C hinese N ew Year 2020
To new beginnings… By Jobe R. Garcia
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S WE end the Lunar New Year with a bang, let us revisit the brief history of the Lunar New Year and how it syncretized with our culture and traditions. It all started during the Shang Dynasty wherein people would offer sacrificial gifts to gods and ancestors. The practice soldiered on through the Zhou Dynasty and it was also during this period where a lion-like beast called Nian made its first foray into historic records. Based on folklore, Nian would ascend from the sea every year to extirpate people, so people would hide in clandestine locations. But despite the nefariousness of this narrative, there is a profound assurance that the lion-like
beast is afraid of loud sounds and the color red – its “Achilles Heel” so to speak. Now you know why fireworks and the color red are instrumental in celebrating the Chinese New Year. Lion dances, on the other hand, is the re-enactment of how Nian was sent back to the sea. (Bye bye!) Just a little trivia. Dishes that have fish on it, are a must on the table during Chinese New Year. Why? According to Culture Trip, Continued on D2
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Of mooncakes and red envelopes By Jobe R. Garcia WE WOULD be ringing in the New Year (once again) in the Philippines by the 25th of January. Aside from your typical global celebration of New Year’s eve at the end of December, a group called the Tsinoys or a fusion of Filipinos and Chinese has this celebration called Lunar New Year. This year, 2020, we would be ushering in the Year of the Metal Rat. So much for Racumins, Pest Reject and other types of pest control. In the 15th century, there was an emergence of Chinese presence in the country during the Galleon Trade. According to Wu Jiewei, Deputy Dean of the School of Foreign Languages and professor of the Southeast Asian Cultural Studies, the first products included in the trade were kamote or sweet potato and tobacco between the East and West coasts of the Pacific from Manila to Acapulco. Thanks to the proclamation of Former President Benigno Aquino III, the Lunar New Year has now been integrated into our list of national holidays, stating that “this is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who Continued on D2
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Of mooncakes... From D1
have been part of our lives in many aspects as a country and as a people.” If Fiesta Hams and Queso de Bolas are the stars of the show during the Christmas season, in this case, Tikoy, a tasty treat made out of sticky rice spearheads the festivity. It would hit the shelves from January to February (but in the case of my favorite nearby Chinese store, which carries the purple color motif, it is on sale all year round). Next off, Red Envelopes! Aaahhh, you can’t call the Lunar New Year a Lunar New Year if this little item is bereft in the equation. We all know that the color red in Chinese is considered as a lucky color, so proves the culture of inserting fresh-
To new... From D1
“Eating fish is meant to ensure that abundance will carry into the new year.” (Nothing wrong with eating fish all the time. It’s super healthy and yes it would ensure a person’s longevity in this world…. well… of course except some, like Tilapia). Dried scallops, if you will, are also served on every table during this celebration because of a close resemblance of Chinese coins. On the aspect of how the Philippines integrated the celebration into its own slate of holidays, it all started in 2012 as a non-working holiday, by a virtue of Proclamation No. 295 under the former administration of Former President Benigno Aquino III. The said proclamation states that this “is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country
C hinese N ew Year 2020
smelling peso bills inside the ANG PAO. (When was the last time you’ve received an ANG PAO from your Ninongs and Ninangs?) Lastly, would be the iconic Dragon and Lion Dance. According to the website, chinahighlights.com, “The lion symbolizes power, wisdom and superiority. People perform lion dances at Chinese festivals or big occasions to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits.” while according to the National Library of Singapore, “the dragon dances are believed to have control over water, rain, hurricanes, and floods. They also represent power, strength and good luck and blessings for the community.” To our friends at the FilipinoChinese community, Kiong Hee Huat Tsai/ Kung Hei Fat Choi/ Gong Xi Fa Cai! and as a people.” It is said that the former president’s nod to the latter is an affirmation to his ancestry, the Cojuangcos – (from his matriarch), who are Filipino-Chinese, too. Some prominent businessmen here in our country are FilipinoChinese, say, for instance, the late George S.K. Ty, founder and chairman of Metrobank, the late John Gokongwei, founder and chairman of JG Summit Holdings and mall magnate, Tony Tan Caktiong, owner of Jollibee Foods Corporation, Emilio Yap, owner of the Manila Bulletin, Lucio Tan, owner of Philippine Airlines and Philippine National Bank and Andrew Tan, chairman of Megaworld Corporation just to name a few… Of course, Chinese New Year in the Philippines would not meet its fruition if Filipinos would not pay a visit to Binondo to savor those yummy treats like Tikoy and other Chinese foods and goodies. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
By Peter Paul Duran
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HREE days from now, we welcome the Year of the Metal Rat as we celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year on January 25, 2020. Of course, as part of our yearly tradition to come up with credible CNY content, we hied to an upscale mall in Quezon City to talk with our resident Feng Shui expert about things to do to attract prosperity this coming 2020. “Just think positive, salubungin ang Year of the Rat nang bukas ang utak at maghanda, magsaya,” said Master Willie Ang in a chat with Manila Standard back in December. In our lengthy talk with the energetic Feng Shui expert of 20+ years, his counsel boils down to two words, good karma. “Ang mahalaga huwag magsalita ng negative, maging madasalin, ngumiti parati, ‘yan pinakaimportante. Maging
Master Willie Ang: Think positive in 2020
Master Willie Ang reads the palm of Manila Standard Operations Head Anita F. Grefal
positibo tayo sa lahat ng gagawin natin, sa kapwa, kahit sa sarili,” he added. Master Ang, as he is referred to by his contemporaries and clients, is a certified Feng Shui expert since 1998 and built his career in the mid-2000s through straight-to-the-point and often-
Master Willie Ang’s Charms Kiosk at the UP Town Center
times even crass style of giving advice. “Ako prangka ako, hindi ako mahilig mambola. Hindi katulad ng ibang Feng Shui expert diyan na dadaanin ka sa pananalita nila para makuhaan ka lang ng pera,” he said matter-of-factly, as he always does.
