21 percent. But I’m happy to
report that the passenger car sales of
Volkswagen Philippines actually
grew by seven percent. If
we look back to six
years ago, from
2013 onwards,
the compound
annual growth
rate of
Volkswagen
Philippines
has been a
remarkable
67 percent.
Despite the
challenges,
our sales
volume has
been constantly
increasing,” VW PH
chief operating adviser
Klaus Schadewald claimed
during
180 MPI MT S.
a VW PH media
appreciation night
at Resorts World Manila last week.
The 1,363 units sold for 2018 means that VW PH is
aiming that people will buy 2,040-odd Volkswagens for this
year. “Our products will deliver a unique and memorable
automotive experience. You never really know how good
a car is, until you’re actually in one and driving it. Every
Volkswagen model is full of potential. Every Volkswagen
vehicle, every Santana, Lavida, Tiguan and Lamando
that rolls out of the dealership is poised to generate
wonderfully unique stories that are about to be lived out
and experienced by the new owner and his or her family
and loved ones,” Estrella added.
Our products will deliver a unique and
memorable automotive experience. You never
really know how good a car is, until you’re
actually in one and driving it.
VW PH isn’t just stopping at the point of purchase. The
VW PH president (previously he was the Ayala Corporation-
Industrial chief finance officer) is also keen on expanding the
dealer and aftersales presence. Estrella reported that he is
keeping tabs on the development of the Santa Rosa (Laguna)
dealer but will also check on the performance of the eight
existing sales and service outlets — in Bonifacio Global City,
Mandaluyong (service only), Quezon City, Alabang, Pampanga,
Cebu, Iloilo and Bacolod. “All across the Volkswagen product
lineup, we implemented aftersales services and warranties
that made owning a German marque as worry-free and
convenient as possible. We now offer three-year warranties
for every model, while keeping periodic maintenance service
intervals of only once a year or every 10,000 kilometers,
whichever comes first.”
JPM
What made the Ford Ecosport such
a hit in its 2014 debut was its ability to
comfortably carry four and some luggage in a
package that can fit in urban areas.
The 2019 EcoSport is no different, but with
improved creature comforts, updated looks
and forced induction linked to less 500 cc of
displacement.
Looks-wise, the EcoSport’s changes seem
mostly at the front. Wider trapezoidal headlights,
larger foglights and less slats on the front grille
(for increased airflow towards the intercooler)
occupy the front end. Daytime running lights
or DRL are incorporated into the headlights for
increased visibility at dawn or dusk. There’s even a
faux aluminum (likely light gray plastic) skidplate
below the front bumper, presumably to highlight
further the 24-degree approach angle. Beyond
the front end, the only changes are the spare tire
cover design and the rims, the latter now sporting
17-inch wheels and 205/50 series rubber.
Improved creature comforts, updated
looks and forced induction linked to
less 500 cc of displacement are the
highlights of the top end EcoSport.
Inside features the biggest changes to
the sport-ute, especially with regard to the in-car
infotainment (ICI). The ICI now has Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay, which makes it easier to play music
from one’s smartphone straight to the four speakers.
The complex, button-laden head unit was replaced
with an eight-inch touchscreen, which when combined
with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay allows for
satellite navigational usage (helpful if you’re using
Google Maps or Waze) or ease of Bluetooth hands
free-calling. Voice-activated commands still find its
way into the ICI, but you need an Amercian accent
for the built-in microphone to follow orders. Speaking
of the sport-ute’s microphone, it has strong pickup,
with parties on the other line frequently expressing
surprise that they can hear voices in the rear row
clearly and loudly. The only major downer is speaker
clarity. It could use an amplifier and a crossover
with more than three bands (bass, middle, treble),
because pop hits like Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”
come out muffled.
The rest of the cabin gets kudos too. Rear
passengers can unlock all four doors via
two buttons behind the center console. The
unnecessarily complex airconditioning controls
were
replaced with a dual knob, 10-button
system that’s not busy on the eyes. The A/C knobs
have clear, distinct labels, with its buttons placed
in a manner easy to discern and do something
involved with cooling. The rear seats’ folding isn’t
flush with the cargo bay floor. But those seats fold
flat plus the rear bumper’s low position allows
for the loading of a balikbayan box or two. Last,
there are numerous places to store bric-a-brac,
including the two-tier glovebox, all side doors,
the center console and atop the tonneau cover.
Just because the EcoSport is one liter and
turbocharged doesn’t mean that it’s slow. Far from it,
as the jumpy throttle response moves all 1,344 kg of
kerb weight rapidly without much turbo lag. However,
since the E253 requires a cast iron block to handle the
stress of forced induction, launches from rest need
halfhearted to all-out stomps on the right pedal. That
plus the extra 55 kg of E253 engine block punishes you
at the pump — a tallied 7.38 km/l on five days, 32.5 liters
consumed and 240 km of city driving.
Even with a tall 200 mm ground clearance, there’s
a calming stability uncharacteristic of sport-utes.
You can throw the unit into 20-70 degree
turns at speed without serious
yaw nor pitch displays. The
rim-and-tire combo is a big
reason for that, along with
grippy Michelin Primacy
ST on the loaner unit.
You can toss the
steering wheel with
little effort and the
front end complies
rapidly. But with the
improved handling
the damping is
compromised, as
the ride felt hard
bordering on harsh.
Occupants rarely
managed to get sleep
in the EcoSport, with
the thin leather seats and
hard headrests not helping
much either.
The safety features are a love-hate matter. The
demo unit had some fade but the brakes bit when
you needed them. The DRL increases in intensity
during heavy speed shedding and are bright enough
to use as lighting instead of the park lights at
dawn or
dusk. The rear view mirror has a dimming
feature that cuts down on glare from headlights
behind the unit. Last, there are rear bumper
parking sensors and a reverse gear-activated
camera with a color-coded guide to help the
driver aim the rear properly. The only negative is
the side mirrors, which offer one to 1.5 lanes of
sight on both flanks.
The Ford EcoSport may have some safety, fuel
consumption and ride comfort issues. But on the
overall, the sport-ute is turbocharged terrific for
the urban entry-level utility crowd. JPM
BLUE lightning paint, a 17-inch rim-and-tire
combo and a raised platform derived from the
Fiesta hatchback make the EcoSport attractive
even when stationary.
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle: Ford EcoSport 1.0 A/T 5Dr Titanium (2019)
Type: Subcompact sport utility vehicle
Engine type: E253 “Fox” DOHC 12-valve 1.0L inline three cylinder
gasoline (123 hp / 170 NM, 71.9 mm bore x 81.88 mm stroke, 10.0:1
compression ratio), with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft
Timing (Ti-VCT), Bosch multipoint electronically controlled fuel
injection (with individual cylinder knock control), cast iron block,
Continental Raax low-inertia turbocharger and front mount
intercooler
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Price: (as tested) P 1.188 million
Turbo’d and
urban terrific

CAN GSM
STOP
PHOENIX’S
RISE?
P18
ANTARCTIC
EXPEDITION
FRUITFUL
P19
A JOLLY
MODERN
PRINCESS
P21
RATED
DELICIOUS
P23
Aldrin Cardona, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
SUNDAY
SPORTS 17
FROM WORST LOSS TO TRIUMPH
Klay chops Warriors bounce
Having him back meant a lot and everybody else
brought their best
OAKLAND, California — Klay Thompson returned from a two-game
absence to score 39 points with nine 3-pointers and the Golden State
Warriors bounced back from their worst loss of the season to beat the
Denver Nuggets, 122-105, Friday night in a matchup of the top two teams
in the Western Conference.
Thompson sat out that embarrassing 128-95 home defeat Tuesday
night to the Celtics, the worst at Oracle Arena under fifth-year coach
Steve Kerr, because of soreness in his right knee.
He then scored 27 points in the first half Friday and wound up 9 of
11 from deep.
Having him back meant a lot and everybody else brought their best,
too.
Do the little things better. Defend. Hustle. Secure home
court for the playoffs.
Other NBA games saw Charlotte trip Washington, 112-111; Orlando
slide Dallas, 111-106; Detroit crush Chicago, 112-104; Houston clobber
Philadelphia, 107-91; Memphis cream Utah, 114-104; Miami drop Cleveland,
126-110; and Toronto shut out New Orleans, 127-104.
Kevin Durant added 26 points and six assists and Stephen Curry
scored 17 points. DeMarcus Cousins had a strong outing on both ends
with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists six blocked shots and three steals.
The two-time defending champions played with a purpose again, an
edge that hadn’t been seen much the past month.
With the Warriors on a two-game home losing streak, they didn’t let
Denver get into the game for any significant stretch — much like a 142-111
road win against the Nuggets in January.
Malik Beasley scored 17 points off the bench for cold-shooting
Denver, which lost for the fourth time in five games following a
five-game winning streak.
After Golden State’s worst loss of the season overall to Boston and
fifth at Oracle by 20 or more points, the Warriors quickly got back to
work and players spoke up as they spent the next day at film study and
practice re-establishing their goals: Do the little things better. Defend.
Hustle. Secure home court for the playoffs.
Draymond Green acknowledged the team wasn’t competing.
Kerr said his team needed to play angry.
Curry called for action on the court, enough talking about doing it.
Durant challenged everyone, from the coaches on down, to improve.
The collective effort was clear from the opening tip.
