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Ice hockey: Building on the ‘Miracle on Ice’

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games proved to be a tough one for the Philippines as it ended up in sixth place in the 11-nation field with 24 gold medals to show for, missing its target of winning at least 50.

But while Team Philippines had it rough in the biennial regional sports meet, some bright spots emerged, one of which is the country’s gold-winning ice hockey team.

Played in the SEA Games for the first time, the Philippine ice hockey team proved itself to be a groundbreaker as it showed dominance throughout the duration of the competition, a showing fondly referred to by local media outfits as the “Miracle on Ice.”

The Philippines completed a sweep of its four-game assignment, beating Indonesia, 12-0, in the opener before following it up with 7-2 and 8-7 victories over Singapore and host Malaysia, respectively, in the round-robin phase.

It capped its performance by edging Thailand, 5-4, in a thrilling final match that earned it the gold medal.

Forward Paul Sanchez emerged as the competition’s top scorer with 14 points, with teammates Steven Fuglister (11), Lenard Rigel Lancero II (9) and Carl Michael Montano (7) figuring in the top 10.

Goaltender Gianpietro Issepi was top in his position with a 91.67% save percentage and teammate Paolo Spafford (88.14%) at third.

With the Federation of Ice Hockey League, Inc. (FIHL), the local federation for the sport still in its formative years, members of the team underscored the importance of winning the gold in the SEA Games as a way of creating awareness for the sport which they hope would eventually inspire more Filipinos to pick it up.

“It’s very important for us to win the gold especially since ours is a young federation in the country. Every positive news we can get is a big help in what we are trying to do for the group and the sport in general. Had we not won I don’t think we would be getting the same attention that we are getting now. Hopefully we were able to inspire people, especially kids, to take up the sport,” said team captain Fuglister in an interview with BusinessWorld days upon their return from their SEA Games conquest.

“Ice hockey is a team sport. You really have to work as a group. We showed that it is something that we can excel in provided we put in the work and put our hearts into it,” added Filipino-Swiss Fuglister.

GAINING GROUND
For FIHL President Christopher Sy, to see the team continue to improve only serves to inspire them to grow more and further the development of the sport in the country.

“Ice hockey has been in the country for 10 years and there were already teams even before we put up a federation. It was not easy gathering different stakeholders but we were able to do that,” said Mr. Sy in a separate interview as he shared what they had to go through as a group.

“We understand that it will take time before ice hockey is fully embraced here but the interest is there. It’s a fun and fast sport. It’s adrenaline-filled that Filipinos should really enjoy,” the FIHL added.

He went on to say that challenges persist but they hope their win in the SEA Games would give the sport the boost that it needs to develop in the Philippines.

“In ice hockey you need the rink and equipment. We have been self-funding ourselves and hopefully with the SEA Games win we were able to open the team to more people and groups for support,” said Mr. Sy even as he shared that they plan to take the sport to another level, even maybe introducing it collegiate leagues down the line to create further awareness.

Next stop for the Philippine ice hockey team is the 2018 Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia which the country is hosting in April.

Ang Larawan: The way we are

By Menchu Aquino Sarmiento

Movie review
Ang Larawan
Directed by Loy Arcenas

ANG LARAWAN, directed by Loy Arcenas, is the musical film adaptation of Nick Joaquin’s 65-year-old play Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. It is more accurately a portrait of Filipino society itself, warts and all, than of any artist and his idiosyncrasies, and yet it is a thing of beauty in itself. The play’s longevity may be due to the currency of its great truths about the power of the patriarchy and the cruelty of our social class structures. Its unflinching depiction of the human condition remains relevant. Like a precious jewel, different facets are illuminated in its every incarnation, whether as the original English Portrait or several Filipino translations as Larawan, or in Spanish as Retrato. Each one shines, and casts its own light.

Over the decades, Joaquin’s original stage play has morphed into varied iterations such as the 1965 Lamberto Avellana film of the play itself. The 2002 Sambalikhaan staging even had men playing the disempowered leads: Anton Juan as Candido and the late Behn Cervantes as Pablito. Most recently, it was a three-hour Filipino stage musical with a libretto by Rolando Tinio and music by Ryan Cayabyab. That is the version adapted for the Arcenas film.

