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14-year-old boy last seen with killed UP student found dead

REYNALDO DE Guzman, the 14-year-old boy last seen with 19-year-old former University of the Philippines student Carl Angelo Arnaiz, was found dead by his father at a funeral parlor in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, according to a radio report. — interaksyon.com

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Davon Potts believes now is right time to enter PBA

WHILE second generation players Ray Parks and Kiefer Ravena are still uncertain on their PBA plans, aspirant Davon Potts had made himself available for the coming Rookie Draft.

Davon Potts believes now is right time to enter PBA
Davon Potts will be one among the rookies high on the list of teams looking to tinker their lineups via the PBA Rookie Draft — PBA Media Bureau

Potts applied for the coming Rookie Draft when the league opened its doors to Fil-foreign applicants recently. The talented guard from San Beda believes now is the right time to enter the pro league pending the availability of homegrown talents.

“I think this is the right time considering the fact that Ray Parks isn’t joining at this time while several other players have yet to make themselves available,” Potts told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview.

He had wanted to enter the league as early as last season, but needed to play in the D-League to make himself eligible for the next Draft. This time, there’s no turning back for Potts.

Potts is one among those Fil-foreign applicants who made themselves available for the PBA Rookie Draft, which will be held on Oct. 29. He along with 6-foot-8, Fil-German and Gilas Pilipinas stalwart Christian Standhardinger are among the standouts who applied.

For a player who had been around for quite some time, Potts had seen the emergence of big-time players in the PBA, players like Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and Jayson Castro among others, the player who honed his basketball skills in San Diego, California wanted to be part of that elite circle of great guards.

The spitfire guard is highly regarded for his scoring, one of the reasons why he’s been put high on the list of coaches who are planning to stock additional talented players to their roster.

But Potts believes it would take more than just his scoring ability to put him as among the players to look out in the coming Rookie Draft and join the elite list of heady guards in the PBA.

In a country were point guards are abundant, Potts will need to stand out to assure himself.

“Even though I’m regarded from scoring a lot, scoring 20 or 30 points, my main focus is to make my teammates better. I think that would make me vital to any team which I will play for,” added Potts, a star for the Cal State, who also applied in the 2015 NBA Rookie Draft where he ended up undrafted.

An integral part of the Cignal Hawkeyes in the PBA D-League and the San Beda Red Lions, both of which he led to a championship each, Potts doesn’t have any preference as to which team he would end up as long as the squad would need him.

“I would like to play for a team where I am needed,” added the 6-foot-2 Potts, who hails from Rosario, Cavite. “I want to play for a team where I could help out and showcase my skills.” — Rey Joble

Naga City plans to convert Balili Resort into an economic zone

MAYOR KRISTINE Vanessa T. Chiong said the Naga City government plans to convert the 25,000-hectare Balili Resort into an industrial or economic zone once it completes the purchase of the property from the Cebu provincial government. Ms. Chiong, speaking on Tuesday during the 10th cityhood anniversary of Naga, said Cebu Governor Hilario P. Davide III has verbally approved the proposed purchase. “Kulang ta’g (We lack) development. We need an additional area to accommodate further development,” Ms. Chiong said. If the parties strike a deal, it would be the second major provincial government property bought under the administration of former governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia that would be disposed of under Mr. Davide’s leadership. Last month, Mr. Davide signed a contract to sell the Cebu International Convention Center to the Mandaue City government for P300 million. Ms. Chiong said the city government is now taking measures to convince the provincial board to give the governor authority to enter into a contract with the city. The provincial government under Ms. Garcia purchased the Balili lots in 2008 for P98 million. Later, it was found that some portions of the property were submerged in seawater. — The Freeman

Supplementary budget may fund free tuition, DBM says

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez,
Senior Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT will need P51 billion to implement the first phase of the free tuition law among state-run universities and colleges (SUCs) next year, with the Budget department saying that funding will likely be realigned from other agencies to meet the additional costs.

Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the government needs P51 billion for school year 2018-2019 to support free tuition, miscellaneous expenses, and other school fees for 112 SUCs nationwide.

