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Senator Miriam Santiago keynotes a gathering of pro-RH Catholics at the University of the Philippines at Diliman. MANNY PALMERO

Maverick Miriam.

Nothing wrong with RH

Santiago trains gun on CBCP, politicians
By Maricel V. Cruz

Sunday
Vol. I No. 12 12 Pages, 1 Section

MST

P18.00 SUNDAY, September 16, 2012

The Sunday Edition of ManilaStandardTODAY

ENATOR Miriam DefensorSantiago on Saturday took potshots at some politicians and Catholic Church leaders for blocking the passage of the reproductive health bill even as lawmakers continued to bicker over whether they could muster support to see the measures approval in October.
Keynoting a gathering of proRH Catholics at the UP Diliman, Santiago said there was nothing wrong with the bill and reproductive health itself. Its not a sin to plan a family. Theres nothing wrong with keeping a man and her wife informed, said the senator, who has openly clashed with the Aquino administration on such issues as the impeachment of former chief justice Renato Corona and lately, the P1-b gun contract involving former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno. The senator also told her audience in the Catholic Womens and Mens RH Fair organized by Catholics for Reproductive Health (C4RH), that politicians who believe that there is a socalled Catholic vote are misinformed. Akala nila may Catholic vote. Di naman napatunayan na may boto ang Katoliko e, dahil Catholics have always insisted on freedom of conscience. (They thought there is such a thing as a Catholic vote. There is no proof on that, because Catholics have always insisted on freedom of conscience). Santiago said even the Catholic Church does not consider the anti-RH teaching as infallible but looks at it as a doctrine that can change over time. She also stressed that Catholics enjoy freedom of conscience. She added that the RH bill adheres to Liberation Theologys preferential option for the poor. She said Catholic support for the bill was a response to the sign of the times, and if Catholic churches do not listen to their parishioners who are for RH regarding their thoughts on the measure, they have failed in their moral duty to listen to the laitys voice. Santiago said the RH bill had been languishing for over ten years and urged her fellow lawmakers to take a courageous stand in nally passing the measure. After her speech, several members of the C4RH formed a human chain of the letters RH while holding white balloons. The group also held a unity prayer to renew and strengthen their resolve to push for the RH bills passage.
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Karen leaves Metro Manila under water

OVERNIGHT rains induced by typhoon Karen inundated parts of Metro Manila on Saturday, snarling trafc in some areas although the situation this time was not as bad as last month when monsoon rains spawned massive ooding. Several schools in Metro Manila on Saturday suspended classes due to the oods. Hard hit were the cities of Quezon, Manila and San Juan. Disaster ofcials said there were no casualties in Metro Manila but said a 70-year-old sherman was found dead late Friday in eastern Leyte. Last last August, 92 people were killed after an unusually heavy monsoon rains battered Metro Manila, Luzon and some parts of Visayas. Thousands of commuters were stranded as major thoroughfares such as E. Rodriguez corner General Araneta in Quezon City, Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. And Espana Blvd in Manila became inaccessible to vehicles because of waist-deep ood. All PNR railway commuter trips were cancelled. Ten domestic ights of Cebu Pacic and Zest Air were cancelled. We have some areas still ooded in Pasig like Pinagbuhatan, Dela Paz, and some areas of Quezon City like E. Rodriguez, Araneta Ave. We have ooded areas in San Juan as well, said Chairman Francis Tolentino of the Metropolitan Manila Development AuthorNext page ity (MMDA).

Flood victims litany of woes

By Macon Ramos Araneta
MANY victims of last months ooding in Bulacan have only their shirts on their backs as their prized possession. With their clothes soaked in mud, they have painstakingly begun to rebuild and carry on with their lives. Street sweeper Marilou Trinidad, 65, has a sad story to tell during an interview with Senator Bongbong Marcos who gave gifts to mark his 55th birthday anniversary. Trinidad says that until now, she has been picking up the pieces from the fragments left by habagats intense rain and severe ooding. We are still removing mud from our clothes... from our pillows. We are still xing everything, the house. The roof leaks everytime it rains, related Trinidad. After losing everything to the ood, Aling Malou said she does not know where to begin. We have no money to repair the house or buy new clothes. What were getting from sweeping the streets are just enough to buy food, said Aling Malou whose husband, Manuel, 58, also cleans the streets for a living. She was also saddened from losing a small television set and the DVD, which they were able to buy from long years of sweeping dirt. Iyon na nga lang ang libangan naming mag-asawa, nawala pa, lamented Aling Malou who said their house literally went under water. Fifty-year old Yolanda Francisco, another streetsweeper, shared the sentiments of Trinidad, her neighbour in Brgy. Banga. While their house has a second oor, Francisco said she and her husband sleep on the ground oor together with their other children and their own families. Next page

Water, water everywhere. (Top photo) Residents go on their daily business amidst ooding which was spawned by typhoon

Karen on Saturday in San Juan City. Below, rescuers paddle a boat to bring a family to higher ground. The rains ooded low-lying areas of Metro Manila, forcing the cancellation of classes and the evacuation of hundreds of residents in affected areas. AP

BUSINESS

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FEATURE A7
GEMMALYN CROSBY

China: PH complicating matters

By Sara D. Fabunan
THE Philippines renaming of a portion of the South China Sea as West Philippine Sea violates the international standardization of geographic names and will not be accepted by the international community, Beijings Foreign Ministry stressed on Saturday. In a statement posted in the Chinese government ofcial web portal, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei stressed that the name South China Sea has long been acknowledged by the international community. The Philippines has also accepted and used this name in the past, Hong said, adding that China has called on the Philippines to stop doing things that would complicate the ongoing disputes in the South China Sea. China has repeatedly urged the Philippines to stop such man-made disputes that complicate the situation in the South China Sea, Hong said.
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ISABEL GATUSLAO PASCUAL GARCIA

From contractual employee to bank president

Not just a beautiful girl, but also very talented

Has beauty, charm, the sultry good looks and the drive to succeed.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

Crackers spark Customs alert

By Joel Zurbano

With the onset of ber months, smuggled items arrive from China, HK
WITH the onset of the ber months preluding the holiday season, Customs operatives are keeping a close watch on anti-social products such as recrackers and substandard Christmas lights, an ofcial said on Saturday.

Imported recrackers are classied as regulated products that require the importers to secure permits from the National Police and these should conform to safety standards set by the government, said Verne Enciso, head of Customs intelligence at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The absence of such a clearance will automatically deem the shipment as contraband subject to seizure, forfeiture and subsequent destruction. Christmas lights are also subjected to safety standards set by the Department of Trade and Industry, an agency which imposes penalties on erring traders. Enciso said teams have been deployed to make sure traders comply with the clearances and permits. Customs intelligence chief Fernandino Tuason issued a memorandum to heighten vigilance against smuggling of recrackers along with highly-dutiable goods such as electronics and clothes as the holidays draw near. Enciso said the CIIS is also monitoring imports for possible misdeclaration or undervaluation, which are common forms of technical smuggling at the ports, The ber months, referring to September until December, are critical because unscrupulous traders will try all means possible to sneak in their contraband. Customs ofcials believed shipments intended for the holiday season will start coming in from China and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Enciso reminded overseas Filipino workers, who intended to return home for the holiday season, to declare their money at the airport to avoid ight delay or seizeure of their money. Enciso said it is illegal for any incoming or outgoing passenger to bring in or out Philippine pesos in excess of P10,000.00 without prior authority from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Violation of this rule may lead to seizure and civil penalties and or criminal prosecution. There will no be no other requirements, or penalty or tax if they would declare their money, said Enciso. In 2009, a Japanese and his Filipino wife were arrested at the Naia for possessing more than P1 million in cash, a violation of the Bangko Sentral rules.

As the holidays draw near, a worker at a store in Manila assembles a variety of Christmas decorations. DANNY PATA

Private armies dismantled, Palace says

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
PRIVATE armies are a thing of the past, Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday. President Aquino had ordered the private armies dismantled even before the death of Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robred, Valte said. The Palace aide issued the statement after Amnesty International Philippines director Aurora Parong demanded the revocation of Executive Order 546, a edict which allegedly sanctioned the use of private armies. The EO 546, series of 2012 does not explicitly allow local government ofcials to have private armies, Valte claried. In fact, one of the earliest directives of the President to the late Secretary Jesse Robredo was to dismantle private armies, which the latter acted upon swiftly, she said. In May, Mr. Aquino ordered Robredo to dismantle 80 private armies in the country, in line with the administrations comprehensive security plan for the upcoming 2013 midterm elections. Valte said that the efforts to break up the private militia in the country are also the directive of Aquino to the incoming DILG chief Manuel Roxas II. The marching orders to incoming DILG Secretary Roxas also include the subject of private armies, She said. Earlier, Parongsaid that even the 168 Mindanao political powers who recently joined the LP, Aquinos political group, are allegedly still maintaining their own private armies in their own posts. The 168 ofcials who recently joined the LP are: the ve provincial governors in ARMM, Mamintal Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, Sakur Tan of Sulu, Sadikul Sahali of Tawi-Tawi and Jum Akbar of Basilan. Two vice governors, 93 mayors, 53 board members, and 11 regional assemblymen also joined the ruling party and took oath on Tuesday. Parong said that private armies were responsible for several incident of attacks during election period and other human rights abuses in the country for several years now. Her group reiterated its call for improved support to witnesses and victims families of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre. She noted the big gap in the witness protection program of the Philippine government, at least in relation to the massacre case. She explained that many witnesses are to be processed for the WPP. She said that three witnesses and three relatives of the victims who have direct involvement to the case have been killed. We hope the Witness Protection Act will be amended very soon to include better support system for the witnesses and victims families, she stressed. Aside from the amendment of the Witness Protection Act, she said that the government should also support nancially and conduct a psychological counselling among the victims families to see the psychological and emotional impact of the gruesome Magundanao massacre. Not just small nancial assistance but psychological counseling also, Parong said, explaining that the families should get support since they are the ones who would ultimately push for the resolution of the case. She said that the Amnesty International would continuously monitor the developments of the case to ensure that the criminal justice system is competent and resources are adequate to ensure speedy resolution of the case. On Nov. 23, 2009, 57 people, 32 of them were journalists who were killed and dumped in a mass grave on a hillside in the town of Ampatuan. Leaders of the powerful Ampatuan clan have been charged with the killings. The clans private army and members of the local police and military are likewise implicated in the mass murder.

Nothing...
Over 600 people attended the UP gathering, mostly students and people from academe and their families. Most of them were clad in purple, the color associated with the RH bill. Santiago also wore a purple blazer. In the House of Representatives, House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Sherwin Tugna of the Citizens Battle against Crime and Corruption urged the bills supporters to continue to sustain the momentum in pushing for the bill. Tugna said he agreed with Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, who had said that the bills proponents should provide physical support aside from moral and spiritual support if they want the bill passed during the 15th Congress. Gonzales dared the RH advocates to show some balls. Gonzales reminded his colleagues that even if the RH bill is considered a priority measure under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, it did not mean that the bill will face smooth sailing in Congress. Gonzales added that there should be enough warm bodies for any bill to get passed in both Houses of Congress. I believe that if pushed, and with the support from the House leadership and Malacaang, the bill will be passed through the Lower House. But judging from the looks of it in the plenary, I agree with Majority Leader Boyet Gonzales, Tugna told the Manila Standard. Another RH advocate, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, said they are waiting for the formation of a technical working group which is tasked to draw up a compromise version of the measure that would be acceptable to everybody. We are banking on the TWG being proposed by some quarters among Malacaang, Church representatives and legislators to come out with an accepted measure and which captures the intent of the bills authors, said Baguilat, chairman of the House Committee on Cultural Communities. Baguilat said they are condent that the bill would nally be put to a vote in October despite efforts by anti-RH lawmakers to block the bills passage. The House ofcially ended the debates on the measure last month and was scheduled to go into the period of amendments.

But anti-RH lawmakers, mostly from the majority party, sidetracked the bill by delivering long privilege speeches on oods and other issues. At the Senate, the counterpart measure has met the same fate. The measure has yet to go through the period of amendments, which can go on indefinitely. But even as the RH Bill supporters press for its immediate passage, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines released a survey showing that half of the 284 members of the House of Representatives do not support the Bill. According to CBCPnews.com, out of the 215 of the 285 districts and party-list representatives which participated in the survey held in their respective dioceses, 49 said they will vote for the bill, while 140 said no to RH bill and 26 were undecided. The CBCP survey was conducted ahead of the crucial voting of the Lower House to terminate the debates on the RH bill last August. A total of 145 votes or warm bodies in Congress are needed to pass the measure. But Edcdel Lagman, the bills author at the Lower House, remained unfazed. The RH bill in its pristine form has been acceptable to the overwhelming majority of Filipinos as documented consistently by periodic surveys with 71% of Catholics endorsing the enactment of the bill, Lagman earlier said. Earlier, De La Salle University professors added their voice in supporting the RH Bill, following a similar show of support by some 200 professors from the Ateneo de Manila University. Faculty members from the DLSU and the Ateneo declard their support for the bill, but added that their opinions did not reect the stand of their institution. Msgr. Joselito Asis said that the CBCP has no legal authority to discipline professors from Catholic schools who openly support the bill, saying that it is their personal opinion and not that of the entire school. Its the school administration who should discipline their workers (professors) and to remind them that they should protect the interest of the institution where they work. They (the professors) should be reminded the teachings of the church, he said.