However Ang Larawan is more than a mere musical. Its soaring sound track reaches the heights of grand opera, beyond the more plebeian Hollywood-type song and dance extravaganzas, or our own Filipino sarsuela. The delightful opening tertulia song reminds us of a time when poetry mattered. “Kay Sarap ng Buhay Nung Araw” has the elegiac melancholy of kundiman. The setting in pre-World War II Intramuros is essential, for that was a gracious period in our history whose passing we must remember, to remind ourselves of what we might be in our future.

The Marasigan’s with their greedy bickering, and bullying of their weaker members, are still a relatable model of modern family dysfunction. Patriarchy is portrayed in all its terrible glory even as the patriarch himself is mostly off-screen. Though unseen, he holds his two youngest daughters Candida (Joanna Ampil) and Paula (Rachel Alejandro) in thrall. Tellingly, their fondest memory of themselves is as eternally prepubescent girls, dressed in virginal white for the Feast of the La Naval. The middle aged Paula wears an adult version of a sailor dress, while Candida dresses in dull shapeless sacks. Filipino social mores laud their self-sacrifice as noble while at the same time, looking down upon their genteel poverty.

The complexity of Ang Larawan’s characters makes them come alive and keeps them real. The two older Marasigan siblings: Manolo (Nonie Buencamino) and Pepang (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo), members of the alta sociedad, may seem like the heavies with their money-grubbing pragmatism. Yet they are not cardboard villains. Manolo is painfully torn: an alternately impatient, callous, and compassionate brother; a frivolous playboy with the ambiguous legacy of being the only (albeit estranged) son of a temperamental genius of a father. Lauchengco-Yulo gives a formidably intelligent reading of Pepang who must importune her husband for money to support her father and sisters — an obligation which Manolo continually fails.

Tinio’s witty libretto preserves the essence of Joaquin’s original play, and then some. There is an added hilarious riff by La Elsa Montes (Zsa Zsa Padilla), Queen of the Conga, whose only take-away after viewing the Marasigan masterpiece is to pattern her new costume after a Greek toga. It is a sly commentary on how popular culture trivializes high art. Robert Arevalo as Don Perico, gives another powerful, standout performance, reminiscent of his turn as the wronged older brother in Sakada (1976; directed by Behn Cervantes). He was the erstwhile poet who sold out to become a factotum of the regime.

Celeste Legaspi as Doña Loleng, the senator’s wife and society doyenne, is a force of nature, and in great voice. There is the risk she will take over the room, but all the performers manage to hold their own. Dulce lends her richly textured contralto to Doña Upeng while Nanette Inventor is a spunky and vibrant Doña Irene. Even the “minor” supporting roles shine, just as smaller gemstones in the setting of a precious jewel, for truly Joaquin’s Portrait as Ang Larawan is among our national treasures.

The polish and naturalness of the performances is the result of a year’s worth of rehearsals, many while in their costumes. Legaspi as one of the producers forbade ad libs. Only another national artist (Rolando Tinio for Theater and Literature) was given the imprimatur by the original author (Nick Joaquin for Literature) to adapt his work thusly. Amazingly, the director shot the film in just 15 days, though post-production took another year.

Ang Larawan’s more restrictive PG rating by the MTRCB is a puzzlement. Surely, it was not the tame, sexual innuendo of the shrill showgirls’ (Cris Villongco and Aicelle Santos) Betty Boop bodabil version of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” The noontime variety TV shows offer far racier fare. This remake of a classic ought to be seen by a wider audience. It should not be treated as a pearl cast before swine and trodden into the mud. Given the chance, our people are capable of so much more than the usual lame, inane film fodder. They also deserve better.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Holiday road trips and PPP projects

For the third straight year, I drove my family from Makati City to Iloilo City via roll-on roll-off (RoRo) vessels during the holidays.

The road trip came with its own set of inconveniences that were nevertheless offset by several benefits: It allowed my family to carry more cargo (compared to flying) and also allowed my two daughters to enjoy boat rides.

In December 2015 and 2016, I drove days before Christmas, to avoid the long queues of vehicles at the ports of Batangas and Roxas or Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro. This year, I drove early morning of Dec. 25 and I noticed two improvements.

First, toll fees were no longer collected that day (or at least in early morning) in the three tollways — South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), the SLEx extension, and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) and I wish to thank the tollway operators for that Christmas gift.

As expected, travel was smooth and safe on these tollways, indicating once more the beauty of privately operated infrastructure and user-pay principle.

Last but not the least, only a few cars queued at the Batangas and Roxas ports although there were also fewer boats that day.

