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LIBERALIZATION, MORE TAX REFORMS MARK DUTERTENOMICS ENDGAME

AERIAL view of Metro Manila

ROLAND NAGY | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Bernadette Nicolas & Butch Fernandez

W

Reporters

ITH the opening of the 18th Congress and the anticipated fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to push anew for the passage of his priority bills, which are seen to accelerate his administration’s march to meet its goals for the remaining three years.

Members of the 18th Congress started filing their “pet” bills beginning the first day of July. Some of these bills are the priority measures that Duterte mentioned in his previous Sonas, hence, the tag “Sona bills.” (See sidebar) To note, only five Sona bills were enacted into law under the 17th Congress. The remaining tax packages under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law are also included in the so-called Sona bills. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte are among the earlybirds who refiled the Sona bills. The

two lawmakers have both filed bills separately amending the outdated provisions of the Public Service (PS) Act, the Foreign Investments Act (FIA) and the Retail Trade Liberalization (RTL) Act.

‘Opening act’

ACCORDING to Villafuerte, these measures aim to further open wide the economy to more foreign investments. He added these bills would be among the measures the Executive branch would ask the 18th Congress to approve this year to fulfill the President’s goal of further revving up the economy, creating

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.0290

more jobs and significantly lowering poverty incidence by 2022. Villafuerte said these amendments would serve as the “opening act” for Congress’ move to amend the 1987 Constitution. Such, ultimately, is expected to pave the way to federalism and the liberalization of foreign ownership restrictions that Villafuerte said have barred the Philippines from securing higher levels of foreign direct investments enjoyed by its neighbors. Likewise, Presidential Spokes­ man Salvador S. Panelo told the BusinessMirror that aside from federalism, there are more things to look forward to in the next half of Duterte’s term, including the passage of these three priority measures. Still, Panelo added that with the President’s unwavering support for federalism, Malacañang emphasized that this form of governance, as well as changing the Charter, can still happen within Duterte’s term. Except for the amendatory bill on anti-terrorism to add teeth to the Human Security Act, the FIA and the PS Act are also high on Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s list. Sotto has vowed to ensure that the Senate, under his leadership, will “continue to strive and focus on our legislative work.”

Greater foreign ownership NO less than Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had pushed for amending the 83-year-old PS law in the 17th Congress, with a salient provision for a clear definition of “utilities” in order to allow key sectors (i.e., telecommunications) to be freed from the “60-40” constitutional restrictions on foreign equity ownership. It was viewed by critics as a means to amend the Charter without going through the Charter-change process. Interestingly, the Senate counterpart of Arroyo that time who also pitched for amendments to the PS law is one of her arch-political enemies, Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon. “To say that the law [covering public utility] is outdated is a gross understatement,” Drilon said. “Notwithstanding the antiquity of the [PS law], it is the law [that] defines which entities shall be considered a public service and, interchangeably, a public utility,” he explained. Drilon pointed out that “today, telecommunication and Internet services in the Philippines are among the slowest and most expensive in the region.” “There are a few options for safe, efficient and reliable public transportation [and] power supply remains a problem with citizens forced to accept outages as

a usual occurrence,” he added. “Water is available only at limited times during the day, with shortages now part of every Filipino’s ‘new normal.’” Drilon griped that “water, electricity, transportation, communication are supposedly basic needs, but their adequate and efficient supply cannot even be guaranteed to the Filipino.”

Defining public utility

DRILON believes these problems persist due to the absence of choices and competition. Salceda shares his view that lack of competition is partly attributable to the PS law. The latter’s definition of public service is being used to define public utility, the operation of which is limited to Filipino citizens or corporations controlled by Filipino citizens. “Competition and foreign investment are inhibited because limitations that should only apply to the operation of a public utility are usually also applied to all public services,” Salceda said. “This situation is caused by the ambiguity in the definition of public utility that is often used interchangeably with public service under Commonwealth Act 146 [the PS Act].” Senate Bill 13 provides a limited definition of the term public utility, while opening up other public services to the market, pro-

posing amendments to transfer the powers of the Public Services Commission to the appropriate administrative agencies. The bill at the Lower House, meanwhile, seeks, among others, to prescribe a 12-percent cap on rate of return. It also seeks to prohibit income tax as operating expense for rate-determination purposes for public services, including public utilities, consistent with administrative and judicial pronouncements.

Retail trade liberalization

SALCEDA said it is unfortunate that despite the passage of Republic Act (RA) 8762 almost two decades ago, the RTL law failed to boost the growth of the country’s retail trade sector. By comparison, the country lags behind its neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in terms of investment growth in this sector, he added. Needless to say, RA 8762 has failed to accomplish its objectives. Salceda has refiled the amendatory bill seeking to set the minimum paid-up capital and locally produced stock inventory requirements for foreign retail businesses. Villafuerte also refiled his version of the bill to amend the 19-year-old RTL Act. Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4756 n UK 64.0363 n HK 6.5289 n CHINA 7.4165 n SINGAPORE 37.6181 n AUSTRALIA 36.1030 n EU 57.5556 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.6070

Source: BSP (July 19, 2019 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

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Liberalization, more tax reforms mark Dutertenomics endgame Continued from A1

His proposed bill also seeks to lower the minimum paid-up capital of foreign-owned businesses. From requiring $830,000 to invest in the country, a foreign firm would only need $200,000 to enter the local retail industry.

Updating the FIN list

VILLAFUERTE is also seeking amendments to the FI Act of 1991 to delete the “practice of professions” from the items listed on the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL) promulgated by the President. The bill also intends to lower the employment threshold to 15 for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) established by foreign investors with a minimum paid-up capital of $100,000. He said the bill also “hopes to facilitate the transfer of technologies by attracting FDIs and further hopes to make the Philippines more accessible to foreign investors and generate more employment opportunities in the country.” For Panelo, the Duterte administration is on the right path in attracting more FDIs, noting that the current business climate is more attractive to foreign investors. This is especially true after the administration ushered the golden age of infrastructure with the President’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program. In the Senate, the one pushing for the counterpart bill to amend

the FI Act is Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Economic Affairs committee.

National transport strategy

HOUSE Bill 306, or an act establishing the policies for the formulation of the National Transport Strategy for the Philippines to 2050, has also been filed. According to Salceda, there is a need for a long-term transportation road map considering the increasing population, high urbanization rate and requirements for the country’s economic youth in urban, rural and far-flung areas of the country. The bill seeks to mandate the formulation of a 30-year National Transportation Strategy for the Philippines (NTSP) by prescribing the principles for the efficient and effective coordination of transportation and public-works projects in support of the BBB program of the Duterte administration. The bill also noted the need to strengthen the capacities of local government units (LGUs) in transportation planning and management beyond the present collaborative arrangement between the LGUs and the Department of Transportation (DOTr). It also seeks to declare the policies for formulating the master plans in support of the NTSP to 2050.

Neda institutionalization

SALCEDA has also refiled the bill institutionalizing the National

Economic and Development Authority (Neda). The bill seeks to institutionalize the Neda as a lead integrator of economic development programs and policies. Doing so—as the bill’s author views it—would facilitate the planning, collaboration and coordination among government agencies. The bill also seeks to improve access to national program information, data and funding opportunities, support research of leading-edge, world-class economic development practices and information-dissemination efforts. The bill also encourages strategic investments that strengthen competitiveness, foster job creation and promote energy independence, among others. It also seeks to help fight poverty and build prosperity for the greatest number of Filipinos while producing transformational economic diversification and work-force development outcomes for our country’s long-term sustainable economic future.

Tax bills

EARLIER, Presumptive Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the passage of the remaining tax measures of the Duterte administration will be the top agenda in the first four months of the chamber. Lawmakers already refiled the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities, or Trabaho, bill which seeks to encourage investments by bringing

PRESIDENT Duterte delivers a speech at the special session of the International Conference on “The Future of Asia,” May 31, 2019, in Tokyo. AP/EUGENE HOSHIKO

down the corporate income-tax rate from 30 percent to 20 percent. The bill also seeks to modernize investment tax incentives to enhance fairness, improve competitiveness, plug tax leakages and attain fiscal sustainability. The Trabaho bill, which is the second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, also aims to ensure that the grant of fiscal incentives helps bring in the greatest benefits, such as higher and more dispersed investments, more jobs and better technology. Also, still to be approved tax packages is Package 1-B to reform the Motor Vehicle Users’ Charge.

Package 2 Plus

SALCEDA has also refiled HB 1026, or the Package 2 Plus, which proposes additional excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products. HB 1026 seeks to increase the tax on alcohol products to approximate the 40-percent to 60-percent sharing of alcohol and tobacco expenditure. This bill seeks to increase the excise tax rates on alcohol products and the indexation rate to 10 percent to account for inflation and income. Salceda also authored HB 304 covering the fourth package of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program. The bill seeks to reform the taxation of capital income and financial services in the country, by redesigning the financial sector taxation into a simple, fairer, more efficient, and a revenue-neutral tax system. To achieve these, this bill proposes the following reforms: reduction in the number of rates of withholding taxes; unification of tax rates for interests, dividends and capital gains; harmonization of business taxes; and adoption of a regionally competitive tax system.

Valuation, assessment reform

SALCEDA also refiled HB 305, or the valuation and assessment reform bill. The bill is designed to address the issues plaguing the current valuation and assessment system in the country, to maximize and optimize local revenue generation and, ultimately, to achieve the avowed goal of the Local Government Code to make LGUs become genuine partners toward national development and progress. The low revenue collection of real property tax may be attributed to a number of factors, he said. The bill seeks development and maintenance of a just, equitable, impartial and nationally consistent real property valuation based on internationally accepted valuation standards. Under the proposed setup, the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), through the Real Property Valuation Service (RPVS), shall lead and manage the implementation of the provisions of the proposed bill vested, among oth-

THE proposed Public Private Partnership Rationalization Act has also been refiled. This Salceda bill further enhances and reinforces the provisions of RA 6957 or the Philippine Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) Law, as amended. It seeks to engender transparency in transactions, efficiency in the performance of project obligations, and putting additional thrust and impetus to the PPP program through a more robust cooperation between the public and private sectors. Salceda said the measure seeks to institutionalize and strengthen public-private partnership in infrastructure and development projects, the value of PPPs in delivering the country’s infrastructure requirements and utilizing the efficiencies of private-sector participation is crucial to the success of the BBB program. The measure, Salceda said, aims to promote public infrastructure financing by including joint ventures as PPP variants, opening capital markets for the financing of PPP projects in addition to equity and loans, and defining the roles and participation of local government units in PPPs.

achievements as outputs of a generally stable political situation, strong remittances from abroad and improving fiscal position. Panelo notes it is under Duterte’s leadership that the Philippines earned the highest credit rating in economic history with a BBB+ upgrade from global debt watchers Standard and Poor’s. “Hence, to further strengthen and improve economic stability, the government should be committed to implement stronger administrative reforms and pass identified priority legislative measures that will help ease the investments constraints and facilitate simplicity in doing business in the country,” Salceda said. Establishing a comprehensive regulatory and tax framework for all CIS products will eventually lead to a more competitive environment for the CIS industry and provide enhanced and uniform levels of protection to the investing public. That would be a good tack, if University of the Philippines Political Science Professor Jean S. Encinas-Franco is believed. Franco considers the investment scams as example of the President’s tendency to micromanage, especially on political matters. “[But] the economic reforms, he lets his managers do it so he is not micromanaging in that aspect,” EncinasFranco told the BusinessMirror. “The issues that he is very gung-ho on are issues that matter to the daily lives of Filipinos and that is why Filipinos feel his presence, like the onestop shop or the war on drugs and, of course, that is security.”

Collective investment schemes

Panelo hopeful

ers, with the development, adoption and maintenance of valuation standards consistent with generally accepted valuation standards, regulations and specifications for real property appraisal used for tax and other purposes. It seeks to ensure compliance therewith by local government units and other concerned parties.

PPP rationalization

A MEASURE providing for the comprehensive regulatory and legal framework for Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) has also been refiled this 18th Congress. The bill refers to the CIS as any arrangement whereby funds are solicited from the investing public and pooled together for the purpose of investing, reinvesting and/ or trading in securities or other investment assets or different classes thereof as allowed under this proposed law. Under the bill, all CIS shall be covered, regulated, governed and must comply with the requirements, rules and regulations set under this proposed law. According to Salceda, countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Korea and Singapore, have adopted a single law to regulate all types of CIS. Presently, he added the Philippines has various laws governing investment companies (mutual funds), unit investment trust funds (UITFs), and separate account funds or variable unit linked insurance products.

Easing investment constraints

IN recent years the Philippines has received a couple of credit-rating upgrades. Salceda considers such

PANELO expressed hope that the delay in passing the 2019 budget by the 17th Congress would not be repeated. “Well, the Supermajority is supposed to share the President’s legislative agenda and his vision on what kind of economy we are going to have in the last three years of his term,” he told the BusinessMirror. Despite the delay in passing the budget and the high inflation, Panelo gave the President a 9 out of 10 rating. “Given the fact that there has been what you call a derailment, still we are able to manage to slay the inflation rate,” he said. Had it not been for these challenges, the President could have easily scored a perfect score of 10, according to the Palace spokesman. Panelo said the public can expect the Duterte administration to achieve the same number of significant achievements, if not more, in the remainder of the President’s term. Asked what the business sector can expect in the next half of the President’s term, Panelo said: “What they can expect from this President is that the ease of doing business will remain as is; and no corruption.”