China...
On Wednesday, President Benigno Aquino III announced the issuance of Administrative Order 29 renaming parts of the the South China Sea within the countrys exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. Aquino also ordered both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to work together and produce charts and maps of the Philippines reecting the West Philippine Sea. The map would be submitted to the United Nations for petition and proposal to name the portion of the South China Sea as West Philippines Sea. Aside from producing a map, he ordered the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and all universities and colleges to make the West Philippines Sea universal in all text books, school mate-

rials, lectures, among others, in the country. Meanwhile, protests against Japan for its control of disputed islands spread across more than a dozen cities in China and turned violent at times Saturday, with protesters hurling rocks at the Japanese Embassy and clashing with Chinese paramilitary police before order was restored. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the embassy in Beijing. Hundreds tried to storm a metal police barricade but were pushed back by riot police armed with shields, helmets and batons. A few made it through but were quickly taken away by plainclothes police. Protesters also threw rocks and burned Japanese ags. Protests were more orderly in most other cities, though in the southern city of Changsha protesters smashed a police car made by Mitsubishi, a Japanese brand, according to online reports. Anti-Japanese sentiment, never far from the surface in China, has Sunday, that you cant really think of saving your valuables when disaster strikes. Your rst instinct is to run for your life. And thats what we did. We gathered our three children and went to higher ground. We were brought to the Word of Truth building where we stayed until the water subsided a week later. After returning home, there were only clothes left, and a few pieces of furnitures. Teresita Aquino, 76, a widow, remembered her apo rushed to her to join others in fleeing to the evacation center when the waters suddenly grew high. Lampas tao na, she said. When they went to the street, she saw the over-owing ood and the rush of mud.

been building for weeks, touched off by moves by Tokyo and fanned by a feverish campaign in Chinese state media. Passions grew more heated this past week after the Japanese government purchased the contested East China Sea islands from their private Japanese owners. Although Japan has controlled the uninhabited islandscalled Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanesefor decades, China saw the purchase as an affront to its claim and as further proof of Tokyos refusal to negotiate over them. Beijing lodged angry protests and tried to bolster its claim by briey sending marine surveillance ships into what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands and by ratcheting up state media coverage. Some news programs featured bellicose commentary. A Japanese Embassy employee declined to comment Saturday on the protests. Mga damit na lang ang napakinabangan namin. Nilabhan na lang. Sira lahat, she said. Julie Belo, 51, said only their clothes were left useful after the neck-deep water inside their house. Trinidad, Francisco, Aquino and Belo belong to the 1,000 beneciaries of rst-even gift-giving activity of Marcos on his birthday, held at the gymnasium of Banga Elementary School in Brgy. Banga. Cecilio Contreras, a member of the Barangay Justice in Brgy. Banga, told MST thE beneciaries were chosen from among the victims of the recent habagat. He said they were given bags of goods consisting of rice, grocery items, an unused blanket and mat. Marcos admitted it was the rst-

Karen...
The MMDA deployed teams to rescue residents and provided free rides to stranded commuters. In San Juan , at least 100 families were evacuated to the San Juan Gym. Authorities kept a close watch on the San Juan River which reached critical level. Six oodgates were opened at the Manggahan Floodway,Tolentino said. The weather bureau, PagASA, lowered the rainfall warning from red to yellow but alerted citizens to monitor the weather. It said more rain was expected as Karen moved out of the country. Krean was last spotted 660 km east of Batanes and could hit 70 km of Okinawa in Japan by Sunday. Florante Solmerin/ MST Sunday time he celebrated his birthday giving gifts to the needy. I thought of gift-giving to celebrate my birthday. So I asked them who will be my beneciaries. And I was informed there were areas where some of the ood victims havent returned to their homes yet. So I decided to see them, said Marcos. At his age, the only son and namesake of the late president said he could no longer ask for more with all the blessings in his life. People at the school gymnasium who lined up to get a bag of goods were delighted to see the young Marcos. As majority of them were still reeling from the devastation inicted by the monsson rains, the sight of donations gave them hope.

Flood...
Actually, she said they have seven children who also stay with them despite being married. All ve families were packed like sardines in the Francisco household in Sitio Suloc, Brgy. Banga. She recalled being rousing from sleep by the oods. I woke up already soaked in water. The oodwater immediately mounted until it reached the second oor, Trinidad said. She, her huband and the rest of the family sought refuge to a nearby vacant building together with their neighbours. Nelia Nasareta, 37, told MST

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Aquino names 9 new magistrates

PRESIDENT Aquino has appointed nine new judges for various regional and municipal circuit trial courts in Mindanao, according to presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte. They are Judge Edwin Malazarte of Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Judge Rufo Naragas of RTC Branch 40, also in Tandag, Surigao Del Sur; Judge Lorenzo Balo of RTC Branch 24 in Koronadal, South Cotabato; Judge Renato Tampac of RTC Branch 25, also in Koronadal, South Cotabato; Judge Ali Balindong of RTC Branch 21 in Kapatagan, Lanao Del Norte; Judge Arvin Sadiri Balagot of RTC Branch 17 in Kidapawan, North Cotabato; Judge Marie Estrellita Tolentino-Rojas of Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Branch 2 in Davao City, Davao Del Sur; Judge Robert Gonzaga, Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Malimono-San Francisco, Surigao Del Norte and Judge Gila Dela Banda of Municipal Trial Court in Makilala-Tulunan, North Cotabato. The President has already transmitted the appointment of the new judges to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Valte said. Valte also announced the appointment of of the new board of directors of the Philippine National Oil Company-Shipping and Transport Corp. (PSTC). The six new board members are Rogelio Guadalquiver, Potenciano Larrazabal Jr., Nicanor Sering, Democrito Barcenas, Bob Gothong and Victor Ziga Last year, the President appointed Barcenas as director and architect Enrique Manalang as PSTC president and chief executive ofcer.

Sea of faith. Catholic devotees of Our Lady of Peafrancia line the steets of Naga City as churchmen paraded an image of the saint from
the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral to the river bank for the annual uvial procession. DANNY PATA

Catholic bishops issue new prayer for PH educators

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has issued a special prayer for Filipino educators in celebration of the National Teachers Month. Msgr. Joselito Asis, CBCP secretary general, said the National Prayer for Teachers is to be read out in churches all over the country in all Masses on Sunday, Sept. 30. Approved by the CBCPs Permanent Council, the prayer asks Gods blessings for the teachers as they train minds and lay the foundation of future generations. It also asks that all teachers may continue to communicate the love of truth and instill authentic moral values. The issuance of the prayer was in response to the Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeas request for the CBCP to share their advocacy for Filipino teachers. In 2008, inspired by the celebration of World Teachers Day on Oct. 5 of every year, Bro. Armin Luistro, then president of De La Salle Philippines together with Sobrepea spearheaded the Teachers Month Campaign. The advocacy seeks to recognize teachers and educators and their contribution in shaping the countrys future leaders. With the theme, My Teacher, My Hero, the celebration of teachers everyday heroism has continued ever since. 2011 served as a banner year for the campaign as President Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation 242, declaring the period from September 5 to October 5 of every year as National Teachers Month. This declaration calls for a widespread celebration of teachers of the whole nation, calling everyone who has been a student to express their gratitude to their teachers, Sobrepea said. National Prayer for Teachers Giver of all Wisdom and Greatest of all Teachers, look upon our teachers with love. Grant them the resolve to nurture our eager minds and to never give up on us who fall behind. Bless their hearts for they rejoice when we succeed and encourage us when we fail. Endow them with gentle patience for the path of learning is never easy. Kindle a spirit of passion in them. It is the ame that ignites the love of learning in us. Help them to see the potential in each student. Their belief in us means much more than the grade we make. Instill them a commitment to keep on learning. It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences. Inspire them to touch the future. They inuence how big a dream we dream for ourselves. Bless our teachers who have come before for their work endures to this day. Let the light of Your example shine upon all teachers. To build up with their words. To love with their mind. To share with their heart. AMEN.

Lawmaker urges fund realignment

By Maricel V. Cruz

BAYAN Muna Rep. Teddy Casio on Saturday urged Congress to realign the P12.6 billion that was earmarked for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to the budget of public hospitals after the Lower House approved the Health Departments proposed P40.13-billion budget for 2013.
Describing the realignment of the PhilHealth funds as a matter of life and death for poor constituents, Casio said only P10.74 billion was given to nance all the 70 nationally-funded public hospitals, including the hospitals of government-owned and controlled corporations. We want all indigent patients to be provided with free and quality services, Casio said. If Philhealth budget is poured into the public hospitals, these will double the funds available to the hospitals to serve not only the poorest of the poor patients, but all the indigents who comprise the bulk of the patients, he added. The amount allocated for public hospitals, which cater particularly to the countrys poorest of the poor, is lower than the 12.6billion allotment to Philhealth as subsidy to the identied poorest

5.2 million households, he said. Casio also revealed that only 30 to 40 percent of indigent patients in public hospitals are covered by PhilHealth. This was conrmed by DOH Secretary Enrique Ona during the pre-plenary hearing on Tuesday. This means that more than 60 percent of indigent patients pay out of their pockets for health services in public hospitals, Casio said. Even if the patient is qualied for no balance billing, if the medicines and procedures are not available in our public hospitals because of lack of funds, these patients need to pay to get the medicines and procedures done outside the hospital, he said. Casio pointed out that realigning the PhilHealths budget to subsidize public hospitals would not affect the health insurance agencys operations. The PhilHealth, according

to DOH, has P101.03 billion in reserve funds, and will get additional revenues through the 100-percent increase in premium by next year, Casio said. But Philhealth president Eduardo Banzon said PhilHealth plans to sustain coverage of all 5.2 million families listed in the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction as well as other poor households not registered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The proposed budget is enough to cover all poor households. We want to make sure that their membership to the National Health Insurance Program will be sustainable, Banzon said. He said about 85 percent of Filipinos are now PhilHealth members. We are optimistic to achieve universal health insurance by 2015 but it is getting harder for us to do that now that we are close to 100 percent , Banzon said.

Cotabato gets third congressional seat

PRESIDENT Aquino signed on Friday Republic Act No. 10177, creating a new legislative district for the province of Cotabato, according to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. Valte said the new third district will comprise of the towns of Banilisan, Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam, Mlang and Tulunan. Under the new law, the rst legislative district will consist of the the municipalities of Pikit, Pigkawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap and Aleosan while the second district will be composed of the City of Kidapawan and the towns of Makilala, Magpet, Roxas, Antipas and Arakan. The incumbent representatives of the rst and second districts will continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the new representatives have been elected and qualied. The Commission on Elections is expected to issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the act which will take effect 15 days after its publication in any newspaper of general circulation. The new law is already posted in Malacanangs ofcial website, Valte said. In sponsoring the bill in the Senate, Senator Panlo Lacson said the province has already become underrepresented in the House of Representatives because it already has a population of 1.1 million. Under the 1987 Constitution, provinces and cities should have one legislative district for every 250,000 population and Congress is tasked to reapportion legislative districts within New legislative district. Black area show shows the new third district three years of every census. of Cotabato that was created by the recently-signed Republic Act 10177.

C O T A B A T O

Finance raps two ofcials for misdeclared asset statements

THE Revenue Integrity Protection Service of the Finance Department has led before the Ombudsman cases against a revenue ofcer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and an ofcial of the Bureau of Customs because of misleading information they included in their statements of assets, liabilites and net worth. The ofcials were identied as Customs Operations Ofcer III Jose P. Dimatulac of the BOC and Revenue Ofcer I Noviemae B. Sibbaluca-Singson of the BIR. Dimatulac was charged of providing illusory information in his SALNs regarding real and personal properties. Based on Dimatulacs SALNs led for the years 2001 to 2010, he claimed to have acquired through installments his house and lot in Paraaque City in 1992, but investigators found that the property was actually a subject of a Deed of Donation on June 10, 1992, between the respondent and spouses Artemio and Lucia Diaz. Dimatulac, who hails from San Fernando, Pampanga, also claimed that he acquired through inheritance a residential lot in Pampanga in 2003, but the San Fernando City Treasurers Ofce veried that there were no records of real property and business tax payments from Dimatulac, his spouse, or son. The Provincial Assessor also certied that there were no existing real properties registered under Dimatulac and his family. Dimatulac likewise left out in his SALNs his spouses one-storey commercial building at Ninoy Aquino Avenue in La Huerta, Paraaque City although a tax declaration identied his spouse Maria S. Dimatulac as the owner. As for Singson, probers claimed that she declared only three parcels of land located in Cagayan Province, but there were actually four parcels of land registered under her name, all located in Dodan, Peablanca, Cagayan, which consisted of two cornlands, a fruitland, and a residential lot. Moreover, Singson declared in her 2010 and 2011 SALNs that she acquired thru sale a conjugal house and lot in Manila for P900,000, but a concerned citizen provided a copy of the contract to sell showing that the property was actually sold for P3,400,000. Singson also deferred the declaration of a house and lot on J. Ruiz St., Salapan, San Juan, Manila in 2009; a parcel of land in Cagayan in 2009; and a residential house and lot in the same province, both allegedly acquired through gratuitous transfer in 2005 and 2007. The P1.7 million real estate mortgage on the San Juan realty incurred in 2009 was also belatedly reported by Singson in her SALNs for 2010 and 2011.