Roads from Calapan to Roxas in Oriental Mindoro are generally good although motorcycles and tricycles — especially in big municipalities like Calapan, Naujan, and Pinamalayan — delayed travel.

Likewise, the highways in Aklan province were smooth. In Capiz, roads have generally improved but several portions have remained bumpy. Motorcycles and tricycles on these roads have also increased significantly, extending travel time.

These bring up two important subjects.

First, the need to expand and modernize our roads via tollways, constructed and operated by the private sector through the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

Existing roads will remain and will be maintained by the DPWH and local governments but there should be an alternative thoroughfares for motorists who are willing to pay for faster and safer travel.

Here is a list of potential new tollways that currently have big vehicle traffic volume. I am not sure if there are already unsolicited proposals for these tollways.

1. Calapan-Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. This covers 126 kilometers with additional entry/exit in larger municipalities such as Naujan and Pinamalayan. Vehicle volume has practically exploded with the 24/7 operations of RoRo boats between Batangas-Calapan and Roxas-Caticlan. Many tourists and visitors from Metro Manila and nearby provinces are travelling to the islands of Mindoro (Oriental and Occidental provinces) and Panay (Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo provinces).

2. Caticlan or Kalibo, Aklan-Iloilo City. Caticlan hosts the main seaport and airport for hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors who go to Boracay. Panay island has many tourist attractions besides its already substantial population.

3. Escalante-Bacolod-Dumaguete, Negros island. The Escalante-Bacolod route connects the two provincial capitals of Negros Occidental and Cebu while the Bacolod-Dumaguete route connects the two provinces’ capitals. There are four sea connections from Negros to Cebu with rising commerce and investments between the two islands. Escalante-Tabuelan, San Carlos-Toledo, Guihulngan-Tangil, and Dumaguete-Bogo or Oslob.

Second, the Duterte government shouldn’t have reversed the previous policy of integrated PPP (building/construction + operation and maintenance, O&M are under a single entity) and change to hybrid PPP (building/construction and O&M done by two separate entities, the former usually China-owned firms via China ODA).

Many Philippine-based construction companies need more experience and infrastructure portfolio that further strengthen their technical and financial capability to do more PPP nationwide and regionwide. Our emerging economic neighbors Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have started some large projects in the past and will soon undertake even bigger developments — provincial tollways, city skyways, big airports, and seaports, water, and power projects, school buildings and other civil structures.

ASEAN-based infrastructure and construction firms will have the advantage compared to those outside the region.

And pretty soon, fast-developing countries outside the region like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan will also embark on large-scale infrastructure development via PPP as the scheme will significantly free their fiscal resources while having big, capital-intensive projects at the same time.

Philippine-based construction firms with large portfolio of finished and on-going projects in the Philippines and ASEAN neighbors will have some advantage because of evolving trade and investment partnerships among Asian countries.

It may have been wrong for the Duterte government to reverse previously planned integrated PPP and change to hybrid PPP just to accommodate China ODA and firms.

After all, there should be less government intervention in sectors and activities where market competition and innovation is present and can be further strengthened. Bigger government is reserved for promoting the rule of law and respecting and enforcing contracts and obligations between and among competing and regulated entities.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is President of Minimal Government Thinkers, a member-institute of Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com.

DTI gets extra funding for shared-services facilities

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is getting a P1 billion budget in 2018 for shared-services facilities (SSFs), one of its channels for promoting the emergence of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The 2018 SSF budget represents a drastic upgrade from P70 million this year.

Shared-service facilities are typically given over for use by cooperatives, including farmers, small-scale food processors, or other entities engaged in light industry, to improve their productivity or add value to their output, thereby helping them increase their income or tap new markets.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters that he expects the department to receive P5.8 billion overall, against P4.8 billion in 2017, and less than the requested funding of P6 billion.

“Of course, we would have wanted more because that would mean that we can help more people, we can support trade promotion, we can support exporters, we can do many programs on packaging,” Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Lopez said that the increased budget for the SSF means more MSMEs and cooperatives will be receiving equipment needed to sustain their operations.

“It’s a vital ingredient for the micro-operations especially cooperatives. If they’re a group that harvests calamansi, you need a processor for it. If it is left to the entrepreneurs buy them, it will be too expensive for them,” he added.

“A machine worth P5 million will be too much for them. So that’s what the government will give them.”