Golden State started 8 of 15 with seven assists and eight rebounds
to go ahead 20-6 and force a second Denver timeout at the 6:18 mark of
the first. The Warriors led 67-50 at the break.
Nikola Jokic had 16 points for the Nuggets, who snapped a
three-game losing streak with a 115-99 road win against the Lakers
on Wednesday night.
AP
Swiss Miss now a mom
HINGIS
And then we were three
PARIS, France — Former world
number one and five-time Grand
Slam title winner Martina Hingis
on Friday became the latest tennis
mother after giving birth to a baby
girl.
Hingis, 38, revealed on
Twitter that she and husband
Harald Leemann, the
Switzerland team’s Fed Cup
doctor, were now parents.
“And then we were
three! Harry and I are
excited to welcome our
baby girl Lia to the world.
We are already so in
love,” tweeted the Swiss
star who retired from the
sport in 2017.
Harry and I are
excited to welcome our baby girl Lia to the world.
Fellow tennis mothers Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka are still
active in the sport.
Like Hingis, Williams and Azarenka are former number ones and major
winners.
They face each other at the Indian Wells tournament later
Friday.
AFP
GOLDEN State Warriors’ Klay Thompson shoots against Denver Nuggets’ Mason Plumlee during
their NBA game Friday.
AP
Voegele kicks Stephens out
Stephens wasn’t the only seed to
be ousted on the women’s side
INDIAN WELLS, California — Sloane
Stephens lost to Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland
6-3, 6-0 in just over an hour Friday in the second
round of the BNP Paribas Open.
The fourth-seeded American committed 32
unforced errors while Voegele had four aces
playing in windy conditions in the Southern
California desert. Voegele improved to 4-1
against the 2017 US Open champion.
No. 2 seed Simona Halep beat Barbora
Strycova 6-2, 6-4. Other seeded winners were:
No. 12 Ashleigh Barty, No. 20 Garbine Muguruza,
No. 22 Jelana Ostapenko and No. 18 Qiang
Wang.
Stephens wasn’t the only seed to be
ousted on the women’s side.
No. 14 Daria Kasatkina, a finalist last
year, lost to Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 6-1;
No. 19 Caroline Garcia lost to Jennifer
Brady 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; No. 27 Su-Wei Hsieh was
beaten by Johanna Konta 6-0, 6-2; and No. 29
Mihaela Buzarnescu lost to Daria Gavrilova
6-2, 6-2.
In men’s opening-round matches, Steve
Johnson beat fellow American Taylor Fritz
6-3, 6-3 and Stan Wawrinka edged Daniel
Evans 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3. Also advancing were
Feliciano Lopez and Hubert Hurkacz. AP
STEFANIE Voegele of Switzerland readies against Sloane Stephens during their BNP Paribas Open
match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Friday.
AFP
Friday’s Games
(Saturday in Manila)
Charlotte 112, Washington 111
Orlando 111, Dallas 106
Detroit 112, Chicago 104
Houston 107, Philadelphia 91
Memphis 114, Utah 104
Miami 126, Cleveland 110
Toronto 127, New Orleans 104
Golden State 122, Denver 105
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W L Pct GB
Toronto 47 19 .712 —
Philadelphia 41 25 .621 6
Boston 40 26 .606 7
Brooklyn 34 33 .507 13½
New York 13 52 .200 33½
Southeast Division
Miami 31 34 .477 —
Orlando 31 36 .463 1
Charlotte 30 35 .462 1
Washington 27 38 .415 4
Atlanta 22 44 .333 9½
Central Division
x-Milwaukee 49 16 .754 —
Indiana 42 24 .636 7½
Detroit 33 31 .516 15½
Chicago 19 48 .284 31
Cleveland 16 50 .242 33½
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W L Pct GB
Houston 40 25 .615 —
San Antonio 37 29 .561 3½
New Orleans 30 38 .441 11½
Dallas 27 38 .415 13
Memphis 27 40 .403 14
Northwest Division
Denver 43 22 .662 —
Oklahoma City 40 26 .606 3½
Portland 39 26 .600 4
Utah 37 28 .569 6
Minnesota 30 35 .462 13
Pacific Division
Golden State 45 20 .692 —
L.A. Clippers 38 29 .567 8
Sacramento 32 32 .500 12½
L.A. Lakers 30 35 .462 15
Phoenix 15 51 .227 30½
x-clinched playoff spot
Saturday’s Games
(Sunday in Manila)
Sacramento at New York
Brooklyn at Atlanta
Washington at Minnesota
Boston at L.A. Lakers
Charlotte at Milwaukee
Phoenix at Portland
Sunday’s Games
(Monday in Manila)
Chicago at Detroit
Indiana at Philadelphia
Toronto at Miami
New Orleans at Atlanta
Orlando at Memphis
Houston at Dallas
Milwaukee at San Antonio
New York at Minnesota
Phoenix at Golden State

18 SPORTS
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
PULSE TARGET EDGE
Can GSM stop Phoenix’s rise?
ALAS
That was a character test. We’re glad
to escape with that win
By John Bryan Ulanday
League-leader Phoenix Pulse shoot for one of the
twice-to-beat playoffs bonuses tonight when they take
on the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine
Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is at 6:45 p.m. with the
playoff-bound Fuel Masters looking
to secure the top seeding and one of
the playoff incentives with only a
game remaining in their All-Filipino
conference schedule.
Defending champion San
Miguel Beer, meanwhile, guns for
a fourth straight victory against
a slumping Northport at 4:30 p.m.
which would put it closer to a
quarterfinal entry and a chance
for the other twice-to-beat playoff edge.
Helping Phoenix achieve that playoff bonus
dream is its huge 89-87 come-from-behind win
over Magnolia last Wednesday which head coach
Louie Alas said was proof of his team’s improved
character.
We’re almost there but those teams still
have chances to bump us off if we lose our
last two games.
“That was a character test. We’re glad to escape
with that win,” Alas said as the Fuel Masters
clawed back from 17 points down to clinch their
third straight victory and move closer to the top
seed finish.
Alas, however, isn’t keen on resting on their
laurels just yet as teams like Rain or Shine, San
Miguel, Alaska and Ginebra could still catch up
with them on top if they do not take care of their
last two games.
“We’re almost there but those teams still
have chances to bump us off if we lose our last
two games,” added Alas as he braces for a killer
two-game stretch against top contenders Ginebra
and SMB.
“We just have to do it once more and we’re there
for the twice-to-beat edge. It’s nice that we started
good but it would be better to finish the elimination
round better.”
That strong finish bid will be tested tonight with
Alas and the rest of his crew going up against the
Gin Kings of coach Tim Cone before their last game
against Leo Austria and the four-time champion
Beermen.
It’s nice that we started good but it would
be better to finish the elimination round
better.
“Ginebra and SMB are 1-2 seeds in this league,
regardless of their standings. We have beaten the
No. 3 team which is Magnolia, it’s a big thing for
us,” said Alas.
“Ginebra has coach Tim. He’s a very good coach.
I think we just have to do our job just like what
we’re doing the whole conference long. Let’s see,
I hope we can sustain our character,” Alas said.
Cebu CC makes PAL history
Maroons seek rebound
Defending champion University of the Philippines seeks to regain
its winning ways as it tangles with Far Eastern University today in the
UAAP men’s football tournament.
Kick-off is at 1 p.m. at the FEU-Diliman pitch.
Ateneo is eyeing its first back-to-back wins of the season against
Adamson University at 3 p.m., while University of Santo Tomas tries
to rebound from its worst loss of the tournament in the 9 a.m. clash
with University of the East.
The Fighting Maroons cannot be complacent as the Tamaraws are
gunning for the solo lead.
This is definitely unexpected
CEBU — Not minding the enormity of what
was at stake, Cebu Country Club yesterday
completed its date with PAL Interclub history,
winning the overall championship coming from
a lower division by turning back powerhouse
Manila Southwoods.
Burly Bayani Garcia and Pio Neri fired
level-par 72s worth 36 points each and Mark
Dy accounted for 35 in leading a balanced
final day assault on a Cebu Country Club
course they call home as the Founders Division
favorite steamrolled its way to a crown to
remember with a nine-point victory over
Southwoods.
“This is definitely unexpected,” skipper
Marco Sarmiento, whose 33 was the last score
to count, said before joining his teammates
in a wild celebration. “We talked about how
to attack (the final day) and that was to play
with that (history) not in our minds.
“And I guess it worked,” he said as Cebu
CC tallied 516 counting 252 points churned out
at tight Mactan Island Golf in the middle two
rounds and an opening 124.
This marks just the second time that a
team from a lower division won the overall
title as Cebu CC duplicated a 1988 feat
by an Aguinaldo team made up of future
international luminaries like Ramon Brobio
and swing coach Bong Lopez.
Southwoods got 38 points from Yuto
Katsuragawa but couldn’t get the others to
deliver the numbers non-playing skipper
Thirdy Escano expected, settling for second and
blowing their own bid to win the tournament
a fifth straight time, a record solely held by
Canlubang.
We talked about how to attack the
final day and that was to play with
history not in our minds.
Chepe Dulay scored 34 points, Carl Corpuz
added 32 and either 31 of Josh Jorge and former
junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo
counted for Southwoods’ closing 135 and 507
overall, 17 points ahead of Luisita.