We say this for a reason. Asked what can people expect from the Year of the Metal Water Rat, Ang said the coming year presents a multitude of problems for us to face, but assures that luck will always come to those who persevere. “Ang inaasahan nating positive, nasa tao na lang kung masipag. Ngayong Year of the Rat kasi masalimuot, maraming problema,” said Ang. “Ayaw ko naman sabihin sa inyo na maraming positive kasi alam kong maraming negative,” he added as he pointed out that he sees tensions rising in politics in the coming year as well as problems pertaining to our agriculture sector. He also said that earthquakes will shake parts of the country and that everyone should be ready for these natural disasters. “Ako naman ang prayer ko kay Lord sana mali ang hula ko. Hindi din naman ako ‘yung tipo na nagsi-celebrate pa kapag tama ang hula. Sino naman may gusto ng calamity, ‘di ba?” he explained. Furthermore, he told Manila Standard that in spite of the challenges people might face this coming 2020, positivity is still key in holding out the headwinds we may encounter. “Sa pagsalubong ninyo sa darating na Jan. 25, huwag paiiyakin ang anak, walang iiyak dapat sa bahay, kailangan masaya lang lahat. Ang suot dapat pulang-pula. Iba pa rin ang nagagawa ng pag-welcome ng New Year nang masaya,” said Ang.
Mobile technologies help reduce carbon emissions and address climate change The mobile industry is one of many key sectors playing a crucial role in addressing the challenge of climate change. While Globe and other telecom operators outside the country already committed to reducing their own carbon emissions, they also contribute significantly to the reduction of carbon emissions by other industries through connectivity and behavior change. A new GSMA report produced in collaboration with The Carbon Trust, an independent sustainability specialist, assessed the enablement impact of mobile communication technology at a global scale. It showed that the use of mobile technology enabled a global reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of around 2,135 million tonnes carbon dioxide (CO2e) in 2018. The emissions savings were almost ten times greater than the global carbon footprint of the mobile industry itself. The Carbon Trust examined 14 markets around the world to form a representative sample of the ‘enablement effect’ of the mobile sector’s ability to reduce emissions. The results indicate an even split between Machineto-Machine (M2M)/Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and those through behavior changes from the personal use of smartphones. The majority of avoided emissions from M2M technologies are primarily in buildings, transport, manufacturing and energy – sectors that make up a large portion of global GHG emissions. On the other hand, personal smartphone usage encourages behaviors like reducing travel for commuting and for leisure, increasing use of public transport by using apps providing real-time updates, sharing accommodations for short stays and holidays, and reducing travel by use of mobile shopping and mobile banking apps.
Meanwhile, Tom Delay, CEO of the Carbon Trust said: “Climate change requires a collective effort across governments, businesses and civil society if we are going to succeed in limiting global temperature increases to within 1.5 degrees. This analysis shows the positive role that mobile technology is playing in the evolution of other sectors and is a great example of what is possible.”
Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer said, “The impact of mobile The report provided a high-level analysis of six categories of enabling technologies in response to climate change, encourages innovation and mechanisms, with the following results: smart living, working and health hastens the digital transformation of industries and nations.” (39% of total avoided emissions in 2018), smart transport and cities (30%), smart manufacturing (11%), smart buildings (10%), smart energy (7%), and “As we venture further into the 4th Industrial Revolution, Globe redoubles its smart agriculture (3%). efforts to deepen the adoption of existing and emerging mobile technologies such as data connectivity, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and IoT for The GSMA is working with participating operators and partnering with the good,” she added. international community, climate experts and third-party organisations to advance industry progress, establish best practices, and support disclosure Globe recently became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and target setting. The work forms part of the industry’s journey to support showing its strong commitment to implement universal sustainability the delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically principles. SDG #13 on Climate Action. As part of Singtel Group, Globe joined more than 50 mobile operators from The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting all over the world in a major GSMA-led initiative to develop a mobile industry more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, climate action roadmap that will create a decarbonization pathway for the equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in mobile sector by February next year. The end-goal is to achieve net-zero GHG adjacent industry sectors. emissions by 2050 to reduce the risks and harmful effects of climate change. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
C hinese N ew Year 2020
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MASTER ANG FENG SHUI CHINESE HOROSCOPE 2020 .