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

US ENVOY, STAFF KILLED IN LIBYA

Obama honors four patriots

pledged a nations resolve to dignity and freedom as he received and honored the remains of the four Americans killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.
Libyan and American investigators are probing the assault that killed Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three others: Sean Smith, a Foreign Service information ofcer, and Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty, two former Navy SEALs working as security personnel at the consulate in Benghazi. There is no doubt these are difcult days, Obama told an audience of more than 200 yesterday in an open hangar at Andrews Air Force Base. In moments such as this, so much anger and violence, even the hopeful among us must wonder, he said. The United States of America will never retreat from the world. We will never stop working for the dignity and freedom that every person deserves. The president saluted those who died, reciting their names.

PRESIDENT Barack Obama

Chris Stevens was everything America could want as an ambassador, Obama told the audience. In Benghazi, he laid down his life for his friends, Libyan and American, he said. Four Americans, four patriots, they loved this country and they chose to serve it, and they served it well. Families of the Americans who died in the attack on the consulate had assembled in a distinguished visitors lounge at the base, which serves as home for Air Force One, with American and Air Force ags ying at half-staff. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, chief of the American diplomatic corps that lost a devoted, career envoy and three others, joined them for what is ofcially called a

transfer of remains ceremony. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delayed the start of a campaign rally in Painesville, Ohio, so he could watch the arrival of the remains. Standing with his hand over his heart, he led a rain-drenched crowd in a moment of silence to recognize the blood shed for freedom. Colonel Michael Minihan, 89th Air Wing commander at Andrews, greeted and briefed the president, joined by National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew, and they traveled to a hangar holding the Americans remains. Four black hearses, their tail doors open to the audience in the hangar and service members standing beside them, parked in

pairs in a row anking the podium where the president would speak with a large American ag hanging behind him. Four black platforms were arranged before them on the oor. Obama walked in followed by Vice President Joe Biden and took a seat in the front row. A hulking gray C-17 transport stood outside the gaping entrance to Hangar Three. Four teams of seven honor guards carried the ag-draped cofns and placed them on the platforms in front of the hearses. Obama, Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice and former Secretary of State Colin Powell sat in the front row of the audience.

Clinton spoke rst. Today we bring home four Americans who gave their lives for our country and our values, Clinton said, naming one by one the victims and the names of their families. The secretary thanked Stevenss parents for their gift to a nation. She named Smith, who left a wife, Heather, and two young children, Samantha and Nathan. Woods served two decades as a SEAL and was a registered nurse, a warrior with the hands of a healer, Clinton said. He left a wife, Dorothy, and three sons, Tyrone Jr., Hunter and Kai. Doherty, another SEAL, had deployed to some of the most dangerous places on earth, she said. Bloomberg

Violence over anti-Islam lm spreads

CAIROFury over an anti-Islam lm spread across the Muslim world Friday, with deadly clashes near Western embassies in Tunisia and Sudan, an American fast-food restaurant set ablaze in Lebanon, and international peacekeepers attacked in the Sinai despite an appeal for calm from Egypts Islamist president. At least four peopleall protesterswere killed and dozens were wounded in the demonstrations in more than 20 countries from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Most were peaceful but they turned violent in several nations, presenting challenges for the leaders who came to power in the Arab Spring. Security forces worked to rein in the anti-American crowds but appeared to struggle in doing so. Police in Cairo prevented stonethrowing protesters from getting near the U.S. Embassy, ring tear gas and deploying armored vehicles in a fourth day of clashes in the Egyptian capital. One person died there after being shot by rubber bullets. The State Department said US Embassy personnel were reported to be safe in Tunisia, Sudan and Yemensites of Fridays violent demonstrations. President Barack Obama said Washington would stand fast against attacks on U.S. embassies around the world. He spoke at a somber ceremony paying tribute to four Americansincluding U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevenskilled earlier this week when the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was stormed by militants who may have used protests of the anti-Muslim lm to stage an assault on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. An elite Marine rapid response team arrived in Yemens capital of Saana, where local security forces shot live rounds in the air and red tear gas at a crowd of an estimated 2,000 protesters who were kept about a block away from the U.S. Embassy, which protesters broke into the day before. In east Jerusalem, Israeli police stopped a crowd of about 400 Palestinians from marching on the U.S. Consulate to protest the lm. Demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police, who responded by ring stun grenades. Four protesters were arrested. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had tried to preempt the violence a day earlier by saying the rage and violence aimed at American diplomatic missions was prompted by an awful Internet video that we had nothing to do with. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi went on national TV and appealed to Muslims not to attack embassies. It was his rst public move to restrain protesters after days of near silence and appeared aimed at easing tensions with the United States. AP

A carry teams moves a ag-draped transfer case of the remains of one of the Americans killed this week in Benghazi, Libya, from a transport plane during the Transfer of Remains Ceremony on Friday at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., marking the return to the United States of the remains of the four Americans killed this week in Benghazi, Libya. (Inset) President Barack Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaks during the ceremony. AP

Chinese rallyists storm Japan embassy as protests swell

BEIJINGProtests against Japan for its control of disputed islands swelled across more than a dozen cities in China and at times turned violent Saturday, with protesters hurling rocks at the Japanese Embassy and clashing with Chinese paramilitary police before order was restored. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the embassy in Beijing. Hundreds tried to storm a metal police barricade but were pushed back by riot police armed with shields, helmets and batons. A few made it through but were quickly taken away by plainclothes police. Protesters also threw rocks and burned Japanese ags. Protests were more orderly in most other cities, though in the southern city of Changsha protesters smashed a police car made by Mitsubishi, according to reports online. Anti-Japanese sentiment, never far from the surface in China, has been building for weeks, touched off by moves by Tokyo and fanned by a feverish campaign in Chinese state media. Passions grew more heated this past week after the Japanese government purchased the contested East China Sea islands from their private owners. Though Japan has controlled the uninhabited islands called Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanesefor decades, China saw the purchase as an affront to its claims and as further proof of Tokyos refusal to negotiate over them. In response, Beijing has lodged angry protests and tried to bolster its claims by briey sending lightly armed marine surveillance ships into what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands and by ratcheting up state media coverage. Some news programs featured explanations of historic documents and bellicose commentary. Smaller demonstrations had been staged throughout the week. But they boiled over Saturday, especially in Beijing. Outside the Japanese Embassy, the protesters most of whom appeared to be students shouted slogans demanding Japan relinquish the islands and claiming Chinas ownership of them. The crowd grew larger than expected, prompting police to close off a main thoroughfare to trafc. In Shanghai, about 200 police ofcers kept order, cordoning off the street leading to the Japanese Consulate and allowing protesters in groups of 100 to approach the consular building. Protesters had to register with police before they could cross the cordon and had to take their banners with them when they left. The demonstrations came before an anniversary Tuesday that often sees anti-Japanese sentiment: the 1931 Mukden incident, which marked a step in Japans conquest of Manchuria and onward to much of China in the 1930s and World War II. Activists have called for demonstrations Tuesday. AP

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 45, MANILA IN THE MATTER OF THE CANCELLATION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF JEROME M. RICO RE ANNOTATION FOR LEGITIMATION Petitioner, -versusSP PROC. NO. 12-128104 THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF MANILA and THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL (National Statistics Office) and all persons Interested therein, Respondents. x----------------------------------------------------------x ORDER A Verified Petition has been filed by the petitioner Jerome M. Rico through counsel, with prayer as follows: "WHEREFORE, premises Considered, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court, after publication, due notice and hearing that an Order be issued directing the Local Civil Registrar of Manila to cancel the annotation at the back of the Birth Certificate. Other just and equitable reliefs are likewise prayed for under the attendant circumstances." The petition states, among others, that: the petitioner is the offspring of Roel M. Rico and Jovita Maquiling; they got married to each other; the spouses filed a Deed of Acknowledgement for the legitimation of the petitioner which was annotated at the back of the petitioner's birth certificate; lately, the parents of the petitioner received a feedback from the respondents saying that the annotation of legitimation is not applicable because the father has prior impediments, and they adviced the petitioner to cancel the entry hence this petition for cancellation of annotation. The petition is set for hearing on September 25, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. before this Court at Room 534, 5th Floor, at the City Hall of Manila, at which date and time all persons interested may file their oppositions or answers and appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted. Let copies of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, to be selected by raffle. Furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, Local Civil Registrar of the City of Manila and the National Statistics Office with copies of this Order and the Petition together with its annexes, at the expense of the petitioner. SO ORDERED. Manila, Philippines, June 15, 2012. (SGD.) MARCELINO L. SAYO, JR. Judge
(MST-Sept. 9, 16 & 23, 2012)

Kates topless photos spark palace fury

LONDONPaparazzi, French media and a British royal: The publication of topless photos of Prince Williams wife Kate has reunited the same players whose clash ended with the untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a Parisian car crash. William, who has long harbored a grudge against the paparazzi who chased Diana in the days and hours leading up to her 1997 death, was clearly infuriated. The royal couple hit back with an immediate lawsuit against the popular French gossip magazine Closer, which is owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconis Mondadori publishing empire. The blurry photos, called a grotesque abuse of privacy by royal ofcials, show Katethe Duchess of Cambridgewearing only a skimpy bikini bottom. They are the rst to show Britains likely future queen with her bosom exposed. St. Jamess Palace ofcials sharply criticized the magazine moments after the photos hit French newsstands, comparing the intrusion on the young couples privacy to the tragic paparazzi pursuit of Diana, which many believe was a contributing factor in her early death on Aug. 31, 1997. The parallels between the past and the present were eerie. Diana was hounded by paparazzi who took telephoto shots of her vacationing on a yacht with her boyfriend Dodi and tailed them relentlessly in Paris. Earlier this month, a photographer with a similar long lens captured Kate and William relaxing in the sun at a private estate in Provence, a vacation spot near the French Riviera. Instead of challenging the authenticity of the blurry photos, palace ofcials said they appear genuine and should never have been taken, much less published. The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to the Duke and Duchess for being so, a St. Jamess Palace ofcial in London said in a statement. The British mediachastened An issue of Closer magazine as pu Fr bl by a deep scandal over phone heiday and displayed at the magazinished adquarter ofce, es in Montro hacking and other misdeedsall Paris. The m agazine on Friday uge, near to published shied away from using the photos. what appeared to be photos That restraint came even though Prince William and his wife of Britains Kate Rupert Murdochs The Sun tabloid topless at a private estate in soutsunbathing prompting a stron hern France, g cond is famed for its daily Page 3 top- Britain s royal family. AP emnation from less shots. AP

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OPINION ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

A5

Traffic and strategic thinking

ARE WE THERE YET?
I WAS in Cebu last week for a conference. The trip from Manila to Cebu took fty-ve minutes. The travel time from Mactan Airport to the city proper, however, was quadruple that - an excruciating four hours. Education Secretary Armin Luistro who was the keynote speaker of the conference was uncharacteristically late, very late. He almost missed delivering his speech because it took him almost three hours to reach the venue. Getting around the city was a never-ending repeat of the same ordeal. Participants of the conference I attended who were billeted in various hotels around the city arrived at our sessions all looking like they just went through a gauntlet. Complaints about the horrendous trafc situation were a recurring litany. Conferences and meetings held in provincial venues used to be attractive to people working in Metro Manila because these provided them a respite from conditions in the metro. But not anymore or at least not for long, if the trafc situation in our key cities such as Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, etc., continues to deteriorate. If local executives in Cebu and other key cities in the countrydont start thinking proactively and anticipate the inevitable, which is that trafc conditions can only make a turn for the worse unless they begin managing, were all going to be spending most of our productive time on the road stuck in trafc. This is sad because our provincial cities had more than sufcient lead time to put in place mechanisms and programs to avert the awful trafc situation that has characterized Metro Manila since the eighties. It would be difcult to believe that they have never experienced being stuck in Manilas legendary trafc jams since part of their jobs is to deal with the heads of the bureaucracy, which are based in the nations capital. Most of them also send their progeny to exclusive schools in Metro Manila. Ive been in many gatherings where local executives invariably boast about the kind of development they have spurred in their provinces or cities. Apparently no one among them has had the foresight to predict that progress comes with certain problems such as congested roads. Obviously, an increase in spending power translates to more cars on the road.