Part of the SSF budget will also be used for maintenance or for spare parts for machinery already in use.

Mr. Lopez said the SSF funding is separate from the P1 billion set aside for other MSME programs and the P1 billion for the Small Business Corp.’s Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) program.

“Total borrowers under the P3 have increased to more than 30,000 — most are micro-entrepreneurs from the provinces. The loan would usually range from P5,000 to P50,000 but as you know, the amount could be up to P100,000,” he added. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Jr. NBA Philippines back for an 11th straight year

JR. NBA Philippines, the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) global youth basketball participation program, ushers in a new decade of conduct in the country as it returns for an 11th straight year in 2018.

To kick off on Jan. 13 at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati, the Jr. NBA Philippines program will run till May with the aim of reaching more than 250,000 participants and 900 coaches across the country.

Started in the Philippines in 2007, the Jr. NBA program teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to enhance the youth basketball experience for players, parents and coaches.

This year the program, still presented by Alaska Milk, remains free and open to boys and girls ages 10-14 throughout its four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip.

Since its launch in 2007, Jr. NBA clinics have been implemented in 110 cities and municipalities across the country and the 2018 program will return to key provinces including Agusan del Norte, Batangas, Benguet, Cavite, Misamis Oriental, and Negros Occidental.

Regional Selection Camps will be held in Bacolod (Feb. 10-11), Butuan (Feb. 24-25), Baguio (March 17-18) and Metro Manila (April 7-8), with the top 37 boys and 37 girls advancing for the National Training Camp in Manila in May, which will feature an NBA and WNBA player or legend.

The program will culminate with the selection of 16 Jr. NBA All-Stars, comprised of eight boys and eight girls, who will embark on an overseas NBA experience trip with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia.

Prior editions of the Jr. NBA Philippines program have featured notable alumni including Aljon Mariano, Kobe Paras, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Ricci Rivero, and Kai Sotto.

The 2018 edition of Jr. NBA Philippines will also include the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year program, led by Jr. NBA Head Coaches Carlos Barroca and Alaska Power Camp Coach Jeff Cariaso, to provide training for 14 Jr. NBA coaches during the National Training Camp, with two Jr. NBA Coaches of the Year awarded with an NBA experience trip.

“For the past 10 years, Jr. NBA Philippines has established itself as a platform to improve the youth basketball experience and promote an active and healthy lifestyle among the Filipino youth,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson as they announced the return of the program in 2018. “Together with Alaska, we are committed to providing proper guidelines to how the game should be played and taught to more youth, coaches and parents in the country,” he added.

“As part of our long-standing partnership with the NBA, Alaska Milk Corporation is proud to play an active role in shaping the basketball players of tomorrow through good nutrition and proper life values,” said Alaska Milk Corp. Marketing Director Blen Fernando.

“We look forward to making a lasting impact on the lives of aspiring athletes on and off the court through the Jr. NBA program,” he added.

For more information on how to register and other particulars, log on to www.jrnba.asia/philippines or check out the Jr. NBA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Reasons to watch: plot twists and great actors

By Nickky F. P. de Guzman
Reporter

Movie review
Deadma Walking
Directed by Julius Alfonso

WITH THE huge success of last year’s Die Beautiful, it is easy to dismiss Deadma Walking, an entry for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), as a copycat gay film — but it is definitely not. Both are equally funny and flamboyant, and revolve around the death of a gay man, but the similarities end here.

Deadma Walking wants us to empathize with the gay businessman John Samson (Joross Gamboa) whose days are numbered after he’s diagnosed with stage four cancer. He connives with his theater actor beshie (best friend) Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) to fake his death so he can attend his own wake and see who among his friends and former lovers will come and what good (or bad) memories they may have to share.

John disguises himself as the transgender Yolly Redgrave to be able to attend his wake every day. Their show almost fails when John’s balikbayan sister (Dimples Romana) tries to open his casket to see him one last time. A bit of quick wit (the stunt caused the whole movie house to burst into laughter) saves the charade.

Deadma Walking is studded with stars in cameos as 20 (or was it more?) celebrities play John’s friends or old flames, including Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Marco Alcaraz, Vin Abrenica, Iza Calzado, Joel Lamangan, Vandolph Quizon, Sue Ramirez, Angelou de Leon, Nikki Valdez, and more.