He is referring to Republic Act 10931 or the Quality Tertiary Education Act signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last month, despite opposition from his economic managers about the funding burdens that come with the measure.

The law covers SUCs, universities and colleges accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, as well as technical vocational institutions of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Mr. Diokno said that the DBM will look for funds by realigning money appropriated under the P3.767-trillion spending plan for 2018, which is currently undergoing plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives.

“There is a need to really look for money. Worse comes to worst, we will have to submit a supplemental budget,” Mr. Diokno said during a roundtable discussion at the Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center Manila.

The funding requirements are expected to rise every year, as more students enter the collegiate level. Offhand, Mr. Diokno said the government would have to stop the creation of new state-run colleges, and eventually try to “rationalize” the number of SUCs.

“We will not create any new university. There are just too many. [This bill wants] quality free education — you can’t create quality with too many SUCs,” the Cabinet official added.

Mr. Diokno added that the government is looking to restore a national entrance exam which could serve as a guide for SUCs to screen students based on merit, to ensure that those who can avail of the tuition perks are qualified.

Student groups have been calling for full state subsidy for education, calling it a right rather than a privilege.

On the other hand, Mr. Diokno said the economic managers are yet to determine the amount needed to rehabilitate Marawi City, as it would depend on the plan that will be drafted by the Department of National Defense and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

So far, some P5 billion can be covered by the current year’s budget, while some P10 billion will be allocated in 2018. If these funds are not enough, Mr. Diokno said a supplemental budget is an option, as is the P30 billion to be raised from the tax settlement of cigarette firm Mighty Corp. 

Getting well-oiled: booze in the age of the robo-barman

LOS ANGELES – As Tipsy methodically unfolds an arm to select a glass, retrieve ice and mix a drink, it’s all a far cry from the flashy swagger of Tom Cruise in Cocktail.

But then he doesn’t have the twinkle in his eye of a fictional Hollywood bartender – or any eyes at all, for that matter – because Tipsy is a robot.

He won’t be able to swap sporting banter or offer relationship advice to lovelorn paramours but he mixes a mean Bloody Mary for his customers at his shopping mall bar in Las Vegas.

Tipsy is the logical conclusion of an increasingly space-age service industry that has already given us the mechanical cupcake dispenser and automated pizza restaurants.

Monsieur and Tended Bar are two brands among a new wave of machines that can whip up cocktails at sports arenas, hotels and other venues for a fraction of the cost of a human server.

The concept – essentially a vending machine with a boozy kick – couldn’t be more straightforward: select your tipple from a digital menu and wait moments for that little slice of liquid gold to drop into a plastic beaker.

The idea is not uniquely American – Parisian start-ups Realtime Robotics and Kuantom have also produced bartending automatons, while vending machines for canned alcohol are common on the streets of Tokyo.

In the US, “self-service” venues such as L.I. Pour House Bar and Grill in Long Island have embraced automation by allowing customers to pull their own pints and pay via a computer terminal.

The boss there, Anthony Pallino, points to the need to economize at a time when the minimum wage is set to rise to $15.

‘THIS IS THE FUTURE’
“If you needed five or six servers on a normal night, now you need four,” he says, estimating savings of thousands of dollars a year with each electronic server.

Automation always brings with it concerns over unemployment among increasingly obsolete humans, yet back in Las Vegas, customers seem to have taken to Tipsy.

“Robots and automation are definitely a quicker and an easier way. The drinks are always the same. You can add a little extra if you want to for the machines, so it makes it really cool,” says John Woodall, a tourist from Tennessee.

“This is the future,” adds Las Vegas resident Mauricio Letona – but not everyone is sold on the technological advance.

French tourist Antoine Ferrari thinks it is “cooler to have a drink when there is someone behind the bar,” although he acknowledges Tipsy’s unique selling point, the novelty of a “slightly futuristic” drinking experience.

Italian Rino Armeni, president of Robotic Innovations and owner of the bar in which Tipsy works, is conscious of the imperative to retain the human element of going for a drink.