EDITORIAL

BONG C. AUSTERO

Ironically, some people even think that the solution to being inconvenienced by trafc jams is to at least spend it inside the relative comfort of air-conditioned cars. More jobs also mean more people ocking into urban centers. These, coupled with our penchant for ignoring trafc rules or basic courtesy on our roads, create monstrous trafc jams. I am sure there would be people who would nd fault with this rant. They would accuse me, once again, of nitpicking. Supporters of local executives would insist that a number of things are being done to address the worsening trafc situations in our key cities outside of Metro Manila. Quite frankly, some of the so-called solutions such as building yovers are only making the situation worse. Some people I talked to in Cebu told me they have adjusted to the situation by leaving early and leaving work at a much later time when there are fewer vehicles on the road. As in Metro Manila, most of us do tend to take a passive response to this and similar problems; we take a deep sigh, shrug our shoulders, and resign ourselves to our wretched fate as if misery were our birthright. I wonder what it will take for people to see that monstrous trafc jams can be avoided with just a little more strategic thinking and the application of management principles. Clearly, things would have been a lot different if we built wider roads to begin with; but like I said, our leaders lacked that kind of foresight. It seems nobody really foresaw that there would come a time when two-lane roads would be inadequate at some point in the future. But it is not too late for key cities to make provisions or the necessary infrastructure, for example, for mass public transportation this early. Building a light rail train system for Cebu or Davao may not be feasible today, but this would inevitable in ten years. Laying out a plan to build diversion roads, or teaching kids about why it is important to obey trafc laws this early make sense. The current set of local executives may not be there anymore in ten years, but given the way things stand, their children will probably be taking over the reins of power anyway. Being proactive and thinking strategically will be advantageous for them. Too bad really we dont have mechanisms to measure management skills of people before we allow them to run for public ofce. But its not too late. We can still make them do better. We can demand more from our leaders. The trafc situation can only get worst if we let things be.

A film of consequence
A 14-minute lm clip on You Tube has been deemed responsible for the series of attacks on American embassies in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan and Tunisia. The American ambassador to Libya has been killed along with other embassy workers. The German adn British embassies have also been targeted. The supposed trailer of The Innocence of Muslims depicts the prophet Muhammad as a murderer, a fraud, a womanizer and as one who uses the Koran to justify his actions. The clip was uploaded as early as July but it was not until the days leading to the anniversary of the Sept. 11, when a leader of an anti-Islam religious group sent the link of the film to journalists worldwide, that people took note of its defamatory intent. Since then, the lm has been viewed by Muslims all over the world and has sparked a virulent anti-American sentiment, leading to the embassy attacks. Authorities have tracked down the supposed lmmaker, one Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a California resident in his 50s. He initially used the name Sam Bacile but searches revealed there was nobody by that name in the area. Bacile had once said that Islam was a cancer. Apparently, faking an identity was not his only deception. Actors said they were told they would be shooting a lm called Desert Warrior where the main character was called Master George. They said the lming was amateurish and they only learned their lines on the morning of every day of the shoot. Worse, some of the lines in the film have been clearly dubbed over to articulate the anti-Muslim sentiments. The actors say they have been duped and take no pride in being part of the film. Some however believe that the movie is just a convenient excuse for planned and coordinated attacks by lawless elements on American embassies. The lm and its consequences reveal the extent of how misguided religious zeal and prejudice can lead to unintended and deadly consequences. An amateur director had to deceive his actors and hide his identity just so he could express his hatred toward Islam and the prophet Mohammad. His lm, easy to access and distribute through technology, has also been used by other groups espousing hatred towards Muslims. On the other hand, those who claim to be offended by the video and expressed their offense in violence were no better. Beliefs and points of view abound and there is no justication for inicting harm on another person just because he or she thinks or feels differently. It is easy to point to religion as the root cause of these attacks and resulting casualties. On second thought, however, violence is a function not of religion but of intolerance, hatred and bigotry.

A state of wonder
plaintext
RAY LAMPANO, JR.
berg Variations upon which to build his preferred medium: Clarity. Before Gould, J.S. Bach was largely the stuff of Baroque etudes in general rigor mortis but for the traditionalists of the classical establishment. The last word on interpreting Bachs music was handed down through the generations in a straight line for the lot mostly holed up in academia. It was their inviolable article of faith. Elsewhere, there was Arnold Schoenberg whose expansive 12-tone ideas stretched the boundaries of music in the 20th century as well as exploded all notions of tradition. Goulds musical outlook was very much inuenced by Schoenberg as evidenced in the way he viewed interpretation: What gives us the right to assume that in the work of art we must receive a direct communication with the historical attitudes of another period? What if the composer, as historian, is faulty? With this conviction he single-handedly reimagined Bach with his genius. Enter the Goldberg Variations, which Bach composed on commission by Count Keyserling and rst published in 1741. The former Russian envoy to the Saxony electoral court frequently visited Liepzig, so that his resident musician, Goldberg, could receive tuition from Bach. It was believed to be primarily intended as some sort of soporic. According to Johann Nikolaus Forkel, who wrote Bachs biography in 1802, the Count would always request Goldberg [his] variations whenever stricken by sleeplessness. The Goldberg Variations were bookended by a delicate Aria that even the unfamiliar listener can recall from that cassette tape played in the background prior to that grisly scene in Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lecter murdered his police detail to escape his cell. When Gould debuted for Columbia Records in New York in 1955, a record executive suggested that he instead record a more modest fare such as the Two-Part Inventions. The 22 year-old pianist, nevertheless, was supremely confident in spite of his eccentricitiesthe low chair that rose some 13 inches off the floor, the pills to address his hypochondria. Goulds memory was as formidable as his extraordinarily precise detached finger or detached stacatissimo technique. Where veteran concert pianists such as Arthur Rubenstein, Sviatoslav Richter, and the much younger Van Cliburn who debuted three years later in 1958 often sounded muscular with the full weight of their body on every note, Gould was the uncanny minimalist. He made every note crystal clear seemingly of its own accord amid his humming in the background. Rather than hit the ivories, he tapped them to coax a pure sound. His onstage antics were also stuff of legend and imitation, but his skills were beyond the pale of even the most skilled pianists. Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, who occasionally records Bach pieces in more austere contexts on the notoriously difcult clavichord, has a similar touch and depth. Gould believed Bach was the greatest architect of sound that ever lived. His Bach was a rapture and ecstasy in baroque sound that traditionalists at the time were loath to consider in the slightest. Readings of the Goldberg Variations by other pianists, like Jarrett, tended to keep them within the canons generally accepted moderate tempi. Goulds rendition in 1955 not so much constituted youthful deance than a singularly brilliant vision achieved by a masterful delivery. The difcult passages of the variations could easily turn into muck at the hands of lesser pianists. The complete independence of Goulds hands infused the clarity and vigor required by the variations contrapuntal passages. Nonetheless, the 1981 rerecording was a marked departure in its thoughtfulness. In an interview in the same year, Gould described the rhythmic feel of one passage as akin to Dixieland jazzstill enough to raise eyebrows among traditionalists. Nearly three decades after the fact, his reboot was more insightful born of years of solitude than relentless touring. He admitted in an interview that his 1955 recording was too fast for comfort Where Goulds classic 1955 recording only took a blistering 38 minutes, 1981 took 51 minutes. Their marked differences were most palpable in the pianists left hand passages that seemed in a sprightly dance in 1981 where they seemed only to take wing in 1955. Listeners might also try to check out Goulds 1959 Salzburg Festival recordings of the Goldberg Variations for reference. In Goulds nal years, his musical genius became more of a sideshow to his eccentricities. In September 1982, at the age of 50, he suffered a massive stroke and expired a week later Gould once mused, The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenalin but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity. Like a born-again experience, his Goldberg Variations will always have that life-affirming power.

WE DO not play the piano with our ngers but with our mind. Glenn Gould Glenn Goulds friend Marshall McLuhan might have coined the medium is the message for the pianist himself. If Gould were any less an artist, he might have been dismissed as a crock by the classical music establishment for his less than orthodox views. Gould might as well have been a jazz musician or some rocker to say, I believe that the only excuse we have for being musicians and for making music in any fashion is to make it differentlyto perform it differently, to establish musics difference vis-vis our own difference. But in 1955, it had to be a certied genius and no less than Johann Sebastian Bachs Gold-

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

Pinay softbelles
ARE CHAMPS, FINALLY

2012 SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES

Philippine softball players whoop it up while proudly waving the Philippine ag shortly after winning their rst-ever championship in the 2012 Softball World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

By Arman D. Armero

sacrices and faith on each other, and nally, of triumph and redemption.
This is the story of 13 young girls bound by their love of the game of softball, their equallydetermined coaches and the man who had believed that they can accomplish their goals despite the odds. This is also the story of two bats, four helmets and a Philippine ag waving proudly in a softball eld in faraway Kalamazoo in Michigan. This is their storythe incomparable and courageous Pinay 2012 Big League World Series champions. Weak on paper, big in heart This is actually the weakest team we had over the years, said Rafael Che Borromeo, Manilas 5th district councilor and president of the Manila Little League. But when they play out there, they showed their big heart. Iba ang chemistry nila. The weak on paper but big in heart 2012 softbelle squad is composed of Adamson University standouts Rizza Bernardino, Michelle Lentija, Glesyl Opjer, Baby Jane Raro, Queeny Sabobo, Mary Jane Fabellar, Krisna Paguican and Andrea Mae Gonzales; Gene Joy Parilla of the University of the East, Chairmaine Joy Oria, Kristine Joy Lacupa and Maria Luna Amparo of the University of Santo Tomas and Mary Joy Floranza of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. They came from different places in the country, and most of them came from families which struggle to make ends meet. Rizza, Michelle, Mary Jane and Krisna are daughters of construction workers; Glesyls father is an auto mechanic, Andrea Mae and Kristine Joys fathers are both farmers, Queeny is a shermans daughter, Baby Janes mother works as a laundrywoman, Mary Joys father works as a driver, while Maria Lunas parents are unemployed. All of them play softball as athletic scholars, and each played a big part in putting the country in the world map as the rst-ever international champion in the World Series, an annual

THEIRS is a story of perseverance,

Manila Little League president Rafael Che Borromeo hoists the Philippine ag in a prominent corner of the Wilson Field. The ag will stay in the eld until a new team emerges as champion.

tournament the Americans have dominated for the past 31 years. But the journey to the championship was strewn with obstacles. As MLL president, Borromeo had to beg and scrounge for funds and sometimes had to dig deep from his own pocket to provide for the needs of the team from air fare, allowances and accommodation. Luckily, a few people have responded to their calls for the much-needed assistance. Former president Erap Estrada, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, Congressman Amado Bagatsing, the Philippine Sports Commission, PCSO, Megaworld, Martin Cojuangco, Pagcor and the FilAm Community of Kalamazoo, Michigan and Chicago Illinois have helped in one or another to ease the burden on the teams quest for the championship. Manila had actually played for the nals of the 16-18 category (Big League) of the World Series thrice: 2001, 2010 and 2011, but always fell short of winning the crown. Borromeo, who came on board as MLL president in 2010, nearly quit his post when the team failed in its bid twice under his watch to win the title, but he too persevered. I told myself that I wont quit this team because I feel it in my hear that this team will become a champion, Borromeo said. The long and tiring road to greatness The road to the championship began in April after the Manila softbelles breezed past their rivals in the Philippine Elimination in Clark Field in Pampanga. They went on to capture the AsiaPacic title in Jakarta, Indonesia in June, which qualied them for yet another stint in the World Series in Kalamazoo. But because of lack of funds, the group, led by coach Ana Santiago, and assistant coach Sandy Barredo, had to go through a roundabout but cheaper route from Manila to Kalamazoo, a 36-hour ight that took the youngsters from Manila to Honolulu, to Seatle, Chicago and nally to Michigan. The team arrived in Kalamazoo in July 28, or two days before the tournament ofcially started. Borromeo, who had to scrounge for more funds for two more players who were left behindabillar and Amparo followed the team on the next day via a direct ight. Tired and jet-lagged from the long ight, the Manila softbelles dropped their rst two gameslosing to Westchester, California and Puerto Rico. One more loss would have

Rizza Borromeo, who was named as Most Valuable Player and Best Pitcher after the finals, shows em how.