The Luisitans got 34 points from Paolo Wong
and 32 from Don Petil to make up the bulk of
a closing 126, with Del Monte shooting a 119
after 36 points from Romeo Jaraula.
Selling the POC
It is about power
Philippine sports is percolating. And it
is ready to come to a boil.
With the Philippine Sports Commission
(PSC) introducing new policies, the
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and
a score of national sports associations
(NSA) are resisting, claiming these distract
their preparation for the 30th Southeast
Asian Games.
The PSC had slashed the per diem
allowance of the national delegation
in international events. Support is now
limited to athletes and coaches. It means
NSA executives acting as team managers
or heads of delegation have to travel on
their own.
Prior to that, the PSC also asked
the athletes to vacate their respective
dormitories in government facilities like
the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex,
Philsports compound and Teachers Camp
to give way to renovation.
Although the athletes are expected to
be back this month, one NSA leader stood
up to brand this move as a “distraction”
to their SEA Games preparation.
This never-ending collision, however,
has nothing to do with allowance or
dormitories.
It is about power.
If you look closely, the structure of
Philippine sports is a perfect storm for
disaster.
PSC officials are saying that
they have to be very strict in
disbursing government fund
because they are accountable
to the taxpayers with the CoA
always poking its nose at the
slightest trace of irregularity.
Being the government sports arm, the
PSC definitely has the money. Sure, it has
to comply with the accounting rules and
regulations of the Commission on Audit
(CoA) but at the end of the day, its board of
commissioners has the discretion on how
to spend the billion-peso fund drawn from
the National Sports Development Fund.
On the other hand, the POC has the
authority to send representatives to
various international tournaments such as
the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games
and Olympics.
It is under the International Olympic
Committee and the NSA under its wings
can receive funding from the PSC ( based
on Republic Act 9064 or the law that
created the PSC in 1990).
That’s where the problem lies.
PSC officials are saying that they have
to be very strict in disbursing government
fund because they are accountable to the
Hold My Beer
Julius Manicad
taxpayers with the CoA always poking its
nose at the slightest trace of irregularity.
Meanwhile, the POC and the NSA stress
that the PSC should not meddle with
their affairs because it is tantamount to
government intervention, an offense that
merits suspension from the IOC. Honestly,
this claim is quite funny. It’s like saying
your parents should not meddle in your
personal life despite the fact that you are
asking money from them.
The structure of Philippine sports
is a perfect storm for disaster.
So how to untangle the mess?
Simple — just let the POC and the NSA
raise their own fund and spend to their
heart’s delight.
The world’s best sporting country — the
United States — has been using this model.
The United States Olympic Committee
(USOC) is 100 percent independent from
government as no taxpayers’ money is
used to run its program.
The only government involvement with
the USOC is the funding of its Paralympic
military athletes. That is just a very tiny
fraction of its whole program.
The USOC is generating money out
of use of Olympic-related marks, images
and terminologies in the United States.
But its main sources of revenues are
television broadcast rights, sponsorships
and philanthropy by way of major gifts and
direct mail income.
Additional funding comes from other
sources such as the IOC (US has the
biggest chunk of IOC subsidy for having a
big delegation in the Olympics) and the US
Olympic Foundation.
We can say we cannot compare US
and Philippines’ programs, but it is worth
looking at.
If only the POC would hire the country’s
best marketing people to sell the organization
to potential sponsors and put the faces of
its top athletes on cereals, energy drinks,
power bars and other commercial products,
it would definitely raise fund enough to cut
its umbilical cord off government.
Selling the POC isn’t easy, though.
But its top executives have to start
somewhere.
CELEBRATING is the easiest part for the host Cebu Country Club as its team toiled hard to win the PAL Interclub title. The
team is composed of (seating from left) Julius Neri, Bayani Garcia, Marko Sarmiento (Team Captain), Mark Anthony Dy, Harvey
Sytiongsa and (standing from left) Martin Mendoza, Julius Garcia Neri Jr., Julius Pierre, Hugo Saurat, Peter Po II, Marc Gonzalez
and Eric Anthony Deen.
Tan-Rodriguez duo triumphs
Not to be outdone were siblings Roma
Joy and Roma Mae Doromal, who
swept Air Force’s Angel Antipuesto and
Mikaela Andres
PUERTO GALERA — Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez made
quick work of University of Santo Tomas’ Mer Jauculan and
Derie Virtusio, 21-11, 21-7, for a winning start in the women’s
division of the BVR on Tour Amazing Puerto Galera Dreamwave
Open Saturday at the Dreamwave White Beach here.
Not to be outdone were siblings Roma Joy and Roma Mae
Doromal, who swept Air Force’s Angel Antipuesto and Mikaela
Andres, 21-10, 21-11.
La Salle cuts misery short
By Joel Orellana
Defending champion De La Salle University snapped
a two-game slide by sweeping University of the East,
25-18, 25-20, 25-18, yesterday in Season 81 University
Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball
tournament at the FilOil Arena.
Tin Tiamzon and rookie Jolina de la Cruz carried the
scoring load for the Lady Spikers, who played minus Des
Cheng who sat out a shoulder injury, to bounce back from
a jolting three-set loss to University of Santo Tomas (UST)
and improved their win-loss record to 4-2.
The veteran Tiamzon, who was fielded sparingly in La
Salle’s first five games, had his best performance of the
season with 10 points, nine on attacks and a block while
De la Cruz, held to a single digit for the first time this
season by the Golden Tigresses, had a team-high 14 points.
“All of us knew where we lacked (against UST). We
tried our best. The next day, coach Ramil (de Jesus)
told us to forget everything and focus on this game,”
Tiamzon said.
“We just have to go back to the system, that’s really
the key. Trust our coach, my teammates and play as a
family,” she added.
Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez, the December
Open men’s division champion, also had a smashing
start, as the Air Force duo scored a 21-18, 21-13 victory
over National University’s Edward Camposano and
James Buytrago.
But KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto, who ruled
the Dumaguete leg last November, fell ambush to
UST’s Rancel Varga and Ef Dimaculangan, 21-15,
18-21, 15-13.
In other women’s opening day matches, Air
Force’s May Ann Pantino and Jossa Cabalsa
outlasted Dzi Gervacio and Nicole Tiamzon,
21-18, 12-21, 15-10, while Antipuesto and Andres
bested FEU-Diliman’s Lyann Louise de Guzman
and Nikka Ann Medina, 21-9, 21-17.
BEA Tan, together with her new partner Dij Rodriguez, in
BVR action.

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Antarctic
expedition
a success
Researchers completed
the construction of a
runway in China’s first
airfield in the continent
ABOARD XUELONG — China’s
icebreaker Xuelong, also known
as the Snow Dragon, is on its way
back home from its 35th Antarctic
research mission.
Crew members have made
a series of research advances
during the four-month-long journey,
such as the completion of new
buildings and supporting facilities
in research bases, marine species
surveys, underwater robot tests and
installation of new radar and solar
telescopes.
The completion of the second
stage of Taishan Station is one of
the most important achievements by
researchers, who have established
new buildings and systems of power
generation, as well as snow melting
and sewage treatment under snow.
They also made key technological
breakthroughs in new energy
application for research stations.
The icebreaker withstood
the harsh natural
environment.
The research team acquired a
mass of data and samples of marine
species in the Antarctic region, and
discovered that there might be a krill
breeding ground in the Amundsen Sea.
During the mission, Snow
Eagle 601, China’s first fixed-wing
aircraft for polar flight, completed
detection of an Antarctic ice sheet
and obtained important records of
the ice core climate.
Researchers also completed the
construction of a runway in China’s
first airfield in Antarctica, which
will greatly facilitate the nation’s
research and expedition on the
frozen continent.
The icebreaker departed from
Shanghai on 2 November, withstood the
harsh natural environment in Antarctica
and overcame various difficulties including
colliding with icebergs in January.
Xuelong is the only Chinese polar
icebreaker in service. Built in 1993 in
Ukraine, Xuelong has been upgraded
into a polar research vessel and has
supported China’s annual expeditions
to Antarctica for more than 20 years.
Xuelong 2, China’s first
domestically built icebreaker, will
be put in use this year. Being able to
turn quickly, it will have high safety
standards and strong ice breaking
abilities.
Xinhua
‘Democrats
anti-Jewish’
US President Donald Trump
blasted Democrats as “anti-Israel”
and “anti-Jewish” Friday after they
passed a congressional measure
opposing hate speech in general
instead of specifically condemning
alleged anti-Semitic comments by a
Muslim congresswoman.
His remarks follow days of tense
debates in Congress addressing
sensitive questions about national
allegiance, discriminatory tropes
aimed at Jews, and accusations of
show votes that failed to call out a
member for controversial comments.
“I thought yesterday’s vote by the
House was disgraceful,” Trump said
at the White House.
The resolution was originally
intended to deliver a direct rebuke
of anti-Semitism following comments
by a Muslim
WASHINGTON — In a divided America where politics
seems increasingly to get people’s goat, a small town
in Vermont has taken the concept to heart — this week
electing one as mayor.
He may be a political novice but the goat’s name,
Lincoln, brings with it a storied pedigree.
And the leading human official in Fair Haven — population
about 2,500 — hopes the long-eared, three-year-old animal’s
election can serve as a bit of a lesson in democracy.