Directed by Julius Alfonso and written by Eric Cabahug, Deadma Walking has high doses of comedy and drama, a bit of a love story, and few art movie montages (featuring comedian Eugene Domingo).

The funny movie is a serious contender for major MMFF awards, including Best Actor — a tie between its two usually underrated stars. Gamboa and Guzman’s skill and chemistry on screen balance each other’s characters. They are like yin and yang, complementing and never overshadowing each other.

Mr. Gamboa’s portrayal of a prim and proper gay guy is subtle and sophisticated, and the total opposite of Mr. Guzman’s depiction of a flamboyant, witty, funny gay man. The delicate balance of this juxtaposition proves how smartly the movie is conceptualized.

Deadma Walking started as a screenplay submitted by Eric Cabahug to the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature — it took second place in its category in 2016. There is also a book version, released by Viva, which is among the top 10 best-sellers at a popular book store.

Deadma Walking is from the same producers behind the successful comedy film Patay na si Hesus, which was an entry at the QCinema Festival this year.

While one may think Deadma Walking is simply about John’s attempt to outwit the Grim Reaper (at least when it comes to knowing his legacy), it demands the viewer invest more in its storytelling, punchlines, and not one, but two, major plot twists, or gay lingo would call major, major pasabog.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Jose Rizal, hero outside the battlefield

About a month ago, we observed National Heroes Day, a day reserved for Filipinos who have consistently demonstrated in a very public way exemplary courage and dedication to save the lives of entire nations, communities, and complete strangers at the risk of their own lives and comfort. To this category belong our World War II veterans, Filipino soldiers who served elsewhere in the world in defense of international mandates and commitments, victims of state-sponsored and -instigated violence and murders in fighting for justice, and everyone else whose heroic deeds have been properly authenticated and validated. No fake medals, no fake heroes.

In a few days, we recall the execution on Dec. 30, 1896, by a foreign invader, of Jose Rizal, then 35 years old. Rizal is one hero whom we should remember especially on Nov. 30 because he is not only an instrument of commerce (his profile is on the one-peso coin), but also an example of a Filipino (even if technically he was not a Filipino citizen because we declared our independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite), who opted to serve society in various ways.

Rizal was a reminder to the Spaniards that their subjects were willing to wage war not just in deadly combat in the battlefield but also in the battle for people’s hearts and minds both in the islands and elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe and the Americas, through his writings and travels abroad. The Andres Bonifacios, the General Lunas and Del Pilars, and a host of other fighters were all but too willing to shed their blood for Philippine independence and freedom in the battlefield. The Spaniards were only too aware that the independence fervor had risen to dangerous heights.

Rizal’s talent was not in planning and executing strategy in the battlefield in the hills and mountains of the archipelago. His charism was in pricking the consciences of both the Spaniards and their subjects (some of whom had become steadfastly loyal to and collaborated with “mother” Spain) through his writings and novels.

What made Rizal’s writings more powerful and threatening to the Spaniards was that he was totally credible because of his intellect, his education (compared with the majority of the ignorant subjects and so-called “great unwashed”), well-rounded personality, and his various professional credentials. Rizal was a novelist, an ophthalmologist, a painter, and even a sportsman, a fencer, and a charming person.

In short, he was no ordinary subject; he was a different specimen. And if he were allowed to continue traveling all over the world and writing his nasty novels about Spanish oppression and injustice, he and the warriors in the fields would make a lethal combination.

It makes sense to conclude that Rizal knew that his talent was not in the battlefield but elsewhere. We have been told that Rizal believed it was not yet ripe to fight for complete independence, but to get to that ideal point in peaceful phases, starting with representation in mainland Spain’s governance structure. To that extent, as is usually the case in any revolution, there were fundamental differences of opinion, strategy, and timing among leaders of the upheaval. This happened to be one of them: the fighters and the proletariat had one approach while the intellectuals and propagandists had another.

Regardless of these differences, Rizal still opted to join the struggle from within the islands and not from some far foreign land where he could be safe. He could have just chosen to remain comfortably quiet and pursue his various interests and relationships and earn good money by leveraging his many talents. Yet he decided to take the risk, bear some of the burden, confront the issues right in the islands, and suffer the consequences of having to do much more because he had been given much more.