“The first thing that I said to my staff when we opened, I said ‘Look, remember one thing: these robots are entertainers, but people will come back because of you,’” he tells AFP.

“I don’t want to go away from human nature, the human rapport. That will never change.”

Experts expect jobs to disappear as this latest front opens in the race for automation, but say there is little chance that the trendy, tattooed mixologist will ever be a relic of the past.

“Consider the job of bartender,” says Michael Dyer, emeritus professor of computer science at UCLA.

“The bartender has numerous tasks: chat with the clients, decide when to not serve them more drinks, make sure they don’t reach over the bar and steal bottles or drinks, collect payment and give back change.”

‘HUGE CHALLENGE’
Androids can perform few of these tasks to a human level of competence, he adds, so choosing whether or not to automate will always be a simple question of balancing the costs and benefits.

A machine may cost a one-off $100,000 to perform just one limited task while a human barman might cost $30,000 a year but offer a much wider range of skills, he argues.

While the bionic barman is already a reality, the robotic cordon bleu chef remains a distant dream, says Richard Korf, another professor at UCLA.

“You can automate what a barman does – there’s a limited number of ingredients – but it might not work for a chef who uses a lot of ingredients, different skills, different tools, cutting slicing, whipping, mixing,” he argues. “That would be a huge challenge.

“The other question is: would you want that? A lot of the experience of going to bar is talking to the bartender. They are often attractive and talk to customers, you can tell them your problems etc.”

The ideal places for automated bartenders, he maintains, would be venues where the goal is not social interaction, such as concert halls.

“There will be situations where using these robots will increase the quality of service, in a busy, noisy environment, for example,” agrees Pamela Rutledge, an expert in media psychology.

But she adds that being recognized and acknowledged by the staff, especially at the local neighborhood bar, “creates a kind of social connection, it makes you feel like you belong.” – AFP

Coach Jamike Jarin: From NCAA back to UAAP

THE University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is not alien anymore to basketball coach Jamike Jarin but he admits that as he makes his return to the league where he started, adjustments have to be made.

Coach Jamike Jarin: From NCAA back to UAAP
National University Bulldogs head coach Jamike Jarin — ALVIN S. GO

After leading the San Beda Red Lions to the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball title last season, Mr. Jarin made the decision to leave the league and transfer to coach the National University Bulldogs at the UAAP.

While the move left many surprised, Mr. Jarin said it was a decision that he knew he had to make when it was offered for the new challenges it presented.

“It was a situation that presented itself. I’m a type of person who likes challenges and this is one opportunity that I’m really excited about because this is where I started,” said Mr. Jarin in an interview with BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the press conference for UAAP Season 80 earlier this week.

“I enjoyed my stay in the NCAA but I’m happy with my decision,” said Mr. Jarin, who replaced Eric Altamirano as NU coach and is set to continue his UAAP coaching career after stints with the Ateneo juniors and seniors teams in varying capacities.

As he makes his transition back to the UAAP, the NU coach said one of the biggest adjustments he has to make his getting the feel of the roster he has and using its full potential.

“With San Beda we are more of a half-court team but with NU we will be a fast one. We are still working on our game and hopefully we make the adjustments as the tournament moves along. In the first round our goal is to get the experience and in the second is to build on it and hopefully enter the Final Four and maybe the Finals thereafter,” said Mr. Jarin.

Suiting up for the Bulldogs under Mr. Jarin this season are the likes of J-Jay Alejandro, Issa Gaye, Matt Salem, Nico Abatayo, AJ Diputado and rookies Jonas Tibayan and Enzo Joson.

Incidentally, Mr. Jarin follows in the footsteps of Aldin Ayo, who left Letran after leading the Knights to the NCAA title in 2015 and steered the De La Salle Green Archers to the UAAP championship last year.

But Mr. Jarin was quick to downplay the similarity, dismissing it as mere coincidence.