In Tuesday’s poll, Lincoln was victorious over 15
Summer must-haves Workers dry oilcloth umbrellas of different sizes, with their covers being brushed with tung oil at the Guoming Oilcloth Umbrella
Factory in Jing county, Anhui province, China. The oilcloth umbrella in Jing county boasts a history of around 1,000 years.
CHINA DAILY
CHINA TO OUTSIDERS
Democratic congresswoman, Ilhan
Omar, that were deemed anti-Semitic
and offensive by many colleagues.
But after blowback from
progressives, it was revised to
broadly condemn
discrimination
against Muslims and other minorities
as well.
Trump seized on the shift,
injecting a new angle of attack as
he readies a 2020 reelection bid
and fellow Republicans seek to
claw back ground they lost in the
House in last year’s
mid-terms. AFP
BRIEFS
Blackout extended
A widespread blackout in Venezuela extended
beyond 24 hours on Friday as the government, which
blamed the incident on US sabotage, struggled to
restore electricity to the crisis-wracked country.
Already the worst blackout in Venezuela’s history,
supply was steadily being restored to some areas of
the capital Caracas and other parts of the country
when the power failed once again. AFP
Shine relinquishes post
Bill Shine, a former Fox News executive who took
over as President Donald Trump’s communications
director last summer, exited the White
House on Friday, the latest person to
step away from a job that has become
a revolving door within the turbulent
West Wing. Shine will join the
President’s Republican reelection
campaign.
AFP
MJ episode dropped
The creators of The Simpsons
have shelved one of the animated
series’ classic episodes
because it features
Michael Jackson’s
voice. Producers
made the unanimous
decision after viewing
the bombshell
documentary Leaving
Neverland, which
revives pedophilia
accusations against
the late megastar
in excruciating
detail. AFP
WORLD 19
Trump
triumps
Learn lessons from the past
The Chinese government issued a stern warning
against interfering in Venezuela and other Latin American
countries, saying history offered a clear lesson about not
“following the same old disastrous road.”
China is ready to continue to support the
search for a political solution.
The sovereignty and independence of Latin American
countries should be respected. This is a basic norm of
Sign of the crosses President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit crosses at Providence Baptist
Church in Smiths Station, Alabama as they travel to tour areas where tornados killed 23 people in Lee County. AP
Goat elected ‘mayor’
other candidates, including Crystal the gerbil and many
dogs and cats.
Fair Haven has no official mayor but the Town
Manager, Joseph Gunter, holds similar functions.
When Gunter read in a newspaper that the village of
Omena, Michigan had made Sweet Tart the cat its “top”
official, he got the idea to organize a similar election to
raise funds for building a playground.
Lincoln’s 13 votes were enough for him to squeak past
Sammie the dog.
AFP
international law and the internal affairs of any country should
be determined by its own people, Chinese State Councilor and
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at his annual news conference
on the sidelines of China’s parliament meeting.
“The internal affairs of every country should be decided
by their own people. External interference and sanctions
will only exacerbate the tension situation and allow the law
of the jungle to once again run amuck,” Wang said.
“We believe that the sovereignty and independence of
every country are precious and must be equally cherished
US President Donald Trump
declared a victory on Friday in the
Russia collusion investigation after
his former campaign chief received
an unexpectedly light sentence in a
high-profile case brought by Special
Counsel Robert Mueller.
“Both the Judge and the lawyer in
the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and
for the world to hear that there was NO
COLLUSION with Russia,” Trump tweeted.
Judge T.S. Ellis did not actually
say that and neither did the lawyer
for Manafort, who was convicted of
tax crimes and bank fraud unrelated
to his work for the Trump campaign.
What the judge said before
sentencing Manafort to nearly four years
in prison on Thursday was that he was
“not before the court for any allegations
that he or anybody under his direction
colluded with the Russian government
to influence the 2016 election.”
Following the sentencing,
Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing,
said there was “absolutely no evidence
that Paul Manafort was involved with
any collusion with any government
official from Russia.” AFP
and protected. There’s already enough of such lessons
from history and the same old disastrous road should not
be followed,” he added.
Venezuela is currently in a political crisis due to
leadership tug-of-war between embattle President Nicolas
Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido.
China is ready to continue to support the search for
a political solution among all sides of Venezuela through
peaceful dialogue to maintain national stability and the
people’s security, the official said.
Xinhua
The big question Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik
creates a sand sculpture of the missing Malaysian airliner
MH370 on Puri beach in eastern Odisha state. Five years
after the mysterious disappearance of the plane, which
vanished on its regularly scheduled route over the South
China Sea and into Vietnamese airspace, investigators and
families of the passengers are still without definite answers
to what happened, as neither the aircraft nor a crash site
has yet been located.
AFP
Jussie facing slammer
CHICAGO — A grand jury in Chicago indicted Empire
actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts related to making
a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted
racial and homophobic slurs.
The Cook County grand jury indictment dated
Thursday and made public on Friday gives details
of the disorderly conduct charge against Smollett.
It elaborates on the allegation that he falsely
reported that he was attacked on 8 January by two
masked men who hurled racial and homophobic
slurs at the black and openly gay actor, beat
him, threw an unidentified liquid
chemical on him and looped a rope
tied like a noose around his neck.
The indictment comes a
little more than two weeks
after prosecutors
announced one
felony count of the
same charge.
AP
THE
actor’s
character
in Empire
would be
removed from
the season’s
episodes. AFP

sportsPLUS
20
sunday
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
What we have is a strong and fighting
team
By Julius Manicad
Fans erupted in protest when the Larong
Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. formally announced
the composition of the national women’s
volleyball pool that will see action in the 30th
Southeast Asian Games.
With stalwarts like Maika Ortiz, Rhea Dimaculangan
Myla Pablo, Cha Cruz and Kim Fajardo missing, sideliners
questioned the inclusion of young stars Kath Arado, Tots
Carlos, Eya Laure, Angel Cayuna, Celine Domingo and
Jerili Malabanan in the 22-woman roster.
Some called the federation a failure with this decision.
Others were disappointed with the LVPI’s “expansion”
promise that turned into a massive revamp with some of
their favorite players crashing out of the lineup.
But LVPI president Peter Cayco is firm with the
decision.
“We’re looking at a long-term plan, something that will
run even after the Southeast Asian Games,” said Cayco,
adding that the presence of the young guns would surely
be a big lift to the country’s quest for glory.
“We have a very deep pool of talents. But we opted
to invest on these young players because we know that
they will be the stars of tomorrow,” he said.
Aside from the six collegiate stars, those who made
the team are seasoned international campaigners Aby
Marano, Jaja Santiago, Mika Reyes, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas
and Alyssa Valdez as well as Majoy Baron, Denden
Lazaro, Dawn Macandili, Jema Galanza, Frances Molina,
Julia Morado, Mylene Paat and Dindin Manabat.
The LVPI also tapped three Filipino-American
standouts in Kalei Mau, Alohi Robins-Hardy and MJ
Philips to complete what appears to be the strongest,
most explosive squad ever assembled.
Others were disappointed with the LVPI’s
“expansion” promise that turned into a
massive revamp with some of their favorite
players crashing out of the lineup.
“What we have is a strong and fighting team,” said
Cayco, who gave a fresh appointment to Shaq de los
Santos as head coach with Kungfu Reyes and Brian
Esquibel as his deputies.
“We have a mixture of players who are willing and
Volleyball’s
rising stars. Isa
Molde of UP, Bea de
Leon of Ateneo and
Tots Carlos, also
of UP.
joaquin flores
WITH NEW NATIONAL SQUAD
Volley takes
the gamble
lazaro
ready to play for the country. It’s just a matter of putting
them together and making them work as one solid unit.”
Fil-Am invasion
Cayco also is excited to welcome Mau, Robins-Hardy
and Philips into the squad.
Philips already got a dose of international competition
when she campaigned for the Philippine Superliga All-Stars
in an international tournament in Sisaket, Thailand two
years ago. She also joined the squad in Japan as part of its
buildup for the Asian Games in Jakarta last year.
This year, she’s off to a bigger challenge.
“MJ is one of the rising stars in the PSL,” said Cayco,
referring to the hard-hitting spiker from Sta. Lucia who
is a daughter of a Filipina and an American serviceman.
“Although health issues prevented her from suiting
up in major international tournaments last year, I’m
very optimistic that she would be at her best when SEA
Games draw near.”
Aside from Philips, also tipped to make an explosive
debut are Robins-Hardy and Mau.
Cayco said there is no doubt in Robins-Hardy’s
willingness — and citizenship — as she is the first cousin
of basketball star Gabe Norwood, who has been suiting
up for the national team since 2007.
A tall setter at 6-foot-2, Robins-Hardy suited up
for Brigham Young University in the Division I of the
US NCAA before being selected to be part of the US
Collegiate Team that saw action in the Binh Dien Cup
in Vietnam.
Then, she played briefly for Spartak Subotice
in the Serbian league before getting a call from
Norwood asking her if she wants to play in the
Philippines.
“Actually, Kalei and Gabe were having dinner during
Thanksgiving last year when volleyball emerged as a
topic,” said United VC head coach Joshua Ylaya, who
is Robins-Hardy’s coach in the Philippine Superliga.
“Gabe said he has a cousin who plays both volleyball
and basketball. That cousin turned out to be Alohi, who
also used to be Kalei’s playmate when she was still in
Hawaii. What a small world.”