Members of the 16-18 girls softball squad pose with their coaches Ana Santiago (left, standing), Sandy Barredo (second from right) and Manila Little League president and Manila councilor Rafael Che Borromeo.

ousted the team from contention. It was a wake-up call. And the girls responded in style. The Pinay softbelles needed to win their next six gamesand won them all, including victories over favorite Kalamazoo and two-time defending champion Grand Rapids, capped by their 14-2 rampage over WestchesterWest Team, the same team which beat them in their rst outing. I think the rst two losses turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it woke up the girls, said Santiago, who also coaches the Adamson softbelle squad. After beating the two Michigan teams, we knew we had a solid chance of going all the way. In the nals, the Manila softbelles overwhelmed the Californians with 14 hits while yielding only two. They actually raced to three straight runs at the top of the rst inning and added four in the second to set the tone of the rout. When the Manila softbelles scored more than ten runs, organizers applied the mercy rule after only ve innings to crown the Phl squad as the new

champions before a sizeable crowd made up mostly of FilipinoAmericans from Kalamazoo, Chicago and from as far as Florida. Bernardino, who scored a powerful two-run home-run in the second inning, was named as the tournaments Most Valuable Player and Best Pitcher. Two bats, four helmets and the Philippine ag Borromeo, who acted as the third coach for the team (organizers required at least three coaches per team in the tournament) witnessed rst-hand the teams courageous journey to the title. He also bore witness to quite a few interesting sidelights. Yung American teams, each player have two bats. But would you believe that we only have two bats that we were using since the Philippine eliminations?, Borromeo said. The MLL president added that the team only had four helmets instead of the regular ve, which all the other teams have. A Filipino fan and a regular supporter of the teamdgar Lafortezanoticed this and

bought a helmet for the team. Ibang klase ang mga Pinoy doon. Talagang todo ang supporta sa amin, Borromeo said. As World Series champions, the Manila softbelles Philippine ag was planted in a corner of the Wilson Field. The ag will stay there for a year until a new champion country wins the title. But Borromeo said he wants the Philippine ag to stay on that eld for at least the next season. Were going back there to defend the title. That would be a tall order. By next year, the team will be down to only three players since the rest will be turning 19. Five players led by Borromeo and Parilla, were offered scholarship in Clarke University in Iowa. Their departure will leave with practically a new team, but this doesnt worry Borromeo. Well nd them. We still have very good players just waiting to be tapped. If the MLL can indeed nd those players, expect the Philippine ag to y even longer and prouderin their own eld of dreams.

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ManilaStandardTODAY

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SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

A7

PINAY
doing well

First

By Reuel Vidal Photos courtesy of Gemmalyn Crosby

REMEMBER Gemmalyn Crosby, the rst Filipina tness athlete to earn an International Federation of Bodybuilders pro card? Well, shes doing very well thank you. She has already competed in two professional shows and despite her inexperience placed 10th in her rst pro show and 6th in her second show. She said she will continue to work hard and is condent that with perseverance she will soon ascend to the victory podium as a professional champion. I feel really good, especially after the show, said Gemmalyn. I had many people who didnt know me come up to me and congradulate me. Many said I was their favorite, which is always pleasing. I know eventually it will be my turn to get the 1st place pro title and will continue to work hard everyday. Crosby thanked her coaches Shannon Dey and Rob Rosetti for teaching her the ne nuances of competition. She said that she would not be as polished without their help. After all its not just about working out in the gym and dieting to get that perfect shape and symmetry. Its also important to have the condence and the panache to present yourself in the best possible light to earn the judges nod. She says the most difcult part of being a professional tness competitor is nding the resolve to work hard at the gym regularly. But the reward is not just aesthetics or good looks. A wellexercised body is a healthier and stronger body. There are many reasons in order to keep you motivated to exercise and stay healthy for the rest of your life, said Gemmalyn. Get as much exercise as you can that feels good without letting it interfere with your work or family life. Remind yourself that you are preventing many health problems when you prevent weight gain; and keeping your health is a gift to your family as well as yourself. Orginally from Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines the 23-yearold is the youngest in a brood of seven children. She was born in a small mountain village which in her own words looks like a National Geographic photo with the traditional bamboo homes and where her family planted and harvested their own food. She moved to the US to be with her American husband and started competing to lose the weight she gained during her rst pregnancy. She insists she will never forget her roots and remains a Filipina at heart. When I do these shows I always remember that Im representing the Philippines, said Gemmalyn. I hope to encourage others to live a healthy lifestyle. I promise to work hard in preparation for the upcoming shows. I will also never tire of teaching and encouraging others to have a healthy lifestyle. Dieting and exercise requires discipline and hard word. Competing in the tness industry requires about tenfold that resolve. But Gemmalyn remains quite upbeat and is optimistic about her future. She advises everyone to learn to appreciate the good things in life. Life is too short to be sad, depressed, stressed or just unhappy, said Gemmalyn. I mean look at all the things youve got. You have your dreams, the love of your friends, and the sunshine up above. Stop making things hard for yourself. There are simply too many reasons to be happy.

IFFB pro

Gemmalyn has the be looks and auty, charm th petitive US e drive to succeed in , the sultry good the ultra-c tness ind omustry

Gemmalyn Crosby, the rst Filipina to earn an IFBB pro card, is doing very well in competition and placed 10th and 6th in her rst two professional shows in the US.

Floranza returns home to teach Antipolo kids

A PHILIPPINE team ruled the Big League Softball World Series with an emphatic 14-2 victory over the United States at the Vanderberg Park in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The dust has hardly settled but already Mary Joy Floranza is headed home to Barangay Calawis, Antipolo City in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains hoping to help other kids from her far-ung barangay achieve the same success. Mary Joy is a product of the grassroots softball and baseball program of Antipolo. She nished elementary and high school as a softball player and earned a slot in the varsity team of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines through a sports scholarship. She saw her fondest dream of competing in a foreign country fullled when she was recruited to be part of the Philippine team. Competition is not foreign to her having participated in numerous regional and national baseball and softball competitions representing Antipolo. She is a graduating Physical Education student and she hopes to teach PE after graduation. She lives in a boarding house in Sta. Mesa which allows her easy access to her school. She has classes Monday to Saturday but for the meantime she says she will spend her Sundays commuting home toAntipolo to teach young girls prepare for the district meet. Softball is her rst love. She had she prayed hard to be included in the team after she tried out to be a member of the squad to represent the Philippines in the Asia Pacic competition. She was fortunate to earn a slot in the 16 to 18 years old category. She plays left eld and is decent hitter. The competition is for girls softball players who are 16 to 18 years old. She is grateful for Antipolo Citys comprehensive sports programs which paved the way for her learning softball and learning I just pray that national sports leaders pray more attention to softball, said Floranza. The games that they mostly pay attention to is soccer and basketball which is dominated by America in basketball and by Europe in football. No one pays attention to softball. I am just grateful to Mayor Nilo Leyble for supporting softball in Antipolo. The victory was a complete vindication for the Philippine team members. They were doubtful participants for the 16-18 age-group tournament a few weeks ago as team officials scrounged for funds to finance their tickets to the United States. Thankfully, sports patrons and other interested parties stepped up and offered their help to help the team in its time of greatest need.

Mary Joy Floranza drapes the Asia Pacic ag around her body and displays the gold medal she won as she happily exults after the Philippine team won the title in the Big League World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.

it well enough to become a scholar and earn a college degree and the promise of a better job. However, she called on political leaders to be smarter in selecting what sports to support.

Mary Joy Floranza lets the ball zip past her and into the catchers mitt during a game in the Big League World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.

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A8

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

Torre still towers

OVER LOCAL CHESS
By Marlon Bernardino Photos courtesy of Eugene Torre

THE future undoubtedly belongs to chess

grandmaster Wesley So the highest rated player in the Philippines. But the present still belongs to the teams oldest player Eugene Torre.
Chess Olympiad in Nice, France. Among his most notable achievements was a victory over then reigning world chess champion Anatoly Karpov in a 1976 tournament in Manila in a classic game that has become part of Philippine chess lore. In Istanbul for a while the Philippine team was on track to its nest showing in chess olympiad history. But losses of Torre and Mark Paragua, in a pair of slam-bang nal round matches scuttled the hopes of the 35th-seeded Philippines. The Filipino chessers bowed to 25thseeded Romania, 1-3, to nish in 21st place at the conclusion of the tournament at the WOW Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey. GM Torre, bowed to GM Levente Vajda on Board 3 after 36 moves of Scotch Potter Variation duel. GM Paragua, on the other hand, yielded to GM Vladislav Nevednichy on Board 4 after 40 moves of PseudoKings Indian skirmish. Undefeated Filipino GM Wesley So

The 60-year-old Torre remains a tower looming over local chess. Born November 4, 1951 Torre appeared in a record-setting 21st Olympiad when he joined the Philippine team to the 40th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey. Coincidentally, the Philippines placed 21st to improve from its woeful standing of 50th place two years ago. In the process, the country won third place in Group B of the competition. That is the beauty of chess. If you keep yourself t and healthy you can play competitive chess for a long, long time. It also shows the resilience and tenacity of Filipinos. Im proud to hold the record of playing in the most number of chess olympiads as a member of the Philippine chess team, said Torre. Still considered the greatest chess grandmaster the Philippines has ever produced, Torre was born in Iloilo City. In 1974, the young Torre became Asias rst grandmaster when he won the silver medal in Board 1 during the World

Filipino chess grandmaster Eugene Torre, 60, participated in a world record-setting 21st Olympiad when he joined the Philippine team to the 40th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.

split the point with GM Constantin Lupulescu on Board 1 after 47 moves of Slav defense, while GM Oliver Barbosa also halved the point with GM Mircea-Emilian Parligras on Board 2 after 39 moves of a Queens Indian defense. With their loss in the nal round, the gritty Filipino chessers were stuck at 14 points, good for a share of 19th to 33rd place. We lost to Romania, but Im still proud of the boys. We fought the best team who later became champions (Armenia). A tie for 19th place and over-all 21st place was not bad after all. This was my prediction before the start of the Istanbul Chess Olympiad, said National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman and president Prospero Butch Pichay Jr.

The Filipinos earned some consolation with the bronze medal in Group B, behind Sweden and Denmark. The Philippine chessers however were unable to surpass their best-ever nish of seventh place in the 1988 edition of the tournament. We have a young team and we will be better in the next Olympiad, Pichay said. Armenia and Russia nished tied at the top of the leaderboard with 19 points, but Armenia won the gold by virtue of having the better tie-break points. Ukraine (18 points) nished with bronze. Russias womens team nished with 19 points to win the gold, followed by China and Ukraine. Torre and the Philippines shared their

Torre, third from left, leads the Philippines to a rousing upset of England in the 8th round of the 2012 Chess Olympiad. Torre beat fellow GM Nigel Short as the Philippines enjoyed its nest moment in the tournament.

Torre joins the other members of the Philippine team which won third place in Group B of the tournament. The others with him are, from right: Jayson Gonzales-National Chess Federation of the Philippines Executive Director, Oliver Barbosa, Mark Paragua and Oliver Dimakiling.

nest moment when the Philippine chessers smashed England 3-1 behind wins by GMs Barbosa and Torre on boards two and three respectively. GM Torre delivered the goods with a ne victory over former PCA World Championship contender GM Nigel Short in 41 moves of their Nimzo Indian encounter. He showed the Filipino chess fans back home how to win an endgame with two knights opposite the dreaded two bishops. Torres two knights proved superior forcing GM Short to resign the game with either one of his bishops about to be captured without a tradeoff. GM Oliver Barbosa bounced back from a loss the previous round with a 102-mover game against GM Gawain Jones on Board 2 in a Kings Indian defense struggle. Another ne endgame lesson here demonstrated by GM Barbosa against the nice play by GM Jones who hoped to hack out a draw despite being two pawns down. In the end checkmate was inevitable. GM Wesley So was held to a draw on Board 1 opposite Super GM Michael Adams in a Caro-Kann game. GM Mark Paragua also halved the point against GM Nicholas Pert. The Philippine Womens team lost to USA .5-3.5, Janelle Mae Frayna avoided a shutout by drawing her game versus IM Rusudan Goletiani on Board 3, WIM Catherine Perena, WFM Rulp Ylem Jose and Jedara Docena yielded to IM Ana Zatonski, IM Irina Krush and WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, respectively.