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The World BusinessMirror

Are cell phones a flight danger? They are on these Boeing jets

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NITED STATES government officials in 2014 revealed an alarming safety issue: Passenger cell phones and other types of radio signals could pose a crash threat to some models of Boeing 737 and 777 airplanes. More than 1,300 jets registered in the US were equipped with cockpit s c re e n s v u l n e ra b l e to i nte r fe re n ce from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and even outside frequencies such as weather radar, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which gave airlines until November 2019 to replace the units made by Honeywell International Inc. Today, potentially hundreds of planes worldwide are still flying with the unsafe systems cited in the FAA report. Flightcritical data including airspeed, altitude and navigation could disappear and “result in loss of airplane control at an altitude insufficient for recovery,” the FAA said in the safety bulletin, known as an airworthiness directive. Honeywell hasn’t heard of any blanking display screens caused by cell phones or other radio frequencies while an airplane was in flight, spokesman Nina Krauss said. When airlines and Honeywell argued that radio signals were unlikely to cause safety problems during flight, though, the FAA countered that it had run tests on in-service planes—and the jets flunked.

Boeing Co. found the interference in a laboratory test in 2012 and hasn’t seen similar issues on other aircraft, a company spokesman said. Honeywell is aware of only one case where all six display units in a 737 cockpit went blank, Krauss said. The cause was a software problem that has been fixed and is currently being flight-tested, she said. The affected 737s are the so-called Next Generation model, a predecessor of the Boeing Max, which was involved in two crashes in less than five months. Cockpit displays on the Max were made by Rockwell Collins, now a unit of United Technologies Corp., not Honey well. Boeing’s 777s also were covered by the FAA order. The FAA order didn’t quantify the amount of radio signals needed to cause interference problems. Still, the radiosignal threat extends beyond that specific display system and FAA warning. Numerous cell phones left on during any airplane flight “could be a real problem,” said professor Tim Wilson, department chair for electrical, computer, software and systems engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The greater the number of phones emitting radio signals, he said, the greater the potential for interference with a plane’s flight system. Bloomberg News

Sunday, July 21, 2019

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Pain from Hong Kong protests spreads as luxury names get hit T

HE impact from the Hong Kong protests is spreading to global luxury retailers, with jewelry and cosmetics getting hurt as shoppers and big-spending travelers stay away. Sw i s s lu x u r y - go o d s m a k e r Richemont became the latest casualty, saying Thursday the street demonstrators dealt a blow to local sales. The owner of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels echoed Swatch Group AG in saying that the unrest in Hong Kong, the top export market for Swiss watches, weighed on sales due to store closures and lower tourist arrivals. With restaurants and consumer brands already affected, retailers now face a widening disruption as shops from the city center to Hong Kong’s suburbs have been forced into early closures due to a lack of customers. A peaceful gathering of tens of thousands of protesters last Sunday turned into a fight with the police at a mall in Sha Tin on the city’s outskirts. LVMH and Kering SA are sched-

uled to report first-half earnings next week, potentially giving more insight into how badly the luxury sector is affected.

Travel impact THE historic demonstrations have been brought about by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s bid to ease extraditions to the mainland. The proposal has prompted hundreds of thousands of protesters to take to the streets, bringing parts of the city to a halt since early last month. HSBC estimates that 350,000 mainland Chinese tourists will stay away this year because of the unrest, SCMP reported. Flight bookings from Asia— excluding the mainland and Taiwan­— to Hong Kong fell 5.4 percent in the period of June 16 to July 13, according to researcher ForwardKeys. Singaporean Charles Kee, who had booked a flight to Hong Kong for August, said he will cancel the trip if the violence escalates. “Hong Kong is a pretty small place, so if tourists want to try to avoid possible protest areas,

there may not be enough things for us to do,” he said.

Bad timing HONG KONG remains an important center for wealthy Asian shoppers, particularly those from the mainland. China’s rising middle class has fueled growth in the luxury market, making up a third of global high-end purchases. Hong Kong accounts for between 5 percent and 10 percent of global luxury sales, according to Luca Solca, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. The setback comes at an inopportune time for retailers already facing headwinds from the trade war, a depreciating Chinese currency that lowers mainland tourists’ purchasing power and the threat of a global recession affecting consumer spending, said Jennifer So, senior analyst at Lego Asset Management in Hong Kong. “Retailers that rely more on tourist spending or discretionary spending like jewelry, cosmetics and hoteliers will suffer the most,”

So said. “Online spending and ecommerce will fare better.” The Hong Kong Retail Management Association said Tuesday that most of its members reported a singleto-double-digit drop in average sales revenue between June and the first week of July, when multiple demonstrations converging on major office and retail districts took place. Among these affected were Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd., a seller of cosmetics, which reported a 15.3-percent drop in same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau for the three months through June. For the same period, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. posted an 11-percent decline. Possibly easing the retailers’ pain is an expected decline in store rents caused by the protests. Rent for street shops is set to drop 5 percent during the second half of the year, said Simon Smith, who heads Savills Research & Consultancy in Hong Kong. “The retail market is not looking good in the second half,” Smith said. Bloomberg News

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The World BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Intelligent dictators are more attractive to foreign investors

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ASH-STRAPPED dictators might want to consider going back to school and opening a few economics textbooks, according to a new study that traces investment flows into non-democratic countries. Investors put more money in authoritarian regimes where the leader has a solid education, research by the Bank of Finland Institute for Economies in Transition concluded. If that education is in economics, and the ruler has prior experience in business,

investment is even more forthcoming, according to the study which examined foreign direct investment (FDI) data on 100 dictatorial countries from 1973 to 2008. “Incompetence deters investment to a greater extent than

expropriation risk,” the authors Abel François, Sophie Panel and Laurent Weill wrote. “We find no relationship between dictators’ age and prior political experience and FDI inflows.” Individual characteristics play a greater role than institutions in attracting FDI in countries where policy choices depend on the discretion of a single person, they wrote. The ruler’s personal background can help potential investors anticipate future policy choices, the study found.

‘Reign of discretion’

“DICTATORSHIP is, to some extent, the reign of discretion,” the authors wrote. “Even if there are

variations in discretionary power among dictatorships, the scope of potential public policy decisions is broader than in democracies,” where institutions and elections help to safeguard against the risks of extremist rulers, they said. The report also found that history offers investors good reason not to trust less economically aware dictators. Former Burmese leader Ne Win, for example, “ruined Myanmar” in his 26-year rule to 1988, including through a monetary reform that he ordered “partly because his astrologer advised him to release new denominations whose numerals added up to nine,” the authors said. Bloomberg News

China urges citizens to cut oil, sugar, salt consumption

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HINA is calling on its people to reduce their intake of edible oils, sugar and salt as part of a nationwide campaign to minimize health risks. The country is the world’s top consumer of soybean oil, processed from imported beans, and the biggest user of sugar after India. The nation is targeting daily consumption

of oils no higher than 25 grams to 30 grams per adult by 2030, down from an average intake of 42.1 grams in 2012, Ding Gangqiang, head of the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, said at a news conference this week, which coincided with the State Council’s launch of its campaign, Action for,, a Healthy China.

“Unreasonable dietary behavior, especially more intake of salt, edible oils and sugar are the major factors hurting people’s health,” Zhang Zhiqiang, a department director with China’s National Health Commission, said at the same conference. Unhealthy diets can lead to obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, among other ailments, he said.

Fried food is popular among Chinese people, with fish and beef in hot chili oil widely served in restaurants. The country’s consumption of soybean oil has increased more than four times since the turn of the century, and the nation is also the thirdlargest consumer of palm oil. China is targeting daily salt intake of less than 5 grams per person by 2030 from an average of 10.5 grams in 2012, and sugar consumption of less than 25 grams from 30 grams. Sweet soft drinks are blamed for the high rate of obesity among youngsters, said Ding from the National Institute. The limits will be encouraged in restaurants, schools, institutions and at home, while food companies will be asked to display them on packaging, Ding said. Bloomberg News

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JAPAN IS A ONE-PARTY STATE AGAIN AND VOTERS ARE JUST FINE WITH THAT

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APAN’S long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is heading into Sunday’s upper house election burdened with an unpopular sales tax hike plan, a divisive bid to change the pacifist constitution and a black mark for fueling public unease over the pension system. It’s expected to win hands down. The country’s fragmented opposition has consistently failed to take advantage of Cabinet scandals, gaffes and a security agenda that has sometimes sparked voter anger. As a result, almost seven years after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to office, he is set to win his sixth straight national election victory and become the country’s longestserving premier come November. It’s a phenomenon that has even some members of the LDP lamenting the lack of competition. “Even though we’re going into the election calling for a tax increase, the LDP is in pretty good shape. This is incomprehensible,” said Shigeharu Aoyama, an upper house lawmaker from the ruling party. “It’s not healthy at all.” Opposition parties are campaigning on popular pocketbook issues they say will ensure financial stability for families, trying to capitalize on public support for canceling Abe’s planned October sales tax increase. Abe is promising stability, strength and the status quo, which seems to be a winning formula. The LDP-led block is expected to take at least 70 of the 124 upper house seats up for grabs, a Kyodo News poll released this week showed. The party has controlled the lower house, and thus the government, for all but four of the past 64 years. “There are various parties in opposition now, but they can’t present a unified front,” said Mieko Nakabayashi, a former lawmaker with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which a decade ago was the last opposition group to seize power from the LDP. “That means it’s hard for them to win elections. The public doesn’t look at this favorably,” said the lawmaker turned politics professor at Waseda University. For example, voters in Tokyo will not only have a choice between the LDP, its coalition partner Komeito and the two halves of the

former DPJ—the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and the Democratic Party for the People­—but a total of 20 candidates from about a dozen different parties and groups. “We must absolutely not lose to the irresponsible opposition parties,” Abe said in a video posted to his Twitter feed Friday. In what he said would be his final video before the election, rival Yukio Edano, leader of the CDPJ, said: “What changes politics is not the voices of politicians or people on television. It’s you, the people.”

Changing times BACK in 2009, the DPJ ejected an LDP that voters saw as out of touch, sparking hopes that a two-party system could take root. But the government’s support rate tumbled to about 13 percent after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that left about 20,000 people dead or missing, with reasons cited by respondents being distrust of its statements on the nuclear crisis and the party’s political infighting. A crushing election defeat in 2012 stopped the Democrats’ advance and they were returned to the political wilderness, where they’ve remained ever since. To make matters worse, a 2017 attempt to oust Abe by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike ended up splitting the DPJ into two parties that have shown no sign of reunifying. Meanwhile, a buoyant jobs market has helped shield Abe from complaints about his administration, which has been able to end a deflationary spiral in the world’s third-largest economy through unprecedented monetary easing and government spending. He’s also managed to maintain the LDP’s traditional close relations with the US-Japan’s sole security guarantor—despite occasional criticism from President Donald J. Trump. Bloomberg News

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»life on the go

A5 | Sunday, July 21, 2019 • Editor: Tet Andolong

SEDA Lio Front Beach View

TOTAL BLISS AT SEDA LIO E By Tet Andolong

L Nido, Palawan, is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, small and large lagoons, as well as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago, which is a group of islands with steep cliffs, dive sites and fish-filled crystal-clear waters. It is also currently ranked No. 4 in Condé Nast Traveler’s list of “20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World” and was also named the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines for its “extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem” by CNN. EL Nido, Palawan, has established itself as a special point of interest on the world map. Leading global international tour operators have included El Nido in their list of beach and high-end adventure travel destinations, as well as their bucket lists of adventurers all over the globe. Having said that, the place most visited in Palawan today aside from El Nido Resorts is Lio Beach, which is also located in El Nido within Bacuit Bay on

the west coast of the northern portion of the Palawan Province. Lio Beach is only five minutes away from Lio Airport, where AirSWIFT flies directly from Manila. Several flights depart daily to and from Naia Terminal 4 and the flight to Lio Terminal Airport only takes an hour and 10 minutes. El Nido is where people from all walks of life are reborn and rejuvenated after soaking in the waters of its tranquil lagoons and beaches. The white sands of Lio Beach, pristine waters, signature Filipino hospitality, as well as great bar and restaurants lined up along the shore, are irresistible to locals and foreigners alike. Amid these untouched and seemingly surreal settings at Lio Beach is

the newest and only five-star resort hotel—Seda Lio. The resort, which is only 20 minutes away from El Nido town, is the perfect choice for those who want a peaceful stay away from the crowds and noise of the beachfront, yet still close enough to the island’s attractions. Privacy and sheer relaxation are guaranteed. The nice thing about being located in the tropics is that the nature-feel of the island is maintained in such a way that it still feels homey unlike a city hotel. You’re on an island, so you should feel the tropical ambiance, even when you’re already inside your room. Because Seda Lio has always maintained its cozy and classy vibe, each room in the resort is simple and elegant and the amenities are sure to get guests in the island paradise mood. The 153-room Seda Lio Hotel, which has been designed to showcase its unique setting within Lio Tourism Estate, was recently awarded a spot in the global list of “Sustainable Destinations Top 100.” The prestigious list drawn up by an international jury recognizes tourist spots that exhibit overall sustainability and success in destination management. Lio’s character and design are guided by principles of sustainability—developing the land with the least impact on the environment. Seda Lio Hotel, just like El Nido Resorts, which are its sister companies

under AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corp., are some of the advocates that help keep Palawan inhabitable while empowering its communities, take care of its indigenous people, as well as protect and conserve Palawan’s biodiversity. “One of the most important activities that we contribute to sustainability in El Nido is waste segregation,” said Seda Lio’s Assistant Front Office Manager Jaiah Reodica. “Used plastic has the risk of escaping into the environment. Even when it’s in landfills, plastic can be blown away and end up in the ocean. For biodiversity during summer, we help nesting female sea turtles hatch and lay their eggs in the beach,” added Reodica. Seda Lio is situated along Lio’s expansive 4-kilometer length of ivory beach, which is naturally oriented toward this stretch of paradise. Seda Lio also offers many photogenic views within its sprawling 4-hectare site of the lush inland mangrove forest, the emerald bay known for its rich marine biodiversity and the ancient limestone cliffs and dense vegetation of Cadlao island. Cadlao is located just across the water from the hotel. Seda Group General Manager Brett Hickey is happiest when guests arriving at the hotel are impressed by all the natural attractions that surround them rather than the built

environment. “Our location within a nature retreat makes Seda Lio unique. We build on that experience by further offering more options for relaxation like a two-level infinity pool with special areas for kids and cabanas, a spa, an all-day dining facility that offers al fresco or air-conditioned seating, and rooms designed for comfort and relaxation, each one with a balcony.” All those features and facilities remain respectful of the environment, said Hickey. “For instance, there are no Seda Lio structures constructed higher than the coconut tree line. Buildings fronting the beach have also been built some distance away from the waterline in anticipation of storm surges.” For island hopping, picture taking, watersports such as kayaking, diving and snorkeling, one can visit Pinagbuyutan Island, Cadlao Island, Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Entalula Beach, Cathedral Cave, Pansandingan Beach, Big and Small lagoons and more. However, Seda Lio can arrange a group tour for their guests through their partners, including El Swift Tours, El Nido Yachting Club and Adventures Scuba. One can also rent an exclusive boat for only P2,500 inclusive of captain, tour guide and life jackets for taking in the different breathtaking sights of El Nido. Since its opening in August last

SEDA Lio Infinity Pool

MISTO Restaurant

SEDA Lio Gym

DELUXE King Room

SEDA Lio Pool Bar

SPA Villa

year, Seda Lio has been a hot spot for both local and foreign tourists, business meetings and seminars, weddings and other groups marking a milestone. Each room offers first-class amenities, including a 48-inch LED HDTV with cable channels, complimentary Wi-Fi and strong Internet access. The Deluxe room is 45 square meters in size with balcony the Suite is 76 sq m with a bedroom, executive desk, living room and balcony, while the Presidential Suite is 148 sq m with a bedroom and sofa bed, living and dining room, kitchenette and expanded balcony, as well as media panel with HDMI, USB and AV connectivity. Other facilities of Seda Lio that guests enjoy are the Misto, an all-day dining restaurant served by very hospitable waiters and waitresses; Pool Bar, Game Room, function rooms for up to 300 persons including El Nido’s only indoor ballroom that can seat 150; state-of-the-art gym; Spa Villas with eight treatment rooms; Lobby Lounge with viewing deck overlooking the Cadlao lagoon; and Children’s Playroom and Outdoor Play Area. The one thing that stands out at Seda Lio is their personalized service. Guests who have stayed at the resort marvel at the handwritten notes and surprise treats they find when they return to their room. These are just some of the simple things that make your stay at Seda Lio a total bliss.

Journey

»life on the go

BusinessMirror

A6 Sunday, July 21, 2019

Editor: Tet Andolong

TRIBES AND TREKS IN ZAMBALES

Seeding hope in nature and the community

A CARABAO carriage serves as the community’s means of transporting goods from the town.

SANDY terrain leads to the community

READY to plant future trees

I

GUESTS, trying out native archery

Story & Photos by Marky Ramone Go

COULD use a tree right now, I muttered to myself as I feel the sun’s rays piercing through my skin in the middle of a beautiful but barren landscape of San Felipe, Zambales. While patches of greens are starting to regrow—in between flowing streams—still, much of the lowlands and the rolling hills appear denuded. What was once a fertile ground, as far as the eyes can see, was changed forever by Mount Pinatubo’s eruption. Coming on the heels of that nature shake up is the displacement

of many Aetas who rightfully claim much of Zambales’s countryside as their ancestral domain. Their selfsustainable way of living became fraught with uncertainties brought upon by the vastly transformed un-

AETA kids at play

fertile land surrounding them.

Rebuilding a forest

AFTER managing to rebuild their communities, the Aetas once again found solid footing in far-flung villages tucked in the waving hills of Zambales. Their way of life slowly finding a semblance of normalcy. Despite these small victories, their survival is still threatened by an unmissable adversary: 3,000 hectares of lahar-speckled land. Before he founded the Tribes and Treks Tour of MAD Travel, Raf Dionisio went on a hiking trip on this same lahar-strewn land of San Felipe, Zambales. I met an Aeta father and I asked him if he could guide me to the farthest village. In their village, I saw how the community struggles to bring resources from the market in the town center back to their community. When in the old days, everything they need: vegetables and fruits are just right in their backyard. Seeing how the community has already taken the initiative to regrow their lost forest, Dionisio

thought about a way of contributing to the reforestation effort of the Aeta community—while, at the same time, also helping their local economy. Enter Tribes and Treks.

MAD Travel’s Tribes and Treks

A SIDE project of MAD Travel (Make a Difference Travel), Tribes and Treks offers a daylong immersion trip to the Aeta Village of Yangil in San Felipe. Part of this jaunt includes a tree-planting endeavor in an area of land where fertile soil still abounds. They call this “Yangil’s tree nursery.” Despite being in infancy stages, the tree nursery is showing signs of improvement. A noticeable patch of green composed of assorted trees and plants widespread in the old forests of Zambales, such as: kasuy, rambutan, calamansi, ipil-ipil, and potatoes just to state a few, are now in various state of growth. With the help of the Aeta people—who knows the landscape by heart—Tribe and Treks are still trying to distinguish more plant specie that can survive the dry soil of Zambales. Every day, few members from

AUTHENTIC TREASURES AT MARCO POLO C ELEBRATE the upcoming MidAutumn Festival with traditional mooncakes, made especially from Hong Kong, as Marco Polo Ortigas Manila presents this year’s collection in stylish and exquisite boxes. Second to the Chinese New Year as the most celebrated event in the Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival came from the rich history of the moon goddess. It is believed that harmony and prosperity arise during this day, thus the tradition of giving gratitude takes place. In celebration of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s fifth anniversary, its authentic

Cantonese restaurant Lung Hin is proud to showcase a limited edition bag, which guests can gift to loved ones and friends along with its featured mooncakes. Lung Hin’s authentic mooncakes are created in and imported directly from Hong Kong. This season’s treasures are available individually at P798, in boxes of four pieces at P2,888 and boxes of six pieces at P3,888. The Marco Polo Ortigas Manila Limited Edition bag is available with a set of four mooncakes for P4,888. This year’s featured flavors are red bean with double egg yolks, and white lotus seed with double egg yolks. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila also of-

fers guests an option to place their orders ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. Until July 31, 2019, guests can look forward to 15 percent savings on orders with a minimum of 20 boxes. This special offer applies to boxes of four and six pieces, as well as the Limited Edition set. For more information about Celestial Treasures and Lung Hin, log-on to www.marcopolohotels.com. Subscribe to updates via social-media through the Hotel’s official social media accounts: facebook.com/MarcoPoloOrtigasManila and @MarcoPoloManila on Twitter and Instagram.

THE Aeta kids performing a traditional song

the community tend to the tree nursery and, in the most weekly tours of Tribes and Treks, traveler guests not only bring new set of seedlings, but also help in the seed planting session.

A purposeful trek And inspiring tribe

OUR trek started at a little past 7 a.m. coming from Liwliwa, Zambales, where we all met up at Circle Hostel. The hike to the tree nursery took more than an hour on a brisk pace over dried lahar terrain. After a couple of hours packing soil into pots, we proceeded to Yangil Village to mingle with the rest of the Aeta community in San Felipe. At the village, the chieftain took us on a tour around showing us various plants they use for herbal medicines and afterward, they let our group try out archery using their bows and arrows made from tree branches. The community mothers also showed their bamboo straws which they sell in bunches to visitors. A lunch prepared by the com-

munity followed a short cultural performance where a group of kids sang a poignant song about how leaving Mother Nature unperturbed is akin to achieving personal freedom “pag-ibig tulad ng batis, tulad ng diwa ko. Payapa tulad ng dagat, diwa ko. Malaya tulad ng ibon, tulad ng ibon diwa ko.” As the sky rapidly turned into shades of red—signaling the golden hour—I realized we’ve already spent the whole afternoon in the Aeta village. The experience of this day, left me with heaps of inspiration and an abundance of hope—that at one day—I shall see the barrel ancestral domain of our Aeta brothers and sisters, becoming fertile once again. Tribes and Treks Zambales is a program by MAD Travel and The Circle Hostel in cooperation with the Municipality of San Felipe, Zambales, and Hineleban Foundation. Activities include: hiking, tree planting, introduction to Aeta culture, native archery, cultural performance, herbal medicine garden tour, carabao rides, snacks and lunch with the Aeta tribe.

Journey

»life on the go

Editor: Tet Andolong

BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 21, 2019 A7

SarBay’s beach party for Mother Nature

W

ITH the Philippines’s infinite coastline of powdery white sands, beach parties are common occurrence among fun-loving Filipinos.

SARBAYERS citizens put trash at designated trash bins

SCUBASURERO divers doing underwater cleanup

But more often than not, these events have been called out due to the massive amount of waste materials they generate and the impact it makes on the environment. Down south in Gumasa Beach in Glan, Sarangani, partygoers have been trooping to this strip of white sand for the Sarangani Bay (SarBay) Festival, not just for a tropical merrymaking, but also to celebrate the

nurture of Mother Earth. Since its inception in 2006, organizers have been stressing the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the vicinity even as they rock the nights away. “SarBay is the biggest, cleanest and brightest beach festival. Year after year we have done so much to work on getting our environmental advocacy into real, tangible efforts

of creating a culture of responsible tourism,” said Michelle Lopez-Solon, who heads both the tourism councils of Sarangani province and Region 12. And while environmental protection has been an integral part of the event, she said that organizers introduce innovative means every year to get their message across among the so-called SarBay citizens. She said that this year, visitors were given cell-phone load and

freebies in exchange of every trash disposal, and popular consumer brands were given the opportunity for their environmental advocacy through on-site education. A ban on the use of single-use plastics was also enforced to reduce the volume of nonbiodegradable wastes. “On the shoreline, we had huge installations where visitors took a selfie and posted on social media and placed their trash. Three creative installations were used as dis-

posal bins and became a backdrop of the festival. This is a unique and fun way on how our SarBay citizens keep the environment clean and the beach at its best condition,” she enthused. To get the youth’s active participation, there were interactive games and a “planet camp,” and social media was extensively used. According to the municipal environment resources office of Glan, the garbage collected for the entirety of the event was 48 cubic

meters, consisting of 30-percent biodegradable, 30-percent residuals and 40-percent recyclable—a huge volume which could have gone directly into the sea if not for the round-the-clock cleanup they undertook. To ensure cleanliness of the bay, volunteer scuba divers did a “scubasurero” cleanup to pick up rubbish which has settled under water. The three-day summer event brought together sought-after bands Rocksteddy, 6Cyclemind, Ben&Ben and This Band, as well as disc jockeys Kouta Kutsuma, Cupcakes, DJ Battle, Tom Taus and Carlo Atendido. It drew more than 150,000 visitors from all over the country. Other fringe activities were the 15-kilometer swim across the Bay relay, Asia’s most extreme swimming event, and sporting events such as SarBay Strongman, beach volleyball and football, jet ski race, bancathon, mountain bike, skimboarding and frisbee tournaments. There were also a series of wellness and recreational activities for the family. SarBay Fest is a consistent recipient of the annual Pearl Award for the Best Tourism Event from the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines. “The Provincial Government of Sarangani and the Department of Tourism are committed to inculcate the importance of preserving our seas, and Sarangani Bay will be a benchmark in the implementation of tourism activities which are environment-friendly and familyoriented,” Solon concluded.