But the biggest addition is the 23-year-old Mau.
Mau, a 6-foot-1 spiker from University of Arizona, has
been lighting up the scoreboard for United VC. In fact,
her deadly brew of skills, power and athleticism makes
her a perfect fit for the national team that is looking for
firepower at the wing spot next to Valdez and Santiago.
She’s all set to play for the country after securing
her Philippine passport last week.
“I think nothing’s gonna stand in the way of me
playing at the highest level, the highest level of volleyball
in the Philippines, which is the SEA Games,” said Mau,
who only needs official transfer from Team USA before
she could suit up for the national squad.
“I don’t want just the fame or money. I want
something more fulfilling and that is representing this
county in international tournaments.”
Cayco also is excited to welcome Mau,
Robins-Hardy and Philips into the squad.
Cayco said he already talked to the three Fil-Ams
and they gladly accepted the offer.
“They were very happy when I told them that they
made the team,” said the LVPI chief.
“They said their dream is to play for the country so
I assured them that the federation will be at their side
to turn that dream into reality.”
Major stake
With a squad beaming with talent and potential, the
federation had to make a bold move of pulling out of three
international tournaments programmed this year — the AVC
Asian Club Women’s Championship, the AVC Asian U23
Women’s Championship and the AVC Asian Senior Women’s
Championship.
It was a major gamble, but Cayco stressed that it’s all part
of the strategy.
“As you can see, we have a team that has a lot of new
faces,” he said, adding that countries like Thailand, Vietnam
santiago
reyes
and Indonesia are all keeping their eyes on the team.
“If we play in these Asian tournaments, we
will expose the team to scouts and other coaches.
We would get scouted. And we don’t want that to
happen. We want to surprise the Thais, Vietnamese
and Indonesians in the SEA Games.”
Cayco said instead of competing in Asian
tournaments, they would rather go to training
camp in volleyball countries like China, Korea
and Japan.
China is the reigning champion in the
Olympics and its military-style training perfectly
suits the Filipinos. On the same note, Korea and
Japan are known for discipline as they have a
reputation of outhustling opponents that are
taller, more athletic than them.
UAAP free-for-all
La Salle, being the defending
champion, remains the barometer
in the eight-team field
By Joel Orellana
Since Season 71 of University Athletic
Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
women’s volleyball tournament, there
was always a La Salle or an Ateneo
squad that played in the finals of the
league’s most popular event outside of men’s
basketball.
The most bitter collegiate sports teams
clashed for UAAP women’s volleyball supremacy
for six straight seasons (2012 to 2017) with the
Taft-based team pocketing four of them while the
Loyola volleybelles, behind Alyssa Valdez, reigned
supreme in Seasons 76 and 77.
Far Eastern University ended that
streak last year after beating the Lady
Eagles in the Final Four round before
losing to the Lady Spikers in the
best-of-three finals.
Season 81 unfolded last 16
February and La Salle, being the
defending champion, remains
the barometer in the eight-team
field but after three straight
wins, the Lady Spikers lost the
next two against University
of the Philippines (UP) and
University of Santo Tomas
(UST) as of this writing.
Now, questions are being
asked. Is La Salle’s 10-year
finals streak in trouble?
Can the Lady Eagles and
the Lady Maroons arrange
a finals showdown like their
men’s basketball teams did?
On the outside, will FEU and
UST, the two most triumphant
schools in UAAP volleyball with
a combined 44 titles, rekindle their
old rivalry?
The search for Season 81 women’s
volleyball crown is definitely a
wide-open race now with at least
five schools capable of unseating
the Lady Spikers from their
throne.
The challengers
Oliver Almadro is on his
first year as head coach of
Ateneo women’s volleyball spot, replacing Tai
Bundit, the dancing Thai mentor responsible
in giving the Lady Eagles their two titles in
the league.
The former men’s team coach was greeted
by a loss in his first game with Ateneo bowing to
La Salle. But the Lady Eagles got back on track
after winning their next three assignments.
“My players really worked hard and they
sacrificed a lot,” said Almadro, who led the
men’s team to three UAAP titles behind the
do-it-all Marck Espejo.
“But we still have a lot of things to
improve on. More on aspects of volleyball
fundamentals and volleyball mindsets. We will
use this (three-game winning streak) as a stepping
stone for us to have a brighter future,” he added.
Ateneo’s off season started on a wrong
foot after Jhoanna Maraguinot decided not to
return with a year left and Bea de Leon hinted
at foregoing her fifth year.
But De Leon returned and is teamed with
Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino, Deanna Wong,
Kim Gequillana and Ponggay Gaston.
“Each team this year has a big chance. So
against every team we must have a greater
preparation as the season goes,” De Leon said.
The Fighting Maroons’ men’s basketball run
was one of the top stories last year. They fell
short to the eventual champions Blue Eagles,
but they inspired the entire UP community with
their runner-up finish.
The Lady Maroons are no exceptions as
they try to use the “Atin ‘to!” mantra as a
motivation to reach the finals for the first time
since Season 45.
Each team this year has a big
chance. So against every team we
must have a greater preparation as
the season goes.
With the core of the squad gaining the experience
they needed in the pre-season tournaments, the
Lady Maroons of head coach Godfrey Okumu are
believed to be ripe for success this season.
Isa Molde and Tots Carlos were beaming with
confidence when they beat La Salle in five thrilling
sets and Ayel Estranero and Justine Dorog also
sizzled in their roles to prove that they are the
team to watch this year.
“We play together, that’s our motto,” said
Dorog. “And the crowd. No words can describe
how thankful we are to the UP community.”
“We have a lot to work on,” said Okumu,
whose team was one win away last season
of forcing a playoff match against National
laure
University for the last Final Four spot.
FEU’s runner-up finish last season also
made the squad of George Pascua a better
team in Season 81.
Chin-Chin Basas’ shoulder injury was
definitely a big blow for the Lady Tamaraws as
she had to sit out this year but Jerrili Malabanan,
Celine Domngo, Heather Guino-o, Kyle Negrito
and Buding Duremdes are better and wiser and
Pascua has a promising rookie in Lycha Ebon, a
19-year prized find from Davao.
In her first four games, Ebon showed glimpse
of what she can do for the 29-time champion FEU
and this early is even drawing comparison from
former Queen Tamaraw Bernadeth Pons.
My players really worked hard and
they sacrificed a lot.
“We are not worried that our rookies are carrying
us. They have their roles and we just continue to
work together as a team,” said Pascua.
The last time FEU won a UAAP title was in
Season 70 when it beat Adamson in the bestof-three
finals, 2-1. That’s also the last time La
Salle failed to make it to the Final Four round.
Also hungry to make a return trip to the
finals is the Golden Tigresses of head coach
Kungfu Reyes.
Unfortunately, just in its fourth match, the
Espana-based squad lost Fil-Italian Milena
Alessandrini to a partial ACL tear and she
could be out of the rest of the season.
But UST’s straight sets win over La Salle,
behind Sisi Rondina and promising rookie Eya
Laure, put them back in the equation.
The question now for the Golden Trigresses is
if they continue to thrive sans Alessandrini and
if Rondina and Laure can consistently produce
MVP-like numbers each game for them.
La Salle is on a rare slow start this season but
don’t count them out yet. De Jesus and the Lady
Spikers are known to defy different adversities that
make them 11-time champions in UAAP volleyball.

Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
SPOTLIGHT
Sunday, 10 March 2019
21
Daily Tribune
A jolly modern
princess
Especially at three years
old, it’s very hard to
make them act. She’s
authentically a Jolly baby
By Pauline L. Songco
Celebrity doctors Hayden Kho
and Vicky Belo have always tried
their best to raise their adorable
daughter Scarlet Snow like any
other child, but it can’t be helped
that hers would be a different
world when cameras and watchful
eyes are all focused on the social
media darling who recently turned
four.
Scarlet, as she is fondly called by
many, has captured hearts with her
charm, playfulness and wit even at a
young age. Credit goes to her parents
who, despite their busy schedule, are
very hands-on when it comes to taking
care of her.
“Vicky is the one who teaches
Scarlet how to be nurturing and
caring. I really believe that the job
of the dad is to define the identity of
the child, but there are things that
a man cannot do and only a woman
can do. Scarlet being malambing
(affectionate) when she thinks of
others and her inclusiveness, it’s all
from Vicky,” Hayden said.
Being around the house while
watching your child from time to time
isn’t something that Vicky was able
to do during her early motherhood
years with Quark Henares and
Cristalle Belo.
“When they were younger (Quark
and Cristalle) I was just starting with
my medicinal practice. I didn’t have
any money yet. When I looked back,
they’ve already grown,” she said.
“That’s why my advice to parents is
to enjoy while they are still young
because they grow up so fast. Now,
I’m given the chance to do it all over.
It’s fulfilling because I’m always with
Scarlet. I realized that I missed a lot
by being so goal-oriented when I was
younger.”
Now they both make sure to a lot
time for Scarlet in between their work.
“As a matter of principle, parents
DESPITE their busy schedule, Vicky and Hayden are hands-on when it comes to
taking care of Scarlet.
should really carve out time for the
kids,” Hayden mentioned.
More blessings
A day before her birthday
celebration, Scarlet was appointed
as the newest JolliKids ambassador.
It is Scarlet’s joyful personality and
her love for Jollibee that made them
say yes.