BATA REYES nears TWILIGHT of career

By Peter Atencio
EFREN Bata Reyes may be a 58-year-old grandfather but he and partner Django Bustamante proved that they were still the countrys best pool players when they reached the quarternal round of PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool. Reyes and Bustamante provided the only real challenge to eventual champions Finlands Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonen. The two Filipino legends brought out the best in them, and the Finnish duo came up with a 9-5 win on Saturday night, Sept. 7 at the Robinsons Midtown Mall in Manila. They are amazing players. They are legends. If they get us into a close match, they might beat us, said Immonen a day before he and Makkonen eventually took the crown with a 10-8 triumph over Poland. Reyes said his recent setback to Immonen and Makkonen, is a sign of things to come: retirement. Unable to earn a title, or nish better than third, in any of the six major money tournaments he has joined this year, the 59-year old Reyes said he may have to soon hang up his cue stick when he turns 60 next year. Wala na siguro. Pawala na. Ngayon pa. Iyung sa mga susumaipapanalo dito o wala, remarked Reyes, who won only one tournament last year, and this was the 2011 US Open One Pocket Championship. He said had always savored the admiration of younger challengers. But, the magic seems to have left him. OK sana kung may makikita pa silang tira sa akin, stated Reyes. At 48, Bustamante said he does not see the end of his pool career just yet. He said he expects more challenges to come his way. Siyempre, nagkaka-edad na. Eh, wala na iyung gaya ng dati. At least nakakapaglaro pa. Yun ang importante. Pero marami pang tournament na darating, stated Bustamante. Bustamante has so far won $30,525 from the 13 international pool events he has participated in. Early this year, he has won the 2012 West Coast 10-ball event and the West Coast One Pocket tournament, pocketing one of his biggest earnings, which is $5200 and $3000. Finishing runner-up to Dennis Orcollo in the US Open 10-ball championship last May gave Bustamante his biggest windfall so far the year, at $8500. He experienced one of his career lows last year after joining nine international competitions last year. That year, Bustamante went home with $17,300, and with a sixth place nish in the 2011 Derby City Classic Banks Division championships in Elizabeth, Indiana as his best performance. So far, Bustamante boasts of 46 money titles from 1993 to 2012. His most productive year was in 2005 when he pocketed $140,722 and claimed three championships out of a total of 19 tourneys, That year, he went home with $70,000 after placing third to Reyes in the IPT King of the Hill 8-Ball Shoot Out in Orlando, Florida. With Bata expected to slowly fade into the sunset in the next ve years, new pool aces have emerged with Shane Van Boening now ranked no. 1 in the second week of September, according to the latest rankings released by AZ Billiards. Ralph Souquet has gone up 12 notches to no. 2 , while Reyes remains in third. Reyes believes that there are many promising players in the Philippines. like Among those he sees as promising are Lee Van Corteza, Dennis Orcullo and Warren Kiamco. Among them, he feels that Ronnie Alcano would mostly be it, since he has adopted to his style of play.

Bata Reyes lines up a shot during the Party Poker.net World Cup of Pool competition held recently at Robinsons Metro Place in Manila. Reyes and Bustamante reached the quarter nal.

nod na tournament, hindi ko na alam kung kaya pa ng kamay ko. Kapag wala na, retire na rin ako, said Reyes after he and Bustamante contemplated on the outcome of their encounter with Immonen and Makkonen. Reyes, who have so far earned $12,825 after splitting his $10,000 winnings with Bustamante, is regarded the worlds top pool player with a total earning

of $1,787,637. Immonen, who is known as the Iceman ranks second to Reyes in terms of earnings in pro billiards with a total take of $1,071,361, according to pool website, azbilliards.com. Bustamante, on the other hand, ranks third with $904,384. Known as The Magician from Angeles City, Pampanga, Reyes said he leaves the adula-

tion he gets from the competition he gets and after winning as many as 88 international crowns from a span of 26 year, 1985 to 2011. The year 2012 has been a struggle for Reyes, for he has yet to win a single money tournament. Reyes said that the United States is his next major stop, and he is unsure of himself at this stage. Hindi ko masisiguro kung may

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TECH

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

A9

to spur record Apple sales in Q4

REPRESENTING a strong smartphone
launch by Apple, the iPhone 5 will be a major success in the market by year end, helping to drive Apples smartphone shipments in 2012 to 149 million units, up 60 percent from 93 million in 2011, according to US-based research rm IHS iSuppli.
Historically, the release of a new iPhone has generated a large quarter-on-quarter surge in iPhone sales. Apples release strategy plays a major role in this upwelling, as prospective buyers hold off on purchasing during the time leading up to the rollout of the new device. This phenomenon depressed iPhone sales in the second quarter of this year. Buyers historically have delayed their purchases until the newest model is available. Then they rush out to get the latest and greatest version once its being sold, leading to a spike in demand. IHS predicts the same pattern will occur with the iPhone 5, according to HIS. In the Philippines, Apple enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for the release of the new phone before buying an iPhone. Im holding off with my wallet for the new iPhone, said Rads Sy, an businessman based in Ortigas Center. Scheduled to be released globally with just over a week left in the third quarter, most of the iPhone 5s sales bump in 2012 will be seen in the final quarter of the year. When combined with normal seasonality, IHS predicts the fourth quarter this year will be Apples biggest quarter for iPhone sales in history. Unlike last years release of the iPhone 4S, this years iPhone 5 announcement comes as a significant departure from previous models, said HIS mobile analyst Daniel Gleeson. The addition of a new, larger screen is a fundamental change in product design. Furthermore, the iPhone 5 is the first member of Apples smartphone line to feature 4G long term evolution (LTE) connectivity, accelerating data speeds dramatically compared to previous models. These major improvements will drive strong sales for the iPhone 5, Gleeson said. In the Android smartphone market, the plethora of screen sizes, aspect ratios and resolutions have created challenges for software developers. However, IHS anticipates that the addition of a single additional aspect ratio will not hinder iPhone app development. The iOS ecosystem is still the most valuable mobile content marketplace, despite Androids size advantage, said Jack Kent of IHS. The new iPhone will support old apps via the addition of a ribbon so as to preserve the original aspect ratio. While this will maintain the experience, it does fall short of the flawless hardware-software integration that a vertically integrated model like Apples should provide. However, this should only be a temporary distraction for users as developers update their apps. Kent said. The new iPhone can connect to 4G networks that operate in several bands and is compatible with many but not all LTE networks in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and other Southeast Asian markets. The iPhone 5s support of global 4G LTE frequencies will help 4G get off the ground in many markets where uptake has been muted so far. In particular, all European 4G deployments to date have seen very few compatible smartphones come to market. Even in areas with poor 4G coverage, the iPhone 5 will cause a huge spike in the usage of compatible devices, which should also incentivize wireless operators to build their networks faster. LTE has recently created a stir among mobile service providers in the Philippines. Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have launched their LTE networks in anticipation of iPhone 5s availability in the local market.

iPhone 5

The 4.0inch display on the iPhone 5 compares to the 3.5-inch screen on all previous Apple smartphone models. This new display is essentially an elongated-screen version of previous iPhone displays, providing additional height with no additional width. The screen also features in-cell technology that minimizes the distance between the user and the display, and also helps reduce the thickness of the smartphone.

Apple needs more than iPhone 5 to knock Google off

APPLE needs to do much more than the widely expected hardware revamp of the iPhone to lead in the smartphone market. This is according to research rm Ovums new measure of success in the consumer technology industry the Smart-Vendor Scorecard which accompanies a 360-degree assessment of the major technology vendors capabilities and their inuence over consumers and developers. The global analyst rm expects that the new iPhone will be Apples most successful smartphone todate. However, without a redesign of the iOS user experience and underlying software platform in the next two years, Apple will nd itself in a position similar to Nokia and RIM, which found themselves with outdated smartphone platforms that needed replacing. The analysis behind Ovums Smart-Vendor Scorecard suggests that if Apple miss-times this transition, it could lose large numbers of consumers along the way. The question for Apple is: will Tim Cook be brave enough to call time on the iPhone cash-cow in-time for a successful transition? Ovum asked. Adam Leach, leader of Ovums devices and platforms practice, commented: Apple has successfully built the iPhone from a radical new entrant to the must-have smartphone. Whilst the company is still reaping the rewards of the brand equity of the iPhone, consumers are notoriously ckle when it comes to buying handsets. Without the continued innovation which we are accustomed to with Apple, the company risks losing consumer appeal. The iPhone redened the smartphone category in 2007 but it cant rely on past success to guarantee its future or rely on litigation to keep its competitors at bay. The Smart-Vendor Scorecard replaces outdated measures of success shipments and revenues which no longer provide a meaningful yardstick, as they fail to cater for the complex and multi-faceted nature of the consumer tech market. Ovum also noted that the Apple iPhone 5 (actually the sixth version of appeal to a wide base of users. The new device strikes that compromise most dramatically in the increased vertical height. With many Android and Windows Phone devices now signicantly larger than the iPhone 4S and gaining popularity, the pressure has grown on Apple to release a larger device. By only increasing the vertical height, its created a device thats notably taller and thinner in aspect ratio than most of those Android devices, and as a result it will stand out, which may not be a good thing. While keeping the device small enough for some hands is important, many customers would have wanted something bigger, and theyll be disappointed. On the other hand, the addition of LTE, the improvements in battery life, performance and the camera and so on will help the device appeal to existing iPhone users, and either close the gap or broaden its lead against competing devices. It seems likely that Apple will nevertheless sell tens of millions of iPhone 5 devices in the next few months and well over 100 million in total over the next year. iPhone users who are currently using an iPhone 4 and have the opportunity to upgrade will no doubt do so in large numbers, and the more fanatical iPhone 4S users will do the same. It will also sell lots of the previous two generations of devices as those go on sale at a lower price. Androids lead in total shipments and installed base will continue to grow, however, as Apples devices continue to target just a subset of the addressable market and Android devices meet a much wider range of customer preferences and price points.

Fast facts: iPhone 5

AS THE arrival of the iPhone 5 will spur a rebound in Apples smartphone shipments in the third and fourth quarters following a decline in the second quarter, research rm IHS iSuppli states that the global smartphone markets will return to growth with projected shipments of 346.5 million in the second half of 2012, up from 272.3 million during the rst six months of the year. iPhone 5 gets both bigger and thinner With the iPhone 5, Apple is expected to move to a larger display size, at about 4.0 inches diagonally, as opposed to 3.5 inches for the previous models, including the iPhone 4S. The pixel format will likely increase to 1,136 by 640 pixels, up from 960 by 640 for the iPhone 4S, maintaining 326 pixels per inch resolution. The likely display suppliers for Apples iPhone 5 are LG Display Co. Ltd., Sharp Corp. and Japan Display Inc., which all have in-cell touch technology capability. However, manufacturing yield rates associated with the new in-cell touch technology are likely to be lower than that for conventional LCD, which may have an impact on suppliers capability to meet Apples orders. A larger iPhone screen will be even more suited to video playback than older models if Apple adopts a widescreen 16 by 9 aspect ratio. Apples new iPhone will again transform the market for mobile content. This time Apple will revive the market for on-demand mobile TV and video, said Ian Fogg of IHS. Apple gets on the map With the introduction of iOS 6 for both new and existing iPhone models, Apple is replacing the current Googlebased navigation system it hosts on the phone with its own new location and navigation software, called Maps. With support for turn-by-turn spoken directions, a vector-based engine and a tilt-and-rotate interface, Maps improves Apples offering for drivers. But Apple will need wide support from third party App developers to deliver on its ambitious goals for its new location platform, Fogg said. Is Apple getting closer to near-eld communication? Conicting reports have surfaced on whether the iPhone 5 will include a near-eld communication (NFC) chip for electronic mobile payments. While Apple in the past has eschewed the technology, makers of smartphones based on Googles Android operating system have enthusiastically embraced it, shipping 106 million NFC-enabled cellphones in 2011. iOS 6 will include support for Apples new Passbook app, which will allow users to employ their iPhone 5 to redeem coupons, movie tickets, boarding passes and loyalty cards, and to conduct other nancial transactions, said Jack Kent, senior analyst for mobile at IHS. With its capability to tie purchases together, Passbook will be an effective tool for managing mobile transactions, mobile money services and mobile commerce. If Apple combines Passbook with its new location platform, the company will open both a new revenue stream and a new competitive front with Google, Kent said. Better LTE Because the new iPad that debuted earlier in 2012 offered 4G LTE technology (Long Term Evolution) IHS expects the new IPhone to also offer LTE for the rst time on an iPhone. This will deliver a major boost to global LTE subscriptionsdepending on which frequency bands and service providers it supports. Apples new iPad currently supports LTE for U.S. carriers Verizon and AT&T, Fogg said. However, the tablet does not support LTE in other regions, including Europe. If the iPhone 5 offers global LTE frequencies then this will expand LTE subscriber growth and boost the fortunes of carriers with LTE networks to the detriment of those that only offer 3G services. Semi tough In part because of the iPhone business, Apple is the worlds largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in terms of semiconductor purchasing. The company also is increasing its semiconductor buying at a faster rate than other top OEMs, solidifying its hegemony over the chip market. Apple this year is expected to buy nearly $28 billion worth of semiconductors, up 15 percent from $24 billion in 2011, according to an IHS iSuppli OEM Semiconductor Spend Analysis report. Because of its major inuence over the semiconductor supply chain, Apples iPhone 5 could help spur a resurrection of demand for NAND ash memory. NAND ash memory is a digital storage technology that retains data even without power.

the smartphone) is on the surface very similar to leaked images that have surfaced in recent months. Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum, observed some of the phones more major changes, such as its increase in vertical height. The device highlights the inherent risks involved in Apples strategy of only releasing one device at a time, in that it always has to strike a compromise that is most likely to

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A10

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

PASCUAL GARCIA

From contractual employee to bank president

PASCUAL Garcia III is someone who likes
telling the truth. He cautions people against splurging on items using credit cards, because of the high interest charges which he says will only enrich the banks. Thats a surprising piece of advice coming from the president of one of the countrys largest consumer banks.
Thats 3.5 percent interest per month, or 42 percent per annum. The highest credit card interest in Asia is 19 percent. Here it is 42 percent, Garcia says in an interview at a Japanese restaurant near his ofce in Salcedo Village, Makati City. Credit card has its own advantage, but if you dont need it, you can use debit card instead. You can use debit card in restaurants or while you travel abroad, he says. Garcia, the 57-year-old president of Philippine Savings Bank, apparently looks beyond short-term windfall, aware that a strong economy, with a large pool of well-paid workers and savers, is the one that will sustain the good performance of banks. More than a sudden spike in personal spending, Garcia is now more interested in the rise of the Filipino consumers purchasing power, the completion of infrastructure projects that will enhance business activities, or the ability of the country to compete with its Asian neighbors such as Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia. former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona where he displayed the same level of sheer honesty. Garcia says he is worried about the large population of unemployed Filipinos, such as college graduates who end up waiting at restaurants or working in other countries as laborers or household helpers. Not the type of person who looks down on those jobs, Garcia can actually relate to ordinary workers daily struggle, because he says he himself, started from the ranks, in fact as a contractual employee earning just P12 a month. Garcia was born, raised and educated in Mindanao. I was born in Davao but I grew up in Zamboanga. I spent most of my formative years in Zamboanga, he says. He wanted to be a lawyer like his father, but decided to take up Management at Ateneo de Zamboanga University because of nancial reasons. I went to college on a scholarship, he says.