“I’m not bigger than the UAAP. Coach Aldin is not bigger than the UAAP. It’s just a coincidence that we transferred from different leagues after leading our teams to the title. But it’s not about us. It’s about representing our schools in the UAAP and winning for our team,” said Mr. Jarin.

The Bulldogs will make their Season 80 debut on opening day on Saturday, Sept. 9, against the University of the East Red Warriors. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

More EU firms plan to expand in Philippines

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter

EUROPEAN businesses are increasingly bullish on prospects in the Philippines, amid a push for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Released on Wednesday, the 2017 EU-ASEAN Business Sentiment Survey showed 71% of the 51 European firms surveyed in the Philippines are looking to expand in the next five years. This is higher than the 59% who said in 2016 they planned to broaden their market presence in the country.

The Philippine results showed it outpaced the overall sentiment in the ASEAN region, where only 58% of 333 European businesses surveyed expressed their intention to expand.

“The Philippines was the highest of all the countries in terms of the percentage on increase of operations,” EU-ASEAN Business Council Chairman Donald P. Kanak said in a roundtable interview at Solaire Resort & Casino on Wednesday.

The survey also found that 78% of the respondent-firms in the Philippines expected an increase in profits this year, with 87% saying they expect ASEAN trade and investment to grow over the next five years.

The third edition of the EU-ASEAN Business Sentiment Survey was conducted by the various European Chambers of Commerce in the ASEAN region from March to June. The results were gathered from 300 respondents comprising of senior executives from small to medium enterprises to multinational corporations. Industries range from infrastructure, services, and manufacturing. 

“The positive sentiments this year have become more positive from they were last year. Satisfaction with the region, optimism about the region has increased since last year,” EU-ASEAN Business Council Executive Director Chris Humphrey said during the same roundtable interview.

Asked if the EU companies surveyed have factored in the current political situation in the Philippines, Mr. Kanak said the data showed “they’re factoring in all factors.”

“That’s a very high percentage. The data was taken from March to June this year, and the data is more positive this year compared to last year,” Mr. Kanak said, referring to the 71% who said they are planning to expand this year.

Mr. Humphrey, meanwhile, attributed the more positive sentiment this year to the underlying economic fundamentals of the country, where the Philippines is seen to grow at a faster pace compared to others. 

“Every economy except for Brunei has been growing. The Philippines has been growing much faster than the others, going north of 6%, whereas the average is only 5%,” he said.

The Philippine economy grew by 6.5% in the second quarter on the back of increased household and government spending. The first half’s 6.45% average growth compared to the government’s 6.5-7.5% full-year target range for 2017.

Mr. Humphrey added the ASEAN region currently holds a demographic premium, consisting of a young population well-equipped with technological knowledge and living in highly urbanized regions.

“All these things I’m saying about the region actually apply to the Philippines and often apply even more to the Philippines. These are reasons why European companies are very positive… So the outlook’s pretty rosy at the moment,” he explained.

The survey also showed the top three factors that drive European firms’ expansion plans are: diversification of customer base, stable government and political system, and reasonable production costs.

The EU-ASEAN Business Council officials noted the desire to implement a region-to-region FTA would further strengthen European business sentiment on the ASEAN region, as the agreement would bring down tariff barriers and facilitate the flow of goods and services across the regions. 

In the survey, nine out of ten firms said the region-to-region FTA would deliver more advantages as opposed to a series of bilateral deals. More companies also said the deal should be pursued now, with 76% answering in the affirmative against the 66% recorded in 2016. 

Mr. Humphrey said discussions for the FTA framework have already begun and are expected to be completed by the first half of 2018. After this, the EU and ASEAN can start “fully-fledged negotiations” for the agreement. 

Sectors in the ASEAN region were mixed on whether the free trade deal with the EU would help them, with 78% of the industrial product manufacturing segment saying this would benefit them, and only 38% from consumer goods manufacturing citing benefits. 

DPWH, China sign deal for Davao Expressway study

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and a representative from the Chinese government signed an agreement for a feasibility study on the proposed Davao City Expressway Project.

DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar and Chinese Economic and Commercial Counsellor Jin Yuan on Tuesday signed the minutes of discussion for the grant deal.

“We are happy to announce that we received another grant from the People’s Republic of China, this time to push through with the feasibility study of the 23.3-kilometer Davao City Expressway Project. The DPWH and Chinese Project Team will be working together for the prompt realization of a comprehensive feasibility study so that we may soon reap the thousand-fold socioeconomic benefits of this expressway,” Mr. Villar said during the signing Tuesday.

The grant will cover socioeconomic and economic analysis; an environmental impact assessment; a social impact assessment; an engineering geological survey; a topographical survey; an evaluation of the project site’s seismic safety; a hydrological analysis; and a feasibility evaluation of the proposed expressway.

When completed, the P24.5-billion expressway is expected to decongest traffic in Davao City and ease access to Sta. Ana Port and other suburban areas. It will be designed to complement on-going and proposed projects for further enhancement of access to the city and its surrounding areas to encourage an increase in economic activity and productivity.

Under the initial plan of DPWH, the Davao City Expressway will be implemented in three phases.

Phase 1, which is expected to cost P12 billion, is an elevated 8.45 km viaduct starting at the intersection of Leon Garcia St. and Monteverde St. leading to Sta. Ana Port.

The second phase (P10 billion) is an 8.35 km elevated viaduct starting at the intersection of Daang Maharlika and Davao City Diversion Road in barangay Panacan, traversing the Davao City Diversion Road and ending at the Davao River Bridge in barangay Ma-a.

Meanwhile, Phase 3 (P2.5 billion) will be a new road mostly parallel to the existing diversion road, running west and then southwest until the Davao City Diversion Road near Catalunan Grande Road.

In June, DPWH and the Chinese Embassy signed the minutes of discussion for a full grant to finance the construction of Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila and the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge between Makati and Mandaluyong. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

Pokémon’s CEO hints at plans for games on phone, Switch

IT’S BEEN more than a year since Pokémon GO took the world by storm, getting people to wander outside and look for virtual monsters with their smartphones.

The game became a social phenomenon, with adults and children gathering in parks and public areas to train their Pokémon. The fad is still going strong, with new characters and upgrades being added regularly. More than 65 million people use the app each month, although it’s down from a peak. In the US, the game is among the 20 most-lucrative apps this year, holding the top spot for about a week in July.

For the companies behind Pokémon GO — Niantic, Inc., Pokémon Co. and Nintendo Co. — the game has been an earnings bonanza, with revenue estimates ranging from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. Nintendo has reported ¥23.6 billion ($215 million) in income from equity stakes in other companies, the bulk of which came from its partial ownership of the Pokémon company.

Tsunekazu Ishihara, chief executive officer of Tokyo-based Pokémon, says this is just the beginning. He sat down with Bloomberg News to discuss the future of the smartphone title, Nintendo’s Switch gaming machine and his company’s upcoming Pokémon game for the new console.

POKÉMON GO
Earlier Pokémon games spanned titles on Nintendo’s portable handheld players as well as trading cards, cartoons, comics and toys. That created a rich pop-culture history and consumer affection that the smartphone title has tapped into. Ishihara has bigger plans for Pokémon GO, including the ability to trade the virtual monsters and battle one-on-one — key features seen in other Pokémon-based games. While others have mentioned these might be coming, this is the first confirmation by the company itself. By adding new elements to the game, Ishihara is betting that people will keep coming back to play to discover new things.

“We’ve only accomplished 10% of what Pokémon and Niantic are trying to do, so going forward we will have to include fundamental Pokémon experiences such as Pokémon trading and peer-to-peer battles, and other possibilities.”

“Depending on location, there are many Pokémon with different characteristics. So what do we do with those and the real world? One view is to have chilly Pokémon in a cold climate, but then that would also mean that people born on a tropical island won’t be able to catch them. So we are always thinking of how to find the right balance between game design, how our Pokémon should exist, and how players feel about their collections.” “Right now, if you go to the coast you can catch water Pokémon. For example, if you have a setting for electric-type Pokémon (such as Pikachu) to appear at power plants, is that really a good idea for you to find one in such a location — is it safe, and is it OK regionally? We see it as a very realistic problem.” “On the other hand, it has created a lot of social problems. When too many people gather, it causes mass confusion. Also this isn’t limited to Pokémon GO, but the issue of staring at smartphones while walking is something we have to focus on and think about.”