As schoolchildren, we learned about the great sacrifices of heroes like Bonifacio, Rizal, and even our modern-day hero, Ninoy Aquino. These lessons were most likely chronological narratives about these heroes’ lives, their mid-lives, and their deaths. We were probably made to memorize dates and names of persons who had much to do with these heroes, but perhaps we did not benefit from a synthesis of the heroes’ lives and their real roles in society at the time of their lives and deaths. We probably did not benefit from the deeper insights of teachers (who may have been trained to emphasize the facts of the heroes’ lives) and definitely, we were too young then to produce our own syntheses and insights.

It is somewhat tragic that we did not have too many insights on Rizal, a selfless well-rounded, talented, thinking person who was a threat to Spanish rule simply because he was not supposed to be a well-rounded, talented, and thinking subject.

 

Philip Ella Juico teaches in the Doctor of Business Administration program of the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He was Secretary of Agrarian Reform during the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino.

philip.juico@yahoo.com.ph

Apple gets sued after saying it slows down aging iPhones

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple, Inc. defrauded iPhone users by slowing devices without warning to compensate for poor battery performance, according to eight lawsuits filed in various federal courts in the week since the company opened up about the year-old software change.

The tweak may have led iPhone owners to misguided attempts to resolve issues over the last year, the lawsuits contend.

All the lawsuits — filed in US District Courts in California, New York and Illinois — seek class-action to represent potentially millions of iPhone owners nationwide.

A similar case was lodged in an Israeli court on Monday, the newspaper Haaretz reported.

Apple did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the filings.

The company acknowledged last week for the first time in detail that operating system updates released since “last year” for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE and iPhone 7 included a feature “to smooth out” power supply from batteries that are cold, old or low on charge.

Phones without the adjustment would shut down abruptly because of a precaution designed to prevent components from getting fried, Apple said.

The disclosure followed a Dec. 18 analysis by Primate Labs, which develops an iPhone performance measuring app, that identified blips in processing speed and concluded that a software change had to be behind them.

One of the lawsuits, filed Thursday in San Francisco, said that “the batteries’ inability to handle the demand created by processor speeds” without the software patch was a defect.

“Rather than curing the battery defect by providing a free battery replacement for all affected iPhones, Apple sought to mask the battery defect,” according to the complaint.

The plaintiff in that case is represented by attorney Jeffrey Fazio, who represented plaintiffs in a $53-million settlement with Apple in 2013 over its handling of iPhone warranty claims.

The problem now seen is that users over the last year could have blamed an aging computer processor for app crashes and sluggish performance — and chose to buy a new phone — when the true cause may have been a weak battery that could have been replaced for a fraction of the cost, some of the lawsuits state.

“If it turns out that consumers would have replaced their battery instead of buying new iPhones had they known the true nature of Apple’s upgrades, you might start to have a better case for some sort of misrepresentation or fraud,” said Rory Van Loo, a Boston University professor specializing in consumer technology law.

But Chris Hoofnagle, faculty director for the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, said in an e-mail that Apple may not have done wrong.

“We still haven’t come to consumer protection norms” around aging products, Hoofnagle said. Pointing to a device with a security flaw as an example, he said: “the ethical approach could include degrading or even disabling functionality.”

The lawsuits seek unspecified damages in addition to, in some cases, reimbursement. A couple of the complaints seek court orders barring Apple from throttling iPhone computer speeds or requiring notification in future instances. — Reuters

End of 47-year Japan rice program signals ramen wheat boost

THE END of Japan’s four decades of rice market control could be good news for noodle lovers.

That’s because rice farmers may plant alternative crops like wheat once government control ends by March 31 and look to tap into rising demand for ramen. Fukuoka, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, is expanding production of a locally developed variety of grain known as Ra-Mugi that’s designed to be perfect for tonkotsu ramen: a dish of cloudy white pork broth, with noodles and slices of pork that originates in the region.

Ramen demand has climbed in recent years with restaurants opening from London to Sydney, challenging the ubiquity of Japan’s other well-known food export sushi. The number of shops outside the country more than doubled to over 2,000 in the two years to early 2015, Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum says, with the expansion supported by the government-backed Cool Japan Fund. Asia’s second-biggest wheat importer relies on grain from the US, Canada and Australia to produce ramen noodles domestically.

“What is ideal for our ramen noodle is a chewy, sticky one that can preserve its texture in a soup,” said Yuji Yamaguchi, counselor at Tofuku Flour Mills Co., which developed the wheat jointly with the Fukuoka prefectural laboratory. “Ra-Mugi is designed to meet our requests.”