The Oriental to open Hundred Islands hotel HELLA helps your car prepare for the rainy season V I T’S that time of the year again when the season starts to change. From hot and dry to cold and wet, the rainy season is already starting to make its presence felt in the country. As we start to get more rain showers, it’s time for you to check on your car again and make sure that it’s ready to take on the force of a great typhoon. HELLA, a leading European manufacturer of auto parts, presents a quick rundown of the parts that matter for safer travels, especially when you’re driving on a slippery road. Tires. While it is common practice to have your tires checked regularly, it is also helpful to make sure that they are well-inflated in time for rainfall. Ensure that your car has enough tread depth and grooves left before you travel to avoid swerving or going off course. Wipers. When the rain starts to pour, your first instinct is to turn on your wipers to have a clearer view of the road. If you’re doubting your wipers’ ability to clean, test them. If they leave a streak of water on your windshield then it’s probably time to change them. HELLA offers different wipers that perform well under the rain that you can choose from. Featuring a nanotechnology graphitecoated rubber blade, HELLA’s wipers provide a smooth and quiet operation delivering clear visibility at every point. These are the Premium Wiper Blade, Curvo Wiper Blade and Razor Wiper Blade. Horns. Car horns serve as another way to ensure safe travels during heavy rainfall. With zero visibility, drivers can use their horns to signal the cars in front of them. Make sure your car’s horns are still producing loud and crisp sound because if it isn’t, then better consider having them replaced. HELLA has horns with varying sounds that are suitable for all weather conditions. Some of the horns include compact with optimal sound projection like the Compact Horn, soft timbre and mellow

sound for a more harmonic tone like the Royal Twin Tone trumpet horn, and a strong penetrating tone that is ideal for tough off-road use like Super Tone Horn. They have twice the lifetime of original equipment (OE) specifications, corrosion resistant, and can be installed easily in tight and limited spaces. Lights. Night or day drives, lights become an extremely important part of your car especially during the rainy season. When you encounter zero visibility caused by the heavy rainfall, your lights immediately become an indicator of your location and a signal that other drivers can use to navigate. Make sure that your lights are clean, bright and working. Any indication of a poor or broken bulb should definitely be changed. HELLA’s bulb offerings have wider field and longer range of clearer vision that’s suitable for the rainy weather, allowing faster reaction time for safer driving. They employ high-quality UV-filtered quartz glass which reduces eye strain. They come in two variants: PowerBleu and Platinum performance bulbs, both designed for easy plug and play installation and directly interchangeable with OE bulbs. Designed for style-conscious car enthusiasts, PowerBleu bulbs offer a superb brightness of white daylight with its blue coating and silver top finishing. Platinum bulbs

offers up to 100 percent more light, providing maximum visibility for road safety. Brakes. Slippery roads tend to impact brake life more because there’s less friction compared to dry road conditions. If you hear a high-pitched screech or even a grinding sound when you use your brakes, then it’s time to have your brake pads and fluid checked. HELLA PAGID brake pads offer a reliable and trustworthy solution that is designed to match the performance of OE parts while providing the best value for money. Tailor-fit for Asian range cars, the non-asbestos organic friction formulations are developed to provide consistent braking performance across a wide range of driving conditions which includes the rainy season. HELLA PAGID brake pads are fade-resistant and offers extended service life and superior performance even in high temperatures. “We know how tough the rainy season can be here in the Philippines, especially when the weather gets extreme. By identifying the different parts that matter, Filipino drivers and car owners are now reminded of how they can prepare their cars for the coming months. With HELLA’s different product offerings, they get access to the parts that work the hardest, last the longest, and parts that keep them safest,” said HELLA country manager for Philippines, Jason de Leon.

ISITORS to the famed Hundred Islands in Alaminos City, Pangasinan, can soon have a consummate vacation as The Oriental Hotels and Resorts recently broke ground for its newest property. Dubbed The Oriental Hundred Islands, the 100-room hotel is at the jump-off point to the famed national park of 123 islets in the Lingayen Gulf. Set to be completed next year, it will have private villas, seafood and al fresco dining, infinity pool, cabanas, a 1,000-person pavilion, spa and fitness center, and water sports recreation. The resort will sport contemporary Filipino architecture using natural and cultural-inspired materials, and envisioned to be a game changer in the tourism landscape of Alaminos and further boost tourist arrivals. According to The Oriental Hotels and Resorts President and CEO Rebecca Marie Abigail Lee, the project is a public-private partnership with the City Government of Alaminos to upgrade the tourist services and further boost arrivals in the area. The resort will feature a tropi-

ALAMINOS City Mayor Arthur Celeste (from left), The Oriental Hotels & Resorts President and CEO Rebecca Marie Abigail Lee, and Department of Tourism-Region 1 Director Martin Valera

cal-themed design with the use of roof gardens, infinity pool, and Filipino materials such as shell, rattan, wood and bamboo. It will also preserve and enhance the gazebo with the monuments of Prinsesa Urduja and Lim Ah Hong, Pangasinan’s legendary characters. One of the fastest-growing

hospitality chains in the country, The Oriental Hotels and Resorts has star-rated properties in Legazpi City, Freeport Area in Bataan, Tagaytay City and Palo, Leyte. A part of the LKY Group of Cos., it is also setting its sights in Banaue, Sorsogon and Baguio City for future development.

POPEYES PHILIPPINES PARTNERS WITH COCA-COLA America’s famous fried chicken fast-food chain Popeyes recently inked a

partnership with Coca-Cola to be its official beverage provider in the Philippines. Popeyes Philippines, under the Kuya J group, opened its first store in Arcovia City, Pasig, where diners are now enjoying the big, bold flavors of their fried chicken with the perfect drink—a refreshing glass of Coke. Popeyes Philippines is expected to open more restaurants across Metro Manila in the coming months. Joining the momentous contract signing were: Coca-Cola Philippines Commercial Director Bruce Burnett (from left), Coca-Cola Philippines national key accounts Associate Director Cherry Flores-Du, Kuya J Group President Winglip Chang and Popeyes Philippines Chief Operating Officer Rami Chahwan.

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»life on the go

A8 |Sunday, July 21, 2019 • Editor: Tet Andolong

HAPPY Beach Inflatable Island

THE MAGIC OF MACTAN A Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

SK any jaded globetrotter on his favorite islands in the world, and chances are Cebu would be among them. With the merry mix of nature, adventure and culture, and everything in between, this huge archipelagic province is an irresistible pick. In a recent survey of Travel + Leisure, Cebu emerged as Asia’s 7th Best Island and the world’s second best in 2017 by Conde Nast Traveler, and the list goes on. And to a large extent, the adjacent island of Mactan is largely to be credited for this string of accolades with its powdery beaches, amazing underwater and world-class resorts and hotels. Lapu-Lapu City, named after the local chieftain who defeated the fabled navigator Ferdinand Magellan, comprises much of the island and is the international gateway to this tropical hideaway with a spanking newly opened airport. Dubbed the historic resort city, it has become a satellite of Cebu City and has been serving as its beach and watersports hub since time immemorial. Situated just across a narrow channel, Mactan transports guests to a different dimension, away from Cebu’s madding urban crowd. Not only is it the site of the telltale Battle of Mactan, which was the first defense for freedom from a colonial power, the island is also an exotic retreat where one can hop from one luxurious getaway to the next. An old guard in the industry is Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, which opened in 1989, when it was yet a frontier area.

DUSIT Thani Mactan Cebu

BE Mactan Resort

SHANGRI-LA’S Mactan Marine Sanctuary

With only 14 cottages, it set the bar for the resort standard and has placed the village of Maribago on the tourism map. Over the decades, the property has grown to 200 well-appointed rooms and will be adding 64 rooms more this year. Despite the expansion, it has remained a low-density property conducive for both business and leisure because of its panoramic beachfront, watersports activities, delectable cuisine and an acclaimed spa service. This four-star resort is a recipient of the prestigious Asean Green Hotel Standard twice for its environmentally sustainable practices that it has exported across

the Bluewater chain. For the young and the young-at-heart, The Happy Beach is a refreshing addition to Maribago’s resort colony. Known for its Instagrammable setup, the compact resort is composed of the Pink Pool, Pink Bali Lounge, Floating Zoo and Animal Cabanas, and an expansive Inflatable Island that will surely relive the happy moments of our childhood. Aside from being an eye candy, The Happy Beach combines the charm of Singaporean-inspired architecture and the vibe of a contemporary haunt for beach bums. It also takes pride in its good food and beverage, which the resort takes seriously, despite the atmosphere of fun. There is never a dull and boring moment with the chill-out music, the guests’ youthful vibe, the staff’s happy disposition, and the Water Babies Show and the Fire Dance

IRONMAN starting line at Shangri-La’s Mactan

Show. These and more will make those beyond the youth category that age is indeed just a number. A global brand that recently made its presence felt is Dusit Thani, a 272-room, three-building hotel that sits on the island’s peninsula. Set to fully operate late this year, the third building is an all-suite wing for VIPs with an exclusive oasis pool. The five-star property boasts of a grand ballroom, two function rooms, a fitness gym, boutique stores, a pastry bakeshop, aquasports facilities, an open deck garden, three dining outlets and Dusit Thani’s iconic shops—Benjarong Restaurant and Namm Spa. For the midmarket, the artsy Be Resort has an enviable secluded pocket beach, an inflatable play island, and a panoramic view of Olango Island, a sanctuary for migrato-

ry birds, a must-see in Mactan. The newly refurbished resort has charmed Asian and Filipino families with its friendly feel and gastronomic treats at its Salt Restaurant. The boutique hotel also offers tours within Cebu and nearby Bohol province through its sister resort in Panglao. But on top of its glistening shores, Mactan is also a preferred hub for scuba diving with its lush marine world, notably at the Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary, which undergoes periodical cleanup, biodiversity check, population control of the crown of thorns and other efforts to nurture underwater life. For extreme sports aficionados, Mactan is a mecca for triathlons—most notably the Ironman, which it has hosted several times. Come August 11, it will be an adventure playground once more in the Regent Aguila Ironman Philippines 70.3, which will gather the globe’s top triathletes in a grueling swim-bike-run tourney. The event kicks off with the 1.5-km swim leg at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, which has been a perennial starting point and finish line with the 21-km run. The luxe hotel was named “Hotel of the Year” last year in the prestigious Philippine Sports Tourism Awards for its constant support to the Ironman series since 2012. “We are honored to have been selected as the country’s best hotel for sports tourism. Being a passionate athlete myself, we are proud that Shangri-La has been home to the Ironman triathlon for eight consecutive years and counting. This recognition only inspires us to continue to create excellent and delightful experiences for all guests, especially for the athletes,” said Rene Egle, the resort general manager, who joined the 2016 edition. With the confluence of the ocean, sports, luscious food, cultural heritage and a naturally warm populace, Mactan’s magical spell will keep you coming back again and again.

Faith www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: ‘LUKE 10:38-42’

CONTEMPLATION AND RELIGIOUS ACTIVISM MSGR. JOSEFINO S. RAMIREZ SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

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HE Gospel today presents us with a rather amusing domestic quarrel. It is the typical bickering we can imagine between a very responsible and conscientious elder sister, and what appears to be an irresponsible younger sister. Martha of Bethany was very busy with being hospitable to their distinguished guest, Jesus Christ, while Mary was not doing much—just listening to the words of Jesus. When Martha asked Jesus to intervene and to make Mary do some household chore, our Lord answered her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. Yet, only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the best part, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Jesus was not saying that Martha was doing wrong. Her activity was good. But Mary’s activity was even better. Of course, someone has to attend to domestic tasks. God, in no way, disdains those deeds that are done for others. Yet, he does not put down the activity of those who apparently devote themselves to listening and meditating on His words. In reality, there is no real conflict between a life of action and a life of contemplation. Quite often, we have to live with both, combining activity with contemplation. Even the most secluded contemplatives have to attend to basic needs. And, of course, a man engaged in pure activism would end up dissipated and ineffective. There is a classical work on spirituality titled, The Soul of the Apostolate. In a broad sense, apostolate means anything that is done for the good of others, and especially, bringing other people closer to God. It can range from very material concerns, such as taking care of the sick and the needy, to highly spiritual ones, such as guiding people in

the spiritual life. The point of Dom Chautard, the author of that book, is that all apostles have to be like an overflow of the apostle’s own spiritual life. Someone who engages in apostolic activities but does not take care of his own spiritual life, is doomed to failure. While he might appear to be doing some good, in reality his work will be completely ineffective. What is worse, he faces the danger of dissipating himself so much, as to end up completely drained of any spiritual life. In an apostle’s personal life, priority should always be given to those moments in the day when he communes personally with God. He may have a thousand and one items to attend to, and quite a number of them could be very urgent and important. But they should not be obstacles to his personal prayer life. If these activities were to prevent him from praying, then they would lose their very reason for being. No one can give what he, himself, does not have. And if a religious worker were not to have that union with God, then he no longer has anything that would really be worth receiving from Him. The apostolate would be reduced to mere organization or social work, but without the animating spirit of the Christian life. For the majority of Christians, we find ourselves quite often in the situation of Martha. We have so many things to attend to, there are so many things that clamor for our attention. We do not have to abandon these things. But we should always remember the advice of Jesus Christ—do not let all these cares hinder us from getting closer to God. We must strive to achieve the harmonious blend of contemplation and action. Yet, between the two, contemplation has priority.