THE NEW GAME FOR SWITCH
In June, Ishihara revealed that a role-playing Pokémon game was under development for the Switch. A 16-second clip of the announcement caused Nintendo’s stock price to jump as much as 3% in US trading, as investors bet the new title will boost Switch sales. Ishihara shared a few more details about the game, which is set to be released in 2018 or later.

“With the Switch, we see it as a chance to create Pokémon that goes deeper and with a higher level of expression. As a result, that makes it an extremely important platform.” “Right now we’re using 7 to 8 inch screens, but on a high-definition TV you can express a whole different world with graphics and sound.” “Until now, games were made as one for one person, but now you can go home and play with everyone — so how do we tackle these themes, and how do we make sure it’s not complicated?” “I can’t say that we’ll release accessories, but I’d like to think of that possibility.” “Unlike smartphones, the Switch is not a game device that assumes that there’s constant network connectivity. So from our perspective, it’s really not that different from DS or 3DS in terms of connectivity.”

AUGMENTED REALITY
Ishihara also spoke at length about augmented reality, a technology that superimposes virtual characters and scenes onto real-world images. He said that this fits well with the Pokémon company’s vision of blending fantasy with reality, as Pokémon GO did as a location-based game.

“With current AR, even if you say Pikachu is there, no one really thinks that. But that reality is just one step away. For example, you’ll be able to find Pikachu, and it can sense this table and jump on it, and you can see its shadow on the table, and then it faces you and starts talking to you. We will see the birth of this reality that is another step up from the current Pokémon GO. And I’ve only mentioned the visual aspect, but you can add haptic and rumble technology to that.” “Voice-activated assistants are increasing. Whether it is Google Home or Amazon or Apple Homepod, there are many of them and we could see these dialogue-based devices give birth of a new form of entertainment.” “Switch is just one of the possible platforms. I think we will open up more possibilities from all these platforms. Playing in a more realistic way should be possible.” — Bloomberg

Vivant Corp. inks deal with China’s ET Energy for solar projects

CEBU CITY-based Vivant Corp. is venturing into solar power plants or rooftop PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) after it formally sealed a joint venture deal with Chinese firm ET Energy on Monday. The two firms have formed ET Vivant Solar (EVC), which will focus on providing turnkey solutions through PPAs. “Our partnership with ET Energy allows us to add a new option to the solutions we offer our customers, partners and communities, allowing us to be more adaptable to the changing needs in the market,” said Arlo G. Sarmiento, chief operating officer of Vivant. Under the joint venture deal, ET Energy and Vivant, through its wholly owned subsidiary Vivant Renewable Energy Corp. (VREC), will complement and expand their respective expertise in technology, project development, operations, power generation and retail electricity supply. “ET Energy firmly believes that clean energy is the future. That’s why we are dedicated to providing green electricity for customers all over the globe.” said ET Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis She. — The Freeman

Star now feeling sense of urgency to win after back-to-back losses

AFTER winning their first four games, the Star Hotshots had dropped their last two games, making them hard-pressed to win their next game to put themselves in a better position for the top four.

Head coach Chito Victolero and the rest of the Hotshots remain upbeat of their chances of making it to the next round, but they believe they need to play with a sense of urgency.

“We need to regroup. We need to bounce back on our next game,” Mr. Victolero told BusinessWorld.

The Hotshots will next face the Meralco Bolts, the second best team in the tournament with a 5-1 win-loss record.

“We’re facing a Meralco team which is a very strong team. We need to prepare hard for it,” added Mr. Victolero.

Despite the last two losses, Mr. Victolero is still seeing a lot of upside on the Hotshots, particularly with the returning Marc Pingris, who just played his third game with the squad.