“We’re very excited because
Scarlet has loved Jollibee when she
was young. In fact, every time she
goes swimming, mandatory there’s a
need for Chicken Joy. From school,
she always wants cheesy French
fries,” he described.
I realized that I missed a lot by
being so goal oriented when I
was younger.
As the new JolliKids ambassador,
Scarlet earns another platform where
she can encourage fellow children to
always be happy, whether it’s because
of a kiddie meal, a party or gaining
new friends at Jollibee Kids Club.
“There’s really no better example
of a JolliKid than Scarlet Snow.
She’s kind, smart and a real bundle
of joy, making her the perfect fit
for Jollibee. We’re very excited to
welcome her to the family and we
hope that she enjoys growing up with
us as a JolliKid,” Charisse Sumulong,
Jollibee senior marketing manager
and head for Channels & Kids, said.
As a matter of principle,
parents should really carve out
time for the kids.
“When I think of the brand Jollibee,
it’s about giving joy to others. That’s
exactly what Scarlet is about. She
wants to make people happy. In her
words, she wants hearts to be happy,”
he said.
Vicky added, “Whenever we
choose a product for Scarlet, it’s
really something that she likes.
Especially at three years old, it’s
very hard to make them act. She’s
authentically a Jolly baby. We love
being proudly Pinoy. We attend
fashion weeks in other countries
and I can say that I’m very proud of
Jollibee. After the shows, all of the
people would line up for Jollibee.”
With her fairytale-themed launch,
Scarlet along with the kids and kids at
heart enjoyed her crowning ceremony
and, of course, the hearty meals prepared
by the management of Jollibee.
“Thank you, Jollibee for thinking of
this motif because it’s close to a little
girl’s heart,” Vicky concluded.
SCARLET Snow Belo Kho, newest kid ambassador of Jollibee.
Catriona advocates
knowledge
Knowledge Channel
recognizes reigning Miss
Universe’s education
advocacy
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray’s
advocacy in education has earned
her a new title. She is now the
“Ambassador for Knowledge” for
Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc.
(KCFI).
KCFI president and head of the
education arm of ABS-CBN Integrated
Public Service, Rina Lopez Bautista,
gave Gray the citation for the latter’s
“exceptional dedication in advocating
for inclusive quality education in the
service of Filipino children.” It was
signed by Bautista and KCFI vice
chairman and ABS-CBN chairman
emeritus Eugenio Lopez III.
The announcement was made during
Catriona’s recent appearance in ABS-
CBN’s morning talk show, Magandang
Buhay.
Since 2016, the 25-year-old
Filipino-Australian beauty queen
has been volunteering as a teacher
assistant to the students of nonprofit
organization Young Focus
PH, which supports the holistic
development of underprivileged
children in Smokey Mountain, Tondo
in Manila, through education.
“Working with Young Focus
was the very reason why I joined
the pageantry in the first place,”
Gray said during her interview in
Magandang Buhay.
In the official letter of conferment
received by Gray, KCFI hopes that with
her role as “Ambassador for Knowledge,”
“will raise awareness of the global
learning crisis affecting middle- and
low-income countries, especially the
Philippines and in turn, encourage local
and global collaborative solutions between
government, businesses and citizenry by
inviting them to become stewards and
co-creators of transformative learning.”
“WHENEVER we choose a product for Scarlet, it’s really something that she likes.”
SUDOKU
by Ramon Lorenzo
Write a numeral from 1 to 9 in each box so that
each appears only once in each row, column
and 3 x 3 box.
Answer for yesterday’s puzzle
KCFI president and head of the education arm of ABS-CBN Integrated Public Service, Rina
Lopez Bautista (second from right) with Catriona Gray and hosts of “Magandang Buhay.”

22
SPOTLIGHT
Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
KRIS BERNAL:
From page 1
In a casual sit-down with
the Daily Tribune, the Kapuso
actress talked about starting her
own lipstick line from scratch
could emerge as a twentysomething almost-billionnaire, what
are the chances that one of our own celebrities could amass
her own fortune also from doing something she loves?
In a casual sit-down with the Daily Tribune, the Kapuso actress
talked about starting her own lipstick line from scratch. Like Kylie
with her Kylie Cosmetics, Kris Bernal owns 100 percent of her
newly launched cosmetics business.
Kris also sells her lipsticks online, but instead of pop-up shops
like Kylie, She Cosmetics is carried in some nail salons owned by
her friends in the industry.
Although the beauty business has always been something she
had been interested in, the idea first took a backseat as Kris tried
to gain a foothold in the realm of business a few years ago.
“It’s funny because every time I end a TV series, I seem to come
up with a new business idea,” she laughs.
“My first business was MeatKris. It was a burger stall at different
food parks. I had four branches of that. Then when I started a new
show, which was Impostora, my schedule got so complicated. I was
not able to take care of the business. I am very hands-on when it
comes to running a business, and I wasn’t able to monitor it. I had
to close shop,” Kris relates.
I really put everything into this. I went through
so much! Maybe part of the problem is I take on
everything. Ako lahat (I do everything).
“It is not because I scrimp on staff; I just want a more handson
approach. What I learned from that experience, however, is
that in business, you cannot take all the responsibilities yourself
because you won’t be able to handle everything alone. So that was
that. I started out with MeatKris, then I got another series, which
I focused on. After the show ended, I had so many business ideas
in my head!” she exclaims.
“I get bored when I am not doing anything. I don’t know why,
but when I have time, I always think of a business to go into,”
confesses the GMA Network star, who entered showbiz by joining
the homegrown talent search competition, Starstruck.
Kris, the “middle child” with older twin sisters and a younger
brother, had always dreamed of being an actress.
She entered the entertainment industry pretty much the way
she goes into new ventures — with pluck and plenty of optimism.
“After Impostora, another business idea came up — that was
House of Gogi, the unli-Korean barbecue place. It’s doing well. Then,
the gap between Impostora and my latest series, Asawa Ko,
Karibal Ko, was almost a year. That was the time I came
up with She Cosmetics…” Kris shares.
Taking a leap
Kris admits that it was a challenge to create the brand,
from developing the product, designing the packaging, to
addressing sales and marketing concerns. The entire process
took almost a year from February 2018.
“I really put everything into this. I went through so
much! Maybe part of the problem is I take on everything.
Ako lahat (I do everything). So, from getting a
manufacturer to testing different formulas — I met
with so many people! They got shocked that I met
with them myself — even the suppliers of the minor
aspects of the business. They were surprised to
see me for something as simple as the stickers,
or even bringing the display racks to the Posh
Nails branches which carry my lipstick line,”
she narrates.
Unlike other celebrity-driven makeup brands
today, Kris Bernal’s She Cosmetics is purely her
own — she did not establish partnerships with
cosmetics manufacturers but sought her own
manufacturer and suppliers.
“I have learned so much from this,” Kris
says. “I went through almost five different
manufacturers from different countries until
I finally found one in Korea that I liked.
But along the way it was very hard to do,
firstly because it was a big investment. Big! I
had issues about this with my family because they
could not imagine that I would invest a major chunk
of my money on a lipstick line. It’s not a necessity, they told
me. I had a feeling they were having a Viber group of their own
to discuss it and they would come to me with what they came
up with,” she laughs.
Try as they might to make her change her mind, Kris went on
to realize her dream.
“I only have five shades now, just five, but it took a huge
investment,” she said, not specifying the figure. “I made sure
everything is of good quality, from the box, to the tube, to the
formulation. If you will notice, the box is made of thick paper. And
from the tube to the print on the box, it’s good. I made sure the
expiration date is laser-cut. Even the diamond-shaped applicator
is bigger than other liquid lipsticks today. It’s big enough to cover
the lip with one swipe. All of those details matter to me.”
Getting it right
Kris says she plans to eventually come out with 12 to 24 shades.
She started out with five upon the advice of her mom. From bold
shades like red and dark plum, the enterprising twentysomething
eventually came out with three naturals and two brights. Her
favorite, she says, is the lip shade called Go, Girl, a fuchsia color.
“For me, what makes my formula unique and different is the
peppermint -- it has cooling effect which helps plump your lips. It’s
one essential oil that’s very helpful in moisturizing your lips,” she
points out. The effect is cushion matte, non-shiny and non-drying.
“It is a unique formula. We went through so many different
tests and experiments. I read reviews. For example, I wanted
the peppermint to be just right — not overpowering like
paint and stinging on skin like Vicks. I also put the scent of
Bulgarian rose so it would smell good. So, if you smell it, you
will get hints of peppermint and rose. At first, I
wasn’t interested in the scent as
long as the formula was good.”
Admittedly a “lipstick
only” girl who hardly wears
makeup on ordinary
days, Kris says she
has quite a collection
of lipsticks at home.
“I just wear lipstick
everyday; it’s like an
essential part of my
day. I can go out of
the house with just
lipstick on without
anything else my
face. When I am in
cosmetics stores,
it’s lipsticks I buy.
My mom would tell
me, ‘You already
have those colors!’
I really do have so
many lipsticks,
I have had to
give some
away. I love
lipstick
“FOR me, what makes my formula unique and
different is the peppermint — it has cooling
effect which helps plump your lips. It’s one
essential oil that’s very helpful in moisturizing
your lips.”