Contractual employee
He took a contractual job early on, before he became a regular employee at Citibank Finance, the predecessor of Citytrust. As long as I have a job, I will work hard on it. I will not give up. I try to be diligent, he says. I try to make it happen. Garcias diligence paid off. I grew through the ranks. I was the area head for Mindanao at Citibank Finance, he says. He rose to become executive vice president of Citytrust Banking Corp. before he was tapped as president of Bank of Southeast Asia, which was acquired by Singaporean bank DBS in 1998. He headed DBS Bank Philippines Inc. as its president and chief operating ofcer, before transferring to the Metrobank Group. He was later appointed as president of PSBank, the groups thrift banking unit.

Many are unbanked

Only 10 percent of the population here is bankable. This is because income here is not widely dispersed, he says. He says banks will benet if their depositors earn more, and thus save more. In our environment compared to other countries, the contribution of deposits is low. The deposit per customer is low and banks actually lose in keeping depositors with low deposits. If they dont have at least P50,000 in the bank, we are actually losing money, he says. Garcia is also known in the banking circle for being an honest person. He was a former president of the Chamber of Thrift Banks, the group of consumer banks, and was recently in the limelight during the Senate impeachment trial of

He says the rising competition in the banking industry poses a challenge to the protability of banks, particularly in the area of offering free services. In the US, if you use an ATM, they charge $1. Here, it is free if you use the ATM of your own bank, he says. Demanding job He says the recent Bangko Sentral The common perception of people circulars such as the changes in the is that if you are the president of a bank, treatment of reserve requirement made

Recently, Garcia who has three children treated his only daughter to a trip to Japan, for passing the Medical board examination. She was already a teacher with a degree in Microbiology, but Garcia encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. I told her to study while I am still around, he says, noting that he did not have the same opportunity when he was young. Although he did not become a lawyer, Garcia now heads a bank which also employs lawyers reporting to him. I have been a bank president for 16 years now, he says. Being a bank president, he says, is ideal in some sense from the standpoint of being able to attain progress in ones career. The challenge, however, is tremendous, because you are the depository of the trust of the public. The president of the bank is responsible for developing the strategic vision and pushing for programs that lend to the achievement of that vision. These involve policy formulation, organizational resource management, etc. At the end of the day, we build the business, he says. Contrary to common belief that a bank president can choose his own schedule and let subordinates do the work for him, he says the job is much more demanding than that.

you can go to the ofce late. If you do that, you will be left behind. You will accomplish little, he says. Garcia says some days in ofce are so hectic, his only rest is going to the rest room. He spends most of his time in meetings and appointments, while overseeing the overall operations of PSBank with over 200 branches nationwide. Thankfully, not all days are like that, he says. We have over 200 branches. I have very little time to visit the branches, but also get the chance when visiting the provinces. I have to manage and preserve time well, to make sure I do not over concentrate on just one aspect of the business, he says. It is what you accomplish for the business that is important. At PSBank, Garcia says the challenge is how to keep up with the technological revolution. We have to keep on upgrading our physical infrastructure and data capacity, he says, adding that banking services have evolved into more sophisticated network-based transactions nowadays.

it more challenging for banks to grow their prots. That, for one, affected the banks interest income on ATM reserves. PSBank has more than 500 ATMs all over the country. He admits banks remain protable this year, mainly because of trading gains. PSBank, for example, saw its net income surge 50 percent to P1.4 billion in the rst half of 2012. PSBanks gross loans increased 14 percent to P67 billion in the JanuaryJune period, led by a double-digit growth in consumer loans as well as large enterprise group loans. Automotive loans accelerated 15 percent while housing loans grew 14 percent, amid higher demand from car and home buyers. PSBank manages assets of more than P120 billion. Garcia says expansion remains a priority for the bank. We think we can grow organically, he says, by adding more branches in Metro Manila and the provinces. PSBank has over 200 branches, about half of which are in the metropolis.

Industry challenges

Guiding principles
Filipino bankers, he says, remains true to their calling, despite the tarnished reputation of bankers in other countries, where the mortgage crisis forced thousands of people out of their homes. Garcia says honesty and fairness are basic principles that continue to guide him in his career and in life. I always try to be fair and do what is true, honest and right, he says. RTD

By Carla Mortel
PROMPTED by this years focus on Filipino entrepreneurial and leadership values, two 2011 Bossing Award winners stirred inspiration by sharing their entrepreneurial sojourns at the recent launch of the 3rd MVP Bossing Awards. Willie Tee Ten, president of the AutoHub Group, recounted his humble beginnings and attributed the success of his business ventures to keeping ones integrity, readiness to innovate and caring for people. After he graduated as a chemical engineer, Ten took on several jobs before pitching for a Ford dealership in 1998 practically as a newbie. Believing that all the time is the best time to start a business, Ten made employed his marketing skills to steer his outt into one of todays top auto dealers. With a tight business plan, his automobile business grew with dealerships from Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, Mini, Piaggio, together with Click, V-Kool for window lms, and the AutoHub Car Care Services group. To stay ahead of competition, Ten will soon launch three Mini dealerships, two Ford outlets, and a Peaggio car delivery. Everybody starts small, say Ten. From there build a name, and a good reputation. With integrity intact, everybody wants to do business with you. Ten also values the people he works with. He proudly shares that my people

(From left) PLDT SME Nation community consultancy head Gabby Cui, Go Negosyo executive director Mon Lopez, PLDT SME Nation vice president and head Kat Luna-Abelarde, vice president for Sun Business Marketing Michele Curran, Autohub Group president Willie Tee Ten, Fern Inc. president and chief executive Tommanny Tan, and PLDT SME Nation assistant vice president and marketing head Amil Azurin.

AutoHub and Fern Inc.s bosses promote Pinoy business values

nominated me so it was surprising for me to learn that I was a Bossing awardee. For Ten, taking care of people who support him is one business core value that remains high in his priority list. Likewise, Tommany Tan, president of Fern Inc., started small with six employees in tow in 2007. Operating on such a small scale, he cleared out a warehouse full of merchandise and focused on growing the Fern Inc. by pushing a product he believed in into the market. Fern-C is a non-acidic vitamin C supplement or sodium ascorbate manufactured in Australia. Through direct selling, Tan catapulted Fern-C as the No. 1 vitamin C supplement that became a household name in 2007. With one million distributors, and 3,500 Fernchisees, Fern Inc. was able to grow and diversify. The company now distributes Fern coffee, I-ex, and Fern-Slim, one of the top selling weight management products in 2008. Tan believes that Filipinos have immeasurable potentials, and given the right opportunities that potentials can be developed to achieve success in life. Guided by the company vision of sharing prosperity through entrepreneurship, Fern created eight training centers in different parts of the country where entrepreneurial and leadership skills were taught. Early in his life, Tan was shaped to be an entrepreneur and was told that employment is a stepping stone. What

he learned from school and employment helped him become the entrepreneur he is now. On Aug. 7, Tan launched I-Fern to formalize the distribution of Fern products abroad. Designed to be a global company, I-Fern will provide the mechanism and opportunity for Filipinos to earn dollars without having to leave the country. Besides steering their enterprises to success with their excellent business management skills, we want to honor Pinoy Bossings who for many years embraced the fortitude and strength of mind that we Filipinos are admired for, said PLDT SME Nation vice president and head Kat Luna-Abelarde. Our Bossing theme this year is Mula Noon Hanggang NgayonChampioning Filipino Values in Businesswhich seeks to honor the values of the past and bring them forward as guideposts to navigate the 21st century and beyond, says LunaAbelarde. From 300 entries last year, the 2012 MVP Bossing Awards welcomes a bigger participation of entrepreneurs from the provinces. While there are Bossing winners such as Pampangas Best, Bos Coffee and Islands Souvenirs, the current roster of awardees largely comes from Metro Manila. Similar to last years competition, nominations for various industry segments representing every SME sector such as agri-business, manufacturing, travel and leisure, retail trade and nance and service industries will be accepted for the 2012 MVP Bossing Awards.

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Sunday
ManilaStandardTODAY ManilaStandardTODAY Standard StandardTODAY

ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

A11

Rico Blanco is not afraid to put himself out there

RICOs musical feast

By Carla Mortel

ITS been four years since former Rivermaya frontman Rico Blancos solo debut Your Universe, which produced such hits as the orchestral masterpiece Yugto, and the sweet title track Your Universe. Blanco reconnects with his audience with an album that departs from the sound he is easily identied with.
It is not so much that he morphed into a different person. This time, Blanco delved deeper within himself. Uninhibited, Blanco instinctively followed his muses twists and turns, threw away old habits and experimented heavily with his music. Cooped up in the attic, where his music studio is, Blanco wrote lyrics, composed music, engineered sounds and conjured up images as delivered in his second album, Galactik Fiestamatik. The story of this album begins with fullling the dream of having a home studio. His eyes lighting up, Blanco shares, Ive wanted my own studio since I was a kid, and now I have it in my attic. So its like me again in third year high school, when my classmate lent me his double cassette player and keyboard, and I could record stuff at home! Orchestrating his own mad symphony, his signature songwriting takes center stage, anked by an assortment of found objects and unlikely instruments: a melodica; a lyre; a gigantic cowbell; a violin he picked up in Araneta; pots and pans; metal tubes from the hardware store; a scrap of the neighbors abandoned rooftop gutter. Fueled mostly by curiosity and brilliantly experimental, the album presents a sound that is raw, imperfect and deeply personal occasionally bizarre, but inimitably Blanco. Eluding denition, Galactik Fiestamatik takes the listeners to a festive adventure through the magic and mayhem of Blancos parallel Pinoy universe. His lyrical genius entwines thundering ethnic beats of Ati-Atihan, analog synths of New Wave, and even the catchy groove of contemporary pop in a tribal punk rave.

Amats, the carrier single with its creepy and haunting tune have every right to be the muse for the other cuts of the album. Its always the rst song that I create [for an album] that takes me where I want to go; thats what happened with Yugto, I just took bits and pieces of Yugto and turned them into other songs. This time, it was Amats. Proclaimed by fans as the stalker anthem, Blanco reveals that I wanted it [the song] to be in your face, like a stalker you want to get rid of.

Tracks

Parokya ni Edgars Chito Miranda calls Blanco a mad scientist

When The Wheels Turn is a track heavily identied an industrial sound with an unintentional New Wave feel written organically as Blanco explained. It was as stream of consciousness as I could get, and I love it now, because it felt like someone [else] wrote it, and Im trying to gure out what he said, because I was that person that day! But now I realize, its about fate, its about things

falling apart, its about trauma, but also about hope. With Chismis, Blanco shows social commentary and his disgust for gossip while banging on pots, pans, cups and saucers. Fans looking for a more romantic and melancholic sound Hours and Days with its hushed lyrics could be the perfect post break-up choice. The folksy Lipat-Bahay, with piano tracks and accompanied by snare drum for a more earnest, acoustic sound, draws from Blancos nostalgic transfer from his condo to his new home. Prodded by his friend Dong Abay, he churned the simple inventory of everyday stuff into a song about departure and letting go.