“He’s about five, six months idle. He needs to play to get his rhythm. It takes time to get his rhythm. But I know, after a few more games, ‘Sakuragi’ will be back. He had eight rebounds the last time and by next game, he’ll be better. His offense will come along, soon,” added Mr. Victolero.

The Hotshots were coming off two tough losses, including an overtime loss to Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings on Wednesday.

Point guard Paul Lee explained that while the team was having good stretches, the squad is relatively new under the tutelage of Mr. Victolero.

“We’re OK. We’re just in our third conference with Coach Chito. It’s still a relatively new system. Slowly but surely, we’re bringing the best out of everyone. We’re working on that,” added Mr. Lee. — Rey Joble

This restaurant is taking insects to the next level

THAILAND’S long been known for its street carts of deep-fried, heavily salted insects, often surrounded by tourists keen to crunch on a grasshopper for an Instagram hit. But bugs are going up in the world and being given a distinctly European makeover.

Insects in the Backyard is thought to be the country’s first restaurant to look past the deep fryer and utilize the six-legged critters as fine-dining ingredients. Executive chef Mai Thitiwat stuffs fresh ravioli with crab and water beetle meat, creates a beurre blanc sauce infused with ant eggs for its acid kick, and mixes powdered silk worm with mascarpone cheese for his creamy tiramisu. “I’m not making scary food,” he says.

For those entomophagists – insect eaters – craving something more obviously leggy, there are whole bugs to be found lurking in some dishes. But a number of menu items are insect-free altogether. “No one should feel pressured to consume something they don’t feel comfortable with,” explains Regan Suzuki Pairojmahakij, concept consultant and co-owner of the restaurant, located in Bangkok’s new Chang Chui creative hub. “We do note, however, that a Western customer base prefers the insects not to be visible in insect form, whereas Asian customers are much more comfortable with seeing insect parts.”

So, how would you eat yours?

For starters: Watermelon salad with herbed creme fraiche, chorizo, and bamboo caterpillars. The crunchy fried caterpillars that adorn this dish taste rather like squid, according to Mai Thitiwat, executive chef at Insects in the Backyard. They’re among the most expensive creepy-crawlies on the menu, sourced from a farm in northern Thailand at a cost of 120 baht ($3.60) a kilo.

High in protein, minerals, and healthy fats and hugely abundant, some 1,900 species of insect supplement the diets of 2 billion people worldwide, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Then how about some fresh pasta made with cricket flour, topped with fried crickets, black basil pesto, and chorizo. Grinding the insect into a flour gives a nutritional kick absent from regular pasta, while the crickets can be deep-fried or sautéed whole to offer a nutty flavor – and a crunch.

Most of the insects used in the restaurant are sourced from family-run farms around Thailand and raised in chemical-free environments, says co-owner Regan Suzuki Pairojmahakij.

Insects in the Backyard draws on American, French, Italian, and Mediterranean influences, while incorporating Thai and regional flavors.

Another dish – crab and giant water beetle ravioli with turmeric saffron sauce. Water beetle tastes a little like crab and has a similar texture, according to Mai. To prepare the dish he roasts the insects before removing their shells and pulling out the meat. Each beetle provides three to four grams of meat, and it takes about 20 of them to make one ravioli dish.

Another option? Grilled sea bass with “ant caviar” beurre blanc sauce, pan-fried queen ants, and corn salsa. The ant eggs in the beurre blanc sauce impart an acidity which, in fish dishes, more often comes from lemons. The delicate larvae cannot be cooked on a high heat and are gently introduced as the sauce is tempered. The ants themselves are pan-fried to a crisp and served on the fish.

Mai also prepares a lobster and grasshopper bisque risotto with seafood and sundried tomatoes. Grasshoppers stem from the same family as shrimp and have a similar flavor. The chef plates the crunchy invertebrates whole for aesthetic reasons, but he recommends removing the legs before eating.

And for dessert, there is an Italian tiramisu made with silkworm powder and topped with three of the pupae. – Bloomberg

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