Sunday

Sunday, July 21, 2019 A9

CLIMATE ACTION IS MORAL IMPERATIVE–BISHOPS C ATHOLIC bishops are ringing alarm bells about the future of the country’s environment in a major pastoral letter condemning “the continuing destruction of our common home.” The statement was released this past week by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), calling for “ecological conversion” amid “climate emergency.” The nine-page document is divided into eight sections, with the first half offering a reflection on the state of the environment, followed by concrete ecological actions. Following Laudato Si’, the bishops stressed that the cry of the Earth is equally urgent as the cry of the poor for social justice. “Our preferential option for the poor pushes

us to prioritize the most affected ‘poorest of the poor’ who cry to God for justice. It is our moral obligation to respond to their suffering,” the CBCP said. “Given the high rate of poverty in the Philippines, the need to manage the environment is paramount. Poverty and environmental degradation mutually reinforce each other,” it said. Pope Francis, in his 40,000-word encyclical Laudato Si’, firmly pronounced that climate change is a threat to the world’s poor. The letter outlines the issues facing the country, among them the irresponsible mining, the building of dams and the growing dependence on fossil fuel-based energy, such as coal. Several studies have shown that the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

THE EDENIC COVENANT By Corazon Damo-Santiago

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HE Bible is the story of how God reached out to man by making covenants. These seven covenants started in the Garden of Eden. The Webster dictionary defines covenant as a formal, solemn, binding agreement or premise. The New World Dictionary: Concordance to the New American Bible explains it religiously in the context of the Old and New Testaments. It says that covenants were made, “not to win God’s benefits which are totally gratuitous” but accept the rules as God’s people. An important aspect of the covenant is the consequences if the rules are violated.

Story of creation

AFTER creating a perfect world in seven days, “He put the man, he had formed” (Genesis 1:8) Then He said, “It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him” (Genesis

1:18). While Adam was sleeping, He took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh, formed a woman out of the rib and brought it to Adam, who said, “At last, here is one of my own kind.” (Genesis 1:21-23). To Adam and Eve, the first parents of mankind, “preternatural gifts” were given, “wisdom of immensely high order...strength of will...perfect control of passions and senses...resulting in perfect interior tranquility.” Too, they were gifted with freedom from suffering and death. In the Garden of Eden, God made a covenant with Adam and Eve, “not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge” (Genesis 1:16).

Fall of man

ADAM and Eve disregarded their covenant with God. Tempted by the serpent, they believed that the fruit will make them like God who knows what is good and what is bad. The serpent cunningly said: “You certainly

“We must activate climate action on behalf of the voiceless people and the planet,” the bishops said. The document is the eighth CBCP pastoral letter on ecology since its “What Is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?” released in 1988, the world’s first. It was released after their recent plenary assembly in Manila as way of operationalizing Laudato Si’ in the Philippines. The Vatican has earlier asked Philippine church leaders about what they have done in response to the challenge set by the pope’s encyclical. In the new statement, the bishops agreed not to allow the financial resources of Catholic institutions to be invested in favor of coal-fired power plants and mining companies.

“Divestment from such investment portfolios must be encouraged,” they said. The CBCP ecological actions clearly instruct every Catholic to live the teachings of the Scriptures articulated by Laudato Sí’. The bishops also announced the creation of an “ecology desk” in all diocesan social action centers that would make ecology their special concern. The bishops affirmed that they are one with the pope in pursing a common agenda to protect “our fragile ecosystem from the threat of the continuing ecological crisis.” “We have the moral imperative to act together decisively in order to save our common home. This is our Christian duty and responsibility,” they said.

will not die. No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). Chris McCarthy in the Story of the Bible stated that Adam and Eve committed the sins “lust of flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.”

joined together, no human being must separate” (Matthew 19:4-6).

Covenant of marriage

UNITED, Adam and Eve became one. God, who created man out of love, also called husbands and wives to love. The church attaches great importance to Jesus’ presence at the wedding of Cana where He performed His first miracle. In His preachings, Jesus emphasized that marriage is indissoluble (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1614). God Himself has determined it and when some Pharisees asked if divorce is allowed, Jesus answered: “Have you not read, that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female? For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has

Roy Lagarde/CBCP News

Divorce in the Philippines

THE Philippines is a predominantly Catholic in faith. Vatican City and the Philippines are the only two countries in the world where divorce is not legal. However, House Bill 7303 which seeks to legalize divorce in the Philippines has been approved in the House of Representatives on March 19, 2018. The survey conducted nationwide by the Social Weather Station from March 25 to 28, 2017, and from December 8 to 16, 2017, and showed that “53 percent of adult Filipinos support divorce for irreconcilably separated couples.” Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a facult y member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

A10 Sunday, July 21, 2019

Science

BusinessMirror

Sunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

UK firm, DOST forging £11-M contract for radar satellite to monitor PHL waters

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By Lyn Resurreccion

HE United Kingdom’s world leader in small satellite manufacturing, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., is forging an £11-million contract with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The contract will provide 10 percent of the capacity of Novasar radar satellite to monitor Philippine territorial waters and identify ships coming into the country’s sea lanes. It w i l l a l so he lp to protec t t he c ou nt r y ’s f i s he r ie s a nd m a r i ne resou rces for a per iod of f ive yea rs. This was announced by United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation between UK and the DOST on June 18. The MOU signatories were Pruce for UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

(BEIS) and Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña for the DOST. The event was one of highlights in the forum “SDG 17: Cracking the Code for Sustainable Development” during the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW). Pruce also announced that Inmarsat, another UK company, has donated a state-of-the-art satellite telecommunications and connectivity equipment to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Pruce said the DSWD has organized a Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team to use the Inmarsat satellite communication system especially during emergency and natural disasters. With the forum tackling the

SCIENCE Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña (left) and UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce exchange documents after signing the memorandum of understanding on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation between UK and the DOST on June 18. The signing was held during the forum “SDG 17: Cracking the Code for Sustainable Development,” which was part of the National Science and Technology Week. LYN RESURRECCION

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 on global partnerships, de la Peña said the signing of the MOU was “indeed a great embodiment of the SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals.” He added: “ The Philippines and the United Kingdom have been sharing a fruitful partnership through the New ton Agham Program by implement-

NSTW SHOWCASES ANTI-POVERTY, PRO-GROWTH EFFORTS

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HE exhibits you will see here in the NSTW [National Science and Technology Week] showcase our effort to end poverty and other deprivations, while improving health and education, reducing inequality, and spurring economic growth, while, at the same time, tackling climate change and working to preserve our natural resources.” Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said this at the opening of the NSTW at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on July 17. With the theme “Science for the People: Enabling Technologies for Sustainable Development,” de la Peña said this year’s NSTW is at a higher level but still anchored on on the daily life of Filipinos. It “makes us look into how science and technology help us achieve the United Nations’s sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” he added. The five-day annual event features exhibits and fora on eight clusters on technologies, research and development (R&D) and services—such as food security, energy and environment; aging society, health and medical care; human resources; equity and growth in the countryside; biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources; sustainable cities and communities; resilience and innovation; and international linkages. He said NST W that ends on July 21 offers exciting events for various audiences—for the young ones that will engage their active minds and bodies; for the entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and students; for those who seek wellness, and other sectors and groups. “There is something for everybody. This is one of our ways of bringing science to the people,” de la Peña said.

Duterte’s full support to S&T

EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, who delivered the speech of President Duterte,

underscored the President’s full support to science and technology (S&T). “The President never said a word against science and technology. All members of the Cabinet have a 100-percent approval for S&T projects,” Briones added said. She said whatever amount the DOST’s projects would entail, Duterte would just say“we will look for funds” for their implementation.

Chris Tiu: DOST brand ambassador

DE LA PEÑA announced that former basketball star Chris Tiu as first DOST brand ambassador to the roaring applause of the audience composed of DOST officials and employees, exhibitors and guests. “This is something we have never done before, and we are just too happy to start doing now. Indeed, it is DOST’s way of reaching out to people across our society’s spectrum to the message that everything that we do here is for the people,” he said.

Awards

THE event also showcased the awarding of outstanding individuals in S&T. n Dr. Alonzo Gabriel, PhD, received the Outstanding Research and Development Award for Basic Research (Eduardo A. Quisumbing Medal) n Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela, PhD, was given the Outstanding Research and Development Award for applied Research (Julian A. Banzon Medal) n Dr. Ricardo Babaran, PhD, got the Oustanding Science Administrator Award (Dioscoro L. Umali Medal) n Robertson Chiang, MBA, received the Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award (Gregorio Y. Zara Medal) n Dr. Merlinda Palencia, PhD, received Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award (Gregorio Y. Zara Medal)

n Dr. Erlinda Paterno, PhD, was given a special citation.

ing various R&D [research and d e v e lo p me nt] a nd c ap a c it y building activities. Apart from that, we’re also working with them now on space technology, especially that we’re nearing the establishment of the Philippine Space Agency.” Newton Agham (Science) program is a collaboration between the UK and the Philippines in

science, research and innovation. The UK government, through the embassy, parks with UK delivery partners, and the Philippine science innovation institutions to implement prog rams t hat strengthen science and innovation in the country. The science secretary said the Philippines’s collaboration with the UK “is one of what we consider as best practices for international cooperation.” He said the DOST is more than committed to continue and further strengthen its partnership through the implementation of the MOU. The agreement is expected to promote cooperation in the areas of space technology; innovation; health; food and agriculture; weather and climate; and resilience to hazards, which are all intended to contribute to the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, de la Peña explained. For his part, Pruce said he is “very much delighted and grateful for this wonderful occasion and opportunity” to sign the bilateral agreement. He added that, “Collaboration in sciences is integral to the evergrowing relationship between our own two countries,” and hope to

Chris Tiu: From the hard court to DOST brand ambassador

nuLab mobile science learning bus

THE new mobile science learning facility of the DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), called nuLab, was launched during the NSTW. The DOST-SEI’s second science bus for Filipino learners, follows the success of the Science Explorer, which has served around 32,000 elementary and high-school students in more than 100 municipalities all over the country since 2010. While the Science Explorer mostly caters to younger students, estimated P15-million nuLab is primarily intended for senior highschool students. It features advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) modules as nanotechnology, aerospace engineering, nuclear science, earthquake risk analysis, science media literacy, programming, oceanography, robotics, entomology and environmental science. The modules are especially designed to help students discover their potentials in the various STEM fields and to encourage them to take tertiary courses where they are most inclined to succeed and excel. In nuLab, students are also encouraged to apply to the DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarships, the agency’s flagship program.

Tolentino as chairman of Senate’s science committee

INCOMING Sen. Francis Tolentino, who graced the S&T event, announced during his message that he is the new chairman of the Senate’s S&T committee. The former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said he is now trying to learn S&T terminologies like nanotechnology and biotechnology. Lyn Resurreccion

THE awardees of various science and technology awards pose for a photo with science officials and guests during the National Science and Technology Week opening ceremonies on July 17. In the photo (from left) are Dr. Rhodora Azanza, president of the National Academy of Science and Technology, neophyte Sen. Francis Tolentino, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, Robertson Chiang, Dr. Merlinda Palencia, Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, Dr. Erlinda Paterno, Dr. Ricardo Babaran, Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela, Dr. Alonzo Gabriel, Academician Dr. Lourdes Cruz and DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute Director Edgar I. Garcia. NONIE REYES

SCIENCE Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña introduces former cager Chris Tiu as DOST’s first brand ambassador. NONIE REYES By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

T is a stark reality that Filipinos have an aversion to science and mathematics. Surveys showed that the people’s awareness on science and technology (S&T) were at a measly one-digit level. To determine the real score, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Science and Technology Information Institute (STII), has engaged the Social Weather Stations to do quarterly surveys to gauge the people’s level of awareness on S&T in general, on the DOST and all its attached agencies, on its regional offices, and on knowledge of its products and services. The result was quite disappointing. It revealed that the level of awareness on S&T in general was low at 6 percent, while the DOST as an agency got more than 90 percent. There was an increase in S&T awareness in 2018 that hit 13 percent, and grew a little to 15 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Although there was an improvement, the level was still low if the DOST wants to popularize science, technology and innovation among the masses to help them form a “culture of science” in the country.

After all, the DOST is a brand that needs to be promoted. To jump-start the initiative, the DOST-STII commissioned a survey led by Dr. Dave Centeno of the Cesar Virata School of Economics-University of the Philippines Diliman and the UP College of Mass Communication in the last quarter of 2018 to determine the best individual for the job. The study centered on the educational and professional background of the personalities/ celebrities, intelligence, advocacies, social affiliations, mass audience appeal, level of trust and confidence, audience perception, ability to explain complex ideas, and others. The respondents came from the National Capital Region, Cavite and Laguna who belong to various socioeconomic strata and demographic profiles. The survey produced 32 names composed of TV personalities, politicians, broadcasters and beauty queens based on the respondents’ choice. Out of the proposed names, chosen as the DOST’s first brand ambassador was popular Christopher John (Chris) Tiu, the former skipper of the Ateneo Blue Eagles and first batch of Gilas Pilipinas basketball team captain.

Promoting DOST

The right choice

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TO push the promotion of S&T to the common people, the DOST thought of tapping a celebrity, similar to the practice espoused by the corporate world in getting the services of television or movie personalities, journalists or athletes to enhance the “image” of and awareness to their products and services.