Tonkotsu ramen was invented in 1937 by noodle-shop operator Tokio Miyamoto and was initially eaten by fish market workers in Fukuoka as fastfood. Two decades later, Momofuku Ando invented the instant ramen noodles beloved by college students. The global retail value of instant noodles rose 11% since 2012 to $33 billion this year, Euromonitor International estimates.

In Japan, tourists are also driving demand and ramen now ranks alongside sushi and Wagyu steak as one of their top menu choices, according to Motoo Kawabata, a professor for global marketing at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya. The number of foreign tourists visiting Fukuoka city rose 24% in 2016 to 2.57 million, a fifth straight record. Korean tourists accounted for about 40%, according to the city government.

“After seeing photographs and videos of our outlets via social media, they come here to have a real one,” said Yukari Shibayama, a spokeswoman at Ichiran’s flagship shop in Fukuoka city. “We have seen a surge in foreign customers to our shop, mainly from Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong, in the past three years.”

“Tonkotsu ramen is the best Japanese food for me, along with sushi,” said Jeon Byeong Hyun, a 34-year-old office worker visiting Fukuoka from Busan, South Korea. “I came here to introduce my favorite shop to my friends.”

Farmers may also be encouraged to grow Ra-Mugi wheat as it offers higher returns.

Yukio Endo, 49, who grows rice, wheat and barley in Fukuoka, must spray crops with fertilizer for a fourth time with a heavy machine on his back about a month before harvesting Ra-Mugi on his 8-hectare (20 acres) paddy. That compares with three times for other wheat, but is necessary to maintain a high level of protein. Millers request at least 12%.

“It requires us to work harder, but rewards us better,” he said in an interview. Farmers producing Ra-Mugi can get premium of 2,300 yen ($20) per 60 kilogram bag compared with conventional wheat. Growers are also eligible for a 35,000-yen subsidy for every 0.1 hectare of wheat planted as the government seeks to curb its reliance on imports.

Producers are unable to keep up with local demand. Fukuoka, Japan’s second-biggest wheat grower, wants to raise Ra-Mugi production by more than 30% to 8,000 tons in the near future, which would be enough to supply about half the ramen shops in the prefecture, said Tadayuki Matsumoto, director at the local government’s agricultural department.

Hakata-Sanki, the biggest user of Ra-Mugi wheat, uses the variety even though it’s 20% more expensive than flour made from imported grain because it helps attracts customers, according to Akira Nakano, the manager of the company’s noodle-making plant in Dazaifu. Sales of Ra-Mugi noodles are set to increase to 300,000 units a month by March from about 230,000 in November and will double by 2019 as it moves to supply more than just its own 14 stores, Nakano said. — Bloomberg

DBP opens new branch in Palawan

STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in a statement said it opened on Dec. 7 a new branch located in Taytay, Palawan, as part of its continuing branch expansion program. DBP President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said the opening of the DBP Taytay-Palawan branch mirrors the bank’s commitment to support the economic growth prospects of the province and bring more unbanked Filipinos into the financial mainstream. “There is tremendous growth happening not only in Puerto Princesa, but also in El Nido, Coron, Roxas, San Vicente and, of course, Taytay and the other municipalities of northern Palawan,” she noted to guests during the inauguration. Ms. Borromeo added that DBP is rolling out numerous initiatives for its clients and other valued stakeholders. She also cited DBP’s continued support for the micro, small and medium enterprise sector, adding “DBP will also be financing the various development initiatives of electric distribution utilities, water districts and local government units.” DBP currently has 125 branches offering a full range of banking and project financing products and services, and also has extension offices in Naguilian, La Union; Cabugao, Ilocos Sur; and Bayugan, Agusan del Sur.

Reuters journalists in Myanmar appear in court

YANGON — Two Reuters journalists who have been detained in Myanmar for the past two weeks were remanded in custody for a further two weeks on Wednesday as a probe continues into allegations they breached the nation’s Official Secrets Act.

Judge Ohn Myint granted the 14-day extension in the case of the journalists, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, at the request of the police, who then took them to Yangon’s Insein prison. They were previously being held in a police compound.

When they appeared at the Mingaladon court for the proceedings, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were allowed to meet their families and their lawyer for the first time since their arrest.

The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where — according to United Nations’ (UN) estimates — about 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants.