ROY PELOVELLO
and it’s true what they say that if you love something, you should
start a business. You see, I wasn’t really into burgers…”
Courage for dreams
Asked about her first foray into show business via the reality
show, Kris relates: “You know, when I auditioned in Starstruck, I
did not know what my talent was. I did not sing, I did not dance. In
school, they did not even ask me to join in dance numbers. That’s
how bad I was, really. Singing? I failed once at that in Starstruck.
I was one of the worst singers then. In acting, I was okay, I guess;
I had some experience in school plays. I was very active in theater
arts during my elementary and high school years.”
ON LIPSTICK AND LEAPS OF FAITH
I get bored when I am not doing anything. I don’t
know why, but when I have time, I always think of a
business to go into.
The Kapuso leading lady said she recently saw the auditionees to
the upcoming new season of the show. “I had a chance to go to their
auditions. There was one in Quezon City and one in Cagayan de Oro. I
really saw myself in them, and I am so impressed with them! Kasi sabi
ko nga lakasan lang yan ng loob (As I always say, just take courage).”
So her advice, Kris adds, is to muster that courage even if they
feel they have no chance. “Believe in yourself. Do you very best
at the auditions, and throughout the journey, from start to finish.
Don’t compare yourself with others.”
Even though she emerged as one of the winners, Kris admits she still
doesn’t know how she won. “I really feel it was a miracle from God.”
Asked to explain what pushed her to join the contest even
knowing her limitations, Kris says, “Gusto ko talagang mag-artista
(I just really wanted to be an actress).”
As a child, she would act out scenes in front of a mirror. She
idolized Judy Ann Santos who was then the star in the popular
drama Mara Clara.
Little did she know that she would one day work with her
in the same film, Kris’ first movie Kulang under Regal Films.
“But, really, ever since I was a kid, I really dreamed
of being an actress,” she laughs. “Tapos dati, maarte
kasi ako nung bata ako. Ang dami kong binibiling
mga damit, tapos ang sabi sa akin ng mommy ko, wag
ka masyadong magastos hindi ka naman artista. Tapos
ngayong artista na ako, ‘oh mommy puwede na akong
bumili ng maraming damit.’ (And, when I was younger,
I was really frivolous. I liked to buy new clothes, and my
mom would tell me, ‘Don’t be such a spendthrift; you’re
not an actress.’ So now that I am an actress, ‘Mom, I
can buy a lot of clothes now!’”
Turning pensive, Kris shares how her mother has been
a big influence on her career, as well as a major support.
In fact, at the time of her visit to the Daily Tribune, her
mom drove for her because her usual driver did not show
up. Such is her mom’s dedication that Kris, who tried
to live on her own at some point, realized she could
not live without that kind of love and care.
“She used to
accompany all the
time but she wasn’t
strict in the sense
that she guarded me.
It was more like she
was there to take care
of me. Like, for example,
today, my driver did not
show up so I asked her if she
could drive today so I could fix
myself on the way. I asked her
to come with me. These things
I find valuable. Although if you
asked her to come up here, she
will refuse,” Kris quipped.
Growing up with a full-time
mom and an engineer dad, Kris
has emerged as a well-adjusted
human being, a charming gogetter
who has not let her petite
frame and femininity get in the
way of her goals.
Kris tells the Daily Tribune
that she wishes more Filipinas
would have the courage to dream.
It is why she named her brand
“She” — “because it’s for all kinds
of women, and I want women to
feel good about themselves so
they will have the confidence to
pursue their dreams.”
UNLIKE other celebrity-driven
makeup brands today, Kris
Bernal’s She Cosmetics is purely
her own.
ROY PELOVELLO

Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
LIFESTYLE
23
Blessed be the hungry
Bless Amare Café is a dining hub where aroma meets
fresh, sophisticated blends of traditional Filipino, Spanish
and Japanese fusion
By Evo Joel Contrivida
Aseana City, the new-generation area
in Paranaque, has a new food hub that is
blessed with a fusion of cuisines including
Filipino, Spanish and Japanese.
The newly opened Bless Amare Café is
located at Hop Inn Hotel. It is a cozy place that
offers visual art in Spanish mode featuring its
owner, former first runner up of Mrs. Asia
International 2014, Jessie Maloles.
The restaurant is part of the Bless
Amare Group of Companies which counts
Bless Las Paellas, the home of Spanish
classics in combination with Filipino
favorites; and Bless Okiniiri Japanese
Resto.
Bless Las Paellas currently has
four branches found in Vista Mall
Taguig; Vista Mall Sta Rosa; BF Homes,
Parañaque; and Promenade, Greenhills.
Soon it will open three branches in
BLESS Amare Cafe opens at Aseana City. From left Ambassador Clemencio Fortu Montesa;
Ambassador Daniel Victoria; Jessie Maloles, CEO and co-owner of Bless Amare Group
of Companies; Nelson Mendoza, business partner; and Rep. Eric Olivarez, 1st District of
Parañaque City.
Davao City, at SM Lanang, SM Ecoland
and Abreeza Mall.
Bless Okiniiri Japanese Resto, on the
other hand, has three branches located at
BF Homes, Parañaque; Vista Mall, Molino;
and Azuela Cove in Davao City.
According to the Café’s designer
Rye Baile, the said branch is the
more enhanced version of the
first Bless restaurant. Its
owner, Maloles, he added,
loves helping people, so
the word “bless” was
used to name the
dining ventures.
“Amare means
‘to love’ in
Spanish,” Baile
said.
During its
opening last
26 February,
guests were
served their
signature
Paellas, the
Marinara
or seafood
paella, and the
squid paella or
tinta using the
ink of the squid.
“Bless Amare
Café is a dining hub
where aroma meets
fresh, sophisticated
blends of traditional
Filipino, Spanish and
Japanese fusion to create
an extraordinary culinary
experience at an affordable
price,” Maloles explained.
Opening soon is another branch
in Solenad 2 Nuvali in Laguna. Call
0921-5516630 or 0995-5182744.
PAELLA Marinara.
Rated delicious
Restaurant in Meycauayan attributes success
to good online reviews and social network
How does a restaurant stand out
these days? For Café Nenzo’s head
chef and co-owner Chino Abacan,
online connections have helped them
gain customers all these years.
Located in Meycauayan, Bulacan,
the five-year-old restaurant is among
Bulacan’s top-rated restaurants on
US-based travel website TripAdvisor
which compiles crowdsourced
restaurant and hotel
reviews worldwide.
“We are rated as
the number one
restaurant, not only
in Meycauayan,
but in the whole
of Bulacan,” said
Abacan, who
started Café Nenzo
as a hobby in 2014.
“We are among the
first to offer semi-fine to
casual dining here.”
Abacan says new
customers usually find them
online, thanks to good reviews and their
extensive social network.
Aside from using our Facebook
and Instagram pages to inform
our customers about our new
dishes, promos and events,
we also use these channels to
answer customer inquiries and
to take reservations.
Café Nenzo’s marketing team is
in charge of updating their social
media pages, as well as responding to
customer inquiries online.
“Aside from using our Facebook
and Instagram pages to inform our
customers about our new dishes,
promos and events, we also use
these channels to answer customer
inquiries and to take reservations,”
Abacan said.
Today, Café Nenzo has some 35,000
followers between their Facebook and
Instagram accounts. “I also have my
own Facebook
account, and I
make it a point
to reach out
to customers
myself,” he added.
KAREKARIBS.
It’s March Madness this month as Richmonde Hotel Iloilo
rewards all graduates with a free buffet at The Granary in
celebration of their academic accomplishment. It will be a
delectable send-off as they march into the future!
If you prefer an evening affair to honor your
graduate, you can delight in the lavish buffet
spread of international dishes — from soups,
salads, entrées and desserts.
BINING’S Beef Bulalo.
Revel in your graduate’s scholastic success as you savor
the sumptuous selections of The Granary’s hearty breakfast
buffet that comes complete with all-time favorite breakfast
items, unlimited crispy bacon, an omelet station, assorted
breads and pastries, fresh juices, coffee, hot tsokolate, and
a whole lot more. If you prefer an evening affair to honor
your graduate, you can delight in the lavish buffet spread
As Bulacan becomes a foodie
haven, good connectivity has helped
restaurants like Café Nenzo by
helping them leverage social media
to grow their business.
“When I was younger, social
media helped me stay in touch with
my friends. Now that I have my own
business, it helps me stay in touch
with my customers as well,” Abacan
said.
To address the continuously
growing mobile data and connectivity
needs of Bulacan residents and
businesses, PLDT and its wireless
subsidiary Smart Communications
Inc. (Smart) have upgraded both
their fixed and wireless networks in
the province, especially in the main
component cities of San Jose del
Monte, Malolos and Meycauayan, to
name a few.
Treat for graduates
CREAMY Pesto.
“These efforts to improve our
network in key areas like Bulacan are
part of our overall thrust to provide
better customer experience across
the country,” said Mario Tamayo,
senior vice president for network
planning and engineering for PLDT-
Smart. “With better connectivity,
we are not just empowering local
businesses like Café Nenzo and
helping them find their customers,
we are also helping our customers
in Bulacan access important online
services, like emails, online banking
and shopping.”