TIU, 33, became a household name when he played for Ateneo de Manila University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. He was known as a cerebral player on the hardcourt, outfoxing his taller and heavier opponents. He was later tapped to join the Smart Gilas national basketball team from 2008 to 2012 under

continue to “maximize the opportunity to strengthen links” among members of each countries scientific communities. “ Wit h ou r complement a r y strengths and expertise, we can develop exceptional innovations and promote economic growth and prosperity,” Pruce said. The MOU covers joint research and development work; scholarships for Masters and PhD degrees; exchange of scientists, facilitating visits of British experts during S&T events in the Philippines; organizing joint training, conferences, workshops, events and other capacity-building activities; and promotion of collaboration between other scientific institutions and organizations from both countries, the Newton Agham fact sheet enumerated. It added that areas of cooperation covers “mutually beneficial themes, such as space technology, capacity building for innovation, health, food and agriculture; weather and climate; and resilience to hazards. UK launched the globa l Ne w ton Fu nd a mou nt i ng to £735 m i l l ion i n 2014 to sup por t sc ience a nd i n novat ion pa r t nersh ips w it h emerg i ng k nowledge econom ies.

the tutelage of Coach Rajko Toroman. In 2012 he pursued his dream of becoming a professional basketball player and was drafted by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. He retired from professional basketball after six seasons. The product of Xavier School from elementary to high school, he also excelled in academics, graduating with a management engineering degree with minor in Chinese Studies from Ateneo. Moreover, he was an exchange student for one year in a French educational institution. With his wholesome image and excellent academic record, Tiu was recruited by GMA7 to host iBilib, a program that shows scientific experiments and explores challenging scientific facts in a very entertaining manner to appeal to the mass audience, especially to students. Moreover, he also hosted the programs Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Ako Mismo, Hanep Buhay, Pinoy Records and 1-on-1 Tiu-torials on basketball fundamentals. Meanwhile, Tiu also dabbled in commercials promoting well-known brands. He became active in public service, serving as barangay kagawad and Sangguniang Kabataan chairman of Urdaneta Village from 2001 to 2018. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Tiu possesses an entrepreneurial DNA. He founded and also became a part-time owner of “Happy Lemon” café chain and also manages several business enterprises, such as Eric Kayser French Boulangerie, among others.

Promoting science culture

IN the press briefing during the opening of the National Science and Technology Week on July 17, Tiu pointed out that his role as DOST brand ambassador is to “encourage the youth to love science and convince them to make a career in science.” “Instead of a becoming a YouTube star or an Instagram sensation, I hope I can channel their energy to focus on loving science and think that science is cool,” he pointed out. As a brand ambassador, Tiu also wants to enlighten the people on the incredible benefits of science as it can uplift lives and improve their well-being. As far as sustainability is concerned, Tiu also walks the talk. He revealed their family business is involved in developing renewable energy, aquaculture and mini hydrothermal plants. In their hospitality business, he revealed they are pursuing sustainable tourism by raising dugongs in the area. Asked how can he can become an effective brand ambassador, Tiu pointed out that it is hard to measure, saying that he will exert efforts to create awareness, generate interest and convince the youth to make science their chosen career when they grow up. “I am also thinking on how to promote it in social media. Instead of going viral on video or engaging in online gaming, I hope I can create content that will inspire them to love science,” he said.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, July 21, 2019 A11

Templestaying in a Korean Sansa

A RESIDENT monk leading the evening Yebul, a Buddhist ceremony, at the Daegwanbojeon.

THE Northern territory containing Magoksa's main Dharma halls, Daeungbojeon and Daegwanbojeon.

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Story & photos by Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

OUTH Korea’s long history of Buddhism has given rise to countless temples across the country.

When I was planning a trip there, I learned about the templestay program and thought, “What better way to spend my birthday than to stay at a temple?” There are several temples to choose from, some are even conveniently located in Seoul. I, however, opted to try the one further down south on the slopes of Mount Taehwa. Magoksa (built: ninth century) is one of Korea’s seven outstanding Sansa, or Buddhist mountain monasteries, that have been recently inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 2018. These remote spiritual complexes are considered as living heritage sites that have not changed for over a thousand years. They represent a tradition that blends early Korean Buddhism, Shamanism, and even the worship of heroes, which is considered to be a unique form of religious belief and practice. These Sansa fill in what the more famous Bulguksa and Haeinsa temples generally fail to offer: a genuine sense of “old age” in its buildings. I arrived in Magoksa after quickly exploring Gongju, home to the World Heritage-listed Gongsanseong fortress and Songsan-ri necropolis. The trip from there took an hour, and there were only two other passengers in the bus that proceeded all the way to the temple. From the last bus stop,

we still had to trek for some 20 minutes to get to the ceremonial wooden gate of Magoksa. The two visitors I walked with, who endlessly sang me the “Happy birthday to you” song after learning it was my special day, had to pay an entrance fee, of which I was exempted from as I was a staying overnight. Magoksa captured how I imagined a mountain monastery to be: surrounded by ancient forests, embraced by a refreshing stream, not much people around, very tranquil and isolated. Right there and then, I knew I chose a superlative place for my first templestay experience. I was immediately greeted by our friendly attendants and was introduced to my fellow “apprentices.” There were only six of us, and the hosts made our stay all the more special by letting us sleep in the monastery’s original living quarters— another group was placed in a concrete building built 200 meters away. Our rooms were basic but they featured an ondol, a traditional underfloor firewood-fed heating system. After settling in, I found a quiet corner at the Yeongsanjeon, the oldest building in the monastery, and meditated there until it was time for the next activity. Later that day, we were given a tour around the mo-

A NIGHT shot of the Dharma bell pavilion beside our living quarters.

nastic grounds and then endorsed to the program’s attending monk who, shortly after, facilitated the evening bell ringing. The bell and drum pavilion was literally beside our rooms so there was no way for us to miss even the 4 a.m. bell ceremony. We were also invited to join the evening Yebul at the Daeungbojeon, one of the Dharma halls. We tried our best to follow the sonorous chanting of the resident monks, but it was, as expected, an exercise in futility. Afterwards, we were led to a meditation chamber to perform the “108 Bows,” a meditative ritual that involves 108 prostrations. This activity seemed highly laborious at first—and it really was—but we eventually got used to the rhythm and were able to accomplish it.

Immerse yourself in an e-Sports Extravaganza at the e-Sports & Music Festival in Hong Kong

PARTICIPANTS playing VR games at the Experience Zone

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HIS summer, visitors to Hong Kong can enjoy a host of gourmet happenings, shopping sprees, signature city events and attractions‘ summer programs. Attending a large scale e-Sports event is one of the must-do activities to enjoy a vibrant summer, especially for those who are young or young at heart. Organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the third edition of e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong will be staged from July 26 to 28 in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), with more exciting new elements and entertainment options than ever.

International tournaments by some of the world’s top teams

n 2019 League of Legends International College Cup. The first-ever official International College Championship, authorized by Riot Games in Hong Kong. The 12 winning college teams from all over the world will compete for glory in this highly competitive, fastpaced action-strategy game. n CS:GO World Invitational. Gaming fans will

INTERNATIONAL tournaments at the Mainstage

have the opportunity to witness two top professional teams battling in Hong Kong, with a total prize pool of HK$500,000 (over $60,000).

Regional and local tournaments of popular mobile games

EMFHK—e-Sports Tournaments “Honor of Kings” Official City Tournament. “Honor of Kings” is the most played multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mobile game in China, with over 50 million players per day. Qualifiers from four regions in the Greater Bay Area will compete for the championship. n PUBG Mobile Hong Kong Tournament. Thirtytwo winning teams from online qualifiers will gather to battle for the championship title of the most played Battle Royale mobile game in the world.

Live streaming worldwide

THE tournaments will be live-streamed via key online platforms in three languages (Cantonese, Mandarin and English).

OUR group with the templestay attending monk holding the lanterns to be used in the upcoming birthday of the Buddha.

Experience Zone and Themed Nights offer loads of excitement

ANOTHER highlight of the Festival is the Experience Zone, which is a showcase of retro arcade machines, along with VR experiences and professional e-racing equipment for trial. Experience the trendiest mobile games at the “CSL Mobile Game Party” and check out “Street Fighter” and “The King of Fighters” in the “Retro Fighting Game Zone.” The three-night Festival will also feature thrilling performances: an ACG & e-Sports Cosplay Competition on the first night, an electronic dance music (EDM) party featuring Korean rapper Gary and Spray on the second night, and music performances featuring popular local bands and artists on the third night. The all-inclusive admission tickets are priced at HK$50, with no additional charge for watching the e-Sports tournaments, trying out the Experience Zone and enjoying the performances. Ticket holders of the e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong will also be entitled to free admission to the Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong on the same day.

The following day, our attending monk gathered us for a light morning exercise in the Madang, the open yard distinct to mountain monasteries. At the center of the Madang is a rare five-story Tibetan-style stone pagoda and around it are Magoksa’s most invaluable wooden halls. It was also there where we started a guided meditation walk, leaping from one rock to another to cross the stream and hiking up the mountain to rest at one of the most sacred spaces in Magoksa. Surprisingly, not a single tree grew on that spot and all the trees around it bent inwards creating a natural dome, as if that area was really intended that way. The walk was meant to expose us to some practical Buddhism teachings, as well as help us find balance and inner peace. The program ended with an intimate

tea ceremony with the monk, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better, to ask the questions we still have, and, ultimately, to network in Facebook. While drinking, we also performed beadwork and learned how it is used. We took the final product with us as our own souvenirs from participating in a monastic community. The older Bongjeongsa is another Sansa situated in Mount Cheongdeung near Andong. The monastery has eight cultural treasures around its Madang, most important of which is the Paradise Hall being the oldest extant wooden building in Korea. It was a funny coincidence, too, that the day of my visit marked the 10th year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the said temple. While Bongjeongsa sees fewer visitors, it also offers templestay.

DFP OPENS ‘CHOCOLATE HAVEN’ TO OFWS AND ‘BALIKBAYANS’

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O all chocolate lovers, Duty Free Philippines (DFP) have recently launched one of its major reward programs—the Chocolate VIP Membership. Along with the Chocolate VIP Membership card, DFP offers a wide varieties and selection of imported chocolate brands from premium to the traditional. Its top 6 brands consist of Toblerone, Hershey, Cadbury, Mars, Nestlé and Lindt offer a pasalubong packs for OFWs and balikbayans. Also, on the list are the first-class and best chocolatiers in the world, such as Godiva, Valrhona, Neuhaus and Guylian that you will never regret treating yourself with because these confections are produced by these leading chocolate makers. In terms of quality, these chocolate brands are genuine from its origin and came from well-known countries producing optimum chocolates in the world. More important, its taste is extra special in comparison to the ones in the local market because they are made only from the finest cocoa and natural ingredients. For a minimum purchase in gross amount of $150 worth of confectionery and snack items, single or accumulated receipts within a day, the customers are entitled to avail themselves of the Chocolate VIP membership card. The card also comes with several privileges such as: 10-percent discount on chocolate pasalubong packs, 20-percent discount on individual chocolate items, 10-percent discount on snacks and biscuits, and 5-percent discount on chips. In addition, DFP gives away a special gift pack to customers who will accumulate $1,000 worth of purchase within a year, or to members who shop during his/her birthday. Subject to Bureau of Customs’ rules and regulations, the

Chocolate VIP card is nontransferable, however, it guarantees a lifetime membership with no expiration, thus the renewal of the card is no longer required. According to DFP Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio A. Angala, the launch of the reward program is part of the agency’s commitment to giving customers great value. “This is our way of thanking our customers as confectionery has been the highest selling category at all DFP stores for than three decades now,” said Angala. The qualified availing customer must first fill out the complete necessary details in the Chocolate VIP Application form and the privilege discounts are readily available for claim once the confirmation of membership is accepted. The issuance of the card depends on its availability, but can be mailed later to the customer’s preferred address. The Chocolate VIP membership card is honored at the Duty Free Fiestamall, Luxe Duty Free, the international airports of Davao, Bacolod, Clark, Iloilo and arrival areas of Naia terminals 1,2,3.

Sports BusinessMirror

A12 Sunday, July 21, 2019

AT the height of his fame, thousands of people would hang out for hours at a hamburger restaurant James Small went to just for a glimpse of him. AP

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph • Editor: Jun Lomibao

ALEXEI HUSLOV | PIXABAY.COM

Cockpit visit instills lessons in politics for young observer a living. We’re thankful there’re cockfights.] For fathers like Manalo and Perez, a cockfight is an alternative source of livelihood to make ends meet. Placing their bets has always been a careful estimate; seldom for fun or entertainment. In every game, there’s always a silent prayer to win because their din of thought is to provide for the family.

Kriscel B. Carandang Contributor

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HE sounds emanating from a cockpit in Batangas brought a sense of haste to Edgardo Manalo and Reynaldo Perez.

Manalo, 56, absent-mindedly fingers the yellow P500 bill in the right pocket of his jeans, worn out and tattered from years of working in construction sites. Perez, 34, notices Manalo’s mannerism and pulls out five P100 bills, crumpled from being handled by strangers’ hands. Their money represented a day’s labor in a construction site two days ago. Their shadows disappear as they enter the cockpit. They pay the full P100 entrance fee to a man manning the till since they didn’t bring a rooster to register in the game, which could have cut the fee to half. Their bodies are immediately hit by the heat and the sound of about 5,000 men shouting all at the same time. It’s a Sunday and, hence, the cockpit is full. According to Manalo, a short man with shoulders bulging with muscles, the owner invites many cock breeders from different towns. Hence, the wooden rafters are filled to the brim. Perez, a tall bald man with prominent cheekbone and a sunny aura, leads Manalo towards the far right corner from the entrance. He walks, broad shoulders swaying as if patrolling a turf, to a spot five meters away from the ring.