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The playful rat at SM accessories kids, Toy Kingdom & Miniso Mickey and Minnie Mouse lead the celebrations in their Chinese inspired costumes. Available at Toy Kingdom.
ACCORDING to Chinese philosophy, the Rat is a symbol of prudence: an inquisitive, brisk animal that rarely finds itself in a desperate situation. The child of the Rat Year fully enjoys these positive qualities of this animal: curiosity, restraint, hard work, insight, a sharp mind, and a strong intuition. Children of the Rat may appear to be modest and shy, but are actually calm kids with bright leadership qualities and strong initiatives. The Rat girl is sweet and charming; while the Rat boy is a born leader who can translate the boldest ideas into reality. SM Accessories Kids, Toy Kingdom and Miniso welcome Chinese New Year by celebrating the child in each of us with adorable plush toys. SM Accessories Kids has a collection of cute, lovable, and huggable plush toys and novelty items that will make New Year playtime lots of fun. At Toy Kingdom, Disney’s wellloved Mickey Mouse leads the way along with pretty pastel colored rat
plushies in soft tulle skirts. Miniso, on the other hand, has cuddly and fluffy hamster inspired plush toys to more love and luck this Chinese New Year. Bring home warm hugs, joy, charm and lots of luck with these cute and adorable little rats available at SM Accessories Kids department of The SM Store, Toy Kingdom and Miniso stores located in most SM Supermalls nationwide.
Welcome the Year of the Rat with cheerful hearts at SM Accessories Kids.
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‘Don’t buy things you don’t need’ By Peter Paul Duran
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S THE Year of the Pig ends, we celebrate the auspicious entry of the Year of the Metal Water Rat this coming Chinese Lunar New Year on January 25, 2020.
Contrary to popular belief, the change of year does not mean the same when it comes to your lucky charms, at least according to Manila Standard’s resident Feng Shui expert. “Huwag kayo bili nang bili. Kapag hindi ninyo naman kailangan at kapag alam mo puwede pang gamitin at gusto pa gamitin, gamitin niyo pa rin,” said Master Willie Ang in an interview recently. “Problema kase ang tao, every year palit nang palit ng lucky charms,” he added. Manila Standard sought Master Ang for a second straight year and asked for his take on the Feng Shui industry. He shared some pretty revealing stuff, one thing you can expect from this frank Feng Shui expert. “Walang katotohanan ang sinasabi ng ibang lucky charm stores na kailangan every year magpapalit. Nonsense, hindi totoo ‘yun,” he said. He said that some charm store owners may coax people to buy bracelets, figurines, and what not by saying that it’s a different year and a different zodiac sign. This gives these opportunist business people to say for a need to change all lucky charms to unsuspecting buyers. “It’s just nonsense. Bakit? Niloloko lang kayo nu’n. Alam ko ‘yan kase mayroon akong lucky charm store at
feng shui expert din ako,” Ang explained. “Alam ko ang totoo at ginagawa lang nila ‘yan for business.” “Kung tutuusin nga dapat ganoon din sasabihin ko kase may business ako nu’n. Pero sa social media, sa guestings ko, sasabihin ko hinde, ‘pag hindi kailangan bakit ka bibili,” he added. “Walang manloloko kung walang nagpapaloko.” Above it all, he says that this is the reason why some people lose faith in their profession because of some bad apples among their ranks. He says his goal is to show feng shui experts in a good light and be respected in their field. “Ang gusto ko lang makita kami na nirerespeto, makita kami na totoo kami,” said Ang. “Ang trabaho namin ay hindi naiiba sa mga lawyers, sa doctors, kasi ang work namin ay according to science, hindi kame nambobola at honest,” he continued. “Payo ko lang sa tao ay alamin din ang kausap nilang feng shui expert, alamin ang opisina, alamin nila ang credentials,” he added. Ang, a feng shui expert for two decades now, says that even though he wishes people to respect his chosen profession, it starts from the feng shui expert themselves to show that they are indeed worthy of respect. “Ang respeto nanggagaling din dapat sa aming experts, paano kami irerespeto kung nakikita ninyo nagsisisigaw kame, may kulay buhok namin, nagsusuot ng damit na hindi bumabagay sa personalidad namin as feng shui expert, tapos nagsasasayaw ka pa sa TV,” he said. “Seryosong gawain ito. Ito ay according sa buhay ng tao at pinagdadaraan ng tao at kapalaran. Huwag mo binibiro ang preofession na ito. Kapag ganoon ka hindi ka totoo.”