PLDT has committed historic
levels of resources for network
transformation. For 2018, PLDT
capex was expected to reach P58
billion.
of international dishes — from soups, salads, entrées and
desserts, with carvings plus a la minute cooking and grilling
— at the weekend dinner buffet. Whichever buffet you choose,
graduates eat for free if accompanied by three guests paying
the full buffet price of P675 nett for breakfast buffet and P950
nett for weekend dinner buffet. This 3+1 treat is available
from 8 to 30 March. Breakfast buffet is served daily from 6
to 10 a.m. and the weekend dinner buffet is served Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays (except 24 March) from 6 to 10 p.m.
For inquiries and reservations, call +6333 328-7888.
Prior reservations required and proof of graduation must
be presented to avail of the free buffet. This offer is not
valid for settlements using gift certificates. Richmonde
Hotel Iloilo is located at Megaworld Blvd. cor. Enterprise
Road, Iloilo Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
For the latest promotions, follow them on Facebook
(@RichmondeHotelIloilo) and Instagram (@richmonde.rhi).
MORE than 400 of the country’s top wedding professionals will be gathered in this
two-day grand celebration.
A BIG AFFAIR
Now on its 34th edition, Wedding Expo Philippines is the big
event that the local wedding industry and soon-to-weds gear
up for
Themes & Motifs, The Special Events Co., will once again launch its Half-A-Million
Pesos in Cash Promo this 2019 in Asia’s biggest wedding wonderland, Wedding Expo
Philippines, on 16 and 17 March at the SMX Mall of Asia. Every P1,000 worth of
purchase of brides and grooms in Wedding Expo Philippines shall entitled to a raffle
coupon for a chance to win P500,000 in cash.
Now on its 34th edition, Wedding Expo Philippines is the big event that the local
wedding industry and soon-to-weds gear up for. Free e-tickets for all-day access to
the exhibits and grand sale of wedding-related products and services are available to
soon-to-weds pre-registered through www.themesnmotifs.com.
Wedding Expo Philippines will open its door to thousands of soon-to-weds from all
over the country and the rest of the world, with the entire SMX Convention Center
ground floor converted to a 10,000 sqm wedding wonderland with the most creative and
most popular wedding suppliers showcasing only the finest and the best wedding ideas
for the upcoming nuptial season. Wedding related products and services professionals
such as fashion designers, caterers, photographers, videographers, limousine providers,
invitation makers, hotels, venues, florists and others will offer their new promos and
great deals to soon-to-weds visiting the event.
There will be the usual five exciting
sub-events all soon-to-weds are looking
forward to, putting the spotlight on the
most popular supplier categories.
Wedding Banquets Manila, the Philippines’
biggest food tasting festival dedicated to the
weddings, will feature the country’s top three
wedding banquet providers in a free sampling
session of wedding menus — Hizon’s Catering,
Josiah’s Catering and Richgold Weddings.
City of Dreams Manila, a major sponsor, will
showcase their fabulous wedding packages for
those with a flair for the finest things in life.
KasaLitrato, House of Pictures or Wedding
Photos, is a photo and video festival featuring
Asia’s widest selection of photographers and
videographers under one roof. A special gallery
of Celebrity Weddings plus free souvenir studio
photo shoots await guests at the Nice Print
Photography exhibit area.
WEDDING Expo Philippines is the big
event that the local wedding industry
and soon-to-weds gear up for.
In Wedding Fashion Extravaganza, wedding gowns, suits, barong Tagalogs, and
fineries for the entourage will be showcased in this catwalk-inspired sub-event. In I
Do HMU, hair and makeup artists give free trial make up by participating exhibitors.
In Floral Fete, event stylists and florists will wield their magic to present to you an
ambiance that will give you a preview of your wedding day grandeur and splendor.
Special mention is WEPM19 official event stylist Henry Pascual’s grand display at the
main exhibit hall showcasing his style forecast for 2019 and his grand styling tableau
exclusively set up for Wedding Expo Philippines.
All soon-to-weds visiting Wedding Expo Philippines will be given the latest hard
copy issue of Inspirations Weddings Magazine, now on its 12th issue, the country’s
most gorgeous wedding magazine for both the bride and the groom.

24
LIFESTYLE
Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Daily Tribune
Vegan or even vegetarian food get such a
bad reputation in Manila for being either
tasteless or completely unaffordable.
But if you look hard enough, there
are so many places that have
delicious options.
If you’re avoiding red
meat for Lent, you can
even push it a little further and go all
veg. You might enjoy it so much, you’ll
be surprised and make different
food choices from now on.
Wabi Sabi and
Ikigai Kakigori
I remember the first
time I ate in Wabi Sabi
years ago, when they
were in their B-Side
outpost. They opened
a branch in Quezon
City, but are now
finally back in
Makati, in the new
section of Makati
Cinema Square,
this time with a
Kakigori cafe
attached.
The food is
really just as
delicious as before,
relishing in its
Asian roots and
introducing people
to flavors that they
would never think
possible with fauxmeat.
Their menu
centers around ramen,
of which the miso and
tantanmen variety are
favorites. The miso has a
beautiful piece of chashu
that could fool you with
its texture, and enhanced
o vegetarian places
barbecue and smoky notes
that make it full like a longsmoked
cut of pork.
But please, please order
anything from their dumplings
and small bites because everything
is just as, if not more, delicious than Twthe ramen.
DIGEST
Pamela Cortez
KURUGOMA Kakigori.
MISO Ramen with chashu.
Crunchy corn and cream cheese tempura are light and sweet; mission street dumplings
have a delightfully chewy texture and lightly tart sauce; and okonomigyoza is smothered in
unagi sauce for more unctuousness.
Save room for Ikigai Kakigori, which serves the Japanese version of the popular bingsu,
bowls of delicately shaved milk ice. My favorite is the kuromitsu, which has a generous
amount of that burnt sugar rice syrup and mochi covered in soybean powder.
to try during Lent
Corner Tree Cafe
Corner Tree is very different from Wabi Sabi in that they
choose to focus on vegetables instead of mock meat.
Their extensive menu highlights grains
and veggie versions of popular dishes,
like a meatloaf that has nuts and
cauliflower, or koftas made of
cauliflower and cabbage.
A spinach and
mushroom lasagna
could find its
SPINACH and mushroom lasagna.
place on any
Italian
menu,
with
rich
TOFU Teriyaki at Corner Tree.
layers of
tomato sauce
and bechamel
in between
sheets of pasta.
Spinach and feta
croquettes are molded
together with red rice,
and served with the freshest
yogurt dip and a sweat-inducing
harissa chili sauce.
But Corner Tree is also famous
for the way they cook their tofu, and one
particular bowl is a joy. The Japanese-inspired
dish makes the tofu golden and crisp, and tosses
it along with mushrooms and asparagus in a gloriously
umami sauce.
MISSION Street Dumplings.
SPINACH feta croquettes.
MUSHROOM siomai.
Gear up for spring travel
Visitors of the two-day Klook Travel Fest will find
great discounts from establishments in Asian
destinations and hot deal bundles to favorite
theme parks and activities
By N.E. Rabadam-Ruiz
If you want to catch those
cherry blossom trees in full
bloom in places such as Japan,
Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong,
TAIPEI Double Decker Bus Tour.
now is the perfect time to plan
those trips. With the spring
season nearing, the travel
industry — including hotels,
theme parks and entertainment
destinations — are offering deals
WITH a team of more than a thousand across over 20 offices worldwide,
Klook’s services are available in eight languages and supports 41
currencies.
and packages to accommodate
travelers’ needs.
To help them find the best
places to visit, Klook, a digital
platform that provides an array
of recommendations on where
to spend your trips, is kicking
off for the second time its Klook
Travel Fest, happening on on 9
to 10 March at the SMX Aura
Convention Center, Halls 1-3 in
Taguig City.
Under the overarching theme
“Blossom Deals,” the event
allows attendees to discover the
very best of Sakura or cherry
blossom season through a variety
of customizable experiences in
key destinations in Asia.
According to Michelle Cruz,
Klook Philippines’ market lead,
“more than just great deals, our
Travel Fest has been designed to
make every journey more personal.
With over 80,000 offerings, it is
our goal to help travelers collect
new experiences and make new
connections with cultures and
communities anywhere in the
world they go.”
Discover the very best of
Sakura or cherry blossom
season through a variety of
customizable experiences
in key destinations in Asia.
Visitors of the two-day Klook
Travel Fest will find great
discounts from establishments
in Asian destinations, and hot
deal bundles to favorite theme
parks and activities. Aside from
that, talks and workshops will
also be spearheaded by seasoned
travelers including celebrities
such as Bela Padilla, Ryan
HONG KONG Disneyland.
Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos,
the Uy siblings (Liz, Laureen and
Vince), as well as Dani Barretto
and Janina Manipol. Each will
share his/her insights on travel
topics ranging from fashion, food,
family and beyond.
Admission to the Klook Travel
Fest is free. To enter the venue,
however, one must present a
mobile voucher that can be
obtained by downloading the
Klook application on one’s
mobile phone.
Klook is a digital booking
platform for exploring travel
activities and services. It gives
travelers a seamless way to discover
and book popular attractions,
tours, local transportations, the
best food destinations and unique
experiences around the world.
With a team of more than a
thousand across over 20 offices
worldwide, Klook’s services are
available in eight languages and
supports 41 currencies.
To know more about Klook’s
variety of offerings, visit its
website at www.klook.com and
social media accounts, Facebook
(facebook.com/klookph) and
Instagram (instagram.com/
klooktravel_ph).