Keeping faith

THEY have a distant view of the arena but Manalo said, in a Batangueno accent that seems to taunt a fight, it has always been their spot. They walk past men wearing gold rings and gold chain necklaces—some say they’re fake, some say they’re real—sitting on the first row. Perez leans towards his friend and, pointing to the first row, tells him in Tagalog: “Mark my words, one day we will be sitting there.” The first row of the arena is reserved for big-time gamblers and cockfight aficionados. Their seats are cushioned and only a few inches away from the glass-paneled ring. It’s also the most ventilated spot in the cockpit. Manalo and Perez dissolve in a pool of men who, like them, have skins grew dark after working long hours under a scorching sun. Nearly blocking their view is a man with a round belly jutting out from an undersized blue t-shirt that, like the white towel draped on his right shoulder, is damp with sweat. Manalo arches his furrowed brows, making the three deep lines chiseled on his forehead more pronounced, as he checks the crowd he believes is composed of jeepney or

Everybody loses

IN a backyard cockfighting farm at Barangay Putlod Jaen, Nueva Ecija. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTHUR WIDAK tricycle drivers, stevedores or farmers.

Respect for bets

AFTER a brief survey, Perez whistles and receives a glance from a “Kristo,” the bet-collector standing inside the pit; a middle-aged man with linear physique and keen eyes. His voice is hoarse and raspy. Perez said they are called “Kristo” because they always have their arms spread while trumpeting the bets, thus resembling the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Manalo said cockfighting is “laro ng maginoo” or a gentleman’s game. “If you say you have P1,000, you better have the money to pay back if you lose,” he said in Tagalog. “Bets are cast man to man and payback of the wager is only given after every game. You have to trust the other person has the money and be gentleman enough to bet only on the length of your limb.” Perez cast his stakes early on. It’s the 53rd “sultada” (game of the day) and he bets on what they call a “mayahin,” or a dark-legged rooster. Manalo’s eyes sweep the cocks lined up before his gaze paused on the ‘mananari’ (the gaffers attaching the blade at a cock’s leg) and resuming on the one fighting cock he believes would be a sure winner.

Intensity level

A MINUTE before the match, the cockpit dissolves into indistinct chatter. The Kristos extend their arms to get the bets, shouting “Meron! Wala!, “Posyam!” and “Lodyes!” “Meron! Wala!” is a wager that refers to equal bets. One will gain P 1,000 if one wins or pay back P1,000 if one loses. “Po’siyam!” is a wager of “sampu-siyam.” One gains P1,000 for a win but pays back P900 for a loss. For a “lodyes,” one gains P1,250 for a win but pays back 1,000 for a loss. Everyone is signaling to someone, bargaining with each other before nodding their heads in agreement on the bet. Everyone is shouting; filling the cockpit with noise that, surprisingly, doesn’t descend into chaos. Each fight lasts from 10 seconds to 15 seconds. But in that short time, the anxiety level intensifies as the stakes are high. Eyes are glued on the ring; faces of hardened men painted

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with worry with some growing pale or flushed as cocks exchange kicks. The man in front of Manalo and Perez stands every time the cock he bet on delivers a blow but sits again when the opponent lands one. After each “sultada,” the tension dies down as quickly as it rose after a cock is declared dead or dying; to be thrown on a pile of losers.

Stealing the show

AS time passes by, the air inside turns hazy and sticky. The place is wrapped by the smell of sweat, warm breath and metallic smell of blood from the dead or dying cocks. An announcer calls for a break after half of the scheduled fights are accomplished. Politicians making rounds in town walk inside the ring, each arrival announced over loudspeakers, which also play respective campaign jingles. People like Manalo and Perez count their winnings or losses, oblivious to the parade of politicians spilling promises. One after the other, the congresswoman running for the 4th District of Batangas together with the town candidates introduced themselves and enumerated their plans. But, the men just took a quick look and sit down again. None of them really paid attention. Like other bettors, they weigh whether to stay and try their luck in the other fights or go home. Some troop to the exit, either keeping their streak of luck for the next “sabong” or rejecting the chance of leaving with nary a centavo for fare.

Coping with reality

FROM P500, Perez now had P3,000 while Manalo, P2,500. Pleased with their earnings, they were able to breathe easy and head for the exit. A politician continued to sell her image as pro-development, pro-poor and pro-change leader. Perez said he might just be able to bring home a kilo of beef for stew at dinner. Manalo said he now has money to pay for his eldest son’s graduation fee. But a gambler is a gambler: the two men returns to their spot inside the cockpit. “Kagaya kasi manok, tandang eh mahirap sadya gang parang isang kahig isang tuka, totoong pasasalamat na la’ang at may sabong,” Manalo said. [Like the cocks, the chickens, we scrape by for JULY 21, 2019

ROOSTERS crow in the first light of dawn and men like Manalo and Perez get up early in the morning. Roosters scratch the ground all day while Manalo and Perez risk breaking their backs carrying sacks of gravel and cement from daylight to dusk. After seeing their calloused hands and weary shoulders from everyday toil, no one can say they’re lazy. The truth is, there’s just really never enough money for us to get by, Manalo said. They’re thankful they have jobs in the construction but they said it’s only good until the end of summer. They’re not gainfully employed and they have no job security so they have no choice but to rely on immediate source of money. Inside the cockpit, they’re convinced there’s a “Kristo” that can save them. “Mantakin mo’t basa na sa pawis ang iyong brief sa paghahalo ng semento bago’y P500 lang makukuha mo sa maghapon. Eh dito sa simburyo mabilis laang,” Perez said. [Imagine your underwear is soaked in sweat mixing cement all day only to get P500. Here in the cockpit, you earn money faster.] After the break, all the remaining matches finished in a matter of minutes. It’s a tiring 15 second-cycle of chatter, nervous whispers and betting on cocks. In the end, Manalo stopped after P1,800 in earnings while Perez was unfortunately left with only P400.

Last hope

IT’S past eight in the evening and two men exit the cockpit for a ride back home. They’re waiting in a nearby shed, which was adorned with posters of vote-seekers. Two men entered and left the cockpit at the same time but anyone can tell only one is eager to get home. Perez leans on the lone lamppost, which wraps him and a portion of the road near the bus stop in dim yellow. He absent-mindedly fingers the cash in the right pocket of his jeans, which is now almost white with daily use. He shakes his head, maybe cursing himself for that last bet that saw his winnings disappear. However, Perez said he will return to the cockpit to attempt to recoup the money he lost. Perhaps, he will finally be able to bring home a kilo of meat. The sad truth is, their uncertain faith on the cockpit appeals more real than the dashing promises any politician could give them. Kriscel B. Carandang is an incoming junior student under the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism program of the College of Mass Communications at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Carandang’s contribution, originally titled “Two roosters’ story,” was in fulfillment of the requirements in her Introduction to Journalism class.

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MUSIC

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IDLE EYES SHARES

THEIR ‘BITTER WORK’

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by Rick Olivares

USTRALIAN melodic hardcore band Idle Eyes played their first ever international gig in Manila last week at Mow’s courtesy of indie promoter Sleeping Boy Collective. “(Singapore hardcore band) False Plaintiff (who they were with touring Southeast Asia) are sort of our best friends having played with them around Australia for a while now. We hung out and shared some beers and bonded over music as well.

They asked us if we wanted to do shows in their backyard and we agreed,” said Idle Eyes vocalist Shah Latip. The band was also celebrating the first anniversary of their powerful debut album, Bitter Work, which in this writer’s

opinion, can stand nicely to any Touche Amore and Pianos Become the Teeth album. “Most of the lyrics were written during a difficult time in my life when my family was falling apart and I was stuck not knowing what to do,” added Latip.

“Writing about what was going on gave me an opportunity to get everything off my chest. ‘Bitter Work’—that bassist Alex Barley came up with for a song title— was something I had to do and it Continued on page 5

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JULY 21, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

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JANAH ZAPLAN LAUNCHES

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by Leony R. Garcia

EVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Janah Zaplan, is grateful for the support of her family and friends and for all the blessings she received as a new recording artist.

She has emerged as a serious artist in the local music scene in 2018 when she released “Di Ko Na Kaya” and “Mahal Na Kita” which was distributed by Ivory Music & Video on online platforms such as iTunes, Spotify and AmazonMP3. She also performed in the 1st Catwalk Philippines’s

Finals, Aliw Awards and as a Featured New Artist in Wish 107.5 Bus at SM by the Bay. An Aliw Awardee as Best New Female Artist 2018 and was nominated as New Female Reocrding Artist of the Year at the PMPC Star Awards for Music. Janah also had her first major

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SIC ON PRINT

NEW SINGLE, MUSIC VIDEO concert at the Music Museum. 2019 is poised to be a bigger year for Janah. With the release of her very first English song, “More Than That”, written and produced by award-winning record producer Paulo Zarate, Janah is set to conquer bigger audience. “I want an English song this time so that I can reach out to other territories and hopefully they can enjoy my music too”, said Janah. On July 6, Janah serenaded and inspired her audience at the launch of the single and video of “More That That” at the Farmers Plaza, Araneta Center in Quezon City. Janah said it her new single is her gift to her fans, as she celebrated her birthday the following day. The music video was officially launched on July 7 in all digital platforms. In Janah’s own words, “More Than That” is a song that inspires people to show who they really are, that we are more than what they all know. “May ibubuga pa at hindi lang kami basta-basta gumagaya sa iba.” “More Than That” boasts of contemporary pop arrangement with that infectious beat and hook that will surely capture today’s music enthusiasts. Vocally, Janah showcases her immense ability not just in ballads but also in beat-laden songs. Indeed, Janah has come a long way since her stint on Eat Bulaga’s Music Hero The Vocal Battle. “All I want to say is thank you everyone for supporting me especially my family and my friends. Thank you for the support, care and love. My dream for my singing career is slowly shaping up,“Janah said. Now available on digital format worldwide, “More Than That” is expected to catapult Janah Zaplan into greater heights, proving that she is the country’s Millennial Pop Princess.

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was almost bittersweet.” Bitter Work, which the band self-released, pummels the listener with 11 powerful songs that ease on the gas pedal once in a while to allow the raw emotions some repose after which the band launches into a new barrage of ferocity. “The moments when we ease off on the pedal are where we want those words and emotions you felt to sink in; a momentary pause for reflection,” noted guitarist Alex Kaw. It is the band that also takes stock of where they are in the calm before the storm at Mow’s. Idle Eyes are caught off guard that they do have fans outside their native Perth (they will be playing in Malaysia and Singapore in this short tour). “These songs were written not only for us, but a close circle of friends,” pointed out drummer Max Taylor. “When we hear from people from other countries, it comes as a surprise because we really don’t expect much. It is a pleasant surprise to have fans across the globe.” “And that is why we are excited for this tour,” added guitarist James Langlands. “It

isn’t only for the experience, but also meeting the fans and seeing what it is like out there. No doubt, this experience will find its way into our next work.” Although it was a lean Thursday crowd at Mow’s, Idle Eyes made sure they didn’t slacken one iota on the intensity. “The songs were written over a two-year period and a year after the album was released, they mean a bit differently to us now,” summed up Latip. “We sing them a bit differently now

also because we are different form when we first recorded this music. the songs were written during a dark period in my life and this has helped me cope and move on.” “The best part of making this music, coming to the Philippines and talking to the fans—and I am sure we will also have the same experience in Malaysia and Singapore—is hearing from the fans how much the music means to them.” “It makes the ‘Bitter Work’ all worth it.”

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JULY 21, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

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MUSIC ON PRINT

SoundSampler | by Tony M. Maghirang

Give it up for Baroness, The Stray Cats, and OPM Compilations featuring Bulacan Indie, Pinoy Electronica Something swell can still be said of the Marlboro Country reverb in “Desperado” and the “All Shook Up” frolic of “That’s Messed Up”. It’s tempting to describe the album as a reminder of the classic sounds of Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry. It’s better to say the ‘40’ album to be a stunning work in a time of diminishing returns from dumb going dumber pop idols.

bearable. The somber subject matter in “Tourniquet” is etched on a bed of uplifting grunge and dark Goth maneuvers. Laidback almost dreamy atmospherics permeate “Emmett Radiating Light” while “Broken Halo” gallops on a thrash-era Metallica crash and burn. Baroness simply mined the gold in them darn grey hills.