Taking an upbeat turn, Blanco surprises listeners with the technoinuenced Sayaw. Revealing this side of his personality, he declares, Dancing is one of my greatest loves and Ive never really written a song I could dance to. Its about forgetting your problems, leaving school or the work week behind, and enjoying the night. We work so hard as human beings, trying to be the best we can be, so we deserve to dance! And Blanco did showed his dance moves during the launch. With jerk and pop movements, hips swaying and head bopping, Blanco showed his dance moves to the awe and delight of the crowd. The track Ngayon can easily be

Going upbeat

By Arabelle Jiimeinez

In his own class

up starting September, the Manila production of The King and I, playing the coveted role of King Mongkut, and the much awaited I <3 Manila (Kasi nga, Its More Fun in the Philippines), together with Jon Santos and The CompanY. Betwmeen 2005 and the present, Cerrudo successfully reinvented himself and has kept busy with Cerrudo Classico, the longest-running concert series since its inception. Impressively, it has staged over 100 shows, both locally and internationally, proving his versatility and brilliance as a performing artist. Cerrudo Classico are conceptualized shows wherein he successfully fused both aspects of his persona as an artfst; namely, Theater Actor and Classical-Pop Crossover Concert Artist. He has awed a broad array of listeners with his stirring voice that captures from present-day young to a mature audience. These are just some of the aspects that contributed in nding and carving a specic niche for Cerrudo, making his career path even brighter.

the next cruising anthem for road trips with the windows rolled down and wind in your face scenes. Blanco likens his songs to taking snapshots of now his current state of mind and the inuences he happens to draw from. Blanco drew inspiration from an eclectic array of people (producers, sound designers and engineers), stimulus (songs or movies sound) and experiences (estas, a story like how Dong Abay talked to me inspiring LipatBahay, music festivals in Spain and Corsica). If theres anything that ties it [the songs] together, its the goal I had in terms of process, Blanco says. Ultimately, his biggest inuence is from the sounds, [from] the experimentation that happened here. Blanco is an authentic musicianartist whos not afraid to put himself out there, including donning face paints, costumes and a feathered head gear at that. Truly, Blanco marches to his own beat, dreams boldly and declares, if we fail, we fail boldly. In a sweet turn of events, Galactik Fiestamatik is the rst Pinoy album to make it no.1 on iTunes. With a set of original compositions, Blancos Galactik Fiestamatik is a rich harvest from the dearth of cover songs performed by local artists raiding the airwaves. His musicality has matured into well-crafted songs resonant of his air in lyrics and unabashed play of melody. It is not hard to see and feel that it took pain, work and heart to produce such an album that invites anyone to a musical esta.

ONLY a few artists come back with a more stellar stature. Performing artist Bo Cerrudo personies what experience, discipline and talent can do to reach a certain level in a musical career. Starting 2012 with a series of Valentine shows, he has delighted his audiences even more, after winning the 2011 Aliw Award as Best Male Performer in hotels, rars and lounges. Since then, it has been a very busy and fruitful year, having been invited to do a solo concert tour of Australia last summer. There is no stopping Cerrudo, as two more major shows are coming-

Finding his niche

The King
Cerrudo is not new to the musical stage, having performed lead roles in

CCPs Rama Hari, The Metropolitan Theaters Flower Drum Song, and West Side Story. He is excited to do The King and I because he is reunited with the exact group of people he worked with in Classico, no other than exemplary director Freddie Santos, and par excellence Maestro Rodel Colmenar, together with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra. Santos conceptualized the Classico shows to be a concert with a feel of musical theater and incidentally, it was for these shows that Cerrudo received the Aliw Award. It was also during that time, he became busy performing with Aawitan Kita, which is now staged live once a month, and which also had a concert tour in both the US and Australia in 2011. In those shows, presented in a musical play format, songs were strung together to tell different storiesso his theater background were also utilized. In effect, Cerrudo enthuses, I never left theater. Even when I was performing in mostly concerts and corporate events, I always made references to my background and experience in musicals. But of course, it is a renewed excitement for me now, being in an actual theater musical again after all these years.

Playing King Mongkut is a challenge anew for Cerrudo. This Manila production will showcase his outstanding talent t for a King, with a worldclass performance he can deliver to a much wider range of audiences.

Its more fun

Even before he was chosen to play the role of King Mongkut in The King and I, Cerrudo, together with colleagues, comedian Jon Santos and award-winning group The CompanY, came up with the idea of collaborating on a project. They all wanted it to be different from any of the projects theyve done individually, so they thought of I <3 Manila (Kasi Nga, Its More Fun in the Philippines). Manila, being the countrys capital and its premiere city for the longest time, the concert will showcase everything beautiful about being Filipino. In the end, it reminds us to love where were fromwhether its Manila or elsewhere, and by coincidence, this may also be likened to a musical play, with a fun twist. All the years since his last theater performance, it was imminent that Cerrudo was just laying the ground work to be able to come full circle and return to his root.

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ManilaStandardTODAY

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ARTS & LIFE

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

A12

SUNDAY

Isabel Gatuslao is not just a beautiful girl. She is also very talented.

Isabel
By Dinna Chan Vasquez

FINDS HER PLACE

WITH her movie star looks and modeltype body, it is difcult to believe that Isabel Gatuslao was once an amateur boxer. One thinks that a truly beautiful girl like her would not play contact sports, especially boxing. When she reveals that she was once the PR manager for a hotel, one is inclined to think that she was once a girl who was not sure about her place in the world and was looking for it.

Isabel realized that she is happiest creating symbols and working with typefaces.

"I wanted to do something corporate, something normal and accepted because I wanted to prove to myself that I am able to follow rules so I took a day job and did it for a couple of years. I enjoyed a lot of it, especially the short time that I was with Nike but it didn't feel quite right," said Isabel, who belongs to the illustrious Gatuslao clan of Negros Occidental. Isabel decided to become a full time graphic designer two years ago. " "I've been doing graphic design since I was 10 and I knew it was my calling because I picked it up fast but I've been putting it off. Fear of course. Income-wise, I didn't even know if I was going to get any clients but I just wanted to take a leap and do something I really love," she said. Before she took that leap of faith, Isabel sent an e-mail to the multi-awarded Michael Beirut, who is considered the Steve Jobs of the design world. In her letter, she asked him, Do I have what it takes to be in design? The next morning, Beirut replied. He said I was as good or even better than some of the professionals out there," shares Isabel. Isabel works with corporate and boutique brands. Her most recent clients include Dove (Asia) for whom she designed the identity of their internal electronic newsletter to be distributed all over Asia, Africa and the Middle East; National Bookstore, the Philippines largest bookstore chain, whose Web interface and 70th anniversary logo she designed; and the new identity of MediCard Philippines. Here, she answers some of our questions on her art, favorite books and even her home: In the short time that you've been a graphic designer, your work has earned so many raves? Were you surprised?

Yes surprised and thankful. I have my own denition of what elegant graphic design is and I'm thankful that my clients share the same standards as I do and I'm surprised that a number of people appreciate it. Where do you derive inspiration for every client's requirements? Inspiration comes from everywhere but mostly from the clients themselves. When I meet with clients, I like to ask them how they started their business because I like to hear their success stories. I also ask them where they want to take their company, 10, 20 years from now just so I design something that will last for a long time. I like the identities I design to be authentic and honest. I don't want them to have a logo that's tells another brand's story, logos like that are eeting. I know that you are a book lover (I rst heard about the Kindle from you). What are your favorite books? My favorite book has to be Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design by Michael Bierut. He's the only graphic designer I know who is also a brilliant writer. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (who doesn't like that book?). For someone who supposedly needs imagination for work, I'm surprisingly into non-ction. So I read a lot of biographies. Richard Branson's Losing my Virginity is so inspiring. Now that books have digital editions, do you still buy hard copies? Can you quantify that in terms of percentage? I denitely buy hard copies for the design books but for books that are all text, I download them to my Kindle app for the iPad. It's just good for the environment and it saves on space. I'd say I have more books on my iPad 70 percent and 30 percent for actual books. What lessons did you learn in corporate PR that you are now applying to your work as a graphic designer?

It was then that I made so many mistakes so I learned from all those mostly on how to deal with people. I learned that whatever your profession is, happiness at work is based on respect and relationships shouldn't be forced. A lot of the good identities I design can be attributed to the great relationships I have with my clients and the mutual respect we have for each other. What are your hobbies and interests, aside from art? I enjoy staying in and snacking in front of the TV. I like watching period lms where the men and women are elegant, poised and had a lot of restraint. I'm also a big fan of Breaking Bad and An Idiot Abroad. I enjoy sports to a certain degree. I used to be an amateur boxer and I follow tennis on TV. I know that you are an Ilongga. What do you miss most from Bacolod when you are here? The family. I am very close to my nephews and nieces. I miss them all the time. Are you renting or are you a homeowner? How did you design the interiors of your place, considering the space limitations? Renting. A part of me is saying that I want to live in a building forever and sometimes, a part of me tells me that I want a real house. So while I haven't decided, I'm renting. But I know for sure that I want to live in Makati so I'm here now. I designed it according to the way I live and work. I don't own many things and I work hard to keep it that way. Because I'm such a minimalist, it was easy making things t in my minuscule apartment. If money was no object, where would you live? Why? In a hotel designed by Roman & Williams. I love the spaces they design. Full of personality and character. A story in every corner of the room. A hotel because I would like someone to pick up after me so I can just work without any distractions.

Palanca awardee talks about writing

INDEPENDENTLY published books are now the rule rather than the exception today. With all the new research tools, it has become very easy to write a book. With the advent of Print-on-Demand and Publish-on-Demand, it has also become very easy to have your book published. Start working on the book that you have in your mind. Learn from Dr. Isagani R. Cruz, the Palanca Hall of Famer and the 2010 Outstanding Filipino for literature. He has written or edited more than 60 books. As a publisher, he has published more than 300 books. Also on board are specialists from Central Books, the countrys leader in selfpublishing and print on demand services, to help with the simple process of getting yourself published and having your book out on shelves in a matter of days. The seminar will be on Sept. 16 at the SMX Convention Center. There will be two sessions. The rst session (from 4 to 5 p.m.) is meant for those who have not yet written a book. There will be a P300 registration fee which includes attendance to both sessions, a certicate of attendance as well as refreshments. Limited slots available. For information, call Jemimah 372-3550 loc. 34 or (0917) 504-9977.

SHOE STORE
makes strides for kids education
LITERACY and education go hand in hand in helping mold Filipino children to become productive members of the society. Besides providing opportunity for learning and better employment, knowledge, especially among the poor and disadvantaged, is as important as ones arms and limbsthat without which, emerging from poverty may seem a distant possibility. To help spread hope and ripples of positive change, Res|Toe|Run, in partnership with World Vision Philippines, gamely took the steps in helping raise funds for poor kids as they reach out for their dream of a better future. From nancial assistance, improving classroom facilities, up to provision of school supplies and other relevant aids for children in need, methods and means are created to help draw out support and the necessary funds. Res|Toe|Runs gift of learning made possible via its sponsorship donation for impoverished children under World Vision Philippines basic education programbegins with a single pair of footwear. For every purchase of shoes, 3 percent of the total sales of Res|Toe|Run outlets in the country will go directly to the sponsored children.

Res|Toe|Runs gift of learning donation drive for World Vision helps raise funds for poor kids

With this gesture, Res|Toe|Run now joins World Visions growing league of supporters and charity partners for worthy causes. To date, volunteers from all over the Philippines have reached countless numbers, continuously doubling by the minute as they ght as one for childrens right to quality, basic education. We are grateful to be part of World Visions advocacy. Our shoes now are no longer just fashionable

staples; they have become important, life-changing tools with a purpose. On the one end, our customers also take an immense part in this signicant endeavor. With each shoe purchased by them, they help us create a brighter future for Filipino kids in need of support, said Joy Austria, brand manager for Res|Toe|Run. Participating Res|Toe|Run outlets for this campaign Ayala-Trinoma, Ayala Glorietta 4, Ayala Marquee Mall, Ayala Cebu, Ayala Abreeza in Davao, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, Robinsons Magnolia, Robinsons Palawan, Robinsons Pangasinan, Robinsons Laoag, Robinsons Dumaguete, Robinsons Gensan, Robinsons Tacloban, Gateway Mall, Podium Mall, Shangri-la Mall, Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center, Lucky China Town Mall Binondo, Market! Market!, Camp John Hay Baguio, Avenue Square Naga, Embarcadero Legazpi City, and in Solenad 2 in Nuvali, Laguna. Res|Toe|Runs past advocacy projects include Takbo Para sa Libreng Kolehiyo, Pro-Earth environmental crusades, Haribon Foundations Multreeply Tree planting, I RUN Campaign, United Nations End Hunger, Run to Educate, Skate boarding competition for the benet of street children (Embarcadero, Legazpi). Managed by Primer Group of Companies, Res|Toe|Run is the countrys rst and only restaurant-inspired boutique that elevates shoe shopping standards by innovating itself as a delectable ones-stop destination for footwear acionados of all ages. It was named after the three major footwear categories it offers: RES (which

Via its sponsorship donation for poor children under World Vision Philippines basic education program, Res|Toe|Run enjoins fellow donors in spreading hope and positive change.

represents casual footwear); TOE (composed of toe-aunting sandals and ip-ops) and RUN (which is made up of athletic and athlete-inspired footwear. For details, customers may visit its online fanpage in Facebook and Twitter.

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