They were detained on Dec. 12 after they had been invited to meet police officials over dinner. The Ministry of Information has said they “illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media” and faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The two journalists said they had not been mistreated in custody.

“The situation is okay,” Wa Lone said after the hearing.

“We will face it the best we can because we have never done anything wrong,” he said. “We have never violated the media law nor ethics. We will continue to do our best.”

A Reuters spokesperson said they should be freed.

“These two journalists are being held for simply doing their jobs and have done nothing wrong. It is time for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo to be released,” the spokesperson said.

Government officials from some of the world’s major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have previously called for their release.

FAMILIES TRAVEL TO PRISON
Dozens of reporters and cameramen were outside the courthouse in a northern district of Yangon for the appearance of the two journalists. They were brought in a white van, rather than a police truck, dressed in casual clothes and were not handcuffed.

Their lawyer, Than Zaw Aung, who has been retained by Reuters, also said the two had only been doing their job as journalists.

“They are being accused under this charge while doing their work as media,” he told reporters.

Lieutenant Colonel Myint Htwe, a senior staff officer from the Yangon Police Division, said: “We took action because they committed the crime. It needs to be solved in court.”

Only their lawyer and the families of the two journalists, along with police and government lawyers, were allowed into the courtroom. The families were later allowed to travel in the van as the two journalists were taken to prison.

“I believe that he didn’t commit any crime,” Pan Ei Mon, Wa Lone’s wife, told Reuters. “I would like to request the government to consider releasing them.”

Nyo Nyo Aye, a sister of Kyaw Soe Oo, said her brother told her he had not committed any offense. “I believe that he can come home soon,” she said. — Reuters

Do not expect an English Only, Please

By Zsarlene B. Chua
Reporter

Movie review
All of You
Directed by Dan Villegas

IF YOU ARE planning to watch Dan Villegas’ All of You and expecting that it would be like his English Only, Please which starred the same couple — Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay — you would be absolutely disappointed.

All of You is not the sort of romantic-comedy that English Only, Please — where Ms. Mercado played a perky English tutor and Mr. Ramsay a cosmopolitan Fil-Am who wants to pen a scathing letter to his cheating ex — was. All of You is about Gabby (Ms. Mercado), a food concepts franchise specialist who wants to get married, and Gab (Mr. Ramsay), a wealthy bar owner who doesn’t want to get married.

If you’re looking to be charmed as much as you were with English, you would also be disappointed as this film is way more dramatic and confusing.

Warning: Many spoilers ahead!

Though billed as romantic-comedy, the film is a hardcore romantic drama as the ill-suited couple who meet through an online dating app try to make the relationship work by living together, even if what they wanted out of the relationship differs.

Five minutes into the movie, Gabby is dumped by her fiancee of six years (Rafael Rosell) after a shouting match as they search for a parked car. An hour and 10 minutes into the movie, Gabby breaks up with Gab after once again engaging in a shouting match on the side of the road.

Both times, the men talk about how imposing Gabby is and Gabby tells both men how they always think she’s the one who’s wrong.

I tried hard to like the movie as it delved into the disillusionment of long-term relationships and discussed the problems that arise after the honeymoon is over, but the sloppy writing made it difficult to sit through a movie which is composed of more than an hour of couples fighting. Tension is high from beginning to end, with a 40-minute respite showing the couple engaging and/or implying sexual activities representing the high points of the whirlwind relationship.

And one of the sex scenes is so cringe-worthy with all the closeups and slo-mos.

What makes the film hard to like is how the reasons for the protagonists’ issues are never tackled: it never fully explains why Gab doesn’t want to marry though it is implied that he wants to be like Peter Pan and stay forever young (his bar is named Neverland and he has an ex called Wendy, played by Solenn Heusaff) and while it hinted that the reason Gabby wanted to marry was because her mother never married her father, this was never explored.

The ending feels unfinished, unsatisfying, and rushed. They break up, and while one may have hoped Gabby would find her backbone and realize they would never make it and finally let go, her resolution to break up for good lasts for half-a-minute — then the credits roll.

So there, All of You is not a feel-good film and you probably will leave the cinema with more questions than answers like, “What the hell, Mr. Villegas?” He won’t probably win Best Original Story this year like he did for the 2015 MMFF entry #WalangForever (which also starred Ms. Mercado), and Ms. Mercado probably won’t win the Best Actress trophy as she did for both #WalangForever and English Only, Please.

MTRCB Rating: R-13

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