STRAY CATS 40

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HIRTY years after their surprise breakthrough, neo-rockabilly champs The Stray Cats reunite for another go-round with a crisper, younger revision of hillbilly roots music. The Cats introduced this corner to Elvis Presley’s “Sun Sessions” which ranks as one of the greatest debuts of all time. With their own first release, The Stray Cats attempted to replicate both the tough side of the young Elvis (“Rumble in Brighton” as “Good Rocking Tonight”) and Presley’s passionate side (“Stray Cat Strut” as “That’s All Right” revisited). Well, Sun Sessions’ hillbilly edge has been definitely smoothened in the modern studio yet the rockabilly twang remained the same as the Stray Cats rocked their way to the top in the new wave ‘80s. The key to the Cats’ enduring appeal is guitarist/ vocalist Brian Setzer whose chops recall the mighty Scottie Moore, a favorite Elvis sideman. Add the fact that their sound went against the grain of a synth-driven decade and the Stray Cats became beloved outsiders in the pre-millennial music scene. Titled ’40,’ the Cats’ post-millennium recording should reflect the maturity that comes with getting on with age and musical ability. But no sirree. Their new album snaps, twists and twangs like they never went away. It only means that the trio of drummer Slim Jim Phantom, bassist Lee Rocker and ace guitarist Brian Setzer are steeped in the primordial traditions of rockabilly. Millennials and aficionados alike will be charmed to the bone by the toe-tapping Jerry Lee Lewis goodness of “Rock It Off” and “Cry Danger”.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Oneroots ​/​2019 Bulacan Compilation

BARONESS Gold & Grey

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LUDGE metal isn’t something that quickly turns up on the lips of most heavy music fans. It probably has little to do with the stinky connotation of sludge and more with the subgenre’s tinnitus inducing cocktail of hardcore punk, grunge and progressive rock. Furthermore, as originally conceived by bands like Mastodon, sludge metal has a Southern rock accent with its see-you-in-hell quirk. In previous color-themed albums (e.g. Red, Purple, Yellow & Green), the four piece ensemble Baroness based in Georgia, USA balanced feelings of joy with self-hatred by calibrating their metal assault to the intensity of the emotions they meant to impart. On their latest recording, rumored to be the last of their color-coded releases, Baroness go full tilt on selfconsuming immolation such that the song titles alone like “I’m Already Gone,” “Throw Me An Anchor” and the closer, “Pale Sun” already reveal a fixation with death. The proverbial ‘They looked into the void and the void looked back’ conjures the bleakness of “Gold & Grey”. At 15 songs, it should be an excruciating descent into the abyss. Yet, God bless their creative souls, rather than chaotic, Baroness makes the journey beautifully

VARIOUS ARTISTS Tropical Diskoral Vol. 1 (Compilations offer s snapshot of the various facets of a music genre, a scene like punk and metal or a foretaste of what’s new in a record label. Unlike the single artist focus of a greatest hits release, a sampler is the quickest way to gain an appreciation of as many acts in one sitting.)

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HEN there’s the thrill of finding a gem or two in a hodgepodge of aspiring fresh talents. OneRoots/2019 is the first of series of collections featuring Bulacan-based artists. Given

the proximity of the province to Metro Manila, it’s a safe bet to assume that urban contemporary OPM would be its guiding sound. The blurb that accompanies the compilation says it reflects the diversity and blend envisioned by the founder of One Roots Records. He must have eclectic musical tastes since the 10 acts on the Bulacan sampler display an intelligent command of the nuances of hard rock and roots reggae. The featured music-makers mostly slide towards the indie side of OPM but without losing the appeal of ready for primetime adulation. In “2000 Miles Away”, guitarist Archie Sanchez aspires for Wally Gonzales’s transcendence meshing post-rock and progressive tendencies on a shifting foundation of thundering grunge. Katrina’s “One Last Memory” starts on a folk rock note then goes dark along the way unsheathing a Gothic creepiness entwined in lyrics that go; “Just one more try and we will touch the sky.” Plumartin does reggae putting some spin on ‘buhay talangka’ while Ian Faundo brings a contemporary luster to old school ska formerly known as cumbachero. Ey’s Watawat rounds out the proceedings on a proto-nationalist roar for today’s battered and bloodied Pinoys. Another new compilation, Tropical Diskoral Volume 1, is a project of Unos, a Filpina DJ/producer based in Belgium. She put out the album in time for this year’s Philippine Independence Day celebration in her adopted country. The accompanying liner notes talk of a sonic investigation into new electronic music from the Philippines to the wider diaspora. The ‘new’ part is a bit a stretch because only the discofied shenanigans of Tarsius, the ethnic fusion of Like Animals and the post-punk collage of Ube Jam should sound fresh to pre-millennial electronica-fried eardrums of international audiences. Of course, the neo-soul voice of Lustbass and BP Valenzela’s throwback ‘50s croon come as a surprise too but only as natural contrasts to their prefab electronic settings. The next installment of Tropical Diskoral should be able to draw out equally interesting electronica outside of Imperial Manila’s indie circuit.

PSEUDO RED’S FIRST-EVER ALBUM NOW OUT IN THE MARKET Submillennial alternative pop-rock band Pseudo Red, led by singer/songwriter Red Cabrera on vocals, along with Anthony “Miniong” Cervantes of Siakol, premier guitarist Igiboy Bilolo guitars, Bencil Balog on bass and the 2018 Tribal Wear Dutdutan Drum Duel Grand Champion Carlo Gutierrez on drums, released their first-ever EP under Synergy Music Corp. and produced by Lam Entertainment Music. The five-track EP includes the hit single “Kapag Tumila Ang Ulan”, “Nais Ko”, “Sau”, “Handang Maghintay” and “Kung Alam Mo Lang”. Pseudo Red’s EP is now available on Spotify, Itunes, Deezer and other digital downloading sites.

Malaysia to add 50% more voters as PM Mahathir lowers age limit

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ALAYSIA could have 50 percent more voters in the next election as it’s set to let those as young as 18 cast their ballots.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad won support from opposition lawmakers, getting the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution and lower the voting age to 18, from 21. The bill also allows for automatic voter registration, meaning the next 2023 election could see 22.7 million voters, compared with 14.9 million in last year’s historic polls. “The government has reviewed

the voting age and found that political awareness has risen among the youth in general,” said Mahathir, who turned 94 last week. “We also appreciate the bipartisan action taken for the sake of the country.” The bill’s approval is a win for Mahathir’s coalition, whose previous attempt to amend the constitution was thwarted by the opposition. This time, the government secured the backing of all 211

lawmakers present at the time, out of the total 222, to fulfill its campaign pledge. The ruling coalition revised the bill to include the opposition’s request for automatic registration and to let 18-year-olds contest for parliamentary seats. The bill is pending the approval of the senate and the king, known as the Yang diPertuan Agong, before coming into force.

‘True Kingmakers’

YOUTH and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 26 and Malaysia’s youngest ever cabinet member, led the motion to lower the voting age. He said last year that younger voters

were “the true kingmakers” in the 2018 election that saw the country’s first change of government. About 75 percent of youths backed Mahathir’s coalition, pollster Merdeka Center estimated in 2018. Malaysia’s high youth unemployment rate, at 10.8 percent compared with the national rate of 3.3 percent, is set to remain a key political issue. During the debate, opposition lawmakers still sought more clarity on the bill’s impact. That included whether any action would be taken to improve voter education and turnout, and if registered voters would be penalized for not casting their ballot. Bloomberg News

Young academic pits himself vs warlords in Afghanistan poll

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ASTING himself against Afghanistan’s entrenched political elite and powerful warlords, Faramarz Tamanna is looking to galvanize a new generation of voters who have lived through near constant conflict since the American invasion 18 years ago.

a Kabul-based think tank. Tamanna has “failed to create a grand coalition with corrupt and powerful warlords who still hold great support within ethnic lines,” said Ahmad Shokur, a senior member of the Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society in Kabul. “It will be quite tough for him to win.” So far Tamanna, an ethnic Tajik who holds two PhDs in political science from Iran and India, has pledged to improve security and create jobs. He blamed a grinding stalemate between the Taliban and the US-backed forces and government in Kabul on flawed peace policies in Washington that are “wrong and do not work” as Afghanistan’s government has largely been kept out of direct talks.

Taliban negotiations FARAMARZ Tamanna. BLOOMBERG

The 42-year-old academic and chancellor of the University of Afghanistan is pitching his outsider credentials to the country’s war-weary youth and is the youngest of 18 presidential candidates vying for office ahead of a Sept. 28 election. What Tamanna lacks in ties to Afghan patronage networks, he hopes to make up by drawing support from first-time voters and an educated urbanized population he says are tired of conflict, economic insecurity and ethnic division. About half of the country’s 35 million people were born around 2001, when the Taliban’s regime was ousted by the US and its allies. “My supporters are not racially or ethnically affiliated to any fascist political parties run by previous corrupt generations that have shuttered our beautiful nation,” Tamanna, who has held multiple civil service and diplomatic posts, said in an interview at his office in the elite

neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan in Kabul.

Ruthless candidates

TAMANNA faces a tough battle to secure the top job among a crowded field of often ruthless candidates that have long dominated Afghanistan’s political scene. With little reliable polling in the war-torn country, it’s also hard to gather how much support Tamanna is drawing among over 18s, who are due to cast their ballot for the first time. The poll has twice been delayed by the country’s Independent Election Commission due to security and technical issues. Still, it’s clear his campaign is cutting through with some young voters. “We’re sick of warlords or corrupt officials who have damaged our image in the world,” said Jawid Azizi, 21, an economics student at Kabul University who plans to vote for Tamanna. “A fresh mind with new

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ideas has to come into politics.” Fellow student Nadeem Qurbanjo, 20, agreed. “The modern Afghanistan with its educated generation deserves to vote for someone who values education not corruption, who can develop our country, but not bring disaster,” Qurbanjo said on Tuesday in Kabul. After the delay, the Supreme Court extended current president Ashraf Ghani’s term, supposed to end by May 22, for several months till the next president takes office. His chief rivals include Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who’ve uneasily shared power since the last disputed election five years ago. Also in the running is Haneef Atmar, a former national security adviser. All have support from powerful factions among the two main Pashtun and Tajik ethnic groups and are seen as the leading candidates ahead of the poll, according to the Afghanistan Analysts Network,

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Nevertheless, negotiations between the US and the militant group have taken on greater urgency as Afghanistan heads toward presidential elections, with the US seeking a peace deal with the group before September. The Taliban, which controls or contests about half the country, have increased attacks across Afghanistan as US President Donald Trump looks to end America’s involvement in the 18-year-old war. On July 7, a 50-member delegation of Afghan elites met with Taliban officials in Doha with both sides agreeing to reduce violence. If elected, Tamanna said he would seek a ceasefire and direct negotiations with the Taliban, while creating a “development-oriented” economy through domestic industries, such as agriculture and mining rather than the current “security-oriented” economy. “If we can get jobs for the jobless people security will improve because more than 75 percent of the Taliban, based on our ground research, are fighting for a living,” he said. Bloomberg News

Eyeing young voters, Japan PM Abe takes to Instagram

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S Japan prepares for an upper house election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to have taken a page from social media giants like US President Donald Trump and stepped up his influencer game. Unlike Trump, who favors Twitter, Abe’s format of choice has been Instagram—and his target is the young voters who flock to the platform. Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are trying to grab their attention with slickly produced videos of him on the campaign trail ahead of Sunday’s vote, including posts of the leader meeting constituents and even enjoying local delicacies. Abe isn’t a total beginner when it comes to digital platforms, having been active on other social media sites including Facebook and Twitter even before his

return to power in 2012. But this is his first time using Instagram as he campaigns in a national election. The move gives him the ability to reach millions of young voters— more than 50 percent of Japanese citizens in their 20s use the image-driven platform, which is owned by Facebook Inc., according to a study by the Ministry of Communications. “We think about the youth as liberal and critical of power, but that’s not exactly how it is in Japan,” said Koichi Nakano, a professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo. “The LDP has gotten increasingly confident on its appeal to the youth.”

Social parties

OPPOSITION parties are also embracing social media in their campaigns, trying to keep pace with Abe’s multiple posts a day. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has taken to Twitter to relay its messages, using hashtag slogans including: “This summer I want to change” and “Reiwa Democracy,” which uses Japan’s new imperial era name, announced earlier this year. Yuichiro Tamaki, the leader of Democratic Party for the People and a selfproclaimed YouTuber, has created a channel on which he posts videos about the elections

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and other issues addressed in sessions of Japan’s Diet, or parliament. Young voters tend to back Abe’s LDP in greater numbers than left-leaning opposition parties, a trend that runs counter to most developed democracies, whose younger voters typically support liberal parties over conservatives. Abe’s support among people aged 29 and younger was 52 percent in June 2019—higher than the average of 45 percent across all age groups—according to a survey from the Asahi newspaper. Life has been relatively good under Abe for Japan’s youth, most of whom are far more familiar with him than any other leader. Jobs are available and while unemployment among those ages 15-24 surpassed 20 percent in France and 8.5 percent in the US last year, it was less than 4 percent in Japan, according to the World Bank.

Selfies with Trump

POLLING shows the LDP will be Sunday’s big winner. The number of young people who participate could be a measure of the new digital media strategies’ effectiveness. In the last five upper house elections, the voter turnout rate among those in their 20s

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was the lowest of any age group. Initial posts on Abe’s Instagram after its 2017 debut included staid photos of his meetings with world leaders. In recent months, the images have become more candid—there’s even a smiling selfie with Trump when they golfed together during the US leader’s visit in May. After the election, Abe and his party may look to social media to build support for a possible referendum on constitutional change, Nakano said. Abe’s long-held goal is to make the first revisions to Japan’s pacifist constitution since it was enacted with US backing in the aftermath of World War II. The LDP-led block is expected to win at least 70 of the 124 seats up for grabs, a Kyodo News poll released this week showed. Abe and other proponents of constitutional change would have to win 85 of the contested seats to secure the two-thirds majority needed to advance any revisions. “Platforms like Instagram and Twitter are not exactly tools for debate, but for relaying short messages,” Nakano said. “They may be trying to get some sense of what kind of media strategy might work if the referendum were to happen.” Bloomberg News